Luan Xie and He Shun had spent days conspiring in secret, their plan growing more desperate with each passing hour. With only four days left before the auction, they knew they had to act fast. The risk was high, and so were the stakes, but they couldn't afford to wait any longer.
At exactly midnight, they found the weak spot they had been counting on. Every night, the hotel guards would take a brief fifteen-minute break for dinner, leaving a small window of opportunity. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Their target was the hooded man who delivered food to the leader—the man they suspected might be Ye Rou.
Luan Xie's heart raced as they slipped through the darkened halls of the hotel, the tension between him and He Shun thick in the air. They had spent so many nights planning, perfecting every detail, but now, as the moment of truth approached, doubts began to gnaw at Luan Xie's mind. What if they were wrong? What if the hooded man was just another pawn, and the leader wasn't Ye Rou at all? What if they were risking everything for nothing?
He shook the thoughts away, focusing on the task at hand. They had chosen this night for a reason. It was now or never. He adjusted the black hood he wore to blend into the shadows, his pulse thudding in his ears. Beside him, He Shun crouched low, his face set in determined lines. There was a calmness about He Shun that Luan Xie envied, a steady resolve that kept his own nerves in check.
"Are you ready?" He Shun whispered, his voice barely a breath against the night air.
Luan Xie nodded, though his insides churned with anxiety. "Let's do this."
They moved like shadows through the hotel, slipping past empty hallways and darkened corners until they reached the kitchen entrance. Just as they had anticipated, the guards were nowhere to be seen, their posts temporarily abandoned for their brief dinner break. It was their chance, and they couldn't afford to waste a second.
As they reached the door, Luan Xie's heart hammered in his chest. He could hear the faint clatter of dishes from inside, the sound of the kitchen staff cleaning up after the evening's service. And there, in the corner, stood the hooded man, carrying a tray of food toward the leader's room.
This was it. The moment they had been waiting for.
He Shun gave Luan Xie a quick nod, signaling him to move into position. They had rehearsed this part of the plan over and over, but now that it was real, Luan Xie's hands felt clammy with sweat. He couldn't afford to hesitate now.
As the hooded man exited the kitchen, they sprang into action. Luan Xie lunged forward, clamping a hand over the man's mouth while He Shun expertly twisted his arms behind his back. The hooded man struggled, but they had the element of surprise on their side.
"Keep quiet," Luan Xie hissed, his voice low and urgent. "We're not here to hurt you. Just do as we say."
The hooded man's eyes widened with fear, but he stopped resisting. Although his face was obscured, something flickered in his posture—fear, regret, maybe even guilt. Luan Xie's mind raced, but he pushed the thoughts aside. There was no time for second-guessing.
They dragged the man into a nearby storage room, shutting the door behind them. The room was dimly lit, the shadows dancing across the walls, adding to the tension that hung in the air. Luan Xie took a deep breath, steeling himself for what came next.
He reached out, fingers trembling slightly as he pulled back the hood from the man's face. The dim light of the storage room illuminated familiar features, and Luan Xie's heart clenched painfully in his chest.
Zhong Qing.
The sight of him was like a punch to the gut. Luan Xie's breath caught in his throat as he stared at the man he had once trusted with his life. Zhong Qing, who had stood by his side through the darkest moments, who had helped him pick up the pieces after Ye Rou's betrayal. And now, here he was, a traitor in his own right.
Luan Xie's mind spun, struggling to reconcile the image of the man he had known with the one standing before him now. How could it be that the person he had relied on the most had become his enemy?
Zhong Qing met his gaze, his eyes shadowed with guilt and something else—regret. He didn't look away, didn't try to hide. Instead, he simply watched Luan Xie, as if waiting for the judgment he knew was coming.
"Zhong Qing…" Luan Xie's voice was barely above a whisper, thick with the weight of betrayal. "How could you?"
Zhong Qing's expression tightened, but he didn't flinch. "I didn't want this, young master," he said quietly, using the old, familiar nickname that only deepened the knife twisting in Luan Xie's chest. "But you don't understand… Ye Rou… he—"
"Ye Rou?" Luan Xie interrupted, his voice sharp, laced with disbelief and anger. "This is about him? After everything, you still chose him over me?"
Zhong Qing's gaze faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "It's not that simple," he said, his voice filled with a weary resignation. "Ye Rou… he changed, young master. He became something else, someone I thought I could save. I thought if I stayed close, I could keep him from going too far."
"But you didn't," Luan Xie shot back, his voice trembling with emotion. "You didn't save him, and now you're here, helping him destroy everything. Helping him destroy me."
The words hung in the air, heavy with the truth of what had been lost between them. Luan Xie's chest tightened, the pain of betrayal cutting deeper than any physical wound.
"I never wanted to betray you," Zhong Qing whispered, his voice tinged with desperation. "But Ye Rou… he was everything to me. I thought… I thought I could protect him, protect both of you."
"Both of us?" Luan Xie's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "You betrayed me, Zhong Qing. You can't protect someone by betraying them."
