Deadly Trap.

Chapter 78. Who gave you permission to touch me like that?

Facing Sheng Chunqiu, this ambitious man who was determined to take his life and seize control of the Gu family through the underworld, Gu Mufeng simply smiled and ignored him. The cold wind blew in, soaking through his thin shirt, but Gu Mufeng seemed completely unaffected, relaxed and indifferent.

He calmly stepped over Quenxus, who was blocking his way, and approached him, saying, "Mr. Sheng, what a coincidence."

"Skillful?" Sheng Chunqiu scoffed.
"Mr. Gu, are you saying you absolutely refuse to accept my favor? I've gone to great lengths to get this one private meeting with you. After all..."

With a sinister look, Sheng Chunqiu glanced behind him and said, "In Minhang, there's also an all-powerful Mr. Tang."

With a forceful shove, as if pushing Tang Quan away from between them, Sheng Chunqiu forced a smile: "The weather's not cooperating. Mr. Gu, why don't you get into my car and we can talk alone?"

Behind Gu Mufeng, Su Li silently stole glances at Sheng Chunqiu, who was warm all over: clearly, he had come prepared on purpose, practically forcing the thin-shirted Gu Mufeng to get into the Sheng family's car.

Almost imperceptible, Gu Mufeng narrowed his cold, sharp eyes: What a capitalist.

To avoid Tang Quan's notice, even deliberately triggering a fire in the mall and easily trampling on the lives of ordinary people was nothing out of the ordinary for Sheng Chunqiu.

Suppressing the burning anger and disgust within him, Gu Mufeng's still pale face remained unchanged, and he responded nonchalantly:

"I appreciate Mr. Sheng's invitation, but I am unable to accompany you today. Mr. Sheng, please be frank. I will do my best to assist you."

Su Li listened in secretly. She sensed the sharp edge beneath Gu Mufeng's politeness: clearly, he was telling Sheng Chunqiu to speak if he had something to say, and to get lost if he didn't.

Perhaps out of caution, before getting closer to speak, Sheng Chunqiu quickly scanned the surroundings of the empty plaza outside the mall. But his eyes, sharp as hooks, caught sight of Su Li in the shadows in an instant.

Immediately afterward, Sheng Chunqiu's gaze stopped.

Once again, he wished he could skin her alive and examine her from head to toe, making her feel as if she had been doused with cold water. Even though she wrapped herself tightly in Gu Mufei's suit, the chill still ran down her spine.

This time, though her breath still tightened uncontrollably, Su Li neither dodged nor retreated.

Presumably, Sheng Chunqiu had already recognized her. They had met briefly at the New Year's Eve banquet.

"Oh?" Sheng Chunqiu made no attempt to hide his interest, feigning surprise as if he had just noticed Su Li, and gave Gu Mufeng a forced smile.

"It was my rashness. Rumors are going around in Minzhou circles that Mr. Gu has recently gained a new favorite. Mr. Gu has always been decisive and ruthless, so I thought it was nonsense. I never expected that even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman."

Sensing the veiled meaning in Sheng Chunqiu's words, Gu Mufeng raised his thin eyelids, his gaze as cold and indifferent as could be:

"President Sheng, you've misunderstood."

He abruptly ended the conversation. His lips barely moved, his voice calm and decisive; four words, and Gu Mufeng sealed the deal.

"If Mr. Sheng has nothing else to do, I will excuse myself."

Extremely cold, even unusually so, as if unable to suppress his anger, Gu Mufeng cut off his words cleanly. He quickly glanced at Quenxus beside him. The latter was startled by this sudden look and immediately turned and left.

"Hey, Mr. Gu! Wait a minute!"

Hmph. Gu Mufeng felt a surge of rage in his heart:
Sheng Chunqiu went to great lengths to evade Tang Quan, and was eager to see him; no matter how much Sheng Chunqiu bluffed, how could he not have something in mind?
He felt a surge of pleasure, a cold sneer playing on his lips.

That night, in front of Xiao Fan's grave, no matter how desperate he was, he still managed to use his words to his advantage: however, he subtly sow discord between Sheng Chunqiu and Tang Quan through his words.

