CHAPTER 254: ZHOU LUCHEN, HAS THE PRODIGAL SON RETURNED?_1

Zhou Luchen leaned forward from the waist up, his fingers stroking her still swollen lips. He was likely drunk, his gaze a bit hazy. Her smile was truly dazzling.

"Can’t you just not smoke?" His words carried a plea.

"It’d be good if I died, so you’d remember for a lifetime, right? How I learned to smoke, don’t you have a responsibility?" Shen Jing said with a laugh as she got up.

Her palm was caught by Zhou Luchen. He frowned and asked, "Is it because you miss me?"

Shen Jing responded provocatively, "Miss you? So what if I do, Zhou Luchen? When I left, if you had shown me even a sliver of certainty, I wouldn’t want to argue with you anymore. What now? Have you realized I’m still beautiful, or is it that you haven’t found a satisfactory girl? The prodigal son returns? I don’t believe in that saying; it’s not realistic."

The prodigal son was like a tragic movie; no matter how many times you watched it, the ending was always the same, filled with regret. A person’s disposition is what it is; for whom would the capricious heart of a young master be willing to anchor?

The private room was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard—one heavy, one light.

Zhou Luchen watched Shen Jing for a long time as she spoke. She stood; he sat.

The man leaning back against the sofa gently kneaded her palm with one hand and murmured her name, "Shen Jing, I can spoil you to death."

His voice was blurred with a magnetic quality. His eyes were bloodshot; he was drunk, that was true.

Shen Jing had noticed that Zhou Luchen seldom mentioned the word ’love’. Perhaps it was out of disdain, or because he received too much of it.

"Shen Jing, I can spoil you to death."

That was what she remembered.

Even if he was drunk, his words could bewitch one into a daze. Look at that devastatingly handsome face, those eyes brimming with affection. He was the grandson of Zhou Zhaoping from the noblest line of Imperial City Root, the president of United Bank—how could she possibly stay clear-headed around him?

No matter how hard she struggled to escape the mire, Zhou Luchen only had to tug, and he could pull her right back into depravity.

Easily swayed by temptation—that described her perfectly. Her true nature was never aloof. The indulgent pleasures of Shanghai, the passionate encounters in Manhattan—she followed her heart and her instincts. The word ’resist’ was one she truly didn’t want to remember how to write.

Shen Jing looked at him. Even standing straight, her presence wasn’t as overwhelming as Zhou Luchen’s.

"I’ll give you one last chance. Let’s see if I’m satisfied with how you chase after me," she declared.

Zhou Luchen smiled, then asked slowly, "Really?"

"Take it or leave it."

She turned to leave, but Zhou Luchen still had her left palm in his grip; she couldn’t break free.

A force pulled her back. Zhou Luchen hauled her sideways onto his lap. Drunk, he lowered his head slightly, gazing sincerely into her eyes. He guided her delicate hand to unbutton his white shirt, one button, then another, down to the waistband of his trousers.

The sight of his half-bare chest made Shen Jing’s eyes heat up. She knew Zhou Luchen had been drinking; she knew he wanted to flirt right then and there.

The first time she stayed at his place, Zhou Luchen had undone her clothes just like this, leaving only one button.

Their tender gazes met. In the dim light, Zhou Luchen’s eyes grew deeper. He pressed her onto the sofa, his kisses starting from her lips and gently making their way down to her collarbone.

Shen Jing wrapped her arms around his neck. As he entered her, she closed her eyes and asked, "Zhou Luchen, did you come back to the country just for me?"

At that moment, Zhou Luchen, full of vigor, spoke little and didn’t answer her.

「Four o’clock in the morning.」

Zhou Luchen carried her out of Yuting. Her torn stockings were concealed by his suit jacket, which he had tied around her waist, covering just enough.

Once in the car, she felt sleepy and dozed off in Zhou Luchen’s arms, sleeping silently the entire way.

Zhou Luchen brought her to the Shen Family home.

When they arrived at Xihe Bay in the early morning, the housekeeper was still asleep. Guided by memory, Zhou Luchen carried her to her room and tucked her in snugly. He then walked away, turning off the light in her room as he left.

