Chapter 71: Two-Faced Phoenix Man 30

“Marriage?!”

“Lu Xiang, do you know what you’re saying?”

The dazzling lights and hazy singing in the private box plunged into dead silence after the man finished speaking. Only the soft background female vocals continued quietly, but clearly, no one had the heart to keep up the revelry.

Everyone’s gazes converged on the man in the black shirt seated in the center of the sofa.

His black hair had been trimmed a bit shorter, though the curls remained. Perhaps due to the recent kidnapping ordeal, his features had sharpened, his gaze so piercing it bordered on icy menace. His face no longer held its former carefree looseness; instead, it carried a subtle undercurrent of ferocity and bloodlust that made others avert their eyes.

Many of them had heard the stories.

Even after falling into the kidnappers’ hands, this Lu Family Eldest Young Master had bided his time with ruthless patience, drugging the kidnappers into unconsciousness and nearly carving them up alive, one stroke at a time.

By the time the police and the Lu Family arrived, they found the blood-drenched man clutching his beloved lover as if he were a precious rib bone. Under the chilling moonlight, the blunt wooden knife—bearing the man’s fingerprints—remained embedded in the kidnapper’s flesh, the stench of blood thick in the air.

It wasn’t hard to imagine what earth-shattering, bone-chilling act Lu Xiang might have committed if Jiang Rang’s condition hadn’t flared up at that critical moment.

Because of this, when Eldest Young Master Lu—who hadn’t shown up to these gatherings in ages—finally appeared, they felt a mix of trepidation and bewilderment. None dared to joke around as freely as they once had.

Even when Lu Xiang abruptly announced his intention to marry Jiang Rang, most of them didn’t dare chime in, much less show any disrespect toward the man’s beloved.

The only one who spoke up was Lu Xiang’s childhood friend, Chen Ming.

Of course, Chen Ming was voicing what they were all thinking.

From the perspective of a wealthy clan, Lu Xiang’s declaration was nothing short of shocking and baffling.

It even made them wonder if he’d been slipped some kind of love potion.

After all, as heirs to great families—or even those passed over for inheritance—their lives had been mapped out long ago.

The heirs destined to take over vast fortunes underwent meticulously planned studies, honed their management skills, and practiced their social graces down to the finest detail. The spares, meanwhile, mostly served as family assets or marriage pawns, sacrificed for the clan’s glory.

They might carouse through the mortal world today, but one day, every last one of them would return to the fold and follow the paths laid out for them without exception.

That was why Lu Xiang’s plan to marry an ordinary man with no connections—who couldn’t even produce an heir—sounded like utter fantasy to people like them.

Forget everything else; the Lu Family would never permit their sole heir such reckless indulgence.

Dappled light played across Chen Ming’s freshly dyed black hair, accentuating the furrowed tension in his brows and lending him an unexpectedly mature, restrained air.

His fingers clenched into fists, his dark brows locked on his old friend as his voice turned icy. “Lu Xiang, I know you like Jiang Rang. I know you feel sorry for him because he fell ill trying to save you. But you can’t be this impulsive. You can’t just throw all reason out the window.”

The lights in the private box shifted and danced slowly. In one fleeting moment, Chen Ming’s face was entirely swallowed by shadow—like a midnight sea, briny, brooding, and roiling with unseen waves.

The darkness completely concealed the jealousy, resentment, and inner turmoil etched across his features.

Chen Ming’s tone was steady and logical, persuasive enough that he almost convinced himself. “Brother Lu, you know full well that no one in the Lu Family will agree to this. A decision like yours, made without a thought for the consequences, will only hurt Jiang Rang.”

“Besides,” his voice dropped slightly, his eyes flickering, “Jiang Rang is sick right now. His mental state is fragile—he even needs a guardian. Even if he agreed to your proposal, it wouldn’t hold any legal weight.”

Lu Xiang said nothing. He didn’t even lift his eyelids.

No one else in the private box dared to speak.

After a long silence, the black-haired, black-eyed man lifted his face halfway with a smirk that wasn’t quite a smile. His narrow eyes tilted upward as he flashed a cold, brazen grin. The sharp points of his tiger teeth gleamed with a sinister edge as he suddenly posed an enigmatic question.

“Chen Ming, don’t think I’m clueless about what’s going through your head. You really think I’m blind?”

“Using my name to get close to my boyfriend? Showering him with gifts to make your little hints? There’s a limit to self-delusion, you know. Does he even realize what you’ve been up to?”

Lu Xiang’s dark pupils narrowed as he tilted up his chin with a mocking laugh. “He just thinks those are all proofs of how much I love him. What the hell are you in this equation?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than everyone’s gazes fixed on Chen Ming with shock and suspicion, as if they hadn’t expected such an inside story.

Chen Ming’s face turned terrifyingly pale in an instant. He dug his nails deep into his palm, and only after a long while managed to steady his voice. “Brother Lu, what are you talking about? I don’t get what you mean. I’m just worried you’re all heading down a dead end…”

Lu Xiang said nothing. He slowly rose to his feet and casually brushed off his clothes, as if shaking away some filth.

Chen Ming felt a chill breeze against his cheek, his face turning ashen. He knew this was Lu Xiang’s way of humiliating him.

Lu Xiang tucked away his phone and cast a disdainful glance at the man. “Chen Ming, you know exactly what I mean. Stop shamelessly trailing after us. Got it?”