Zhong Qing looked away, the weight of his actions finally sinking in. "I know," he said quietly. "And I'll never forgive myself for that."
The silence between them was thick with unresolved emotions—pain, anger, and a deep sense of loss. Luan Xie couldn't bring himself to look at Zhong Qing anymore, the hurt too raw, too overwhelming.
"We're going to use you," Luan Xie finally said, his voice cold and distant. "You're going to help us bring Ye Rou down."
Zhong Qing didn't protest, didn't fight back. He just nodded, a resigned acceptance in his eyes. "I'll do whatever you need," he said softly. "But don't hurt him. Please. Things can go back to as they were."
But Luan Xie didn't believe in "making things right" anymore. Not after everything that had happened. There was no going back to the way things were. Not with Ye Rou. Not with Zhong Qing.
Luan Xie's hands trembled with the intensity of his emotions, his mind screaming at him to lash out, to make Zhong Qing feel even a fraction of the pain he was feeling. He took a step forward, his eyes blazing with a mix of hatred and anguish, ready to do something he might regret.
But before he could act, He Shun was there, his hand gently but firmly holding Luan Xie back. "Xie-er," He Shun's voice was soft, soothing, like a balm to the raw wound in Luan Xie's heart. "Don't do this. Not like this."
Luan Xie turned to look at He Shun, his vision blurred by unshed tears. The anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but He Shun's presence, his touch, grounded him, pulling him back from the edge.
"He doesn't deserve your mercy," Luan Xie choked out, his voice thick with emotion. "He betrayed me, He Shun. He betrayed everything we had."
"I know," He Shun replied, his voice steady and calm, even as he tightened his grip on Luan Xie's arm. "But you're better than this. You're better than him."
Luan Xie's shoulders slumped, the fight draining out of him as He Shun's words sank in. He was exhausted, emotionally and physically, and the weight of everything—the betrayal, the heartbreak, the uncertainty of what lay ahead—was crushing him.
He Shun gently turned Luan Xie away from Zhong Qing, his hand moving to cup the side of Luan Xie's face, forcing him to meet his gaze. "You're not alone in this," He Shun whispered, his eyes full of warmth and understanding. "We'll get through this together, okay?"
Luan Xie nodded, a tear finally slipping free as he leaned into He Shun's touch. "Okay," he whispered back, his voice barely audible.
He Shun pulled Luan Xie into a brief, but comforting embrace, his arms wrapping around him like a protective shield. For a moment, Luan Xie allowed himself to lean into that comfort, to take strength from He Shun's presence.
He Shun kept his hands on Luan Xie's shoulders, his gaze steady and unwavering. "We'll figure this out," He Shun said, his voice gentle but firm. "One step at a time."
Luan Xie took a shaky breath, trying to steady the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside him. He glanced back at Zhong Qing, who was still standing there, head bowed, a picture of quiet resignation. The man who had once been his most trusted ally now felt like a stranger.
"I don't know if I can ever forgive him," Luan Xie admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. The bitterness was still there, a dark cloud that hung over everything.
"You don't have to," He Shun replied, his tone understanding. "Not now. Maybe not ever. But right now, we need to focus on what's in front of us. We need him to help us bring Ye Rou down."
Luan Xie nodded, the reality of their situation sinking back in. There was no time for lingering in the past, no time to wallow in what had been lost. They had a mission, and they couldn't afford to let emotions cloud their judgment.
He turned back to Zhong Qing, his expression hardening into something colder, more detached. "You're going to help us," Luan Xie repeated, his voice steady now, though the hurt still lingered just beneath the surface. "And if you try anything, anything at all, I won't hesitate to end you. Do you understand?"
Zhong Qing looked up, meeting Luan Xie's gaze with eyes that were haunted by regret. "I understand," he said quietly, his voice devoid of its usual confidence. "I'll do whatever you need. I owe you that much."
Luan Xie didn't respond, just gave a curt nod before turning away. He couldn't bear to look at Zhong Qing any longer, the pain too fresh, too raw. Instead, he focused on He Shun, who was watching him with that same steady gaze, offering silent support.
"Let's go," Luan Xie said, his voice tired but resolute. "We have work to do."
He Shun gave a small nod, his hand brushing lightly against Luan Xie's as they turned to leave the storage room. It was a simple gesture, but it was enough to remind Luan Xie that he wasn't alone, that he still had someone he could trust by his side.
As they left the room, leaving Zhong Qing behind to contemplate his fate, Luan Xie felt a flicker of something—hope, perhaps, or maybe just determination. The path ahead was still uncertain, still fraught with danger and the specter of betrayal, but he knew one thing for sure: he wasn't going to let this break him. Not this time.
With He Shun by his side, Luan Xie steeled himself for what was to come. They would take down Ye Rou, they would make things right, even if the cost was high. And when it was all over, maybe, just maybe, Luan Xie would finally be able to put the past behind him.
But for now, there was only the mission, the next step in their plan. And with He Shun's steady presence guiding him forward, Luan Xie felt just a little bit stronger, a little bit more ready to face whatever lay ahead.