Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Shen Yan took ten minutes to change. When he was ready, Hu Chengyu glanced at him. He wore a plain black T-shirt and loose black pants that accentuated his long, slender legs, making him look incredibly attractive.

Hu Chengyu’s eyes lingered on Shen Yan’s bare arms.

Cloud City had a warm climate, and even someone as fit as Shen Yan would sweat if he wore a jacket at night.

His skin was so pale that it almost glowed against the dark fabric of the T-shirt.

For a moment, it was hard to tell if he was trying to blend in or stand out.

"Let’s go," Shen Yan said.

Hu Chengyu rubbed his temple but didn’t say anything.

Cloud City’s tourism industry was booming, and even at night, the streets were bustling with tourists.

Shen Yan seemed lost in thought, walking beside Hu Chengyu. He was on edge, eyeing everyone suspiciously.

When Shen Yan nearly got bumped into for the third time, Hu Chengyu grabbed his arm. "Watch where you're going," he said.

"I am watching the road," Shen Yan insisted.

After walking down another street, Shen Yan finally noticed they were going the wrong way.

"This isn’t the way to the old man’s shop," Shen Yan pointed out.

Hu Chengyu didn’t respond. After what felt like an eternity, Shen Yan was suddenly yanked into an alley. Startled, he was about to shout when a hand clamped over his mouth.

Hu Chengyu glanced back at him and whispered, "Shh! Two more alleys, and we’ll be at Tang Yun’s place."

In the dim light, they were pressed closely together, Shen Yan’s side practically flush against Hu Chengyu’s.

Through the fabric, Shen Yan could feel the warmth of Hu Chengyu’s body.

The closeness made Shen Yan uncomfortable, and he wanted to pull away.

But Hu Chengyu’s arm was locked around his shoulder like a vice, and Shen Yan couldn’t budge.

The alley was far enough from the market that they could only faintly hear the distant bustle.

Just as Shen Yan was about to break free from Hu Chengyu’s grip, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.

The footsteps were heavy and quick, suggesting a group of people in a hurry.

The footsteps belonged to a group of people—likely men, judging by their size—and they were moving fast.

"Stay here, Shen Yan. I’ll check it out and be right back," Hu Chengyu said.

Shen Yan grabbed the edge of Hu Chengyu’s shirt and shook his head. "No, it’s too dangerous. We should call the police."

"I already called the police," Hu Chengyu replied.

He hadn’t expected them to move so fast; the police hadn’t arrived yet.

The darkness always brings out fear, and after seeing that group pass by, Shen Yan couldn’t help but feel scared.

Shen Yan suddenly looked up at Hu Chengyu, his gaze sharp. "These guys are planning to attack the old man? How did you find out?"

"Yeah," Hu Chengyu confirmed, "Stay here. I'll be right back."

There was no way Shen Yan was going to let that happen.

Before he could protest, Hu Chengyu pulled a tie out of his pocket.

A tie? What was he thinking?

In the next instant, Shen Yan felt his hands being pinned behind his back, his wrists bound by the tie.

It wasn’t too tight, but Shen Yan knew he wouldn’t be able to break free with his strength.

Shen Yan stared at Hu Chengyu in disbelief. "Let me go!"

Seeing Shen Yan’s frustration, Hu Chengyu’s lips curved into a smug smile. "Feel free to shout. Even if someone hears you—or if those guys from earlier do—it probably won’t end well for you. And if a passerby happens by, they might just think..."

Still fuming, Shen Yan pressed on without a second thought. "What do you mean?"

Hu Chengyu’s voice dropped to a low whisper. "They’d probably think it’s some kind of... kinky scene."

W-What is he talking about?

Shen Yan finally caught on. In this dark alley, with his hands tied behind him...

No, this wasn’t some kinky scene. This was a crime scene!

"If you come with me, I’ll be distracted. You need to stay here."

But before Shen Yan could even process what was happening, the distant sound of something smashing broke the silence.

"Don’t worry, the cops are already on their way. I’ll be fine."

