After the Arranged Marriage, I Was Pampered by the Powerful Tycoon - Chapter 17

Luo Mingzhi hung up the phone before he could respond. Cheng Ruan stared at the call log, his face filled with confusion.

If he hadn’t misheard just now, did Luo Mingzhi really say he was drunk and wanted Cheng Ruan to pick him up from the Guzhen Clubhouse?

What was the meaning of this?

Cheng Ruan immediately picked up his phone and sent a WeChat message to Wu Zhou: “Luo Mingzhi just called and asked me to pick him up.”

“What a joke. Does he not have a driver? Does he really need this Young Master to pick him up in person?”

After sending the message, Cheng Ruan looked down at his loungewear and slippers. After a moment of internal struggle, he got up and went upstairs to change his clothes.

Cough. Since Mr. Luo called personally, he would just treat it as going out for a stroll.

Cheng Ruan drove to Luo Mingzhi’s clubhouse, took the elevator up, and located the private room.

The door to the suite was slightly ajar. A waiter in a suit at the entrance bowed respectfully. “Sir, may I ask who you are…”

Cheng Ruan cleared his throat and glanced inside. “I’m here to pick up your Mr. Luo and take him home.”

A look of surprise flashed in the waiter’s eyes. “You are… Mr. Cheng?”

“Mr. Cheng, please come in.” The waiter eagerly reached out to push open the door for him.

“Thank you.”

The moment the door opened, Cheng Ruan took a deep breath. He immediately spotted several men sitting by the sofa; by the looks of them, they were likely Luo Mingzhi’s friends.

Cheng Ruan walked over, wondering if he should have called Luo Mingzhi in advance. Suddenly, a blonde man sitting directly opposite him happened to catch sight of him.

“Someone’s here?”

Luo Mingzhi turned around at the sound and saw Cheng Ruan standing at the door.

Cheng Ruan flashed an awkward yet polite smile and prepared to walk over, but to his surprise, Luo Mingzhi stood up first and walked toward him.

“Holy crap, what’s the situation here?”

“Isn’t that… Cheng Ruan?”

“Luo Mingzhi asked him to come? Didn’t people say he couldn’t stand that Cheng Ruan?”

Whispers erupted in the room, except for Gu Lin, who sat beside Luo Mingzhi’s empty seat with a knowing smirk, remaining silent.

Luo Mingzhi reached out and wrapped his arm around Cheng Ruan’s waist. “Why didn’t you tell me when you arrived? I would have come down to get you.”

Unaccustomed to the contact, Cheng Ruan fidgeted slightly in Luo Mingzhi’s embrace. He looked up and glared straight at Luo Mingzhi, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear: “Didn’t you say you were drunk and told me to pick you up? Why would you come down to get me?”

“Fair point,” Luo Mingzhi chuckled. His large hand covered Cheng Ruan’s slender waist, guiding him toward the group.

The blonde man was the first to start teasing: “Yo, isn’t this the sister-in-law? Did you come to check up on him?”

Cheng Ruan’s face flushed instantly upon hearing this. He started to wave his hand in denial, but his hand was caught mid-air by Luo Mingzhi, who pressed it down and held it firmly.

Cheng Ruan turned his head in shock again, realizing that Luo Mingzhi’s fingers were now interlaced with his own. His blood felt like it had frozen.

Looking back at the group, he realized that the man who had previously been photographed with Luo Mingzhi was also present.

Cheng Ruan twitched his fingers, intending to signal Luo Mingzhi to let go, but Luo Mingzhi only gripped tighter. He smiled and introduced him to everyone: “This is my husband, Cheng Ruan.”

The blonde man laughed a few times and said wantonly, “I was wondering who you were calling to pick you up—turns out it was the spouse! I was abroad and couldn’t make it to the wedding, but I’ve long heard that he was famously beautiful. Seeing him now, he really is extraordinary. I wish you both a long and happy life together!”

Luo Mingzhi nodded composedly. “Much obliged.”

Cheng Ruan noticed that the man named Shen Yuwei had his brow furrowed; his expression looked quite poor, and the look he gave Luo Mingzhi was laced with complex emotions.

