Chapter 153

Chapter 153

Before Leaving

If they could figure out those seeds were special, others could too. If they arrived first but the benefits went to someone else, they’d be the joke of the town.

Qiao Lu sneered, “No one else is getting those seeds. They’ll be ours.”

Wu Chang, seeing her confidence, speculated about her hidden knowledge. Unlike Qiao Lu—who might have backing and connections—he relied solely on himself. This was his chance to make his mark, and he wouldn’t let anyone ruin it.

While Qiao Lu was patting herself on the back for being clever, she didn’t realize her actions had raised red flags for Nan Nan.

She hadn’t suspected anything at first, but after talking with Lu Hang, she realized Qiao Lu wasn’t some nobody. Logically, this matter shouldn’t have involved her. Yet since her arrival, her every move—though all sweet talk and no substance—had been provocative, as if she didn’t take Lu Hang seriously at all. That reeked of an ulterior motive.

Suddenly, the puppet master behind it all felt right on the tip of her tongue.

Without hesitation, she voiced her suspicion: “The person pulling the strings must know Qiao Lu once had feelings for you and sent her deliberately to stir things up. But Qiao Lu isn’t innocent either—she must’ve gotten some inside info. She’s playing along on the surface but has her own agenda, making her act like amateur hour with more holes than Swiss cheese.”

Lu Hang went rigid at the implication, unwilling to believe it.

If Qiao Lu’s backer truly intended to move against him, that person might be close to him—a gut punch of betrayal he couldn’t bear.

Seeing his silence, Lin Nannan pressed on. “You’ve been chasing your tail trying to figure out why you were targeted. What if the answer is someone you never even considered? Someone so familiar you overlooked them completely, which is why you found no clues?”

Lu Hang pressed his lips together, silent. He knew Lin Nannan’s guess was likely right—but the truth would be radioactive.

Anyone capable of manipulating Qiao Lu must move in powerful circles. If such a person had betrayed them, leading to the deaths of so many comrades—how do you come back from that?

“If we can find out who’s behind Qiao Lu, we might uncover who wants you dead,” Lin Nannan said softly. Seeing his continued silence, she sighed. “Mourn later, but remember—if someone like this is sitting at Commander Zhang’s right hand, more lives will be lost…”

At the mention of the fallen, something snapped behind Lu Hang’s eyes.

“They’ll answer for every drop of blood,” he gritted out.

For himself, for his fallen comrades, and for those still alive.

“Of course,” Lin Nannan agreed. “But you’ll need smoking gun evidence to bring them down. Otherwise, no amount of words will matter.”

Lu Hang gazed at the familiar village scenery, struck by how the seasons had turned without him. He remembered the cold that settled in his marrow the day he was carried back, lifeless and bleak. Now, everything thrived again.

“Nan Nan, I’m blowing this popsicle stand,” he finally decided.

“What?” Lin Nannan blinked, not quite understanding.

His voice was icy, like a blade on a hair trigger. “Qiao Lu’s real target is me. I can’t sit around waiting for her next move. Given what she’s capable of, I need to leave now—to find Commander Zhang, get help, and warn him.”

“But what about your parents?” she asked.

“I’ll tell them tonight before they’re ready to go, then leave first thing tomorrow morning,” he said firmly.

Lin Nannan understood. His absence would shift the crosshairs off the Lu household. Without him as the main target, their enemies wouldn’t risk harming his family.

“You can’t go alone,” she warned. “If you vanish suddenly, they’ll know you’ve recovered. The journey would be too dangerous.”

“Then A Ming will come with me. We’ll say his school has urgent business, and since the family’s busy, I’m tagging along. Let them chew on that story—no explanations needed,” he said coolly.

Lin Nannan nodded. “Alright. You leave tomorrow. Get everything ready tonight so you’re not caught empty-handed on the road.”

Neither was the melodramatic type, and knowing the urgency of the situation, they didn’t hesitate.

After returning home, the two started packing their things. When the Lu family returned from work, Lin Nannan called Lu Fang and his wife into the room, saying she needed to talk to them. Zhang Xiaofeng glanced at Lu Fang, wondering what the newlyweds wanted, but she didn’t delay. After brushing off the dust, she entered her son’s room…

“What’s the matter?” Zhang Xiaofeng asked as soon as they stepped inside. When she noticed Lin Nannan closing the door out of the corner of her eye, she grew even more confused.

