Chapter 148

In the end, Lü Jiu did not tell Xie Xubai what she was afraid of. The helplessness and fear she felt at that moment were like frost under the scorching sun, melting away in the blink of an eye and disappearing without a trace.

He just started having frequent dreams after that.

The experience in my dream is almost identical to what I'm experiencing now.

The poison and ruthlessness of Luofutu, his cowardice and bewilderment, and the greed, anger and ignorance of all people in the world, are like thick, sticky oil paints applied to create colorful masks, together performing this absurd and bizarre drama.

The only person who's different is probably Gu Nan, but unfortunately he hasn't changed at all. He's become stupid and wicked, indulging in pleasure and losing his ambition.

More than once, when he went to pick someone up from the karaoke bar, he would stare at Gu Nan, who was dead drunk on the sofa, and his eyebrows would twitch with anger.

I wanted to explode, I wanted to curse, I wanted to throw this worthless bastard off the building.

Gu Nan, on the other hand, was delighted to see him and drunkenly leaned over to put his arm around his shoulder: "Lü Jiu, my good brother! You've finally arrived, drink! Let's drink together!"

So in the end, Lü Jiu could only frown and rub his forehead, and give up amidst Gu Nan's loud cheers with a silly grin.

Gu Nan is a complete idiot.

But this fool would shamelessly beg Master Gu to let him study at the best public school in Haidu, and also beg Madam Gu to assign him a lucrative and easy job.

He would also fly into a rage when other rich kids tried to take advantage of him, kicking them away. And when the eldest son of the Gu family questioned his secret dealings with his rivals and wanted to torture him, he would rush in to stop him, pat his chest and vouch for him.

Lu Jiu had seen the coldness and warmth of the world, but this was the first time he had met someone like Gu Nan.

To be specific, this is the first time I've ever seen a fool who would go to such lengths for someone out of sheer impulse.

Even much later, when Lü Jiu discovered that the numerous difficulties he faced in the Gu family and Gu Nan's timely rescue were all intentional arrangements by the Gu family patriarch to win over the hearts of his youngest son, he found it difficult to harbor resentment towards Gu Nan's pair of clear yet foolish eyes.

Time and experience can change many things.

In recent years, Lü Jiu, who originally thought that drunkenness caused trouble and disliked his drunken father, has gradually learned to drink.

But he drank very little, and he didn't drink with others.

Sometimes, after a brief period of pretense with Luofu Temple, and after the routine questioning and admonishment from Master Gu and Young Master Gu, or after leaving the world of fame and fortune where he could have his way with everyone, he would feel annoyed and come to Tianxiang Tower.

Right next to Gu Nan and his group, they booked a private room, opened the door with a tiny crack, and let in the sounds of singing and dancing, the merriment and carefree revelry outside, to dispel the loneliness in the room.

Then, alone, with a bottle of wine, he silently sipped and drank alone.

Until Gu Nan and his group of cronies went to the outhouse and passed by the door.

"Don't mention that guy to me! I treated him like a brother, but what did he do? He only ever thought about how to use me! He was completely focused on currying favor with my father and brother, and building connections with those noble families! He beat and scolded me at the drop of a hat, and didn't respect me at all!"

"My dad and brother always bypass me and go to him when they need to discuss something important. Hiccup, I really don't know who the fourth young master of the Gu family is now! One day, I'm going to beat him up! I'll let him know, let him know who I am... hiccup!"

His drunken rants and curses, accompanied by the loud music, drifted into the private room, past Lü Jiu's ears, and then gradually faded away, drowning out the cacophony of singing and dancing.

Lu Jiu paused, the blinding light sweeping across his taut, trembling face, making him almost blend into the encroaching shadows.

After an unknown amount of time, he took a deep breath, drank the remaining half bottle of wine in one gulp, grabbed his coat with one hand and draped it over his shoulder, went to the next private room, and kicked open the door.

