Chapter 90: Interlude in the Meeting

Chapter 90: Interlude in the Meeting

Xu Qingran's recovery ability was several times stronger than that of other mental energy users, and his wounds healed even faster when he rested without moving.

Therefore, before receiving Shen Tingyu's notification, he just took a quick nap in the small room.

The system, on the other hand, had it worse. Due to the harmonious scenes revealed to the host, it was temporarily forced to be isolated from the outside world.

Xu Qingran rested for quite a while.

In a corner of the underground level, he had no idea what was going on outside.

Until Shen Tingyu's call came through.

He opened his eyes groggily, ignoring the ongoing activities in the other room, and answered in a low voice, "Hmm?"

Shen Tingyu, hearing his slightly tired voice, asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Xu Qingran replied, glancing at the bloodstains he had left on the ground when he arrived. He added with a faint smile, "The wounds on my body have stopped bleeding."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.

Xu Qingran asked, "Why did it take so long?"

Shen Tingyu's voice also sounded weary, "It's a bit of a long story."

It was said that this bar stronghold was secretly controlled by a government official from the Golden Wing, who had inside information and received some early warnings.

Although Shen Tingyu had inadvertently infiltrated the place, guiding Su Wenxu and his team to find the way, they immediately cordoned off the bar and rushed in. However, the other side was well-prepared, and the ambush was on a much larger scale than what Xu Qingran had faced alone.

They were fully equipped, with various weapons and protective gear on each of them.

It appeared that most of the thugs had gathered there, and they had been in a prolonged standoff with the police and military units. In the end, realizing they were at a disadvantage, they resorted to self-destructive measures and blew the place up. The explosion was so powerful that it even affected Shen Tingyu and his team, who were handling matters on the other side.

Except for Shen Tingyu, who was an exceptional E-type, most people were injured.

Including Su Wenxu and his team, leaving the bar in complete chaos.

The personnel in charge of monitoring the situation immediately contacted nearby support teams, and the entire bar was now under lockdown. Shen Tingyu searched around but couldn't find Xu Qingran, prompting him to call.

Xu Qingran glanced at the recording time on the camera.

Several hours of footage were more than enough.

He said to Shen Tingyu, "Wait for me at the place where I bit you earlier."

"The route here is quite complicated, and there are also shielding devices, so I can't send you my location."

Shen Tingyu was currently outside the bar in question.

The crowd inside had already been evacuated, and the support teams that arrived had set up warning tapes around the area. Onlookers were kept at bay, while medical personnel were busy carrying the affected individuals from the bar to the ambulances.

Shen Tingyu's hand holding the phone twitched slightly.

He replied softly, "Okay."

When Xu Qingran emerged from the dimly lit corridor, the once bustling bar was now empty.

The scene was even more chaotic than when he and Shen Tingyu had been fighting earlier. Tables and chairs had been overturned during the escape, and the floor was littered with spilled drinks and broken glass. The only thing still in place was the chair he had been sitting on earlier, now occupied by a bespectacled man.

The boots crunched over the debris.

The man sat there, calmly watching him approach step by step.

Xu Qingran said, "Shen Tingyu, this outfit of yours is the best I've seen in the photos I've gotten lately."

"I love how you look all proper, but turn into a beast in bed."

Shen Tingyu, unusually, didn't laugh at his teasing tone.

He gave him a once-over and said, "Come here."

His tone was controlled.

Xu Qingran, knowing it was Shen Tingyu 'ordering' him, obeyed without question.

As soon as he was close, Shen Tingyu pulled him into a hug. The move was gentle, careful to avoid his wounds, like a big, lost dog resting its head on his shoulder.

It seemed like he was silently mourning his injuries.

Outside, chaos reigned with the constant wail of ambulance sirens.

Inside the bar, this empty space was as quiet as another world.

After a long pause, Xu Qingran finally said, "Don't worry."

"I always remember I have a partner now, so I won't do anything reckless."

"Xu Qingan's little schemes can't touch me."

Shen Tingyu's hand slid down slowly.

He held his hands, his fingers unconsciously brushing over his spiritual mark.

He asked, "Where's Xu Qingan? Did you take him out?"

Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow, "No, but I set up something worse than death for him."

"Let me think... Did they round up everyone who needed arresting in the bar? What's the plan for this place after?"

