Thanks to the help of the insider, He Shun managed to erase the CCTV footage of them taking Zhong Qing. The insider's reaction, however, was anything but mild—anger seethed beneath the surface, barely contained.
He Shun could feel the tension in the air as they worked quickly to cover their tracks. The insider's eyes flashed with a fury that made it clear this was the last time he would be helping them. If it was not for Mire, he would have never done this.
"You have no idea the risk I'm taking," the insider muttered through clenched teeth, fingers flying over the keyboard to erase the digital evidence. "If this goes south, I'm the one who's going to pay for it."
He Shun nodded, fully aware of the danger they had placed their ally in. "We'll make sure it doesn't come to that."
The insider shot him a sharp look, as if weighing the sincerity of his words. "It better not. I've done my part. Now it's on you two to finish this."
He Shun didn't respond, but the weight of the insider's anger and fear hung heavily in the air as they quickly left the surveillance room, knowing that they were now in even deeper than before.
The insider quickly made his exit, leaving He Shun to return to Luan Xie, who was still keeping a close eye on Zhong Qing. The air in the storage room was thick with tension, and Luan Xie's face was a mask of betrayal and anger. His eyes, shadowed with pain, glared at Zhong Qing, who sat tied up in the corner, avoiding his gaze.
It was almost dawn, the first light of the day seeping through the small cracks in the closed windows. The room, once dim and secretive, was now slowly filling with the cold, unforgiving light of morning.
He Shun broke the silence as he entered, his voice soft but firm. "We can't keep him here. He'll be found soon."
Luan Xie didn't look away from Zhong Qing, his voice low and full of bitterness. "And what do you suggest we do with him?"
He Shun hesitated, feeling the weight of Luan Xie's turmoil. "We need to move him somewhere safer, somewhere Ye Rou won't find him—or where we can control the situation better."
Luan Xie finally turned to face He Shun, the darkness in his eyes stark against the creeping daylight. "And what then? What do we do when we have him there? Just keep waiting for Ye Rou to show up?"
He Shun placed a hand on Luan Xie's shoulder, trying to ground him. "We'll figure it out. But right now, we need to stay ahead of this. We can't let our emotions cloud our judgment."
Luan Xie closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he tried to push down the rage that threatened to consume him. "Fine."
He Shun nodded, his hand lingering on Luan Xie's shoulder for a moment before he turned to Zhong Qing. "We're moving you," He Shun said, his voice unwavering despite the tension. "If you try anything, we'll make sure it's the last thing you ever do."
Zhong Qing met He Shun's gaze with a mix of resignation and fear. He didn't argue or protest. He knew that with Luan Xie's anger and He Shun's determination, any attempt at resistance would be futile.
They quickly set to work, untieing Zhong Qing and guiding him out of the storage room. As they made their way through the dimly lit corridors of the hotel, Luan Xie's mind was a storm of conflicting emotions. Betrayal, anger, and a deep sense of loss churned within him. The Zhong Qing he had known, the advisor who had once been a trusted ally, was now just another piece in the tangled web of deceit surrounding Ye Rou.
They reached a secluded, secure location within the hotel—a small, nondescript room that would serve as their temporary holding place. Once they had Zhong Qing settled inside, He Shun took a moment to ensure the room was properly secured and that no one would accidentally stumble upon them.
Luan Xie stood at the doorway, watching as He Shun worked. The early morning light filtering through the cracks in the room cast long shadows across his face, emphasizing the lines of worry and anger etched into his features.
After a few moments, He Shun returned to Luan Xie's side, his expression a mix of concern and determination. "We should make sure there's no way for Zhong Qing to communicate with anyone outside. And we need to be ready in case Ye Rou does show up."
Luan Xie nodded, his gaze never leaving Zhong Qing. "I'll stay here and keep watch. If Ye Rou is coming, I want to be the first to know."
He Shun's eyes softened as he looked at Luan Xie. "I know this is hard for you. But we have to stay focused. We're close to getting answers, and we can't afford to let our emotions dictate our actions."
Luan Xie clenched his fists, the rage still simmering beneath the surface. "I know. I just… I can't believe how wrong I was about Zhong Qing. And Ye Rou… I thought I knew him, but now everything feels like a lie."
He Shun reached out, placing a comforting hand on Luan Xie's back. "We'll get through this. We'll find out the truth, and we'll deal with whatever comes next. You're not alone in this."
Luan Xie took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "You're right. Let's focus on what we can control. We need to be ready for whatever happens next."
As they made their final preparations, the weight of the situation hung heavily over them. The daylight continued to creep into the room, casting a harsh light on the stark reality they faced. The auction was just days away, and every decision they made now could have far-reaching consequences.
With Zhong Qing secured and their plan in place, Luan Xie and He Shun steeled themselves for the challenges ahead. The path was fraught with danger and uncertainty, but they were determined to see it through, no matter the cost.
As He Shun finished securing the room, a sudden realization hit him.
"Oh no," he groaned, smacking his forehead. "I forgot to erase the CCTV footage from the hallways!"
Luan Xie looked up, confused. "What's that?"
"CCTV cameras," He Shun explained, trying to keep his tone light despite the urgency. "They capture everything. We might have left footage of us dragging Zhong Qing around."
Luan Xie's eyes widened. "Footage? Like a moving image?"
"Exactly," He Shun said, nodding. "It's like a magical scroll that shows everything that happened. We need to make sure it's wiped clean."
Luan Xie tilted his head, trying to understand. "This sounds like a complicated process. In my time, we didn't have such devices."
