Chapter 405: His Fiancée Threw Herself Into Another Man's Arms?
After inviting Long Qing and Long Hao to sit in the living room and serving them two cups of Mingqian Longjing tea, Su Wanqing called upstairs, "Mianmian, come down quickly, we have guests."
"Mom, I don't want to see any guests!"
The reply echoed down from the second floor, sharp and petulant, instantly making the atmosphere in the opulent living room turn awkward. Long Qing, the head of the Sichuan Long Family, maintained a placid smile, but the subtle tightening around his eyes betrayed his displeasure. His son, Long Hao, merely took a slow sip of his tea, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk playing on his lips.
Su Wanqing offered an apologetic smile to her guests, the picture of grace under pressure. "Please, excuse her. Mianmian can be a bit… spirited." She then turned, her elegant expression hardening into one of maternal sternness as she ascended the grand, spiraling staircase. With a soft click, she pushed open Su Hongmian's bedroom door.
The room was a princess's sanctuary, adorned in shades of cream and rose gold. Su Hongmian was sprawled lazily across her king-sized bed, lost in the vibrant world of her smartphone. She was a portrait of languid beauty, her body tracing an alluring S-curve against the fine silk sheets. A pair of delicate, translucent feet, their nails painted a soft pearl, swayed rhythmically in the air, a picture of carefree innocence that completely belied her fiery temperament.
Hearing the door open, she turned her head. Upon seeing the stern look on her adoptive mother's face, Su Hongmian's own expression melted into a playful pout. She whined, her voice dripping with practiced charm, "Mom, I'm in a really bad mood. I don't want to see anyone. Can't you just entertain them yourself?"
"Why are you in a bad mood again?" Su Wanqing asked, her voice laced with weary irritation as she crossed the plush carpet.
Su Hongmian tossed her phone onto the duvet and sat up, hugging a pillow to her chest. "It's Brother Shen, that big jerk! He hasn't come to see me in days! When I text him, it's always the same excuse: 'busy, busy, busy.' Hmph!" She snorted, her beautiful nose wrinkling in disdain. "As if I don't know him. What could he possibly be 'busy' with? He's definitely busy with some other woman, that's what!"
If Shen Anyu were there to hear her, he would have undoubtedly chuckled at the charmingly fierce jealousy radiating from her.
"Alright, now," Su Wanqing chided gently, sitting on the edge of the bed. "An'yu is not that kind of person. If he says he's busy, then he's truly busy with important matters."
"Hmph, Mom, you just don't know how bad Brother Shen can be…" Su Hongmian grumbled, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. She had personally witnessed his escapades with Liu Mi and Jiang Linlin, and she had even…
"Alright, alright, enough of your whining." Su Wanqing cut her off, deciding to get straight to the point. "Your fiancé, Long Hao, is here."
"What? Fiancé?"
The words hit Su Hongmian like a bolt of lightning. She scrambled up from the bed, her earlier languor replaced by wide-eyed astonishment. 'Fiancé? That relic from the past?' she thought frantically. She, along with Shen Anyu and her mother, had already planned to travel to the Long Family's estate in Sichuan tomorrow or the day after to officially annul that ridiculous engagement. How had he shown up here, at her doorstep?
Su Wanqing nodded, her expression softening slightly. "Long Hao and his father, Long Qing, have both come. We can take this opportunity to discuss the annulment now. Just remember, don't say anything out of line. Let Mom handle everything."
She knew her adopted daughter's personality all too well. With her and Shen Anyu, Su Hongmian was a spoiled, clingy kitten. But in front of outsiders, she was an arrogant, untouchable phoenix, proud and even overbearing. If Su Hongmian were allowed to initiate the annulment, her sharp tongue would undoubtedly turn the discussion into a bloodbath, deeply offending the Long family.
In the world of business, it was always better to build bridges than to burn them. Su Wanqing was a pragmatist. She would rather offer a generous financial compensation to smooth things over. It was a price she could easily afford.
"Mom, we have to annul it! No matter what!" Su Hongmian insisted, grabbing Su Wanqing's arm and shaking it like a desperate child. "I don't want that Long Hao as my fiancé! I won't have him!"
"I know, I know." Su Wanqing sighed, a fond exasperation in her eyes. She reached out and gently tapped Su Hongmian's forehead with a slender, fair finger. "You only have your Brother Shen in your heart. I get it."
At the mention of his name, Su Hongmian's anxious expression immediately blossomed into a sweet, triumphant giggle.
A few minutes later, she had changed into a modest, fully covered outfit, complete with a denim jacket to hide her stunning figure, and descended the stairs alongside her adoptive mother.
The moment Long Hao's eyes landed on her, a storm of emotions erupted within him. 'Su Hongmian!'
Her face, exquisite and incomparably beautiful, was a phantom that had haunted his dreams and nightmares for what felt like an eternity. He saw her, and the smoldering embers of past-life anger, bitter resentment, and deep-seated unwillingness roared back to life, coalescing into a feverish, almost manic excitement.
'Su Hongmian,' he vowed silently, his grip on the porcelain teacup tightening until his knuckles were bone-white. 'In this life, I will make you suffer. I will make you regret everything. That public humiliation, that cold dismissal… you will pay for it a thousand times over. I will make you kneel at my feet, weeping and begging me to stay. I will properly discipline you until you understand who your master is.'
Su Hongmian felt his intense gaze burning into her and immediately shot him a venomous glare. "What are you looking at?" she snapped, her voice dripping with icy disdain. "Stare any longer and I'll have your eyeballs gouged out and served for dinner."
She didn't coddle anyone. In the past, overly aggressive suitors had been met with a glass of wine to the face or, if they were particularly unlucky, a sharp, stinging slap.