With that, he turned and hurried off.

Shen Yan’s heart raced, and his panic grew by the second.

After what felt like an eternity, Shen Yan finally heard the sound of a car approaching.

"Over here! This way!" Shen Yan called out.

Though they were in plain clothes, their presence exuded authority, making them easy to spot.

One of them quickly untied Shen Yan, and the group rushed toward the old man’s house.

When Shen Yan arrived, Hu Chengyu was surrounded by four attackers, with three others already lying on the ground. One of them was wielding an iron rod, aiming for Hu Chengyu’s back.

"Look out!"

In the next instant, Hu Chengyu executed a perfect back kick, striking the attacker’s jaw and sending him crashing to the ground.

With the arrival of the three plainclothes officers, the situation was quickly brought under control.

In total, there were eight people involved, including Tang Zhenglin.

Hu Chengyu seemed to know the three plainclothes officers. After exchanging a few words, they left with a group of people.

The old man was also taken away.

As one of the involved parties, Hu Chengyu should have gone to give a statement, but his injured arm prevented him from doing so.

The wound was a deep gash, about seven or eight centimeters long, and just the sight of it made Shen Yan's scalp tingle.

He wanted to examine Hu Chengyu's wound but hesitated, his hand trembling as it hovered in the air.

"Let's... let's go to the hospital," he stammered, his voice shaky.

Hu Chengyu frowned at Shen Yan. "I'm fine. It's just a minor injury."

Shen Yan swallowed hard, forcing himself to stay calm. "We need to go to the hospital."

Seeing the determination in Shen Yan's eyes, Hu Chengyu didn't argue any further.

By the time they left the hospital, it was already midnight.

The night air was chilly, and Shen Yan hugged his arms tightly as he walked quietly beside Hu Chengyu.

"Hu Chengyu," Shen Yan called softly.

"How did you know Tang Zhenglin would cause trouble with the old man?"

Hu Chengyu: "Just a guess."

Earlier, when the old man saw them off, Hu Chengyu had noticed some old scars on him.

He also asked the innkeeper a few questions and learned that the old man planned to donate the family heirloom jade carving to the city museum.

The old man had already contacted the museum staff, leaving little time for Tang Zhenglin to act.

Tang Zhenglin's visit to the old man during the day was likely their final attempt at negotiation.

After hearing Hu Chengyu's explanation, Shen Yan asked, "I have one more question. Will you answer me?"

"What is it?"

Shen Yan: "Did you deliberately confront Tang Zhenglin and his group by yourself?"

Hu Chengyu fell silent, offering no response.

His silence was as good as an admission.

Shen Yan's voice wavered with emotion and fear. "Why? Did you even consider what would happen if they were a group of ruthless thugs? What if something happened to you..."

"Repaying a debt," Hu Chengyu said, his voice low and cold.

Shen Yan was stunned, staring at him in disbelief.

Hu Chengyu: "Since Mr. Tang wasn't willing to do business, I had to find another way."

Shen Yan had always thought Hu Chengyu was just a bit cold, but now he felt like a stranger.

For a moment, it felt like he didn't recognize the man standing before him.

Hu Chengyu, noticing Shen Yan's stunned expression, leaned in with a smirk. "Scared of me now?"

"I figured you were staying away because you were afraid of me."

Shen Yan frowned, meeting Hu Chengyu's gaze. He knew Hu Chengyu was lying.

"I’m not avoiding you because I’m afraid of you," Shen Yan said, holding his gaze. "I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea."

"Besides, your tactics aren’t aimed at me, so why would I be afraid?"

Hu Chengyu had expected Shen Yan to tremble, with red-rimmed eyes, or...

Maybe I’ve misunderstood Shen Yan a little?

*

In the end, they left on bad terms.

The next day, Shen Yan woke up late, having returned to the inn in the middle of the night.

The common room was empty except for the innkeeper, as the other guests had already headed out to explore.

The innkeeper was chatting with a local in the local dialect, and Shen Yan could only make out snippets about the Tang family.

