Chapter 16

Prince Charming, The Gentleman

No one would have thought that this ugly-looking young man would slowly rise up the ranks with his ferocity and cunning, achieving fame in the underworld and single-handedly building a glorious career. Rumor had it that no one knew if he was crippled or dead, despite his failure in the end.

Spiky Head, or rather Zhou Jun, felt a little anxious at the sight of the seemingly elegant wealthy man’s son, who was a terrifying demon in reality. He was calmer and more calculating than teenagers his age. He had handled Poison Eyes with ease but simply couldn’t remain calm in the face of this young man, who was not very much older than him.

Si Huang watched as Zhou Jun, who had been King Zhou in her past life, lowered his head. She could even see the cold sweat on his forehead, which took her by surprise. Everything was different now. From the moment she had been given a second chance at life, everything had changed.

In her past life, at the age of 16, Poison Eyes had seemed like a mighty, unmovable mountain. She had dearly wished she could grind him to dust but had been powerless to do so. Now… Moments ago, when she’d laid eyes on Poison Eyes again, she had realized that she didn’t hate him at all. Looking at him was more like looking at a big, smelly bug that she could easily crush. She wasn’t even interested in torturing him.

!!

It was true. She had experienced much more and learned a lot in her past life, so it made sense for her to feel this way for Poison Eyes and his men when they first met. No matter how tragic her circumstances were, after working hard to learn skills and gather knowledge to protect herself and meeting more powerful and terrifying people, she’d realized that the mountains of her teen years seemed more like rats in the gutter to her. They were not even worth looking at.

This was human nature. The view looked different every time one stood from a different angle. Then, one would realize how insignificant the pain one had experienced and held onto truly was. Unfortunately, she was incapable of protecting herself and adapting to the circumstances. Thus, when she finally had power and real tragedy struck, these “insignificant” grudges seemed stale and much smaller.

“You owe me one,” Si Huang told Zhou Jun as she organized her thoughts.

“What?” Zhou Jun asked, looking stunned. He lifted his head and came face to face with those clear, limpid eyes in the dim light. He never would have thought that this pure-looking young man with the most beautiful eyes ever would have been capable of killing Poison Eyes so easily if he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes.

“I’ve decided to spare you. As payment, I’ll leave you to clean all this up. Remember that you owe me your life and this chance,” Si Huang explained with a smile.

Zhou Jun’s pupils dilated when he heard the word “chance”. After a moment of silence, he said, “I will remember my debt to you… Ugh.”

His smooth, beautiful fingers glowed in the darkness like white jade, creating a stark contrast against Zhou Jun’s sallow skin. Zhou Jun’s face turned green as his fingers tightened their grip around his neck. His eyes were filled with fear.

“You owe me your life.” Si Huang slowly corrected him.

The small glimmer of victory in Zhou Jun’s heart finally disappeared. He nodded with great difficulty.

Si Huang released his grip. He turned around and saw the young girl still kneeling on the ground. She happened to be looking over at them and noticed Si Huang’s eyes on her thighs. Then, she remembered that Poison Eyes had pulled down her pants, which were still hanging off her legs. She blushed and quickly put her pants back on.

Unfortunately, the zipper on her trousers had been broken thanks to Poison Eyes. The girl was frustrated from embarrassment and unsure what to do. Then, she noticed a black sweater through her lowered eyes. She looked up and saw that aesthetically pleasing face again.

“Tie it to your waist and no one will see,” Si Huang said.

“Th-Thank you.”

After the girl tied her trousers, she looked up and saw Si Huang still standing in front of her. Her lips twitched, but she didn’t know what to say. “Uh… Thank you!” She felt really ineloquent after blurting those words and blushed furiously.

Si Huang chuckled. “I’ll take you home.”

Zhou Jun silently watched them leave.

Si Huang and the girl kept nearly half a meter’s distance between them as they walked in an alleyway. After two to three minutes, Zhou Jun and his gang were too far away to be seen. Suddenly, a soft voice called out behind Si Huang. “I know you! You’re Si Huang. My name is Yu Ling, and I’ve seen your video before. You… You’re amazing! You’re even more handsome in real life! Ah! I mean… I wanted to say… Thank you very much!”

This nervous side to her made her look more like a 16 to 17-year-old girl, which was completely different from her calm exterior when she’d faced Poison Eyes. Si Huang paused thoughtfully, then curled her lips into a smile.

Yu Ling. So this was Yu Ling. It was no wonder she looked so familiar.

‘I never thought that I’d run into this legendary make-up artist known for her magic hands.’

Si Huang paused in her tracks, turned around, and looked at the embarrassed-looking Yu Ling. ‘I didn’t recognize her because she looks very different. Yu Ling was already famous when I met her in my past life. She was cold, arrogant, and strong. She was cold to people too. She was completely different from this delicate little flower.’

Yu Ling had initially managed to look her in the eye but lost her nerve five seconds later. She turned her gaze away. “W-Were you really going to kill that guy?” She panicked as soon as she said it.

This was a question that had been lingering in her head, but she had not planned on actually saying it out loud. Unfortunately, as soon as she stared into Si Huang’s eyes, she couldn’t help blurting it out.

She was both afraid of Si Huang’s wrath and curious to know the answer. Suddenly, she heard a small chuckle.

The chuckle sounded a little nasal, and Si Huang’s special voice added a seductive feel to it.

Yu Ling carefully raised her head. “Ah!” Si Huang bent down, bringing their faces very close.

If such a magnificent, beautiful face suddenly smiled at them, anyone’s heart would pound against their chests.

“Of course not.” Si Huang smiled.

Yu Ling’s face was filled with doubt.

Si Huang smirked mischievously as she placed her finger on her red lips and blinked at her. “It was just an act. I was actually pretty nervous. Don’t tell anyone, ‘kay?”

Yu Ling widened her eyes and snorted, unconsciously influenced by the atmosphere that Si Huang had created. She then relaxed. “You are amazing! By the way, I saw the video of your audition. You were awesome.”

Si Huang laughed.

His smile seemed angelic in Yu Ling’s eyes. It was pure, bright, and enough to lift one’s spirits.

However, she had completely forgotten that this angelic young boy had just killed Poison Eyes. He had been smiling then too.

Si Huang hadn’t been known as the ‘Movie King’ for nothing in her past life. She’d earned it through hard work. As a top actor, she needed to know how to control her charisma, and when she did, her magnetism was more than capable of influencing the people around her.