Someone Was Behind This

The paparazzi turned their attention to Meng Huai. He certainly had a style all his own: a tank top, baggy shorts, and flip-flops. He looked every inch the artist!

The paparazzi froze, exchanging glances. They had no idea which celebrated artist this was, but anyone who could dress so distinctively and ride in the ice-queen CEO's car was definitely no ordinary person.

Especially with something like this happening, the company must have been scrambling to manage the fallout. Anyone appearing beside her at a time like this had to wield considerable influence.

One paparazzo hesitated before asking, "May I ask how we should address the gentleman beside you, Ms. Yun?"

Although the venomous gu worm had been removed from Yun Zimo, its effects lingered. More importantly, he had been her first man, which made him all the more significant to her.

At the question, her pretty face involuntarily flushed, and a trace of bashfulness crept into her expression. The gossip-hungry paparazzi immediately realized there was something between them.

This was an absolute bombshell, every bit as explosive as last night's news. A romance between the famous ice-queen CEO and an artist would keep the headlines going for a whole year.

Meng Huai was utterly unflappable. He simply slipped an arm around Yun Zimo's waist and declared brazenly, "Since you've all seen us, I won't hide it anymore. I'm her fiancé.

"I'm not part of your circle, and I'm not at liberty to disclose my identity. My fiancée's company is in trouble, so I've come to help her resolve it."

Yun Zimo's face turned scarlet. She wanted to struggle free, but somehow his hand was playing tricks on her, sending waves of weakness through her body. Even with strength to spare, she couldn't use it.

This was an even bigger bombshell, completely capturing the paparazzi's attention. Compared with last night's incident, they were far more interested in gossip about the ice-queen CEO.

Security guards soon rushed over and held the paparazzi back on either side. Only then could the two of them enter the building and finally catch their breath.

Yun Zimo seemed to regain her strength only then. She broke free of his clutches and glared fiercely at him, her eyes practically blazing.

Meng Huai said nonchalantly, "I was helping you, all right? Don't mistake kindness for malice. With your models in trouble, we have to draw everyone's attention elsewhere.

"What story could possibly hit harder than what I just gave them? Luckily, your guards came out quickly. Otherwise, I would have spilled what happened last night and drawn all the fire onto us. I made a huge sacrifice here."

Yun Zimo looked at him in surprise. She had to admit that he made perfect sense. This was also the most effective way to handle the current situation.

She suddenly felt that she ought to get to know this man better. He looked weathered and world-weary, but he was far more capable than she had imagined.

Perhaps this really was a match ordained by heaven. If she had reached the fashion show yesterday and ended up in the same state as those models, things would truly have spiraled out of control.

Despite these thoughts, Yun Zimo's face remained icy. After all, this man had taken her virginity, and she couldn't bring herself to soften toward him just yet.

They soon reached the top floor and entered a spacious room where the models practiced. It was normally lively, but now the atmosphere was deeply oppressive.

Several models were tied to chairs. The girls were strikingly beautiful, but they kept twisting their bodies, seemingly desperate to find something on which to vent their urges.

Meng Huai dropped his playful grin and turned gravely serious. Looking at the other girls, he said, "What I'm about to do will overturn everything you think you know.

"But I hope you'll keep your mouths shut and tell no outsiders. Otherwise, it'll cause serious trouble, both for you and for other people!"

The girls had already been full of questions when they saw him walk in with their boss. His words naturally left them even more astonished.

Meng Huai paid them no further attention. He went up to one girl and tore open her bra. Amid the other girls' startled cries, he formed a peculiar gesture with his right hand and pressed it against the center of her chest.

The girl screamed as though the pain was unbearable and struggled incessantly. The leather straps binding her rubbed the skin on her arms raw.

Meng Huai let out a low, angry shout and began moving his right hand upward, soon reaching the girl's throat. Then he tapped her chin with his thumb. Her mouth immediately opened, and a small pink worm crawled out.

The worm was a deeper shade than the one from that morning, and slightly larger too. Most notably, it had an extra pair of feelers that kept waving about.

He grabbed a disposable paper cup and caught the worm inside, then traced a talisman in the air above it. The worm immediately stopped moving.

The girls watched, dumbfounded, while waves of nausea washed over them. They had never imagined there could actually be a worm inside her body. It was simply unbelievable.

Although a worm had also been removed from Yun Zimo earlier, she hadn't been fully conscious at the time. Seeing this now left her shuddering at what she had narrowly escaped.

Meng Huai looked at her and said, "My dear wife, this is exhausting work. Have someone bring me a bottle of good liquor so I can replenish my strength!"

Yun Zimo no longer quibbled over what he called her. She quickly called security, and a bottle of premium baijiu was soon brought up. She personally carried it over to him.

By then, Meng Huai had removed two gu worms, and a light sheen of sweat had appeared on his forehead. He grabbed the bottle of baijiu, tipped his head back, and drank straight from it.

After finishing the bottle, his expression relaxed considerably. He let out a satisfied, boozy burp, then moved his hands in a flurry of deft motions, expertly forcing the gu worms out of the remaining girls.

All the worms were in the paper cup. He brought it up in front of him, opened his mouth, and spat the liquor into it. The cup soon filled, giving off a peculiar fragrance.

The little worms kept wriggling around in the liquor. A moment later, they turned belly-up.

Meng Huai looked at the girls and said, "Who has a lighter? Let me borrow it so I can finish them off once and for all."

Several girls immediately crowded around, casting flirtatious glances at him as they offered their lighters. They clearly wanted to catch his attention.

Girls in this line of work were shrewd. They knew the man before them was a rare catch, even if his looks were unremarkable and he dressed like an old street tough.

The skill he had just displayed alone marked him as someone extraordinary. Who could guarantee they would never run into trouble? He could save their lives.

Meng Huai set the paper cup alight. Watching the pink flames, he knew someone really was behind this.