Chapter 1: Crippling the ScumbagāDon’t Worry, You Won’t Die
Outside the window, a steady rain pattered down. The city lights of the night pierced through the raindrops clinging to the glass, refracting into colors of extreme brilliance.
From within a long silence, Le Can slowly lifted his eyelids, which had been lowered for some time.
The neon-lit, bizarre scene of the night sky left the pale-faced young man in a trance.
Through a vision blurred by the heavy moisture in the air, an image of a jewelry set displayed in a showcase suddenly flashed before him.
It was a set inspired by the deep seaāsomething that had been born in Le Can’s hands, starting from a hand-drawn sketch, bit by bit. Ironically, the honor ultimately won by this jewelry had landed on someone elseās head.
A familiar face uncontrollably surfaced in his mindāa mixture of smugness and malice that distorted everything from the past. A lingering sense of nausea finally became impossible to suppress, surging up from Le Canās frail chest.
“Ugh…”
He raised his hanging hands; one pressed firmly against his body, which was arched in pain, while the other covered the lower half of his gaunt face.
His bloodless lips were pressed into an ominous shade of crimson-purple. His thin frame couldn’t stop bending over as he dry-heaved. His trembling, spasming body gradually fell into sync with the teetering leaves outside the window, which were being relentlessly battered by the rain.
The rain outside grew heavier, the sound drowning out the surrounding noise, and the sounds inside the room gradually subsided as well. At this moment, the squeak of the door opening sounded particularly abrupt and distinct.
Anticipating what was coming next, Le Can leaned quietly against the icy floor-to-ceiling window.
In the darkness, within those red-rimmed, moist eyes, his pupils were devoid of light or emotionāso black it was alarming.
Soon, a figure reeking of alcohol kicked the slowly moving door open with a violent thud, stumbling into the quiet room.
crashing into a vast expanse of darkness and failing to see the figure that made his heart itch, the intruder cursed unhappily a few times before slamming his elbow against the light switch by the door.
With a snap, bright light instantly flooded the entire room.
Caught off guard, his eyes stung from the sudden brightness. Lu Zhangping irritably reached out and yanked the tie of his shirt loose, popping a button off his collar in the process.
His neck, which had been constricted all night, was finally free. The price was a ruined expensive shirt. Before his slightly befuddled mind could let out a sigh of relief, his drunken brain was jolted awake by a sudden panic.
Lu Zhangping subconsciously bent his waist and lowered his head. This was the posture he habitually assumed whenever he made a mistake in the pastāservile and submissive.
After all, Lu Zhangping was born without money or power. Even his looks were merely inherited from parents who had scraped a living from the earth all their livesāplenty of honesty, but lacking in handsomeness.
If he hadn’t stepped on his ex-boyfriend, Le Can, to climb up to a truly high branch, he would still be that pile of mud waiting to be trampled by others. Even when stepped on, he would have had to smile and accept the insult: that he had dirtied their shoes.
Halfway through bowing, Lu Zhangpingās sluggish brain finally caught up. He rememberedāhe remembered that he was no longer that penniless pauper with no confidence!
The man who had been bowing and scraping a second ago suddenly straightened up. Immediately after, he smoothed out his custom suit jacket with both hands, trying to cover up his mistake.
Then, wearing thick-soled leather shoes specially paired for this outfit, he stomped heavily on the button that had landed not far away. After a moment, feeling it wasn’t enough, he ground it left and right as if to vent his hatred.
Not far away, Le Can took in Lu Zhangping’s series of movements and expressions, slowly closing his eyes to hide the mockery flowing within them.
Mockery for Lu Zhangping, and for his past self who had been so blind.
Quickly, Le Can suppressed the emotions churning in his heart, and his right hand, hidden in a blind spot, slowly tightened.
A wet sensation accompanied by a gradually sharpening pain rose from his palm. In the silence, it felt as though something was slowly accumulating within his weak body…
Over there, the more Lu Zhangping stomped, the more he recalled his past self. Under the influence of alcohol, that small spark of emotion was like a fire fed by the wind, burning hotter and hotter.
Veins bulged on a face that had looked somewhat human after being dressed up; his expression twisted into something terrifying, with not a trace of his former honest simplicity remaining.
