Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sure enough, the wheelchair was parked at the far end of the corridor on the terrace.

Ruan Yunchu had his back to him, a thin scarf draped over his shoulders, his expression cold and grim.

"Young Master."

Yan Zhuo hurried over and crouched down without hesitation, his gaze burning as he looked at the face he had longed for day and night, not moving away for a moment.

Ruan Yunchu glanced at him, his attitude indifferent. "How's the evidence collection going?"

"Enough to destroy the Qin family," Yan Zhuo said with a bright grin. "But Young Master, you seem to have lost some weight lately. Have you been eating properly again?"

Ignoring his latter remark, Ruan Yunchu handed him an ID card. "Use this to send a message to those people who came to the Ruan family before. Send all the evidence to them."

"Dogs biting each other. Interesting."

Yan Zhuo guessed his intention and reached out to take the card, but before Ruan Yunchu could withdraw his hand, he wrapped his cold, slender fingers—along with the ID card—in his own hand.

"Young Master's hands are so cold. Let me warm them for you."

Ruan Yunchu glanced at him without any reaction.

"These past few days, I've heard Qin Jingli talk a lot about Young Master's past. It makes me care for you even more," Yan Zhuo said deliberately, feeling the hand he held stiffen slightly, then he lowered his gaze with lingering satisfaction. "It seems I need to be even better to you in the future."

"..."

Ruan Yunchu gradually lost his patience. "Let go."

Yan Zhuo was a little displeased but still didn't release his grip. "You have to give me a definite answer. When can I come back?"

Having been around Qin Jingli for so long, he felt disgusted deep down. Every night, he could only think of Young Master to get some sleep.

Of course, he couldn't say any of this out loud, or else, given Young Master's temper, he'd be given the cold shoulder again.

Really hard to please.

Ruan Yunchu shot him a glance, his eyes devoid of any emotion. "Have you completed your task?"

"It won't take much longer," Yan Zhuo said, his eyes narrowing. "And what I'm bringing you will far exceed your expectations."

He always had a handle on things and never promised what he couldn't deliver. Even though Ruan Yunchu didn't particularly like him, he couldn't deny that. So he simply reached out and patted his face.

"Then let's see what good news you can bring back."

-

But two days later, news of a new breakthrough in the assassination case by the Coalition Army immediately shot to the top of the StarNet headlines.

Yan Zhuo had been lounging in his room. The moment he saw the news break, before he could even feel happy, he heard an outburst of fury from downstairs.

"Find out who it is! I want to know!"

By the time Yan Zhuo was summoned to the front hall, he was met by the furious Qin Jingli. As an S-level alpha, his pheromones were radiating, his oppressive aura nearly overwhelming the entire hall.

Unlike the others' nervousness, Yan Zhuo strode in as if nothing were wrong. He met Qin Jingli's suspicious gaze without a trace of fear.

"Yan Zhuo, was it you?"

Qin Jingli came up to him, his eyes full of investigation.

Yan Zhuo didn't show any sign of grievance. Instead, he let out a sarcastic laugh and said, "If you don't trust me, just tell me to leave. Why play this charade?"

His attitude was too firm and indifferent, which actually made Qin Jingli pause for a moment.

"I'll get to the bottom of this. Until then, none of you are allowed to leave the Qin residence."

"Yes."

The whole room of people bowed their heads in agreement, but Yan Zhuo didn't even move. After it was over, he turned around and walked away directly.

"Azhuo, stay a moment."

Yan Zhuo stopped in his tracks. Once everyone else had left, Qin Jingli came over and put his arm around his shoulder.

Unlike his cold tone with others, he now had a smile on his face, quite enthusiastic. "I was just going through the formalities. Everyone knows you're the one I trust the most. Don't take it personally."

"I understand," Yan Zhuo said.

Qin Jingli patted his shoulder reassuringly. "I'm glad you understand. We'll find out the situation this afternoon. My dad has already been taken away by the Coalition Army. We need to act fast and find the real culprit."

Yan Zhuo pretended to be curious. "And then?"

"Get him to drop the charges, or our family is doomed."

Qin Jingli's eyes turned fierce. When his gaze fell on Yan Zhuo, he relaxed a little. "I'm relying on you."

"Okay."

Yan Zhuo agreed, but he was very interested in how things would unfold.

-

That afternoon, Qin Jingli indeed got the news. After learning it, he was furious.

"Those bastards who only know how to suck up to the Ruan family dare to expose us! They must have gotten some nerve!"

He was furious, while Chang Lian had already cried her eyes out. "What do we do now?! You have to get your dad out first, or the Qin family is finished!"

"Of course I know, but it's not easy to get him out now. They're pretty clever—they exposed us and then immediately left Sector A, making sure I can't reach them." Qin Jingli's face turned cold, and he turned to Yan Zhuo among his subordinates. "Azhuo, come with me tonight. We'll intercept them."

Yan Zhuo raised an eyebrow, surprised he had that kind of nerve. He nodded, looking interested.

"Sure."

-

Late at night, at the Ruan residence.

After the operation began, Chen Quan informed Ruan Yunchu that the branch of the Ruan family was leaving Sector A that night. He hesitated for a moment.

"Qin Jingli will probably make his move tonight. The Coalition hasn't convicted Qin Zhancheng yet—probably because he used connections on the inside. If they catch those people and then overturn the charges, what do we do?"

Ruan Yunchu was indifferent. "If they're caught, then they're caught. Whether it's the Ruan or the Qin family, anyone getting into trouble is good news for me."

"But what about Yan Zhuo..." Chen Quan grew uneasy. "Qin Jingli is impulsive, but he's not an idiot. Once he meets them, he'll figure it out. Wouldn't that put Yan Zhuo in danger?"

