Chapter 15
The grand ballroom became so quiet that the faint hum of the air conditioning sounded like a roaring wind. Hundreds of Shanghai’s elite held their breath, caught between the terrifying aura of Lu Chen and the icy, unyielding elegance of Shao Ting.
Shao Ting did not flinch at Lu Chen’s lethal threat. Instead, his smile widened, turning into a mocking, razor-sharp sliver. He looked down at his own expensive cufflinks, then raised his viper-like eyes to meet Lu Chen’s stormy gaze.
“CEO Lu, your reputation for being hot-tempered certainly precedes you,” Shao Ting murmured, his velvety Hong Kong accent smooth and entirely unbothered. He took a single step to the side, trying to look past Lu Chen’s broad shoulders to catch a glimpse of the trembling Lin Mian. “I was unaware that the Lu Corporation had taken over the security detail for the Lin family. Or is it… that you’ve taken a personal interest in keeping the Lin family’s little sparrow all to yourself?”
Before Lu Chen could tear the man apart, Master Lin stepped forward, his face dark with immense gravity. He placed a firm hand on Lu Chen’s shoulder, subtly signaling the younger man to hold back. As the patriarch of the house, Master Lin could not allow a bloodbath at his son’s victory banquet.
“Director Shao,” Master Lin said, his booming voice cutting through the tension like a heavy mallet. “The Lin family respects guests, but we do not tolerate uninvited wolves who enter our home to throw veiled insults at my son. We have no business dealings with your Hong Kong firm. Take your gift, and leave.”
Shao Ting casually raised his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. “Very well. If Master Lin says so, I shall take my leave. It is a pity… the birdcage really would have suited him.”
His gaze darted one last time toward Lin Mian, flashing a look of deep, twisted anticipation. *”See you very soon, Xiao Mian,”* his eyes seemed to say, before he turned on his heel and walked out of the ballroom, his black-suited bodyguards trailing behind him like shadows.
The heavy oak doors slammed shut, and the suffocating pressure in the room finally lifted. The classical orchestra awkwardly resumed playing, and guests began to whisper frantically among themselves.
Lin Mian stood frozen, his eyes glued to the shattered glass at his feet. His mind was screaming. *Why is he here so early? In the past life, Shao Ting didn’t show up in Shanghai until a year later! Why has the timeline accelerated?*
Suddenly, the cold air vanished as Lu Chen spun around and grabbed Lin Mian by his upper arms, gently pulling him away from the broken glass.
“Xiao Mian, look at me,” Lu Chen pleaded, his voice thick with raw panic. He didn’t care about the guests or the banquet. Seeing the utter terror on Lin Mian’s pale face was tearing his heart out. “He’s gone. He can’t touch you. I’m here.”
Lin Mian looked up, his vision blurry with unshed tears. He gripped Lu Chen’s forearms tightly, his knuckles turning white. “Lu Chen… he’s going to destroy us. He’s not human. You don’t understand what he’s capable of.”
Lin Heng and Lin Ran rushed over, their faces pale with concern. “Xiao Mian, who was that man really? Why did he look at you like that?” Lin Heng demanded gently.
Before Lin Mian could force a lie through his chattering teeth, Lu Chen swept him up into his arms, lifting him effortlessly in a bridal carry.
“Uncle Lin, Lin Heng, I am taking him to my estate,” Lu Chen announced formally to the family, his voice leaving no room for argument. “My mansion has advanced biometric security and a twenty-four-hour armed guard. Shao Ting won’t be able to get within a mile of him. I will protect him.”
Master Lin looked at his terrified youngest son, then at the fierce, unwavering devotion in Lu Chen’s eyes. He nodded heavily. “Go, Lu Chen. Take care of him. Heng-er and I will handle the guests and investigate how Shao Ting managed to bypass our outer gates.”
The Lu estate was a sprawling, ultra-modern fortress nestled deep within the private, heavily guarded hills of outer Shanghai. Unlike the classical warmth of the Lin mansion, Lu Chen’s home was built of dark slate, reinforced glass, and steel-a literal castle designed to keep the world out.
Lu Chen did not set Lin Mian down until they reached the master bedroom on the top floor. He placed the younger boy gently onto the massive, silk-lined bed, immediately kneeling on the floor in front of him to unlace Lin Mian’s designer leather shoes.
Lin Mian sat quietly, watching Lu Chen’s large, scarred hands tend to him with such meticulous, tender care. The contrast between Lu Chen’s savage, murderous anger at the banquet and his current, breathless gentleness made a tear finally slip down Lin Mian’s cheek.
“Why are you crying?” Lu Chen asked softly, sitting on the edge of the bed and using his thumb to catch the tear. His dark eyes searched Lin Mian’s face, filled with a desperate need to soothe him. “Are you still afraid?”
Lin Mian shook his head. He reached out and grabbed Lu Chen’s tie, gently pulling the older man closer until their chests were practically pressed together.
“I’m not afraid of him anymore, Lu Chen,” Lin Mian whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. “Because I realized something tonight. In my past… in my head, I thought I had to fight him alone to protect everyone. But I forgot that I have you.
Lin Mian rested his forehead against Lu Chen’s shoulder, breathing in the deep, grounding scent of sandalwood. “The timeline has changed because *I* changed. My choices made the ripples. Shao Ting is panicked because I ruined his play with Guangshi Real Estate, so he had to show his face early. He isn’t an untouchable god… he’s just a man who is losing his grip.”
Lu Chen didn’t fully understand what Lin Mian meant by ‘timelines’ or ‘past lives,’ but he understood one thing clearly: Lin Mian was finally, completely trusting him with his life.
Lu Chen’s arms tightened around Lin Mian’s waist, lifting him slightly so Lin Mian was sitting directly on his lap. He pressed a deep, burning kiss into Lin Mian’s hair, his voice dropping into a solemn, feral growl.
“Let him try his worst, Xiao Mian. I have already ordered my global network to freeze all of Shao Ting’s shipping vessels currently docked in mainland ports under the guise of an emergency customs audit. By tomorrow morning, he will be losing tens of millions of dollars every hour.”
Lu Chen pulled back just enough to look into Lin Mian’s eyes, a dark, devastatingly handsome smirk playing on his lips. “He wants to play with cages? Let’s see how he likes being locked out of his own empire.”
Lin Mian stared at him, a sudden, fierce wave of desire washing over his chest. This was his top-ruthless to the world, but a completely devoted, protective beast just for him.
“Lu Chen…” Lin Mian whispered, his hands moving up to unbutton the top two buttons of Lu Chen’s white dress shirt, his eyes darkening with a newfound passion. “Don’t go back to your room tonight. Stay here. Hold me so tightly that I can’t think about anything else.”
To be continue