As for that unlucky button, trampled until its original color was almost unrecognizable? It finally found a lucky chance to escape during one of the human’s uncontrolled movements.
The button flew up, hit an obstacle, and landed on the smooth floor.
The crisp sound snapped Lu Zhangping out of his demonic rage. Following the sound, he finally saw the figure sitting quietly with his head lowered in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
Le Can. His ex-boyfriend.
Lu Zhangping felt a flash of humiliation and anger, indignant at being seen by someone he had discarded like a worn-out shoe.
But soon, looking at the little snack imprisoned in the room, about to be at his mercy, he couldn’t help but ravage every inch of the other person with his eyes, then grinned triumphantly.
His laughter echoed in the spacious room, well-contained by the walls and trapped within this square space.
Of course, Lu Zhangping had carefully checked the soundproofing here; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so bold.
His sticky gaze patrolled over the person who seemed to have given up struggling, and all his bad moods were swept away.
His aggressive gaze swept over the young man’s long, fair neck. Lu Zhangping thought in a good mood: It’s not like I have zero feelings for this ex-boyfriend in front of me.
After all, although Le Can was tactlessāusually acting shy and awkward even just holding handsāthere was no denying his looks were truly outstanding.
The young man’s features were soft and gentle. His fair skin was so translucent in the sunlight that he seemed to glow. Born with a thin waist and long legs, he was the focus of everyone’s attention the moment he stood in a crowd.
Although he lacked a bit of the masculinity Lu Zhangping felt he himself possessed, the attention and gasps of admiration Le Can garnered were what Lu Zhangping envied and craved the most.
But so what if he was outstanding? Even if he was a bit difficult to handle, hahaha, wasn’t he now just a toy in his palm?
In the room, stimulated by certain fantasies until his face flushed and his neck thickened, Lu Zhangping’s breathing grew heavier bit by bit. He glanced triumphantly at the person on the floor not far away, then walked over step by step.
He had wasted half a year pestering Le Can into becoming his boyfriend, then spent three months asking after another “Real Young Master’s” health to get him in his hands. Lu Zhangping really hadn’t doubted his own “charm.”
In fact, because the latter was too easy, and he hadn’t truly “eaten” the former, this scumāwho relied on helping his current boyfriend plagiarize his ex-boyfriendāhad arranged for his longed-for ex to be brought to the venue of his current boyfriend’s celebration party. He wanted to fulfill this last regret.
Arrogant, conceited, and ignorant.
Le Can stared at the polished floor in front of him, listening to the approaching footsteps, silently reciting his interpretation of Lu Zhangping word by word in his heart.
However, it was precisely these defects in human nature that allowed him to find a sliver of opportunity to save himself and fight back within this desperate situation…
“Le Le,” the person standing before Le Can bent down condescendingly, “Why didn’t you eat the dinner I had sent over?”
Actually, it wasn’t just one dinner. In the two days he had been tied up here, Le Can hadn’t opened his mouth to eat a single bite of the things Lu Zhangping ordered people to send.
Lu Zhangping knew this perfectly well, and he knew what Le Can was guarding against. Seeing the person, who was already sleepless due to his designs being stolen, become physically weaker, he was happy to see it happen.
If the Young Master Dan Man hadn’t been clinging so tightly the last two days, he would have come personally to “comfort” this simple and easily deceived ex-boyfriend much sooner.
But this was fine too.
Lu Zhangping enjoyed admiring the person who looked as fragile as a willow in the wind, clearly easier to manipulate now. The greed in his eyes poured out without concealment.
Dan Man was busy socializing, flitting through the crowd with a wine glass like a social butterfly. The complete set of designs Lu Zhangping had swindled from Le Can had won Dan Man considerable fame this time.
Finding an opportunity, Lu Zhangping used being drunk as an excuse to escape the banquet.
Based on his understanding of Dan Man and his assessment of the VIPs attending this celebration, there was absolutely enough time to meet with his exāwho was practically cooked and served to his mouthābefore the socializing ended.
The hypocritical concern, and the contemptuous mindset of still trying to coax him like a foolāLe Can was so disgusted he almost vomited.
His small, rounded Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, forcibly suppressing the churning in his heart and stomach. And to Lu Zhangping, the person who had been silent all along finally gave a reaction.
