Chapter 32
Then, to Lu Xiao's astonishment and stunned gaze, Zhuo Hua slightly tiptoed.
Without warning, without hesitation.
She tilted her head back, and her slightly cool lips, carrying a faint, cool fragrance, pressed precisely and gently against Lu Xiao's slightly parted lips, which were trembling with surprise.
Like a dragonfly skimming the water, they part ways in an instant.
The soft, slightly cool touch, like the first snow melting on his lips, carried her unique, crisp scent, instantly overwhelming all of Lu Xiao's senses. That scent domineeringly took over his breath, rushing through his blood to the top of his head!
"Compensation." Zhuo Hua's cold voice rang out from close range, calm and undisturbed, as if the earth-shattering action just now had merely brushed away a speck of dust.
Lu Xiao has completely crashed.
He froze on the spot, like a stone statue frozen in place. His eyes were wide open, his pupils dilated, his mouth remained slightly agape in a foolish posture, and his expression was frozen in extreme shock and blankness.
Blood rushed to the top of my head like boiling magma, and my cheeks, ears, neck, and all exposed skin instantly turned red, like a boiled shrimp.
The prop sword in his hand fell to the clean floor of the elevator with a clatter, but he was completely unaware of it.
My mind went blank, with only the slightly cool and soft touch on my lips amplifying and looping endlessly.
Zhuohua turned around nonchalantly, as if she weren't the one who had just offered a kiss (though it was a light peck). She even had the leisure to stretch out her toe and gently nudge the plastic sword that Lu Xiao had dropped on the ground into a corner to prevent it from tripping him. Her movements were elegant and composed, without even a hint of blush on her face.
The elevator arrived at the basement level with a soft "ding," and the doors slowly opened. Outside lay a quiet and spacious underground parking garage.
Zhuohua strode out with composure. Her high heels clicked rhythmically on the smooth cement floor, echoing in the quiet space.
Lu Xiao remained frozen in place, like a robot whose power had been cut off, maintaining that ridiculous, petrified posture. Only when Zhuo Hua's figure was about to disappear from sight did he seem to be awakened by the receding footsteps, gasping sharply and trying to chase after her on all fours.
"Hua...Hua Hua! Wait for me!"
His voice was distorted, filled with obvious panic and cracking. His body was still in a state of extreme disarray; he tripped over his own feet, nearly falling flat on his face at the elevator entrance. He frantically grabbed the doorframe to steady himself, his face flushed even more, practically steaming.
Zhuohua stopped and glanced back at him. In the dim light of the parking lot, her beautiful profile remained expressionless, but her clear, cold eyes clearly reflected Lu Xiao's flustered, blushing embarrassment, and a faint, almost pleasurable smile seemed to flicker deep within them.
Lu Xiao felt even more flustered under her gaze, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, almost leaping out of his chest. He took a deep breath, struggling to regain control of his limbs, and like a toddler learning to walk, he stumbled and staggered after her.
Just then—
“Buzz...buzz...buzz…”
Zhuohua's phone, which was in her handbag, suddenly vibrated violently, shattering the delicate and sweet atmosphere in the parking lot. The vibration was rapid and continuous, carrying an ominous sense of unease.
Zhuohua frowned slightly, stopped walking, and took out her phone from her bag. The screen lit up, and the caller ID clearly showed: [Xingyao Media · Artist Director Su Qing].
She swiped to answer the call and put the phone to her ear.
"Hello, Director Su?" Her voice returned to its usual cool and steady tone.
On the other end of the phone, instead of Director Su's usual calm and composed voice, came a voice that sounded as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping her throat, filled with extreme fear and trembling. Every word was shaky and accompanied by the clattering of her teeth.
"Zhuo...Teacher Zhuohua! Help! Something...something's happened! Young Master Lin...Young Master Lin Yang! He's in the company's private collection room...he...he's gone mad! Holding that bronze sword...he...he's hurting himself!!! Blood...it's all blood! We can't stop him! We can't stop him at all!!!"
The desperate cries for help from the underground parking lot pierced the lingering sweetness in the elevator like needles chilled to ice. Zhuohua gripped her phone, her fingers unconsciously tightening, the cold metal casing digging into her palm. The lingering fear from Director Su's shrill voice still echoed in the phone call.
"...It's all blood! We can't stop it! Teacher Zhuohua, please hurry..."
"Location." Zhuohua's voice was like water quenched in a cold pool, instantly freezing the chaotic wailing on the other end of the phone.
"Top...top floor! The chairman's private collection room! I have access to the elevator, I...I'll have someone come down to fetch you right away!" Director Su's voice trembled uncontrollably.
"No need." Zhuo Hua hung up the phone decisively, turned and left, the sound of her high heels clicking on the concrete floor creating a cold, hard rhythm in the empty parking lot.
