nownovels Chapter 46 A Caged Beast, A Play in the Palm of One's Hand
Chapter 46 A Caged Beast, A Play in the Palm of One's Hand
The warm room was deathly silent.
The four executioners, who had just been so fierce, now lay sprawled on the Persian carpet like four dead dogs.
The bright red blood dripped from the blood groove of the ghost-head knife into the intricate pattern of the carpet, instantly spreading out like blooming spider lilies.
The smell of blood, mixed with the original strong scent of cosmetics and cigarettes in the room, created a strange atmosphere that made one's adrenaline surge.
Lu Cheng held the gun in one hand, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground.
That drop of blood finally slid from the tip of the gun.
"Clatter".
Manager Zhao huddled in the corner, trembling, his crotch already soaked. He was truly terrified, afraid that Lu Cheng, in a bloodthirsty rage, would casually stab him through the heart as well.
Xiao Shengyun, who was on the ground, buried her face between her legs like an ostrich, trembling all over like a leaf.
Only Yao Hong.
This "fierce tiger" that General Ma cherished was not afraid at all; instead, she slowly stood up.
She walked barefoot on the soft carpet, step by step toward Lu Cheng.
In her eyes, there was no fear, only fire.
It's the kind of greed that comes from seeing a rare treasure and wanting to possess it, or even wanting to devour it whole.
"Slap, slap, slap."
Yao Hong clapped softly.
"it is good."
"very nice."
She walked up to Lu Cheng, getting dangerously close.
She could even feel the scorching masculine aura emanating from Lu Cheng after his intense exercise, like the blazing sun.
This scent is a million times better than the smell on the commander-in-chief, which is a mixture of old age and cigarette smoke.
"Boss Lu, your shot not only killed four of my men."
Yao Hong stretched out her nail-painted fingers, wanting to touch Lu Cheng's chest, but stopped half an inch away from his clothes, her fingertips gently tracing his chest.
"It even... touched my heart."
Lu Cheng remained expressionless, taking a slight step back to avoid the finger.
"Fourth concubine, the battle is over."
"Shouldn't we cash in on that two thousand silver dollars prize?"
Yao Hong's fingers froze in mid-air, then she let out a string of silvery laughter.
"Giggle giggle..."
"money?"
"Boss Lu, is money all you care about?"
Yao Hong whirled around, her smile vanishing instantly, replaced by an icy coldness. She snapped at the others in the room:
"Get out of here, all of you!"
Manager Zhao felt as if he had been granted a pardon and tried to run away as fast as he could.
"Drag these four good-for-nothings out of here, don't let them get in the way!"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Manager Zhao quickly called to the guards outside, and they hurriedly dragged the four unconscious executioners out like dead pigs.
"And you."
Yao Hong glanced at Xiao Shengyun on the ground with disgust.
"Aren't you going to get lost? Waiting to collect your reward?"
Startled, Xiao Shengyun scrambled to her feet and scrambled out of the warm pavilion, not even daring to turn back to pick up her lost shoe.
"Bang!"
The heavy, carved wooden door was slammed shut.
In the large, warm room, only two people remained.
Lu Cheng, and Yao Hong.
A lone man and a lone woman.
On one side is a martial arts master whose murderous aura has not subsided, and on the other side is a seductive concubine who wields immense power in the warlord's mansion.
The ambiguity and danger in the air instantly reached an off-the-charts level.
The underfloor heating in the house was burning too brightly.
Yao Hong walked to the window, but instead of opening it, she reached out and pulled the heavy velvet curtains even tighter.
The light dimmed instantly, with only a few glass palace lanterns in the corner emitting a dim, ambiguous glow.
"Boss Lu."
Yao Hong turned around and leaned against the windowsill, a posture that perfectly showcased her S-shaped figure.
"Now, there's no one left."
"It's just the two of us in this room."
She picked up an opened bottle of foreign liquor from the low table next to her; it was imported French brandy, and poured two glasses.
"In this city of Beiping, the men who want to get into my bed could line up from Dongzhimen to Xizhimen."
"But I don't like any of them."
"They either want the warlord's power or my money. They all act like lapdogs when they see me, spineless cowards."
Holding a wine glass, Yao Hong approached Lu Cheng step by step.
The wine swirled in the glass, its amber luster reflecting on her delicate yet somewhat crazed face.
"But you are different."
"You're tough enough."
