After school on Friday, Lu He Yang packed up his schoolbag and glanced out the window. He noticed He Wei standing in the corridor of the teaching building across from them, pretending to be an innocent idiot while striking up a conversation with Chi Jiahan.
Xiao Feng had sent Lu He Yang a message at noon, telling him that Number 17 hadn’t been scheduled for a match tonight. The driver was already waiting at the school gate. Lu Chengyu was coming home today, so Lu He Yang had to go back for dinner.
“The chairman just got off the plane. He should arrive in about an hour and a half,” the driver said to Lu He Yang as he drove slowly.
“Okay.”
Lu He Yang leaned against the back of his seat and turned his head to look out the window. The non-motorized lane outside the preparatory school was always empty, with a few heavy motorcycles occasionally speeding past.
The setting sun slanted in through the window. Lu He Yang sat up a little straighter and narrowed his eyes against the dazzling light.
It was still that out-of-place old bicycle. The wind lifted the alpha’s hair and school uniform. Beneath the setting sun, he looked like a piece of amber.
Every time Lu He Yang looked at Xu Ze, he felt as if the world became quieter. It was a very strange feeling. Just as the car was about to pass him, Lu He Yang suddenly reached out, caught Xu Ze’s profile between his index finger and thumb, and gently pinched it.
Lu Qingmo didn’t come back this time. Lu He Yang did his homework in his room, and when it was about time, he went downstairs to the dining room and sat in a chair, waiting for Lu Chengyu.
A little over ten minutes later, the car drove into the garden. Lu Chengyu got out, accompanied by a beta secretary who followed behind him carrying a briefcase.
“Dad.”
Lu He Yang stood up.
Lu Chengyu glanced at Lu He Yang, unbuttoned his suit jacket, and sat down in the chair.
“Eat.”
Once again, it was a dinner without any conversation. After eating a few bites, Lu Chengyu put down his utensils and got up to go to the study.
After Lu Chengyu left, the beta secretary came to the dining room and placed a document envelope on the table.
He didn’t say what was inside the envelope, but Lu He Yang could guess. He asked, “Has my father seen it?”
“No,” the secretary replied. “The chairman doesn’t have time to look at it yet.”
“Okay, thank you,” Lu Heyang said.
That evening, Lu Chengyu went out to attend a banquet. After taking a shower, Lu Heyang stood on the balcony, drying his hair while sending Xu Ze a message:
Did you compete today?
This was the first time he had ever messaged Xu Ze.
Two minutes later, Lu Heyang received a reply.
No. There was no competition today. Did you go to the west side of the city?
That meant Xu Ze was not in the west side of the city right now. He should be at home.
Lu Heyang replied:
Something came up, so I didn’t go today. That’s why I don’t know whether you’re lying to me.
Xu Ze replied quickly this time:
I didn’t lie to you. I’m at home.
Lu Heyang:
It doesn’t matter if you lie to me. As long as you didn’t get hurt in a competition.
Xu Ze:
I really didn’t compete, and I didn’t get hurt.
Lu Heyang:
How can you prove it?
It took quite a while for a response to arrive from the other end.
It was a picture.
Xu Ze was sitting in a chair in front of his desk. Taken from a downward angle, the picture showed him completely from his mouth down to his lower abdomen, sincerely proving to Lu Heyang that he had not been injured.
The warm yellow lamplight illuminated his bare upper body. Even through the screen, one could almost feel the warmth of his collarbones, chest muscles, and abdominal muscles.
The phone camera’s resolution was poor, but aside from a few old scars, it was clear that there were indeed no new injuries.
The marks from being grabbed around Xu Ze’s neck had almost completely faded. Only the teeth marks were still faintly visible, though they should disappear within another day or two.
If Lu Heyang had used a little more force back then and bitten through Xu Ze’s neck, perhaps the marks would have lasted a little longer.
Although he knew Xu Ze had not had the slightest improper intention, Lu Heyang still asked him:
Why did you send me a nude photo?
A few seconds later, he received a reply:
No, that’s not it.
Then Xu Ze sent another message:
I really didn’t compete. I wasn’t injured.
Lu Heyang could practically imagine the anxious expression Xu Ze must have on his face as he tried to explain himself.
Looking at the screen, Lu Heyang smiled and replied:
Okay. I believe you.
Xu Ze replied:
Thank you.
Lu Heyang stared at those two words for half a minute before changing Xu Ze’s contact name to “Xu Dumbass.”
Then he sat down in the chair and picked up the document envelope on the small table.
Inside was a thin file.
Xu Ze’s one-inch ID photo had been taken when he enrolled at the preparatory school. He was wearing his school uniform and staring expressionlessly into the camera.
Because it was a black-and-white photocopy, his face looked even colder and gloomier than usual.
Seventeen years old.
S-rank Alpha.
Currently enrolled in Class 11 of his second year of high school.
Residential address…
It basically matched what Lu Heyang already knew.
Xu Ze’s family relationships were simple.
His father was a police officer who died in the line of duty during an accident on a mission ten years ago.
His mother had once been a stage actress and died by suicide six years ago.
His only surviving relative was his maternal grandmother, Ye Yunhua, who was currently receiving long-term treatment at a private nursing facility due to cardiovascular disease and mental health problems.
The information on the three people took up only one page.
After all, two were deceased and one was a patient. There seemed to be no need to dig any deeper.
Lu Heyang turned to the next page.
It contained information about Xu Ze’s other social connections.
A cheap underground boxer.
He also worked part-time as a waiter and odd-job worker at an underground club.
He had been taken to drinking parties by Tang Feiyi more than once. The information was detailed down to the time, location, private-room number, and approximate list of attendees for each gathering.
Xu Ze might not necessarily know who those people were.
