Chapter 358 - Love Advice

Tang Xinyang's butler had an ugly face. He handed a pack of ice politely to the young man whose beautiful face had a violet bruising mark on his left cheek. There were even traces of blood on the young man's swollen lips.

The butler looked away since it was impolite to stare at this influential figure. 

Five cars surrounded two main cars of their hosts. They were outside the Xiong Building and the cars were parked at the side of the road.

Lu Yin Ze's slender brows were furrowed as he lightly applied the ice pack on his bruised cheek. He wanted to ask many questions but his swollen cheeks and torn mouth made it hard for him to speak.

Finally, the culprit approached him and bowed ninety-five degrees.

"I am so sorry for hitting you so suddenly!" Tang Xinyang said with a guilty face.

Lu Yin Ze's guards also sported bruises on their bodies and faces. They stared vigilantly at the Amazon who was now bowing down in apology to their master. 

Surprisingly, this girl who harassed their master was actually the eldest miss of the Tang family.

After they were beaten, their Master's message to stop the fight finally descended on them. Both parties agreed to come out of the Xiong building and talk it out instead.

Lu Yin Ze's numb mouth could only make a sound of 'En'.

Tang Xinyang looked up. Seeing that she had destroyed the fine face of the perfectly sculpted heavenly being, she felt guiltier.

"Are you not going to ask me why I kicked you?"

Lu Yin Ze looked at her with a look of, 'How can I ask you with this kind of mouth?'

Tang Xinyang bit her lips. Ah, right. The Second Young Master was so delicate that she accidentally almost broke his jaw. Not her fault, ah.

"Well, I did that because of... Uhmm..."

"..."

"Ahem... It's really hard to explain. I just moved with my instinct."

"..." Lu Yin Ze looked dumbly at Tang Xinyang. 

So she would just kick someone's face whenever she wanted to? 

Tang Xinyang understood the look and hurriedly explained. "It's not that! It was because earlier you looked like you are set to tear them apart!"

"???"

Lu Yin Ze's eyebrows rose in confusion.

Tang Xinyang took a deep sigh and decided to be direct.

"Do you like Xiong Zhi? Ah, no. It was obvious you like her. The question is, are you still not giving up on Xiong Zhi? You should know how badly she wanted to be with Linfeng."

Tang Xinyang had spent quite a lot of time with Xiong Zhi and Song Xuantin.

During senior year, she frequently visited their school. She spent some time with the four friends. Over time, she managed to catch on to Lu Yin Ze's obvious feeling for Xiong Zhi. Even Song Xuantin once expressed that Lu Yin Ze's feelings were directed to Xiong Zhi after Song Xuantin rejected him.

"What are y—" Lu Yin Ze started then flinched. His cheeks were hurting, burning like fire. It has been a while since he was hurt like this physically. But he could not continue speaking.

His silver-blue eyes were stunned. How did Tang Xinyang managed to get to these conclusions? Was he really too obvious? Or did Xiong Zhi tell her?

"Well, it's not that hard to know. You always look at her, like a puppy looking at its owner. And even though you are friendly and nice to me and Xuantin, you are exponentially kinder and gentler to Xiong Zhi. Besides, you always give her gifts..." The girl listed on and on. 

"..." Lu Yin Ze stayed silent. So he was that obvious.

After a while, he nodded in silent confirmation.

Tang Xinyang heavily sighed. "I know I don't have the right to tell you to stop your feelings for her. But I am saying this honestly, those two faced a lot of things to get to where they are now. I am not saying your efforts are incomparable to theirs. I am saying, for those two who finally got together after a long time of waiting and a huge of amount of efforts... You will just be an eyesore."

Prick.

Tang Xinyang's harsh words stabbed at Lu Yin Ze's heart. His chest felt painful and his eyes were bitter.

After he witnessed what happened earlier, Lu Yin Ze was sure that Zhi'er and her butler was really serious. They were willing to overcome their different status and their family's traditions just to be together.

