Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Lin Zheng was still fuming with defiance when he was pulled away, especially when he saw the man sitting behind the interrogation table grinning cheerfully. That smile in his eyes seemed even more insolent, making his blood boil.

"Lin Zheng, you're too hot-headed. This is the Alliance, not a place for you to throw a tantrum!"

The superior officer looked at him with a mix of disappointment and exasperation.

"Sir, he just admitted that he infiltrated A Star with ulterior motives." Lin Zheng lowered his voice in defiance, trying to buy a little more time. "Just give me a little more time, even just two hours, and I'll make him talk!"

"We're out of time. Let him go."

"Sir!" Lin Zheng couldn't believe it. "Yan Zhuo is a very dangerous person. If we let him go, it could lead to irreversible consequences!"

To his surprise, the usually tough-handed officer didn't let his subordinate have his way for the sake of gathering information this time.

He gave Lin Zheng a deep look and said, each word carrying weight, "Let him go."

"..."

Lin Zheng clenched his fists, burning with reluctance, but in the face of an order from a superior officer, he ultimately had to bow his head in compromise.

Yan Zhuo's hands, which had been cuffed for days, finally got a chance to stretch. He stretched wearily and, as he was led past Lin Zheng, couldn't help but let out a low laugh.

That laugh, in Lin Zheng's ears, was nothing short of blatant mockery.

"Sir, you saw his attitude too. This is clearly—"

"Lin Zheng." The officer's tone was stern, his gaze sweeping over the departing crowd until the surroundings were quiet, until it was just the two of them, before he lowered his voice. "This comes from higher up."

"What?"

Lin Zheng thought he was hearing things.

How could Yan Zhuo be connected to the Alliance's high command?

But the officer didn't say more. He patted Lin Zheng's shoulder firmly. "It's good that you're motivated, but since the order has come down, the Alliance must have its considerations. Don't overthink today's events. Keep it to yourself, don't tell anyone. Understand?"

Lin Zheng was almost dazed. He didn't know if it was because he hadn't rested well in many days, or because he was shocked by this sudden news.

In the end, he could only lower his heavy head and force out two words.

"Understood."

-

After leaving the Alliance, Yan Zhuo didn't immediately return to the Ruan family.

As he walked out the main gate, a sleek black car was already waiting at the entrance. When it saw him, the back door slowly opened. He bent down and got in.

"All taken care of?"

He plopped down in his seat, not even bothering to look at the person beside him.

Peng Zhongying's face was grave. "Mm. I've prepared a new identity for you."

"What identity?" Yan Zhuo sniffed himself, couldn't help but feel disgusted, and took off his jacket.

"You were stranded on I Star after your parents were killed in action at the front lines. You met the person whose identity you originally took over, and after he died, you didn't want to be found out by relatives coveting the family property, so you illegally used his information card. Since this crime hasn't caused any real impact, seven days in detention is enough."

"..."

As he spoke, Yan Zhuo couldn't help but exclaim.

"Lieutenant General Peng, you're quite the storyteller too."

Peng Zhongying didn't know what to say, so he just said, "Time is running out. They won't have a chance to verify it now. Use it for now."

That young master of mine is no fool.

Yan Zhuo thought to himself but didn't say it out loud.

To be honest, he didn't like to talk about Ruan Yunchu with others. He wanted to keep the knowledge of Ruan Yunchu's virtues all to himself.

"Sir..." Peng Zhongying held his tongue the whole way, and only when they were sure they were close to their destination did he finally ask, "When exactly will you set off? The situation at the front is grim. The higher-ups are already a bit displeased."

"Haven't they chosen a replacement for me? Why is that one so useless?"

Yan Zhuo's tone carried a smile, but when Peng Zhongying turned to look, he saw no trace of laughter in his eyes.

He sighed and could only offer a fair evaluation: "It's all well and good for young people to be brash, but ability is what counts. Without enough experience, leading troops at the front is still too reckless."

Speaking of which, he suddenly remembered that when Yan Zhuo first went to the front, he had led a tiny force and routed the enemy alone.

Perhaps... the Alliance really wanted to create another Yan Zhuo, but such a person would inevitably be more controllable.

But such a person could never become Yan Zhuo.

When they arrived at the destination, Yan Zhuo withdrew his gaze. Before pushing open the car door to get out, he coldly tossed out one sentence.

"At most one week."

Peng Zhongying was caught off guard, but before he could react, the door was already closed. Watching the man's tall figure walk away, he silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank God.

"..."

The Ruan estate was as quiet as ever. Yan Zhuo walked in openly through the front door. He had intended to go to the front yard and greet Chen Quan, but to his surprise, there wasn't a soul in sight.

It was evening now, not even completely dark yet. Normally, that shouldn't happen.

His eyes swept over the tea cups still uncleared on the round table. He could just make out leftover tea stains, and his eyes narrowed. Without a second thought, he hurried toward the back courtyard.

Along the way, the courtyard felt empty, as if lifeless. He didn't spot a single person.

A growing unease settled in his gut. Without thinking, he touched the wrist terminal on his arm, contemplated calling back Peng Zhongying, who probably hadn't gone far yet. But something told him things weren't that serious.

Hesitating for less than a second, he dismissed the thought.

Turning into the back courtyard, the moment he entered the room, he caught a strong alpha pheromone scent, mixed with a familiar cold Bauhinia scent.

