"I'm married." The word husband felt like burning coals on his tongue, Su Ling's face flushing bright red with embarrassment.
He hung his head, his voice soft and shy, exactly the way a lovestruck kid would sound. "My husband's amazing. Great body, handsome, super capable—and he's so gentle, so sweet to me."
After that cheesy little speech, Su Ling wanted to crawl out of his own skin. He immediately raised his voice, sharp and unforgiving. "So I don't need anyone else's fake concern. You? You've got no body, no looks, no skills—and oh, right, no money either. Stay the hell away from me! You're annoying!"
Zhu Yuanfeng looked like he'd been slapped, frozen in place, stunned silent. Su Ling was about to bolt while he had the chance when the guy grabbed his arm again.
Su Ling's patience snapped. He snapped, "Are you insane? Can't you take a hint? Have you got no shame at all?!"
"Xiao Ling, calm down." Zhu Yuanfeng's eyes were swimming with fake pity, thick enough to cut with a knife. "I know who you married. No need to lie to me. Heard he's so paralyzed he can't even move a finger, his throat's wrecked too. How's he supposed to be gentle to you? And that cold-blooded monster? He doesn't have a gentle bone in his body!"
Zhu Yuanfeng thought he'd seen right through Su Ling's act, smarmy and self-satisfied. "The Su clan's bullying you, isn't they? He's bullying you! He won't let you talk, won't let you have friends, won't let you date—he's keeping you prisoner, isn't he? He's a useless cripple, so why's he still ruining your life?! Typical of a heartless killer, no mercy at all!"
Classic villain move, alright. He's the one who wants to steal the General's money and his spouse, but he's got the gall to pin all the blame on the General. The logic here was chef's kiss—insane, but chef's kiss!
Su Ling was this close to losing his mind. If he didn't get rid of this clingy scumbag for good, he'd just keep coming back, like a leech in a mud puddle—once it latches on, it never lets go. Terrifying.
"No." Su Ling forced his voice to stay calm, steady. "I like him. A lot. Even if he's paralyzed, I like him. Just being by his side makes me happy. No matter what happens, I'll never betray him. If you've got any balls left, any shame at all—don't come near me again."
Su Ling didn't bother hiding his disgust for Zhu Yuanfeng, plain as day on his face. "You make me sick."
"SU LING!" Zhu Yuanfeng roared, then forced his anger down, his jaw tight.
The sad lover act wasn't working, so he switched gears—leaned against the wall, lazy and smarmy, a cocky grin on his face. "You're just after his money, that's all. Fine, everyone likes money—but it's more fun to spend it with someone you like, to party with someone who knows how to have a good time."
He even blew Su Ling a kiss, gross and slimy. "I know all the best tricks, baby. I'll make sure you have the time of your life."
Su Ling was once again stunned by the villain's warped logic and complete lack of shame. He rolled his eyes so hard he almost saw his brain, then a lightbulb went off. "Fangfang, draw your weapon."
Before Zhu Yuanfeng could react, a particle gun was pressed to his forehead.
"Zhu Yuanfeng, if you come near me again?" Su Ling's voice was cold, hard, copying the General's icy stare, doing her best to look like she owned the place. With Fangfang by his side, he actually looked a little intimidating. "I won't hesitate to put a bullet in your skull. Turns out I'm just like him—a cold-blooded killer with no mercy. We're perfect for each other."
"Okay, okay, okay! You win!" Zhu Yuanfeng's bravado vanished, his hands shooting up in surrender, a nervous smile on his face. The gun to his head was making his hands shake. "I wasn't gonna do anything, swear! No need for this, c'mon."
Su Ling didn't care what the guy was thinking, didn't wanna know. All that mattered was he'd gotten what he wanted. "Get out of my sight. Now."
Once Zhu Yuanfeng was gone, round the corner and out of view, Su Ling let out a helpless sigh. He hoped this scared the scumbag off for good—if he had to do this twice, the guy'd definitely figure out he didn't have the guts to kill anyone, or even hurt them.
Clap, clap, clap.
Su Ling heard the sound of slow, deliberate clapping, and twisted around to see the silver-haired man step out of the shadows, his hands still together, applauding.
Su Ling thought to himself: Peeping ain't a good look, dude.
The man was wearing a pale blue casual shirt, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, his features soft and elegant. He walked with a slow, unhurried gait, the picture of a refined, wealthy young master. He spoke, his voice smooth and calm. "That was quite the show."
It wasn't a show for you! Su Ling frowned, his lips twisting into a pout.