Under everyone's stunned gaze, Lü Jiu strolled over leisurely and gave Gu Nan a hard punch.

Gu Nan was almost blacked out from drinking when he was punched. He suddenly woke up with a shout, and when he saw who it was, he didn't remember talking behind his back. He yelled angrily, "Lu Jiu, you scoundrel, what do you want! Why did you hit me?"

Looking down at him, Lü Jiu suddenly narrowed his eyes and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to hit me? I'll give you a reason."

As he spoke, he casually grabbed a wine bottle from the table, shoved it into Gu Nan's hand, and playfully tapped his forehead: "I hit you once, you hit me back. Come on, swing it here."

Gu Nan stood there, stunned, suspecting that Lü Jiu was playing a trick on him.

The next second, without warning, Lü Jiu grabbed his arm, pressed down on his hand, and smashed the turquoise bottle hard.

With a loud bang, the bottle shattered into pieces, sharp shards of glass littered the floor, and liquor mixed with blood splattered everywhere!

A deafening explosion erupted from the crowd. Gu Nan's breath hitched, and he frantically tried to pull his hand away, but Lü Jiu held it down, preventing him from doing so.

He shouted incoherently, "What are you doing?! Lü Jiu! Let go of me! Your head! Blood!"

Lu Jiu forcefully grabbed him, his body swaying slightly before he steadied himself. He casually wiped his face, grabbed another wine bottle, and asked in his usual nonchalant tone, "So, is Fourth Young Master Gu feeling better now?"

Blood and wine mingled and flowed down, meandering along the brow bone and into those clear, smiling eyes.

Gu Nan stared at Lü Jiu as if he were a monster, but the latter just smiled, raising his chin slightly at him with a nonchalant smile.

Under the red and green lights, her face, pale and gaunt from blood loss, looked like a shattered piece of glass, her eyes flickering with light.

"If that's not enough, do it again. If one isn't enough, do it twice. If two aren't enough, do it four times."

Lu Jiu slowly handed him the wine bottle, his fingertips stained with bright red blood. He curled his lips into a forced smile and said, "Anyway, Lu Jiu's life is worthless. If I die, I die. I can't afford to offend Young Master Gu."

This "open and frank" talk was very effective. From then on, Gu Nan was convinced that Lü Jiu was crazy. If Lü Jiu asked him to manage the venue and keep accounts, he would manage the venue and keep accounts. If he asked him to practice boxing and shooting, he would practice boxing and shooting. He dared not disobey in the slightest.

However, when the Gu family head found out about this, he saw through it as a means for Lü Jiu to tame and control his youngest son. He was furious and wanted to punish Lü Jiu in public.

This time, no one notified Gu Nan. By the time Gu Nan arrived, Lü Jiu's exposed back had already been whipped and torn by thorns.

His mind went blank for a moment, and he lunged forward without thinking. Thorns lashed out at him, the sharp points digging into his flesh and drawing blood. Gu Nan screamed in pain.

He grimaced, unable to imagine what kind of torture Lü Jiu had suffered, and shouted in shock and anger.

"I was the one indulging in debauchery, Father, why did you hit Lü Jiu?! What did he do wrong?"

Lu Jiu was in so much pain that he broke out in a cold sweat, his vision went black, and in his dazed state, he could only feel Gu Nan protecting him tightly, no one could pull him away. After enduring several blows, Gu Nan finally had no choice but to wave his hand and let him go.

Gu Nan yelled for someone to call a private doctor, and hurriedly carried Lü Jiu out. As they walked, blood oozed from the wound on Lü Jiu's shoulder and back, dripping onto him, wetting his clothes, and smelling hot and salty.

Gu Nan shuddered violently as if burned, then, as if remembering something, she suddenly became unsteady on her feet and asked him with difficulty, "Did my father punish you like this before?"

Lu Jiu kept his eyes closed and didn't speak.

