Chapter 24
The next morning.
As the first light of dawn broke, two sneaky heads appeared outside the Lu family villa. They hadn’t driven there, instead hunching their bodies and sneaking along the fence all the way to the front gate.
“Get down, you idiot! Your head is about to press the doorbell. You wanna get caught?” Tang Jin yanked Lu Heng down.
“Damn it! Watch where you’re pulling! You almost yanked my pants down,” Lu Heng complained, adjusting his waistband as he crouched beside Tang Jin.
It wasn’t even seven yet. Whether they had work or not, most people were still asleep. In the Lu family courtyard, only Uncle Zhang was watering the plants with a hose.
Tang Jin observed his movements through the gaps in the iron gate and quickly realized that sneaking in through the front gate unnoticed was nothing but a pipe dream.
After thinking it through, he said, “Let’s climb over the wall.”
Lu Heng was startled. “Are you serious?”
Tang Jin turned to him. “Of course. Unless you want Sui Nian to be trapped here by Lu Zhiyue for the rest of his life?”
Hearing “trapped here,” Lu Heng was a bit confused.
At five in the morning, he had been dragged out of bed by Tang Jin’s phone call. Still half-asleep, he was shoved into a car and hauled all the way here. On the way, Tang Jin had only thrown him one sentence:
“Chi Suinian might be imprisoned by Lu Zhiyue.”
It sounded ridiculous.
Lu Zhiyue treasured his brother like his own eyes—never fighting back, never talking back. The few times they met after Chi Suinian was discharged from the hospital, his brother practically walked all over Lu Zhiyue.
What kind of imprisonment was this?
Lu Zhiyue was clearly enjoying it.
He had no idea where Tang Jin got this absurd idea from.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Tang Jin said with rare seriousness. “I know what you’re thinking, but I heard it with my own ears.”
Lu Heng’s eyes widened. “!”
Tang Jin scooted closer, lowering his voice to recount what he had overheard in last night’s phone call—especially the faint “don’t touch me” and his brother’s suppressed sounds of pain, along with the midnight threat from Lu Zhiyue.
By the end, both of their faces had gone pale.
Lu Heng was completely shaken. “!!” Hiss.
His expression stiffened. “Then… wouldn’t this be a bad time to go in?”
“What do you mean?” Thinking Lu Heng had a better plan, Tang Jin eagerly waited for his suggestion.
Lu Heng awkwardly scratched his nose and muttered, “Well, Lu Zhiyue is basically a domineering CEO, right? If he caught his little runaway, wouldn’t he… you know, punish him all night?”
Tang Jin’s lips trembled. His voice wavered. “What the hell are you talking about???”
Lu Heng defended himself, “Not me, it’s how these stories go in novels!”
Tang Jin smacked him hard on the head. “Can you stop reading that trash?!”
Lu Heng clutched his head, yelling, “Damn! Why do you hit so hard? I was just making a casual comment!”
Tang Jin pointed at his nose. “Then do you dare to say this in front of Sui Nian?”
Lu Heng shut his mouth.
If he dared to say that in front of his brother, his funeral would be next week.
“Young Masters Lu and Tang.”
A voice interrupted.
Uncle Zhang, who had been watering the plants, had somehow appeared at the now-open iron gate.
Seeing the two men squatting at the entrance, he almost laughed but held back out of professionalism. “Are you here to see Young Master Chi? He’s still asleep. You two can come inside and wait.”
“No, no, no… no need.” Tang Jin quickly dragged the stunned Lu Heng to his feet. “We were just passing by. If Suinian’s asleep, then never mind. No need to wake him. No need to tell him we were here. We’ll just leave now.”
With that, they ran off, not giving Uncle Zhang a chance to stop them.
Tang Jin thought his plan was solid.
It didn’t matter if they had startled the enemy—he would just come back in a few hours. By then, Lu Zhiyue would have left for work, leaving Chi Suinian alone at home. That would be the perfect time to act.
But he hadn’t expected Uncle Zhang to be such a dedicated butler. The moment they left, he immediately informed Lu Zhiyue.
—
At ten o’clock.
Tang Jin and Lu Heng sneaked back to the Lu family home.
Standing under a two-meter-high wall, Lu Heng swallowed hard. “There’s no way up without a ladder.”
Now he believed that Lu Zhiyue really had imprisoned Chi Suinian.
Why else would someone build their courtyard walls this high? It was like a giant bucket—how could anyone see the outside world?
Chi Suinian had just barely survived a life-threatening injury. He could barely climb into bed, let alone scale this kind of wall.
Damn.
Lu Zhiyue was a real piece of work.
Tang Jin patted his shoulder. “Squat down.”
Lu Heng stared at him. “Why do I have to be the one underneath?”
Tang Jin rolled his eyes. “Do you even know how heavy you are? If you step on me, forget climbing—I’ll break my waist first. Now shut up and squat.”
