Dangerous Liaisons - Chapter 13

Chuyu had lost track of how many days she had been held captive. Her eyes were constantly covered, her mouth gagged with a strip of cloth, and her limbs bound. At first, the tight restraints caused pain, but over time, her limbs grew numb, and eventually, she lost all sensation.

The faint, salty scent of the sea lingered in the air. The ground beneath her shifted irregularly, a slow, unsteady rocking. She must have been taken onto a boat, though she had no idea where they were now.

With her eyes blindfolded, time became an abstract concept. Crouched in the damp, dark cabin, Chuyu had little to do but think. To distract herself from the overwhelming fear and pressure, she mentally revisited every experiment she had conducted during her university years.

She remembered one particular anatomy class. She and four other girls had been assigned to dissect a small white rabbit. The lab was quiet as they injected the rabbit with an anesthetic and pinned its limbs to the dissection board. For some reason, despite administering more than the required dose of anesthetic, the rabbit struggled fiercely, emitting cries that no herbivore should ever make. The other students in the lab turned to look, and the teacher grew angry, demanding why they couldn’t even handle a simple anesthesia.

Eventually, they subdued the rabbit. When they opened its abdomen, they discovered it was pregnant with seven tiny fetuses.

That had been the last time she felt truly shaken by life. Over time, as she studied medicine, her attitude toward life and death had changed. At some point, her heart had grown cold and hard. Patients became mere subjects of her work, no different from the rabbits, dogs, or cadavers preserved in formaldehyde on the dissection table.

Perhaps her heart had always been cold.

Maybe that was why she was subconsciously drawn to things that were bloody, powerful, and rebellious.

Thinking about it now, Lu Zimo seemed to fit all those criteria.

Chuyu felt exhausted. Her mind was constantly replaying memories, leaving her numb. Her captors hadn’t fed her, only occasionally giving her water. She knew that a person could survive for up to seven days without food, as long as they had water. Based on that, they probably hadn’t been traveling for more than a week.

If they wanted her dead, they wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble to kidnap her, right?

But why had they kidnapped her?

In the dark, damp environment, the only thing Chuyu could do was think. Over and over, she turned the questions in her mind.

It had never occurred to her that the people looking for her weren’t Lu Zimo’s men. If that was the case, if that was the case…

Suddenly, many things she had overlooked became clear. That stormy night in Phuket—why had Lu Zimo appeared out of nowhere? She had fled in panic the next day, never getting an answer. During the blind date at the teahouse, the sudden appearance of the “gorilla”—if he was Lu Zimo’s man, then Lu Zimo must have known someone was following her. Had he sent the gorilla to protect her?

Or had the gorilla been sent to monitor her movements and ended up saving her when she was in danger?

And their last meeting. Why had Lu Zimo arranged to meet her at the Shangri-La, only to suddenly show up and take her away? That wasn’t like him. He wasn’t the type to act impulsively. And the assassin who had chased them to the apartment—who was behind that?

Chuyu’s head throbbed with pain. She didn’t know who had kidnapped her or what Lu Zimo’s true intentions were. Just as she was racking her brain, the boat suddenly jolted to a stop. Heavy footsteps sounded above, followed by the eerie creak of ropes. Though she couldn’t see, she could sense the light flooding into the cabin. A man approached, yanking her to her feet. “Come with me!”

Chuyu stumbled as she was dragged out of the cabin. The breeze outside was moist and gentle, carrying the distinct scent of the sea. Before she could process what was happening, the blindfold was ripped away. The sudden burst of golden sunlight was blinding. Chuyu squeezed her eyes shut, slowly opening them again after a long moment.

They were indeed out at sea. The sky was blue, the clouds white, and the ocean stretched endlessly around them. Seagulls soared overhead, and a luxurious yacht floated nearby. It should have been a serene, picturesque scene—if not for the fact that she was bound and gagged.

Chuyu heard the sound of a boat horn behind her. Instinctively, she turned. The crew on the yacht was retracting the gangplank, and not far off, a dilapidated fishing boat was slowly moving away. Chuyu realized that must have been the boat that had brought her here. The rocking she had felt earlier must have been the gangplank connecting the two vessels.

“Untie Miss Deng.”

A hoarse male voice drew Chuyu’s attention. On the upper deck of the yacht, a sun umbrella shaded a round table set with two chairs. The table was laden with fresh food, fruit, and chilled red wine. One of the chairs was already occupied by a portly, middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes. He wore large sunglasses and casual clothing, but what stood out most was the massive ruby ring on his right hand. The ring was encircled by two intricately carved snakes, their eyes set with tiny emeralds that glinted eerily in the light.

The man noticed Chuyu’s gaze and grinned. “Beautiful, isn’t it? No woman can resist the allure of such a ring. Miss Deng, my name is Wifred Renault.”

Renault… Why did that name sound so familiar? Chuyu thought for a moment, then remembered the man Lu Zimo had taken her to meet in the maze. Though she had been untied, her limbs were still stiff and tingling from lack of circulation. Renault gestured to one of his men, who promptly pulled out the chair opposite him. Renault smiled. “Please, sit.”

