Chapter 71: She Is Nothing but a Mistress

The onlookers were at a loss for words. To be able to alarm Zhao Guangquan and have him show such respect—this person was surely extraordinary. They had all underestimated Yun Fu, including Yu Zhu.

At that moment, Yu Zhu felt her face burning with shame. Never before had she been so humiliated. How could Yun Fu possibly know Zhao Guangquan? Who on earth was she? Clenching her fists, Yu Zhu lowered her head to hide her bloodshot eyes, her body trembling.

“Miss Yu, you must honor your wager,” Yun Fu’s voice sounded.

Hearing Yun Fu speak, Yu Zhu’s body shook even harder; she feared that if she relaxed for even a second, she might lose control and strangle this wretched woman. But she was the eldest daughter of the Yu family—she could lose anything but her dignity.

So she raised her head, put on a composed smile, drew a deep breath, and said, “You’re right. A wager is a wager. I concede the item to you.”

“It’s not that you’re conceding. I bought it,” Yun Fu replied.

Yu Zhu drew another deep breath, struggling to keep her composure.

Suddenly, someone entered through the doorway, silhouetted against the light. Though his face was unclear, his posture and aura alone revealed that he was no ordinary man. As he drew nearer and his features became visible, everyone present gasped.

It was Lian Hanqi.

Upstairs, Su Changzhou smiled and remarked to those beside him, “Now the real heavyweight has arrived.”

Yu Zhu’s eyes lit up the instant she saw Lian Hanqi. She stepped forward, ready to greet him, but to her astonishment, he, like Zhao Guangquan, walked straight past her and headed toward Yun Fu.

This man, carrying with him the chill of winter, stood before Yun Fu, yet his demeanor seemed to melt into warmth and gentleness.

“Which one do you like?” he asked.

Yun Fu glanced at him, then at Yu Zhu beside her, her face expressionless. She pointed at the piece of wood displayed on the platform.

“I’ll buy it for you,” Lian Hanqi said.

—

“What’s going on? Wasn’t it said the Lian and Yu families were to be joined by marriage? Why does it look like Master Qi treats Yun Fu so specially?”

“I just checked online—this Yun Fu is no ordinary woman. She’s a doctor, a skilled practitioner of traditional medicine. Not long ago, she cured Old Madam Lian.”

“No way, that impressive? No wonder Master Qi is so courteous to her.”

“Courteous? I’ve never thought of Master Qi as a gentle man.”

Watching the expression on Lian Hanqi’s face, Yu Zhu bit her lip until it bled. She had never seen this gentle side of him before. He’d always been distant to everyone, yet now, before her eyes, he was showing a completely different side to Yun Fu.

And the exception was not her, but Yun Fu—the very woman who had just humiliated her.

Upstairs, Su Changzhou came down as well. If this spectacle went on any longer, there would be no business tomorrow.

Lian Hanqi stepped in front of Yun Fu, shielding her as he frowned at Su Changzhou, who was approaching.

“How much? I’ll pay you,” Lian Hanqi stated.

“We’re all friends here. If Yun Fu likes it, that’s all that matters,” Su Changzhou replied.

“Then what’s all this about?” Lian Hanqi gestured at the long row of cash behind him.

Confronted by Lian Hanqi’s imposing presence, everyone except Yun Fu broke into a cold sweat, trembling uncontrollably.

A thousand curses flashed through Su Changzhou’s mind—he couldn’t afford to offend either of them; it was too much to bear. But Yu Zhu? That was another matter.

“Yun Fu could have bought it outright. I wasn’t planning to take her money, but then Miss Yu suddenly made a bet…” Su Changzhou quickly outlined the sequence of events to Lian Hanqi.

The air instantly grew tense with a brewing storm.

“Hanqi…” Yu Zhu called out in an intimate tone, “You know my brother needs that wood. Miss Yun has no use for it…”

Lian Hanqi’s face turned cold. “I must have missed when auctions started distributing goods based on need.”

Each word hit like a hammer blow. Yu Zhu’s face turned as pale as the wall behind her. She stared at him in disbelief, unable to comprehend that he would say such words to her.

“Hanqi, you…”

“Miss Yu, I let you have your way earlier for your brother’s sake. But if you twist the truth and let my friends be wronged, don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”

Su Changzhou’s words made Yu Zhu falter. She looked at the group before her, then at Yun Fu, who was still shielded by Lian Hanqi.

Yun Fu was so calm, so serene. How could she be? How could any of this be? It was she, Yu Zhu, who had grown up with them—how could both of them now be defending Yun Fu?

Rage pushed Yu Zhu past the brink of reason. She pointed at Yun Fu and began to scream, all pretense of civility lost. “You’ve only known her a few days—do you really know her? You saw how she called Zhao Guangquan over just now. She’s just a minor celebrity, yet she can produce a hundred million in cash and order Zhao Guangquan around. Do you really think she’s so clean, so innocent? For all you know, behind the scenes, she’s already been—”

“Yu Zhu!” Su Changzhou saw the darkness in Lian Hanqi’s eyes and, before disaster could fall, abruptly cut her off. He signaled to the security guards behind him, “Escort Miss Yu out. From now on, Tianlu Club does not welcome her! And let me make one thing clear: Yun Fu is my friend. If she can command Zhao Guangquan, she can certainly command us as well—it’s no problem at all.”

Su Changzhou thought he had made himself clear. Yu Zhu should realize it was time to go. If she lingered any longer and Lian Hanqi decided to act, there would be no saving her. After all, he was friends with her brother—if Yu Zhu were killed by Lian Hanqi, he would be caught in the middle.

But Yu Zhu seemed to have lost all sense, as if her mind had been muddied beyond hope. She shouted at Lian Hanqi like a madwoman: “Hanqi, are you serious? Are you really going to protect this woman? I’m the one who grew up with you!”

At last, Lian Hanqi looked her in the eye, but his gaze was that of a man regarding a corpse, his expression as frigid as the weather outside.

His lips parted, releasing words colder than winter itself: “Get out.”

Yu Zhu was stunned. She stared blankly at him, unable to believe he had spoken to her that way. How could he? She was his fiancée—they were to be married. Yun Fu was nothing but a mistress, a despicable interloper!

Before Su Changzhou could give another order, the security guards quickly dragged Yu Zhu away.

Lian Hanqi’s expression softened, and everyone present finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Only Yun Fu remained unaffected throughout.

“I’ll take my money back, then,” she said, and began personally closing the lids on the boxes of cash, one by one.

She was poor and badly needed the money.

For once, she looked every bit the lively, spirited girl her age, her love of money shining through.