Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The moment Ruan Yunchu spoke those words, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Luo Peng's face was full of disbelief, while Lin Zheng, though slightly startled, didn't let it show.

Finally, Yan Zhuo pressed his lips together, barely suppressing a smile, and said softly, "Young master, saying it so blatantly—how embarrassing."

Ruan Yunchu glanced at him. "You have thick skin, you're not afraid."

Luo Peng clenched his fists, forcing down the violent hatred boiling inside him. His arm still throbbed with pain, and the doctor's sigh echoed in his ears as he said his hand might never lift anything heavy again.

Since he was a kid, his biggest dream had been to join the Alliance and claw his way to the very top.

But now, because of this injury, he had missed his chance to join the military again, and it was gone for good.

"Can you even call that evidence? He's your own man—of course you'd protect him." Luo Peng's body trembled uncontrollably, his eyes bloodshot. "Yunchu, don't push me."

Ruan Yunchu didn't even bat an eye. He turned to Lin Zheng. "I have no reason to lie. I can be a witness, so you've got no right to take Yan Zhuo. As for the search warrant, go ahead and search as much as you want."

Lin Zheng lowered his gaze, then turned and signaled to his men.

"Search. Don't make a mess. Put everything back."

"Yes."

Several teams fanned out and went through different parts of the Ruan estate.

Meanwhile, Luo Peng's men were held in the center, Lin Zheng keeping an eye on them himself.

The Alliance soldiers, being specially trained, wrapped up the search fast and returned to the front yard.

"Report: nothing unusual found."

Lin Zheng nodded, turning his gaze to Luo Peng. "Young Master Luo, you heard that. This has nothing to do with the Ruan family. If you stay any longer, it's trespassing, and I can detain you."

Luo Peng gritted his teeth. "You're clearing him based on one person's word?"

"You still don't have any evidence yourself."

"..."

Luo Peng was furious, glaring at him a long time before finally turning and stomping off.

Before leaving, he shot Yan Zhuo a glare, clearly memorizing his face for payback later.

The group finally left, and the hall fell back into silence. Ruan Yunchu's expression stayed completely steady. He just nodded at Lin Zheng.

"Thanks." Lin Zheng shook his head, waving his men out. Once the room was quiet, he glanced at Yan Zhuo again.

"This matter has blown up. The Alliance is combing through the Luo estate inside and out. If there's any trace left, I'm afraid I can't protect him."

That was why Luo Peng had agreed to leave—people always leave traces, and there might be some sign of Yan Zhuo somewhere.

Ruan Yunchu didn't even turn his head. He answered calmly, "It's fine. Just go through standard procedure."

Lin Zheng wanted to ask why he trusted Yan Zhuo so much, but with the guy right there, he couldn't bring himself to do it, so he just turned and left.

Once everyone was gone, Ruan Yunchu felt a bit weary.

"Uncle Chen, check the whole hall inside and out."

"Got it."

Chen Quan called the servants to check and activated the smart home system. The embedded robots throughout the house came to life, checking every inch.

The wheelchair moved slowly toward the back courtyard, Yan Zhuo following behind, unable to hold back a "tsk."

Hearing the sound, Ruan Yunchu opened his eyes and looked over, puzzled. "What? Did you actually leave a trace?"

"And if I did?"

Ruan Yunchu didn't care. "Then handle it yourself. If you get caught, leave me out of it."

Yan Zhuo chuckled. "Little master, you really are as cold-hearted as ever."

The other didn't respond, but he wasn't the least bit flustered.

"Don't worry. They won't find anything."

"Good."

Yan Zhuo sighed. "What I'm upset about is them wasting my time. The flowers I was planning to give you have been sitting in the backyard without water. They're probably all shriveled by now."

His tone was mournful, but Ruan Yunchu tensed up.

"You touched my flowers?"

Yan Zhuo met his icy glare and felt a chill run down his spine. "Yeah, just picked a few."

Ruan Yunchu's face went ice-cold. "Yan Zhuo, are you crazy?"

Without another word, he headed straight to the backyard. What he saw wasn't his flower bed wrecked, but a patch of empty land nearby already prepped for new flowers.

Yan Zhuo watched his back, and after a long silence, finally spoke.

"Little master, don't think of me as such a brute. I picked a few flowers and gave you a whole garden. Isn't that a good deal?"

Ruan Yunchu's voice was icy. "Don't let them die and waste my garden."

"Just you wait and see, young master."

Yan Zhuo was quite confident. He checked the time, then gave a light cough to remind, "Young master, it's about time for your check-up."

"When did I ever agree to a check-up?"

Yan Zhuo's expression changed. He circled around to face him, looking at him with a somewhat hurt expression. "You promised me last night. Are you going back on your word?"

Only then did Ruan Yunchu realize he was talking about the leg treatment.

He dropped his gaze to his utterly numb legs, without a shred of hope in his heart.

"Yan Zhuo, I've treated my legs for five years. I've tried everything. There's been no response at all. You'll be disappointed."