Shen Tingyu shrugged, "Pretty much."

"As for the place, Su Wenxu's deputy should be bringing a team soon to search, check for anything missed, and gather evidence, seizing the contraband."

"Ah," Xu Qingran's eyes curved, grinning like a sly fox, "Then let's leave him be."

He pulled a memory chip from his pocket and said to Shen Tingyu, "Let's head home, I've got something good to show you."

Shen Tingyu noticed he was in a good mood now.

He asked again, "So, my dear, have you cooled off?"

The topic seemed to circle back to their usual game of pretend seriousness.

Xu Qingran said confidently, "I'm not mad."

Before Shen Tingyu could question him, he added, "I was just a little jealous, that's all."

In the end, it was Shen Tingyu who was truly cheered up by a single sentence.

Xu Qingran couldn't help but pinch his cheek and asked, "You're a general of the Golden Wing Battalion, can't you be more impressive?"

Shen Tingyu: "The impressive ones are single."

The tense atmosphere gradually lightened as they chatted casually.

After staying a while longer, they both walked out of the bar.

Outside, Su Wenxu's deputy was going over details with the search team.

Seeing Shen Tingyu bringing him out, the deputy was momentarily confused before quickly learning his identity from Shen Tingyu.

Yes, just as someone Shen Tingyu knows.

Perhaps worried about the consequences, Shen Tingyu didn't reveal his true identity.

"Oh, I see, thanks for your help this time," the deputy said without suspicion, sending them off with a good attitude.

This operation was put on hold for now.

The incident was quite significant, making headlines and trending online that same day. The whole internet was discussing it, and the Empire's police took the opportunity to promote awareness about the dangers of contraband, while also publicly criticizing those involved.

When Xu Qingran was picked up by Shen Tingyu to go home, he was also catching up on the latest gossip during the ride.

Mainly, he was looking for some information he wanted to know.

Scrolling through, he smiled and sighed, "I can finally just be a spectator in such a big event."

It was rare for him to be completely uninvolved in such a major incident.

Xu Qingran searched online mainly to find information about the drug-related materials he had taken from Xu Qingan.

He scrolled through the list of banned drugs on the police website for a while and finally found it.

M Drug.

A specially designed aphrodisiac targeting the recipient, which can only be triggered by injecting it into the target's spirit mark. The drug contains special ingredients that can induce soul fluctuations, sending signals to the target that require soothing, thereby making the target's rear sensitive and unbearably itchy. Thanks to the hallucinogenic components in the drug, the target's consciousness becomes fragmented, reducing self-control and compelling them to seek comfort instinctively.

When Xu Qingran saw this, he was utterly shocked.

The Kayan Empire's cultural openness was truly shocking, to describe it so explicitly.

Continuing down.

Such drugs also come with mandatory effects.

If the situation cannot be alleviated, the soul will remain in turmoil. If the target forcibly resists, it is highly likely that the impact of an unstable mental state will cause damage to the spiritual pool or soul spirit.

As the antidote for M Drug is still under urgent development, we urge everyone to stay vigilant and protect themselves. It is essential to be wary of others; don't reveal the location of your spirit mark to anyone to prevent tragedies.

After checking, Xu Qingran exited the official website.

Then he sat silently, lost in thought.

He was injured, and Shen Tingyu took over the driving.

Not noticing his abnormality, he assumed it was due to the injury dampening his desire to talk.

Xu Qingran indeed had no desire to chat at the moment.

After a long and somber contemplation, when Shen Tingyu looked at him again, he had already fallen asleep on the chair.

Unbeknownst to them, the online incident ignited a fresh wave of discussions as they returned home.

The trigger was some netizens who happened to be at the scene and participated in part of the incident, coming forward to spice up the story.

To back up their claims, they usually included videos and photos taken that night. Among these people, someone posted a video of Shen Tingyu barging through the crowd to snatch someone, then pressing them onto a chair and kissing them for what felt like an eternity.

Indeed, Shen Tingyu's disguise was impeccable, and no one should have known his true identity.

As it happened, he was one of the law enforcement officers on duty that day, and had been seen entering and exiting the scene after the incident. Some bystanders had noticed his outstanding physique and demeanor, taking photos and frantically tagging and asking the Golden Wing Battalion's official police account for his information.