By then, Luo Mingzhi was already saying his goodbyes. Cheng Ruan didn’t have time to overthink, so he followed suit, putting on a smile to bid farewell to Luo Mingzhi’s friends. They walked out of the room hand-in-hand. While waiting for the elevator, Cheng Ruan carefully curled his fingers and asked Luo Mingzhi, “Um… can we let go of our hands now?”

Luo Mingzhi asked back, “You don’t like it?”

Cheng Ruan nodded, then shook his head. Meeting Luo Mingzhi’s gaze, he explained softly, “Holding hands the whole time feels a bit strange.”

Ding— The elevator light turned on.

As the doors opened, Cheng Ruan felt a sudden emptiness in his palm. Luo Mingzhi had released his hand and stepped into the elevator.

Cheng Ruan followed him in. It wasn’t until they reached the parking lot that he realized something was off. He asked, “Is Zhang Li busy today?”

Luo Mingzhi gave a brief “Mm.”

Cheng Ruan asked curiously, “This is your clubhouse; it should be easy to arrange for someone to drive you, right? Why did it have to be me?”

Luo Mingzhi opened the passenger door, sat down, and buckled his seatbelt. “I’m drunk.”

This non-sequitur of an answer clearly didn’t satisfy Cheng Ruan’s curiosity. Even if he was drunk, there was no need for him to come all the way from the villa in the middle of the night, was there?

While waiting at a red light, he couldn’t help but ask again, “But…”

Luo Mingzhi’s long fingers tugged impatiently at his tie, causing the collar of his shirt to hang slightly open. “I’m drunk. Can’t I have my husband come pick me up?”

“…” Cheng Ruan shut his mouth instantly.

The atmosphere in the car suddenly became subtle. Luo Mingzhi leaned his elbow against the door, watching the flustered Cheng Ruan with great interest.

Cheng Ruan was currently at a total loss. He counted down the seconds for the red light to end in his head, feeling as though this single minute was becoming infinitely long.

To make matters worse, Luo Mingzhi asked knowingly, “Why is your face so red?”

Cheng Ruan really wanted to snap back with “You tell me,” but he held it in and made an excuse: “Maybe it’s just too hot.”

Luo Mingzhi raised an eyebrow and rolled down the window. The cool night breeze poured in, fluttering the open edges of his shirt.

“…” Cheng Ruan withdrew his gaze and stepped on the gas.

The usual thirty-minute drive was forced down to twenty minutes by Cheng Ruan. Upon stopping, Cheng Ruan tried to get out of the car but found his upper body stuck, only then realizing he had forgotten to unbuckle his seatbelt.

As he finally unbuckled and stepped out of the car, the entire scene played out right in front of Luo Mingzhi.

Cheng Ruan’s ears turned red with frustration. “Luo Mingzhi, what are you laughing at!”

A hint of playfulness flashed in Luo Mingzhi’s narrow eyes. “I suddenly find you quite interesting.”

Cheng Ruan stomped his foot and turned away sharply.

“Cheng Ruan,” Luo Mingzhi called out from behind him.

Cheng Ruan was determined not to look back, but he still responded, “What is it?”

Luo Mingzhi’s voice sounded deep and mellow in the night air. “Do you remember what you begged me for last night?”

“Shouldn’t you… keep your promise?”

Cheng Ruan’s heart sank, and he froze in his tracks.

His own voice echoed in his ears: “Didn’t you agree to be my bed partner? Can we do it next time instead…”

The overwhelming scent of woody perfume filled his senses as Luo Mingzhi scooped him up horizontally and placed him on the sofa.

“This time is ‘next time’.”

Cheng Ruan lay half-reclined on the sofa. The shirt he had changed into before leaving was completely unbuttoned, his trousers were pushed down to his calves, and his legs were held high. His entire body was as red as a cooked shrimp.

He straightened his toes, trying to shrink back, but the man above him held him ruthlessly. Losing his balance, he had no choice but to cling to Luo Mingzhi’s shoulders, broken moans escaping his lips.

Cheng Ruan could barely hold back his tears. “Luo Mingzhi…”

Luo Mingzhi remained composed, looking down at him while pinning Cheng Ruan’s hands above his head on the sofa.

He leaned down to kiss Cheng Ruan’s palm and asked, “What should you call me?”

Cheng Ruan didn’t even have the strength to roll his eyes. However, Luo Mingzhi did not intend to let him off. “Call me what?”