Since there was no other option, Chuyu limped over, rubbing her stiff wrists as she went. Renault studied her for a moment, then smiled.
“Miss Deng, you’re not what I expected. I thought Mr. Lu’s taste would lean more toward… bombshells.” As he spoke, he casually slapped the bare chest of a bikini-clad woman sunbathing at his feet. “I didn’t expect his preferences to be so… Eastern.”

Chuyu caught the implied insult about her figure and responded coolly, “I hear British cows have great figures. Does Mr. Renault appreciate that?”

Renault was taken aback, then burst into laughter. “Interesting, interesting. So Mr. Lu likes them feisty. No spice, no fun.” He gestured magnanimously. “You’ve been through quite an ordeal, Miss Deng. This meal is specially prepared for you. Please, help yourself.”

Chuyu glanced at Renault, then began to eat. She was starving, but she ate slowly, choosing lighter foods. After days without eating, her stomach wouldn’t handle anything too rich. Renault watched her eat, nodding appreciatively. “As expected of Mr. Lu’s woman. Though your appearance is a bit surprising, your composure is first-rate.”

This fat man kept referring to her as “Mr. Lu’s woman.” Chuyu finally had enough. She looked up at him and said calmly, “I have no connection to Lu Zimo. I’m not his woman, and he’s not my man.”

Renault was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. “Miss Deng, you have a sense of humor.”

“I’m not joking,” Chuyu replied evenly. “Our paths crossed by chance. There’s nothing deeper between us.”

Renault studied her for a long moment, then smiled faintly. “If you weren’t so important to him, why would he have left you outside the tomb that day in the maze? Lu Zimo is known for being cold-blooded and ruthless. Everyone in our line of work fears him. Do you know why? Because he has no weaknesses.”

Renault leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. “I took a gamble by having you followed to Phuket. I wanted to see how much you meant to him. I never expected the infamous ‘Cold-Faced Killer’ to personally come to your rescue.”

Chuyu was momentarily stunned. So that night in Phuket, someone had indeed been trying to kill her, and Lu Zimo had come to save her. Suddenly, she lost her appetite. Could it have been a coincidence? Maybe Lu Zimo had just happened to be nearby and heard about the threat. But even she found that hard to believe.

Chuyu lowered her eyes, which Renault took as confirmation. “So Lu Zimo finally has a weakness,” Renault said with a bloodthirsty smile. “I went to great lengths to invite you here, Miss Deng. My men were injured by Ba Yu at the teahouse, and when I tried to lure you to the Shangri-La, Lu Zimo himself showed up to take you away. Miss Deng, you tell me—does all this sound like just a passing acquaintance? From what I know, Mr. Lu is a very busy man. If you weren’t important to him, why would he keep circling around you, hmm?”

Chuyu couldn’t respond. Renault’s words hit her like a tidal wave. Lu Zimo, that liar! Chuyu felt a mix of sorrow and anger. He had claimed he took her from Second Brother because he found her “interesting,” that he left her outside the maze because she was a “burden.” He had toyed with her emotions, alternating between cold indifference and intense possessiveness. That liar, that big liar!

Tears blurred Chuyu’s vision. So that was how it was. Every time she was in danger, it was Lu Zimo who came to her rescue. From their very first encounter in the supermarket, it had always been him…

“To capture the heart of such a man, Miss Deng, you must be extraordinary,” Renault said with a sly smile. “I can’t help but wonder if you have some… special talents.”

Was he implying she was good in bed?! Chuyu’s cheeks flushed with anger, but she forced a cold smile. “I’ve already told you I have no connection to Lu Zimo. Whether you believe me or not is up to you.”

“Belief doesn’t matter,” Renault said with a hearty laugh. “Now that I’ve invited you here, I’ve also invited Mr. Lu. When he arrives, everything will become clear.”

He had contacted Lu Zimo.

Chuyu’s heart tightened. She felt a mix of emotions—hope that Lu Zimo would come, as it would mean she mattered to him, and fear that his arrival would bring unimaginable danger. Renault clearly wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Would he come?

Chuyu was lost in thought. Despite Renault’s words, she couldn’t bring herself to believe that Lu Zimo’s actions were driven by anything more than a sense of obligation. Maybe he was just repaying her for saving his life. If that was the case, if that was the case…

But Chuyu didn’t have much time to dwell on her thoughts. In the distance, a light blue yacht was speeding toward them. Renault, having received the news, nodded and walked to the railing. He picked up a pair of binoculars and studied the approaching vessel for a moment, then turned to Chuyu with a smile. “Miss Deng, would you like to enjoy the view?”

Chuyu slowly stood and walked to the railing, taking the binoculars from Renault. She focused on the approaching yacht. Gradually, the figure of a man on the bow came into view. He stood against the sea breeze, his expression cold and stern as he gazed in their direction.

Lu Zimo.

Chuyu lowered the binoculars. Renault, noticing her pale face, smirked. “Still going to deny it, Miss Deng?”

Chuyu stared out at the sea, her anger finally boiling over. She shouted at the top of her lungs in Chinese, “Lu Zimo, you bastard! If you like me, why didn’t you just say so?! I hate you!”

The yacht was closing in fast. Chuyu saw Lu Zimo standing on the deck, watching her. For a brief moment, he gave her a small, helpless smile.