“Name?”
“Li Xuan.”
“Your ID number is…” The officer recited a string of numbers.
“Yes.”
“Do you know Zhao Jizhe?”
“I do,” Li Xuan frowned, a bad feeling creeping over him. “Can you tell me what happened first?”
“I’m the one asking the questions right now. Answer me—what is your relationship with Zhao Jizhe?”
Li Xuan studied him for two seconds but didn’t respond.
“Answer me!”
“What’s this? Am I already convicted?” Li Xuan asked coolly. “That can’t be. I assume you have no evidence of any crime on my part. And as a law-abiding citizen, I certainly haven’t done anything illegal. I believe I am here for questioning, not interrogation?”
He leaned back, crossing his arms, and added indifferently, “You didn’t issue me an Inquiry Notice before showing up at my company. That doesn’t seem to follow proper procedure. Coming in like this has damaged my reputation, but I won’t hold you accountable. However, I do have the right to know why I’m here. Officer, I’ve been fully cooperative.”
The young officer looked dissatisfied, ready to argue, but his colleague tugged his elbow and whispered something. The officer gave Li Xuan a glare, scoffed, and left the room. A moment later, a middle-aged man with graying hair entered.
“Officer Zhang,” the other officer addressed him.
He nodded, glanced at the report, then spoke kindly. “You’re quite experienced, young man.”
“As an ordinary citizen, knowing some basic legal knowledge helps protect my rights,” Li Xuan replied.
“That’s a good mindset to have.” Officer Zhang pulled out a chair and sat down. “Here’s the situation. Officer Xia may not have explained it clearly earlier. Today at 4:27 PM, at the intersection of Boyang Road and Yanhui Road near Central Square, a man named Zhao Jizhe attacked someone with a knife and then fled the scene—”
“Who’s the victim?” Li Xuan interrupted, his frown deepening. “Li Mingge?”
The officer shook his head. “Mr. Li only suffered minor injuries. The person most severely wounded was his wife, Shu Xin.”
For a brief moment, Li Xuan’s mind went blank. His Adam’s apple moved slightly. “Earlier, you said this was a premeditated murder case. Shu Xin…”
“She’s still in critical condition at the hospital,” Officer Zhang said gravely. “But the attack was brutal—fourteen stab wounds. Witnesses reported that the assailant was shouting aggressively while attacking. Given the circumstances, attempted murder is the most appropriate charge.”
By the time Chu Tianheng and Song Wen arrived with a lawyer, Li Xuan’s questioning was already over.
“Are you okay?” They rushed to him.
“I’m fine.” Li Xuan turned and shook hands with Officer Zhang. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”
“Understood. Thank you for your cooperation. Officer Xia and the others were a bit too hasty today. Given that this attack happened in a busy downtown area just before the Lunar New Year, the public impact has been severe. The victim’s family is also accusing you, which has made things more complicated.”
He hesitated for a moment, recalling that Li Xuan had once been in a guardian relationship with the victim. “Of course, they have no actual evidence against you. We will conduct a thorough investigation. The urgency today was mainly to calm the situation and reassure the victim’s family. I hope you understand.”
Li Xuan forced a weak smile and nodded. “I get it.”
“We will keep in touch if there are any new developments. Please refrain from leaving N City in the meantime.” Officer Zhang said, handing him a slip of paper. “And if you have any information on Zhao Jizhe’s whereabouts, please notify us immediately.”
Li Xuan was silent for a moment. “I will.”
After leaving the police station and briefly explaining the situation to Chu Tianheng and Song Wen, Li Xuan went straight home. Sheng Min was preparing a late-night snack—chicken wonton soup that night. As soon as Li Xuan pushed open the kitchen door, he was met with the rich aroma of Chinese yam and chestnuts.
He slowly walked over and hugged Sheng Min from behind. Startled at first, Sheng Min quickly smiled. “You’re home early today.”
