Chasing My Husband! The "Crown Prince" of the Beijing Circle Is Wildly Unruly! - Chapter 91

“I’m sorry. I was just too angry that day,” Li Kuo said, handing Lu Ming a tissue.

“Leave him,” Li Kuo added, dabbing at Lu Ming’s tears. “What’s the point of staying?”

“My brother needs the money. And I’m afraid that if I leave, Chen Junsheng will sue me to take back everything he’s given me.”

If it weren’t for these factors, Lu Ming might never have considered being “kept” by Chen Junsheng in the first place. Over the years, the lines had blurred. There was affection, fear, and greed—a tangled web of emotions that he couldn’t simply cut through. He had calculated it carefully: aside from the apartment in his name, Chen Junsheng had transferred over three million yuan to him over the years.

How could he possibly pay that back? He was no match for a man like Chen Junsheng.

“There is another way,” Li Kuo said, his voice dropping. “Take the moral high ground. Use his guilt against him and make him give you more.”

Lu Ming snapped his head up to meet Li Kuo’s gaze. Li Kuo’s eyes looked like an unfathomable abyss.

“I’m sorry, I’m not a ‘good’ person. But if all you want is more of his money, I might actually have a way.” Having spent years scrapping for every cent, Li Kuo knew better than anyone how to squeeze money out of the elite.

Lu Ming hesitated. “Forget it for now. I’m tired and I want to go home. Just drive me back.”

“After that, we’re even.”

Li Kuo looked at the man in the passenger seat and started the engine. The van was loud, and the seats were hard and uncomfortable. Lu Ming began to compare the two men again. Chen Junsheng was undoubtedly a scoundrel, but he provided a life of luxury. Li Kuo had a young, fit body, but he had nothing.

What happens after the physical pleasure fades? His brother would lose his job, he would face retaliation, homelessness, and a ruined reputation. Lu Ming knew which side of the scale held more weight.

If only I could take the money without being retaliated against… Lu Ming thought despondently. But after being with Chen Junsheng for so long, he knew the darkness in the man’s heart better than anyone. Chen was not a kind soul; he was driven by predatory malice.

And Li Kuo was no saint, either. Lu Ming wasn’t willing to bet on either of them. The thought made him feel like he was suffocating. Why did he always meet the wrong people? First the man who coerced him, then Li Kuo. Was he destined to be a “trashy” person surrounded by “trashy” people?

The only person he truly felt he had wronged was Sister Mingyue. A flash of guilt crossed his eyes. He sighed and closed them. Fine. If someone has to atone, let it be me. Just don’t let my brother get dragged into this.

A Moment of Protection

The van stopped in the apartment’s underground garage. Lu Ming hopped out, followed quickly by Li Kuo.

“You don’t need to follow me,” Lu Ming said warily. “I can go up by myself.”

Li Kuo jerked his chin toward the side. Three drunks were staggering toward them from the shadows of the parking lot.

Lu Ming frowned. Just some drunks…

“Hey there, pretty boy student… why don’t you come up and play with your uncles?” the three men slurred, surrounding them.

Li Kuo stepped in front of Lu Ming and delivered a swift kick to one of them before grabbing Lu Ming’s hand and bolting for the stairwell. The three men, barely able to stand from the alcohol, had no hope of catching them.

Once they were in the elevator, Li Kuo pressed the button for the first floor instead of Lu Ming’s floor. He pulled him into the stairwell. “We can’t let them follow us to your door.”

Lu Ming remained silent. Li Kuo had too many schemes and calculated moves. It made Lu Ming feel unsafe—he couldn’t bring himself to trust a man like that.

Back at the apartment door, Lu Ming punched in the code to enter, but Li Kuo caught the doorframe.

“What are you doing? You want to force yourself on me again?” Lu Ming snapped. “Li Kuo, once is an impulse. Doing it again is a crime.”

Li Kuo pointed to the elevator display, which showed someone was coming up. “Get inside and be quiet.”

They stood behind the door, watching the feed from the electronic lock. Two of the drunks appeared, cursing. “The lights didn’t trigger on this floor. Check the next one. I don’t believe we can’t find those two brats.”

Lu Ming was startled. Behind the door, Li Kuo’s expression softened into something resembling hurt.

“About last time… I’m sorry. Maybe you don’t understand. At school, you’re like a happy, sunny puppy. You always bring joy to people. I thought you were clean and pure.”

“The more I learned about you, the more disappointed I became. It just so happened that my part-time job that day was cleaning your place. Then all those misunderstandings happened… I thought you were tempting me. I’m sorry, Lu Ming. I was a real bastard.”

Lu Ming didn’t want to look at him. “I accept the apology. You can leave now. This home isn’t mine; Chen Junsheng bought it. I don’t have the right to let you stay.”

Li Kuo nodded. “Okay. But… can I stay just a bit longer? That other drunk is probably waiting for me in the garage.” There was a note of pleading in his voice. “I can’t afford to get hurt. I have to work.”

Lu Ming pouted and gestured toward the couch. “You stay in the living room. Don’t go anywhere else.”

“Thank you.” Li Kuo didn’t seem embarrassed. He sat on the sofa, pulled out his phone, and opened an electronic textbook to start studying.

Under the warm orange light, Li Kuo looked almost holy as he focused on his work. Standing behind him, Lu Ming felt a moment of daze. If he were as hardworking and driven as Li Kuo, could he have carved out a future for himself? Would he have avoided… this?

Lu Ming realized he had been staring when Li Kuo suddenly turned to stretch. Their eyes met, and both froze.

“You can sleep on the sofa tonight,” Lu Ming said, looking away.

“Oh. Thank you,” Li Kuo replied, surprised.

Lu Ming went to the kitchen and grabbed some bottled water and fruit. “Do you need a pen and paper?”

“Yes, please.” Li Kuo’s eyes lit up.

Lu Ming found him a fresh notebook and a pen. “I’m going to bed.” He retreated to the bedroom, took a shower, and lay in bed scrolling through his phone. He opened his chat with Chen Junsheng.

Lu Ming: Brother Chen, are you busy lately?

There was no reply. One hour passed, then two, then three. It was nearly 1:30 AM.

Lu Ming’s expression darkened. He had been naive enough to think that being with Chen Junsheng was enough. But what moral compass could a man have who cheats on his wife and hurts someone like Sister Mingyue? Lu Ming had overestimated his own importance. It was clear that the “escorts” Chen Junsheng was hiring now were much younger.

Lu Ming was getting older every year; he couldn’t stay the “cute boy” forever. It was only a matter of time before Chen discarded him.

Splaaaash—

The sound of the shower came from the living room bathroom. Lu Ming frowned. Is he still awake? It’s almost 2:00 AM.