Chapter 72: No Right to Interfere

Chapter 72: No Right to Make That Deal

At 3:10, Zhao Yu checked the time several times before finally seeing Zhao Lianfeng approaching from afar.

The moment he appeared, Zhao Yu unconsciously clenched his fists, reading a sinister look on his face that was darker than before. Just those eyes staring at Zhao Yu sent a chill down his spine.

After years in prison, Zhao Lianfeng's very appearance had turned more vicious—no wonder Chen Xitong was so terrified after one slap from him.

Zhao Lianfeng reeked of alcohol, his steps unsteady as he walked up to Zhao Yu and said, "You little punk, why don't you answer your old man's calls? You think you can act all rebellious like your brother?"

Zhao Yu's expression twitched, forcing a look of fear like Chen Xitong would have, and said, "I've been busy these past few days. I didn't get your calls."

"Bullshit!" Zhao Lianfeng raised his hand to slap his face, but being too drunk, he swayed and missed, which only made him angrier. He cursed, "You dare dodge?! Get over here!"

Zhao Yu hadn't dodged at all. Every time Zhao Lianfeng got drunk, he'd blame him for something he didn't do to have an excuse to hit him. He was all too familiar with this routine—none of it surprised him.

"Dad, there's thirty thousand yuan on this card. The password is your birthday." Zhao Yu took out the bank card. "Don't get mad."

Zhao Lianfeng snatched the card, and his anger eased a bit. "Good son. You're better than Zhao Yu—you know how to respect your parents. Dad won't blame you. Just answer your calls from now on, got it?"

A flicker of disgust crossed Zhao Yu's eyes, but he said, "Okay. Dad, I want to know—what exactly do you plan to do to my brother? He's broke. He can't give you anything."

"Didn't I already tell you? He's the reason I went to prison! Prison! You understand?!"

"So you want to beat him up to blow off steam?"

"Beat him up?" Zhao Lianfeng laughed. "That's not nearly enough! I'm going to destroy his life! Whatever goddamn job he has, I'll ruin every last bit of it. Wherever he goes, I'll follow. He'll never escape, never get a single minute of peace. Even if he gets on his knees and begs for mercy, it won't matter. That kid's entire future is tied to mine. If I'm in hell, he's in hell with me. Until the day he dies, I'll grind his bones to dust!"

Zhao Yu clenched his jaw, barely holding back from punching him in the face.

"Xitong, as long as you're good, Dad won't treat you that way." Zhao Lianfeng stuffed the bank card into his pocket and staggered off.

Zhao Yu stared at his back, the urge to put an end to all of this reaching its peak, then forced it down. He was posing as Chen Xitong right now—if he threw a punch, Chen Xitong would be caught in the crossfire.

What else was there to figure out? Negotiating with Zhao Lianfeng was pointless. Either flee to a place he could never find, or be hounded by him for the rest of his life.

On the way back, Zhao Yu was unusually silent, lost in thought.

Zhuang Shubai looked at his preoccupied face and asked, "What did you two talk about?"

Zhao Yu took off the wig and said with surprising composure, "Nothing much. He just wanted money."

"Just money?" Zhuang Shubai saw right through his lie. "Your expression says otherwise."

Zhao Yu couldn't help touching his own face, thinking his face must have looked terrible. If Zhao Lianfeng hadn't been drunk earlier, his cover might have been blown.

Despite being mentally prepared, he had still underestimated Zhao Lianfeng's viciousness.

He had worked so hard to put down roots in this city, building a stable life and career, with a bright future ahead—only to have that beast latch back onto him.

He knew all too well what life was like under Zhao Lianfeng's grip. It was a hell of endless beatings and fighting back, covered in wounds, with no future in sight, being dragged down into the abyss.

If not for Guo Lin's care, he would have become a thief and a robber just like Zhao Lianfeng.

And now, he would never allow Zhao Lianfeng to destroy his life again.

"He's still my father, no matter what. We just argued a bit—nothing serious." Zhao Yu smiled, then added, "Oh, by the way, my brother is an art student. He's been researching human anatomy lately and looking for relevant medical books. Do you have any recommendations?"

Seeing Zhao Yu change the subject, clearly unwilling to say more, Zhuang Shubai could only answer, "I do. I'll grab some for you when we pass the hospital." After a pause, he added, "You know, you don't have to carry everything on your own. I know it's hard to let people in, but I'll help you as much as I can. Not as a favor—just as friendship."

Zhao Yu didn't like owing people too much, and Zhuang Shubai always helped him in the name of friendship, expecting nothing in return, making it clear that they were always equals and no one owed anyone anything.

Zhao Yu had never met anyone like this before—someone with such honest, pure feelings.

But he wasn't ready to start a new relationship, and he didn't dare give a hasty answer.

If he was just trying it out, how could that ever measure up to Zhuang Shubai's feelings?

...

Zhao Yu took the books Zhuang Shubai had given him and went home. As soon as he reached the stairs, he saw a man in a black T-shirt and black cap sitting on the steps of the emergency stairwell, leaning against the fourth-floor landing. The sky was already dark, and the man sitting there in silence gave Zhao Yu a start.

Zhao Yu hesitated for two seconds, then stepped past the man and opened the door to go inside.

He was about to ask Chen Xitong if he knew the person outside when he suddenly saw someone on the sofa he didn't want to see.

"Bro..." Chen Xitong stood up and said, "Mr. Gu is here to see you."

Gu Hansheng had simply shown up at Zhao Yu's place, in a suit and tie, wearing a watch that could buy this entire apartment—yet sitting here, looking completely out of place.