His tone was flat, as if he weren't talking about his own body.

But Yan Zhuo could hear the hidden pessimism and melancholy. He softened his voice. "I'll make you better. You believe me, don't you?"

Ruan Yunchu shot him a glance, irritated by the coaxing tone, and frowned.

"If under my supervision the young master's leg were to show improvement, then grant me one more wish."

Ruan Yunchu let out a scoff, not taking it seriously. "Yan Zhuo, aren't you asking for a bit too much?"

"After all, I'm still savoring what you gave me last time."

Yan Zhuo narrowed his eyes slightly, his dark eyes revealing a raw, beast-like aggression, as if he would seize a weak spot and drag it back to his lair the moment he let his guard down.

"..."

After changing into thin, soft clothes, Ruan Yunchu was placed back into the healing pod.

Lukewarm water slowly engulfed his body, rising to his neck, and his entire body nearly went numb. This feeling was all too familiar to him, making him instinctively close his eyes.

It was always like this; he'd long gotten used to it.

Sleeping in this machine, hailed by others as miraculous, upon waking, he would hear the doctor's regretful voice, saying how unfortunate his legs were—if treatment had started earlier, there might have been a chance, but now recovery was virtually impossible.

The healing pod was too silent; his mind grew restless, and over time, an uncontrollable irritation and unbearable frustration set in.

As if sensing his struggle, the pod released a faint medicinal mist. Inhaling it, his restless consciousness gradually blurred, and he finally lost all control over his body.

The long silence around him seemed to reach its limit, before drifting back into the clamor he despised.

"What if it can't be fixed? You said earlier we could get him into the high command, but now—who would marry a cripple?" Ruan Jing's voice boomed, as detestable as ever.

"Don't rush, maybe there's still a way to treat it?"

"Exactly, brother. Even if we can't send him to those families, aren't there other choices? The Luo and Qin families both have their eyes on him. At least his gland is still intact; not being able to walk might actually be what they want."

"As an omega, his personality is too strong. This way, it balances out… Maybe it's better not to treat him anymore. It won't work anyway."

The surrounding chatter stirred up an intense, bitter hatred inside Ruan Yunchu.

But finally, the words that haunted his nightmares were spoken by Ruan Jing.

"Stop the treatment. From now on, keep him in the backyard, and once he presents, send him away."

Why did this have to happen to him?

Those who caused his accident went unpunished, while his life alone was completely destroyed.

In an instant, the thick, chaotic scent of alpha pheromones seemed to rush back. Even as he covered his nose and mouth, injecting one shot of suppressant after another into himself, it was futile. Those nauseating, sticky odors were pervasive, forcing his body to produce the very reactions he loathed.

Why couldn't all these people just die?

Why should he live a life worse than death, while they all thrive?

With a sudden boom, flames filled the sky.

Ruan Yunchu snapped open his eyes, still shaken, to see a pair of deep, pitch-black eyes filled with undisguised concern, lips moving, calling his name.

A wet hand lightly rested on Yan Zhuo's sturdy, slender wrist, and Ruan Yunchu suddenly smiled.

He remembered now.

Those people had long since died—died in a great fire, leaving no remains.

Yan Zhuo noticed his poor state and, disregarding his own soaked clothes, lifted him horizontally into his arms. Dismissing the others, he carefully wrapped him in a towel before removing the wet clothes, then gently dried his damp hair.

"Cold?"

Ruan Yunchu remained silent until, after changing into dry clothes, his emerald-green eyes shifted slightly, focusing on Yan Zhuo's face, slowly coming into focus.

"Had a nightmare?"

Sensing his cold gaze, Yan Zhuo couldn't help but touch his chilled face, cupping his small, pale cheek in his hand to warm him.

Ruan Yunchu stayed motionless in that position. "No effect," he said coldly.

He still couldn't feel his legs, even though they were right before his eyes.

Yan Zhuo paused, then said, "This is just the first time. I'll find more reliable doctors, and we'll try a few more times."

"A waste of time," Ruan Yunchu sneered.

Yan Zhuo cupped his face, catching the faint world-weariness in his indifferent expression, and his heart suddenly grew heavy.

"I promise to heal you. I swear it won't be a waste of time."

Ruan Yunchu slowly turned his gaze onto Yan Zhuo's face. "What makes you so sure? You've got nothing."

Even if he wanted Yan Zhuo's life, all it would take was a single word.

He reached up, and his cold fingertips slowly landed on the vulnerable throat.

He closed his whole palm, applying slight pressure. Yan Zhuo didn't flinch, though his brow furrowed in discomfort; he just looked down at him quietly.

For some reason, Ruan Yunchu suddenly changed his mind and let go.

"I've suddenly grown annoyed by the graves on the back hill. Do you think that executioners, buried in the ground after their deaths, can truly find peace?"

Yan Zhuo met his cold gaze, a helpless look rising in his eyes, but a slow smile curled his lips.

Alright. A new mission, then.