"Don't you know I can't stand him?" Ruan Yunchu smirked slightly. "If something happens to him, that's good news for me too."

Chen Quan: "..."

He sighed helplessly, at a loss for words.

Time passed, and it was already late at night. Normally, Young Master would have gone to bed by now, but he was still sitting by the window, dazed and thoughtful.

Chen Quan stayed with him. Before long, a sudden burst of ringing erupted in the room.

He looked around and realized it was the young master's terminal ringing.

Just as he was about to remind him, Ruan Yunchu had already lifted his wrist to glance at it and answered the call.

It was a video call. Unlike his own leisurely demeanor, the person on the other end was standing in the sea breeze, and Qin Jingli's eyes held a hint of madness.

"Yunchu, guess where I am?"

Ruan Yunchu looked at him coldly. "What's that to me?"

Qin Jingli gritted his teeth, then turned the terminal to face the group of people on the other side. They were the members of the Ruan family's branch who were supposed to leave the A District tonight. They were disheveled and frantic upon seeing Ruan Yunchu.

"Save us! Qin Jingli's gone crazy!"

Before they could finish, the one who had just spoken got violently kicked in the side, his expression twisted in pain.

Ruan Yunchu's expression never changed. He watched the scene with detached calm.

"I knew you couldn't care less about them," Qin Jingli glared at him. "I only just realized now that this is all your doing. How did I never realize you were this ruthless?"

"If that's all, I'm going to get some rest." The corner of Ruan Yunchu's mouth lifted slightly.

But before he could hang up, Qin Jingli suddenly called out, "You don't care about these people, but what about him?"

As the words fell, the stun gun in his hand immediately aimed at Yan Zhuo, who was standing beside him.

Yan Zhuo had his arms crossed, keeping an eye on the bound figures on the pier. At this, he raised an eyebrow, a surprised expression on his face.

"Master Qin, what are you—?"

Qin Jingli was clearly enraged to the point of losing reason. "Did you really think you could lead me around by the nose? I knew from the beginning that you were sent by Ruan Yunchu. Why do you think I trusted you with important tasks? I wanted to wring some benefit out of you. But you turned out to have skills I didn't anticipate."

He had already been wary of Yan Zhuo, even posting guards throughout the whole house. Yet Yan Zhuo still found a way in.

[glitched text]

Just as he had previously underestimated Ruan Yunchu, he hadn't been cautious enough with Yan Zhuo either. How could these people be so calculating?

Before he could work it out, Ruan Yunchu let out a soft laugh from the other end of the call, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.

"A traitor? You expect to use him to threaten me?"

By now, Qin Jingli's mind was frighteningly clear. He wasn't thrown off by Ruan Yunchu's words; the muzzle pressed firmly against Yan Zhuo's temple.

Yan Zhuo kept his arms crossed even with the gun at his temple, appearing calm and composed. But seeing Ruan Yunchu's indifferent expression on the video, he feigned a wounded look.

"Young Master Ruan, you're not going to save me?"

Qin Jingli looked between the two of them and without hesitation, hissed, "If you drop the charges now, I'll spare your trusted man. He's skilled, so he must be important to you, right?"

But no matter what he said, Ruan Yunchu stayed completely unperturbed.

"Qin Jingli, if you want to kill him, go ahead. You don't need my permission. That kind of fence-sitter means nothing to me."

Ruan Yunchu looked away and slowly began to turn his wheelchair away.

The video glitched for a second, and his last indifferent words drifted out.

"If you want to kill him, better do it fast. Otherwise, I'm afraid a useless fool like you won't even get the chance to say your final words."

"The video was disconnected, and silence once again filled the room.

Chen Quan had heard everything, his heart thumping with anxiety. "Young Master, Qin Jingli is impulsive. What if he really harms Yan Zhuo?"

He had been carefully observing the background of the video; Qin Jingli had brought many people. Even if Yan Zhuo could dodge the gunshot, he wouldn't be able to escape from so many.

"Then it's up to his luck. No one gets to threaten me."

Ruan Yunchu kept his usual cold, detached demeanor, his emotions showing no ripple.

"...The night grew deeper, and the Ruan residence was pitch black.

A soft melody filled the room. In the faint light, there was suddenly movement at the window.

The person in bed wasn't fast asleep. Stirring awake, he noticed a dark silhouette had appeared next to him out of nowhere.

The strong stench of smoke and blood hit him, making him frown with discomfort.

"Get out."

Yan Zhuo didn't leave. In fact, he dared to touch his face. His ever-smiling, cold face was now full of menace.

"Young Master, I barely made it out alive, and here you are sleeping soundly."

Ruan Yunchu looked at him impatiently. "You're not dead, are you?"

"That's because I'm lucky." Yan Zhuo's fingers traced the line of his jaw, but his gaze uncontrollably drifted to those soft lips.

He thought, after all the effort he had put in to help the young master, he should be able to collect a reward now.

"Young Master, I've completed another task, so that means I get another chance to make a demand, right?" His voice was vague, full of implication.

Ruan Yunchu had just woken up and was still groggy. He said coldly, "Tell me when you've made up your mind."

Yan Zhuo had indeed contributed a lot this time; he wouldn't be stingy about that.

"I've already decided."

Yan Zhuo wet his lips and leaned in expectantly. Before the young master could react, he cupped his cheek and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Up close, the sweet scent coming from his fair skin was intoxicating. Yan Zhuo was almost mesmerized, instinctively wanting to press against those lips, but the person beneath him suddenly stiffened and shoved him away.

With a sharp *smack*, a slap landed on his face, turning his head to the side.