Chapter 35 Liangshan’s Hero Zhu Yingtai

Chapter 35: Zhu Yingtai, the Hero of Mount Liang

Fu Nanyu furrowed his brow slightly, then tilted his head, his gaze softening as he looked down at Lu Jingtang. A low chuckle escaped him; she was sleeping like a baby pig.

He used to hear Qi Heng constantly fretting about his sister, worried she'd be easily deceived as she grew up. Back then, he couldn't understand why an adult would warrant such concern. Little did he know he would one day feel the same.

Shang Qing, holding a glass of milk, was about to knock when she spotted the figure asleep on the sofa. She quietly set the milk on the table, then silently retreated, closing the door behind her.

Fu Nanyu walked over and settled onto the sofa, watching Lu Jingtang in her deep slumber. Her delicate chin rested on her arm, her lips plump and rosy, her cheeks soft and yielding. He could even discern the fine downy hairs on the tip of her upturned nose. Her long, thick eyelashes, like two plush brushes, lay gently against her skin.

His palm suddenly tingled, and he couldn't resist lightly grazing his fingertip beneath her eyelids.

His rough, warm fingertip occasionally brushed her tender skin. The sleeping woman seemed to feel the tickle, mumbling something before burying her face deeper into the crook of her arm to continue sleeping.

Fu Nanyu let out an exasperated laugh.

Did he tell her to come up here to sleep? He tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice. Lu Jingtang stirred slightly, then slowly lifted her head, her eyes still hazy with sleep. How had she fallen asleep? Unable to help herself, she let out a wide yawn under Fu Nanyu’s dark gaze.

Fu Nanyu smirked, "Sleep well?"

Lu Jingtang sheepishly closed her mouth. "It was alright, a bit cold."

To her surprise, Fu Nanyu actually stood up, grabbed the AC remote, and adjusted the temperature.

"Do you know Xie Qinghe?" Fu Nanyu asked abruptly, looking down at her.

Lu Jingtang was startled. Xie Qinghe? Wasn't he the second male lead? Why was he asking if she knew him? In the original novel, the female antagonist had her tongue cut out by Xie Qinghe himself and was sold into the remote mountains.

She lowered her eyes meekly, replying cautiously, "Am I supposed to know him or not?"

Fu Nanyu pulled up a recent interview photo of Xie Qinghe on his tablet and showed it to her, his voice low. "Do you recognize this person?"

Lu Jingtang leaned in for a closer look and shook her head. "I've never seen him."

Fu Nanyu’s dark eyes scrutinized her, but seeing no sign of deceit, he finally said, "From now on, if you see this face, just keep your distance."

"Okay, big brother. If I ever run into him, I'll turn and walk away," Lu Jingtang replied obediently.

Even without Fu Nanyu’s reminder, Lu Jingtang would have kept her distance from Xie Qinghe. The scene in the original novel describing Xie Qinghe cutting out someone’s tongue was too gruesome—just thinking about it made her own tongue ache.

Seeing her naive sincerity, Fu Nanyu felt a pang of worry. He used to think Lu Jingtang was overly shrewd, but now she seemed utterly guileless.

Whatever Xie Qinghe’s intentions might be, with him watching over her, this little rabbit wouldn't get into trouble.

"Finish your milk and get back to work."

As she held the milk, Lu Jingtang suddenly remembered the department dinner planned for that evening. She leaned closer and said, "Brother, I have a department dinner tonight, so I won't be coming home with you. I'll have Driver Liu pick me up afterward."

Fu Nanyu happened to have plans that evening too. He stated firmly, "You must be home by ten."

Thinking that dinner wouldn’t take too long, Lu Jingtang agreed, "Got it, brother."

11:30 PM, in a bar private room.

Li Chen lounged on the sofa, provocatively unbuttoning a few buttons on his shirt to reveal his well-defined chest and abs.

A few pretty waitresses were pouring drinks nearby. Qi Heng’s flirtatious eyes flicked toward them, making the girls blush.

Fu Nanyu hadn’t drunk much and remained clear-headed. His phone on the table suddenly rang—it was his mother, Ye Xixi.

He turned off the music in the room and answered, "Hello, Mom, what’s up?"

Ye Xixi’s voice was laced with worry. "Nanyu, do you know where your sister is for her dinner? I called, but no one answered."

Hearing that Lu Jingtang still wasn’t home, Fu Nanyu’s expression darkened. The shifting lights accentuated his sharp features as he said gravely, "Don’t worry, I’ll go pick her up."

After hanging up, Fu Nanyu called Lu Jingtang five times in a row, but no one answered. He let out a cold laugh, his face grim.

Noticing his change in mood, Qi Heng and Li Chen sat up straight, looking curious.

Inside a music-themed restaurant, Lu Jingtang was drunk, her cheeks flushed and strands of hair falling across her face. Her fair skin took on an alluring glow.

She nibbled slowly on a strip of dried squid, feeling like she had forgotten something, and grinned foolishly at those around her.

Several young male employees felt their hearts race under her gaze.

Lin Yixiao hadn’t realized Lu Jingtang had such a low alcohol tolerance—just two bottles of beer had her this drunk. Checking her phone, she found it was turned off.

Just as Lin Yixiao was about to go out and find a power bank to charge it, her own phone rang. Seeing an unfamiliar number, she assumed it was spam and hung up. But the caller persisted, so she finally answered.

A gentle male voice came through. "Hello, may I speak with Miss Lin Yixiao? This is Qin Xianzhao."

Hearing the name, Lin Yixiao froze, quickly covering the receiver and signaling everyone to quiet down.

"It’s Special Assistant Qin," she whispered.

The department head and colleagues, who had been drinking merrily, fell silent. Lin Yixiao answered nervously, "Special Assistant Qin, it’s me. What can I do for you?"

Qin Xianzhao asked, "Where are you all dining? Is Miss Lu still there?"

Glancing at the drunken Lu Jingtang, Lin Yixiao hurriedly replied, "Yes, she’s here. We’re at Magic Music Restaurant on Huai North Road."

Qin Xianzhao didn’t hang up but relayed the information to Fu Nanyu, who said sternly, "Put Lu Jingtang on the phone."

Qin Xianzhao instructed Lin Yixiao to hand the phone to Lu Jingtang. Lin Yixiao agreed, shook Lu Jingtang awake, and pressed the phone into her hand. "Answer the call."

"Hmm… what? I want to drink," Lu Jingtang mumbled, clearly drunk.

Hearing this, the person on the other end let out a cold chuckle, his voice low and icy.

"Lu Jingtang, do you even remember who you are?"

The drunkard, her eyes hazy with intoxication, slammed her hand on the table.

"What? Asking who I am? You don't even know who your grandpa is? Well, listen up! I am the Liangshan Hero Zhu Yingtai—unchanged in name and unbowed in spirit!"