Part 2
Pei Huaizhi said flatly, “You should check if you have a blood relation with the Lu family.”
“I’m curious how that old man of the Lu family can harbor such deep-seated hatred for someone he’s never met.”
Pei Huaizhi paused. “So I hacked into the Lu family’s surveillance system and pulled the identification info of everyone who entered the banquet. But this man… his identity is a blank.”
“Later, I saw something interesting.”
Lu Xunye looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
But Pei Huaizhi intentionally stopped. He scoffed and leaned against the window sill. “Your intuition isn’t bad. You can start your investigation with Jiang Qingran as the entry point.”
Lu Xunye asked, “What do you know?”
“I don’t know anything. I can promise to hide this from Shen Yunqian.”
Pei Huaizhi curled his lips.
“But considering you saved Ayu six years ago, I’ll give you a piece of advice. Shen Yunqian is not a man who lives a peaceful life. You’d better not push him too far. He is far crazier than you imagine.”
“Even if you hadn’t intervened six years ago, I wouldn’t have let Ayu get hurt. Also, don’t contact him unless it’s necessary.”
Pei Huaizhi shot him a side-glance. “He’s very busy.”
Before Lu Xunye could ask anything, Pei Huaizhi suddenly reached out. “Give me your phone.”
Lu Xunye suspiciously handed it over. He watched as the other man tapped away on the screen before returning it.
“If you need to investigate anything in the future, contact this person directly.” After saying that, Pei Huaizhi turned and left.
“Who is this person?” Lu Xunye called out.
Pei Huaizhi didn’t look back. “Su Zhuo.”
Su Zhuo… why does it feel like they all know each other? As expected of people in the same circle.
Watching his figure grow smaller in his vision, Lu Xunye was unsure. “Was he… just marking his territory?”
The System pondered for a while: [It seems so.]
“He said not to push Shen Yunqian too far? Did I hear that right?” Lu Xunye was puzzled. “Have I… forced him?”
Lu Xunye was indignant: “He’s been the one forcefully kissing me the whole time, okay!”
The System was also angry: [Stop talking out loud, or you’ll be treated like a fool again.]
Lu Xunye didn’t care too much, thinking about the other thing the man had said.
Lu Feng was using him to suppress the scandal, but not by using terms like “publicly announcing the heir” or “holding a homecoming banquet.” Then what was he using?
Thinking this, Lu Xunye instinctively opened his phone to check the latest trending news. Seeing the top spot on the trending list, he was profoundly shocked.
The top of the list read:
#The Former Chairman of Si Group, Si Zheng, Who Died 21 Years Ago, Has Miraculously Resurrected!#
He clicked on the picture, but it was only a dark silhouette; his face was unclear. Most people didn’t believe it, thinking the title was just clickbait, and they were posting absurd comments in the section.
Some said they were transmigrators or reincarnators, while others were asking how the people from the Spirit Beast Sect were chasing the sword cultivators of the Emotionless Path.
Below that was a stream of suggestions that made Lu Xunye doubt the world.
As for the other trending topics, they were all related to the entertainment industry.
Things like #Famous “Female” Star Declares Love for Rich Second Generation or #Get Out of the Entertainment Industry—stuff like that. Lu Xunye couldn’t be bothered to look.
Every trending topic related to the Lu family had been scrubbed clean without a trace.
————
The Next Day.
Lu Xunye only closed his eyes for a moment on the sofa in the ward when he was so tired he couldn’t take it anymore. He was immediately startled awake by a tiny sound.
He checked his phone; it was 4:00 AM, and the sun hadn’t risen yet.
The System’s phantom was splayed out by the sofa, sleeping like a dead pig. Every now and then, its limbs would twitch; it must have exhausted too much power.
“Are you thirsty?”
He walked quickly to the middle-aged man’s bedside. The man nodded weakly, his eyes fixed on him.
Lu Xunye acted as if he didn’t notice the burning gaze and pulled up a chair.
He took a cotton swab from the table, dipped it in some water, and said, “The doctor said you lost too much blood, so you can’t drink water for a short time. Just bear with it for now.”
The man bent his knees, pushing the blanket up into a lump.
Sensing his intention, Lu Xunye leaned over and carefully helped him sit up. “Slowly, the wound was just stitched.”
Lu Xunye focused on dabbing the man’s lips with the wet swab. After a pause, his heart pounding, he asked, “Do you know me? Why did you save me?”
The man shook his head and made a puzzling request. His voice was raspy, yet Lu Xunye could clearly hear the nervousness and hesitation in it.
“Can I… touch your face?”
Lu Xunye blinked dazed eyes. His thoughts pulled away from his shock as his gaze focused on the loneliness on the man’s face.
He proactively placed the other man’s hand on his face. “Okay.”
The other’s hand was like a paintbrush, gently tracing the contours of his face. When it reached his eyes, he pulled his hand back in a flustered manner.
Lu Xunye’s eyes narrowed slightly. He quickly intercepted the man’s arm as it flashed past his eyes. “Pardon me.”
He pushed up the man’s sleeve. The skin was a horrific sight; hideous burn scars were scattered across his arm.
