As the evening deepened, the air in the hotel felt heavier, charged with a tension that neither Luan Xie nor He Shun could shake off. They moved through the dimly lit hallways with purpose, their footsteps echoing ominously. The weight of their earlier conversation about Ye Rou still hung between them, but they were determined to confront Zhong Qing again.
When they reached the secluded room, Luan Xie's hand hesitated on the door handle for just a moment, a strange sense of foreboding washing over him. He took a breath, then pushed the door open, the hinges creaking in the silence.
The room was empty.
Luan Xie froze, his heart pounding in his chest as his eyes scanned the small, shadowy space. The chair where Zhong Qing had been tied up was overturned, the ropes discarded on the floor. It was as if Zhong Qing had vanished into thin air.
"He's gone," Luan Xie whispered, his voice tight with disbelief. "How…?"
He Shun's eyes widened in shock as he quickly stepped into the room, his mind racing. He looked around, half-expecting to see some clue, something that would explain how Zhong Qing had managed to escape. But there was nothing—just the eerie silence and the faint flicker of light from the setting sun seeping through the cracks in the window.
"Did Ye Rou take him?" Luan Xie's voice was sharp, tinged with both fear and anger.
He Shun shook his head slowly, trying to think. "No… no, it can't be." His gaze snapped to the corner of the room where he had hidden a small, secret camera earlier. "Wait," he said, his voice tense with urgency. "I placed a secret camera here. I'll check it."
Without wasting another second, He Shun hurried to the camera's hiding spot, his hands shaking slightly as he retrieved it. He quickly connected it to his phone, his breath catching in his throat as the playback began.
Luan Xie hovered close, his eyes glued to the screen. The footage showed Zhong Qing alone in the room, his head bowed in apparent resignation. Then, the door had opened—not by force, but calmly, deliberately. The shadowy figure of a man stepped into view, his face obscured by a hat pulled low over his eyes.
Luan Xie's breath hitched as they watched the mysterious man speak to Zhong Qing, his words too quiet to be picked up by the camera. But it was clear from Zhong Qing's expression—wide-eyed and fearful—that he hadn't expected this visitor. After a brief exchange, the man gestured, and another figure entered the room. Together, they untied Zhong Qing and escorted him out without any resistance.
The video ended abruptly, leaving Luan Xie and He Shun in stunned silence.
"Who was that?" Luan Xie finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He felt a chill run down his spine. The figure in the footage had moved with such calm precision, it was clear this had been planned.
"I don't know," He Shun replied, his mind racing. "But whoever he is… he's not with Ye Rou. At least, not directly."
Luan Xie clenched his fists, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Then where did they take him? And why?"
He Shun's eyes narrowed as he reviewed the footage again, this time looking for any details he might have missed. "We need to find out who's behind this, and fast. If Zhong Qing's been taken by someone else… it could change everything."
A heavy silence settled between them, the weight of their uncertainty pressing down. Neither of them knew what to expect next, but one thing was clear: they were no longer in control of the situation. And whoever had taken Zhong Qing was now a dangerous wildcard in their already precarious game.
"Till then, what should we do? What if Ye Rou tries to chase us? We don't even have Zhong Qing," Luan Xie asked, his voice tinged with frustration and unease. The weight of their situation was bearing down on him, and the uncertainty was starting to fray his nerves.
He Shun, still staring at the empty room as if the answer might reveal itself in the shadows, took a deep breath. He turned to Luan Xie, his expression more serious than usual. "Ye Rou didn't bother looking for him during the entire day. I don't think he cares for Zhong Qing."
Luan Xie frowned, processing He Shun's words. It didn't make sense to him. Zhong Qing had always been loyal to Ye Rou, and yet, when he was taken, Ye Rou hadn't made a move to find him. It was as if Zhong Qing's disappearance was of no consequence.
"Then why keep him around at all?" Luan Xie muttered, mostly to himself. "If Ye Rou doesn't care, why did he let Zhong Qing stay so close to him?"
He Shun's gaze softened, understanding the turmoil Luan Xie was grappling with. "Maybe he was using him… stringing him along until he was no longer useful."
The idea stung Luan Xie in ways he hadn't anticipated. Zhong Qing had betrayed him, but to think that Ye Rou had also manipulated Zhong Qing so easily made the entire situation feel even more twisted. It was as if everyone in his life had been part of some cruel game, and he was only now starting to see the full extent of it.
"Whatever the reason," He Shun continued, "we can't let Ye Rou control the narrative. We've lost Zhong Qing, but that doesn't mean we're out of options. If anything, it means we need to be even more careful now."
Luan Xie nodded, though the worry still gnawed at him. "So, what's our next move?"
He Shun looked out the window, the city's night lights starting to flicker on as dusk settled in. "We find out who took Zhong Qing and why. And while we're doing that, we prepare. Ye Rou might not care about Zhong Qing, but that doesn't mean he won't come after us if we get too close to the truth."
