Luo Ying did not have time to stop Lu Liangchen before he acted.
Cheng Ji dodged the attack. He caught Lu Liangchen's fist with one hand. A half-smile played on his face. "What are you supposed to be? Do you think you are worthy of being her protector?"
He pushed forward with force. Lu Liangchen was strong but did not meet him head-on. He withdrew his hand and kicked at Cheng Ji's shin.
"Stop it! Do not fight!" Luo Ying shouted anxiously. She ran over and pulled Lu Liangchen back.
She did not know who Cheng Ji was. She did not want Lu Liangchen to get into trouble.
Lu Liangchen clenched his fists and glared at the man. He shielded Luo Ying behind him. "Who are you? Why are you asking for information about Yingzi? It is illegal to leak the private information of others!"
Cheng Ji ignored him. He kept his eyes fixed on Luo Ying. "See? Even if you do not tell me, I can find out on my own."
Luo Ying bit her lip hard. She controlled herself so she would not scream at him. Her eyes burned with anger as she stared at him like he was an enemy.
Cheng Ji's expression froze for a moment. He smirked. "Are you angry? Do not be upset. I was only joking. Fine, I will not bother you while you are going out. I sent you a friend request. Remember to accept it."
He did not wait for Luo Ying to speak. He turned and walked away. He waved his hand over his shoulder as a sign of farewell.
"Yingzi, when did you meet him?" Lu Liangchen's anger had not faded. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. "Has he been harassing you?"
Luo Ying explained how she met him while painting on the hill the day before.
"It was him! Yingzi, you are stuck with a nuisance now!" Jiang Yuqing gasped and covered her mouth.
"Who is he?" Luo Ying asked. "Do you know him?"
"He is a notorious playboy from Yuntai Business School!" Jiang Yuqing looked in the direction where Cheng Ji had left. She looked frightened. "His father is Cheng Ye, the chairman of Liheng Group. The old man divorced his first wife and married a woman ten years younger than him. That woman is the mother of Cheng Ji. He also has a half-brother named Cheng Yi."
Jiang Yuqing continued talking. "No wonder he looked familiar. I saw him twice in junior high. He has been rebellious since he was a child. Even his father cannot control him. His name used to be Cheng Ji, meaning 'Hope.' It showed what his father expected of him. But in second grade, he complained the name had too many strokes. He insisted on changing it to the character for 'Trace.'"
"I heard his father beat him severely, but it did not change his mind," Jiang Yuqing said with a laugh. "There was no choice but to let him have his way. He is a real troublemaker. His father had to tie him up with a rope just to throw him into the business school. Hahaha!"
"His failure is famous in our circles. I often hear my father talking about which children are spoiled. He always mentions him first!"
Lu Liangchen looked back at Luo Ying with concern. "Be careful from now on. Do not go out alone. If you see him, stay far away."
Luo Ying nodded. "I understand."
"Yingzi, do not be afraid of him. If anything happens, tell me. I will go complain to his father. That will keep him stuck at home for at least a week." Jiang Yuqing gave a mischievous smile. "Fortunately, his family still has his brother. Cheng Yi is very talented. He just returned from studying abroad this year and joined the family company. The Liheng Group will likely be handed over to his brother in the future."
Luo Ying had no interest in the affairs of the Cheng family. She only warned herself to stay away from that madman.
There was a friend request on her phone. Luo Ying ignored it.
Whenever she left the campus, Lu Liangchen and Jiang Yuqing accompanied her. Cheng Ji tried to approach her several times, but Lu Liangchen drove him away with his fists.
Jiang Yuqing threatened to complain to the Cheng family. This scared Cheng Ji enough that he did not actually fight with Lu Liangchen.
Luo Ying thought that as time passed, Cheng Ji would lose interest and stop bothering her. He was just an insignificant episode in her life.
Chapter 5: A Notorious Playboy (2 / 2)
No one could have predicted that a year and a half later, Luo Ying would live in a house Cheng Ji bought for her. She had become his mistress.
Cheng Ji heard her enter. He stood up to meet her. "Luo Luo, why are you back so late? Where did you go?"
'Luo Luo' was his special name for her. He said everyone else called her Yingzi, so he wanted to be different. He thought it made them closer.
In the dim light of the floor lamp, he studied her with dark eyes.
"I went home for a while." Luo Ying knew he was overthinking again. He suspected she was still involved with Lu Liangchen. Whenever her whereabouts were unknown, he would ask many questions. He only felt relieved after someone confirmed her story.
Cheng Ji's expression relaxed. He took her coat and spoke with concern. "Is your mother feeling unwell again? I will take her to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow morning."
"There is no need!" Luo Ying refused. She was tired. She did not want to owe him too much. Hearing him call her mother 'Mom' made her feel as irritated as if she were being roasted by a fire in the middle of summer.
Cheng Ji looked at the coat and then at her clothes. He frowned. "You went out wearing this? I bought you so many clothes. The tags are still on them. Do you dislike them, or do you despise what I buy? If you do not like them, I will throw them all away and buy new ones tomorrow. If you despise them, you still have to deal with it."
Luo Ying saw he was unhappy. She sighed. "It is not that I do not like them. I will wear them tomorrow."
She went to the kitchen to warm a glass of milk for him. She placed it in front of him.
His dark eyes searched her face. The tension in his muscles slowly faded. He took the milk obediently and drank it in a few gulps.
When he spoke again, his voice was gentle. "Why did you not reply to my message today? Do you like the necklace I showed you? I waited for over ten minutes without an answer."
He put his arm around her shoulders. Luo Ying felt her body stiffen for a moment. He led her to the sofa. Only then did Luo Ying notice a square jewelry box on the coffee table.
The light was dim. She could not see the color clearly. It looked like peacock blue.
His long fingers opened the box. It revealed a necklace with a blue diamond pendant.
He lifted the thin chain. Points of light like stars flickered between his fingers. He unfastened the clasp and reached around her neck to put it on.
Luo Ying did not move during the process. She did not refuse. She simply accepted it.
"I knew this style would suit you. It matches that smoke-blue suit." Cheng Ji spoke in a pleasing tone. He wanted to turn on the main light to see the effect, but Luo Ying grabbed his wrist.
"Look at it tomorrow. I am very tired."
Cheng Ji paused. He kissed her forehead gently. Suddenly, he picked her up and carried her toward the bedroom.
Luo Ying closed her eyes in despair. She prepared herself to endure the ordeal of the night.
Since her father died, Luo Ying had been afraid to sleep with the lights off. Whenever it was dark, she had nightmares. But if the light was too bright, she could not sleep.
Cheng Ji had kindly installed floor lights in the bedroom. The brightness could be adjusted. Luo Ying was grateful for his patience.
He placed her on the bed as if she were a rare treasure. To her surprise, he did not do anything aggressive. He simply wrapped his long limbs around her and held her tightly in his arms.
Luo Ying breathed a sigh of relief. She pressed against his chest to find a comfortable position.
As she drifted toward sleep, she heard his low voice. "The old man threatened me again tonight. He said if I dare to refuse the engagement, he will break my legs. He said he is willing to support me for the rest of my life."
'Really?' Luo Ying thought in a daze. 'It is not impossible.'