This scent almost immediately made all the alarm bells in his brain go off, as if his property had been defiled, sending him into a rage.

Ruan Yunchu would never allow an alpha carrying such a strong pheromone scent to enter the Ruan home. The only explanation was that someone had deliberately broken in.

Yan Zhuo forcefully pushed open the door to the master bedroom. An overwhelming alpha mental pressure bore down on him, aimed straight at his weak spot.

"Who is it?"

After a week of mental tension, Yan Zhuo had lost all patience for further evasion or negotiation.

No response came.

The next second, a psychic force over ten times stronger than Yan Zhuo's own burst outward, a vast and fierce aura flooding the entire room. From the balcony came a muffled groan.

Yan Zhuo's figure moved so fast it left only afterimages. He pulled aside the curtain, instinctively reaching out to grab the person, but when he saw who was sitting on the balcony, he froze mid-motion.

His body swayed slightly as he stared blankly at the young man.

Ruan Yunchu sat in a wheelchair, the sky behind him painted in fiery clouds that cast a soft orange glow over him, his pale skin tinged with a beautiful amber hue.

The person behind him leaped off the balcony. Yan Zhuo's body stirred, but in the end, he didn't give chase, focusing instead on Ruan Yunchu, who sat there silently.

His gaze was as indifferent as ever, but this time, it carried a cold, scrutinizing edge.

As if they were meeting for the first time.

This realization made Yan Zhuo's heart tremble. His breathing gradually steadied, and when he came to his senses, he walked slowly over, already understanding who had orchestrated the strange atmosphere at the Ruan residence today.

Stepping up to the wheelchair, he crouched down slowly and let out a helpless, long sigh.

"Baby, you really scared me to death."

He wasn't lying. After the sigh, he lowered his head and gently rested his forehead against the frail knee, as if seeking a sliver of stability.

Ruan Yunchu didn't move, only let out a soft laugh. "You can still be scared? No one has bigger guts than you, right?"

"That depends on the situation."

After saying this, Yan Zhuo suddenly thought of something. He looked up and accurately caught Ruan Yunchu's hand, seeing the gauze wrapped around his wrist. A flash of ferocity crossed his brow.

"Why hurt yourself like this?"

Ruan Yunchu, seemingly unguarded, smiled. "How else would I get you to take the bait?"

Yan Zhuo looked up, stared at him deeply, but ultimately let out another heavy sigh.

"Young master, I've told you before: you can do whatever you want, but don't hurt yourself."

"Don't make it sound so high and mighty." Hearing this, Ruan Yunchu's expression instantly cooled, as if losing patience. "Tell me, what exactly do you want?"

Yan Zhuo frowned. "You think I'm lying?"

"After deceiving me for so long, you think I should believe you now?"

Hearing the slightly mocking tone, Yan Zhuo forced himself to explain patiently. "What I said—I really wasn't lying to you."

"Yan Zhuo." Ruan Yunchu looked at him coldly, his fingers on his knee twitched involuntarily. "No, I should call you Commander, shouldn't I?"

Yan Zhuo's pupils contracted.

"Commander, a man like you has nothing to say to a commoner like me. If you had stated your purpose earlier, you wouldn't have wasted so much time on me." Ruan Yunchu even forced a faint smile as he spoke. "I'm just a cripple—nothing I can do to you."

"Ruan Yunchu!"

Yan Zhuo couldn't hold back and raised his voice to cut him off.

He was still gripping the gauze-wrapped wrist. The hand that could hold a gun perfectly steady was now trembling slightly, his emotions teetering on the edge of eruption.

But because it was Ruan Yunchu in front of him, he couldn't even muster anger.

"I never thought that way. I admit that when I first approached the Ruan family, it was for... some other reasons. But staying by your side—that was unrelated to anything else."

"Oh, really?" Ruan Yunchu clearly didn't believe him. "Then when I was asleep or away, what was this great Commander searching for, rummaging through my house?"

"I—"

"Back when you agreed to dig up that grave, I thought you were truly fearless. But now I realize you suspected there was something hidden inside too."

Ruan Yunchu's lips curled into a mocking smile as he looked at him, but his eyes were icy cold.

"Can you tell me what exactly the Ruan family has? I'll give it to you—why go through all this trouble?"

Yan Zhuo took a deep breath. His face had lost its usual nonchalance, replaced by a cold, stubborn resolve.

"This... I can't tell you for now."

Their eyes met. Ruan Yunchu let out a derisive snort and looked away.

"Well then, do as you please. Search all you want. This is the Ruan house, but with your status, getting a search warrant wouldn't be hard. I can't stop you. If you need me to, I'll clear out and come back when you're done."

Every word pierced Yan Zhuo's heart like knives, leaving him bleeding. For a moment, breathing became a struggle.

"Yunchu, I never meant that. Deceiving you was wrong, but my feelings for you have never been fake."

"Say whatever you want—I don't dare believe it." Ruan Yunchu coldly withdrew his hand. "Consider what's happened before... you came out ahead. We're even now."

"You want to break up with me?" Yan Zhuo's whole being radiated a dark, oppressive aura, nearly unable to believe it.

He had thought that during their time together, Ruan Yunchu at least harbored some real feelings for him, even if just a fraction.

But reality slapped him hard in the face.

"Since we never gave each other true hearts, how can you call it a breakup? Let's just say..." Ruan Yunchu glanced at him icily and slowly spat out a few cold words.

"We were just using each other."