The Golden Wing Battalion's police personnel also believed that Shen Tingyu's identity had already been exposed during the event.

Seeing so many fans frantically tagging and wanting to find him, the official account intervened to explain: "This person is actually General Shen. He was undercover this time to assist us with our investigation. Thank you, General Shen, for your hard work [rose]."

The public was immediately in an uproar.

Initially, things were going smoothly until that video leaked, and the sharp-eyed netizens recognized that the person was Shen Tingyu in disguise.

Thus, public opinion erupted instantly.

"...Wait, this should also be part of the mission's plan, right?"

"OMG, General Shen really went all out for the mission!"

"Not necessarily, maybe it was just a camera trick?"

"Hey everyone, check out the trending topics. Someone has posted different angles of the footage. It's confirmed, no camera tricks, it was a genuine kiss, and it was incredibly passionate..."

"Ahhhh I saw it too! Am I the only one who thinks the other guy is also amazing? Although we can only see his side profile and general build, his aura and presence are totally on par with General Shen! If he's also an undercover operative, I want his info too!!"

"I’ve got the inside scoop! I heard the guy General Shen kissed isn't a staff member sent by the military or police to assist. General Shen said he's a close friend!! Don't ask me how I know, I just have insider sources!"

"OMG, if that's true, then it's even more shippable, and we can boldly ship them?!"

"An unnamed 'close friend' translates to a clandestine lover, doesn't it?"

"So, is General Shen taken now??"

"QAQ As a fan of General Shen, I'm both happy and sad, what's going on?"

"Today, countless admirers of General Shen, young and old, male and female, are going to have their hearts broken hhhh!"

As such speculations and comments erupted, Shen Tingyu's notifications and private messages on various social media platforms exploded instantly.

Everyone was tagging him, hoping he would come forward and give an explanation. Given the shocking and explosive nature of this sudden event, instead of calming down after a few days, the situation only intensified because Shen Tingyu himself had not responded.

It was only then that the public realized how terrifying Shen Tingyu's national fame and popularity were, with even people in remote areas knowing about him.

Several platforms buckled under the pressure from billions of netizens and crashed one after another.

This forced relevant department personnel to call Shen Tingyu in the middle of the night, hoping he would respond to the event.

Shen Tingyu was compelled to go live in the dead of night.

He was still sleeping in the bedroom with Xu Qingran when the urgent call came through, forcing him to get up and answer. Despite the commotion, Xu Qingran beside him didn't wake up, clearly exhausted from the trip.

Shen Tingyu went to the study without disturbing him.

However, he did not log into his own account, but used Xu Qingran's instead, and even logged into his live streaming account.

—Mainly because his live streaming account is linked to too many things within the Golden Wing military department, and going live at this hour might freak out the on-duty staff from different branches. Moreover, he just wanted to address his personal matters, and it wasn't convenient to use the official account tied to the military.

So, Xu Qingran's late-night fans were shocked to see him go live at such a weird time. When they rushed in, they saw Shen Tingyu instead.

The first few seconds of silence in the live stream room mirrored the scene years ago when Shen Tingyu's fans saw Xu Qingran in his live stream.

Then, the first comment popped up:

"?"

"Did I click on the wrong stream?"

After the first comment, a flood of messages poured in.

Various questions and confusions instantly filled the screen.

Some fans who followed both Xu Qingran and Shen Tingyu couldn't hold back.

They said:

"...Wow, I never thought I'd see something like this again."

"Those who have experienced this before +1"

"The crazy part is, the roles have been reversed."

Shen Tingyu smiled and explained the reason for his appearance in Xu Qingran's live stream room.

Xu Qingran's fans, who've seen it all, stayed calm and were very understanding.

But the moment they realized Shen Tingyu was here to address the recent rumors, their hearts jumped into their throats.

—Being with the little lunatic late at night and using his account, it's hard not to speculate.

The viewer count shot through the roof.

Many of Shen Tingyu's fans and Golden Wing rumor chasers rushed in upon hearing the news.

Shen Tingyu waited quietly until the viewer count almost doubled.

Then, the first thing he said was: "Yes, I'm in a relationship."

"!!!"

"Holy crap, this is wild! Dropping the bombshell right away!"

"No surprise there, General Shen is always straight to the point."

The fans of the little lunatic watching the gossip in the live stream room were particularly worried at this moment.

