“Hm? Still pushing?”
Feeling the touch on her back, Lou Mingxin didn’t open her eyes, but her brows furrowed instinctively.
“Your hands are too cold. Handle that before serving your client!”
“Apologies. That was my oversight.”
The man’s voice was low, with a hint of a smile—clearly not a beautician!
Lou Mingxin’s eyes flew open. She turned around sharply, causing the long towel in front of her to slip. She hurried to catch it—
But the man was quicker. He grabbed one end of the towel and smoothly pulled it up over her chest, smiling slightly. “President Lou, now you’ve got it covered. If it falls again, I won’t be helping. Such a rare sight—hard to resist indulging the eyes…”
“You rascal! No sense of propriety!”
The young man leaned in, crouching in front of her so their eyes were level. “President Lou, it’s been a while since you called me. If I hadn’t come today, would you have ever reached out again?”
This handsome young man knelt humbly before her, speaking gently, eyes full of grievance—how could anyone not soften?
And sure enough, Lou Mingxin softened.
“What nonsense are you saying?”
She had indeed forgotten about him. Half a month ago? Or was it half a year? While hosting a business partner at Tianyu Club, she had casually picked his number. She hadn’t expected him to find his way here.
“You’re clever,” she said, patting his face.
But the man caught her hand and refused to let go, kissing each of her fingertips with tenderness in his eyes.
“Enough,” Lou Mingxin chuckled, her brows relaxed. “Stay with me tonight.”
A flash of joy crossed the man’s eyes. Everyone at Tianyu knew President Lou was generous—his buddies would be green with envy tomorrow! “Alright, I’ll wait here while you finish up.”
“Mhm.”
“Shall I pour you some tea?”
This was a VIP suite with everything on hand. Pouring tea just meant picking it up and bringing it over.
He was trying to please her, and Lou Mingxin enjoyed being pampered by such a careful young man. “Flower tea.”
“Yes, yes, I know—you love rose with a hint of orange peel.”
“Not bad, you’ve got a good memory.”
Just as the man brought over the tea, Lou Mingxin’s phone rang on the chair.
She snatched it up—it was an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Good evening, President Lou!” A mechanical voice came from the other end—clearly voice-masked.
Usually only kidnappers used such voice filters to avoid voiceprint detection by the police.
At that moment, her heart dropped.
But years of experience kept her calm. “Who are you?”
“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is—your husband, Mr. Meng Zhiru, is in our hands. Prepare 50 million in cash before dawn. I’ll contact you again. Remember—no police. Or else… deal with the consequences.”
With that, the line went dead.
Lou Mingxin sat up straight, pulled on her robe, and her mind raced.
Two minutes later, she redialed the number.
To her surprise—it connected.
Just as she thought no one would answer, a voice said:
“President Lou, seems like you’ve got questions?”
“How do I know what you’re saying is true? What if my husband is safe at home right now?”
“I’ve sent you a video—check your phone.”
She opened it immediately—and there was Meng Zhiru!
Covered in blood, barely conscious on the ground, with the background all pixelated.
Clearly, the kidnappers were careful.
She picked up the phone again. “I need to confirm he’s still alive.”
“No wonder you’re President Lou—still clear-headed at a time like this. Listen—”
A dull thud came through, followed by a man’s suppressed cry of pain.
It was indeed Meng Zhiru. He was still alive.
“Fifty million isn’t a small amount. I might not be able to gather it all before dawn. Can I have one more day?”
“President Lou, this isn’t a marketplace—we don’t bargain here. Your net worth is no secret in the capital. Saying you don’t have the money? No one would believe that. Unless… you don’t want to save him. You want us to kill him.”
Lou Mingxin’s eyes turned cold. “Fine. Before dawn.”
Click—the line disconnected again.
….
She immediately called Meng Zhiru’s assistant. “…It’s me. Lou Mingxin.”
“M-Madam?!” the assistant stammered.
“Where’s Meng Zhiru?”
“H-He’s… busy.”
“Busy with what?”
“…”
“Speak!” Lou Mingxin snapped.
“Chief Z-Zhang always sets things up… Mr. Meng went…”
“Went where? You’d better not lie. You know what’ll happen if you do.”
“Tianyu! They went to Tianyu!”
Lou Mingxin laughed coldly.
What else would a man go to Tianyu for?!
Especially that sleazebag Meng Zhiru. Did he think she didn’t know about his dirty escapades? She’d just turned a blind eye—after all, she had more than one man outside herself.
“Where is Meng Zhiru now?”
“H-He should be at the hotel by now…”
Ha! Booking a room with some floozy. No wonder he got kidnapped.
“President Lou, anything else?”
Lou Mingxin’s eyes gleamed. “Bring your company’s official seal, Meng Zhiru’s personal seal, and all valuable securities and share certificates from the safe. Bring them to me.”
“R-Right now?”
“Yes. You’ve got thirty minutes. Get moving.”
Bonus quiz —
Will Lou Mingxin pay the ransom to save Meng Zhiru?
A. Yes
B. No