“Mom, Dad,” Lu Hang, seated in his wheelchair, lifted his head slightly to meet their eyes. Then, under their bewildered gazes, he slowly stood up…

“Hmm?” The couple replied automatically, but when they saw Lu Hang rise to his feet, they exchanged a glance, completely lost.

“Why are you standing if you’re hurt?” Zhang Xiaofeng, unable to process it, blurted out reflexively.

“Yeah, with your injuries… can you even stand?” Lu Fang chimed in. But as the realization hit him, his breathing hitched, his whole body tensing up…

“How… how can you stand? The doctors said you wouldn’t recover!” he asked, fighting the urge to yell in disbelief.

He’d been crushed by despair after seeing his son like that. But with the family relying on him, he couldn’t afford to fall apart, fearing his own despair might push his son toward something drastic.

Now, watching his supposedly irrecoverable son not only stand but walk step by step toward them, he trembled with emotion, completely overwhelmed.

Zhang Xiaofeng had no time to react before Lu Hang embraced her. “Dad, Mom, I’m healed!”

“Wha—” That broke her. She started crying, unable to hold back the flood of relief, despair, helplessness, and heartache she had endured for her son.

Lu Hang rubbed her back in silence, waiting for her to calm down. When her emotions settled slightly, Lu Fang finally asked, “What happened? The doctors said there was no chance of recovery. You didn’t see anyone after coming back from the city. How did you get better?”

“Dad, I didn’t seek treatment, but I’ve been taking medicine every day.” Lu Hang’s gaze softened as he looked at Lin Nannan beside him.

Lu Fang stared, stunned. “You mean… what others couldn’t cure, Lin Nannan could?”

“Yes. Her medicine is what helped me recover. I’ve been training all this time, but I didn’t want to get your hopes up in case it didn’t work. That’s why I waited until I was fully healed to tell you,” he explained, worried they might misunderstand.

Zhang Xiaofeng wiped her tears and scolded, “Such a big thing, and you didn’t tell us! You made Nannan take care of you all by herself. If you’d said something, we could’ve helped with your training and spared her the hardship!”

“I wasn’t tired. He practiced in the backyard later, and A Jian and A Da were there to help,” Lin Nannan clarified, changing the subject. “Mom, Dad, A Hang called you in because he has something important to say.”

Familiar with their son’s tone when discussing missions, Lu Fang and his wife exchanged a look, bracing for bad news. Sure enough, their son said, “Mom, Dad, I’m going back to the military.”

“Why? You’ve already been discharged!” Zhang Xiaofeng asked, panicked.

After seeing her son in that state, only to have him recover, all she wanted was for him to live safely. She no longer cared about achievements or glory—nothing mattered more than his life.

She’d almost lost him before and couldn’t bear to go through it again…

Lu Hang understood, but this time, he had no choice.

If none of this had happened, he might have accepted his lost dreams and lived happily with Nan Nan.

But with enemies lurking, ready to strike at any moment, he couldn’t just sit around.

“Mom, do you remember what happened before?” he asked.

Zhang Xiaofeng went still, her face draining of color. “Y-you mean…”

“They’ve already reached into the village. Do you think they’ll stop? Capture one, and another will come. I have no idea what’s going on—I’m completely passive. If I’m killed, I won’t even know why. This time, I have to get to the bottom of it. I have to catch the person behind this before they hurt our family,” he said firmly, his resolve clear.

“But… shouldn’t Commander Zhang handle this?” Zhang Xiaofeng still resisted.

Lu Hang sighed softly and said, "Mom, counting on others is worse than counting on yourself. First they took Li Zhang and his crew, then Qiao Lu and her people showed up. One incident after another might end up dragging our family into it, so no matter what, I have to go this time."

If he hadn’t recovered, he would have been like a lamb to the slaughter—completely helpless, with no way to fight back.

But now that he was better, he absolutely couldn’t let things continue this way. He had to resolve everything and bring peace back to the family.

"Listen to our son!" Lu Fang was also reluctant, but he could see their son had told them precisely because he wanted their cooperation. He comforted his wife by saying, "We can't stand in his way."

That shut down any protest from Zhang Xiaofeng, and in the end, she could only nod in agreement. But then she buried her face in Lu Fang’s shoulder, muffling quiet sobs…

Lin Nannan knew Zhang Xiaofeng was worried about Lu Hang’s safety and wanted to reassure her, but she was afraid that if she promised—that if Lu Hang came back breathing, she could fix him up—Zhang Xiaofeng might grab her and hit her… In the end, she pressed her lips together and calmly remained silent.

Lu Hang also felt terrible, but in the end, he didn’t soften his resolve.