Lu Heng compared their physiques. Tang Jin was indeed thin—so thin that his pants flapped in the wind. He looked as fragile as a recovering patient.
No way could he carry him.
Lu Heng crouched down, allowing Tang Jin to step onto his shoulders. In no time, they had climbed onto the wall. Tang Jin then pulled Lu Heng up as well.
Two seconds later, they stared blankly at the ground below.
How were they supposed to get down?
Lu Heng glanced around and locked onto a nearby ginkgo tree. It was about two meters away from the wall—too far for Tang Jin, but Lu Heng had trained in the military for two years. With a leap, he landed on the ground as easily as a monkey.
Tang Jin: “…”
Tang Jin was stunned.
Lu Heng stood below. “Jump down.”
Tang Jin: “…?”
Say that again?
“Hurry up,” Lu Heng urged. “If we get caught, we’re done for.”
Tang Jin didn’t budge. “Find me a ladder.”
If he jumped from this height, he’d break a leg.
“Where the hell am I supposed to find a ladder right now?” Lu Heng was getting frustrated.
Tang Jin pointed. “Look over there. This is a mansion. There’s got to be a ladder somewhere.”
Lu Heng: “…”
Unbelievable. They broke into someone’s house, couldn’t get down, and now they were about to steal a ladder to escape.
Who would believe this?
—
Ten minutes later, Lu Heng returned, carrying a ladder like he owned the place.
“Come down.”
Tang Jin hesitated, using a twig to shield his face. “Be careful. Don’t let anyone see you.”
Lu Heng sighed. “Relax, the courtyard is empty. I checked—there’s no one around.”
Tang Jin was relieved and slowly climbed down. “That’s weird. Lu Zhiyue left for work, but why aren’t there any maids or butlers around?”
Just as Lu Heng was about to reply, he caught sight of someone beside him.
Shit.
His eyes darted to the side, locking onto a familiar, calm gaze.
Lu Zhiyue.
Lu Heng: “…”
Damn.
The moment Tang Jin’s feet touched the ground, he exhaled in relief. “See? I told you Lu Zhiyue was up to something. Who builds walls this high? He’s definitely hiding someone.”
“So easy to climb over. The walls aren’t that high.”
A familiar voice rang out.
Tang Jin’s heart nearly stopped.
His ankle twisted.
Crack.
—
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk…”
In the living room, Tang Jin clutched his ankle and wailed in agony.
Chi Suinian rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on. “Shut up.”
“Damn,” Tang Jin groaned. “Are you even my bro? I’m already like this, what’s wrong with yelling a little? It hurts like hell!”
Chi Suinian: “Did I tell you to climb over the wall?”
Tang Jin shut his mouth.
“How is it?” Chi Suinian asked the family doctor of the Lu family.
The elderly doctor stood up and habitually pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose.
Chi Suinian froze for a moment before narrowing his eyes slightly, lost in thought.
The doctor said, “It’s not too bad, no damage to the bone. Just rest at home for a few days, and remember to take it easy. Avoid strenuous activities like climbing over walls.”
Tang Jin: “…”
Did you really think that was funny?
The doctor packed up his medical kit and was about to leave when Chi Suinian, after being dazed for a moment, suddenly stood up. “I’ll walk you out.”
The doctor looked a little surprised, adjusted his glasses, and said, “No need, Young Master Chi. I live nearby…”
Chi Suinian was already heading outside. “Let’s go.”
The doctor glanced at his back and, for some reason, suddenly felt a bit guilty.
·
Outside, the sun was scorching, so hot that even cats and dogs refused to step into the sunlight.
Yet Zhao Qingtian was standing there, his cheeks burning under the blazing sun, making small talk with Young Master Chi.
“Dr. Zhao, where do you currently work?” The young man leaned against the garden’s corridor with a casual demeanor.
The corridor was purely decorative for aesthetic balance; it didn’t even have a roof. The midsummer sun shone down brightly, threatening to cook people alive.
“Nowhere special,” Dr. Zhao replied. “Before coming to the Lu family, I worked at the city hospital for a while.”
Sweat trickled down his nose, causing his glasses to slip down repeatedly. Zhao Qingtian couldn’t help but push them up again.
Chi Suinian squinted his eyes slightly, his gaze lingering on Zhao Qingtian’s fingers adjusting his glasses.
Suddenly, he realized why this man looked familiar.
At Jincheng City Hospital, when he had first woken up, there was a doctor he had met—also surnamed Zhao, wearing similar glasses, and having the same unconscious habit of pushing them up while speaking.
It was also that Doctor Zhao who had diagnosed his amnesia.
Chi Suinian fell into a daze. “Do you have any family working at the city hospital?”
Zhao Qingtian seemed to pause for a second.
Chi Suinian looked up in confusion.