Gu Nan was filled with shame: "I'm sorry, I didn't know the consequences would be so serious."

Even now, he still thinks it was his drinking that caused the problem.

Gu Nan was the youngest son in his family and a premature baby, so he was born with congenital deficiencies. His family spoiled and indulged him, afraid that he would suffer any grievances, and even more unwilling to let him come into contact with those sordid and filthy things.

He thought his family would be stricter with Lü Jiu at most. After all, those crucial trade routes and the coveted position of Third Street Patrol Captain were things his family wouldn't budge no matter how much he begged and pleaded. But they gave Lü Jiu, their adopted son with no blood relation, the position without hesitation, clearly showing how much they valued him.

When he heard Lü Jiu being scolded earlier, he even felt a moment of schadenfreude, thinking that finally someone could teach this lawless bastard a lesson. But now, Gu Nan just wanted to cry.

Lu Jiu lay on his back, pressing down on Gu Nan's wounds. The young man gasped softly in pain, but endured it without crying out.

Lu Jiu heard this and stirred. His eyes, devoid of any smile, appeared especially cold. He slightly raised them and looked up at the gray sky.

Gu Nan was filled with fear and regret. He kept talking the whole time, afraid that Lü Jiu would faint and die, afraid that Lü Jiu would resent the Gu family and resent him for being oblivious to everything.

He apologized repeatedly, made countless promises, and said all sorts of good and bad things, but he didn't get a single response from Lü Jiu. Finally, he managed to choke out a sob.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

“You idiot…” It was at this moment that Lü Jiu finally spoke, his dry voice like rough sandpaper, weak and listless, yet carrying a genuine sigh, “You’d better be obedient from now on, okay?”

He spoke as if coaxing a child, his words both humorous and nonsensical: "Be more careful, I'll try my best to let you live to a ripe old age."

Gu Nan just wanted to put his mind at ease, and even though he was completely confused by the second half of the sentence, his first reaction was to nod frantically like a chicken pecking at rice.

He heard the person on his back yawn casually, their head drooping down.

Turning his head, he saw that Lü Jiu had closed his eyes wearily.

At that time, Gu Nan thought he knew a lot, but there was still a lot he didn't know.

No one knows where Lü Jiu's carefully packed wealth is hidden in some unnamed estate, nor what decision Lü Jiu made with a sigh.

...

When Lu Jiu was transferred from the army to the patrol team by the Gu family, he understood that even though the Gu family valued and appreciated him, they would not allow him to wield power that "overstepped" his status.

From the age of nine to seventeen, eight years had passed without him being accepted as family by the Gu family head. He had no time or energy left to figure out how to gain the Gu family's trust.

However, relying on the meager resources provided by the Gu family to fight against Luofutu and his employer behind the scenes is clearly not feasible.

He needs to cultivate more powerful backers and acquire more useful leverage.

By acting obediently in front of the Buddha, Lü Jiu successfully obtained a list so that he could select reliable allies from the elite circles.

He didn't know the authenticity of the list, so he could only test it one by one. To outsiders, it seemed like he had lost all shame in his pursuit of fame and fortune, completely gone mad, daring to fawn over anyone and force his way into any circle.

Lü Jiu felt that they weren't wrong.

People throng about, chasing after profit. He never believed in truth, goodness, or beauty, thinking that only the struggle for interests and the threat of life and death could bind everyone together like grasshoppers on a rope. The moment he interacted with someone, he would subtly figure out how to exploit their weaknesses.

Since he offered his pledge of allegiance with such intentions, it's understandable that people might perceive him as a greedy and unscrupulous person who would do anything for personal gain.

Moreover, the worse he behaves, the more at ease the people at Luofu will be, so why not?

Until Lü Jiu met someone completely unexpected.

—His maternal uncle.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long wait! Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and there will be small red envelopes given out in the comments within 24 hours! Happy Lunar New Year's Eve!