Chapter 14

Chapter 14

News of what happened to the Luo family spread quickly across the entire A district. Ruan Yunchu wasn't surprised when he heard, but Chen Quan was pleased and even went to the kitchen himself, planning to cook a big meal the next day to celebrate.

Keeping track of the time, Ruan Yunchu didn't return to his room but instead went alone to the backyard garden to wait.

He'd only been there five minutes when he heard the familiar rustling sound from outside the garden wall. The next second, a dark figure appeared in front of him. Yan Zhuo raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised.

"Young master, are you waiting for me here on purpose?"

Ruan Yunchu glanced at him, not noticing anything off in his mood, and said, "The room was too stuffy, couldn't sleep, so I came out for some air."

"Liar." Yan Zhuo chuckled softly, walked over, and knelt on one knee in front of him, taking that cold hand. "You've already heard the news, right?"

Ruan Yunchu played dumb: "What news?"

"I destroyed the stuff, but I didn't get to kill Luo Peng—just broke one of his hands. If you're not happy, I'll go again next time."

"Once was already a big deal. Now the Luo family's on high alert. You think you can pull it off again?"

Yan Zhuo looked up at his calm, composed face. He couldn't help leaning down to kiss those slender, distinct white fingers. "I told you, I'd do anything for you."

"..."

Ruan Yunchu looked down, meeting his unguarded gaze.

Two seconds later, he looked away, a rare flicker of unease crossing his face.

"You did something. Name what you want now, and I'll give it to you. But it's a one-time offer—no take-backs."

He already knew what Yan Zhuo would ask. After all, since Yan Zhuo came to his side, he'd never hidden his intentions.

"Then I'll ask now?"

Yan Zhuo's voice was low. He followed the cool touch of his fingertips, kissing up, until the young master got impatient and raised a hand to hit him. Only then did Yan Zhuo catch that hand and turn to kiss the sensitive inner wrist.

Ruan Yunchu shuddered slightly and frowned in irritation.

"If you don't spit it out, I'll—"

"Then I hope the young master starts treating his legs from tomorrow."

The serious, low voice reached his ears. Ruan Yunchu was stunned, thinking he'd misheard.

"What?"

"The young master starts treatment—that's my wish."

Sure he wasn't joking, Ruan Yunchu's expression turned complicated. "Are you serious?"

Yan Zhuo raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like I'm not serious? I think the young master is way too careless with his own body. It can be treated—why won't you let it? Is it fear of being let down? But how would you know if you don't try?"

"Where'd you hear that?"

Ruan Yunchu cut him off.

"From Uncle Chen," Yan Zhuo said, his smile gone. "Young master, I broke my left hand once. The best doctors said there was almost no chance of recovery, and the rehab was agonizing. But I pushed through. Now it's no different from a normal hand—I can even carry you around whenever I want. Isn't that a miracle?"

Ruan Yunchu said nothing.

"You said you'd grant anything. So starting tomorrow, I'll oversee you."

Ruan Yunchu took a deep breath. "Even so, I won't be swayed. Do you think words like that can move me?"

"I'd rather you not be moved. I'm no good at sweet talk. What if one day you meet someone smooth-tongued and they trick you away?" Yan Zhuo pressed that hand against his own cheek, flashing him a smile. "So, is that a yes?"

Ruan Yunchu's breathing grew heavier. After a long moment, he nodded.

Yan Zhuo let out a quiet sigh of relief and turned playful again. "Actually, I was thinking—if the young master refused, I'd switch to asking for a kiss. But I feel the latter might be more..."

The hand on his face suddenly loosened, hooked around his neck, and pulled him upward with an unyielding force.

His unfinished words melted into a kiss as light as a falling feather.

The young master lowered his long, slender lashes. In that moment, his cool, distant expression was breathtakingly beautiful. He leaned down for a fleeting, barely-touched kiss, then straightened up, his demeanor growing even colder.

"A reward for you."