Zhao Qingtian, however, remained composed, smiling slightly as he said, “No, I’m the only one in my family in the medical field. Why do you ask, Young Master Chi? Do you know someone at the city hospital? Maybe I was once colleagues with them.”
Zhao Qingtian’s response was so natural that the small doubts in Chi Suinian’s heart quickly faded.
He rubbed his temples, feeling that he must’ve been driven crazy by Lu Zhiyue yesterday.
His thoughts were starting to blur again.
For a brief moment, he had actually suspected that the Dr. Zhao from the city hospital and the one standing before him were both under Lu Zhiyue’s command.
After all, his path from leaving the hospital to this moment had all stemmed from that doctor’s report.
But that was probably just his paranoia. The two Dr. Zhao’s didn’t even look alike—jumping to conclusions just because of a similar habit would be a bit reckless.
Even so… Chi Suinian couldn’t help but wonder, if the Dr. Zhao from the city hospital really was one of Lu Zhiyue’s people, then…
“What are you spacing out for? It’s scorching out here.”
A light touch landed on his face, and Lu Zhiyue’s voice rang beside his ear.
“If you stay in the sun any longer, you’ll get heatstroke. Let’s go back.”
Zhao Qingtian wiped the sweat off his face hastily and said, “Mr. Lu, I’ll be heading back then.”
“Mm.”
Zhao Qingtian left, and Chi Suinian swatted away the person next to him as he walked back. “Don’t touch me.”
·
The moment Chi Suinian sat down, he noticed Tang Jin staring at him with a strangely curious look.
Feeling a little thirsty from being outside, Chi Suinian poured himself a glass of water and asked casually, “What?”
Tang Jin raised his eyes and bluntly asked, “Suinian, did you injure your leg? Why are you walking with a limp?”
Lu Heng also frowned and looked over.
Two people, four eyes, all staring at his lower body.
“Cough cough cough…”
Chi Suinian almost choked himself to death on his water, coughing violently.
Tang Jin and Lu Heng exchanged a look: Damn, Lu Zhiyue really made a move on their bro.
And he did it in a place that wouldn’t be easily noticed—hidden under clothing.
Just then, Lu Zhiyue walked back into the living room after seeing Dr. Zhao off. Before he even sat down, he was met with a sharp glare from Chi Suinian.
Lu Zhiyue was confused, thinking that Chi Suinian was still feeling unwell. He sat down beside him and lightly kneaded his waist with his palm.
“Still sore?”
Chi Suinian: “…”
F**.*
Tang Jin and Lu Heng: “…”
Holy crap?
Not even hiding it anymore?
Bro, if you’re being held hostage, just blink.
The intense, frozen stares finally made Chi Suinian snap back to reality. He turned and pinched Lu Zhiyue’s thigh hard, hoping to see some sign of pain or discomfort on his face.
But Lu Zhiyue, being thick-skinned as always, showed no reaction at all, even though Chi Suinian’s fingers were hurting from pinching so hard.
Shit.
Is this guy even human?
Chi Suinian gritted his teeth. “Lu Zhiyue, get away from me.”
“No.”
Chi Suinian: “?”
Lu Zhiyue said, “I just want to be close to the person I like.”
His voice was loud enough to carry through the eerily silent living room.
This time, not only was Chi Suinian stunned, but Tang Jin and Lu Heng were also utterly floored.
“………………”
No insults, no punches thrown.
Lu Zhiyue looked up in confusion, meeting Chi Suinian’s furious glare—his neck inexplicably tinged with red.
His gaze swept over that shade of red, and despite trying to suppress it, the corners of his lips kept curling up.
He coughed lightly and turned to Tang Jin and Lu Heng. “Sorry, I got carried away.”
Tang Jin: “…”
Lu Heng: “…”
Chi Suinian tightened his grip around his water glass, his fingers turning white.
Damn it.
Every second spent with Lu Zhiyue was pure torment.
Why had he agreed to extend that ridiculous contract to three years?
Must have been out of my mind.
Tang Jin and Lu Heng were shaken.
Not from excitement—but from fear.
With Chi Suinian’s temper, that water glass should’ve already been smashed into Lu Zhiyue’s face—glass and all.
Just as they were nervously waiting for an explosion, Chi Suinian got up and walked away.
Lu Zhiyue dared to stop him.
“Where are you going?” he asked, tugging on his sleeve.
Chi Suinian yanked at his clothing but didn’t break free.
“…”
It was like he had been glued to Lu Zhiyue with superglue.
“To buy you a coffin,” Chi Suinian gritted out. “What color do you want?”
Tang Jin suddenly noticed something and froze.
—Why were Suinian’s ears red?
Then he saw it.
A fresh bite mark on the back of Chi Suinian’s neck.
Holy f**.*
hahajaja those 2 bro are speechless hahaha thank you for the update