They were terrified Shen Tingyu would name Xu Qingran next—wouldn't that get him roasted?

Fortunately, Shen Tingyu did not say that.

He only said: "We're doing great, but we're both busy with our own stuff, so we're keeping it low-key for now."

When Shen Tingyu talked about his boyfriend, his eyes softened with a warm smile.

Fans were going wild online, screaming with excitement.

He smiled and said, "Thanks for caring. I don’t want our quiet life to get disrupted, so I hope everyone can give us enough space and not investigate or disturb us."

"When the time is right, we’ll share it with everyone naturally."

After a pause, he added, "Don’t worry, everyone."

"My boyfriend and I are in a proper relationship, and there’s nothing that goes against morals or the law."

As soon as he said that, the i-lunatics breathed a sigh of relief.

Great, with Shen Tingyu’s reassurance, they could be sure it wasn’t their little lunatic!

They were pretty happy with Shen Tingyu’s short but thorough response.

It was crystal clear, so the haters couldn’t twist his words.

After a quick response, Shen Tingyu wrapped up the live stream.

Soon, clips and screenshots were all over the internet.

#ShenTingyuResponds#

#ShenTingyuMysteryBoyfriend#

Those hashtags shot straight to the top of the trending list.

And this was late at night, when barely anyone was online.

By morning, the hashtags blew up.

The platform kept crashing over and over, but the programmers had to suck it up and pull another all-nighter.

At least there was finally a response, and once the buzz died down, things would calm.

When Shen Tingyu woke up, his phone was flooded with messages from all sorts of people.

Xie Nanjun had spammed him the most.

First came a barrage of question marks and exclamation points.

Then came a mix of rants and questions.

"??"

"WTF?!"

"What’s going on?"

"Dude, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"When I found out it was you making out with someone like a wild animal in the club, I was already floored. And now you’re straight-up announcing on live stream that you have a boyfriend?? Is that guy in the video your boyfriend??"

"People are saying he’s some old friend of yours from way back!"

"I’ve known you forever—how come I’ve never heard of this guy?"

"Plus, with his vibe and looks, if he’d been around that long, I’d definitely know him!" "Was that response just to shut the netizens up, or did you really mean it?"

"I'm dying to know! Spill it already, you're killing me with suspense!"

A few hours later.

"Xie Nanjun: Dude, just spit it out already!!!"

Shen Tingyu lounged by the bed, casually tapping out a few words.

"Just got up."

"Yeah, it's true."

"Xie Nanjun: Mind blown.jpg"

"Xie Nanjun: ...So, how long has this been going on?"

"A couple of years."

"Xie Nanjun: Wait, what???"

He figured Shen Tingyu would say a few months, tops! Keeping it from his best friend for months was bad enough, but years?!

Holy crap.

All these years, and he had no clue!

"Xie Nanjun: No way, you're lying."

"Xie Nanjun: If you guys were that close, there's no way I wouldn't have noticed!"

Shen Tingyu just smirked in response.

He didn’t have the heart to tell him he was clueless.

Shen Tianheng also reached out.

But instead of being shocked, he cautiously asked, "Is it him?"

Shen Tingyu simply replied, "Yeah."

The 'him' in question was Xu Qingran.

As a Shen family insider, Shen Tianheng knew Xu Qingran had called off his engagement to Shen Tianyi. Given how close Shen Tingyu and Xu Qingran were, it wasn’t hard to guess who the mystery partner was.

Shen Tianheng took it in stride.

A minute later, he shot back a text.

"Shen Tianheng: [OK]"

Shen Tingyu spent some time handling the messages.

After responding to the key folks, he turned back to smooth out Xu Qingran’s tousled hair before heading out of the bedroom.

Xu Qingran dozed for an extra hour compared to Shen Tingyu.

When he finally woke up, he snuggled into the cozy bed for a bit before lazily reaching for his phone.

His phone wasn’t blowing up like Shen Tingyu’s.

However, he received some odd messages.

For example, Xie Nanyi's first message asked him—

"Are you planning to go public with Shen Tingyu?"

This left Xu Qingran completely baffled.

It wasn't until he went online and caught up on the gossip that he realized so much had happened while he was away.

He even watched the edited video of Shen Tingyu using his live-streaming account to respond late at night.