He lifted his chin, thin to the point of being sharp. Under the light, the beautiful brows and eyes, hidden by hair that had grown long over this period, were revealed bit by bit.
Lu Zhangping narrowed his eyes. His gaze slid from the lips that were pressed together lightly yet yielded no color, across the exquisite, straight nose bridge, and finally landed on the eyes that appeared cold and light as they faced the light.
He had lost a lot of weight, but he seemed even more beautiful.
He was good-looking before, but his features had lacked spirit and seemed somewhat empty. Now, they carried a broken feeling that evoked pity. Faintly, within this brokenness that made one restless, there was an unyielding stubbornness.
Whoosh.
The desire to conquer hidden in everyone’s bones was like a predator in nature smelling blood; he couldn’t help but bare his fangs.
Even though Le Can just looked at him without saying a word, Lu Zhangping’s heart instantly burned hot.
He licked his dry lips. The restlessness that had been barely suppressed burst the dam.
“Le Le, Le Le, I knew it, I knew you wouldn’t blame me!”
Le Can watched coldly as the beast impatiently shed its human disguise, lunging at him with bloodshot eyes. When the man was only an arm’s length away, Le Can suddenly revealed a clear, faint smile.
Boom.
Lu Zhangping, who didn’t have much reason left, vaguely heard something crash down.
No, it wasn’t just an illusion.
Everything before him began to spin. Lu Zhangping sluggishly recalled the uneven tactile sensation he had stepped on a second ago. The next second, his knees slammed viciously onto the floor in front of Le Can.
The grand, simple European-style marble floor tiles had a hardness that matched their beautiful price.
Lu Zhangping let out a miserable scream, collapsing to the ground and curling into a ball. Huge drops of sweat seeped from his bulging neck veins and forehead, and tears shot directly out of his eyes, which were widened to the extreme.
The pain in his legs was too intense and too sudden. By the time his brain registered the abnormality in his abdomen, it was already too late.
Lu Zhangping clutched his bleeding stomach with both hands, staring blankly at Le Can who was close at hand. His vision went black in waves.
Before him, eyelashes clumped together by tears cut his patchy vision into discontinuous frames. And in the middle of these broken images was the frail young man, smiling more and more brilliantly.
He still had that emaciated appearance, as if a gust of wind could scatter him. But he slowly and firmly raised the glass shard in his hand. Then, he drove the sharpest point into Lu Zhangping’s immobile lower body…
The moment the pain hit, Lu Zhangping, realizing what had happened, saw nothing but blood-red.
He struggled to lift his stiff neck, looking with eyes full of hatred at the enemy who had destroyed his manhood. But his throat, choked with blood, could only emit rasping “Heh, heh” noises.
Le Can swayed as he used the floor-to-ceiling window for support to stand up, his blood-soaked palm leaving bloody handprints on the transparent glass.
Crippling Lu Zhangping had used up Le Can’s remaining strength. Truthfully, his legs were still trembling slightly as he stood, but the return on this investment made everything worth it.
From the irritability upon entering the door, to the obstacle that caused Lu Zhangping to fall later. The consecutive days of showing weakness and external frailty made the “victor’s” mind relax again and again, until he was completely rendered useless by the paralysis of alcohol…
Every step was just right. Every step was within Le Can’s plan.
The heart and soul he had once poured out to understand Lu Zhangping wasn’t useless after all. Look, didn’t he step right into his custom-made ending?
Half the revenge was exacted, yet he didn’t feel the expected happiness. Le Can looked listless as he flicked the residual blood off his fingertips, lifting his eyelids to look at the time on the wall clock.
Just past 7 PM. The time was also just right. He had to go meet the remaining half.
Once he recovered a little strength, Le Can walked around Lu Zhangping, who was gritting his teeth to maintain his last shred of consciousness. Stepping over the hand that reached out in unwillingness, the person who had not spoken the entire time finally uttered his first sentence of the night.
“Don’t worry, you won’t die…”
Not only would he not die, but he would also live to receive gazes from all directions. Didn’t he want to be the center of attention? Didn’t he want to be famous for a time?
He would help him achieve it.
He would help them achieve it…
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