CHAPTER 1484: FACING A STONE WALL

The VIP room of the Bellevue Hotel shimmered with opulence. Gilded frames cradled oil paintings along the walls, and vast glass windows opened to the glittering sprawl of Herriond’s capital below.

A marble dining table stood at the center, its dark wood edges brushed with gold, silver cutlery gleaming like starlight beneath the chandeliers.

At the entrance, Zhao Li Xin stepped into the restaurant at a calm, unhurried pace. Though dressed in nothing more than a simple tailored black tunic suit, he carried it with a presence that bent the atmosphere to his will.

His height and sculpted features gave him the imposing beauty of a figure cut from legend, while the chill in his expression warned against approaching too closely.

Yet that very coldness only sharpened his allure, making him at once forbidding and irresistible. The room seemed to tighten around him, men instinctively cautious, women unable to tear their eyes away, caught between the shiver of intimidation and the ache of fascination.

Yet Zhao Li Xin, who had been long accustomed to attention to the point of numbness, strode forward at a steady pace with impassive expression. Not long after, he was greet by the hotel staff and promptly guided him toward the VIP room where he was expected.

Across the room, seated at the corner of the restaurant, Lory watched with glittering eyes. It was trully a blessing to have a husband like Zhao Li Xin, not only strikingly handsome, but he also the very embodiment of everything she had ever wished for in a man and a husband.

As if guided by instinct, Zhao Li Xin’s gaze found Lory within a second. Lory’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile, her eyes warm with affection.

His face remained stoic to the world, but the slightest flicker of warmth glimmered in his gaze, tender and unspoken, a private language only she could read.

When Zhao Li Xin entered the VIP room, his gaze swept briefly across the space before settling on Salvo De Rova. The man was conversing with a woman draped in a champagne-colored dress that clung to her curves with deliberate provocation, leaving little to the imagination.

Her red hair spilled over one shoulder like molten silk, a calculated flourish that made her beauty as dangerous as it was alluring.

Salvo rose at once, his silver-and-white suit catching the light as he crossed the room with a practiced smile. Extending his hand, he greeted warmly,

"Mr. Zhao, good evening."

Their handshake was firm, Salvo’s full of intent, while, Zhao Li Xin’s cool and measured. Zhao Li Xin nod faintly, his expression smooth as polished stone, betraying nothing.

Salvo studied Zhao Li Xin expression, searching for some trace of thought or reaction, but found only the same impenetrable calm that both intrigued and unsettled him.

"Please, have a seat," Salvo gestured with an inviting flourish, his tone laced with hospitality.

As Zhao Li Xin approached the table, Salvo gestured toward the woman at his side. "Allow me to introduce my colleague and dear friend, Lucia."

Lucia’s lips curved into a slow, practiced smile, her red hair gleaming like a flame against the muted elegance of the room. She raised her wine glass and smile flirtatiously.

Zhao Li Xin only look at her for a secon, unimpress he avert his gaze and take a sit without showing any reaction.

Lucia narrowed her eyes, intrigued. Perhaps no man had ever greeted her with such indifference. Her gaze burned hotter, lips flicking with a quick lick as her smile deepened.

From the camera hidden in Zhao Li Xin’s brooch, Lory watched the scene with detached amusement. She already knew who Lucia Viora was, her name tied to the incident with Sean Lockwood and Andreass.

That incident had exposed her as part of Constellation, though few outside the circle ever known about Lucia real identity. Lory assumed the organization deliberately concealed the truth, given the sensitivity of her role.

Lucia’s habit of altering her appearance whenever she went out only added another layer of cover, making her difficult to track without facial recognition deviced.

From the reports, Lory observed that nearly all of Lucia’s assignments relied on the same tactic, seduction. She wielded it to extract information, secure favors, or gain leverage over influential figures.

The photos collected by the Noxcra agents showed a staggering range of targets, spanning professions, status, and age. It was impressive in its own way; Lory acknowledged that Lucia excelled in her craft.

But Zhao Li Xin? Lory’s lips curved faintly, her thoughts steady and precise. Let her try. The fall would be inevitable, and Lory intended to watch every moment of it. Still, she sent a message to Zhao Li Xin to warn him.

When his phone buzzed, Zhao Li Xin unhurriedly pulled out his phone. Soon after, a message from Lory popped up: Beware of the btch.*

A faint smile tugged at his lips. He could already picture Lory’s jealous little pout, and the thought of her adorable face made his heart beat a little faster.

It was funny how much more possessive she became in her own world, though he wasn’t sure why. Not that he minded; he actually enjoyed it. He liked seeing her fuss over him, bristle when women tried to get too close to him.

Still, he wouldn’t dare to take this matter lightly. His wife was his everything, and no other woman was worth even a single strand of her hair.

He also knew love could be exhausted if neglected, so he treated their love with utmost care, just like tending a delicate flower.

Because he knew for certain, if Lory ever got angry and decided to leave him... he’d be so devastated he might just cry his eyes out like a little kid, so he would not risk it.

