Chapter 14: Becoming the Owner of a Beauty Salon

"Brother Lu, what happened to you again? Another round of vandalism?" Lin Zhongze rode up slowly to the entrance of Yi Ren Group on an electric scooter, two bags of herbal medicine dangling from his hand.

Seeing Roast Duck standing beside Lu Ye with a guilty look on his face, Lin Zhongze frowned and asked, "Roast Duck, don't tell me this was you again?"

"Master Lin, it wasn't me! Master Lu can vouch for me!" Roast Duck recalled the painful price he paid yesterday and couldn't help but shiver.

Lu Ye laughed heartily, patting him on the shoulder. "There's nothing more for you here. Head back."

Roast Duck, as if he had been granted amnesty, nodded vigorously. "Alright, alright!"

He hurriedly beckoned his henchmen and made a rapid retreat.

Lin Zhongze grinned. "Brother Lu, I've gathered all the herbs you listed for me yesterday. Can you help me detoxify now?"

Lu Ye nodded. "Of course."

"Old lady, you handle the aftermath yourself. I’ve got some things to take care of in the office with Brother Lin," Lu Ye said.

Su Qianqian already knew about Lu Ye helping Lin Zhongze with his detox. She nodded immediately. "You two go ahead, I’ll manage here."

"This way, brother," Lu Ye said, leading Lin Zhongze into his private office and locking the door behind them.

He opened the two bags of herbs, crushed them, tossed the mixture into a teapot, and brewed them with boiling water, as if making tea.

"Drink the medicine first."

"Alright."

After Lin Zhongze drained the entire pot, he was instantly overwhelmed by heat and an unbearable itch, as though countless ants were crawling through his organs.

As the medicinal power took effect, beads of sweat gathered on Lin Zhongze’s forehead and soaked his vest.

Without warning, Lu Ye bent his knees and shouted, "Brother, here I come!"

Lin Zhongze wiped his brow. "Go easy on me, will you?"

Bang!

Lu Ye’s leg became a blur, landing precisely on Lin Zhongze’s abdomen. With a terrifying sense of weightlessness, Lin Zhongze was launched several meters into the air, then received a full set of restorative strikes before crashing down, his throat convulsing as he vomited foul, black blood.

Once Lin Zhongze had expelled all the lingering poison, Lu Ye bent to help him up.

"All done!"

Lin Zhongze took the tissue Lu Ye handed him, wiped the blood from his face, and smiled. "Thank you, brother. I feel ten years younger—full of life!"

"Hahaha! Still, you’d better rest up for a while when you get home, just to be safe."

"Will do!"

Lin Zhongze was immensely grateful for befriending Lu Ye—five million to buy his life back from the King of Hell was, in his view, money absurdly well spent.

"Brother, your healing methods are unheard of. If I may ask, where did you learn these skills?"

Lu Ye smiled faintly. "My mother taught me. She loves to study all sorts of odd and curious things."

Lin Zhongze raised his thumb in sincere admiration. "Your mother must be a genius…"

"Indeed, she is."

After a few more words, Lu Ye escorted Lin Zhongze back to the front of the group’s building. Watching him ride into the distance, Lu Ye’s lips curled into a smile. "After today, Hongying Society will have their eye on me, no doubt."

Because of Lu Ye, the Su Group would fall completely into Su Shiming’s hands; Lin Zhongze, whom Hongying Society so desperately wanted dead, had been pulled back from the brink by Lu Ye; and the Zhang family, Hongying's pawn, still couldn’t get rid of Lu Ye, the thorn in their side.

Lu Ye still intended to settle accounts with the Zhang family for their commercial espionage; after this, Hongying Society would surely make a move against him.

Yi Ren Group closed early that day so the construction crew could work through the night repairing the shattered facade.

Driving Su Qianqian back to the Su family manor, Lu Ye immediately sensed something was off as soon as he stepped through the gate.

Pointing at the row of luxury cars snaking down the driveway, he asked, "Why are there so many cars parked at our front door?"

Su Qianqian looked blank. "No idea."

When they opened the door, Lu Ye almost dropped his jaw in shock.

