Chapter 24

Chapter 24

In the dead of night, every flicker of light in the industrial complex was a clue. Lu Huainan scoured the area for illumination. Shen Liuyun's car followed closely, entering the same factory zone, just missing the vehicle Lu Huainan had summoned.

"Sir, did the person in your car get off here?"

The driver poked his head out. "Yes, it’s truly odd—coming to such a desolate, remote place in the middle of the night..."

Shen Liuyun surveyed his surroundings. He couldn’t risk tipping them off; their people were undoubtedly nearby. So, he found a hidden spot to park, then rushed into the factory area. The sooner he found him, the greater the hope.

Shen Muyun looked up at Brother Shui, a faint smile playing on his lips. "What other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Bring them on. I’m game. I’ve seen plenty of freaks, but you’re the first who’s into turning people into art pieces."

Brother Shui eyed the whip in his hand, still smeared with Shen Muyun's blood, and instantly grew excited. "Shen Muyun, that’s more like it. Relax. What kind of style do you prefer? I can make it happen for you. I guarantee you’ll become the most beautiful artwork. Generally speaking, the more excited you are, the more vibrant your body’s colors will be. The most beautiful state comes after extreme pleasure."

A shiver ran through Shen Muyun’s body. The prolonged standoff, combined with his exhaustion, made him feel like he was probably running a fever.

"Artwork? You’re insane. My body is covered in wounds from your beatings—it’s ruined now. As for your so-called extreme pleasure, all I feel right now is extreme discomfort."

Brother Shui closed the distance between them, grabbing him by the chin. "Shen Muyun, that’s what makes it exciting. The blue, red, purple—all natural. These are accent colors, understand? Uncomfortable, you say? But the tone of your skin is incredibly arousing. Such a hypocrite, playing hard to get."

"Madman! You’re the real madman!" Shen Muyun sank his teeth into Brother Shui’s finger, immediately tasting the metallic tang of blood. He licked his lips.

Brother Shui jerked his hand back, examined the teeth marks, and then slapped Shen Muyun across the face. "Shen Muyun, don’t get cocky. Look, your phone hasn’t made a sound for a while. Your brother and the others must be worried sick looking for you, but the feeling of not being able to find you—must be driving them crazy."

Shen Muyun laughed softly, shaking his head. "Why are you so confident they can’t find me? Let me put it this way: the biggest mistake you made was that video call. For all you know, they might've already figured out the location from the background."

Brother Shui’s expression darkened slightly. "How could that be? All factory backgrounds look pretty much the same. Enough, Shen Muyun. Just behave and become my artwork. Don’t be afraid—the pain will be over soon."

Brother Shui pulled a syringe from his pocket and moved toward Shen Muyun. Just as he was about to plunge it in, the sound of a struggle came from the doorway.

"Brother Yun, are you in there? Answer me."

Shen Muyun jolted in surprise. How could it be Lu Huainan? Of all people, it was Lu Huainan who found him. His emotions were a tumultuous mix—why was it always this person who came to his rescue first whenever he was in trouble?

When no response came from Shen Muyun, Lu Huainan’s gut told him Shen Muyun was inside. He was so close.

At the commotion outside, Brother Shui paused, the needle hovering near Shen Muyun’s cheek. "Well, well. I didn’t expect you to be right. Your reinforcements are here. I wonder who it is."

Brother Shui put the syringe away and strode out of the room. The place was a wreck.

"So it’s the young master of the Lu family. My apologies for not greeting you properly."

Lu Huainan’s eyes were bloodshot. His pristine suit was wrinkled from the earlier fight. He casually unbuttoned his jacket, tossed it aside, and smiled at the man.

"I’m here for Shen Muyun. Where is he?"

Brother Shui shrugged and shook his head. "Don’t you already know? He’s right inside. Though he's about to become a work of art. My henchmen are carving patterns on him—roses, very beautiful."

Hearing this, the beast in Lu Huainan broke free. He threw a punch, and Brother Shui’s face was already bleeding.

Instantly, the henchmen on both sides rushed toward him. Lu Huainan’s restraint was slipping away. He threw punch after punch at the men in front of him, not knowing how long it lasted. He only knew that anyone standing in his way had to be dealt with. Some didn't even have time to cry out before their throats were crushed.

Seeing Lu Huainan’s state, Brother Shui retreated a few steps into the inner room. He glanced at Shen Muyun nearby—the advantage was still his.

"Is that all you’ve got?"

Brother Shui laughed. "Oh? Don’t forget, Shen Muyun is still in my hands. He is my only leverage."

Brother Shui turned and walked straight to Shen Muyun, gripping his chin and forcing him to look up. Shen Muyun struggled slightly and caught sight of Lu Huainan.

"Lu Huainan, how did you find this place?"

"Brother Yun, how did I find you? Take a guess."

