Chapter Sixty-Nine: Concealment

Mu Chengyao remained silent.

Luo Chengying didn’t seem to mind; he appeared to be talking to himself more than anyone else.

“None of them made it back. The youngest among them wasn’t even as old as my little brother, and the oldest—he hadn’t even held a woman’s hand yet... Their lives were only halfway through, and now their time will be forever frozen on this night... Just a short while ago, they were still protecting me, comforting me, saying it would be over soon. In the blink of an eye, they’re gone... I didn’t even know their names. I was thinking that, in the future, I’d transfer them to my side, that I’d learn their names eventually... But before I had the chance to do anything, they were all dead. Not a single one came back...”

Luo Chengying rambled on, speaking whatever came to mind.

Before leaving, he’d already asked his secretary to inform the traffic police that he had an emergency and needed to run a red light. Owing to Third Young Master Qi’s influence, the authorities obliged, but Qi Kai was a man of principle—he would never risk the lives of innocent bystanders.

“Let it go, Gu Lanlan. At a time like this, what’s the point in arguing?” Another contestant beside her gently held her back, trying to dissuade her.

A nauseating stench assaulted her senses. Zhou Shuangshuang was terrified, and as her gaze dropped, she caught sight of his bare chest—still defined with undulating lines. In fact, this was a woman.

Shen Yingcai turned around to look at Nan Shen. He had grown even more mature and composed; under his white shirt, he wore light gray slacks, and none of the impulsiveness from their youth remained. After spending so much time alongside Lu Yichen, Nan Shen had cultivated a calm and collected demeanor—always wearing a faint, unruffled smile, no matter what he faced.

“Come on, you must have gone out and taken a shower. I can smell the fragrance—you’re sure to win!” the other person said.

At that, many were puzzled. If not for the ancient city lord’s reputation, they might have already started hurling curses.

Having received his orders, the man behind them, named Wuxin, who held the rank of Gold, quickly went to carry out his assigned task.

Curling up, she found some clothes to put on herself, then turned to open the door. By now, the sun had already risen, its rays bathing her in warmth, dissolving every shadow and gloom.

“Child, tell your uncle—was Haozi with you?” Zhang Ziye’s brow was furrowed deeply, his face etched with worry.

I didn’t spend all three days at Xiong Yanfei’s house. There were many things I didn’t need to do myself. Nor did I return to school; instead, I wrote a leave note and had Wu Jianhua hand it to our homeroom teacher, Zhu Zhuwu.

But for the Water Ape, his fate was even worse than those Fengdu ghost soldiers and the Beiyin navy who died in battle—his suffering was truly a fate worse than death.

When Nanzi and the others arrived, they used a mix of gentle persuasion and firm restraint to almost confine the four women in a few rooms behind Zhaonan Court. They gave them every comfort, but strictly forbade them from approaching Su Ruhui again. The four had been anxious about this; now, summoned by Su Ruhui, they felt both uneasy and expectant.

By the time you see this, I will already be dead. Ye Luo had seen these words before. The letters from Qing Gu and the others were their final attachments to this world, written entirely for Ye Luo. They wanted Ye Luo to inherit their wishes and live the life they could not.

Mao Leyan didn’t know if she was merely deceiving herself or if she truly had no regrets about this love for the rest of her life. She thought of her own romantic journey, though perhaps it could not be called that—he and she had never once said “I love you.” In her mind, if those words had never been spoken, it could not be called love.

“Madam, your conduct today was far too reckless. I fear it may provoke needless suspicion. Please act with discretion and uncover the truth as soon as possible—for your brother’s sake as well.” The voice was neither servile nor overbearing, discussing the matter plainly and without emotion.

“You...” Chen Xinping was exasperated by their stubborn and unreasonable attitude, like a dog biting Lu Dongbin, unable to recognize a good person’s intentions. “Fine, if you insist on taking him out, you can, but if anything happens, our hospital bears no responsibility.”

Mao Leyan, how fortunate you are. In this strange world, you’ve only been here a short time, yet so many people have already opened their hearts to you. Even if you die in this life, it will have been worth it.

That was why they had been so afraid just now that Tang Luo would try to use Du Sha’s injuries to change their partnership into one of dominance and subordination.