He said it coldly, released his hand, pushed Yan Zhuo away, and steered his wheelchair out of the garden, leaving the man standing there frozen, unable to react for a long time.

-

The next morning, Chen Quan found Yan Zhuo sitting alone in the backyard, weeding. He was solitary, his back not seeming lonely, and as Chen Quan approached, he even caught the faint sound of humming.

"Yan Zhuo, you..."

Before he could finish, the man turned around, casually handing him a bouquet he had just arranged.

The flowers were a mix—it looked like he had taken one from every kind in the garden, now trembling in the breeze, strikingly vibrant.

"Do you think the young master would like this?"

Chen Quan stiffened. "Based on my knowledge of the young master's taste, he prefers something simpler."

"Really?" Yan Zhuo squinted, plucking out a few large blooms from the vase. "What about this?"

Chen Quan looked at the jarringly mismatched colors, closed his eyes, and decided not to comment. "If you ruin the young master's garden like this, he'll probably be angry."

"But the ones from outside aren't as pretty as these here."

Yan Zhuo grew wistful. Realizing it might be inappropriate to give someone else's flowers, he sighed. "Then maybe I should pick a different gift."

Chen Quan's gaze was complicated. "What are you planning to do with the flowers?"

"I'm going to court the young master. I saw on the star net that confessions start with a bouquet. I've been arranging this all morning." Yan Zhuo pushed the garish vase toward Chen Quan again.

Chen Quan looked away, his expression even harder to read.

"You may have done a good deed, but you can't be this reckless. The young master would choose an outsider over you. You should know when to back off, or if you truly anger him and get thrown out of the Ruan family, it won't be worth it."

"Uncle Chen, you don't get it. I can feel it—the young master has feelings for me too."

Yan Zhuo said this, his dark eyes unreadable. He subconsciously touched his lips, savoring the memory, and couldn't help but smile.

Without asking for Chen Quan's opinion again, he cheerfully turned back to search for flower-arranging tutorials.

"..."

Chen Quan let out a long sigh and turned to leave.

But before Yan Zhuo could deliver his newly arranged bouquet to the young master's room, an unwelcome group arrived at the front courtyard.

Chen Quan greeted the visitor. Seeing Luo Peng, whose arm was in a brace and face pale, he couldn't help but be surprised.

"Young Master Luo, what happened to you?"

Luo Peng gave him a cold look. Although filled with anger, he remembered that Chen Quan practically managed all of the Ruan family's business now and had considerable reputation in the Alliance, so he had to suppress his rage.

"I was attacked at home last night. The culprit fled to the Ruan residence in the middle of the night. I'm here to arrest him."

Chen Quan showed a surprised expression. "Young Master Luo, you can't say that carelessly. You may not know that after what happened at home, the young master imposed a curfew on the courtyard—locked at ten at night and opened in the morning. May I ask what time your incident occurred?"

Luo Peng stepped closer and said sternly, "I have evidence, and a search warrant issued by the Alliance military. Don't ask so many questions. I'll know once I search."

"I'm afraid I can't make that decision," Chen Quan lowered his eyes. "Why don't you wait until the young master wakes up later? I'll inform him."

"Are you going to take responsibility if something gets delayed?"

"Young Master Luo, calm down. It's just a moment's wait," Chen Quan said politely but firmly. "You've applied for a search warrant in the Alliance, but our Ruan family also has acquaintances there. Why make this so ugly?"

"Are you threatening me?"

Luo Peng's expression twisted. Since last night, his pride as an alpha had been completely shattered. That overwhelming power he couldn't resist was something he had never felt in his life.

He couldn't deny that if that person had intended to kill him at that moment, he could have done so easily.

Having someone like that in the Ruan family was a threat to him. Moreover... someone had told him long ago that a beta with extraordinary skills had appeared beside Ruan Yunchu, and even Qin Jingli had been taken down by him.

The only person he could think of who could enter the Luo residence so quietly and go to such lengths to destroy the surveillance footage was this one.