But Lu Heyang was very familiar with some of the names.
In any case, they were people of the same sort as Tang Feiyi.
He even saw the name of his own brother-in-law, Wei Lingzhou.
Lu Heyang put the file back into the document envelope.
The secretary had said that Lu Chengyu did not have time to look at this investigation report for the time being, and Lu Heyang believed that was true.
It wasn’t that Lu Chengyu merely didn’t have time to look at it.
Rather, the chairman’s time and energy were extremely valuable. He simply would not waste either on a high school student.
To Lu Chengyu, Xu Ze was simply too insignificant an existence.
So the purpose of giving this file to Lu Heyang was merely to remind him to pay attention to what kind of people he should associate with and what kind of people he should keep his distance from.
After all, among the friends Lu Heyang had previously been relatively close to, not a single one had ever had an investigation report printed in black and white and handed over to him.
Lu Heyang raised his head and looked at the night sky.
There really wasn’t anything worth looking at.
There was no moon tonight, and the stars weren’t bright either.
He picked up his phone again and sent Xu Ze a goodnight message.
Xu Ze replied quickly:
You too. Good night.
The next morning, when Lu Heyang got up, Lu Chengyu had already gone out to attend a meeting.
The housekeeper said that he had returned very late the previous night and had drunk alcohol at the banquet, yet he had still gotten up early on schedule today.
Lu Chengyu was an outstanding administrator.
Although there were many people within the Alliance who were dissatisfied with his political leanings and methods of handling affairs, almost no one had ever accused him of incompetence or questioned his abilities.
After breakfast, Lu Heyang spent two hours finishing his homework.
A little after ten, he drove alone to Luan Mountain.
When he passed through the old city district, Lu Heyang slowed down and glanced at the crowded streets.
Of course, there was no chance he’d happen to run into Xu Ze again.
Lu Heyang had simply remembered the last time Xu Ze had helped him change a tire here.
Back then, the two of them had still been very unfamiliar with each other.
When he reached halfway up the mountain, the bodyguard’s car that had been following more than ten meters behind him stopped and did not continue following.
After driving upward for another few minutes, Lu Heyang stopped outside the gate of a mountain villa.
The security system scanned the license plate, and the barrier arm lifted.
The car eventually drove into the garden.
Lu Heyang got out and called to the Omega wearing a sun hat who was pruning an olive tree.
“Dad.”
The Omega stopped cutting, straightened up, and turned around with a smile.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming in advance?”
He washed his hands in the nearby pool.
After drying them, he lowered the sleeves of his rolled-up shirt, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Lu Heyang.
Lu Heyang took it and drank a sip.
“I forgot.”
“Come inside.”
After entering the living room, Lin Yumin took off his hat.
Without the brim covering him, the bite marks on the gland at the back of his neck were exposed, still red and swollen.
Lin Yumin immediately fastened his shirt buttons, allowing the collar to cover his neck.
Lu Heyang had his back turned to him as he fed the fish.
Lin Yumin asked, “Isn’t it almost time for the final exams?”
“Mm.”
“S-rank students have to apply to universities during the first semester of their senior year and prepare for early admission.”
“Mm.”
“Are you going to start making a decision?”
Lu Heyang did not answer.
After a while, he asked,
“Dad, did Dad come here yesterday?”
“How do you mean?” Lin Yumin’s smile faded slightly.
“Every time he comes to see you, you ask me whether I’ve made a decision.”
“Is that so?” Lin Yumin sat down on the sofa. “That’s why I told you a long time ago—this place of mine isn’t a safe harbor. It’s the center of the storm.”
After the fish finished its food, it splashed on the surface of the water, flicking a few drops onto the back of Lu Heyang’s hand.
“No matter what you decide in the end, I still hope you leave yourself as few vulnerabilities as possible.” Lin Yumin lowered his head and shaved a thin, slender piece of wood, comparing it to the paintbrush beside him. “Qingmo was only left with no choice because someone got hold of his vulnerability.”
After a pause, he smiled again.
“Actually, even if someone does get hold of one, it’s not necessarily a big deal. You can still make the same choice if you’re ruthless enough. Your sister looks like she doesn’t like or care about anything, but that’s all fake. You’re very similar to her. I just don’t know whether you’re the same at your core.”
“I think it’s too late.”
Lu Heyang put down the fish food and suddenly spoke.
Lin Yumin looked up.
“What?”
“It’s a little late. I’ll head back first.”
“You just got here. Aren’t you staying for lunch?”
“I want to go somewhere.”
“Going skydiving or paragliding again?” Lin Yumin carefully polished the piece of wood. “Makes sense. The ground is too dangerous. You should spend more time flying in the sky.”
Lu Heyang finally smiled.
“Then I’ll get going.”
“Mm. Drive carefully.”
After driving out through the gate, Lu Heyang pulled over by the side of the road and picked up his phone to make a call.
When the call connected, Lu Heyang heard the sound of a pen falling onto the floor from the other end.
He asked, “Are you doing your homework?”
“Mm.”
Xu Ze’s voice sounded unusually tense.
“Then you’re at home right now?”
“Yes, I’m at home.”
“Okay. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
Xu Ze did not even have time to freeze in confusion before immediately asking, “Did something happen?”
“No,” Lu Heyang said. “I just thought you wanted to see me.”
There was suddenly complete silence on the other end of the phone, so quiet that even breathing could no longer be heard.
Lu Heyang wanted to laugh, and he did.
But his tone remained perfectly normal.
“If you don’t want me to, then I won’t come over. I won’t bother you.”
“No.”
Xu Ze answered immediately.
Realizing that his reaction had been too obvious, he fell silent for two seconds before saying quietly, “Then drive carefully.”
“Okay.”