Furthermore, unlike any other woman, his wife really could grow wings and fly away. And if that happened, catching her again wouldn’t be easy, even for him.

"Good news?" Lucia asked, her chin propped delicately on one hand, her voice dripping with an allure designed to be irresistible.

But Zhao Li Xin doesn’t even lift his gaze, then he answers briefly, almost like a mutter to himself, "En, my wife."

After that, he slid the phone into his pocket and turned his attention back to Salvo De Rova, dismissing her presence as though she were nothing more than background noise. It wasn’t a deliberate tactic; it was simply because Lucia failed to hold his interest.

Ignored yet again, Lucia’s smile faltered, though as a professional temptress, she quickly gathered herself. Still, the brittle edge of her chuckle rang in the air like cracked glass. After all, no woman could remain perfectly calm when treated as though she were invisible.

Fine. If he wanted to play difficult, she would savor the challenge. Sooner or later, he would fall into her hands, just like every other man before him.

And when that moment came, she would make certain the victory tasted twice as sweet. Her eyes lingered on Zhao Li Xin’s figure, predatory and intent, like a beast sizing up its prey.

"Your wife is Raven Jane, isn’t she?" Salvo asked, his gaze sharp and searching, the question heavy with unspoken weight tied to Ethan Hamilton.

"Yes..." Zhao Li Xin replied, his tone casual, as if commenting on the weather.

"And where is she now?" Salvo’s voice was light, almost friendly.

"At home," Zhao Li Xin answered just as lightly, offering nothing more, no hint of what home, or where.

And the conversation about Lory ended there. Salvo leaned back in his chair, silently recalculating his next move.

Just then, a line of servants entered, moving in quiet precision as they laid out dishes and poured tea.

"I hope you don’t mind, I took the liberty of ordering dinner for you," Salvo remarked, his words carrying the faintest edge, though he wasn’t sure if Zhao Li Xin was even aware of it.

"En, I appreciate it." Zhao Li Xin’s reply was courteous on the surface, but his presence allowed no space for warmth. Every gesture, every word, carried the weight of someone long accustomed to power.

He radiated pressure like a sovereign seated on a throne, one who held the authority to decide life and death with a single command. Arrogant yet refined, intimidating yet calculating, his very stillness carried an unspoken warning.

However, beneath that sharp edge, there was a charisma that drew eyes to him, a quiet magnetism that made him impossible to ignore.

’What a dangerous man, he is.’ Salvo thought.

After the servants left, Zhao Li Xin picked up a teacup and took a sip. His brow furrowed slightly before he set it down with a faint thud.

"You don’t like the tea?" Salvo asked, catching the first subtle shift in Zhao Li Xin’s expression.

"They brewed the leaves too long," Zhao Li Xin said after a quiet breath.

Salvo arched a brow, intrigued. "You know about brewing tea?"

"Just the basics," Zhao Li Xin replied evenly.

"Would you like to brew me tea sometime?" Lucia leaned forward, showing her cleavage with a playful smile that could stir any man’s heart.

Unfortunately for her, Zhao Li Xin was not just any man. His expression remained unmoved, his tone flat, almost bored.

"No. I don’t have time."

Lucia’s grip on her glass slipped, nearly spilling, but she quickly recovered, forcing a sweet smile. "Is that so..." She lifted her glass and drank deeply, masking the irritation burning beneath her skin.

Concealing his disappointment at Lucia’s failure, Salvo pressed on, his tone carefully measured, probing without force. "So... do you know any other basic things?"

Zhao Li Xin paused briefly, then replied, calm as ever. "I know some basic hairstyling."

Lucia almost choked on her wine, while Lory, watching through the brooch, nearly spat out her juice. Salvo narrowed his eyes, trying to discern if it was a joke or not, but Zhao Li Xin remained still like a quiet lake. Zhao Li Xin then elegantly poured mineral water into his glass as if everything was normal.

Salvo and Lucia couldn’t tell whether Zhao Li Xin was being serious or not. But Lory, the walking proof of his surprisingly professional hairstyling, knew full well about this hidden skill.

"So, Mr. Zhao, would you like to share a few tips about hairstyling?" Lucia asked coyly, still trying to get his attention.

"No. Too troublesome," The reply was immediate, blunt, and final.

"...Eh?" The word slipped out before she could restrain it.

"I’m too busy," Zhao Li Xin said, the words tossed out carelessly, as if he didn’t care whether she would believe it or not.

Lucia, the queen of seduction, for the first time, almost lost her composure. "Oh... I thought you liked hairstyling." Her smile wavered.

"Just for my wife," Zhao Li Xin said matter-of-factly, then took a slow sip of mineral water.

The edges of Lucia’s composure nearly cracked; she almost hurled the glass at him. Only Salvo’s sharp, warning glance kept her still, forcing her to swallow her pride.

Outside the VIP room, Lory covered her mouth, fighting to contain her laughter. It had been far too long since she’d heard Zhao Li Xin’s poisonous tongue at work.

Yes—this was the man she loved. Calm, decisive, and merciless to every woman but her.