Sure enough, this was exactly what he wanted. Tang Quan still harbored suspicions about Sheng Chunqiu.

Now, Sheng Chunqiu simply sensed that something was amiss and came to test Gu Mufeng's words to see how many opportunities he could have to play both sides.

His seemingly polite and unassuming attitude just now, disregarding past grievances, already spoke volumes. He didn't need to continue entangled with Sheng Chunqiu. He had already instructed Dai Ze on how to handle the remaining details.

"Oh dear, it's my fault. I was foolish: who in the whole of Minzhou doesn't know that Mr. Gu is extremely busy? Of course, we can't afford to delay."

With a quick change of expression, Sheng Chunqiu almost immediately forced a smile:

"Mr. Gu is a wise man, so I will not beat around the bush. If Mr. Gu is magnanimous, the Sheng family will certainly remember this. In the future, if the Sheng family ever needs anything, just say the word."

"only……"

Su Li couldn't be more annoyed: Sheng Chunqiu, why do you keep glancing at me?
"Since Mr. Gu is just playing around, I would like to trouble Mr. Tang to specially invite this beautiful young lady..."

As he spoke, Sheng Chunqiu stared intently, his gaze almost piercing through Su Li's clothes: "Come to my place for a gathering."

Sheng Chunqiu's smile was unfathomable and full of confidence, almost making Su Li feel nauseous and breathless.

"A mere 100 million in cash. Ah, for Mr. Gu, it's nothing more than a toy to pass the time, something to share with friends. I wonder, Mr. Gu... will you pay or not?"

As he spoke, Sheng Chunqiu brazenly extended a large, rough hand, as thick as a tiger's claw, and as he drew near, the platinum finger was about to pinch Su Li's chin.

Danfeng's cold eyes narrowed sharply. Gu Mufeng's palm clenched instantly, his knuckles turning white, and the cold spring knife in his sleeve swished as it pierced his calloused fingers:
Sheng Chunqiu, you're asking for death!
"Snapped".

Su Li's fingertips trembled slightly, and her expression turned cold. Suppressing her disgust and fear, she decisively slapped away the offending hand in front of her.

Amidst the swirling snow, the peaks of spring and autumn stand tall, and Su Li takes another step forward.

Wearing six-centimeter satin stilettos, Su Li straightened her back slightly, her heart pounding a little faster, but she quickly concealed it under her cold and resolute gaze, directly confronting Sheng Chunqiu.

Su Li's smile remained as sweet as ever:
"I'm sorry, but you can't touch this beautiful flower. It's kind of you, Mr. Sheng, to have such a wonderful idea as to invite me as a guest. We're not familiar with each other, so I'm afraid you have no choice but to accept my invitation."

“No matter what, you are the president of the prestigious Sheng Group. Why not spend a little money to take a class and learn how to respect women?” Su Li’s captivating eyes, usually so alluring, suddenly flashed with a disdainful glint: “That way, President Sheng doesn’t need to be in such a hurry to find someone else, right?”

"Ouch!"

Embarrassed, Sheng Chunqiu lost his footing. He instinctively took a half-step back.

What an amazing woman!

Her appearance is clearly pleasing to the eye, like a delicate flower that is fragile and cannot be easily picked or trampled; yet there is a powerful and imposing force in those bright and beautiful eyes!
And then there's that mouth. Soft words escape her red lips, smooth as silk, yet concealing a thousand sharp blades! Sharp sarcasm cuts to the bone, yet leaves Sheng Chunqiu with nowhere to retaliate.

Sheng Chunqiu has always been more likely to seduce women than eat. To dare to so blatantly ridicule the four major financial magnates, regardless of gender, is truly unprecedented.

Sheng Chunqiu's eyes widened, his fists clenched, and he gritted his teeth: She's nothing but a lowly woman who climbs into the beds of high society to beg for food. If he, Sheng Chunqiu, wanted to, he could easily make this woman fall into a ditch!

"Mr. Sheng."

At this moment, the switchblade in his hand had disappeared without him noticing. Gu Mufeng was still furious, but he suppressed his anger and forcefully intervened.

