Lu Chengwen scratched his forehead, at a loss for how to salvage the situation.
Huo Wendong's face was practically green with frustration. Zhao Gang, Chen Moqun, and the others were buzzing with excitement.
Lu Chengwen bit his lip and turned to the man who'd exposed his cheat. "Brother, what do you do? What's your name?"
"I… I'm Bang Daomang," the man replied.
Lu Chengwen nodded. "Bang Daomang—'helping to mess things up.' Fitting."
Huo Wendong clenched his fists, looking like he might explode. Meanwhile, Luo Shiyin slid her chair closer to Lu Chengwen, her smile radiant. She draped an arm over his shoulder, her expression a mix of admiration, excitement, anticipation, and approval. "Brother Chengwen, you're amazing! You drew the biggest card—I'm so thrilled!"
She unleashed her charm, her eyes shimmering with shifting hues, determined to ensnare him. I refuse to believe I can't break you.
Lu Chengwen calmly pushed her arm away, avoiding her gaze. His thoughts raced: This won't do. She keeps clinging to me—it's driving me nuts. I need a plan, or this disgusting witch will be the death of me.
Luo Shiyin was stunned. There it is again! He didn't say a word, but I heard him! "Dead girl"? "Disgusting witch"? She struggled to keep her composure. No one had ever dared call her such things. Men fawned over her, showering her with terms like "darling," "goddess," "queen," or "sweetheart," piling on every flattering word imaginable. Yet in this man's mind, she was a "dead girl" and a "disgusting witch"? Is he even a man?
Lu Chengwen laughed. "Haha, just kidding—I cheated. This round doesn't count. Uh… how about 'surrender and lose half'?"
Huo Wendong seized the chance. "Yes, yes! Surrender and lose half!"
Chen Moqun wasn't having it. "What kind of rule is that?"
"It's always been like this—surrender and lose half!" Huo Wendong insisted.
Lu Chengwen grinned. "Alright, let's try arm wrestling. Wendong, let's see if you've still got that old swagger!"
Huo Wendong, sensing Lu Chengwen was giving him an out while saving face, agreed eagerly. Whether cards or arm wrestling, Lu Chengwen would throw the game. "Fine! Let's see how Young Master Lu's been keeping in shape!" He laughed.
They locked hands on the table, counted to three, and began. Lu Chengwen, now a practitioner of the Great Sage Tiger-Subduing Fist and a novice in ancient martial arts, could've crushed a rich kid like Huo Wendong effortlessly. But he held back, barely exerting force, planning to fake a loss and leave with his crew.
Then Bang Daomang struck again. As Lu Chengwen feigned weakness, letting his wrist dip, Bang Daomang fired a hidden dart under the table. Lu Chengwen instinctively deflected it with a palm strike, but in the moment, his right hand clenched—hard. Huo Wendong didn't stand a chance. In an instant, Lu Chengwen turned the tables and won.
Chen Moqun, Zhao Gang, and Er Long erupted in cheers. They'd been on edge watching Lu Chengwen falter, itching to jump in. Now, seeing him dominate, they leapt from their chairs, as thrilled as if China had just beaten Brazil in soccer.
Huo Wendong stared, bewildered. Lu Chengwen glared at Bang Daomang, itching to slap him senseless.
Luo Shiyin was fuming. She saw it clearly: Lu Chengwen was skilled, capable of beating Huo Wendong without breaking a sweat, yet he'd tried to lose. He's dismissing me! He wants me gone!Is this guy even a man?
Lu Chengwen, exasperated, said, "Wendong, surrender."
Huo Wendong caught on. "Right! I surrender! I surrender!" He frantically signaled his men. "Surrender and lose half!"
Lu Chengwen proposed, "One last round, winner takes all. How's that?"
"Deal!" Huo Wendong turned to Bang Daomang. "Old Bang, get out."
"Young Master, I can help—"
"No need. I can't keep surrendering and losing half. Out. I'll win this one."
Bang Daomang, humiliated, slunk out.
"Chengwen, what's the game?" Huo Wendong asked.
"Aura," Lu Chengwen said.
"Aura? How do you compete with that?"
Everyone was baffled. Aura wasn't something you could measure. How could they compare it?
