Lan Qingyi's personal intervention clearly indicated Nanjing's stance: Cheng Muyun, the commander-in-chief of the Dongzhou Army, must die.
What they wanted was never just to incorporate him; they wanted his and Cheng Yuguang's heads as a pledge of allegiance, and then, by virtue of this, to seize control of the hundreds of thousands of valiant Dongzhou Army, turning this force capable of stirring up storms into a sharp blade in their hands.
Looking at the faint embers between Chen Hede's fingers, Cheng Muyun suddenly felt that the darkness was even more frightening than before.
Cheng Muyun's fingers trembled. He knew all too well the pros and cons. He asked, "How did you know it was Lan Qing who translated it?"
Chen Hede threw away the cigarette butt that had burned down to the end and stomped it out. "He just came to see me and tried to win over the French consul and Zhu Zhishui, asking me to join him in dealing with you."
Cheng Muyun chuckled, "He was right to come to you. After all, you're the only person in the entire Xinhai City who openly opposes me."
Seeing Cheng Muyun's relaxed expression and pride in his prediction coming true, Chen Hede wanted nothing more than to grab him by the collar and ask him what he was thinking.
"You can still laugh? Don't you know what this means? Lan Qingyi isn't as easy to deal with as Zhou Minhai. He's here specifically for you, you..."
Chen Hede didn't continue speaking. Ultimately, he was still quite concerned about Xu Zhuohua, but he couldn't say it out loud.
Cheng Muyun's smile deepened. "Chen Hede, we just had a fight today. I'm very happy that you came to see me now."
Chen Hede pursed his lips and lowered his head. "In times of crisis, do you think I would still care about such trivial matters?"
Cheng Muyun's strong features softened under the moonlight. He stepped forward and patted Chen Hede on the shoulder.
His eyes were filled with undisguised trust. "Thank you, Chen Hede. I was wondering who Nanjing would send. Now that I know, I'm relieved."
Chen Hede looked at Cheng Muyun in disbelief and asked, "Don't you know what Lan Qingyi's arrival means?"
"I know, they're after me. As long as my father and I die, the Dongzhou Army will be theirs."
Looking at Cheng Muyun's relaxed expression, Chen Hede felt a sense of disappointment and frustration. He grabbed Cheng Muyun's collar and questioned, "Cheng Muyun, you'd better have already figured out how to deal with Lan Qingyi."
Cheng Muyun slowly pried open Chen Hede's fingers and said, "I only just found out it was Lan Qingyi, and there's no way to deal with him."
Chen Hede's eyes were red and his face was full of displeasure. He was very dissatisfied with Cheng Muyun's attitude.
"Xu Zhuohua endured the pain to save you. For the past six months, she has been involved in the overall planning and coordination of the Eastbound Southbound Route, so that when you have an accident, she can use the advantages of the Eastbound Southbound Route to get you out of Xinhai City. You'd better not give up on your life."
Cheng Muyun chuckled lightly, "I know. Now that Zhuohua is back, I won't risk my life. To be honest, Chen Hede, for Zhuohua's sake, I won't seek my own death."
Chen Hede let out a cold snort, the smoke dissipating with the breath, carrying a hint of mockery: "That's good. Cheng Muyun, remember, don't let Xu Zhuohua be a widow."
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around, his steps quick and heavy, as if he felt suffocated if he stayed for even a second longer.
What infuriated him most was Cheng Muyun's attitude—even though the road ahead was fraught with danger, he still acted as if he could handle it all, and his stubbornness was like that of a stubborn donkey that couldn't be pulled back.
He was afraid that if he said one more word, he would lose control and start punching.
"Wait a moment." Cheng Muyun's voice came from behind him, not loud, but carrying an undeniable weight.
Chen Hede stopped in his tracks, hesitated for half a second before turning around, his brows furrowed, his eyes full of confusion: "Entrusted? What do you mean?"
Between him and Cheng Muyun, there was only ever a clash of positions; there was never any "entrustment" involved.
Cheng Muyun sighed, the night wind ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead, revealing his eyes that remained clear even in the dim light.
He looked up at Chen Hede, his eyes churning with struggle, which eventually settled into an unwavering determination, as if he had made a do-or-die decision.
“If I die,” he said, his voice calm to an almost cruel degree, “I hope you can protect Zhuohua. After much thought, you are the only one in this world who is suitable for me.”
Chen Hede was struck dumb, frozen in place, his pupils suddenly contracting: "What do you mean by that?"
He almost thought Cheng Muyun was talking nonsense.
“Although the Xu family is a kind and reliable family,” Cheng Muyun explained slowly, his tone carrying a clear understanding of reality, “they ultimately don’t have any real power. There are many people in the family, and if things really get to a critical moment, they may not be able to protect her completely. As for the Cheng family, if I’m not here, those people only care about their own interests and will not have any regard for her. They can’t be relied on. Zepeng is busy with that dangerous but great thing. He can’t even protect himself, so how can he have the energy to be distracted?”
He took two steps forward and stopped; the two were no more than an arm's length apart.
Cheng Muyun stared directly into Chen Hede's eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if it could dissect the deepest secrets of a person's heart.
The moment their eyes met, the air seemed to freeze, and they both understood the unspoken words in each other's eyes.
“And you, Chen Hede,” Cheng Muyun’s voice softened, but each word was clear, “you have feelings for Zhuohua. Your identity is upright and honest, your image is upright, and your future is limitless. Entrusting Zhuohua to you is the most suitable thing to do.”
Chen Hede felt as if his heart had been hit hard by a heavy hammer, pounding so hard that his head was buzzing and his ears were burning.
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