Feeling Li Xuan’s cold hands, he brought them to his lips and blew warm air over them. “Why are they so cold?”
Under the warm light, his gentle eyebrows and eyes carried an indescribable beauty. The white steam rising beside him condensed into tiny droplets on the glass, painting a scene full of warmth and domestic tranquility.
“Sheng Min.” Li Xuan felt his heart, frozen and numb from the day, finally warming up and beating again. He called Sheng Min’s name and let out a deep breath. “This afternoon, Zhao Jizhe stabbed Shu Xin.”
….
After finishing half a bowl of wontons, Li Xuan’s body gradually warmed up. Sheng Min refilled his bowl with broth.
“Is Shu Xin badly hurt?”
“Probably. She’s still in surgery. I don’t know the exact situation.” Li Xuan lowered his gaze, stirring the chestnuts at the bottom of his bowl with his spoon.
Sheng Min pressed his lips together. “Li Mingge thinks you ordered Zhao Jizhe to do it?”
“He might not actually believe that. But with Shu Xin injured, he’s panicking and grasping at straws.” Li Xuan saw things clearly. “Besides, I have ties to both of them. Even if he didn’t accuse me, it’s normal for the police to come looking for me. You don’t need to worry.”
Sheng Min let out a small sigh.
Li Xuan said softly, “It’s fine.”
“What’s your next step?” Sheng Min held his hand.
“Nothing. If they call me for questioning, I’ll go.”
Li Xuan got up, walked around the table, and sat beside Sheng Min, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll have Senior send over my laptop. I’ll be staying home these next few days. Let the theater know—you should take a break from rehearsals and stay with me.”
“Am I staying with you, or are you staying with me?” Sheng Min frowned at him. “Are you worried Zhao Jizhe will come after me?”
“Both… I don’t know what he might do next. Until he’s arrested, I’ll feel more at ease keeping an eye on you.” Li Xuan cupped his face. “Okay?”
Sheng Min hummed in agreement but thought for a moment before asking, “I’ll call Director Yin later to request leave. But once Zhao Jizhe is caught what will you do—”
Li Xuan didn’t answer right away. He silently finished the rest of his soup, got up, and walked into the kitchen to place his bowl in the sink. After a long pause, he finally spoke, without much hesitation: “I won’t get involved anymore. No matter why he lost control and attacked Shu Xin—maybe he thought he was doing it for me—but I don’t acknowledge that. So I also won’t feel any so-called guilt, because this whole thing has nothing to do with me.”
Leaning on the counter, his head slightly bowed, he didn’t show much emotion. “To me, there has never been such a thing as ‘I did not kill Boren, but Boren died because of me.’ If I have a problem with someone, I’ll handle it myself. Anyone else using my name or claiming to act on my behalf has nothing to do with me. As for what Li Mingge thinks… I don’t care.”
His voice was quiet, his tone eerily calm. He turned on the faucet and quickly washed the dishes, placing them neatly in the cabinet. Everything about him seemed composed, but Sheng Min knew that wasn’t entirely true.
Watching Li Xuan’s tall, straight back, Sheng Min suddenly felt an indescribable ache in his chest.
It was another sleepless night. Li Xuan didn’t get a wink of sleep. Sheng Min could hear his steady breathing—though he never moved, Sheng Min knew he was awake. So he turned over, wrapped his arms around him tightly, and rested his head against Li Xuan’s chest, listening to his heartbeat.
“I told you, I’m fine,” Li Xuan said gently. “I just have a little insomnia. You don’t need to worry.”
“I’m not worried about the situation. I’m worried about you,” Sheng Min whispered, his fingers brushing against Li Xuan’s temple. “Are you unsettled because of Shu Xin?”
This time, Li Xuan hesitated a beat. He watched the moonlight spill over Sheng Min’s silk pajamas, resembling a river of stars flowing through the night. After a long silence, he finally said, “Not unsettled. I thought about visiting her in the hospital, but then I decided there was no need… The police showed me photos of the crime scene… Sheng Min, I’ve seen far more blood than this. But she’s a woman, a patient—the most innocent one in this whole mess.”
