LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 12:
Chapter 12: Lunch at the Liu Family Villa:
When Liu Ruyan stepped out of the airport, she had sworn to take revenge and kill Shen Wuxiao.
But now, with her enemy standing right in front of her, she was so terrified she didn’t even dare to move.
“Ruyan, I’ve been waiting for you,” Shen Wuxiao said with a smile as he stood up slowly. “If you don’t come soon, the food will get cold.”
“Don’t just stand there. Sit down and eat.”
With a calm expression, he walked to the dining table and picked up the wine jug, swirling the red liquid inside.
“I don’t know if you still drink wine,” he said casually. “I don’t like red wine much. There’s also beer—Snowflake. Brave enough to climb to the heavens, but better enjoyed under a roof.”
Liu Ruyan stared blankly at him, her heart pounding violently.
The deeper her hatred had been, the more fearful she felt now.
After all her years of struggle abroad, she thought she’d become immune to fear. Even if she returned to face death, she’d expected a war of strategy and courage.
She never imagined that just standing before him would leave her completely defeated.
She trembled inside.
How did Shen Wuxiao know she had returned?
No, not just when she landed—he probably knew the moment she boarded the plane.
Everything had been arranged. He was waiting for her here.
If Shen Wuxiao had wanted her dead, she wouldn’t have even made it out of the airport.
Her fear only deepened, a thin sheen of sweat forming on her flawless forehead.
But when she thought of her loved ones—slaughtered at Shen Wuxiao’s hands—she forced herself to hold it in.
She lifted her heels slightly and walked forward, finally sitting in the seat across from him.
Shen Wuxiao, calm as ever, glanced at her shoes and smacked his lips with a teasing grin.
“Those patent leather heels are stunning,” he said. “And those jade-like feet of yours—white and delicate. Very tempting.”
Liu Ruyan instinctively pulled her feet back.
Could it be that he… wanted to make her the pride of the Liu family, only to disgrace her?
In Chicago, if anyone had dared speak to her like that, they would’ve been ruined in an instant.
But this was Shen Wuxiao.
And so, she had no choice but to stay quiet.
Shen Wuxiao lifted his wine glass and gestured toward her. “Come, Ruyan. This one’s for you. Welcome home.”
Liu Ruyan couldn’t make sense of his words.
Home?
Was he implying she was going to die soon?
Or was there some other meaning?
Though her heart was conflicted, she smiled politely and raised the glass.
Her fingers were slender and elegant—beautiful no matter what she held.
If it were something else, the scene might have been seductive.
Their glasses clinked lightly.
But Liu Ruyan didn’t drink right away.
What if it was poisoned?
Or worse—a drug?
She was still untouched, despite countless admirers. None had ever moved her.
Her standards were too high, and she looked down on men beneath her.
She waited until she saw Shen Wuxiao drink first.
Only then did she take a small sip.
“Eat more,” Shen Wuxiao said warmly. “You must miss our Dragon Kingdom’s food.”
“That place you’ve been living in—the food’s cold, the beef’s raw, the bread is dry and hard. Don’t you miss proper meals from home?”
Smiling, he picked up the serving chopsticks and placed a piece of food on her plate.
His tone was gentle, but the eerie atmosphere made her back feel cold.
She took a few cautious bites. Then, Shen Wuxiao finally put down his chopsticks and sighed.
“Ruyan, I know why you’ve come back.”
“If I told you that what happened to the Liu family had nothing to do with me, would you believe it?”
He looked directly into her eyes.
Liu Ruyan wanted to flip the table.
But she didn’t dare.
All she could do was ask calmly, “If it wasn’t you, then who was it?”
Shen Wuxiao sighed again. “You should’ve figured out that day was my wedding with Qingqing.”
“As her sister, you should know how much I loved her.”
“Why would I destroy everything so suddenly?”
It sounded like an explanation, but it was just empty talk.
Shen Wuxiao didn’t expect her to believe him. He only wanted to plant an idea—that she still had value, and they could work together.
Sometimes, even enemies could be turned into tools.
“Then tell me,” she asked, “who did it?”
“It was Lin Fan,” Shen Wuxiao said without hesitation.
“That day was my wedding banquet with Qingqing. But a man named Lin Chen barged in and ruined everything.”
“I was furious and killed him. But his brother, Lin Fan, came after me.”
“Lin Fan is a highly trained special forces operative. He blamed the Liu family for his brother’s death, and so he came for revenge—on me and the Liu family.”
Shen Wuxiao’s tone turned serious.
“So, Ruyan, our enemy is the same: Lin Fan.”
He stared at her intently.
If she really believed such an obvious lie, she wasn’t worth anything. But if she could act like she did, then she was worth using.
“What? All because of that?” Liu Ruyan frowned. “And what about the others?”
Of course, she didn’t believe it.
But she had to play along.
This spoiled rich brat in front of her clearly wanted to push her into fighting Lin Fan.
But she wasn’t stupid. She could see that Shen Wuxiao was wary of Lin Fan—otherwise, with his usual arrogance, he would’ve already struck back instead of hiding behind a plan like this.
Zhonghai clearly wasn’t under his full control. He couldn’t deal with Lin Fan directly.
So be it. She would play the part.
Pretend to bite Lin Fan, while secretly looking for a chance to cooperate with him.
Shen Wuxiao shook his head. “He’s elusive. I don’t know where he is now.”
“But he’ll show up again. When that happens, we’ll join forces and kill him.”
“We share the same enemy. Let’s work together.”
Liu Ruyan wasn’t foolish enough to agree outright.
“Let me investigate first. If what you say is true, we can cooperate. We’ll take him out—and I’ll consider it revenge.”
She clenched her teeth slightly.
She knew as soon as she said that, Shen Wuxiao would try to fabricate evidence and pin everything on Lin Fan.
And that would give her the chance to see for herself if Lin Fan was someone worth teaming up with.
“Alright,” Shen Wuxiao said with a smile. “I’ll give you time to check. That way, you’ll be more committed.”
He raised his glass again. “To our future partnership—cheers.”
Liu Ruyan clinked her glass with his once more.
Three rounds of wine, and the dishes were rich in flavor.
But Shen Wuxiao wasn’t interested in dragging the conversation further.
Feigning tipsiness, he leaned closer and sat beside her.
“Ruyan,” he whispered, “you have to let go of your grief. The dead can’t come back.”
“Take care of yourself. That’s what matters most.”
As he spoke, he reached out and placed his hand on her thigh, stroking gently.
Liu Ruyan was filled with disgust—but she didn’t dare lash out.
Staring at Shen Wuxiao’s hand, obsessed with her body, she made a decision in her heart.
Get close to him.
Face the truth—on her own, she couldn’t defeat him.
Revenge would be a long game.
Now that she had this opportunity—and knowing Shen Wuxiao’s growing obsession—she would use her body to get close.
Even if it meant sacrificing everything.
Because she still held one final trump card.
When he was most in love, most vulnerable—she would use that moment to stab him through the heart.