The trio turned to look.
A man swaggered in through the entrance, arms draped over two women.
The girls had decent figures and were fairly attractive, clearly sisters, given their identical faces. Twins, in fact. Though they were a bit older, their makeup was heavy, and they carried the unmistakable air of women from the pleasure quarters.
The man stood over 180 cm tall, with striking features. But his most distinctive trait was his eyes, heterochromatic double pupils, just like Dai Weisheng.
This was none other than Dai Mubai, the third prince of the Star Luo Empire.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes narrowed in recognition. A flicker of surprise crossed her face, she hadn't expected to run into him here, but it was quickly replaced by disgust as she turned away.
Some things never change. Even back in Star Luo City, Dai Mubai had always been like this, flaunting his women without shame.
Dai Mubai's gaze swept over Zhu Zhuqing, pausing in confusion. Then he spotted Zhu Zhuyun, and his face went rigid with shock. His arms dropped from the twins' shoulders like they'd burned him.
"Zhu Zhuyun?! What are you doing here? And is that Zhu Zhuqing?"
When Dai Mubai had left Star Luo City, Zhu Zhuqing had been a seven- or eight-year-old kid. Back then, her features were still childish, her figure nonexistent. He'd paid her no mind.
But now?
A girl truly changes beyond recognition after eighteen.
He hadn't expected that scrawny little girl to blossom into such a stunning beauty, tall, icy, with curves that could make a saint sin. And not just curves, but perfectly proportioned curves. She was like a work of art, putting every woman he'd ever bedded to shame and as a seasoned playboy, he had an eye for these things.
Zhu Zhuyun's face was more familiar, though even her figure had filled out considerably since he'd last seen her.
"Gulp." Dai Mubai's throat moved audibly as he stared at the sisters. Then, abruptly, his expression shifted to panic. His eyes darted around the lobby.
"Did Dai Weisheng send you?! I've run this far, can't you just leave me alone?!"
"Who has time for you?" Zhu Zhuyun's voice was ice. "I'm escorting Zhu Zhuqing and Lu Feng. Take your women and get lost."
"So it is Zhu Zhuqing…"
Dai Mubai's face lit up. His gaze locked onto Zhu Zhuqing like a starving man eyeing a feast. Even in profile, she was breathtaking, the delicate slope of her nose, those clear autumn-pool eyes, those soft red lips, that voluptuous S-curve silhouette…
And she was his. His fiancée.
For a moment, he was lost in the fantasy.
"Dai… Dai Shao? Are you okay?" One of the twins tugged at his sleeve.
Dai Mubai's face darkened. "Who's 'Dai Shao'? We're not close. Scram."
He shoved the confused twins away only to turn back and find Lu Feng, Zhu Zhuqing, and Zhu Zhuyun already walking off, keys in hand, utterly ignoring him as they headed upstairs.
Dai Mubai still hadn't noticed Lu Feng. His gaze passed over Lu Feng casually, without looking closely at his face, assuming he was just a guard or something.
"Hold on a second," Dai Mubai called out, then turned to the receptionist at the counter, his voice sharp with anger. "You don't recognize me? Don't you know this place always keeps a room reserved for me? Why did you give the keys to them?"
The receptionist hurriedly apologized, "Of course I recognize you, Young Master Dai, but this time, I can't give it to you. I'm sorry."
Dai Mubai, growing impatient, snapped, "Get your manager out here."
The receptionist glanced at Dai Mubai, then at Lu Feng, before scurrying to the back to fetch his boss.
"Hey, Zhu Zhuyun, I told you to wait. Didn't you hear me? Zhuqing, I'm your fiancé, Dai Mubai!"
Dai Mubai realized that Zhu Zhuyun and the others hadn't stopped walking despite his command. Feeling embarrassed, his spoiled, arrogant temper flared, and he shouted loudly.
Lu Feng paused his steps and said to the two women, "I think it's better to deal with this first. It'll save the inn some trouble."
"Mm," Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun responded in unison, nodding at the same time.