Lu Xunye confirmed his suspicion. His fingers curled as he pulled his hand back sheepishly, then stared intently at the man. “So… are you really the former Chairman of the Si family? Si Jingyan’s father? Si Zheng?”
The man answered with something unrelated: “Don’t get too close to the Lu family.”
“I know. I know Lu Feng is using me.”
Seeing the man’s surprised look, Lu Xunye’s eyes reddened as he asked.
“Your current identity is fake. Every year during the holidays, you go to the cemetery to pay respects to that Da-jie. That gravestone was… erected by Madam Qin.”
“If you are Si… why did you risk exposure to go to the Lu house? Why did you risk your life in public to save me? Do you know me… or do you know my parents… right?”
Lu Xunye’s questions became increasingly urgent. In fact, he already knew the answer without the man having to say it.
The notifications for the progress of the hidden plot mission were increasing constantly, which was more real than any pale answer.
Si Zheng pulled at the corner of his mouth bitterly, a trace of self-mockery appearing in his eyes.
“The former head of the Si family died in that fire twenty years ago. I am nobody. I am only my wife’s… survivor.”
Which wife?
Jiang Qingran, or Si Jingyan’s mother?
Lu Xunye couldn’t figure it out. Looking at the man’s appearance, his devotion was boundless. No matter how he looked, he couldn’t find a single trace of a lie.
If he hadn’t changed his mind, why did he remarry after his beloved passed away?
If he had changed his mind, what was his purpose in acting like a man of unrequited love in front of him?
“Do you want me to help you contact the Si family?”
The moment he asked, Lu Xunye regretted it. There was no need for him to contact them. Based on the top trending news and what happened last night, Si Jingyan probably already knew.
Seeing the man’s exhausted eyes, Lu Xunye planned to go pay for the hospital stay.
Last night, he had been completely dazed, and no one from the hospital had come to collect payment. It was probably Feng Chengyu and the others who had paid.
“Get some rest. I have some business to attend to.”
……
Upon returning, Lu Xunye was thinking about what kind of food would be suitable for the man tomorrow morning. Liquid food?
As he was thinking, suddenly, with a crack, the entire floor plunged into darkness.
Sensing something was wrong, Lu Xunye immediately rushed to the ward.
By the time he pushed the door open, the power had just been restored. The lights in the room flickered once and then stayed on.
The entire process took no more than thirty seconds. When he crashed through the door, there was no one left inside.
The System looked like it was about to run out and happened to run into him.
It choked for a second: [The Old Uncle was taken away by the Protagonist Gong! I’ve checked; the uncle is not in any danger.]
Lu Xunye’s hand on the doorframe tightened, then relaxed. “That’s to be expected.”
Since he was taken by his biological son, Lu Xunye had no standing to demand him back, and the man hadn’t said he wasn’t willing to go back.
“Let’s go. We should head back too.”
————
Back at the apartment complex.
Lu Xunye lowered his finger from his home’s smart lock after the 15th failed fingerprint scan and the 17th failed password attempt.
But he hadn’t brought his keys.
The System rubbed its chin: [It looks like it ran out of battery.]
Lu Xunye: “Can you duplicate a key?”
The System’s eyes rolled. It said decisively: [I can’t. But I have a method.]
Lu Xunye questioned it with his eyes, as if to say, Hurry up and say it!
The System turned its head to look at the tightly closed door of Shen Yunqian’s home.
Lu Xunye: “……”
A moment later.
Ding.
The door unlocked.
Lu Xunye pushed the door open through a small crack and squeezed inside. He then gently closed it. His hand hovered over the light switch for a moment before he gave up.
He turned on his phone’s flashlight function, bent over to change his shoes, and placed them on the shoe rack.
He switched the phone to his other hand and rubbed his tired eyes as he walked further in. He let out a yawn, but as he passed the sofa, the hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood up.
He cautiously shone the light toward it. A face, made deathly pale by the bright light, appeared in his vision.
Lu Xunye’s whole body jolted. His phone performed a juggling act in his hand before he ultimately failed to catch it.
Smack.
The phone hit the floor; the screen was broken.
The reason he knew it was broken was that the flashlight had gone out.
“You’re back?”
Shen Yunqian’s unique, clear, and elegant voice rang out.
He didn’t know if it was because Pei Huaizhi’s words had acted as a psychological hint, but Lu Xunye couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine.
Translator’s Note:
- Da-jie (大姐): Literally “Big Sister.” A polite way to address a woman who is older than oneself but of the same generation or slightly older.
- RH-negative Blood: In China, this is commonly referred to as “Panda Blood” (熊猫血) because it is extremely rare among the Chinese population.
- Xiao Ai (小爱): Lu Xunye’s nickname for the System. “Xiao” is a diminutive prefix, and “Ai” means love/affection (often used for AI systems).
- Spirit Beast Sect / Emotionless Path: Common tropes in Xianxia (cultivation) novels. The commenters are making jokes using web novel logic.
- Protagonist Gong (主角攻): The “Attacker” or dominant partner in the original novel’s main couple (Si Jingyan).
- Laoshi (老师): Literally “Teacher.” Used as a respectful term for authors or experts in a field.
Recommended Reads