Brother Shui applied more pressure, and Shen Muyun gasped in pain, letting out a sharp hiss. His clothes were already half off, and the whip marks were swelling even more.

"I originally intended to negotiate with you, but it seems unnecessary now. You hurt him, and I’ll make you pay ten times over."

Lu Huainan smiled at Shen Muyun, who felt uneasy—there was something off about Lu Huainan's state.

Lu Huainan charged recklessly toward Brother Shui, landing a punch directly on his face. Blood streamed from Brother Shui’s eye socket. The hand that had been gripping Shen Muyun now moved to shield his face in defense.

Lu Huainan kicked Brother Shui in the waist, sending him flying several feet.

Seeing Brother Shui like this, the henchmen, loyal to their gang, swarmed forward. But few were any match. They were kicked away the moment they approached, without even getting close.

Seizing the opportunity, Brother Shui pressed the syringe to Shen Muyun’s neck and injected him.

In an instant, dizziness overwhelmed Shen Muyun. His fingers went completely numb. What... what’s happening? His consciousness seemed to...

Shen Muyun looked up at Lu Huainan, who was shouting something anxiously, but Shen Muyun couldn’t hear a thing.

He felt warm liquid splatter on his face. Where was Brother Shui? Where did he go...

Lu Huainan saw red, grabbed Brother Shui by the hair and slammed his head against the wall—thud, thud, thud. The henchmen tried to pull Lu Huainan’s hands away, but it was useless. He was like a machine.

"Lu Huainan! Calm down!"

When Shen Liuyun rushed in, the air was thick with the smell of blood. Bodies lay haphazardly at the entrance. The rhythmic thudding inside made him think Shen Muyun was tapping for help, but the scene before him was shocking.

Lu Huainan was dragging a man by the hair, slamming his head against the wall expressionlessly. Blood splattered, but he showed no reaction.

Shen Liuyun immediately grabbed Lu Huainan’s arm. "Lu Huainan, that’s enough. Any more, and you’ll kill him."

Lu Huainan’s eyes were unfocused. He glanced sideways at Shen Liuyun—an expression Shen Liuyun had never seen before, icy and inhuman.

"Lu Huainan, listen to me. Calm down. Mu Yun is waiting for us. He’s unconscious now."

Shen Liuyun pointed at the half-conscious Shen Muyun. Only then did Lu Huainan regain some rationality. Looking at his blood-soaked hands and the man’s mangled face, he finally stopped. He took a handkerchief from his trouser pocket and carefully wiped his hands.

"Liu Yun, I don’t know what they injected into Mu Yun. I have to take him to the hospital now. As for this place..."

Shen Liuyun nodded. "I’ll handle the cleanup here. I’ve already called the police. Don’t worry."

Lu Huainan looked at Shen Muyun. His clothes were mostly torn open, the pattern near his Adam’s apple resembling a rose, and unfinished carvings marked his shoulders. Lu Huainan shook his head, walked over, and picked Shen Muyun up.

Feeling the warmth, Shen Muyun instinctively nestled into Lu Huainan’s embrace and mumbled, "Why are you always the first to find me? What was wrong with you earlier?"

Lu Huainan paused for a moment, then quickly carried him to the car. He retrieved a change of clothes from the trunk and draped them over Shen Muyun.

"No reason. I really was the first to rescue you, so if this were a novel, you’d owe me your hand in marriage."

Shen Muyun blushed instantly, remembering the system’s task: to win over Lu Huainan. It seemed almost too easy. No, absolutely not. A person must have principles. Even to complete a task, one must uphold their life’s values.

"Ahem, Lu Huainan, earlier... I called out to you several times, but you didn’t respond at all. You just kept hitting people. Do you realize you could’ve killed someone?"

Lu Huainan lowered his head and gently stroked Shen Muyun’s temple. "Even if I had killed them, they deserved it for messing with the wrong person. Brother Yun, did I look cool?"

Lu Huainan’s expression reminded Shen Muyun of a child seeking candy after doing a good deed. He smiled as the drug’s effects gradually took hold. "Very cool, but a bit too impulsive."

Shen Muyun could hold on no longer. The physical pain, mixed with mental exhaustion, plunged him into darkness.

Lu Huainan sat in the driver’s seat, unaware of Shen Muyun’s condition in the back, muttering to himself, "Brother Yun, you know, when I heard you’d been kidnapped, my scalp went numb. I even had a stress reaction but forced myself to stay calm. When the kidnappers called, we demanded a video call. Fortunately, that video reminded me of this abandoned factory in the northern part of the city. Otherwise, you might have... Brother Yun, I really lost control earlier, but it was because I was too excited..."

Shen Muyun breathed softly. Lu Huainan heard the sound from the back seat and turned to look. "Sleep, Brother Yun. Have sweet dreams, and make sure I’m in them."