Chapter 122 I couldn't help it

Lu Zhuo stared at her eyes, which were covered with tears, and suddenly chuckled softly.

"Sure."

Without saying a word, Lu Zhuo picked up the cat carrier that had been prepared beforehand and quickly stuffed the ragdoll cat, which was still licking its paws in a daze, into it.

The movements were swift and fluid.

"Walk."

"Let me show you something exciting."

He picked up the cat carrier, grabbed Lin Yiyao's wrist with his other hand, and turned to walk towards the fire escape.

The motion-activated lights in the stairwell flickered on and off with the sound of footsteps, then quickly went out again.

"Oh no, my shoes!"

Lin Yiyao's stiletto heels got stuck in a crack in the cobblestones, and she almost tripped.

Lu Zhuo clicked his tongue and bent down to pick her up horizontally.

"Troublemaker."

His arm was steady, and he supported her with one arm as they walked down.

In her other hand, she was steadily carrying the airline crate containing the cat.

Lin Yiyao exclaimed in surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Cat box..."

"I'm carrying it, it won't get lost."

"Lu Zhuo! Put me down, someone will see us..."

"So what if I saw it?"

He didn't stop walking; instead, he lifted her up a little higher, holding her even more securely.

Did I steal from you or rob you?

The Ragdoll cat in the carrier let out a weak meow.

"If you make another sound, I'll throw you down too."

He lowered his head and threatened the cat carrier, his tone fierce, but he moved the carrier to the far side so as not to bump into her.

He frowned, but his arm remained steady.

"Hold on tight, we're not responsible if you fall."

Lin Yiyao instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her burning face in his shoulder.

The tobacco, mixed with the scent of cedar, aggressively intruded, just like him—unyielding and brooking no refusal.

The fire escape door slammed shut, shutting out all the glitz and noise of the banquet hall.

In the underground parking garage, a matte black Ferrari arrogantly blocked the parking space.

Lu Zhuo opened the car door, shoved her into the passenger seat, tossed the cat carrier into the trunk, and deftly walked around to the driver's seat.

The engine roared to life, tearing apart the silence of the underground parking garage.

The canopy was open, and a strong night wind rushed in, making Lin Yiyao's long hair fly wildly.

The sports car sped out of the underground parking garage and merged into the dazzling traffic of Beijing.

In the downstairs lounge, the sheer curtains swayed gently in the night breeze.

Yan Tingnan turned his gaze away from the Sky Garden.

The railing area is empty.

Lu Zhuo acted quickly.

He released Su Ruan's lips, a slight smile playing on his lips before disappearing.

He lowered his head and bit her collarbone lightly, leaving a faint red mark.

He brushed his fingertips against her wet lips, his breath still heavy.

Su Ruan collapsed into his arms, panting. Her green gauze dress was crumpled up and tangled on his dark gray trousers.

“Yan Tingnan…”

She was panting, and the corners of her eyes were red.

Her voice was soft, as if she had been kissed deeply.

"You're becoming more and more inconsiderate of the occasion."

"I couldn't help it."

He answered briefly, his fingers twirling a strand of her hair, his gaze calmly returning to her face.

Su Ruan poked his chest with her fingertip, but he grabbed it and pressed it against the spot where her heart was pounding.

"Isn't your addiction to having affairs a bit too strong?"

Yan Tingnan chuckled softly, his nose brushing against her damp temple.

"Yes, the disease is terminal."

His voice was deep and hoarse, carrying lingering emotion.

Su Ruan suddenly remembered something, and her eyes flickered.

"Where did Lu Zhuo take Lin Yiyao at the banquet just now?"

She suddenly asked.

"have no idea."

Yan Tingnan should be nonchalant.

Su Ruan recalled how Lu Zhuo had protected Lin Yiyao earlier, and her heart stirred slightly.

"Lu Zhuo and she seem to know each other very well?"

Yan Tingnan raised her eyes, her gaze deep and calm.

“They’ve known each other since they were little, and Lu Zhuo is always good at coaxing her.”

