Chapter 79: Man’s True Nature

Shui Miao’s unusual behavior delighted Liu Hongmei beyond expectation.

She thought her opportunity had finally arrived, that things were about to become irreversible. Once Shui Miao tasted the sweetness, he would surely become just as addicted and enthusiastic as she was.

What she didn’t know was that Shui Miao had already decided to give her a severe beating.

Shui Miao thought further—if he could channel fire elemental energy to raise his core temperature and thus affect Liu Hongmei, then perhaps he could use other elemental energies as well. Without needing to strike her physically, he could use the energies of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. Surely, one of these energies would be enough to end this woman’s life.

Shui Miao had made up his mind—he would rather never discover his true origins than let Liu Hongmei off the hook.

So Shui Miao changed his approach, pretending to be unusually agreeable.

He even lied, claiming he had learned massage before, and asked Liu Hongmei to lie facedown on the bed.

First, he channeled metal-element energy into his hands and pressed down hard on Liu Hongmei’s back, causing her to grimace and cry out in pain.

Next, he activated the wood element, and to his surprise, Liu Hongmei’s back began to turn a dark shade of green.

Then, Shui Miao channeled water-element energy, followed by earth-element energy, giving each a turn.

After the four elements, Liu Hongmei lay motionless on the bed like a corpse, completely drained of strength, unable to move a muscle. Without hesitation, Shui Miao then used the most potent Yin energy within him for the massage. When he finished, he noticed a thick black aura surrounding Liu Hongmei’s entire body.

“Did I actually kill her?”

Seeing Liu Hongmei lying still, barely breathing, Shui Miao felt a pang of fear—what if she didn’t survive the night? What if he had actually committed murder and would be arrested and executed?

But there was no turning back now—whatever would be, would be.

Shui Miao didn’t dwell on it any further. After grabbing something to eat, he retrieved the key to the neighboring room, set his alarm for ten o’clock, and went straight to bed. It was already five in the morning.

After continuously channeling elemental energy, Shui Miao was exhausted and slept soundly until the alarm woke him at ten.

He remembered he had promised to treat Chu Miaoyi to lunch. Despite being tired, he got up immediately, splashed cold water on his face, and looked in the mirror. He looked gaunt—probably from overusing his energy. But thinking that this energy had been used against his enemy, he felt it wasn’t such a loss after all.

Suddenly, he became curious—what would Liu Hongmei look like now? Could she even be dead?

He quickly finished washing up, changed clothes, and went to check Liu Hongmei’s room. The door wasn’t locked, the bed was empty, and the room was neatly arranged, as if it had been tidied up.

Could she be fine?

Confused, he stepped outside and had just reached the balcony when he saw Liu Hongmei returning from the market. She looked energetic, walked with vigor, and her skin was glowing with a rosy hue, as if she had turned back the clock by a decade!

How could this be!?

Shui Miao was stunned. Logically, after infusing her with multiple elemental energies that should have wreaked havoc inside her body, she should have been half-dead, not more vibrant and youthful than ever.

“You’re awake!”

Seeing Shui Miao, Liu Hongmei smiled sweetly, her eyes flashing with a hint of allure.

Her personality… seemed to have changed.

Shui Miao said nothing but activated his Yin-Yang eyes, staring intently at her, trying to discern the truth. A faint aura of the Five Elements surrounded her body. Under the sunlight, he could see a subtle glow radiating outward—this energy had transformed her constitution!

I get it now—it was my energy that did this to her!

The realization hit Shui Miao like a thunderclap. All the energy he had painstakingly cultivated had ended up benefiting his mortal enemy!

“Staring at what? Are you thinking something naughty…?”

Liu Hongmei teased, playfully slapping her chest before quickly changing the subject, “I bought beef tendons and pig feet. Come over for lunch today?”

She was clearly trying to win him over.

Her previous husband had been too thin and died young. This time, she was determined to cherish the man she loved.

Could my energy really have had no negative effect at all? Shui Miao frowned, “How are you feeling? Any discomfort in your body?”

“Brat, were you slaughtering pigs last night? How dare you! You hurt me so bad… though it did feel pretty good too!”

Liu Hongmei swayed her body flirtatiously, her eyes full of seduction, exuding irresistible charm.

Defeated and feeling dejected, Shui Miao turned and walked away, “I have things to do. I need to go out.”

“So soon? You haven’t even had breakfast yet!”

Liu Hongmei tried to stop him, but Shui Miao bolted away quickly.

As he descended the stairs, some of the tenants gave him looks of disdain, making him feel extremely awkward. As soon as he stepped outside, his phone rang. Thinking it might be Chu Miaoyi, he was surprised to hear Wang Yong’s voice instead.

Wang Yong was currently at a high-end fishery, fishing with several friends.

