Volume 1, Chapter 42: The Trio of Kneeling to Apologize and Slapping Faces~

During the afternoon volleyball class, Lu Miao's lazy performance left her without a group, so the teacher told her to go to the equipment room to get the balls.

"Miao Miao, we'll go with you," Xu Jin said, pulling Wang Gege along.

Wang Gege glared at the physical education teacher. "That's right. At worst, we'll just skip PE class altogether."

"Forget it. The semester has just started, so let's try to behave," Lu Miao said, tapping Wang Gege's shoulder with an indifferent shrug. "You guys stay in formation. I'll go push the cart over."

The PE teacher was a man in his fifties, henpecked at home, but overly fond of punishing students with physical drills. For even the slightest mistake, boys and girls alike would be sentenced to run three thousand meters.

Lu Miao went to the equipment room alone. The moment she stepped inside, darkness fell over her eyes as someone clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her inward.

Then, with a loud bang, the door slammed shut.

Lu Miao struggled fiercely, biting down hard on the man's hand. The man let out a cry of pain, and Lu Miao seized the opportunity to slam her elbow into his abdomen.

The man grunted heavily. She quickly broke free from his grip and snatched the baseball cap off his head.

"Wang... Wang Mingcheng?"

Lu Miao's brows knitted together sharply as she sized him up with a face full of doubt. "What are you doing here? Weren't you expelled?"

Having not seen him in days, Wang Mingcheng looked as though his life force had been sucked dry, and his voice was hoarse. "I came to look for you."

"What are you looking for me for?"

If he hadn't shown up today, Lu Miao would have almost forgotten that someone like Wang Mingcheng even existed.

Wang Mingcheng had been arrested for drug use, only to be released later through the Wang family's connections, after which all news of him had vanished.

Why on earth had he suddenly popped up?

While Lu Miao was still pondering his motives, Wang Mingcheng dropped abruptly to his knees right in front of her. "Miao Miao, I was wrong! I know I was wrong!"

Taken by surprise by his sudden kneeling and apology, Lu Miao started, took a step back, and her face chilled. "What kind of crazy game are you playing?"

"Miao Miao, I'm not playing games. All these days, I've been reflecting on myself and wondering how I could have treated you that way."

Wang Mingcheng's eyes reddened as he began slapping his own face frantically. "I—I'm not human! I deserve to die, I really deserve to die!"

To a man who suddenly knelt, apologized, and beat himself, Lu Miao felt only terror; she knew she had to stay far away from him.

"Wang Mingcheng, a week ago, you were still sitting with your legs crossed, mocking me for having no parents and claiming I wasn't good enough for you. Today you're kneeling on the ground, beating yourself like a madman. How do you expect me to believe you?"

Wang Mingcheng reached out with a look of wretched grief to grab Lu Miao's hand. "Miao Miao, I am truly remorseful. Why won't you trust me one more time? Do I have to die for you to believe me?"

Hah, acting as if it were all real.

Lu Miao shook off his hand. "Then go ahead and die."

Wang Mingcheng's expression froze. Could Lu Miao really be willing to let him die?

A man as cowardly and desperate to cling to life as Wang Mingcheng—how could he possibly choose to die?

Lu Miao sneered. "Cut the act. What on earth do you want?"

Realizing his performance was failing, Wang Mingcheng dropped the pretense altogether. He stood up and said directly, "Miao Miao, the only reason I came to find you today is because of my parents. The Wang corporation has gone bankrupt, and your uncle even had my parents arrested. Can you please go beg your uncle to let them go?"

Fu Shiyue had arrested Wang Mingcheng's parents?

She knew nothing of the specifics between them, nor was she foolish enough to plead on Wang Mingcheng's behalf.

Lu Miao's expression turned glacial. "Wang Mingcheng, whatever was between you and me has already been settled. Your family offended my uncle; that's a matter between them, and it has nothing to do with me."

She would never show mercy to a scumbag.

Wang Mingcheng nearly lost his composure. "Lu Miao, how did you become so cold-hearted? Didn't you like me? Or do you still hate me?"

Like? Hate? Where did he get the nerve?