Lu Chengwen looked at Huo Wendong. "Stare at me."
"Okay." Huo Wendong met his gaze.
Lu Chengwen nodded. "You win."
"What?"
Lu Chengwen stood, patting his shoulder. "You're picking up the tab."
Huo Wendong jumped up, grabbing Lu Chengwen's hand and shaking it enthusiastically. "Chengwen, no words needed! I'll host next time—let's get together."
Lu Chengwen clapped his shoulder with a smile. "We're classmates, man. You really gonna fight over a girl? We're not kids anymore. In Snow City, if you need a brother, just say the word. I've got you."
"That's what I call loyalty!" Huo Wendong grinned.
Chen Moqun wasn't pleased. "Chengwen, what the hell? You just lost? You're giving her up?"
Lu Chengwen shot him a look. "Your girlfriend's right there. Mine too. You think we can just walk off with another girl?"
Chen Moqun caught the hint in his eyes—something was up. Reluctantly, he backed off, though losing face by failing to protect a woman stung. He downed a glass of wine and left with Er Long and Sanli, clearly unhappy.
Luo Shiyin approached Lu Chengwen, her smile poised. "Brother Chengwen, do you hate me that much? I don't want to go with him. I want to stay with you. I don't ask for much—even being your maid would do."
Their eyes met, and her pupils shimmered with shifting colors. Lu Chengwen's head spun, a wave of dizziness hitting him. He quickly looked away, grabbed Xu Xuejiao, and kissed her deeply. The room went silent.
His mind buzzed, flooded with wild, fleeting fantasies, his body reacting instinctively. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he tightened his grip on Xu Xuejiao.
Xu Xuejiao was clueless about the situation but thrilled by Lu Chengwen's earlier thoughts calling Luo Shiyin a "dead girl" and "disgusting witch." Sure, he'd called her a dead girl too, but it felt different. Now, caught off guard by his sudden kiss, she panicked at first but quickly melted into it, swept away by his intensity. She pushed back lightly at first, then surrendered completely. Who cares who's watching? I love Lu Chengwen. Kiss me to death!
Luo Shiyin was livid. She'd always been unstoppable, but now a fierce competitive streak flared—she had to conquer Lu Chengwen, or she'd regret it forever.
It took a while for Lu Chengwen's mind to clear. He slowly released Xu Xuejiao, who was breathless, legs wobbly, heart pounding like a drum. He grinned, pinching her cheek. "Fun?"
Xu Xuejiao, looking as if she'd been charmed, stared blankly at him and nodded. "Fun."
"Let's go home."
"Okay."
Luo Shiyin watched his retreating figure, her fists clenched. Lu! Cheng! Wen! How could he resist her charm? He seemed so ordinary—arrogant, spoiled, lustful, greedy, self-important. He should've been an easy mark, someone she could manipulate effortlessly. Yet he was deliberately dodging her spell—or worse, immune to it.
She recalled her master's words: "My disciple, your art is perfected. With your talent, no man can resist your charm. But heed three things. First, don't overuse your power—high-level techniques demand caution, or they'll backfire. Second, most who wield this art meet tragic ends, falling to emotional calamities. Guard your heart and stay true, or a misstep could destroy you. Third, there's one man out there immune to your spell. When you meet him—the one you can't sway—he's your destined match. Your art can stir lust, but it can't win true love."
Her master had taught her everything, warning her from day one that her seductive power, while potent, could wound the soul. A woman who could command anything, who could bend powerful men with a flick of her finger, was a temptress, a siren, a devil. But such power came with profound loneliness and a visceral disgust for men. The more they fawned, the more she despised them, until cutting them felt like pure satisfaction, devoid of pity.
Luo Shiyin saw men as playthings, driven by base desires. When her charms failed repeatedly on her Young Master, she realized he was her destined match—the only man unswayed by beauty, a true hero with a heart of stone. Other men were fit only to serve him as dogs, if they were lucky.
For her Young Master, she had to take down Lu Chengwen. No matter what. But, she admitted, he was proving trickier than expected. No matter. My tricks go far beyond this. Lu Chengwen, you're mine.
_
If you want to support me and read advanced 100+ chapters of this story and also other stories join: patreon.com/Caluem