“Xiao Shui, my phone just turned on. You said that Chu Miaoyi has already found you?” Wang Yong’s tone was casual, but his real purpose was to discuss something serious with a few special acquaintances.

“Yes, they’ve arrived, and I know they’re police officers. Dad, could it be that she really is the girlfriend you introduced to me?” Shui Miao expressed doubt. How could a beautiful female officer fall for a poor guy like him with no house or car? Something was definitely off.

“Haha, so she really likes you?” Wang Yong avoided answering directly.

Hearing this, Shui Miao grew suspicious, “Dad, what’s really going on? Could it be that you’ve done something wrong? Otherwise, why would the police come looking for me?”

“Nonsense! How could I possibly do anything wrong?” Wang Yong was taken aback by Shui Miao’s sudden question. He had assumed Shui Miao was too simple-minded to think this deeply. Now, he realized Shui Miao was far more perceptive than he had imagined. “Alright, I have things to do here. I’ll hang up now.”

“Wait, Dad. The two boxes of antiques you asked me to bring—they were in my dorm and one of my roommates accidentally broke them.” Shui Miao was testing Wang Yong. Ever since he had opened the boxes and seen their contents, he had suspected Wang Yong was using him. To verify, he lied about the antiques being broken.

If the antiques were real and valuable, Wang Yong would be angry.

If they were fake and worthless, Wang Yong would ask if the two female officers knew about it.

“Broken!?”

Wang Yong was momentarily stunned before quickly asking, “Do those two female officers know about this?”

So they were fake!

Shui Miao’s eyes flickered, “Oh, just the suitcase broke. By the way, Dad, why would the police care about the antiques in the box?”

“Ah… well, they wouldn’t, of course. I was just asking casually. Anyway, I have company here, and my phone is almost out of battery. I’ll hang up now…”

Wang Yong ended the call decisively.

Shui Miao rubbed his chin. What exactly was Wang Yong up to? Was he using him for something illegal? But if the antiques were fake, what could he possibly gain from using Shui Miao? Could it be a distraction? Was Wang Yong deliberately drawing the police’s attention to him while he carried out some other illegal activity?

Lost in thought, Shui Miao walked forward.

Just as he exited the alley, he spotted a tall, elegant beauty with a ponytail, wearing a black miniskirt and a red blazer.

“Huh? It’s you, Sister Tang! Aren’t you supposed to be at the hotel at this hour?”

“Exactly! Chairman Lin sent me to take care of you and see if you need anything, so I hurried right over.” Sister Tang looked at Shui Miao, “You must be hungry. You look thinner in just one day.”

“Uh… yeah, I’ve been too lazy to cook by myself.” Shui Miao scratched his head, “By the way, Sister Tang, how’s the hotel doing? Have Yin Yangyang and Feng Anan been fired yet?”

“No, Chairman Lin demoted them. They’re now assistants and have to settle all the accounts before they can leave. They’re in a really bad spot now and no longer act so high and mighty.” Sister Tang glanced around to make sure no one was listening before grabbing Shui Miao’s hand and blushing, “I’m treating you to lunch. It’s the Chairman’s orders, and the hotel will cover the bill.”

Holding her hand, and still affected by his recent encounter with Liu Hongmei, Shui Miao’s mind began to wander.

Ever since Shui Miao became a manager, Sister Tang had completely changed her attitude toward him, acting more like a lover than a colleague.

It was normal for women to be ambitious and money-driven.

But Shui Miao had never imagined that he, a regular guy with no looks or fortune, could be treated like a rich and handsome man by a beautiful woman.

“Sister Tang, you really came here just to take care of me?”

After a moment of daydreaming, a surge of hormones emboldened Shui Miao, and he deliberately tightened his grip on her hand. Seeing his interest, Sister Tang blushed even more, “Of course! I don’t know why Chairman Lin cares so much about you that he sent me to serve you…”

There was a hint of jealousy in her tone.

Sister Tang was shy yet innocent, sexy yet pure, mature yet delicate. Her subtle expressions and gestures, driven by her affection for Shui Miao, exuded a charm that was purely feminine.

“So then… how exactly do you plan to serve me?”

Shui Miao, emboldened by his newfound courage, said something flirtatious for the first time in his life. His heart raced. Seeing how attractive she was, he could barely contain himself.

“How else can I serve you? Isn’t treating you to lunch enough? Could you possibly want… want something else…?” Sister Tang smiled shyly, trying to pull her hand away, but Shui Miao suddenly pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly—just as Liu Hongmei had done to him. Their eyes met, and a surge of desire ignited within him. Looking at Sister Tang’s blushing face and luscious lips, he couldn’t help leaning in…

“No… no…”

Sister Tang’s chest heaved rapidly as she softly resisted. As Shui Miao drew closer, she closed her eyes in fear…