With paintings and wedding rings, he can make everyone in the Shen family, young and old, happy.
Qiao Zhen looked up at the dark sky. The warm night breeze brushed against her cheeks, but it felt unusually cold.
"Zhenzhen," Lu Zheng called to her.
Qiao Zhen wiped her face haphazardly. After wearing high heels for most of the day, her feet were feeling cramped, so she simply kicked them off and walked barefoot towards the van.
The car body blocked Lu Zheng's view, and only his shadow, illuminated by the streetlights, could be seen on the asphalt road.
It was a long, thin mass, and it was impossible to see what it was doing.
"What are your instructions, Mr. Lu?" she asked emotionlessly, taking the final step to the back of the van.
The first thing that catches the eye is a huge and dazzling diamond ring, which emits a subtle light amidst the dark shadows of the people, possessing a kind of understated beauty.
Qiao Zhen was stunned.
With long, slender, and beautiful fingers, he presented the ring box to her.
Qiao Zhen was confused and had to look up at Lu Zheng, "Mr. Lu, what do you mean by this?"
Lu Zheng's eyes were more dazzling than diamonds. Gone was the cold indifference he had shown at the charity auction, replaced by a tenderness she couldn't understand. "Zhenzhen helped me get the painting back. These rings are a thank you gift."
"..." Qiao Zhen had the urge to check if Lu Zheng had a fever.
Has he really gone mad?
Exchange 70 million for 30 million?
Does he think that with an extra 40 million in value, she would willingly and proactively stick close to him?
“No…” Qiao Zhen looked at the Eternal Heart with reluctance, then stepped back firmly. “I can’t accept it.”
Lu Zheng grabbed her wrist and forcefully pulled her back, saying, "You are the true master of the Eternal Heart."
As he spoke, he placed the ring box into Qiao Zhen's hand.
His attitude was so firm that he would not tolerate anyone disobeying him.
Qiao Zhen felt like she had just received a hot potato and was about to throw it away.
Lu Zheng's large hand firmly enveloped hers. "If you feel unworthy of it, tell me everything about how you received the painting, and that will make up for it."
What a joke! Qiao Zhen struggled to back away, but Lu Zheng simply stretched out his arm, put his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her into his embrace.
Her face was pressed against his chest, and she could hear the thunderous heartbeat in her ears, giving her a splitting headache.
“If I say it’s worth it, then it’s worth it. Of course…” Lu Zheng lowered his head and whispered in her ear, “If you really don’t think it’s worth it, you can sleep with me a few more times.”
The man's voice became low and husky, full of allure.
Qiao Zhen said coldly, "I don't want to."
How is this any different from a prostitute who sells her body for profit?
Lu Zheng wasn't in a hurry at all. "It seems I can only put the wedding ring on your finger myself and then weld it in place."
Qiao Zhen pressed against his chest, trying hard to break free. "I've already said no, but you keep bothering me, thinking you're being incredibly good to me. But do you know what? I don't need you at all. Your presence only disgusts me!"
She couldn't take it anymore. Complex emotions surged like a tsunami, swirling in her mind and heart. After half a night of tension and worry, she finally couldn't bear it anymore, causing her emotions to break down several times. She frantically pounded on Lu Zheng's chest.
"Can you just get out of my world?!"
The roar echoed on the empty road.
The hands on her loosened slightly, and she finally broke free from Lu Zheng's embrace, turning to leave.
"cannot."
With resolute words and an irresistible pull, she returned to Lu Zheng's arms.
Qiao Zhen felt a wave of despair.
She had no right to refuse and fell back into Lu Zheng's trap.
Lu Zheng tightened his arms around her and whispered in her ear, word by word, "Absolutely not."
Qiao Zhen felt as if her very bones and blood were being absorbed into Lu Zheng's body, becoming inseparable and making it even harder for them to escape.
She cried out in pain, but Lu Zheng showed no sign of letting go.
She hated Lu Zheng to death, but she was powerless to do anything about it, forever trapped in this dead end, unable to escape.
Unable to hold back her tears any longer, she buried her face in Lu Zheng's chest and sobbed uncontrollably.
Since you've already cried, then cry it all out, let all the grievances you've held over the years be released, then gather your strength and fight back bravely!
Lu Zheng was slightly taken aback. He looked down at the top of the pure black hair and listened to the heart-wrenching cries. His throat went dry.
"Really?"
Qiao Zhen ignored him until the night grew deeper, when she finally cried enough.
Lu Zheng's shirt and suit collar were stained with tears, but he remained motionless, standing before her like a tall tree.
He couldn't be a big tree to shelter her from the wind and rain, but rather he would let his shadow envelop her for a lifetime.
Qiao Zhen wiped away her tears, and Lu Zheng's voice sounded above her head, "Have you cried enough?"
Her voice was relatively gentle; she didn't expect this mad dog to suddenly show some humanity and let her go.
Wiping away her tears, her expression turned icy cold. "I want to go home."
Before she could finish speaking, her body felt light, and her feet were lifted into the air.
Lu Zheng picked her up in his arms.
Qiao Zhen twisted her body uncooperatively, "Put me down!"
"You'll catch a cold if you walk barefoot on the ground." Lu Zheng ignored her and strode back to the Maybach. "Now, can you tell me exactly how to get the painting?"
Qiao Zhen calmed herself down, solemnly placed the ring box back on Lu Zheng's lap, and coldly told Lu Zheng about how she and Yan Simiao had teamed up to catch President Zhang having an affair with a transvestite.
Lu Zheng tapped the ring box with his fingertip. "No one noticed?"
Qiao Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately shook her head in denial, "No."
Lu Zheng glanced at Qiao Zhen. Her face was slightly pale after crying, but her eyes and nose were red, making her look pitiful. She still put on a cold and stubborn look, but little did she know that it made his heart ache even more.
He raised his hand, hesitated for a moment, then placed it on Qiao Zhen's shoulder, slid it down her back, and pressed it on her other shoulder.
Qiao Zhen frowned, and with all her might, she refused to let Lu Zheng pull her into his arms again.
Unexpectedly, Lu Zheng's hand remained still after touching her shoulder.
The car sped across the road and finally stopped in front of Lu Zheng's apartment building.
A familiar middle-aged woman stood straight in front of the building, carrying a heavy food-grade insulated box.
Lu Zheng took the insulated box with one hand and held Qiao Zhen's hand with the other, and entered the apartment.
Qiao Zhen thought she was about to be greeted by a storm, but Lu Zheng calmly arranged the food and invited her to eat.
To make the event look good, the meals provided at the charity auction were very simple and barely enough to fill her stomach, and besides, she had no appetite for them.
Faced with the enticing aroma of the food, her stomach rumbled even louder.
"If you don't eat, you'll be letting your own body down." Lu Zheng sat down at the table slowly and picked up his chopsticks to start eating.
Qiao Zhen sat down opposite him and discovered that the ring box was missing.
Although she missed her parents' wedding rings, she knew clearly that the heart of eternity would never belong to her again.
But Lu Zheng's existence was probably meant to shatter her illusions forever—
"I will keep the Heart of Eternity for now, and one day I will return it to you."
Qiao Zhen sneered, "President Lu spent 70 million to buy a wedding ring, becoming the most eye-catching item at the auction. Did he really think he could hide it from Miss Shen?"
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