“Are you upset about it?” Sheng Min asked softly.
Li Xuan pulled him into an embrace, lowered his head slightly, and kissed his hair. Instead of answering directly, he said, “I don’t feel guilty, truly. But that doesn’t mean I think she deserved it.”
Neither of them spoke for a while after that. Sheng Min didn’t know how to comfort him—because he knew Li Xuan didn’t need comforting. All he could do was gently trace his fingers over Li Xuan’s eyelids. “Sleep.”
Li Xuan murmured his agreement, but neither of them found rest.
As dawn approached, Sheng Min finally started dozing off—only for a sharp ringtone to suddenly pierce the quiet morning.
He stirred awake, but Li Xuan had already reached for his phone first. Pale morning light filtered through the curtains, illuminating his chiseled features. The muffled voice from the other end of the line was unclear, but the message was unmistakable.
“Mm, got it. I’ll come right away,” Li Xuan said, putting down his phone and getting dressed.
“What happened?” Sheng Min asked.
Li Xuan paused briefly before turning to look at him. “Zhao Jizhe turned himself in at the police station.”
Zhao Jizhe fully confessed to his crimes.
Although the case was severe, the overall facts were clear and logically consistent. While the lawyer representing Li Mingge insisted that Li Xuan was deeply involved, they failed to provide any substantive evidence. The police’s own investigation also confirmed that Li Xuan had no involvement in hiring or ordering the attack.
Just in case Li Mingge tried to play dirty and set Li Xuan up, Song Wen had arranged for his own lawyer to assist. With everything handled properly, the legal process went smoothly, and any suspicions surrounding Li Xuan were quickly cleared.
“There’s one more reason we called you in today,” Officer Zhang said, gesturing toward a female officer next to him. “This is our colleague from the Intellectual Property division. In Zhao Jizhe’s confession, he admitted that, under Li Mingge’s orders, he stole your external hard drive, which contained files related to your game Nook…”
Officer Zhang was older and seemingly unfamiliar with the game. He flipped through the documents and confirmed again, “Yes, all the update data and internal information of Nook were stolen and used for subsequent updates of Void Island. Is that correct?”
Li Xuan was momentarily stunned before pressing his lips together. “Yes.”
The two officers exchanged a glance. The female officer said, “Alright, this case will be handled separately as an independent investigation by our department. The suspect has already provided some evidence, and we’ll need your cooperation as well.”
“Of course,” Li Xuan nodded lightly.
“There’s something we’d like to confirm.” The female officer opened her notebook. “According to the suspect’s confession, the theft occurred two months ago, on November 26th. Why wasn’t a police report filed at the time?”
Li Xuan was silent for a moment before answering, “My adoptive father, Li Mingge, has been targeting my company because he refuses to terminate our adoption relationship. Yuan Yi is a startup company and doesn’t have the same financial resources as he does. I was also concerned that filing a report wouldn’t lead to a fair ruling and would instead waste time. So, I chose to focus on developing a new game to recover the losses rather than reporting it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.” Li Xuan nodded sincerely. “At the time, I didn’t have enough trust in the judicial system. Not reporting it immediately was my mistake. But now that the police are willing to investigate, we will fully cooperate.”
The lawyer beside him quickly stepped in. “Officer, since my client has already been proven unrelated to this criminal case, could he be allowed to go home and rest? As for the evidence related to the intellectual property case, we will organize and submit it as soon as possible.”
By the time Li Xuan left the police station, the sun, which had been hidden behind the fog earlier, had already set, and the sky had darkened.
“Thank you for your hard work today, Lawyer Liang.”
“Mr. Li, don’t mention it. We serve those who employ us. Mr. Song pays our firm a significant annual legal fee—it would be a waste if we didn’t do our job properly.”