Yu Guangzhong saw Quenxus driving through the snow from afar. A matte night sky blue Panamera Turbo S stopped in front of Sheng Chunqiu's Mulsanne.

Gu Mufeng's tone was extremely cold: "President Sheng, there's no need to force yourself. It's getting late. President Sheng, let's talk privately another day."

Before Sheng Chunqiu could reply, Gu Mufeng had already bowed his head and gestured for Quenxus to lead Su Li into the car first.

He stood with his feet relaxed, expressionless, completely blocking Su Li's path. The thin royal blue shirt he wore only accentuated his arrogant and unapproachable demeanor.

He slowly backed away, his phoenix eyes unfathomable, fixed on Sheng Chunqiu as if he had endless plans. Just as Gu Mufeng was about to get into the car, his hand touched the open door, but he stopped.

Snowflakes fell heavily. The winter wind ruffled his golden bangs. He slightly raised his chin, turned his head, and faced the still-standing Sheng Group tycoons. His lips curled into a nearly trademark, alluring, elegant smile.

"Mr. Sheng, I am ready to accompany you at any time."

After saying that, he got into the car. Leaving the dumbfounded Sheng Chunqiu behind, the midnight blue Panamera sped away.

"Su Li," Gu Mufeng said after gazing out the window for a long time, "I'm sorry."

Under the grey-blue night sky, heavy snow blanketed the ground. This million-dollar executive sedan, like any other ordinary car, was stuck in the evening rush hour traffic, inching forward among the high-rise buildings.

As dusk settles in Minzhou, the heavy snow cannot suppress the rampant materialism and vain prosperity outside the car.

The car was warm, but Gu Mufeng's hand, which he held, was still icy cold from the strong wind that had just blown through it.

"I'm sorry I put you in such an awkward situation."

Gu Mufeng hadn't expected Su Li to retaliate so brilliantly, not only saving herself but also pulling him back from his rage. Yet he remained silent. If Su Li had taken Sheng Chunqiu's awful words to heart…

“I understand,” Su Li replied in silence.

She wasn't just angry with Gu Mufeng. She truly understood: as one of the four major conglomerates, Sheng Chunqiu was clearly used to bullying others; his private life was also a testament to that.

Half of him was genuinely lustful, and the other half was using Tang's authority to suppress Gu Mufeng. Sheng Chunqiu deliberately wanted to embarrass Gu Mufeng, in order to save face for him in order to appease the situation he was forced to do today.

Naturally, Gu Mufeng couldn't openly protect her. She was rumored to be worth a hundred million even as a kept woman; if she were to reveal Gu Mufeng's feelings, who knew how much she would be valued?
Moreover, she is not incapable of taking good care of herself.

However, she had just communicated with Yu He, and Li Hua and He Bao had confirmed that they were both safe. The leisurely afternoon tea was instantly shattered. Disappointed, Su Li pouted.

For some reason, the image of Yu He and Zhou Yi casually holding hands, and their carefree smiles, kept replaying in Su Li's mind.

She rested her chin on her hand and gazed intently out the window.

Ordinary, mundane, insignificant, yet happiness is grounded in reality. "Born ordinary." That's how Zhou Yi describes herself. But what if it were Mu Fei, if he could be content with ordinariness?

If his mother could know from beyond the grave, she would have risked her life to entrust her only hope to her son, Mu Fei, who could escape the shackles of the tycoon and live a free life. Now, he is trapped in a web of money and power.

Snowflakes fell through the car window, clearly reflecting Su Li's face.

She knew that she was being too greedy.

Unbeknownst to Su Li, on the other side, in utter silence, Gu Mufeng was gazing intently at her pensive profile.

Su Li's feelings...

>>>>>
Next chapter: A Little Effort
[Author's Note | Chapter 78]

Faced with Sheng Chunqiu's harassment, the couple joined forces to fight back! Su Li launched a powerful counterattack against the Sheng family conglomerate, unleashing her full aura!

Gu Mufeng's fury today was only contained by Su Li.

Do you like Su Li, a woman who dares to love and hate?

Leave a comment and let me know!

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(End of this chapter)