A dozen middle-aged ladies were seated in the living room, chattering endlessly under the guidance of Li Shuqin. As soon as Lu Ye and Su Qianqian walked in, dozens of eyes lit up at once.

"Shuqin, is this your son-in-law?"

"Wow, your son-in-law is so handsome! Such a charming young man!"

"Shuqin, you promised—let your son-in-law give us a beauty treatment. You can’t go back on your word!"

Li Shuqin offered an awkward smile and pulled Lu Ye into the kitchen, whispering, "Son-in-law, I have a favor to ask…"

Lu Ye had already guessed what she wanted—her friends, seeing her suddenly lose decades off her age, must have pestered her endlessly for the secret. Unable to brush them off any longer, she’d confessed that her good son-in-law had given her a miraculous beauty treatment, and so they had descended en masse.

"Son-in-law," Li Shuqin said, "could you please use your 'Return My Beauty Fist' on them? They’re willing to pay, of course—it’s not a free service. And my friends are all from the city’s most prestigious families!"

"Certainly, that’s no problem," Lu Ye replied with a broad grin.

"Thank you, you truly are the best son-in-law!" Li Shuqin had worried he’d refuse, since treating so many ladies would be exhausting.

"Mom, there’s no need for formalities. Honestly, whether they’re society ladies or not doesn’t matter. I just want more practice to perfect my craft."

Li Shuqin, knowing he was only saying this to please her, beamed with satisfaction. "So, when shall we start?"

"Right now. I have to head out later."

Back in the living room, the ladies immediately swarmed around him.

It wasn’t just about regaining their youth—Lu Ye, a youth in his early twenties radiating raw masculinity, was a fatal temptation for them.

Lu Ye moved among the group with practiced ease, deftly delivering compliments and sweet words, coaxing smiles and giggles from all the ladies, who took every opportunity to touch him under the pretext of gratitude. The scene was one of lively, almost boisterous merriment, leaving Su Qianqian stunned.

Truly the little scoundrel!

The sound of fists landing thudded through the living room for half an hour.

Even with Lu Ye’s exceptional stamina, after delivering more than a dozen rounds of the "Return My Beauty Fist," he collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.

Thankfully, his efforts weren’t in vain. Every one of the ladies was now radiant, as if they had collectively returned to their twenties. After all, to have married into wealth, their own foundations were already impressive. The living room was now filled with beauty and charm, a dazzling scene.

They crowded around the mirrors, checking their reflections again and again, marveling at the flawless results, and showering Lu Ye with praise.

"I can’t believe the wrinkles I’ve had for over a decade are gone!"

"My skin was so loose and saggy—now it's firm and smooth, not a pore in sight, and so tender I could pinch water from it!"

"That’s nothing—I had my eyelids done at a clinic, but the doctor’s hand slipped and they were crooked. Lu Ye somehow made them look perfectly natural. You can’t even tell I ever had surgery!"

"Lu Ye is incredible!"

"Lu Ye is amazing!"

Lu Ye laughed. "It’s just a little parlor trick, aunties, you flatter me too much!"

Suddenly, someone suggested, "Why don’t we chip in and open a beauty salon for Lu Ye? It could be our private club, too."

"Yes, let’s make Lu Ye our exclusive beautician!"

Even Su Qianqian thought this a good idea, and she leaned in to whisper, "Scoundrel, why not agree? How about becoming a beauty salon owner?"

Lu Ye replied, "I could, but I don’t want to be tied down. I’d rather be your bodyguard."

Su Qianqian snorted. "Can’t you be more ambitious?"

Lu Ye retorted confidently, "Why do you think I became your live-in son-in-law?"

"Such lofty aspirations!"

Lu Ye struck an agreement with the ladies: they would invest to open a private club in his name.

Far from resenting the idea, Lu Ye welcomed the chance to draw closer to these society women. After all, sometimes a wife’s word could sway her husband’s decisions, and behind every one of these women was a man of wealth and power.

"Lu Ye, what should we call our club?"

"Let’s name it 'Yi Ren Club.' I should stand with my wife, after all."

"Hehe, Qianqian, you really found yourself a wonderful husband!"