With that, the man turned and strode out of the private box, his expression cold and mocking.

The moment Lu Xiang departed, the stagnant air in the box seemed to stir back to life.

Everyone picked up their laughter and drinking as if nothing had happened.

But no one spoke to Chen Ming anymore. They all tacitly chose to ignore him.

After all, compared to the Chen Family, the Lu Family was the one you absolutely couldn’t afford to offend.

In their circle, Eldest Young Master Lu’s words carried the weight of an imperial decree. He set the tone for everyone’s attitudes. Whoever he despised would face collective ostracism until they were booted from the group.

Chen Ming sat quietly in his original spot, utterly silent. He was like a wooden statue hollowed out by termites—polished and pristine on the outside, but riddled with dust and decay within.

The night banquet wrapped up soon enough. With the Crown Prince there tonight, plenty of people hadn’t gotten their fill and planned to keep the party going elsewhere.

No one bothered greeting the man slumped on the sofa. They murmured in small clusters, two or three at a time, until the last one slipped away.

The lights dimmed low, empty bottles scattered haphazardly across the table. Only after a long stretch did Chen Ming finally stir.

Like a rusty robot, he stiffly hauled himself upright. His reasonably handsome face flushed beet red, jealousy and pent-up frustration twisting his features into a grotesque mask.

With a sudden roar, he flipped the entire glass table over. The sheer force sent wine and shards exploding in all directions.

In the harsh glare, the broken bottles lacerated his brow along with his pride.

A ragged, bellows-like gasp heaved from the man’s chest. He clamped a hand over the wound as bright crimson blood trickled from his brow.

After what felt like an eternity, something seemed to strike him. He fumbled out his phone, forcing down his churning emotions before dialing.

The dial tone pierced the dead silence like a blaring alarm.

At last, the call connected.

A stern middle-aged voice answered from the other end. “Little Chen, what’s this sudden call to your Uncle Lu? Something the matter?”

Chen Ming bowed his head, shadows from his disheveled hair veiling the venomous envy in his eyes.

His fingers clenched the phone white-knuckled, veins throbbing, yet his voice rang with a frantic urgency that clashed with his brooding scowl.

“Uncle Lu, sorry to disturb you so late. But this… I have to tell you. I can’t just sit by while Brother Lu keeps messing up…”

The voice sharpened with gravity. Father Lu said coldly, “What fresh nonsense has that brat pulled now? He barely escaped those kidnappers the other day, and it still didn’t knock any sense into him. If you’re calling me, maybe it’s time I break those legs of his!”

Chen Ming’s eyes flickered. In a low voice, he said, “Uncle, you remember that boy kidnapped alongside Brother Lu last time?”

Father Lu paused briefly. “Yeah, that crafty little boyfriend of his. He’s just toying around with the kid—or did something go wrong?”

Chen Ming pressed his lips tight, knuckles digging into his clothes. “Today, Brother Lu suddenly announced to us that he’s marrying that little boyfriend of his.”

“He said they’re getting the marriage certificate in just a couple days. Uncle, you’re Brother Lu’s father. I couldn’t stand by knowing he’s keeping something this huge from you, so I figured I had to give you a heads-up…”

The breathing hitched on the line for a beat. After a heavy pause, Father Lu ground out the words, barely containing his fury beneath a veneer of calm. “Little Chen, I owe you for this heads-up to your Uncle Lu. I’ll send someone to drag his ass back right now. And forget about him finishing that degree.”

“Keep tabs on him for me. Call anytime if something comes up.”

The call ended. A long silence stretched out before Chen Ming suddenly touched the bloodstain along his hairline and let out a cold sneer.

He knew Lu Xiang was right—he really was a shameless wretch.

He coveted his friend’s lover. He harbored ill intentions, nursed wicked schemes, burned with envy.

Even after committing such a despicable act, he still had the presence of mind to dwell on Jiang Rang’s beautiful face, so full of seductive gu.

Chen Ming floated in near-ecstasy, lost in fantasy.

The Lu Family would never allow their sole heir to marry some random nobody on a whim.

The Lu Family would eventually pass to Lu Xiang, and marriage meant splitting wealth and power. Jiang Rang offered no advantages, no ongoing gains.

If news leaked that the Lu Corporation’s heir had wed a nobody with no status or background, their precious stocks—worth their weight in gold—could plummet.

Father Lu would never stand for it.

Lu Xiang held no real power in the Lu Family right now, so he couldn’t possibly stay with Jiang Rang.

And that pitiful, helpless young man—tormented by the kidnappers, trembling like a frightened little beast—would lose his final protector. Then he would have nowhere to turn but Chen Ming’s arms.

Chen Ming’s fingers quivered with excitement. Uncontrollably, he recalled that night in the bar: the deep, lingering kiss, their lips and tongues entwined in fervent passion.

The man’s eyes grew hazy, his breath catching.

The youth’s drunken words from that night still rang in his ears.

“Chen Ming, Chen Ming, Chen Ming—I don’t like him, you know?”

That cute, muddled voice, tinged with petulance, felt like a confession straight from the heart.

Chen Ming’s chest burned. A hungry, salivating craving filled his mouth. He told himself he wasn’t some marriage-wrecking executioner or shadowy puppet master. No—he was the young man’s savior.

He was rescuing Jiang Rang—who didn’t love Lu Xiang—from a sea of suffering.