Their synchronized reaction showed a kind of sisterly connection, like their hearts were in tune.
They obediently followed Lu Feng back downstairs.
From the start, Dai Mubai hadn't noticed Lu Feng, and Lu Feng watched the situation unfold with a cool, detached gaze, curious to see how things would play out.
In the original story, it was Tang San and Xiao Wu who clashed with Dai Mubai here at the Rose Hotel, leading to an argument and a fight.
But because Lu Feng had intervened in Nuoding City, Xiao Wu had grown suspicious of Tang San, and her impression of him had taken a hit.
According to the Merchant Alliance's intelligence, Xiao Wu hadn't traveled with Tang San. She also hadn't arrived in Suotuo City a day early. Instead, she'd timed her arrival perfectly to go straight to Shrek Academy for the entrance exam tomorrow.
Without Xiao Wu by his side, Tang San naturally wouldn't have come to the Rose Hotel.
And so, it was Lu Feng and his group who ended up running into Dai Mubai instead.
What made it interesting was that Dai Mubai had brought two sisters with him, while Lu Feng also had two sisters by his side, one of whom used to be Dai Mubai's fiancée.
Judging by Dai Mubai's behavior, it was clear he didn't know that his father had publicly canceled his engagement to Zhu Zhuqing. He also had no idea that Zhu Zhuqing was now Lu Feng's fiancée.
Because of this, ignoring him, as Zhu Zhuyun had done, wasn't the best way to handle things. Dai Mubai would likely keep chasing after them and causing trouble later.
"Who are you?"
Dai Mubai suddenly noticed how obediently the two women were acting toward Lu Feng. Their eyes even carried a clear, affectionate warmth when they looked at him. His expression darkened, and only then did he start to size Lu Feng up carefully.
But the moment Dai Mubai took a closer look, a sense of threat prickled down his spine.
The young man before him was clearly younger, yet strikingly handsome, his demeanor calm, poised, and effortlessly refined.
Compared to Lu Feng's sunlit elegance, Dai Mubai's own dissipated aura suddenly felt dull, overshadowed.
"I'm Lu Feng," the boy said mildly. "Zhuqing's fiancé."
"WHAT???"
For a second, Dai Mubai thought he'd misheard. But then Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward, her long legs carrying her to Lu Feng's side in silence. She slid her arm through his, pressing close, and leveled Dai Mubai with an icy stare.
No words were needed. Her actions said everything.
The utter lack of emotion in her eyes sent a sharp plummet through Dai Mubai's chest. If she'd felt even a shred of lingering attachment, her gaze would've wavered, guilt, hesitation, something. But now, she looked at him as if he were a stranger. No, worse. A stranger she despised.
Zhu Zhuyun smirked. "Ah, right. You've been hiding in this backwater, oblivious. Let me enlighten you: Your engagement to Zhuqing was annulled two months ago. The Emperor himself announced it. Don't believe me? Go ask around. And as for Zhuqing, my father formally betrothed her to Lu Feng."
"Like hell that matters! I don't accept it!" Dai Mubai's entire body trembled with rage. Though the words came from Zhu Zhuyun, he knew they were true.
It felt like a towering green hat had been slammed onto his head. And Zhu Zhuqing, his Zhu Zhuqing, was now a breathtaking beauty, radiant beyond compare. How could he just let her go?
Zhu Zhuyun, ever the dutiful guard, flashed forward, blocking Dai Mubai's path. "Who cares what you accept? You're the one who abandoned her years ago. If you've got a problem, take it up with your father. Stop wasting our time, get lost."
Dai Mubai's venomous glare locked onto Lu Feng. "Fight me. Winner takes Zhuqing as their fiancée. What do you say?"
"Over my dead body!" Zhu Zhuqing snapped, her voice sharp with fury. "I'll marry no one but Lu Feng in this lifetime."
"Qing'er, don't upset yourself," Lu Feng murmured, gently squeezing her hand. "Let me handle this."
At his words, Zhu Zhuqing softened instantly. With a quiet nod, she released his arm and stepped back.