Su Ruan seemed to be deep in thought.

She suddenly remembered that the original plot didn't include this melodramatic marriage arrangement at all.

When Mu Chuji appeared, Yan Tingnan had already cleared all obstacles and had almost completely taken control.

Lin Yiyao was supposed to return to China a year later, but Lu Zhuo, by chance, broke through Lin Yiyao's defenses and became a highly dramatic secondary couple in the book.

Now, everything has been scattered and broken by her butterfly fan.

Lin Yiyao returned to China ahead of schedule, and the marriage was abruptly put on the agenda.

But what if some attraction is predetermined?

If a chemical reaction is destined to happen, it's better to bring it forward.

Perhaps this is the breakthrough point for the marriage alliance.

She suddenly looked up, her gaze intense.

"Do you think it's possible for this marriage alliance to fall apart from within?"

Su Ruan slightly sat up, her green gauze skirt slipping down to reveal her slender white legs.

Yan Tingnan raised an eyebrow: "For example?"

"What if Lin Yiyao herself doesn't want to get married, or even has someone else she wants to marry?"

She softened her voice.

"For example, Lu Zhuo?"

Yan Tingnan's gaze suddenly darkened, like a stone thrown into a lake, the ripples spreading out and then quickly returning to calm.

He pinched her fingers, holding them in his palm, with just the right amount of pressure.

"Soft."

What are you trying to say?

Su Ruan met his deep gaze.

“I said, perhaps we can break the deadlock by thinking differently.”

"Instead of confronting them head-on, it's better to let the Lin family fall into chaos first."

"If Lin Yiyao has someone she likes, it would be Lu Zhuo, whose family background is comparable to hers."

"If the Lin family knew that Lu Zhuo had taken away their carefully nurtured flowers, pot and all, would they still try to force them into your arms?"

"Is your engagement still going to happen?"

Yan Tingnan stared at her silently for a few seconds, then suddenly chuckled softly.

He never expected that Su Ruan would take the initiative to suggest this path, which coincided with the hidden plan he had secretly laid out.

He was even prepared to be rejected by her.

After all, this method is hardly honorable.

He could have dirty hands, but he was afraid to see even the slightest bit of disgust in her eyes.

At that moment, she found herself thinking the same thing as him.

He thought he would have to go to great lengths to hide it from her, but he forgot that she was a wild rose that had crashed into his arms with thorns.

"My softie,"

His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice was terribly hoarse, carrying a complex sigh.

"They always surprise me."

Do you know what you just said?

"Know."

Su Ruan looked directly into his eyes, showing no sign of backing down.

"I'm teaching you how to ruin your arranged marriage."

"Use the most bloodless, yet most psychologically damaging, method."

"Besides, if Lu Zhuo already had feelings for her, wouldn't this actually be a blessing in disguise?"

Yan Tingnan cupped her face and kissed her.

"Soft."

Between breaths, he bit her lips and made a hoarse declaration, his tone filled with obsession and satisfaction.

"We are a match made in heaven."

They've gone to extremes.

No one should look down on anyone else.

Su Ruan was breathless from his kisses, but her mind remained unusually clear.

She had a vague feeling that Yan Tingnan's reaction was a little too smooth.

"Ruan Ruan, some pieces have already been placed."

His voice deepened, carrying a profound certainty.

Su Ruan was startled and suddenly looked up.

"You've been..."

"Um."

He acknowledged it, but his gaze remained calm.

"But don't interfere in Lu Zhuo and Lin Yiyao's affairs."

Su Ruan was taken aback: "Why?"

"The Lin family is treacherous, and Lu Zhuo is wild by nature. Whether this matter will succeed, and how it will succeed, is uncertain."

I was afraid she would get too deeply involved, afraid she would get tainted by the mud.

"Yan Tingnan, aren't you afraid of spoiling me?"

Su Ruan asked softly.

"I want to spoil you so much that you'll become unruly, and no one but me can stand you."

That way, you'll be mine forever.

He didn't say it aloud, but Su Ruan understood.