Luan Xie clenched his jaw, his mind racing with possibilities. The situation was spiraling, but he couldn't let it break him. "Then we prepare for whatever comes next," he said, his voice steely with resolve. "If Ye Rou thinks he can keep playing these games, he's in for a surprise."
He Shun placed a reassuring hand on Luan Xie's shoulder, offering him a small, encouraging smile. "We've made it this far, haven't we? We'll figure this out, Xie-er. Together."
As they left the empty room behind, the weight of their situation settled in their minds. They were stepping into uncharted territory, with dangers lurking around every corner. But if there was one thing they knew, it was that they couldn't afford to let their guard down—not now, not ever.
As they walked back to their room, the tension between them palpable, Luan Xie broke the silence. His voice was low, but the bitterness in his words was unmistakable. "Let's not bother looking for Zhong Qing. He doesn't matter to us anymore. He is of no use. Whatever happens to him, he'll probably deserve it."
He Shun glanced over at Luan Xie, hearing the cold detachment in his tone. It was clear that the betrayal had cut Luan Xie deeper than he was willing to show. The man who had once been his trusted ally had turned out to be nothing more than a pawn in Ye Rou's twisted game, and now, Luan Xie was ready to wash his hands of him completely.
But something in He Shun hesitated. "Are you sure about that?" he asked carefully, watching Luan Xie's expression. "We don't know who took him or why. Maybe he's more valuable than we think."
Luan Xie's gaze was hard, his eyes narrowed in determination. "It doesn't matter, Shun. Zhong Qing made his choices, and now he's paying the price. We can't afford to waste any more time or energy on him. Our focus needs to be on Ye Rou—he's the real threat."
He Shun nodded slowly, though a part of him couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Zhong Qing's disappearance than they realized. But he also knew Luan Xie was right; their priority had to be on the bigger picture, on bringing down Ye Rou before he could do any more damage.
"Alright," He Shun agreed, his voice steady. "We'll let him go. But we need to stay sharp, Xie-er. If Zhong Qing becomes a problem later, we'll deal with it then."
Luan Xie's lips pressed into a thin line, the resolve in his eyes unyielding. "We will. But until then, Zhong Qing is dead to me. Whatever happens to him now is out of our hands."
As they reached their room, the weight of their decision hung in the air between them. They were stepping away from one battle, but they both knew the war with Ye Rou was far from over. And with each passing day, the stakes only grew higher.
Once back in their room, the tension in the air only thickened. Luan Xie paced the floor, his mind racing. He had just cut ties with someone who had been a significant part of his life, and while his resolve was strong, the emotional toll was undeniable. He felt the sting of betrayal, the deep ache of realizing how much he had been deceived. But more than anything, there was an emptiness—a void left by the absence of trust that once existed.
He Shun sat quietly on the edge of the bed, watching Luan Xie as he moved restlessly. He could see the turmoil beneath Luan Xie's steely exterior, the way his hands clenched and unclenched as if trying to grasp something intangible. He wanted to offer comfort, but he knew that words wouldn't suffice in moments like this. Instead, he decided to focus on what they could control.
"What's our next move?" He Shun finally asked, breaking the heavy silence.
Luan Xie paused, his eyes distant as he considered the question. "We need to get ahead of Ye Rou," he said, his voice firm but tinged with a hint of exhaustion. "We can't let him dictate the terms anymore. We need to find out what he's planning before he makes his next move."
He Shun nodded in agreement. "I'll reach out to some contacts, see if we can get any intel on his whereabouts or what he's up to. We need to stay one step ahead."
Luan Xie turned to face He Shun, his expression softening slightly. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For everything. I don't know what I'd do without you."
He Shun smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. "You don't have to thank me, Xie-er. We're in this together. I won't let you face this alone."
For a moment, the weight of the situation lifted, replaced by the warmth of their connection. But it was fleeting, as the reality of their circumstances quickly settled back in.
Luan Xie sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We should get some rest," he said, though the idea of sleep seemed impossible with everything swirling in his mind. "Tomorrow, we'll start fresh."
He Shun agreed, though he too knew that sleep wouldn't come easily. The night was thick with unspoken fears and uncertainties, but they both understood that they had to keep moving forward, no matter how dark the path ahead seemed.
As they prepared for bed, the room felt heavy with the weight of the decisions they had made and the ones still to come. Luan Xie lay down, staring at the ceiling, his mind replaying every moment, every conversation with Zhong Qing, trying to make sense of how things had spiraled so far out of control.
He Shun, sensing Luan Xie's unrest, reached out and took his hand, offering silent reassurance. It was a small gesture, but in that moment, it was enough to remind Luan Xie that he wasn't alone, that someone still stood by his side.
And as they drifted into a restless sleep, they both knew that the coming days would test them in ways they couldn't yet imagine. But they were ready to face it together, no matter what came next.