Volume 1, Chapter 17: The Wealthiest Man's New Flame

At this moment, Li Cheng hung his head in dejection, his face drooping. "Master Ying, you have to help me. I have an inheritance at home!"

Ying Yuwei was momentarily at a loss for words but quickly realized this was genuine—he really did have an inheritance to claim.

She stepped over to Li Cheng, placing a hand on his shoulder, her tone tinged with hesitation. "Is there a way? Well, not that there isn’t..."

Li Cheng immediately caught her meaning and, with great generosity, waved his hand and pulled a card from his leather jacket, thrusting it toward her. "Master Ying, there’s ten million in here. You have to help me!"

Ying Yuwei took the card carefully and slipped it into a compartment of her small handbag. Then, turning suddenly, she struck Li Cheng hard in the stomach several times. He collapsed to the ground instantly, clutching his belly, doubled over, retching. "Ugh... ugh..."

Everyone was stunned by Ying Yuwei’s sudden action.

The bodyguards who had been standing at a distance rushed forward. Although An Yu didn’t understand why Ying Yuwei had done that, he grabbed her wrist, positioning himself protectively in front of her. He only knew he had to keep her safe.

Just as the bodyguards were about to subdue both of them, Li Cheng, still on the ground, suddenly vomited a large puddle of thick, black viscous liquid. In it, a small worm-like creature wriggled like a silkworm pupa. The foul stench made everyone cover their noses.

One hand propping himself up, the other raised to stop the bodyguards, Li Cheng commanded, "Stop! Don’t be rude to the master!"

Although Ying Yuwei’s punches had caused him great pain and nausea, after he vomited, he felt a new surge of vitality coursing through him, warming his entire body. Seeing what he had expelled, he grew even more grateful for her blows.

Ying Yuwei’s brows furrowed with concern as she watched the writhing corpse moth larvae on the floor. Such larvae typically came from corpses affected by a necrotic transformation. If Li Cheng had these larvae inside him, it meant he must have recently come into contact with a decaying corpse.

The human body has points of life and death energy; the navel, also called the Shenque acupoint, is the source of vital energy. Ying Yuwei had struck Li Cheng’s abdomen to awaken the latent life energy within him, forcing out the corpse moth larvae.

Li Cheng felt lighter and freer than ever before. He knelt, sliding forward to embrace Ying Yuwei’s leg tightly. "Master Ying, you’re truly miraculous!"

An Yu watched Li Cheng clutching Ying Yuwei’s leg with a welling anger he could barely contain. Using the jostle of the car as an excuse, he elbowed Li Cheng hard several times, trying to pry his grip loose.

As An Yu reached to pull Li Cheng’s hand away, a series of sharp clicks echoed around them.

Blinding camera flashes erupted nearby. Li Cheng’s bodyguards, who had been restrained earlier, quickly formed a protective circle around Ying Yuwei and the others.

Li Cheng’s face lit up with excitement. He immediately let go of Ying Yuwei’s leg, stood up, and scanned the surroundings. "Master Ying, let’s move somewhere else to talk."

The bodyguards ushered them toward the hotel elevator, but Li Cheng suddenly barked, "Where do you think you’re going?"

The bodyguards looked innocent. "Back to the hotel?"

Li Cheng’s glare turned fierce. "Back to the hotel? How can Master Ying stay in a hotel? Come to my house! You all carry Master Ying’s luggage!"

Thus, under the protection of the bodyguards, Ying Yuwei and her party arrived at Li Cheng’s mansion. Despite the spacious front passenger seat being available, Li Cheng insisted on squeezing into the back with Ying Yuwei and the others.

An Yu sat in the middle, watching Li Cheng lean over to chat with Ying Yuwei, growing increasingly displeased. Taking advantage of the car’s bumps, he jabbed Li Cheng sharply with his elbows.

Li Cheng’s home was nestled in a bay, surrounded by mountains and water, with low hills on either side forming a rare feng shui configuration known as the Double Gold Gathering. It was truly a treasure of geomantic fortune.

Upon arrival, Li Cheng instructed the servants to clean out the room next to his for Ying Yuwei to stay in.

As Ying Yuwei and An Yu prepared to head upstairs to rest, Li Cheng, looking somewhat hesitant, followed behind. Seeing this, An Yu immediately turned around and blocked Li Cheng from approaching her further.

He cast a subtle glance at Ying Yuwei, whose naturally enchanting beauty was accentuated today by a simple camisole dress, making her utterly captivating. Li Cheng must not be allowed to get too close.

Li Cheng rubbed his hands nervously and said awkwardly, "Master Ying, could you please hit me one more time?"

Huh? What a strange request. Ying Yuwei had never encountered anyone so eager to be struck.

Before she could refuse, An Yu sternly cut in with a two-word refusal: "No way!"

Li Cheng waved his hands frantically, his tone anxious. "Ah! That’s not what I meant! But I really don’t know how else to explain."

He couldn’t exactly say that the punches Ying Yuwei had given him felt strangely comforting, and he wanted more, lest he seem like some kind of masochist.

Ying Yuwei now understood his meaning and explained, "The Shenque acupoint at the navel is the source of the body’s vital energy. Excessive striking can cause energy to leak, harming one’s health. What I did earlier was out of necessity."

A trace of disappointment flashed across Li Cheng’s face, but he said nothing further.

After a shower, Ying Yuwei lay on Li Cheng’s soft three-meter-wide bed, preparing to scroll through some low-fat snack videos on Douyin before sleeping. The first video that popped up was titled something like "The richest man kneels to propose, pledges loyalty." Who could be so lucky to inspire such a sensational headline?

Ying Yuwei clicked to play it. Her own face appeared on the screen, then the camera pulled back to reveal Li Cheng kneeling at her leg, holding on tightly while An Yu desperately tried to pry Li Cheng’s hands away.

The comment section was ablaze: "Wow, what a scandalous drama—two men fighting over one woman!"

"This beauty is truly gorgeous. Many celebrities are pretty, but no wonder the richest man likes her."

"Is this a proposal? Did it succeed?"

The account had posted several videos, each with different captions:

"The richest man’s unstoppable love: inseparable at the hotel lobby with the beauty."

"The woman coquettishly hits the richest man, who vomits but still smiles—suspected masochism."

"The man’s girlfriend, too beautiful to keep, stolen by the richest man."

Even the last video showed Ying Yuwei and her group entering Li Cheng’s mansion, captioned:

"Richest man’s romance exposed: who is this woman? What will become of the richest man’s former lover? Will the woman’s boyfriend give up his love? Follow this account for continuous updates and answers to all your questions."

Ying Yuwei was utterly scorched by the media’s wild fabrications.