Now that there was no restrictive ties shackling them, the butler could finally stand equally at Xiong Zhi's side. Perhaps it would take a while for the society to accept them as a couple, but eventually, it would get there. 

The loving pair would not be stopped no matter what the society thought of them.

Lu Yin Ze came to that realization when both stood together and bowed at each other. He was miserably reminded of the marriage bows in the ancient time.

It was a sure defeat for him.

But he felt unwilling!

He could not back down. He could not give up.

He loved her!

He loved her so much that he had thoughts to kneel down, beg her to leave that butler, and choose him instead.

"Second young master Lu, I am a fighter in this field as well. I am not a good adviser, but I am a person who came to know them and the relationship between them. That's why I pity you."

Tang Xinyang looked up at the dark sky. Sadly, there were no stars tonight. 

"I rushed to stop you before you do things that you might regret. You know Xiong Zhi like I do. She would not like it if you pester her like this. She might hate you forever. And... you might face Linfeng's ruthless side if you continue standing in their way." 

Tang Xinyang clearly remembered how Linfeng mercilessly yet cleanly handled their enemies in the past. Even if Lu Yin Ze was the second young master of the Lu family, he would not be able to handle Linfeng's wrath if he was really pushed to the edge.

She looked at the young man's sad yet stubborn eyes. 

In Tang Xinyang's eyes, she seemed to see her cute little sister, who might carry the same look if she ever came to know that the man she loved already loved someone else. 

"That's why I am advising you to stop while it's not yet too late. I am telling you, you wouldn't want to be their enemy."

"..."

The atmosphere turned gloomy. The guards had all left them enough space to talk privately. Now, only the sound of the night breeze could be heard whistling through the late night road.

After a while, the silence was broken.

"It's too late," Lu Yin Ze managed to sluggishly utter under his breath. The sides of his cheeks and the inside of his mouth were hurting, but it was incomparable to the pain stinging at his heart. His heart was ruthlessly broken.

"I can't love anyone but her." 

[I can't like anyone but him.'] 

Tang Xinyang seemed to hear someone's words before that person ran away a few years ago.

"I can't give up."

"You will end up hurt." These were the words she wanted to say to that person too.

"I know."

"That's not how love is."

"What do you know about love anyway?"

"...Is your cheek still hurting? It seems like you can speak freely now."

"..." 

Lu Yin Ze glared at Tang Xinyang. Whose fault was that?

Tang Xinyang grinned. "I am just making the mood lighter."

'You're making it worse.' Lu Yin Ze refrained from saying this out of politeness nurtured with his upbringing. Still, his face held an unwilling look.

Tang Xinyang pursed her lips and thought hard. How could she convince this man to stop his foolish actions and thoughts? How to make him give up?

The truth was, she was actually asking deep in heart, how could she break this hurtful news to her sister?

She could not find an answer at this moment. Maybe, ending it with a broken heart through harsh words was the only answer.

She sighed harshly. Aargh!

"Come to my sister's banquet next month! I know someone whose heart will be broken soon. Can you help her, like how I comforted you today? She might need your pity soon."

"..." 

Lu Yin Ze looked at Tang Xinyang flabbergasted. You call this comforting? 

"Do you want me to kick her face too?"

"..." Tang Xinyang was silent for a moment. "Sure, I give you my permission."

"..." Lu Yin Ze already felt bad for that person. He no longer spoke because the pain on his cheeks and mouth got worse.

Their talk was done after that.

The guards looked at each other. Surprisingly, the Lu family did not blame the Tang family for their rude behavior towards the second master. How magnanimous!

Lu Yin Ze arrived home while still thinking of Tang Xinyang's advice, Xiong Zhi's words, and the couple's affectionate back while holding each other's arms.

He did not change clothes and directly ordered the maids to bring him a bottle of wine. He then drowned in his sorrows as all complicated thoughts battled in his mind.

The day ended without him arriving to any resolution.

No one seemed to know his sorrows, because after the sun rose, the story about the legendary Xiong family and their subordinate Zhou family breaking apart spread like fire in the whole country, shocking countless people.