It wasn't exactly going public, but the response was pretty satisfying.

He replied to Xie Nanyi, "It's inevitable."

Given Xu Qingran's personality, having won over the empire's most outstanding man, this matter would definitely be widely publicized in the future.

—He absolutely wouldn't let netizens remain unaware that he was the one dating Shen Tingyu.

Shen Tianheng also messaged him.

Though it had nothing to do with Shen Tingyu's response.

"Shen Tianheng: Big Boss, from a business standpoint, I'm very interested in investing in the Tianlong you manage. I've discussed it with the Shen family, and Grandpa thinks it's feasible too. How about we set up a time to discuss business cooperation?"

Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow.

This investment offer came out of the blue.

However, he didn't mind requests that could benefit the development of the Tianlong system.

"You want to expand the Shen family's business into Tianlong? It's not impossible, but this would require discussions on cooperation and profit sharing with the Mo family of Yinlong. Are you sure the Shen family is really on board with this?"

"Shen Tianheng: No issues."

"Shen Tianheng: As long as Uncle is okay with it, the entire Shen family is fine. Coincidentally, Tianyi has finished his exams, and I'll be heading to Uncle's place with him this weekend. We can go over the details with you then."

"Alright."

By the time Xu Qingran finished getting ready and went downstairs, Shen Tingyu had already made breakfast.

He walked into the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and leaned against the counter in his pajamas, quietly watching as Shen Tingyu brought the food to the table.

Shen Tingyu noticed his curious gaze and chuckled, asking, "What's up?"

Xu Qingran: "Nothing, I just think you look really handsome cooking for me every day."

After setting down the last plate of dumplings, Shen Tingyu walked over to Xu Qingran, took the empty cup from his hand, and placed it on the nearby counter.

Then, he gently pinched Xu Qingran's waist, hugged him, and said, "I've noticed you have a soft spot for people who feed you. If someone else starts cooking for you every day, would you be tempted to leave?"

Xu Qingran tilted his head slightly: "Shen Tingyu, do you really have so little trust in me?"

"Can't help it. There are quite a few people who want to snatch you away from me," Shen Tingyu smiled. "I have to worry in advance."

Xu Qingran chuckled: "Is that so?"

"I remember someone wasn't always like this." As someone who holds grudges, he began to settle scores, recalling a specific moment on a certain day in a certain year. "Didn't someone once confidently claim they had no interest in someone like me?"

"Didn't you hate me so much you wanted to kill me?"

"And also, well..."

His unfinished complaint was cut off by the person in front of him.

Xu Qingran raised an eyebrow, his gaze lifting to meet Shen Tingyu's. As Shen Tingyu walked away, he shamelessly remarked, "Anyone who says such things to you must be an idiot."

—Some people are so harsh they even insult themselves, huh?

The hand on his waist moved teasingly, unknowingly lifting his clothes and brushing against his skin.

Xu Qingran closed his eyes contentedly, leaning into the touch in the brightly lit kitchen.

As their passion deepened, Shen Tingyu's gaze shifted once more.

Unlike his earlier hesitation, he pulled Xu Qingran into his arms and whispered in his ear, "Can we recreate what happened at Bishui Villa here?"

Xu Qingran chuckled in exasperation at his seemingly innocent question.

With a casual push, he replied, "What are you talking about? I was too drunk that night to remember anything."

Just as he tried to escape Shen Tingyu's mental hold, he was pulled back.

After the bar incident, Shen Tingyu, realizing E-type mental suppression worked on Xu Qingran, seemed to relish the advantage.

Using the same tactic, he arrogantly refused to let him go, coaxing him into doing what he wanted.

The two of them spent the morning entangled in the kitchen.

After finishing, they simply took a shower before coming back to eat.

Breakfast quickly became lunch.

When Xu Qingran prepared some afternoon tea later, he briefly went live.

As expected, many curious fans flooded his live stream, asking all sorts of questions.

"Young Master Xu, do you know about General Shen's secret boyfriend?"

"I know."

"Then Colonel Xu, have you met General Shen's boyfriend?"

"I have."

"Little lunatic! Enjoying yourself all alone, huh? Come on, give us some fan perks. Can you give us any hints? Like his job, family background, etc.? We haven't seen his face—is he handsome?"

Xu Qingran paused, considering the questions.