In an instant, he gave a sinister smile and glanced at Chen Quan.

"Yunchu is still resting, is he? Then I'll go wake him up on Uncle Chen's behalf."

With that, he brushed past Chen Quan, ignoring his sudden change in expression, and strode toward the backyard.

People on both sides tried to stop him, but were blocked by his subordinates. For a moment, the hall erupted into chaos.

"Luo Peng."

A cold, indifferent voice suddenly rang out, seeming to carry a calming power that steadied the chaotic scene.

Luo Peng's lips curled up as he looked toward the speaker, but the next moment his smile froze.

Ruan Yunchu, wearing a thin white shirt, leaned back in his wheelchair. His face was even colder and more beautiful than two years ago, with slightly long hair falling over his shoulders, making his pale, delicate cheeks stand out even more, and his expression was even more icy.

But behind him, a tall figure had appeared—a man who carried not a trace of pheromones, looking careless and unrestrained, yet he exuded a faint sense of danger at first glance.

With one look, Luo Peng confirmed that was the guy who had attacked him last night.

Without even a greeting, he raised his hand and said coldly, "Arrest him."

The men on both sides were about to move forward, when a neat column of soldiers suddenly marched in from outside. Luo Peng turned in astonishment, hearing the crisp sound of military boots hitting the ground.

"Young Master Luo." Lin Zheng, dressed in a neat Alliance military uniform, nodded slightly at Ruan Yunchu. After stopping, he turned to Luo Peng. "The Alliance only issued you a search warrant, not the right to throw your weight around in other people's homes. What do you think you're doing?"

Luo Peng's face darkened instantly, then he suddenly smiled. Looking at the young man in the wheelchair, he said, "Yunchu, you knew I was coming, didn't you? And you even called in Lin Zheng—how timely."

Ruan Yunchu said calmly, "Thank the Alliance military for their quick response. I reported it as soon as you entered the gate."

No matter how tough Luo Peng was, he couldn't do anything to Lin Zheng. He could only repeat his account of last night. "I remember that guy's build—it's exactly the same as his."

He pointed directly at Yan Zhuo, but saw that the latter looked quite innocent.

"I was in my room the whole night."

Luo Peng was about to lose his temper, but Ruan Yunchu asked, "Major Lin, don't you need evidence to arrest someone nowadays?"

Lin Zheng followed up and asked, "What evidence do you have? Your word alone doesn't cut it."

As he spoke, he glanced at the squad of Alliance soldiers behind Luo Peng. These were clearly the troops sent by the people backing Luo Peng. Those soldiers, upon receiving his gaze, hesitated and took half a step back.

Luo Peng gritted his teeth. "I want to see last night's surveillance footage from the Ruan place. He must have gone out at some point."

Ruan Yunchu let out a light sigh, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes. He raised his hand to signal Chen Quan to hand over the pre-prepared footage to Lin Zheng.

In front of Luo Peng, Lin Zheng thoroughly reviewed both the internal and external footage, then became impatient.

"As you can see, the footage matches what they said. Your suspicion is groundless."

"Impossible!" Luo Peng exploded in rage, glaring murderously at the culprit who had broken his arm, but saw that the man was standing there with his arms crossed, looking utterly relaxed, his gaze wandering deliberately or not toward Ruan Yunchu.

This only enraged him further.

"He doesn't have an alibi either. Who knows if he snuck back in this morning? I demand to take him back to the Alliance for questioning! We'll get the truth out of him."

Lin Zheng started to speak but stopped.

"Who says he doesn't have an alibi?" Ruan Yunchu spoke lightly. "I can vouch for him."

"You?" Luo Peng clenched his teeth, almost laughing in anger.

"Of course. Yan Zhuo is my man. Everyone in District A knows that I was looking for a suitable beta, and in the end, he was the only one who caught my eye."

Ruan Yunchu folded his hands in his lap, with a half-smile.

"Young Master Luo, according to the time you provided, Yan Zhuo couldn't have done those things, because at that time, he was in my bed."