Lu Miao found it laughable. "Wang Mingcheng, a relationship played like a game of house is hardly worthy of such a deeply emotional performance."

They hadn't even been together for a full week, and they had only met twice in total.

The first time was at Xu Jin's birthday party, where someone had pushed Lu Miao into the swimming pool. Wang Mingcheng had pulled her out and seized the moment to pour his heart out in a dramatic confession.

At the time, a crowd of people had been egging them on, and having had a bit to drink, caught up in the atmosphere, Lu Miao had agreed.

The second time was on the day they broke up, when Wang Mingcheng sat in a private booth with a group of friends mocking Lu Miao and bragging about his record of performing eight times in a single night.

Lu Miao had struck him out of sheer anger, though looking back on it later, she felt it hadn't even been worth the effort.

She had deeper bonds with stray dogs than that; what love or hate could there possibly be?

"Lu Miao, you forced me into this!" Seeing that she refused to agree, Wang Mingcheng suddenly flew into a rage and pulled out a utility knife!

"Wang Mingcheng, what do you think you're doing? This is a school! If you dare lay a hand on me, you won't get away with it!" Lu Miao tried to stall him while quickly reaching for her phone.

"Do you think I'm scared anymore? The Wang family is already gone, and I've got nothing left—just a worthless life. Why the hell would I be afraid of getting arrested now?!"

With a ferocious expression, Wang Mingcheng grabbed Lu Miao by the collar, pressing the blade of the utility knife against her neck. "If you don't make your uncle let them go, I'll carve you up right now!"

Like a wild beast that had lost its reason, Wang Mingcheng pushed the tip of the blade further into Lu Miao's skin.

A sharp wave of pain turned Lu Miao's face pale as paper, her voice trembling. "Okay... I'll agree. Just let me go first."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Wang Mingcheng's eyes, and Lu Miao instantly lunged to snatch the knife away!

In the struggle between the two of them, the curtain of the fitting room was accidentally yanked down.

"Ah!!" a girl inside the fitting room shrieked in terror.

Both Wang Mingcheng and Lu Miao froze.

There was a third person in the equipment room after all!

"Lu Qingcheng?!" Lu Miao barked coldly. "What are you doing here?"

Startled, Lu Qingcheng's hand jerked, and her phone dropped to the floor.

Catching sight of the recording on the screen, Lu Miao narrowed her eyes. "You were secretly filming us?"

"This has nothing to do with me. You brought this on yourself." Lu Qingcheng hurried to pick up her phone and turned to bolt for the door.

Did she intend to stand by and watch her die?

"Lu Qingcheng, where do you think you're going?! If he kills me, you're an eyewitness, and he won't let you go either!"

Lu Qingcheng abruptly turned back, a cold smile curling her lips. "Is that so?"

Seeing the sinister smile on her face, Lu Miao felt a chill run down her spine.

Lu Qingcheng cast a meaningful look at Lu Miao before whispering poison into Wang Mingcheng's ear. "Wang Mingcheng, if you kill her, her uncle will never let you go, and you'll pay a heavy price for it. Why don't you make her yours instead? With a video and some nude photos, she'll have no choice but to do whatever you say!"

Not only would he avoid taking the blame, but he would also gain complete control over Lu Miao—wasn't that the best of both worlds?

Wang Mingcheng decided Lu Qingcheng made sense. He lowered the knife, shoved Lu Miao onto the billiard table, and ripped down her collar, exposing her fair, rounded shoulders to the air.

With her phone in hand, Lu Qingcheng snapped two pictures of Lu Miao, who was on the verge of being violated.

"Enjoy yourself, Lu Miao~" Tucking her phone away, she walked off with a smug expression of triumph.

Anyone who didn't understand the situation by now would have to be an absolute fool; Lu Qingcheng and Wang Mingcheng had been in cahoots all along!

Fumbling blindly, Lu Miao grabbed the "black 8" billiard ball and smashed it straight into Wang Mingcheng's head.

"Bitch, you still dare hit me! I'll choke the life out of you!" With bloodshot eyes, Wang Mingcheng clamped both hands fiercely around Lu Miao's throat.

Lu Miao's face instantly turned a purplish-red.

Wang Mingcheng had completely lost his mind!