With a cryptic smile, he replied, "I can't say anything else, but as for whether he's good-looking—well, he's as good-looking as me."

The oblivious netizens missed the hidden meaning in his words.

They all exclaimed, "So envious of the Shen family, the younger one has Young Master Xu, and the older one has a boyfriend as good-looking as Young Master Xu! What kind of luck is that!"

Xu Qingran just smiled without saying a word.

After the bar incident, with Su Wenxu and several officers injured, and various venues now wary of the investigation team, the investigation had to be put on hold. Shen Tingyu's cover as an informant had been blown, making it impossible for him to continue participating in the operation.

This was probably the silver lining in the whole mess.

Weekend.

Shen Tianheng brought Shen Tianyi and Auntie Song back to Shen Tingyu's home.

Auntie Song, who hadn't seen him in ages, kept saying he'd lost weight and must have had a rough time in Tianlong.

Xu Qingran teased that Shen Tingyu had been looking after him for the past month and a half, and if he hadn't put on weight, it was Shen Tingyu's fault for not feeding him right.

As for Shen Tianyi.

The kid had been in elementary school for a few years, and he'd grown a bit taller, but otherwise seemed the same. He was still as gullible and straightforward as ever, an easy target.

The moment they met, he rushed over, hugging him, tears streaming down his face: "It's not fair! Uncle never stayed away this long on business trips!"

Xu Qingran shoved him away, disgusted: "Don't wipe your snot on me."

Shen Tianyi wailed even louder: "Brother Qingran, you're grossed out by me!"

Xu Qingran: "Is this news to you?"

Shen Tianyi: "..."

He pouted, hurt, when he suddenly spotted a big white dog in the house.

He stopped crying, his eyes wide: "Brother Qingran, is this your dog?"

"Yes."

"Careful, it's got a taste for kids."

Shen Tianyi, who'd been about to check it out: "..."

The white dog, catching on that its master was badmouthing it: "..."

Only Xu Qingran was having a grand old time.

Auntie Song jumped right back into cooking as soon as she got home.

That night, she whipped up a feast so big it nearly overflowed Shen Tingyu's dining table, like some royal banquet. By chance, Xie Nanjun dropped by and got roped into staying for dinner.

After dinner, everyone went about their own business.

Xie Nanjun, who was just as stubborn, had originally come tonight to snipe at Shen Tingyu's rumored partner, but upon arrival found only a few of them at home, greatly disappointed. He could only keep trying to pry information from Shen Tingyu, chasing him from the living room to the study.

Then he was pulled by Shen Tingyu to discuss official business together.

Xu Qingran, along with Shen Tianheng, held a remote meeting with Mo Chengfei in his bedroom.

He had called Mo Chengfei when Shen Tianheng proposed the idea.

The aloof Mo Chengfei was initially resistant to the idea of cooperating with the Golden Wing Battalion and sharing profits with them. Influenced by Mu Ziyue, he also disliked the people from the Golden Wing Battalion.

Especially since some of the Shen family's commercial brands were in competition with his Mo family.

Mo Chengfei remembered his engagement and said, "That kid hasn't even grown all his hair yet, who knows what will happen between you two in the future!"

Then Xu Qingran said, "Uncle Mo, you're correct."

"So now I'm with his younger uncle, Shen Tingyu."

Mo Chengfei: "...?"

Thus, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and agree to give Shen Tianheng a chance to negotiate with him.

Xu Qingran was clueless about business matters, so he just handed the laptop to Shen Tianheng to handle the conversation with Mo Chengfei.

Shen Tianheng truly lived up to being the candidate Shen Tingyu favored as the next heir of the Shen family.

Not only did he remain calm and composed when dealing with a big shot like Mo Chengfei, engaging in back-and-forth negotiations, but he also kept his emotions remarkably stable. Whether it was Mo Chengfei's initial hostility or his sarcastic, deliberately difficult remarks, Shen Tianheng always maintained the courtesy and amiability of a junior, while standing firm on his principles and confidence.

It seemed that before meeting Mo Chengfei, he had thoroughly researched both Mo Chengfei and the industries under the Mo family.

No matter what challenges Mo Chengfei threw his way, Shen Tianheng handled them with ease, even proposing his own ideas and opinions. Listening in occasionally, Xu Qingran thought the terms and collaborations Shen Tianheng proposed were pretty solid.