Lawyer Liang adjusted his glasses. “I specialize in criminal law, but intellectual property isn’t my area of expertise. I’ll arrange for my partner to assist Yuan Yi in organizing evidence of Void Island’s infringement. Would that be convenient for you?”
“That would be fine,” Li Xuan nodded. “I appreciate the help.”
“It’s our duty, Mr. Li. You’re too polite. Right now, I’m acting on Mr. Song’s behalf to assist you. I believe Yuan Yi will only continue to grow. When you need legal support in the future, I hope you’ll consider us.”
“Of course.”
Since Zhao Jizhe had voluntarily confessed, and there was additional evidence from his chat records with Li Mingge’s secretary, Zhou Qi, the police were able to obtain the software package that Void Island had submitted to the app stores. A forensic analysis confirmed that it had copied and used Nook’s source code.
To avoid detection, Void Island had inserted junk code and modified some variable parameters. However, after filtering out the irrelevant characters, forensic comparison showed that 80% of the code was identical—clear, undeniable evidence.
A week after Zhao Jizhe turned himself in, the legal representative of Void Island’s development company was arrested for copyright infringement. Simultaneously, Void Island was forcibly removed from all platforms.
Although Nook’s revenue was still far from its previous peak, its daily growth was undeniable. The company, once shrouded in uncertainty, now thrived in an atmosphere of optimism.
When Li Xuan arrived at the office that morning, he found Chu Tianheng flipping through a calendar at the front desk.
“Waiting for the Chinese New Year break?”
“You walk too quietly! You startled me.” Chu Tianheng turned around. “I saw my daffodils sprouting this morning, checked the date, and realized spring is almost here. It really is getting warmer.”
He sighed and shook his head. “This winter felt way too long.”
“Is Song Wen here?”
“Yeah, he’s in the conference room with the lawyer, waiting for you.”
That day’s meeting with Song Wen and the lawyer was mainly about Void Island.
“Void Island’s legal representative was granted bail yesterday. Li Mingge has been careful throughout this, and anything involving Zhao Jizhe’s theft of the hard drive, as well as his previous contact with Wang Tian, was handled by his secretary, Zhou Qi. They’ve been pulling strings behind the scenes, and Zhou Qi is now taking the fall for everything.”
The lawyer clicked his remote, bringing up the case’s timeline and key points on the screen.
“Void Island wants to settle privately. Their lawyer has already reached out to me. Here’s their compensation proposal.”
A dense, full-page PowerPoint slide appeared on the screen, with one section standing out in bold red—the compensation amount.
“This much?” Song Wen scoffed, unimpressed. “Are they trying to throw pennies at beggars? Tell them we’re not settling. I’ll take them to court and fight to the end.”
Li Xuan chuckled. “If you think the amount is too low, we might as well make them pay enough to actually feel the pain.”
“You’re willing to settle?” All eyes in the conference room turned to him. Even Chu Tianheng was surprised—Li Xuan was widely considered the last person in the company who would agree to a negotiation.
“The current legal representative is just a puppet. I haven’t even met the guy. Whether he rots in prison or not has nothing to do with me. I don’t have the time or interest to keep dragging this out—it’s a waste of energy. Getting money out of them is more practical.”
Li Xuan slowly stood up, picked up a marker, and wrote a figure on the whiteboard. The lawyer inhaled sharply.
“Negotiate based on this number.”
“Mr. Li,” the lawyer said awkwardly, forcing a smile. “…Based on current precedents in domestic game copyright cases, the usual compensation is—”
“I don’t care about the usual or any precedents,” Li Xuan interrupted, casually tossing the marker back into its holder. “My intellectual property is worth far more than that. If Yuanxin doesn’t recognize its value, do they at least care about their reputation?”
At those words, everyone’s eyes lit up. Li Xuan remained composed. “Yuanxin has been plagiarizing for years but has managed to keep a low profile without triggering major public outcry. This time, they took Li Mingge’s money, failed as hired guns, and resorted to blatant theft and reskinning. If we publicize this, I bet their stock price will look very interesting tomorrow.”