When the innkeeper spotted Shen Yan coming down, he waved his fan and called out, "Hey Shen, come here! I’ve got some good news for you."

"Tang the Mute’s son has been arrested, and this time, no one can save him."

"They’ve rounded up a lot of people, and..." the innkeeper whispered, "I heard that higher-ups have sent inspectors, and some people won’t be able to slip through."

Shen Yan understood that the ‘some people’ the innkeeper was referring to were the ones protecting Tang Zhenglin.

After chatting with the innkeeper for a bit, Shen Yan said, "Hey, if Hu Chengyu comes looking for me, tell him I went for a walk."

"Where are you going?"

Shen Yan suddenly turned and saw Hu Chengyu standing behind him, though he hadn’t noticed when Hu Chengyu had arrived.

He was wearing a sports T-shirt, with a bandage wrapped around his right arm.

The innkeeper asked, "Hey, what happened to you, Hu?"

"Just a fall," Hu Chengyu said, his eyes never leaving Shen Yan.

The innkeeper muttered, "You’re usually more careful than this..."

Shen Yan didn’t bother hiding it. "I’m going to see Mr. Tang."

"I’ll go with you."

Shen Yan started to protest. "No need..."

"My arm’s hurting," Hu Chengyu said, his voice flat and expressionless.

Shen Yan: ...

What could he do? He had no choice but to agree.

Despite what had happened the night before, the old man’s shop was still open.

"Wait for me outside," Shen Yan said.

While Hu Chengyu had a point, Shen Yan didn’t feel right about pressuring an elderly man.

Hu Chengyu let out a soft scoff. "Fine, have it your way."

Shen Yan realized he might be overthinking things. After all, the old man already knew he and Hu Chengyu were friends, and he had been there yesterday anyway.

It wouldn’t matter either way if Hu Chengyu came in or not.

Thankfully, Hu Chengyu didn’t push the issue.

Shen Yan walked into the shop alone. The old man, seated behind the counter, glanced up at him without a hint of surprise.

“Mr. Tang, we met yesterday. I’m Shen Yan.”

The old man didn’t respond.

This wasn’t Shen Yan’s first time negotiating. Once he settled into his rhythm, his tone became serious. “Mr. Tang, I know you have a mutated Alexandrite cat’s eye.”

“Alexandrite cat’s eyes are incredibly rare, and the one you have is especially unique. In exchange, I can offer a Dragon Stone jadeite of equivalent market value.”

“I think you’re looking for a Dragon Stone jadeite, Mr. Tang.”

When Shen Yan entered, Mr. Tang had briefly glanced up before returning his focus to the carving knife in his hand.

It wasn’t until he heard “Dragon Stone” that he looked up again, this time giving Shen Yan his full attention.

After a pause, he asked, “What’s your connection to Shu Qianfei?”

Hearing his mother’s name from the old man, Shen Yan’s expression turned surprised.

“She’s my mother.”

Shen Yan wasn’t sure what kind of relationship Mr. Tang had with his mother, especially after learning from the innkeeper that when Tang Yun returned to Cloud City, he was disheartened and bitter.

It seemed like he had faced some unfair treatment and had since resigned himself to running this small shop, defeated.

Could there have been some past conflict between them?

Mr. Tang didn’t press further about Shu Qianfei. Instead, he asked, “When did I ever say I needed a Dragon Stone?” His voice was raspy and rough.

Shen Yan pointed to an old, worn notebook nearby. “I saw your design sketches spread out yesterday, covered in notes. It looks like this project means a lot to you.”

“The centerpiece of the necklace has been revised multiple times, suggesting you’re still searching for the perfect gem or jade.”

“Based on the overall design, the most fitting centerpiece would be a Dragon Stone jade.”

The old man listened to Shen Yan’s analysis, a glint of appreciation in his eyes. “You’ve got more talent than Shu Qianfei.”

Author’s Note: Writing three thousand words feels like such slow progress! Pushing for six thousand words a day [fist clenched!!!]