The night was still heavy as the black Rolls-Royce left Xihe Bay. In the back seat, Zhou Luchen methodically cleaned his glasses and asked indifferently, "Where is he?"

The driver, Zhuang Ming, responded, "Behind us."

With that, Zhuang Ming made a U-turn, and the black G-series vehicle behind them followed. Both vehicles came to a stop at the midpoint of Yan Bridge.

The automatic door opened, and Zhou Luchen, with his glasses back on, stepped out of the car unhurriedly.

He owed Cheng Jinchuan that punch, and Zhou Luchen settled the debt that very night. Promptly paid, meticulously calculated.

Cheng Jinchuan’s cheekbone looked as if it had been dislocated. "Zhou Luchen, you don’t have to hold such a grudge."

Zhou Luchen extended his hand, pushing the approaching Cheng Jinchuan away as if he were pushing aside filth, and sneered disdainfully, "Yes, I’m making it personal."

He was quite arrogant. "Zhou Luchen, have you gone mad with rage?" Cheng Jinchuan exclaimed.

Initially, Cheng Jinchuan had harbored a sliver of hope, thinking Zhou Luchen would just vent his anger and be done with it. He never expected that after sending Shen Jing home, Zhou Luchen would turn right back to settle the score.

He never intended to provoke Zhou Luchen, who was constantly guarded by bodyguards who protected him fiercely. Once these bodyguards made a move, they could genuinely leave someone crippled.

The night wind WHOOSHED. Zhou Luchen leaned against the bridge railing, frustrated as his matches kept extinguishing. He frowned in annoyance, shielded the next match with his hand, and finally managed to light the cigarette dangling from his lips.

Taking a drag, he looked disdainfully at Cheng Jinchuan. "Have you been bothering my woman lately?"

Clutching his injury, Cheng Jinchuan retorted, "I have a girlfriend. Why would I waste my time on Shen Jing? What kind of goddess do you think she is? Only you, Zhou Luchen, would act as if there are no other women in the world, chasing after her again despite your status! Are you fucking bewitched by her or something? I never thought I’d see the day someone as noble as you would lower your head for a woman."

Cheng Jinchuan grew more agitated as he spoke. The only flaw he could find to slander Zhou Luchen with seemed to be his repeated involvement with the same woman. This was hardly Young Master Zhou’s usual style.

"I remember now. You were with her in that private room for two hours."

This comment struck a raw nerve. Zhou Luchen, who had been about to get back into the car, spun around and kicked Cheng Jinchuan.

Zhou Luchen said coolly, "Even if I were with her for two days and two nights, it would be none of your damn business."

Zhuang Ming made a phone call, then opened the car door, watching as the young master returned to the vehicle. Zhuang Ming then moved to the driver’s seat and started the car.

He glanced at the rearview mirror. At that moment, Zhou Luchen raised the back of his hand, examining the band-aid. The simple, cheap cherry blossom anime-themed band-aid contrasted starkly with the expensive platinum ring on his little finger, yet together they created an oddly harmonious aesthetic—a beauty born from their stark disparity, like that between clouds and mud.

Zhuang Ming diverted his gaze. "Do you need me to buy some disinfectant?"

Zhou Luchen responded, "Is it necessary?"

After driving for a while, Zhuang Ming asked, "What should we do about Cheng Jinchuan?"

Zhou Luchen spoke slowly, "What else can we do?" He paused. "Find evidence and let him taste a lawsuit."

Zhuang Ming understood and drove steadily. He noticed Zhou Luchen was focused on cleaning his glasses, unsure if he was still drunk or simply out of sorts. "Are you in a bad mood?" he asked.

Zhou Luchen asked coolly, "Am I?"

"It’s quite obvious," Zhuang Ming stated honestly. "You’re not happy. You’re lacking your usual carefree, joyful state."

Zhou Luchen closed his eyes, remaining silent. Zhuang Ming didn’t understand, so he didn’t ask further.

"The Eldest Young Master called. He’s inviting you to breakfast."

With his eyes still closed, Zhou Luchen murmured sleepily, "Go to the hutong."