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Bonus chapter! Thank you to katt for the donation! ^^
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Ruan Qing shook his head and then softly said, "I don’t know, I just wanted to show you."
“Really?” Zhou Jinchen’s gaze deepened as he looked at Ruan Qing. For once, his expression exuded a rare intensity, a sense of aggression and dominance that sent shivers down the spine.
It was as if he were a wolf fixating on its prey, ready to devour it in the next instant.
But Ruan Qing seemed oblivious, nodding obediently with a hint of naivety. "Yes."
Zhou Jinchen stared at the boy in front of him, who was so well-behaved that it felt like he could do anything to him without resistance. His gaze slowly traveled downward from the boy's beautiful eyes, landing on his pale pink lips.
Although Ruan Qing's lip color was faint, their shape was exquisite, appearing soft and delicate—like they would yield easily to the slightest pressure.
As if possessed by a sudden impulse, Zhou Jinchen extended his hand.
Ruan Qing tilted his head in confusion as he watched the hand coming toward him, seemingly unsure of Zhou Jinchen's intentions.
Zhou Jinchen's hand froze in midair. After a moment, he abruptly redirected it, landing it on Ruan Qing's hair instead, smoothing down a few stray strands.
Ruan Qing glanced at the large hand patting his head and shyly smiled, pursing his lips. Tugging on Zhou Jinchen’s sleeve, he softly said, “Um…”
Zhou Jinchen lowered his eyes. “Yes?”
“Um…” Ruan Qing stammered for a long time before finally whispering, “I… I’m so dirty.”
Raising his head, Ruan Qing looked at Zhou Jinchen with a mix of nervousness and caution in his eyes. “May I take a bath?”
Ruan Qing’s eyes were already exceptionally beautiful, and under the warm glow of the light, they sparkled as if countless stars were shimmering within. They were as dazzling as glazed gemstones, making it almost impossible to refuse his request.
However, there was no place to bathe in the basement. To let him bathe would mean taking him outside.
If the others found out Zhou Jinchen had taken this young master out of the basement, it would undoubtedly lead to serious consequences.
But they were already far from a cohesive group. Once their mutual target, Ren Yanqing, was eliminated, they would inevitably turn on each other as the greatest threats.
Even the usually rational Yan Lulin would be no exception.
Yan Lulin had already made too many exceptions for this young master, violating his own principles and style entirely. While he hadn’t realized it yet, it was only a matter of time.
Perhaps it was inevitable that only one of them would leave this city alive.
Zhou Jinchen's eyes narrowed slightly, a cold and ruthless killing intent flashing in their depths.
If only one person could make it out alive, that person would undoubtedly be him.
It seemed that Zhou Jinchen had remained silent for too long, making Ruan Qing think he was unwilling to agree. His eyes dimmed a little, and his voice carried a tinge of disappointment and grievance. "…Is that not okay?"
Zhou Jinchen suppressed the emotions in his eyes and returned to his usual demeanor. "It's fine."
Ruan Qing's eyes lit up again, and he gave Zhou Jinchen a simple yet shy smile. "Thank you."
The reason Zhou Jinchen agreed was that he was in charge of communication and was also the first to finish his tasks. At this time, the others should still be busy. As long as he sent Ruan Qing back quickly enough, no one would notice.
Unlike last time when he tried to escape, this time Ruan Qing walked openly out of the basement, obediently following behind Zhou Jinchen, curiously glancing around as they walked.
By now, it was already evening. The sun was halfway below the horizon, casting its remaining rays over the construction site, dyeing it a dark red hue, which gave the scene an eerie and ominous vibe.
It seemed to be the shift change time at the construction site. Most of the workers had already left, and the two of them didn’t encounter anyone along the way.
The construction site consisted of several buildings being erected simultaneously, and most were nearing completion. The layout of the residential complex was already becoming visible.
However, the layout seemed somewhat peculiar.
The buildings were arranged in two rows, standing opposite each other and cutting off everything outside from view. The aerial perspective gave an unsettling impression.
It looked like… a coffin.
Especially as the evening grew darker, the view from above felt particularly eerie. The middle area was pitch black, an unfathomable abyss that seemed to hide something terrifying.
Even being within the complex made one feel uneasy, yet the construction workers seemed completely oblivious to it.
Ruan Qing also seemed unaware. Like a curious child, he kept looking left and right, intrigued by everything around him, sometimes even wandering off to take a closer look.
Although Zhou Jinchen’s face was filled with impatience, he subconsciously slowed his pace instead of rushing him.
The construction site was full of scattered materials and crisscrossing electrical wires everywhere.
"Ah!"
Distracted by his surroundings, Ruan Qing didn’t notice the wires under his feet and tripped over them. Letting out a startled cry, he stumbled forward uncontrollably.
The ground of the construction site was, of course, uneven, with numerous stones scattered about. Falling would undoubtedly result in injury. Instinctively, Ruan Qing shut his eyes tightly.
The expected pain didn’t come. Instead, he fell into a warm embrace.
Ruan Qing slowly opened his eyes. The man who had just been wearing an impatient expression was now holding him, his handsome face visibly tense.
However, after confirming that Ruan Qing was unharmed, Zhou Jinchen’s expression darkened instantly. “Do you not have eyes? Can’t you see the wire on the ground?”
Ruan Qing glared at Zhou Jinchen, clearly dissatisfied with the comment, but in the end, he merely pouted in grievance.
A weak person, even when glaring in discontent, only comes across as adorable. Coupled with the lingering fright from nearly falling, a thin mist formed in Ruan Qing’s watery eyes, making him even less intimidating.
On the contrary, he looked utterly stunning.
Zhou Jinchen suddenly found himself unable to speak further. Awkwardly, he took Ruan Qing’s hand and turned his head away, speaking nonchalantly, “You’re such a fool.”
Without waiting for Ruan Qing’s reaction, Zhou Jinchen pulled him forward. However, his steps were noticeably smaller than usual, and his walking pace was much slower than normal.
It was clear he was matching Ruan Qing’s pace.
Ruan Qing didn’t resist. He cast a fleeting glance at the wire that had tripped him, and then obediently allowed Zhou Jinchen to lead him.
To an outsider, the scene didn’t seem unusual. However, the viewers in the live stream felt something was off.
[Guys, why do I feel like something’s not right about the way the streamer looked at that wire? I can’t quite put my finger on it.]
[Forget the glance—how did he even trip on that wire? It’s so low. This can’t just be chalked up to being physically weak.]
[Emmm... are we sure our wife isn’t faking the memory loss?]
No one could answer the questions floating in the chat. Even though these comments had nothing to do with the mission content, the viewers knew that Ruan Qing had blocked the bullet screen and couldn’t see any of their comments.
On the construction site, there was a public shower room. Since it wasn’t showering time, the room was completely empty.
Zhou Jinchen sneaked Ruan Qing inside and stood guard at the door. Only after Ruan Qing finished showering and changed into a relatively clean set of clothes did Zhou Jinchen escort him back to the basement.
The entire process went unnoticed by anyone.
Nightfall arrived quickly, and the time for their meeting with Ren Yanqing was approaching.
The agreed time was 8 PM, and the meeting place was... this very construction site building.
I'm getting anxious about what is going to happen. Thank you for the bonus chapter!
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