Chapter 32: Su Gongzi’s Secret

  The moment the middle-finger blood on the dog-tooth dagger touched the little snake, it burst into flames.

  The snake hissed and shrieked in agony, writhing on the floor like a wounded insect, struggling to escape.

  Lu Fei was overjoyed—there was no way he would let the little snake slip away. He leapt forward, picked up the dagger, and plunged it straight into the snake's weak point.

  The snake's body stiffened as flames engulfed it.

  "Aah—!"

  At the same moment, Su Mingxuan let out a blood-curdling scream, his entire body convulsing violently.

  The guard nearly released his hold in shock.

  Fortunately, the episode only lasted two seconds before Su Mingxuan went limp, his eyes rolling back as he collapsed.

  The little snake had been completely consumed by flames, leaving only a charred, winding mark on the wooden floor.

  "Finally, it's dead!"

  Lu Fei leaned back against the window, catching his breath.

  Using his middle-finger blood had drained his energy and left him feeling weak.

  Fortunately, this little snake wasn't as powerful as the Snake Mother, or it wouldn't have been this easy to deal with.

  "L-Little Lu, what happened?"

  Sitting up on the bed and clutching his bruised neck, Su Liguo glanced around, bewildered.

  He remembered drifting off to sleep, only to be jolted awake by cold, strong hands strangling him—and the figure seemed to be his son.

  "I apologize, Mr. Su. This was my oversight. It turns out it was a mother-and-child snake pair. Although we destroyed the Snake Mother, a little snake was still lurking in your house, waiting for revenge."

  Lu Fei apologized sincerely. That was when he noticed Old Zhang lying in a pool of blood and quickly called for an ambulance.

  "Little Lu, this isn't your fault." Grateful beyond words, Su Liguo didn't blame Lu Fei in the slightest—Lu Fei had rushed over in the middle of the night to save him.

  He turned a complicated gaze toward the unconscious Su Mingxuan.

  "If the little snake was the one seeking revenge, then why did it control this boy?"

  Lu Fei offered an analysis: "Young Master Su shows signs of excessive indulgence and a weakened constitution. People in that state, especially those with a lack of willpower, are more susceptible to being influenced by evil objects. But this isn't entirely his fault—I should have detected the little snake sooner…"

  "Don't apologize—it was intentional!" Su Liguo interrupted sharply, taking a deep breath to suppress his rising anger.

  "Intentional?" Lu Fei was shocked. "How could that be?"

  "I'd like to find out myself. Little Lu, is there a way to wake him up now?"

  "There is, but Young Master Su will have to endure some pain. I'll need to pierce his fingertips."

  Su Liguo sneered, "A little pain is nothing. Please proceed."

  "Alright."

  Lu Fei used the dog-tooth dagger to prick two of Su Mingxuan's fingers, pressing out a couple of drops of dark blood.

  A few moments later, Su Mingxuan slowly opened his eyes, looking groggy. When he saw his father, he seemed confused.

  "Dad?"

  "Don't call me Dad!"

  Su Liguo's face was cold and stern.

  "What's wrong, Dad?" Su Mingxuan was startled, struggling to sit up. When he noticed Lu Fei, he looked even more puzzled.

  "How dare you ask what's wrong? Do you realize you almost killed me tonight?" Su Liguo's tone was icy and severe.

  Startled by his father's anger, Su Mingxuan felt wronged and protested, "Dad, what are you talking about? I would never disrespect you—I'd rather die than hurt you!"

  "Then tell me—what exactly is hidden in your room?" Su Liguo's piercing gaze bore into Su Mingxuan, as if he could see right through him.

  "In my room?" Su Mingxuan shivered and averted his eyes, lowering his head guiltily. "N-No, there's nothing hidden there…"

  Smack!

  Su Liguo slapped him hard across the face, his voice filled with fury. "You wretched brat! Still lying to me? How could I have raised such a disgrace of a son!"

  The slap sent Su Mingxuan tumbling off the sofa, too scared to utter a single word.

  "I'll give you one last chance. If you don't tell the truth, get out of my house! I'll pretend you were never born!" Su Liguo issued his final warning.

  "Dad, please… I'll tell you everything…" Su Mingxuan hurriedly knelt, finally breaking down. "It… it was a woman. She was incredibly beautiful. One night, she just appeared in my room. At first, I thought she was a new maid…"

  The woman looked like a young girl, barely eighteen or nineteen, with a delicate beauty that seemed to radiate freshness. Her eyes spoke volumes, captivating his heart.

  Unable to resist, he spent a night with her, intoxicated by the softness and charm she exuded, something he had never experienced before.

  When he woke up, she was gone. He asked Old Zhang if there was a new maid, but Old Zhang assured him there wasn't.

  Had it all been just a dream? He couldn't shake the disappointment.

  But that night, when he opened his bedroom door, he saw her lying on his bed, moving seductively and inviting him with her gaze.

  Ecstatic, he rushed to her without questioning who she was or how she had entered his room, spending yet another passionate night with her.

  From that night on, she appeared every evening, and he indulged in nightly pleasures with her.

  He became addicted, unable to control his desire for her, until he no longer cared about her identity, only that he couldn't bear a single night apart from her.

  That was why he had found an excuse to leave the hospital and come home tonight.

  "You disgrace!"

  Su Liguo's anger surged uncontrollably, and no amount of slapping could extinguish the fire in his heart.

  Lu Fei was stunned.

  So Su Mingxuan's symptoms of overindulgence were caused by this?

  Clearly, that woman was the little snake in disguise. In other words, the snake had been luring him from the very beginning.