He Shun shifted his weight, the unease clear in his expression. "But what if it doesn't go the way we're hoping? If Ye Rou finds out we have him—"
Luan Xie cut him off, his voice hard and unyielding. "I don't care. I'm done hiding, done running. Let Ye Rou come. It's time to settle this."
He Shun studied Luan Xie's face, searching for any sign of hesitation, but there was none. Luan Xie's determination was like a shield, protecting him from the fear that had been gnawing at him for days.
"We can't be reckless, Xie-er," He Shun said softly, using the familiar name to ground them both. "This is dangerous, and you know it."
Luan Xie's eyes flicked to the closed door of the storage room where Zhong Qing was bound and gagged inside. The sight of his former advisor, now a traitor, had stirred up a storm of emotions in him. But underneath the anger, the hurt, and the betrayal, there was something else—a deep, burning need for closure.
"He'll come for Zhong Qing," Luan Xie said with a finality that left no room for doubt. "And when he does, I'll be waiting."
He Shun hesitated for a moment longer, then nodded, his hand finding Luan Xie's in a reassuring squeeze. "Alright. But I'm not letting you face him alone."
Luan Xie looked at He Shun, the tension in his shoulders easing just a little. "Thank you," he murmured, the words carrying the weight of everything he couldn't say.
The two of them stood in silence for a moment, the air thick with anticipation. The clock was ticking, and the guards would return to their posts any minute. But neither of them moved to leave.
Luan Xie knew that this was a gamble, a risk that could cost them everything. But he couldn't back down now. Not after everything that had happened. Not after seeing Zhong Qing's face and hearing his words.
He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. "Let's go," he said, his voice steady, resolved. "It's time to end this."
He Shun nodded, and together, they stepped inside the storage room, ready to face whatever awaited them. The minutes ticked by, and as the door closed behind them, Luan Xie couldn't help but feel a sense of grim determination settle over him.
Zhong Qing's eyes met theirs as soon as they stepped inside the storage room. His hands and legs were securely tied, but it was his expression that caught Luan Xie off guard. There was guilt there, a deep, festering regret that spoke louder than any apology could. But beneath the guilt, Luan Xie could see something else—a worry that had nothing to do with himself or his own fate. It was all for Ye Rou.
Zhong Qing's voice trembled slightly as he asked, "What are you planning?" He looked from Luan Xie to He Shun, his brow furrowing in concern. There was a flicker of desperation in his eyes, but not for his own safety. Luan Xie could see that he was bracing himself for the worst, knowing full well that Ye Rou would never come for him.
Luan Xie crossed his arms, his gaze cold and unyielding. "You should know what we're planning, Zhong Qing. You were always the one with the strategies, always thinking ahead. But tell me, what do you think we're planning now?"
Zhong Qing's jaw tightened, and he looked down, avoiding their eyes. "You're making a mistake," he said quietly, the weight of his words heavy in the confined space. "A-Rou… he won't come for me. You're wasting your time."
Luan Xie's eyes narrowed, his anger flaring up again. "You think I don't know that? I know what Ye Rou is like now. He's not the person I once knew. But that doesn't change what needs to be done."
Zhong Qing shook his head, his eyes pleading as they met Luan Xie's again. "This won't end well, young master. Please, don't do this. Whatever you're thinking, whatever you're planning… it won't bring you peace. It won't bring you what you want."
He Shun, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, his expression firm. "And what would you suggest, Zhong Qing? That we just let things be? That we walk away and pretend like none of this ever happened?"
Zhong Qing's face twisted with pain, his voice almost breaking as he replied, "I'm saying… I'm saying that A-Rou isn't the enemy you think he is. He's lost, yes, but he's not beyond saving."
Luan Xie's heart clenched at those words, the faintest flicker of hope trying to take root, but he quickly stamped it down. He couldn't allow himself to believe that anymore, not after everything. "You're wrong," Luan Xie said, his voice cold and distant. "The Ye Rou I knew is gone, replaced by someone who doesn't care about anything but his own power. And you… you've been helping him."
Zhong Qing looked pained, his eyes filled with sorrow. "I was trying to protect him, and you," he whispered. "I thought… I thought if I stayed close, I could keep him from going too far, but…"
"But you failed," Luan Xie finished for him, his voice harsh. "And now you're going to help us. Whether Ye Rou comes or not, we're going to make sure he pays for what he's done."
