CHAPTER 758: CHAPTER 763: ZHU HONG APPEARS

Walking on the spacious street, Ling Chen sighed inwardly as he looked at the ebb and flow of people around him.

There had been too many affairs lately, so many that he was nearly breathless. After returning from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he thought he could have a good rest, relax for a while, and nurse his injuries. However, first there was the incident with Nanrong Yong, followed by the attack on the research base. Could this series of events be the God Organization’s retaliation?

If that was the case, it was time for him to take some measures.

...

Nightfall.

In a bright villa in East Sea City, Zhu Xiaozhu sat on a leather sofa, staring steadfastly at a young man lounging opposite her with his leg over the other, amidst a coffee table laden with an assortment of gourmet delicacies and an expensive bottle of red wine that she hadn’t touched.

The young man looked at Zhu Xiaozhu with a smile that was not quite a smile and said, "Miss Zhu, this dinner was meticulously prepared for you. Show a little appreciation and try a bite, at least. Otherwise, I’d be in trouble if you went hungry."

Zhu Xiaozhu met his gaze and responded, "Who exactly are you, and why have you captured me?"

"No, no, no." The young man hurriedly corrected, "Miss Zhu, you’ve got it wrong. We didn’t capture you; we invited you here. Think about it, if you were a prisoner, would you be treated this well? We consider you a distinguished guest."

"If I’m a distinguished guest, then why is my freedom restricted?"

"Because the master has not yet arrived, so you cannot leave for the time being. Trust me, Miss Zhu, you will definitely want to meet the master when he arrives."

As the words fell, the sound of car tires approached from outside the villa.

The young man smirked slightly, stood up, and said, "Zhu Xiaozhu, the person has arrived; I will leave you two to meet." With that, the young man headed straight to the second floor of the villa.

Once the young man had left, the villa’s main door was pushed open from outside. Following that, a dapper man in a sharply-tailored suit with effortless charm walked in.

The man was in his twenties, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, carrying a sinister smile, exuding an indescribable charisma that naturally drew people into his smile.

However, besides his mouth and eyes, the rest of the man’s face was covered by a silver mask.

Seeing the man approaching, Zhu Xiaozhu’s beautiful eyes filled with astonishment as she quickly stood from the sofa.

"Little sister, long time no see," the man said, his lips curving into a smile.

"You... are you... my brother?" Zhu Xiaozhu stood frozen in shock, unable to recover from her surprise.

"It’s me."

"Brother, how did you become like this? Why are you wearing a mask?"

"You don’t need to ask about that for now; you’ll know in due course."

With that, Zhu Hong smiled slightly at Zhu Xiaozhu’s dazed expression, then stepped forward, took her delicate hand, and sat down beside her on the sofa.

Then, Zhu Hong picked up a glass of red wine from the coffee table, poured himself a drink, and gently swirled it in his glass, every gesture exuding a different charisma than before.

After momentarily coming to her senses, Zhu Xiaozhu blurted out, "Brother, I heard from my family that you were imprisoned by Ling Chen. Why are you here?"

Previously, Zhu Xiaozhu had received a phone call from her family saying that Zhu Hong had gotten into trouble and was being held in a highly secret place by Ling Chen.

Since then, Zhu Xiaozhu’s mood had been dejected, torn between her biological brother and the man she fancied. Yet, these two had come to this pass, leaving her at a loss for what to do.

After a torturous inner conflict, Zhu Xiaozhu had made up her mind to rescue her brother. She had nearly planned everything, just waiting for the right moment to act. But to her surprise, before she could make her move, Zhu Hong had returned.

Could it be... the family’s information was mistaken?

Lost in thought, Zhu Hong began to speak, "The news your family told you was not wrong. Ling Chen indeed imprisoned me, and it was in a very remote place. But I was lucky, I escaped from the prison. Afterwards, I met a benefactor. Without him, I wouldn’t be here today."

Hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu seemed to realize something, and her face suddenly took on an uncomfortable expression.

"Brother, so everything that happened last night was orchestrated by you?"

Zhu Hong nodded and said, "Ling Chen has gone too far, imprisoning me for so long and subjecting me to harsh interrogation. My actions are only for revenge. Little sister, you can’t imagine the suffering your brother has endured, so there’s no point in trying to persuade me. Before I escaped, I swore an oath. If I ever got out, I would make Ling Chen pay back a hundredfold. I know you and Ling Chen are on good terms, but I hope you won’t be deceived by him. He’s a hypocrite, one way in front of others, and another behind their backs. Sister, trust me, better to cut ties with Ling Chen from now on."

"Brother, I..."

Before Zhu Xiaozhu could finish, Zhu Hong waved his hand and said, "Sister, no more. Your brother won’t harm you." Pause for a moment, and then Zhu Hong added, "Recently, things might get unstable in East Sea City, you should head back to Beijing and stay with mom and dad for a while. Once things here are settled, I’ll come to find you."

With that, Zhu Hong sipped his red wine, stood up from the sofa, and headed toward the door.

"Brother, where are you going?" Zhu Xiaozhu asked, taking a few steps after him.

"I still have some things to take care of. Have a good rest, my friend will send you back to Beijing tomorrow. Until I return, he will always be by your side, protecting you."

"Brother, Brother!"

Zhu Xiaozhu wanted to say more, but Zhu Hong had already left the villa.

Watching Zhu Hong’s retreating figure, Zhu Xiaozhu’s eyes were filled with complex emotions.

She knew all too well the intention behind Zhu Hong having someone follow her; it was merely to have someone watch over her and prevent her from contacting Ling Chen again.

Ling Chen...

Thinking of Zhu Hong’s earlier words, Zhu Xiaozhu began to worry.

Whether it was Zhu Hong or Ling Chen, they both held significant places in her heart. Whoever got into trouble, it would be difficult for her.

Now, with Zhu Hong seeking revenge on Ling Chen, a fierce battle between the two seemed inevitable.

This wouldn’t do!

With her lips slightly bitten, Zhu Xiaozhu fished her phone out of her pocket and found Ling Chen’s phone number.

Yet, as she was about to dial, she hesitated again. If she informed Ling Chen, giving him time to prepare, it could be her own biological brother, Zhu Hong, who would be at a disadvantage.

What to do?

For the moment, Zhu Xiaozhu fell into deep contemplation, unsure of the right course of action.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the villa, the young man looked down at the pensive Zhu Xiaozhu, his lips slightly curving, revealing a cold smile.