Meanwhile, in a secure location miles away, Shen Anyu watched the entire scene unfold on a high-definition monitor. He had been checking on the status of Xu Ruoshui and Xu Ruoxue, but this live drama was far too entertaining to ignore. The feed, transmitted from a nanometer-sized monitoring robot subtly placed on Su Wanqing, was perfectly clear. Seeing Su Hongmian's fierce retort, he let out a low, appreciative laugh.
This tsundere princess of his truly was a marvel. All her spoiled sweetness was reserved exclusively for him; for the rest of the world, she was nothing but proud, icy arrogance.
His amused gaze shifted, focusing intently on the young man sitting opposite her. His eyes, sharp and calculating, scrutinized Long Hao's every micro-expression. 'So, this is the one,' he mused. 'Let's see what kind of Child of Destiny you are.'
Back at the Su villa, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Su Wanqing quickly pulled Su Hongmian behind her, giving her daughter a subtle, warning glare before turning back to her guests with a flawless hostess smile. "Mianmian has a bit of a temper, Chairman Long. Please, forgive her youthful impertinence."
Long Qing, determined to play the part of the magnanimous elder, waved his hand dismissively. "It's no trouble, no trouble at all. Young women with spirit are a common sight where I'm from. It's a sign of their true nature." He looked at the breathtakingly beautiful Su Hongmian and felt a genuine pang of regret. What a magnificent daughter-in-law she would make. He decided to make one last attempt.
"Ms. Su," he began, his tone serious. "Regarding the engagement between our children, what are your thoughts?"
Hearing the direct question, Su Wanqing glanced at her daughter, took a deep, steadying breath, and opened her mouth, ready to propose the annulment as diplomatically as possible.
But before she could utter a single word, Long Hao shot to his feet. A playful, predatory glint danced in his eyes as he locked his gaze onto Su Hongmian. He was about to deliver the line he had rehearsed a thousand times in his mind, the words that would shatter her pride and begin his glorious revenge.
"Su Hongmian," he declared, drawing out each word for maximum impact. "I, Long Hao, have come here today to officially—"
"Mianmian! Auntie! What's all the excitement? Looks like you have guests."
A voice, smooth as velvet yet carrying an obvious weight of presence, suddenly drifted in from the doorway, cutting through Long Hao's grand pronouncement like a hot knife through butter.
"Brother Shen!"
The change was instantaneous and absolute. Su Hongmian, who had been a bristling porcupine moments before, lit up as if the sun had just risen in the room. Her eyes widened, and a gasp of pure, unadulterated joy escaped her lips. Without a second thought, she stood up and, like a happy nightingale returning to its nest, practically flew across the living room, launching herself directly into Shen Anyu's embrace in front of everyone.
"Brother Shen, you're here!" she cried, her voice a sweet, ecstatic murmur against his chest. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his neck and inhaling his familiar, calming scent. "Mianmian missed you so, so much."
[Ding! Child of Destiny Long Hao's attempt to show off has failed. Plundered +66,666 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Long Hao's mentality has exploded. Plundered +9,999 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Long Hao's eyes are about to split from rage. Plundered +9,999 Destiny Points!]
Long Hao's world shattered. His mind went completely blank. He stood frozen, dumbfounded, staring at the scene before him as if it were an impossible nightmare.
Whether in his miserable previous life or his supposedly triumphant new one, the Su Hongmian he knew had always been the epitome of arrogance and disdain. She was an untouchable ice queen who looked down on him as if he were dirt beneath her shoes. Yet here she was, clinging to another man, her exquisite face radiating a sweetness and joy he never thought her capable of, her voice cooing a name—'Brother Shen'—with a sickeningly sweet affection.
This single, devastating scene completely broke Long Hao's composure.
His entire plan, the very foundation of his revenge, had been to stand here and coldly announce the annulment. He would declare that she, Su Hongmian, was unworthy of him. He, Long Hao, was the one breaking the engagement, and she had no right to refuse. It was supposed to be his moment to vent all the pent-up frustration and humiliation from his past life.
But he had never, ever imagined a scenario like this.
Seeing the blissful, lovesick expression on Su Hongmian's face and her delicate, clinging demeanor, Long Hao felt a wave of cognitive dissonance so powerful it made him physically dizzy. He simply could not reconcile this woman with the overbearing, tyrannical princess burned into his memory.
'Did my rebirth somehow break her mind?' he wondered hysterically. But no, that couldn't be right. Just moments ago, she had treated him with that same familiar, ice-cold contempt!
As Shen Anyu held the soft, fragrant woman in his arms, his peripheral vision was fixed on Long Hao. A cold, predatory amusement flickered in the depths of his eyes.
'System,' he commanded internally, 'use the Son of Destiny Identifier on Long Hao.'
The rapid-fire system notifications had already confirmed his suspicions. Long Hao was undoubtedly a Child of Destiny, but the specific type remained a mystery—a mystery the Destiny Plundering System was about to solve for him.
[Ding! Do you wish to spend 100,000 Destiny Points to activate the Son of Destiny Identifier and identify Child of Destiny Long Hao?]
Shen Anyu's eyes narrowed slightly. A hundred thousand? Ordinary Protagonists only cost ten thousand to identify. This Long Hao was ten times the price. There was definitely something unusual about him.
However, a mere hundred thousand Destiny Points was a trivial price for crucial intelligence. He wouldn't be stingy.
'Yes!'
[Ding! 100,000 Destiny Points have been successfully spent. Activating the Son of Destiny Identifier. Identifying Child of Destiny Long Hao!]
The next moment, a waterfall-like stream of information, visible only to Shen Anyu, appeared.
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