"Whether it's from the bones, or from this..."
Her gaze swept unabashedly over Lu Cheng's tall and straight figure, finally settling on his deep, cold eyes.
"Lu Cheng, come with me."
"That old bastard Ma Linyuan won't live for many more years."
"With that thuggish air about him, he'll get his comeuppance sooner or later."
"But the wealth he accumulated was so vast that it would take several lifetimes to spend it all."
Yao Hong walked up to Lu Cheng, raised her glass, and brought it to his lips.
His tone was full of seduction.
"As long as you nod."
"Tonight, you are the master of this Listening to the Rain Pavilion."
"What the commander-in-chief can give you, I will give you double. What the commander-in-chief cannot give you... wait until he dies."
Yao Hong's eyes were alluring, and she leaned forward slightly, her strong fragrance wafting into Lu Cheng's nose.
"I can give that to you too."
This is a blatant transaction.
It is also the most fatal temptation.
Any man would probably have given in to such power, money, and beauty.
But Lu Cheng simply watched her quietly.
Those eyes, now pierced with discerning insight, saw through the layers of makeup to reveal the truth beneath.
He saw the fear, emptiness, and the madness in the woman's eyes, a desire to control everything to fill the void of insecurity.
"The wine is good wine."
Lu Cheng raised his hand.
But he didn't take the glass of wine.
Instead, he used two fingers to pinch the rim of the wine glass.
With a gentle touch.
"Click."
The exquisite crystal goblet shattered like an eggshell at his fingertips.
The wine spilled out, splashing onto Yao Hong's snow-white wrist, its chilling liquid cutting through her skin.
Yao Hong was startled and instinctively let go.
"you……"
"Fourth concubine."
Lu Cheng's voice was calm and even, without the slightest ripple.
You're drunk.
"I, Lu Cheng, am both an opera singer and a martial artist."
"But I am not a gigolo."
"I can't swallow this bowl of soft rice, and I'm afraid it'll burn my mouth."
Lu Cheng took out a clean white handkerchief from his pocket and slowly wiped the wine stains off his fingers.
That composure, that aloof indifference, made Yao Hong feel an unprecedented sense of frustration.
This further ignited her innate desire to conquer.
"You dare refuse me?"
Yao Hong's expression changed, becoming somewhat ferocious.
"Aren't you afraid I won't let you leave through this door?"
"This is the Marshal's mansion! If I smash a cup or yell 'molestation,' the machine guns outside will riddle you with bullets!"
Lu Cheng smiled.
He casually tossed the handkerchief he had used to wipe his hands over, which landed right on the wine stain.
"You can give it a try."
"Within seven steps, my domain rests."
"Before you smash the glass, I have ten ways to shut you up."
Lu Cheng took a step forward.
This step was incredibly powerful.
In that instant, Yao Hong felt as if she were being stared at by an ancient ferocious beast, and the hairs on her body stood on end.
She instinctively stepped back, only to find a windowsill behind her, with nowhere left to retreat.
Lu Cheng braced himself against the windowsill with one hand, trapping her in a small space.
This was originally an extremely ambiguous "wall slam" pose.
But there was no lust in Lu Cheng's eyes, only a suffocating sense of oppression.
"Fourth concubine, since it's a private performance..."
"Then let's do it the way we do it."
"I want to take the money with me."
"I'll still sing the opera."
"only……"
Lu Cheng lowered his head, leaned close to Yao Hong's ear, and said in a low voice:
"When I'm performing, I don't like people to get too close to me."
"Sit back down."
"Listen to the opera."
These few words were spoken in a commanding tone.
Yao Hong was stunned.
Since she started following Commander Ma, she has always been the one giving orders to others. When has she ever been ordered around like this?
But oddly enough.
Looking at that cold, stern face so close to me, I could feel its domineering and forceful aura.
She wasn't angry at all.
Instead, I felt a surge of electricity rush from my tailbone to my head, and my legs felt weak.
That's what a man should be like!
This is the man who can tame this fiery tiger!
"good……"
Yao Hong's voice was somewhat hoarse, and her eyes became unfocused and complicated.
It was a tangled mix of love and hate, fear and desire to get closer.
She obediently pushed Lu Cheng's arm away, and like a tamed cat, walked back to the daybed and sat down.
She straightened her cheongsam, trying her best to maintain that precarious dignity.
"Then I'm all ears."
"Boss Lu, please."