Lu Xiao, who had been in a state of petrification restart and blushing heartbeat, was startled by this sudden change and the chilling aura that suddenly descended from Zhuo Hua. The pink bubbles in his mind burst into a mess.
He subconsciously chased after her, looking at Zhuohua's taut profile. He forcibly suppressed thoughts like "Huahua just kissed me" and "Am I dreaming?" and replaced them with a keen sense of worry.
"Hua Hua? What happened? Lin Yang, he..." Lu Xiao's voice was hoarse from just regaining consciousness, but even more so from tension. Lin Yang? The chairman's son who was possessed by a ghost in the elevator just a few days ago and was easily dealt with by Hua Hua?
Zhuohua didn't stop, heading straight for the VIP elevator. Her words were quick and clear, carrying an unquestionable command: "Lin Yang is in trouble, and the people behind him are desperate. Stay with me and don't touch anything."
She didn't explain further, but the chilling aura surging in her clear, cold eyes made Lu Xiao instantly realize that this was definitely not ordinary "self-harm".
He nodded vigorously, asking no further questions, but silently quickened his pace, keeping a step behind Zhuohua, like a silent and resolute shadow. The shy sweetness from before was replaced by a heavy sense of responsibility—Huahua needed him, and that was enough.
The private elevator went straight to the top floor without any obstruction. As soon as the heavy, carved wooden door slid open a crack, a strong, nauseating smell of blood mixed with a strange, musty, and cold incense aroma rushed out like a viscous liquid!
"Ugh..." A young female assistant standing guard at the door turned pale, covered her mouth and dry heaved, almost unable to stand.
Zhuo Hua didn't even frown before stepping inside. Lu Xiao followed closely behind. Although his stomach was churning and his face was slightly pale, he clenched his teeth and forced himself to ignore the physical discomfort, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.
I've already gone through some extraordinary events with Zhuohua. If I don't grow stronger, how can I stand by Zhuohua's side and fight alongside her? Do I really want to stay a weakling who needs protection forever?
Lu Xiao forced himself to calm down, to calm down even more!
The sight before one's eyes is enough to make any normal person's scalp tingle and cause them to have nightmares.
The private collection room of Lin Zhenghong, chairman of Xingyao Media, was originally a place of extreme luxury and style. Exquisite mahogany display shelves and glass cases displayed priceless antique porcelain and jade artifacts, while calligraphy and paintings by famous artists hung on the walls. However, at this moment, all of this was shrouded in an eerie crimson and chaos.
In the center of the ground, a massive, twisted, and sinister magic circle was drawn with a viscous, dark red liquid that emitted an ominous, fishy odor. The circle's lines were crooked and distorted, forming repulsive and dizzying runes. At its center lay what appeared to be piles of burnt ashes and unrecognizable animal remains. At the very core of the magic circle was Lin Yang!
He was dressed in an expensive silk nightgown, but now he sat slumped in a pool of blood like a rag doll. His face, which usually wore the carefree smile of a spoiled brat, was now twisted beyond recognition. His eyes were bloodshot and bulging, covered with spiderweb-like blood vessels, his gaze empty and crazed, and a beast-like hoarse growl came from his throat.
The most terrifying thing was his hands—he was gripping a bronze sword with an ancient design, yet it exuded a soaring aura of resentment and malevolence!
The sword was covered in dark green patina, but its blade was exceptionally sharp, gleaming with a chilling light. At this moment, Lin Yang was pressing that sharp blade firmly against his left carotid artery with an eerie and resolute force!
A deep, bone-revealing wound gaped open, blood gushing out and staining half his body and the expensive carpet beneath him! The blood had an unnatural, dark tinge to it!
Several bodyguards and men who appeared to be company executives stood a few meters away, their faces ashen, trembling uncontrollably. They wanted to step forward but dared not, as if bound in place by an invisible force, only able to scream in vain:
"Young master! Put down your sword!"
"Young Master Lin! Wake up!"
"Doctor! Why hasn't the doctor arrived yet!"
Director Su slumped against the wall, his suit crumpled and stained with dust and blood. His eyes were unfocused, and he could only mutter unconsciously, "It's over...it's all over..."
"Heh...heh..." Lin Yang ignored the shouts around him, his bloodshot eyes filled only with the madness of destruction and sacrifice.
His arm muscles were bulging and veins were popping, and he was about to use his last bit of strength to completely slit his throat with that vicious bronze sword!
At this critical moment!
"Buzz—!"
A deep, resonant sword cry rang out without warning, not from the bronze sword in Lin Yang's hand, but from the doorway!
Zhuohua moved.
She didn't even take a step. She simply stood there, raised her left hand, fingers slightly spread, and made a light, airborne press towards Lin Yang!
The movement was light and effortless, as if brushing away a speck of dust.
However, an invisible and intangible yet immense and terrifying pressure, so powerful that it made one's soul tremble, suddenly collapsed like an iceberg that had been dormant for thousands of years!
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