After Renault left, the room was eerily quiet.
Han Jingchen slowly wiped the blood off his hands, his finger joints still aching slightly.
He slumped down on the sofa, staring blankly at the TV screen.
On the screen, the replay of Gu Youran’s concert continued.
"Do you torture yourself like this every night?" The sudden voice made Han Jingchen stiffen.
He raised his head suddenly, his scarlet eyes fixed on the window. "Isn't this what you wanted to see?"
A soft chuckle came from the darkness. "I taught you that a good hunter doesn't show himself easily."
"So what are you now?"
Han Jingchen's eyes were bloodshot. "How painful and regretful are you to come and see me?"
"You finally remembered?"
The man was playing with the bronze pocket watch in his hand. The sound of the second hand ticking was particularly harsh in the silence.
"What did you remember?" Han Jingchen's voice was hoarse.
The pocket watch twirled between the man's fingers. "I remember why you always wear the flying eagle badge."
The moonlight illuminated half of the man's face, and the familiar look made Han Jingchen's breath catch.
"I remember why Xia Ke gets a headache every time she sees it."
“Snap—”
The pocket watch was pressed heavily against the windowsill.
Han Jingchen's chest heaved violently.
He stared at the person in front of him, "You lied to me."
There was suppressed anger in his voice.
The man in the shadows walked slowly closer, his black leather gloves gently stroking the red wine stains on the coffee table.
"What did I lie to you about?" His tone was terrifyingly calm.
"You made me think it was Xia Ke who saved me!"
Han Jingchen stood up suddenly, knocking over the wine glass and spilling the red wine all over the floor.
"You made me misunderstand Gu Youran for three years! Three whole years!" His voice began to tremble.
"What do you want to do?"
The man's voice suddenly dropped. "I'm here to give you one last chance."
Han Jingchen clenched his fists at his sides, "What opportunity?"
"A chance to save her." The man gave a half-smile, "Or, a chance to continue being a coward."
"What's the meaning?"
The man sighed, loosened his fingers, and a silver key fell out, shining coldly in the moonlight.
The key is clearly engraved with [The seventh day of the seventh month of the Gengchen year].
That was Gu Youran’s birthday.
“I taught you,” the man said in a low voice, “that the most terrifying thing in the world isn’t a lie.”
The key fell on the coffee table with a crisp sound. "It's the 'truth' that you firmly believe in."
"Here's the key. The answer you seek is in the third drawer of the study. But..."
The man turned to leave, and the pocket watch flicked open in his hand, and a cold light flashed in Han Jingchen's eyes.
"Are you sure you really want to know the truth?"
Han Jingchen sneered, his knuckles whitening from clenching, "It has come to this, what else am I afraid of?"
"Interesting." The man's fingertips rubbed his pocket watch. "Let's go and take a look. I don't know whether it will be a surprise... or a shock."
He paused at the door. "Remember, when you open that drawer, there's no going back."
"Wait!" Han Jingchen shouted at him, "Why are you doing this?!"
The man stopped but didn't look back.
"Because only I can truly keep her alive."
The moment the door closed.
Gu Youran on TV suddenly opened her eyes, and a strange blue light flashed in her pupils.
Han Jingchen heard the man's last words:
"Time is running out, Jingchen."
Han Jingchen picked up the silver key and was suddenly stunned.
The third drawer in the study has never been locked.
…
The next morning.
An explosive news set off the entire network:
"Chu Beiyuan, the heir of the Chu Group, and Mu Xuewei, the daughter of the Mu family, are getting engaged tomorrow."
The top post is the engagement announcement released by the official account of Chu Group.
The accompanying picture is a photo of Chu Beiyuan hugging Mu Xuewei's waist, and the diamond rings on their ring fingers are shining under the spotlight.
This news quickly topped the hot search list, triggering a polarized public opinion frenzy.
Supporters’ views:
"True love is invincible! Master Chu would do anything to protect Xuewei."
"This is the responsibility of a wealthy family. True friendship is revealed in times of crisis."
"The daughter of the Mu family married the Chu family, who were on the verge of bankruptcy. This is true love."
"An insider revealed that this engagement party will be extremely luxurious, and Mu Xuewei's engagement ring alone is worth eight figures."
Questioning voice:
"It's just a business marriage. The Chu family urgently needs the Mu family's funds to save their lives."
"He just 'accidentally killed someone' a week ago, and now he's engaged? That's so fake."
"Would the daughter of the Mu family be interested in Chu Beiyuan, who is in debt of tens of billions? This is a lie."
Business observation and analysis from financial bloggers:
"The Chu Group's debt has exceeded 10 billion yuan, and the Mu family's investment is their last chance of survival. This engagement is clearly a carefully planned crisis public relations operation, first using a murder case to divert attention, and then using 'true love' to whitewash it."
Entertainment big V eats melons and breaks the news firsthand:
"According to insiders, Mu Xuewei and bodyguard Ajiu were indeed in a relationship. Chu Beiyuan was furious when he found out, and his so-called 'self-defense' is full of doubts."
…
In the VIP ward of Beijing John Hospital.
Chu Beiyuan was sitting in a wheelchair, the wounds on his legs were still bleeding, and blood was seeping out of the gauze.
He signaled his assistant to push him to his father's ward.
"Master, your injury hasn't healed yet..." The assistant hesitated to speak.
"Shut up." Chu Beiyuan interrupted without even turning his head. "Tomorrow is the engagement party. I can't just lie down and attend it."
Pushing open the door of his father's ward, he put on a gentle smile on his face again, "Dad, I'm here to see you."
Father Chu was taking medicine with the help of a nurse. He choked when he heard this, "Beiyuan? Your leg..."
"It's a minor injury." Chu Beiyuan wheeled his wheelchair to the bedside and took the medicine bowl. "It won't delay tomorrow's engagement party."
Chu's father suddenly grabbed his wrist and said, "Are you sure you want to get engaged at this time? The current situation of the Chu family..."
"I've been waiting for this day for a long time." Chu Beiyuan held the medicine bowl steadily in his hand. "The old man of the Mu family is anxious to distance himself from the matter, so it's a good opportunity for us to do so."
Father Chu breathed a sigh of relief, "What are your plans for the future?"
Chu Beiyuan scooped up a spoonful of medicine and said, "Wait until the money from Country M arrives..."
"That shady money?" Father Chu coughed violently. "Are you still doing that kind of business?"
Chu Beiyuan wiped the medicine stains from the corners of his father's mouth, "Dad, do you still remember what the first lesson you taught me when I was twelve years old was?"
No waiting for an answer.
He leaned over and whispered in his father's ear, "You said that men from the Chu family will do whatever it takes to get what they want."
The sunlight outside the window was suddenly blocked by dark clouds, and the ward became dark.
Chu's father's hands fell weakly and hit the snow-white sheets.
"The death of that bodyguard Ajiu..." Father Chu's voice was hoarse.
"It was just an accident."
Chu Beiyuan turned his wheelchair and came to the window. "The police have closed the case. The surveillance showed that he attacked me first. I acted in self-defense."
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