He curled his lips into a smirk, took a sip of water from his cup, and said, “Trying to brush this off with some measly compensation? They still haven’t hit the real nerve. Do they think hiding behind a shell company will let them walk away clean?”
With a crisp sound, he set the ceramic cup down on the table. “There’s no such thing as an easy escape. Walk by the river long enough, and you’re bound to get your feet wet.”
“Oh, you really are something.” Song Wen couldn’t help but clap his hands. “I think this works. If we can squeeze a payout from them, that’s worth more than just sending them to prison.”
“As long as you don’t object.”
“I don’t, I don’t. I’ve said it before—the company’s affairs are up to you. I try not to interfere too much.”
Li Xuan smiled. “Senior, put your other tasks on hold for now. From today, focus on assisting the lawyers in gathering materials on Yuanxin’s technical support for Void Island.”
“Got it.” Chu Tianheng was already mapping out a plan on his laptop as he listened, his expression animated. “I actually have some of that material already. Boyuan organized it before, and when he left, he handed everything over to me…”
The words flowed naturally, but midway through, he realized something felt off. He paused, pressed his lips together, and corrected himself, “I’ll get it sorted as soon as possible.”
The lawyer, unaware of the underlying story, stood there awkwardly.
Song Wen coughed. “I wonder how Xiao Qi is doing these days…”
“Mr. Song,” Li Xuan didn’t even look up. “I have things planned out. Let’s stay on topic.”
Song Wen laughed sheepishly. “Alright, alright, work it is. So, what have you got for me?”
“Hold on a moment.” Li Xuan turned to the lawyer. “Start making the first move today. Release the evidence gradually, and if necessary, leak some details online to apply public pressure. But don’t push too hard—let them stew a bit. A dull knife cuts deeper.”
“Understood, Mr. Li.”
“You know negotiation tactics better than I do—I’m an outsider in this field.” Li Xuan massaged his temple. “I know the amount we’re asking for is steep, but they need to learn a lesson. This isn’t just about them—it’s about setting an example so that no second-rate company dares to pull the same stunt.”
When he talked business, he had an air of absolute authority. His voice carried a subtle vibration, making his words feel heavier. “Mr. Song, you’re the one paying everyone’s salaries, but since everyone’s putting in their best effort, I’ll handle the bonuses. So, I’ll leave this in your hands, Lawyer.”
“Understood, Mr. Li. Now that you’ve set the direction, we’ll do everything we can.” The lawyer gathered the documents on the table. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll start preparing the materials.”
Chu Tianheng stood up as well. “I’ll head over too. We’ve got new character artwork coming out today—can you keep an eye on it for me?”
Li Xuan nodded. “I’ll handle the art department’s meeting this afternoon. Just focus on working with the lawyer for now.”
As they stepped outside, the lawyer muttered to Chu Tianheng, “Your Mr. Li… is not an ordinary person.”
“If he were ordinary, this company would’ve gone under at least 800 times by now.”
Their voices faded as they walked further away.
Song Wen tapped the table. “Alright, so what have you got for me this time? Li Xuan, you should really start paying me a salary.”
“I could give you more shares instead.”
“Seriously?”
“Not really.”
Song Wen burst into laughter. “I wouldn’t dare take your shares now anyway. At this rate, your company won’t even need my investments soon. If I don’t keep you happy, one day you’ll realize I’m freeloading and just kick me out.”
“That is a possibility.”
Li Xuan glanced at his phone. Sheng Min had messaged him, saying the costume rehearsal would run late that night.
He gestured for Song Wen to wait a moment and stepped aside to make a call.
“Around what time? …No problem, I’ll pick you up… What do you want for dinner? I’ll have someone book a restaurant…”
Song Wen raised an eyebrow at the gentle tone of Li Xuan’s voice. The moment Li Xuan hung up, he smirked. “Wow, look at you, two completely different personalities… ‘I’ll pick you up’…”
“Focus.” Li Xuan cut him off smiling slightly.
