Chapter 15: A Night Encounter with a Beautiful Woman

Chen Yu’s gaze flickered with curiosity as he looked at the blonde beauty beside him. “Who’s that guy?” he asked.

The beauty, visibly wary of the burly, bald man, lowered her voice, speaking with an air of mystery. “You don’t know him? He’s Brother Lei, the underground emperor of River City! He’s got connections everywhere—both sides of the law have to give him some respect. His influence is enormous!”

“Oh?” Chen Yu raised an eyebrow and pressed further, “Then what did he mean earlier about ‘getting someone pregnant’...?”

The blonde’s expression grew uneasy at his question. She hesitated, clearly reluctant to discuss it.

Noticing her discomfort, Chen Yu smiled slightly, raised his glass in her direction with a hinting look, then subtly gestured toward the stairs with his chin.

She was surprised—she hadn’t expected this handsome guy to take the bait so easily. She had intended to tease him a bit longer, but Chen Yu’s inexplicable allure was proving too much to resist...

An hour later, in a hotel room.

With the aftermath of their intimacy still lingering, Chen Yu lounged in a bathrobe against the headboard, picking up their earlier conversation. “Darling, I’m still curious,” he said, “what did Brother Lei mean by ‘getting someone pregnant’?”

The blonde, now lazily nestled against him, sighed and finally dropped her guard. “Brother Lei’s biggest business is supplying young, beautiful women to the city’s high and mighty. It’s how he builds his network and influence.”

She paused, lowering her voice even further. “But about a decade ago, he sent a girl to someone truly important. The girl accidentally got pregnant.”

“Just think—she was carrying the child of a man of status. Brother Lei couldn’t risk letting her get rid of it casually. So, she was kept well cared for, with everything she wanted.”

“And then?” Chen Yu pressed, feeling an inexplicable sense that this story might connect to something important.

“In the end,” her tone turned chilling, “someone murdered the girl and the unborn child—cut her open alive on some night. It was truly horrific.”

Murdered, cut open alive!

A jolt shot through Chen Yu. The method matched exactly how Liu Gang’s wife had been killed.

The timing fit as well.

Was this truly the work of someone copying Jack the Ripper?

“And after that?” he asked, keeping his tone calm.

“Afterwards, that important man was furious—he thought Brother Lei was behind it. There was a huge falling out. But eventually the truth came out, and it was cleared up as a misunderstanding.”

“Since then, Brother Lei set a strict rule: none of his girls are ever allowed to get pregnant. If anyone does, she must take care of it quietly herself. If Brother Lei ever finds out she’s kept it...” She shuddered at the thought, “Well, you can imagine.”

That rule had held for over a decade now—no pregnancies allowed.

Chen Yu nodded silently, committing the clue to memory.

He got dressed and sent the blonde beauty on her way.

The room fell silent again.

Just then, his newly exchanged phone vibrated softly.

A notification lit up the screen—a new contact had accepted his friend request.

It was Liu Hong.

She sent a simple question mark.

A thrill ran through Chen Yu. He replied quickly, introducing himself: “Sister Liu, it’s me, Chen Yu—the one who played Mr. Luo on the show today.”

On the other end, Liu Hong fell silent again for a long time.

Chen Yu was in no rush. The night was young, and he had plenty of patience.

He began to “pester” her on WeChat, sending messages laced with playful flirtation.

“Still awake this late, sis? Are you scared to be alone?”

“The moon is so beautiful tonight. Want to go out and chat? I could keep you company.”

He was careful with his tone—cheeky and mischievous, but never crossing the line.

Although Liu Hong was over forty, she was well maintained, looking barely over thirty and still full of charm—a classic beauty.

Chen Yu’s approach wasn’t over the top.

He was playing his cards right:

If he could make Liu Hong believe he was interested in her, it would be easier to get her talking.

And if she wasn’t interested, no harm done.

At the very least, she’d lower her guard—after all, what kind of devious scheme could a frivolous young man possibly have?

Half an hour passed with no response.

Just as Chen Yu was about to give up on tonight’s “fishing” expedition, Liu Hong finally replied: “I’m going to bed!”

She sounded impatient.

A little disappointed, Chen Yu set his phone aside and tried to sleep.

But no more than five minutes later, his phone vibrated again.

Startled, he grabbed it.

Liu Hong had sent him a location share.

Chen Yu’s spirits soared—he nearly jumped out of bed.

A second message followed: “Wear the outfit you had on during the show today and come over.”

He paused, puzzled by her request.

But it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. He quickly complied.

At the same time, though it pained him, he gritted his teeth and spent two precious skill points in the system’s shop to redeem the “Insulation” function.

Moving silently, he slipped out of the hotel arranged by the show’s producers.

The location Liu Hong sent was an old park, somewhat secluded.

He noticed that it wasn’t far from Liu Hong’s villa.

He reached the designated spot—the park was tranquil and empty, the only sound the whisper of wind through the leaves.

On a bench not far away sat a familiar figure, making his heart skip a beat.

Liu Hong.

She wore a vivid red dress, like a rose blooming in the night. She sat quietly beneath the hazy glow of the streetlamp, her silhouette tinged with loneliness and a certain alluring grace.

For a moment, Chen Yu was caught off guard.

When Liu Hong turned and saw him in the white shirt and slacks—dressed as “Luo Xiangdong”—her eyes flickered with a trace of confusion.

They sat together on the bench, a small distance between them.

Neither spoke.

A subtle, awkward tension hovered in the air.

Chen Yu felt that his earlier bravado on WeChat had completely vanished, leaving only discomfort.

In the end, it was Liu Hong who broke the silence.

Her voice was husky, even trembling. “You know, this is where Xiangdong and I had our first date.”

Moved, Chen Yu listened quietly.

She needed a listener, not a conversation partner.

“That day, I was wearing this same red dress…” Her gaze drifted into the distance, lost in memory. “And Xiangdong was wearing exactly what you have on now…”

Role-play? She really goes all out, Chen Yu thought, but kept a straight face.

If Liu Hong wanted to talk, she’d do so in her own time.

Any attempt to force it would only make her retreat.

After a moment, Liu Hong turned to look at him, a trace of longing in her eyes.

“Could you… hold me for a while?”

Her voice was soft, almost pleading.

Chen Yu was taken aback—he hadn’t expected her to make such a request.

His mind said no, but his body betrayed him.

His arm lifted almost involuntarily, gently embracing her trembling shoulders.

Liu Hong leaned in, like a wounded kitten, resting her head lightly on his shoulder.

Her voice, thick with emotion, murmured, “I know you’re trying to get information from me… Tonight, I’ll tell you everything I know…”

“In exchange, just let me lean on your shoulder a little longer, all right?”

Feeling the warmth and faint dampness on his shoulder, Chen Yu’s heart tightened with unexpected emotion.

Had his suspicions all been wrong?

This woman seemed to miss her husband far more deeply than he had imagined.