“Ungh…” Cheng Ruan answered with difficulty. “Luo… Ming…”

“Wrong.” Luo Mingzhi placed a slender index finger gently against Cheng Ruan’s lips.

Cheng Ruan understood what Luo Mingzhi meant. He opened his mouth and said indistinctly, “Husband…” (Literal: “Sir/Mr.”)

Luo Mingzhi gave Cheng Ruan a rewarding pat and pulled his hand down with him.

“Good boy.”

“Husband? My foot.” Cheng Ruan sat in his office, resentfully poking the cactus in front of him. There were several very obvious red marks on his wrists.

“Mr. Cheng.” Lu Ling knocked and walked in. “I have something to report.”

Cheng Ruan rubbed his neck and sighed heavily. “What is it, Secretary Lu?”

Lu Ling’s expression was grim. “Teacher Wei Qian of Thousand Butterflies Paper-cutting was robbed today. Her hand was severely slashed, and the first surgery has just finished.”

Cheng Ruan stopped what he was doing. “The first one?”

Lu Ling said, “According to conservative diagnosis, Teacher Wei’s hand suffered multiple nerve injuries. There are two more surgeries scheduled for today.”

The expression on Cheng Ruan’s face shifted instantly. He frowned and asked, “Wei Qian… I remember she lives in Jincheng?”

Given Jincheng’s public security, this shouldn’t have happened.

Lu Ling nodded. “Teacher Wei is a professor at Jin University, so she lives in the center of Jincheng. The incident took place right across from the university.”

“Has the perpetrator been caught?”

Lu Ling shook her head. “It’s been three hours since the incident. The police and our people are currently screening the surveillance footage.”

Cheng Ruan pondered for a moment and looked at Lu Ling. “Secretary Lu, what do you think?”

Lu Ling said, “No conclusion can be drawn yet.”

“True.” Cheng Ruan reached out to stroke his chin, the red marks on his wrist clearly visible. “The person hasn’t been caught, so it’s too early to say anything. However… since it has already happened, we must prepare for the worst.”

Realizing Lu Ling’s gaze had fallen on his wrist, Cheng Ruan lowered his hand and tugged at his shirt sleeve. “Secretary Lu, please go there in person. Arrange a visit as soon as Teacher Wei’s surgery is over.”

Lu Ling closed her notebook. “Understood.”

Cheng Ruan immediately called Luo Mingzhi, and the other party answered quickly.

Cheng Ruan asked nervously, “Luo Mingzhi, do you know about Teacher Wei being injured?”

“Mm,” Luo Mingzhi said. “I’ve already arranged for doctors from the hospital to perform her surgery. The suspect was just apprehended.”

Cheng Ruan stood up abruptly. “Where are you now?”

Luo Mingzhi said, “Downstairs at your company.”

Cheng Ruan hurriedly pulled open the car door and sat down next to Luo Mingzhi. “What’s the situation now?”

Luo Mingzhi stared intently at the hickey on the side of his neck and said, “The second surgery is complete. Let’s go to the scene first.”

The suspect was already in police custody. The lawyer sent by Luo Mingzhi reported the details they had just learned: “According to the statement, the suspect is suspected of a crime of passion due to financial reasons. He happened to see that Teacher Wei’s handbag was valuable and acted on impulse to rob her. Because Teacher Wei refused to let go, he became resentful and attacked her with a knife.”

Cheng Ruan asked, “That’s it?”

The lawyer said, “In response to Mr. Cheng, that is how it appears for now. Based on our understanding, he has several prior convictions for armed robbery and assault.”

Cheng Ruan and Luo Mingzhi exchanged a glance. “Understood. Report back if there are any new developments.”

On the return journey, Cheng Ruan sat in the back seat without saying a word, repeatedly replaying the events in his mind. A few minutes later, his phone chimed with a notification for an important event.

“Pick up the Old Man and take him home.”

Oh no!

Cheng Ruan looked up and realized they were currently on a road that led neither to the company nor to Luo Mingzhi’s house. He turned his head and asked, “Luo Mingzhi, where are we going now?”

Luo Mingzhi said succinctly, “The hospital.”

Cheng Ruan was surprised. “Is Teacher Wei’s surgery over?”

Luo Mingzhi said, “Grandpa Cheng is being discharged today. We are going to see him together.”