The sky had long since darkened, and Jiangcheng had officially entered its bizarre phase. The moonlight was unusually bright, cutting through wisps of cloud and casting a silver sheen over the rippling sea, which stretched out like a field of scattered silver. In no time, the moonlight bathed the shore, streets, mountains, lakes, and gardens, illuminating the visible darkness but failing to penetrate the shadows cast by the bright lights below.
The silver-gray GTR raced along the city's main road, with the streetlights blurring into a continuous line, as if playing a high-speed rewind. Inside the car, the couple—who had been experiencing tumultuous times since their marriage, but were evidently a perfect match—sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
After dropping Zhao Yanan off at home, Chu Yuxuan, as usual, asked for a handshake.
Zhao Yanan asked, puzzled, "Aren't you going home?"
"I'm going to stay at the Emerald Lake," Chu Yuxuan replied.
Zhao Yanan shook his hand, opened the car door, and got out. As she closed the door, she unusually said, "Be careful," and then turned to walk towards the elevator.
"Yanan…" Chu Yuxuan suddenly called out to her as he watched her graceful figure.
Zhao Yanan turned back, "Hmm?"
Chu Yuxuan gave a faint smile, his eyes reflecting a mix of complex emotions, and said, "Good night."
Zhao Yanan felt puzzled but responded, "Um… good night."
After watching the beautiful woman enter the elevator, Chu Yuxuan wiped the smile from his face. He glanced at the Raptor parked not far away before finally leaving.
When he returned to Emerald Lake, it was already ten o'clock. His brothers were still awake, sitting in the living room, bored out of their minds.
Upon seeing Chu Yuxuan, they all stood up to greet him.
Chu Yuxuan carried a large bag of fried chicken and handed it to Xiao Qing, "Here's some late-night snacks I got for you. Have some."
The group looked at each other, and after Chu Yuxuan changed his shoes, they followed him to the living room and sat on the sofa.
"Eat up. Why are you all staring at me?" Chu Yuxuan said with a faint smile, pausing before turning to the reserved Hongmei, "Sister Hongmei, have some too. Just think of it as your own home, don't be shy."
Hongmei shook her head lightly and forced a smile, "I… I don't eat at night."
Chu Yuxuan didn't insist. He picked up a piece of fried chicken and said to Lao Wu, "Go get a bottle of wine. I've been having insomnia these past few days. If I don't drink something, I might not sleep tonight."
Lao Wu agreed and went to get a bottle of wine from the cabinet.
Xiao Qing looked at him with concern and said softly, "Young Master, you should take care of your health."
"It's fine," Chu Yuxuan said, looking very tired with his eyelids drooping. He added quietly, "You should have some too."
Lao San grumbled, "Big Brother, we all know about you hitting Ye Tianyi. It's already all over the internet. Shouldn't we go stir things up at the Ye family tonight?"
Chu Yuxuan shook his head, "No need. Let's wait for the Ye family's response… Anyway, be prepared for any situation. The Ye family's power is not to be underestimated. We need to be careful."
As he finished speaking, Lao Wu brought over a bottle of red wine. "Oh my God, look what I found—Roman Empire 1990! This wine must be worth at least a hundred thousand bucks!"
Chu Yuxuan rubbed his temples and smiled, "You really know how to pick. Pour everyone a glass. Sister Hongmei, you should try it too. This wine is hard to find, even in France."
Hongmei continued to refuse, but Lao Wu handed her a glass and said nonchalantly, "Hey, my big brother just wants to thank you for providing him with the clue. That's all. Don't think we're trying to poison you. My God, if we wanted to kill you, we wouldn't waste such good wine."
Hongmei waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no, I didn't mean that…"
"Lao Wu, stop talking nonsense," Chu Yuxuan said. He raised his glass towards Hongmei and sincerely said, "Sister Hongmei, thank you."
Hongmei hesitated, feeling that if she continued to refuse, she might seem ungrateful, so she took a small sip.
On Thursday night, at 9:30, Chu Zhqing arrived in Jiangcheng on time. As soon as he landed, he was picked up by Lao San and taken to Emerald Lake.
As soon as Chu Zhqing entered the villa, he laughed and asked, "Son, why the hurry? What's the matter?"
In the living room, Chu Yuxuan sat on the sofa. Lao Wu was still upstairs and hadn't come down, while Hongmei stood timidly behind Chu Yuxuan, not daring to look at Chu Zhqing. Xiao Qing went up to Chu Zhqing, handing him a pair of slippers, and spoke somewhat awkwardly, "Chairman, please change your shoes."
"Mm…" Chu Zhqing nodded with a smile. Just as he was about to ask about his son's gloomy expression, Chu Yuxuan spoke up, "Don't bother changing. It's not necessary."
Chu Zhqing was taken aback. The smile on his face gradually faded as he stepped forward and gave Hongmei a simple glance. He asked, "Son, is this… your new nanny?"
Chu Yuxuan sneered, "I think she's someone you've been wanting to find for a long time."
"Someone I've been wanting to find?" Chu Zhqing was puzzled and looked at Hongmei again.
Hongmei stood opposite him, with Chu Yuxuan sitting on the sofa between them. Though Chu Zhqing's expression wasn't serious, and even carried a hint of a smile, Hongmei felt a tightness in her chest, as if the air around her had suddenly chilled, causing a thin layer of sweat to form on her palms.
"Do you know Liu Jun?" Chu Yuxuan suddenly asked.
Chu Zhqing's brow furrowed, and he fixed his gaze on his son, as if assessing something.
Chu Yuxuan's eyes were red, and he gritted his teeth, "On the night of June 14th, ten years ago, at Qiyun Restaurant, in the Sophora Hall, what were you, Zhao Yunbo, and Liu Jun conspiring about?!"
Chu Zhqing's eyes flickered with shock, "How… how do you know about this?!"
"You've hidden it well!" Chu Yuxuan suddenly drew his gun, pointing it at Chu Zhqing, his eyes filled with malice, "You old b*st*rd, you don't deserve to live!"
Chu Zhqing took a deep breath, "Yuxuan, listen to me explain!"
"Still trying to deceive me? Huh? Heh… explanation my foot!" Chu Yuxuan resolutely pulled the trigger, as if fearing he might soften his stance the next second.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"