Zhao Yu set the books on the dining table and looked at the cup on the coffee table. "Who told you to make him tea?"

Seeing Zhao Yu's icy expression, Chen Xitong's heart skipped a beat.

When Gu Hansheng knocked, he couldn't exactly not open the door. When Gu Hansheng wanted to come in, he couldn't exactly refuse.

"Bro, Mr. Gu has something important to tell you." Chen Xitong walked over to Zhao Yu and whispered, "He's met Zhao Lianfeng. I haven't said a word about your business."

With that, he retreated to the door on his own. "You two talk. I'll make myself scarce."

Once the door closed, only the two of them remained in the living room.

Gu Hansheng stepped forward, while Zhao Yu leaned against the table, hands braced on its surface, not backing down or running, just silently watching the man, as if assessing his next move.

Gu Hansheng did nothing—he simply stood one step away, keeping a careful distance between them.

"Zhao Lianfeng called me a few days ago. I didn't believe he was your father at the time," Gu Hansheng said.

"What did he call you for?" Zhao Yu asked.

"To sell you to me."

"Did you buy?"

"No."

Zhao Yu gave a mocking smile. "So you do have some humanity left."

Gu Hansheng said, "I ran into him again today at Yatai."

"Did you buy this time?"

"Yes."

Zhao Yu grabbed the cup beside him and hurled it, splashing half a glass of cold water across Gu Hansheng's face, dripping down and soaking his suit.

To Zhao Yu's surprise, Gu Hansheng didn't lose his temper.

Zhao Yu set the cup down and said, "You've got no right to make deals like that. Zhao Lianfeng is nothing—and neither are you."

Gu Hansheng raised a hand to wipe his face. His dampened brows and eyes lost some of their arrogance, revealing instead an unusual patience and calm.

Nobody who saw him calmly take a face full of water would believe this was the same arrogant, look-down-on-everyone Gu Hansheng.

At some point, he'd stopped acting so high and mighty around Zhao Yu, and his patience had become nearly limitless.

"I won't do anything to you," Gu Hansheng said. "I just used that trick to get rid of him. He shouldn't bother you for a while."

Zhao Yu, however, wasn't having any of it. "What happens between him and me is my business. Stay out of it."

"If you can handle it, then why are you on leave?"

"Don't act like you're so smart and have it all figured out. Yeah, I got suspended because of the mess he caused, but what's that got to do with you? You think you're so clever with your little plan?"

"Or should I just stand there and watch him pull some shady crap and sell you off to someone else's bed?"

"If he can actually pull that off, then I'll just take the L!"

Gu Hansheng's face suddenly darkened.

No matter how harsh Zhao Yu's words were, or even if he splashed water in his face, he could take it—but that defiant "take the L" was the one thing that made him want to blow up.

But in the end, he held it in. He turned and said, "The bodyguard at the door works for me. He'll be tailing you from now on."

Zhao Yu froze for a second, and only when he saw Gu Hansheng push the door open and leave did he hurry to the doorway in a few quick strides. Glancing at the man in black still planted on the steps, he raised his voice at Gu Hansheng's retreating back: "I don't need a bodyguard! You've got no right to stick your nose in my life!"

Gu Hansheng didn't answer. His figure vanished around the corner in an instant, while the man in black sat there like a statue, as if he hadn't heard a word Zhao Yu said.

The mood in the house turned heavy. Ever since Gu Hansheng left that bodyguard behind, Zhao Yu's face hadn't gotten any better, and Chen Xitong barely dared to breathe, scared he'd get kicked out for letting Gu Hansheng inside.

But Zhao Yu didn't take it out on him. He just went to his room early.

Chen Xitong knocked on the bedroom door and said, "Bro, I won't let him in next time. Don't be mad at me, okay?"

Gu Hansheng had shown up in the afternoon and waited five or six hours. Chen Xitong had never known his presence could feel so suffocating when he was in a bad mood—the whole afternoon had been pure agony.

Chen Xitong was probably the first to pick up on Gu Hansheng's feelings for Zhao Yu. He was super sensitive to how people felt about each other, and sharp as a tack.

He paused for a moment, then added, "Bro, since Gu's willing to help, why not use his feelings? Maybe all your problems could be solved that easily. Since you don't like him anyway, might as well get some use out of him."

A few seconds later, the door swung open, and Zhao Yu stared at Chen Xitong with a blank face. "What did you just say?"

Chen Xitong answered without batting an eye. "You went to see Zhao Lianfeng today and came back looking like that, not saying a word. You probably didn't get what you wanted, did you? None of us can deal with Zhao Lianfeng, but Gu Hansheng is different. He has resources we can only dream of. Give him a little sugar, and he might solve all your problems."

"You want me to fawn over him?"

"No, to use him. Feelings are also a resource. There's no feeling that can't be used."

"And what about family? Is that just a resource to you too? I use Gu Hansheng, and you use me. Is one Zhao Lianfeng worth scheming against that many people?"

A flicker of disappointment flashed through Zhao Yu's eyes.

Chen Xitong froze. Seeing him about to shut the door, he scrambled through the gap and hugged him from behind: "No! Bro, I came to you in the first place because I was scared, and I stayed because I wanted to be with you. I wasn't scheming against you!"

"Let go!"

"I was wrong! Bro, don't be mad at me! I'm sorry!"

Zhao Yu pressed down on his hands but didn't pry them off. After a long pause, he said, "You don't get what it's like to have your feelings trampled on. So don't ever say stuff like that again."

Chen Xitong gripped his clothes tightly, leaning against his back and whispering, "I get it. I won't say it again. I'm sorry, bro. I'm sorry."