Two hours later, they finally wrapped up their online meeting.

Shen Tianheng told him, "The Mo family shouldn't be a problem now."

Xu Qingran wasn't shocked by this result.

What was more surprising was that after the conversation, Mo Chengfei sent him a message saying, "Shen Tingyu's nephew... hmph, he's not bad, at least he's got a brain. The Shen family's sincerity is also commendable. Having them on board will definitely speed up Tianlong's development."

Xu Qingran arched an eyebrow.

For Mo Chengfei, such a proud and domineering old tycoon, to take the initiative to send a message and offer his highest praise of "not bad" showed a certain level of recognition for Shen Tianheng.

"But I must warn you, if you ever split with Shen Tingyu in the future, don't come crying to me to take back my decision!"

Xu Qingran replied, "Don't worry, it won't happen."

"Shen Tingyu only has two life outcomes: walking hand in hand with me for a lifetime, or being killed by me."

Mo Chengfei was speechless.

Suddenly, he felt like giving a salute to Shen Tingyu, the brave warrior.

Unsurprisingly, Xie Nanjun got so caught up in Shen Tingyu's official business that he forgot the real purpose of his visit that night.

It wasn't until he was halfway back that he remembered, sending a barrage of messages angrily calling Shen Tingyu a cunning old fox.

Shen Tianheng opted to stay with Shen Tianyi at Shen Tingyu's place for a couple more days.

The white dog was quiet by nature and usually didn't seek attention.

Though Shen Tianyi was initially tricked by Xu Qingran, he couldn't resist trying to get closer the next day, only to discover that the white dog didn't harm children. During his stay, he took on dog-walking duties, taking it out every morning and evening.

With the white dog keeping an eye on him, Shen Tingyu and Xu Qingran felt reassured about his safety.

Once the weekend passed, Shen Tingyu's large villa returned to its usual tranquility.

That evening, as Xu Qingran came back from his run, Shen Tingyu was in the living room, talking to someone on the phone.

Seeing him return, Shen Tingyu added to the person on the call, "Hold on, he's back."

Xu Qingran saw him beckoning and curiously walked over.

Only then did Xu Qingran realize that the person on the other end of the communication was Su Wenxu, who had been injured and unconscious during a mission.

Su Wenxu had woken up and was catching up on missed official duties, calling Shen Tingyu to ask about some details.

Shen Tingyu said, "Captain Su mentioned that there are a few points he wants to confirm with Xu Qingran regarding Xu Qingan."

Xu Qingran took the communicator.

Only then did Xu Qingran learn from Su Wenxu that they had later found the underground floor where he had been lured. They had captured many people and found a dozen men in a deep room, all high on illegal drugs.

They were found a little too late.

They were all sprawled on the ground, completely wasted.

Xu Qingan, however, was nowhere to be found.

He probably got away beforehand. But even if they’d found him, he’d probably have been treated as a victim.

Xu Qingran had the upper hand—something that could ruin Xu Qingan—so he wasn’t worried.

When would be the perfect time to use it?

He narrowed his eyes, thinking—when was Xu Qingan and Lu Cheng’s wedding again? That day would be perfect, wouldn’t it?

Just imagining his devious plan made Xu Qingran grin so wide, his fox tail nearly popped out.

Until he heard Su Wenxu ask him, "By the way, I heard from Shen Tingyu that you reversed the drug on the person who tried to harm you that day? We’re going through the items now. Did you find anything else illegal on him?"

Xu Qingran answered, his expression unchanged. "No."

"He only had one dose."

Su Wenxu: "Alright."

"We’ll check the surveillance footage to see what happened. Regarding the person you mentioned, if you want to press charges against him, we’ll need to find decisive evidence first. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know."

Xu Qingran: "Thank you."

With that, Su Wenxu ended the call.

He was still in his hospital bed at the time, with police officers coming and going by his side.

Su Wenxu fiddled with the light panel for a while before it finally hit him—something wasn’t right.

Shen Tingyu had said that the person who worked with him that day was actually Xu Qingran.

And Shen Tingyu had just announced that Xu Qingran was his boyfriend...?

Su Wenxu was speechless for a moment.

His brain felt like it was overheating.

Night.

