When Gu ZhaoChuan received the news of Ruo Dan’s death, he fell into silence.

Not because he was shocked by Ruo Dan’s fate—but because HuMing had managed to survive that desperate situation. Not only that, he had even rescued Han YunXi.

That made HuMing a serious threat.

What was even more concerning was—once HuMing returned to the Gu family, would he expose everything?

Gu ZhaoChuan bit his fingernail, mind riddled with anxiety.

But after a brief silence, he knew he had to change tactics.

Simply hiding wouldn’t get him anywhere. More importantly, he still had his second uncle’s support.

They held each other in mutual check, neither wanting their secrets exposed.

That hidden card gave him a measure of composure even now.

Gu ZhaoChuan sat in a café, gently sipping from a steaming cup of coffee.

“Mr. Gu ZhaoChuan?”

A voice sounded beside him. Gu ZhaoChuan looked up in confusion, spotting a man in a black leather jacket and a cap pulled low over his head.

The man sat across from him without invitation. Gu ZhaoChuan stared, clearly having had no prior notice of this meeting.

The man ignored his gaze, waved to the server, and ordered the exact same coffee as Gu ZhaoChuan.

“Who are you?”

Gu ZhaoChuan still couldn’t make out the man’s face clearly, but something about his presence felt off.

He kept his guard up, in case the man made any sudden moves.

But when the man finally turned his head and looked at him directly—Gu ZhaoChuan froze. A thought surfaced in his mind.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

This man had always stayed in the shadows. Even Gu ZhaoChuan hadn’t seen him for years. And now—he had come to find him personally. If not for the urgency of the situation, Gu ZhaoChuan would never have imagined this.

“Been a long time, last time we met must’ve been years ago, right? The Gu family was in crisis back then—thanks to you, of course.”

His words were a subtle reminder of the past.

If it hadn’t been for that tip-off, his second aunt wouldn’t have gotten into that car crash on the road.

You could say the reason Gu WeiYi was now under this man’s control had a lot to do with Gu ZhaoChuan.

“Shi Zhong, I haven’t been able to reach you in a long time. And because of your inaction, do you even realize what HuMing is doing now?”

“Oh, I know. Very well, actually. But recently, some old friends have been overly enthusiastic, wanting to reconnect. I’ve had to lay low for a while… call it a vacation. But I see you’re doing just fine. Seems like your position in the Gu family hasn’t suffered.”

The mention of his position made Gu ZhaoChuan’s heart skip.

Did Shi Zhong know about his partnership with Gu WeiYi? If he did, would he see it as a betrayal?

Still, there was room to maneuver. Gu ZhaoChuan didn’t lose his composure.

He looked at Shi Zhong, his voice calm.

“You’re right. But you didn’t show up here without reason. So tell me—what do you need from me? You’re a wanted man across all of JingDu, and your son was injured by HuMing. If you’re not going after HuMing, are you hoping I can stand against him and not get crushed?”

“No, no. No one can go up against HuMing and come out unscathed. That’s what I’ve finally understood. He’s… starting to remind me of an old friend of mine. Honestly, if this series of events hadn’t happened, I would’ve thought the comparison ridiculous.”

Shi Zhong rested his chin in his hand, studying Gu ZhaoChuan with a slightly raised brow.

“Gu ZhaoChuan, your position in the Gu family is already exposed. Staying there does you no good. Come with me. HuMing won’t let you off.”

“Shi Zhong, do you hear yourself? If I leave now, that only confirms that I’m involved with you.”

“Don’t be stupid, Gu ZhaoChuan. Do you really think HuMing will let you go just because you stay put? Ruo Dan nearly got Han YunXi killed—when HuMing returns to the Gu family, the first person he’ll come after is you. But if you disappear now, it can still look like you were taken.”

Shi Zhong’s words left Gu ZhaoChuan stunned—for he realized, they might be true.

HuMing knew who he really was. And in HuMing’s eyes, he probably was expendable. When the time came for reckoning, Gu ZhaoChuan’s end would be ugly.

And once he lost his usefulness, Shi Zhong would likely abandon him too.

He took a deep breath, fixing his eyes on the man before him.

“What do you need me to do? Following you would mean going on the run.”

“Relax. I just need you to disappear for a while—and gain something in return. The strength to rival HuMing. Believe me, right now, you’re no match for him.”

The server brought over Shi Zhong’s coffee. He took a sip, frowning.

“With your background, how can you still enjoy this garbage? Everything in this city still tastes like crap… but it is the seat of power. For now, though, we just need to step away.”

Gu ZhaoChuan watched as Shi Zhong stood and left. After a moment of hesitation, he followed.

Shi Zhong was right—Gu ZhaoChuan didn’t yet have the power to face HuMing. If he wanted to protect anything, he had to take control of his own strength.

He lifted his head and looked at the skyscrapers nearby—the Gu family’s estate looming in the distance.

“I’ll be back.”

Lowering his head, he followed after Shi Zhong, vanishing into the crowd.

…

“So now that YunXi’s safe, you can finally take a break, right?”

Ye QiuXue looked at the man on the screen. Before, when HuMing left, he still seemed full of energy. But after everything that happened… he now looked utterly drained.

HuMing lay sprawled on a hotel bed like some eighty-year-old man.

Seeing the girl on the screen, he managed a tired smile.

“Miss you. How’s life in the countryside? Should I come visit?”

“Tch. Easy to say. You should focus on YunXi and Xiao Xi instead—they need you more right now.”

“Tsk tsk tsk… Ye QiuXue, do you know how you sound right now?”

“How?”

“Like a queen managing a harem. Busy with every little thing.”

“HuMing.”

“Mm?”

“Get lost!”

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