Chapter 9 Oh No, Walked Right Into a Trap

Chapter 9: Oh No—I’ve Walked Right into a Trap!

Tang Wei was the celebrity performer invited to headline the opening of this cultural tourism project.

Her agent, leveraging connections, learned that a group of high-profile figures would be at the beach that night—so he arranged for Tang Wei to arrive early under the pretext of scouting the venue several days in advance, hoping to spot potential opportunities.

Tang Wei never expected to run into Ling Jue.

She’d once stayed by his side for a stretch. Thanks to his influence, her career skyrocketed—propelling her overnight into A-list stardom.

Such a towering, seemingly omnipotent figure—whose striking looks only deepened his mystique—it would be dishonest to claim she felt no attraction. Yet she entertained no further thoughts.

Simply because Ling Jue was terrifying.

Once, an ex-girlfriend—perhaps unable to accept the relationship was truly over, or perhaps convinced she was special given Ling Jue’s lavish spending on her—actually attempted to crawl back to him.

That incident even dragged in Miss Tao, a woman of equally noble standing who had briefly returned home to recuperate.

After mistakenly ingesting the medicine the ex had prepared for Ling Jue—and already weakened by fragile health—Miss Tao narrowly escaped death yet again.

Ling Jue handled the chaos with icy calm, then ordered someone to force ten times the original dose of that same drug down the ex’s throat.

He didn’t humiliate her or lay a hand on her. He simply watched, impassively, as the drug took effect—leaving her writhing on the floor in agony, crawling disgracefully at everyone’s feet, her face contorted in unbearable pain.

Only after she’d endured the full, excruciating effects did he casually have her sent to prison—as if swatting away an annoying fly.

A promising, award-winning actress vanished from public view overnight—her years of hard work obliterated in an instant, without a single inquiry or news report from the outside world.

Even now, recalling that cold, emotionless gaze still sent shivers down Tang Wei’s spine.

She warned herself: *Don’t mistake a past fling for affection.*

Master Jue had plucked many flowers—but those he truly brought into his own garden were exceedingly rare.

She would not be the exception.

Seeing it was him, Tang Wei felt relieved.

She was merely here to exchange pleasantries and go through the motions. If outsiders witnessed their familiarity—even just a few casual words—they’d think twice before treating her lightly in the future. That was enough.

With that thought, her smile grew genuinely warmer.

“Well, this is perfect—no need to pick anyone else. Master Jue, just hug Tang Wei.”

A man with blue-streaked hair muttered slyly, glancing casually—yet pointedly—at Qin Shuyi seated beside Ling Jue.

“A fleeting romance is still a romance. Better than breaking up a couple on the spot.”

The other single women—nervous yet secretly hoping to be chosen: ???

Are we invisible?

Yet Zhong Mingzhou deliberately ignored them. His gaze toward Qin Shuyi even carried a subtle, veiled provocation as he continued fanning the flames.

“Isn’t the necklace Tang Wei—the great star—is wearing the *Flourishing Moon*, the headline lot from Starlight Auction two years ago? Truly worthy of Master Jue’s taste—it’s absolutely stunning.”

Tang Wei instinctively covered her chest.

The *Flourishing Moon* had sold for a staggering sixty million at auction back then.

And Master Jue had gifted it to her without a second thought.

The atmosphere on-site instantly turned tense.

An ex and the current girlfriend meeting head-on—a true battlefield.

Though Tang Wei couldn’t truly be called a proper ex, the fact that she could approach him so openly and greet him without hesitation at least signaled she’d enjoyed a cordial rapport with Master Jue—no ill will remained.

Between men and women, when the mood is right, reigniting an old flame for one passionate night isn’t entirely out of the question.

But that would leave Qin Shuyi—the girlfriend—in an excruciatingly awkward position.

The gossip inexplicably energized the previously lazy, scattered crowd—tipsy from wine and sea breeze. Furtive, fleeting glances darted toward the central figures.

Tang Wei, suddenly thrust into the spotlight, felt her heart sink.

*Oh no—I’ve walked right into a trap!*

“Haha,” she forced out a few awkward laughs, “You must be mistaken. This isn’t the *Flourishing Moon*.”

She wasn’t lying. What she wore today really *was* a replica.

Sixty million! If the real one got scratched or damaged, the pain would be unbearable.

Anyway, everyone knew she owned the genuine piece. Wearing a fake went unnoticed unless it was a major occasion—she rarely brought it out.

Today, meeting mid-level executives from the partnering company, she’d casually thrown it on to make an impression.

Now she roughly grasped the situation: Master Jue needed to hug someone for a minute—but his rumored true love, the woman who’d made the prodigal son return, sat right beside him.

Someone was deliberately using her as a pawn—to stir up trouble.

Her eyes darted. “Ahem… well…”

Clutching her stomach, she feigned embarrassment. “I’ve got diarrhea today—ahem—been stuck in the bathroom all day. I don’t smell too good. Better pass.”

Surely no one would be *that* unhinged as to dare force Master Jue to hug a foul-smelling woman!

Xia Zhiyue, seated among the crowd, widened her eyes.

Damn! This sister is ruthless!

A top-tier star, tarnishing her own image so readily—just like that.

The admired Tang Wei was internally frantic—*just wanting to sprout a wind-and-fire wheel and bolt*.

Regardless of whether the “true love” was real or not, the bloody lessons from her predecessors screamed one truth: whoever wanted to wade into this muddy water was welcome—but *she* wasn’t touching it.

“Then I’ll just…” leave?

Before she could finish, Zhong Mingzhou sneered, “It’s just a hug. What are you afraid of?”

He glanced at Qin Shuyi. “Don’t worry, Miss Qin surely wouldn’t be so jealous over something this trivial.”

“What status does Master Jue hold? Surely she can tolerate him hugging another woman.”

Hadn’t *she* risen to her position through a passionate kiss during a drinking game? He wanted her to know: the tricks she used, others could use too.

There was no difference between her, Tang Wei, or women like Xu Yan.

"Miss Qin, everyone's waiting. Are you really not going to say anything?" he joked with a smile, actually pressing Qin Shuyi to show her hand.

Snuggled in her shawl on the lounge chair, Qin Shuyi rested her chin in her hands, watching Zhong Mingzhou's frantic performance with a bright smile. "Hmm? Was I supposed to say something?"

"I wasn't the one who drew the penalty, nor did I choose the target for Ling Jue. So it turns out I *do* have a say?"

She tilted her head toward Ling Jue. "What do you think, boyfriend?"

She wasn't targeting the man or the woman, just shoving the root of the problem—Ling Jue—front and center.

Why should she take a stance? Any grievances should be directed at the person actually involved.

Finally deigning to let go of the soft, pretty hand he'd been toying with, the man who'd been summoned to draw fire glanced at the stunned Zhong Mingzhou. He leisurely placed the penalty card on the table, his lips quirking in a half-smile.

"Who said I was going to accept the penalty?"

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