Shen Tingyu was in the study, meeting with his team to discuss future cleanup plans.

Xu Qingran, now in his pajamas, sat in the bedroom, holding a syringe with its slender needle aimed at the spirit mark on the back of his hand.

But his hand, gripping the needle, wouldn’t stop shaking.

Despite his calm and composed expression, the slight trembling of his pupils gave away the fear and aversion deep inside him.

His whole body felt like it was crawling with insects, making him shudder with discomfort. The nausea hit him again, making his face go pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

After a moment, the syringe slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor.

He clapped a hand over his mouth, bolted to the bathroom, and threw up violently. As he washed up at the sink, he spotted a small knife and almost reached for it to cut himself again.

The system stopped him: 「Host!」

「This body is clean, you're fine!」

Xu Qingran washed his face.

He covered his eyes with his hand, let out a breath, and said, "I know."

He still couldn't get past the mental block.

He knew this drug wasn't like the addictive stuff from his past life—it was just a one-time thing. He also knew the hospital drugs were safe—they wouldn't hurt him or stay in his system.

But the idea of something being injected into him still terrified him.

·

The tension between the two camps had been building for a while, almost unnoticed.

Finally, the Empire decided to have the top representatives from both camps hold a joint press conference, trying to find the best solution.

Naturally, those two were Mu Ziyue and Mu Ziyu.

A few days before the talks, Xu Qingran received a call from Mu Ziyu.

He begged for help: "I can't deal with Mu Ziyue on my own. You're quick with comebacks, fearless, and don't back down. Can you come with me and back me up?"

Xu Qingran, annoyed, asked, "What do I get out of it?"

Mu Ziyu: "...I'll owe you one, deal?"

Xu Qingran liked the sound of that.

As it happened, he'd been pretty annoyed with Mu Ziyue lately, so he agreed to Mu Ziyu's request.

On the day of the joint representative meeting between the two camps, the place was packed with media.

The whole thing was even streamed live across the Empire, with official TV stations also airing it simultaneously.

It was easy to imagine how many people were paying attention.

During the negotiations, both Mu Ziyu and Mu Ziyue brought a few people with them.

Generally, these were civil officials skilled in negotiation, so when Xu Qingran, a military colonel, appeared, it drew considerable attention.

People online were confused.

"What is Young Master Xu doing here?"

"Isn't the relationship between Young Master Xu and the Third Prince terrible? Why are they appearing together?"

"I'm also shocked. Just before they took the stage, these two were whispering to each other! Am I remembering wrong?"

On the stage, Mu Ziyu leaned closer to Xu Qingran: "I asked you to come, but don’t push it too far."

"Mu Ziyue is, after all, the eldest prince and the top commander of the Golden Wing Battalion. He has many supporters. Don’t stir up trouble for yourself. If you cross the line, I won’t be able to cover for you."

"Got it," Xu Qingran said casually.

He’d keep his temper in check.

The meeting between the two battalions officially began as the host announced.

Just as Mu Ziyu reached for the mic, Xu Qingran suddenly stood up next to him.

He even walked around the table, slowly making his way toward the Golden Wing Battalion’s side.

Mu Ziyu: "…?"

What the hell is Xu Qingran doing now? With everyone watching, he wouldn’t publicly jump ship and humiliate me, would he?

If Xu Qingran pulled that, he’d be furious!

Xu Qingran stopped in front of Mu Ziyue at the Golden Wing Battalion.

He gave him a once-over with a smirk and said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "Before we start, I’ve got something to say to the Golden Wing Battalion’s top commander."

Mu Ziyue glared up at him, his eyes dark and menacing.

He made no move to get up.

Xu Qingran didn’t mind.

With a smirk, before anyone could react, he suddenly swung a hard punch at Mu Ziyue’s face.

It happened so fast that Mu Ziyue didn’t even have time to blink.

The impact sent Mu Ziyue and his chair flying, crashing hard to the ground.

The room went dead silent—even the camera shutters froze.

Everyone was in shock.

Only Xu Qingran stayed cool, his eyes dripping with disdain.

He said to Mu Ziyue, "What a joke. You’re not cut out to lead the Golden Wing Battalion."

The room was dead quiet.

Mu Ziyu was speechless: "…"

Damn.

He was a total idiot to think bringing Xu Qingran would actually help him!!!