He Shun gave a half-smile. "Well, it's a bit like an enchanted mirror that records everything. And right now, we need to make sure that mirror is shattered."
Luan Xie raised an eyebrow. "How many times must you fix these magical mirrors?"
He Shun shrugged with a grin. "It feels like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. Every time I think I've covered everything, another camera pops up."
Luan Xie chuckled, shaking his head. "I suppose you have your work cut out for you. Go take care of it. And please—try not to get caught on any more of those magical mirrors."
He Shun gave a playful salute. "Will do. I'll be back before you can say 'vanished footage.'"
As He Shun headed out to erase the footage, Luan Xie couldn't help but smile at the comical situation. Despite the gravity of their predicament, it was good to have a moment of levity.
He Shun left the room to handle the CCTV footage, leaving Luan Xie alone with Zhong Qing. The atmosphere grew heavier as Luan Xie's mood shifted from the momentary distraction back to the harsh reality of betrayal. Luan Xie's eyes, once filled with humor, now burned with hurt and anger.
He pulled a chair and sat down, his gaze never leaving Zhong Qing. The silence stretched out between them until Luan Xie finally broke it.
"When did you get to know Ye Rou?" Luan Xie's voice was low but laced with the sting of unresolved pain.
Zhong Qing avoided his gaze, his silence speaking volumes. "We... grew up together."
Luan Xie's heart twisted at the revelation. "So, you knew everything he did to me. All the pain, all the betrayal. Why did you even help me back then? Did he ask you to?"
Zhong Qing's gaze dropped even further, the weight of his silence confirming Luan Xie's fears. The knowledge that Zhong Qing had been manipulated into helping him by Ye Rou, the very person who had torn his life apart, was a bitter pill to swallow.
"Did he ask you to be my ally?" Luan Xie's voice was barely a whisper, but it was filled with a cold edge. "Did he make you pretend to be my friend, just to use me against him?"
Zhong Qing nodded slightly, unable to meet Luan Xie's eyes. "He... He wanted me to keep an eye on you. To make sure you didn't get in his way."
The revelation was like a punch to the gut. Luan Xie's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles whitening. "So everything you did for me—every word of comfort, every piece of advice—was just a part of his plan?"
Zhong Qing's shoulders slumped, and he let out a shuddering breath. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. I... I wanted to help you. I didn't know it would end like this."
Luan Xie shook his head, feeling the wrath within himself that he fought to hold back. "And now? Now that you're here, what are you going to do? How do you expect me to trust you after all of this?"
Zhong Qing looked up, his eyes filled with a mix of guilt and regret. "I don't expect forgiveness. I know I've made a terrible mistake. But please, understand—I didn't want this. I was trying to protect Ye Rou, and in the process, I betrayed everything I once cared about."
The room fell silent again, the weight of their shared history pressing down heavily. Luan Xie stared at Zhong Qing, his mind reeling from the betrayal and the pain of realizing that someone he had trusted so completely had been a pawn in a larger, more dangerous game.
He knew he had to focus on what lay ahead, but the raw, lingering hurt from Zhong Qing's betrayal was a wound that would take time to heal.
"Tell me everything. About you and him." Luan Xie's tone was as sharp as poison, cutting through the dim light of the room.
Zhong Qing hesitated, the weight of his past choices heavy on his shoulders. But he knew there was no escaping the truth now. "I've loved him for as long as I remember. I always followed him around," Zhong Qing began, his voice tinged with a mixture of nostalgia and pain. "I've seen him change, seen him become someone I barely recognize now. I remember the day he first told me about you. He was obsessed, almost… possessed by the idea of having you."
Luan Xie's face twisted in anger. "Obsessed? He tried to kill me. He took everything from me."
Zhong Qing's eyes darkened. "It's not as simple as that. His father sent those men after you. I admit, A-Rou did ruin your life. But it wasn't just about you. He wanted to take everything from you so that you'd be left with nothing but him. He wanted you to have no one else to turn to."
Luan Xie's anger simmered, but the additional context did little to soften the blow. "So it was all a game to him? Destroy everything around me until I was solely dependent on him? And you were just a pawn in his scheme?"
Zhong Qing's shoulders slumped further. "I didn't see it that way at first. I thought I was helping him, protecting him. I thought… I thought I could change things. But I was blind. Everything he did, every move he made, it was all about control."
Luan Xie's gaze remained steely, though the pain in his eyes was unmistakable. "And now? What's left for you? You've betrayed me, and all the while, you were just a part of his plan."
Zhong Qing shook his head. "I didn't want this. I thought I could keep him from going too far, but I was wrong. I've made mistakes that can't be undone. I can't change what's happened, but I can at least tell you the truth now."
Luan Xie's heart ached with the revelation. He was caught between the anger of betrayal and the sorrow of lost trust. "And what about Ye Rou? What do you think he'll do now that his plan has fallen apart?"
Zhong Qing's face was etched with worry. "I don't know. He's dangerous, and he'll be furious. If he finds out what's happened here… it won't end well."
Luan Xie's jaw tightened, his mind already racing with the implications. "We need to be ready for whatever comes next. I can't let him win. Not after everything."
Zhong Qing nodded, his gaze filled with a mix of regret and resignation. "I understand. I'm here to help, though I know my help might come too late. But I'll do whatever I can to make things right, but I will not let you hurt him."
Luan Xie stared at him for a long moment, the storm of emotions within him barely contained. "We'll see. For now, you'll stay here until we figure out our next move. Don't expect any leniency from me."
Zhong Qing nodded, accepting the reality of his situation. The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of past actions and future uncertainties hanging between them as dawn's light crept into the room.