Chapter 17: Chapter 16: Hard to Face

“Here, let her help you try on the clothes.” Yu Luoxuan handed the box to Chen Yuyue, tilting his perfect chin slightly to point at the previous sales assistant.

“What is this?” Chen Yuyue draped the dress in her hand over her arm and took the box suspiciously, preparing to open it.

“Look at it inside.” Yu Luoxuan hurriedly pressed down with one hand, lowering his head to rub his nose, giving off the illusion that he was shy. Then, he looked up and spoke gentlemanly to the envious sales assistant in front of them: “Miss, please help her try on the clothes.”

“This way, Miss, please follow me.” The sales assistant was overjoyed, having long since tossed the little interlude between the two out of her mind.

As soon as she entered the fitting room, Chen Yuyue impatiently opened the exquisite box. Inside, sets of lingerie so beautiful they could make any woman gasp were revealed—pink and cute styles, black sexy styles, light green fresh styles... various kinds, too many to count.

“Wow, these are all your sizes. Young Master Yu is truly good to you.” The sales assistant’s eyes sparkled with starlight as she watched Chen Yuyue in the mirror from behind, her face full of admiration.

Chen Yuyue merely stared blankly at the box, her expression shifting from shock to confusion, then to bewilderment, and finally to astonishment, until her face was flushed crimson and she was at a loss for what to do. In a single instant, all these emotions surged into her heart; she had never tasted such a complex mixture of feelings in her dozen-plus years of life, and the bashfulness was so intense it bordered on terror.

She knew what this was, of course. She was originally wearing a set made by Chen Ziwu, but she had changed out of it today. Having transmigrated here, the items she could bring with her were limited; she hadn't even figured out how to handle such private matters for herself. She hadn't expected that man to be so attentive—how could he be so meddlesome? While his actions made her feel incredibly cared for, they also made her feel extremely embarrassed.

“How did you know his surname is Yu?” Chen Yuyue only wanted to change the subject as quickly as possible to break the awkwardness.

The sales assistant worked skillfully to change Chen Yuyue into the dress, chatting merrily as she went: “Hehe, Miss, you must be joking. The young CEO of the Hongxing Group—who doesn't know him? Besides, he is a regular at our shop...”

“A regular? Don't you sell women's clothing?” Chen Yuyue raised her eyebrows, staring at the two women in the mirror. Her alertness was naturally very high; aside from the fact that she was originally a martial artist, her long tenure as Chen Ziwu's guard had made her accustomed to maintaining a high level of vigilance toward all people and matters.

However, it seemed there was an exception regarding Yu Luoxuan. She was already beginning to slowly choose to trust him.

“Oh...” Realizing she had overstepped, the sales assistant quickly changed the subject. “Look, Miss, the dress is on. You are truly beautiful.” Naturally, she wouldn't say things like how Yu Luoxuan brought a different woman every time and spent fortunes on them. Unless, of course, she didn't want to live.

Chen Yuyue looked up. In the center of the clear flat mirror stood a woman. Her hair, smooth as a waterfall, cascaded down, framing a delicate, pale pink face that looked radiant and moving. Her unadorned cherry lips were tightly bitten, carrying the lingering traces of her bashfulness. She wore a light green European-style tulle princess dress; the fluffy skirt, moving with her steps, was like a falling curtain of rain, lending her an air of languid elegance, like an elf emerging from the mountains or a fairy fallen to the mortal realm.

Yu Luoxuan, who had appeared by her side at some unknown moment, also seemed mesmerized. Time seemed to stop flowing between them, leaving only their heartbeats, thumping back and forth like restless little deer.

Suddenly, a beautiful jazz ringtone rang out, breaking the surrounding silence. Yu Luoxuan raised his hand to see the words "Old Man" displayed on his gold-plated phone.

He snapped back to reality and prepared to leave, but did not forget to say to the sales assistant first: “I'll take this dress. Also, there's no need to try on the other sets I picked earlier; just wrap them up in the same size for me. I need to take a call first.” The latter part was clearly directed at Chen Yuyue, his tone so gentle it was heart-stirring.

Chen Yuyue reached out to brush a strand of hair away from her lip and gave a rare, obedient nod.

“Hello, Dad?” Only after walking out of earshot of the crowd did Yu Luoxuan answer the phone. In an instant, the aura about him seemed to change; from behind, he still possessed a perfect silhouette, but he now carried a murderous edge that made one shudder.

“Luoxuan, what are you busy with? You haven't been home for days. Your mother is nagging about it.” On the other end was a deep, magnetic middle-aged male voice, kind yet not lacking in sternness.

Yu Luoxuan turned to the stairwell, lit a cigarette, and replied leisurely, “I've been busy with the Shangwo case these past few days. Didn't I report it to you before? Tell Mom I'll go back when I have time.”

“Alright, don't try to fool me. I just got off the phone with Director Wang; we're just waiting for the gambling stone convention to finish in a few days. What else could you possibly be busy with? Come home tomorrow. Your mother and I have a surprise for you.” The elder President Yu began to exert his authority.

Yu Luoxuan blew out a ring of smoke, his long eyelashes fluttering as he acted spoiled: “Dad, I'm working on something very interesting lately, I don't have time tomorrow. How about you tell me what it is first, and then I'll decide whether to come back.”

“This is an order. Get your ass back here before ten tomorrow, or face the consequences.” Having dominated the business world for decades, when the elder Yu exerted his presence, it was as thunderous as a command from the heavens.

“Hey, Dad...” All he heard was a series of "beeps" as the old man had already hung up. *Ugh*, Yu Luoxuan gave his gold phone a look of disdain before helplessly stuffing it into his pocket. Man, that was a total lack of respect.

***

The next day, as the sun rose, the light scattered over Chen Yuyue, feeling as warm and brilliant as it had a thousand years ago.

Wearing soft pajamas and facing the gentle breeze, her exposed skin was flawless and white, yearning for and breathing in the light as if she had never seen the sun before. Every pore on her body was slowly opening, allowing her to enjoy this moment of unshielded freedom with ease and comfort. This feeling of comfort and liberty made her want to scream.

“Is it very comfortable?” Suddenly, a languid voice sounded from behind, startling Chen Yuyue so much that she hurriedly retreated several steps, turning around in a defensive stance.

It took a moment before she realized something was wrong with the Yu Luoxuan before her. Cold sweat was pouring from his forehead, and his face was as pale as paper. Although his legs were still standing straight and even a hint of a smile lingered at the corners of his mouth, Chen Yuyue knew he was in great pain.

“Does it hurt a lot? Why didn't you ask me for the antidote?” Chen Yuyue rushed forward to support him as he began to collapse. An inexplicable emotion surged in her heart, as if she were blaming herself for forgetting, yet also feeling annoyed at him for not proactively asking.

“I just... woke up...” Those few short words seemed to have exhausted all his strength. His long eyelashes drooped, and his exquisitely carved features were filled with grievance, as if he were complaining about her ruthlessness.