Zhong Qing's eyes closed for a moment, a tear slipping down his cheek. "I never wanted it to be like this," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I never wanted to betray you."
"But you did," He Shun cut in, his tone firm. "And now you're going to deal with the consequences. We're not asking for your approval, Zhong Qing. We're telling you how it's going to be."
Zhong Qing looked up at them again, his expression resigned but still filled with that deep, abiding worry for Ye Rou. "Just… just don't hurt him," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Please… don't hurt him."
Luan Xie's heart twisted with conflicting emotions, but he forced himself to stay resolute. "That's not up to me anymore," he said quietly, his voice laced with a sadness he couldn't quite hide. "That's up to Ye Rou."
As He Shun listened to the conversation between Luan Xie and Zhong Qing, a new question began to form in his mind, one that sent a chill down his spine. Without waiting for a pause in the tension-filled exchange, He Shun stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he looked directly at Zhong Qing.
"How did you and Ye Rou get into this world?" He Shun asked, his voice calm but laced with suspicion.
Zhong Qing's gaze faltered, and he quickly looked away, a flicker of shame crossing his face. He hesitated before speaking, as if the weight of his answer was too much to bear. "I… I don't know," he finally confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "A-Rou told me to follow him… so I did."
He Shun's expression darkened, the anger in his eyes unmistakable. "How stupid can you possibly be?" he snapped, his voice growing harsher. "You followed him without any questions? Without knowing where he was taking you, or what he was planning?"
Zhong Qing flinched at the words, but he didn't try to defend himself. The guilt that had been simmering beneath the surface now threatened to overwhelm him.
He Shun took a step closer, his voice cold and cutting. "Tell me, did he have any hand in causing Xie-er to come here?"
Zhong Qing's face drained of color, and he shook his head frantically. "No, no… I swear, he didn't know. We didn't even know you were here until after we arrived. Ye Rou… he didn't plan this. He just wanted to escape the mess back home. He thought… he thought maybe we could start over, in a place where no one knew us."
Luan Xie watched the exchange in silence, his heart heavy with the weight of Zhong Qing's words. The idea that Ye Rou had dragged them all into this world out of a desperate need to escape—without any thought of the consequences—only deepened the pain of betrayal.
But He Shun wasn't convinced. His eyes bore into Zhong Qing's, searching for any sign of deceit. "You expect us to believe that?" he said, his voice full of disdain. "That Ye Rou, the man who's been manipulating and betraying everyone around him, just stumbled into this world by accident? That he had no idea we would be here?"
Zhong Qing swallowed hard, his hands trembling where they were bound. "I don't know what else to tell you," he whispered, his voice breaking with the weight of the situation. "I followed him because I thought I could save him. I thought I could keep him from losing himself completely. But I was wrong. I was wrong about everything."
He Shun's anger simmered beneath the surface, but as he looked at the broken man before him, a flicker of pity crept into his eyes. He turned away from Zhong Qing, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"This doesn't change anything," He Shun said, his voice cold and resolute. "Whether Ye Rou planned this or not, he's still a danger. And we can't afford to let him get away with whatever he's plotting."
Luan Xie remained silent, his thoughts a tangled mess of conflicting emotions. He knew He Shun was right, but a part of him still couldn't shake the memories of the man Ye Rou used to be. The man he had once loved.
"Let's go," Luan Xie finally said, his voice devoid of emotion. "We need to figure out our next move."
As they left the storage room, Luan Xie couldn't help but glance back at Zhong Qing one last time. The look of despair on his former friend's face was one he would never forget, a painful reminder of just how much had been lost.
But there was no turning back now. They were all in too deep, and the only way out was to confront whatever lay ahead—no matter how much it hurt.
"Do you think he is lying?" He Shun asked as he placed a comforting hand on Luan Xie's shoulder.
Luan Xie scoffed, a bitter chuckle coming out. "I can't even tell now. He has been lying to me for so long. So long. I can't believe I've been so stupid to keep a snake around my neck without even knowing."
"Do you think he's lying?" He Shun asked softly as he placed a comforting hand on Luan Xie's shoulder.
Luan Xie scoffed, the sound hollow and bitter. He shook his head, letting out a laugh that was more of a pained exhale than anything else. "I can't even tell now," he admitted, his voice thick with frustration and hurt. "He's been lying to me for so long. So long. I can't believe I've been so stupid, keeping a snake around my neck without even knowing."