“Fine, but I’ve got something to tell you first.” Song Wen’s tone turned serious. “Lawyer Liang told me that the investigation into Zhao Jizhe’s case is finished. The prosecution has already submitted the indictment… Shu Xin survived emergency surgery. She’s still in the ICU, but it looks like she’s out of i
danger. They also found some other health issues, but the hospital isn’t saying much. Not that it matters. Bottom line—he’s being charged with attempted murder. Li Mingge is pushing for the harshest sentence.”
He paused. Li Xuan’s expression remained unreadable, so Song Wen continued. “But I think Li Mingge probably still hates you more.”
Li Xuan let out a cold chuckle.
“You shouldn’t take this lightly.” Song Wen sat down beside him, hesitating for a moment. “Did Lawyer Liang mention Zhao Jizhe’s testimony to you?”
“He did.”
According to internal sources from the police, Zhao Jizhe had admitted that he had been stalking Li Mingge with a knife for over half a month before the attack. His intent was clear—revenge. But he hesitated, unable to bring himself to act. What finally pushed him over the edge was overhearing Li Mingge instruct someone to take down Nook’s latest update. In a fit of rage, he made his move. He had indeed meant to kill Li Mingge, but he hadn’t expected Shu Xin to suddenly step in and take the blow.
“We got wind of this, so you can bet Li Mingge knows even more. And… well, if we completely crush Yuanxin, they might turn around and try to drag Li Mingge into this mess. If that happens, all these old and new grudges could end up being redirected at you again.”
“Ten minutes ago, you weren’t saying that.”
“I got caught up in the moment.” Song Wen rubbed his forehead. “I’ve calmed down now.”
“If he hates me, a few more reasons won’t make much of a difference. What, should I stop everything just because I’m afraid of retaliation?” Li Xuan’s tone was casual, but his words carried weight. “That said, this is exactly what I wanted to discuss with you. Since Tianheng is handling Void Island, I’ll be focusing more on Nook’s updates and the new game this month. I’ll need you to keep an eye on Li Mingge.”
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t have anything else on my plate right now, so I’ll focus on your side of things first.” Song Wen paused before adding, “The company situation is manageable. What I’m more concerned about is you. If Li Mingge comes after you personally, that’ll be a much bigger problem to deal with.”
Over the next few days, bits and pieces of news trickled in—Shu Xin had yet to be discharged from the hospital, and Zhao Jizhe had repeatedly requested to see Li Xuan from the detention center, though all his requests had been denied.
Overall, none of this news was particularly significant. What was more notable was that Li Mingge’s retaliation had yet to materialize.
“I’m actually hoping for something to happen now. Waiting like this every day is giving me PTSD,” Song Wen couldn’t help but complain.
The sword of Damocles finally fell a week later, but not in a way anyone had anticipated.
That morning, when Sheng Min woke up, Li Xuan was not beside him. The other half of the bed was still warm.
He called out Li Xuan’s name twice but received no response. Throwing on his robe, he stepped out and saw Li Xuan standing at the front door, seemingly talking to someone.
At first, Sheng Min didn’t see who was outside the door. The conversation was quiet, and he couldn’t make out the words. Just as he was wondering what was going on and started walking closer, Li Xuan suddenly raised his voice.
“Impossible.” His tone was calm but icy.
Sheng Min was startled and hurried his steps, only to see that the person standing outside the door was none other than Li Mingge.
“There’s no point in this,” Li Xuan said.
The entryway cast a shadow, partially obscuring the figures at the door. For a moment, neither of them noticed Sheng Min.
Li Mingge’s expression was both pained and restrained. He neither argued nor got angry. Instead, in the next second, he suddenly dropped to his knees.
“I’m begging you,”
Sheng Min, still in shock, heard Li Mingge plead with Li Xuan. “I’m begging you to save her.”