He Shun squeezed Luan Xie's shoulder gently, his heart aching for him. "You're not stupid, Xie-er," he said quietly. "You trusted him because you believed in him, in what he used to be. That's not a fault—it's just… what happens when you care about someone."
Luan Xie turned to look at He Shun, his eyes reflecting a mix of pain and weariness. "But look where it's gotten me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I trusted him, and now I don't even know what's real anymore. Everything… it feels like it's all just falling apart."
He Shun's heart twisted at Luan Xie's words. He wanted to say something that would make it better, to offer some kind of solace in the midst of all this betrayal and uncertainty. But what could he say? The truth was, they were both in over their heads, struggling to keep their footing in a world that had turned upside down.
But he couldn't let Luan Xie drown in his despair. Not now, when they needed to stay strong, to keep moving forward.
"We'll figure it out," He Shun said, his voice firm but gentle. "We'll get through this, Xie-er. You're not alone in this—you've got me, and we'll face whatever comes together."
Luan Xie looked at him, and for a moment, the pain in his eyes seemed to soften. He nodded slowly, a small but grateful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Thank you, Shun," he said, his voice full of quiet gratitude. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
He Shun returned the smile, though his own heart felt heavy with the weight of everything they were facing. "You won't have to find out," he replied, giving Luan Xie's shoulder another reassuring squeeze. "I'm with you, every step of the way."
As they stood there, side by side, the storm of emotions between them seemed to calm, if only for a moment. They still had a long road ahead of them, filled with danger and uncertainty. But at least they had each other, and that was something.
He Shun glanced nervously at the clock on the wall. Fifteen minutes had already passed, and he could hear the distant footsteps of the guards returning to their posts. Yet, there was no sign of Ye Rou coming for Zhong Qing. The silence was unsettling, a reminder that they were running out of time and options.
"If Ye Rou doesn't come for Zhong Qing, what will you do to him?" He Shun asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Luan Xie didn't answer immediately. He kept his eyes fixed on the closed door of the storage room, where Zhong Qing was tied up inside. The room felt charged with a heavy, suffocating tension. When Luan Xie finally turned to face He Shun, the look in his eyes was chilling—a mix of determination and deep betrayal.
"You said this is the base of the mafia," Luan Xie said, his voice low and dangerous. "Anything can happen. If Ye Rou doesn't come, I'll end Zhong Qing."
He Shun flinched at the sinister tone in Luan Xie's voice. It was darker than anything he had ever heard from him before, a tone that sent a shiver down his spine. And then there was that redness in Luan Xie's eyes, the telltale sign of his rage fully taking control. It was the same look He Shun had seen before, but now it seemed even more intense, almost as if Luan Xie was on the verge of losing himself completely to his anger.
"Will you support me?" Luan Xie asked, his gaze locking onto He Shun's, his eyes burning with that same red fury.
He Shun hesitated, feeling a deep sense of unease. This wasn't the Luan Xie he knew—the one who had always managed to stay in control, who had a heart that was far too gentle for the world they were in. But He Shun also knew how much pain Luan Xie had endured, how many times he had been betrayed by those closest to him. He couldn't blame him for wanting revenge, for wanting to take control of the situation in the only way he knew how.
But seeing Luan Xie like this, so consumed by rage, made He Shun's heart ache. He didn't want to lose him to the darkness that seemed to be creeping in, didn't want to see him become someone he wouldn't recognize.
"I'm with you, Xie-er," He Shun finally said, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. "But don't let this anger consume you. We need to be smart about this. If we let our emotions take over, we'll lose everything."
Luan Xie stared at him, the redness in his eyes flickering, as if he was wrestling with his own demons. For a moment, He Shun feared that Luan Xie would reject his words, would push him away in his quest for vengeance.
But then Luan Xie let out a slow, shaky breath, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly. "You're right," he murmured, though his voice was still edged with bitterness. "I can't let this control me. But if Ye Rou doesn't come… I won't forgive Zhong Qing. I can't."
He Shun nodded, his hand resting gently on Luan Xie's shoulder, a silent gesture of support. "We'll face whatever happens together," he promised, though the weight of those words pressed heavily on his heart.
But even as he made that promise, He Shun couldn't shake the dread that was growing inside him. The path they were on felt like it was leading them to a place where there would be no turning back, and he feared what that would mean for both of them.