Chapter 70: A Sting

Chapter 70: A Stinging Pain

"You're going to go find him?" Chen Xitong asked in surprise. "You can't dodge him fast enough, why would you go looking for him?"

Zhao Yu was agitated: "He showed up at Yatai and made a scene today. If you hadn't told him where I work, would I even be dealing with this right now?"

Chen Xitong looked embarrassed. Watching his expression, he suddenly realized something and stood up. "You're back this early—don't tell me you got fired?"

"Not yet. Call him and set it up in front of your building."

"What are you planning to do if you meet him?"

Zhao Yu fell silent for a moment.

Chen Xitong tried to persuade him: "Bro, even if you fight him, you lose either way—get beat up and land in the hospital, or win and land in jail. It's not worth it."

Zhao Yu knew that too, but if he let Zhao Lianfeng keep causing trouble for two more days, his job would be toast.

Now that he'd calmed down a bit, he started rethinking his options.

Chen Xitong sat beside him on the sofa, thinking for a long time before saying, "How about... I ask him what he's after—money or something? If it's money, we can have Mom give him some cash to keep him quiet for now."

"Even if we give him money, it won't help. He's never satisfied; he won't quit." Zhao Yu said.

"He can't just be stirring up trouble for no reason, right? There must be some goal. Is the whole thing about you getting him locked up a misunderstanding?"

"It's not a misunderstanding."

"It can be!" Chen Xitong grabbed his hand. "Think about it—is there any way to spin this? Like, you could lie to him, say someone forced you to report him, or that you had some kind of trouble. Play the victim, then promise to take care of him in his old age. The point is to keep him calm first, then figure out how to deal with him later. Do you think it could work? If so, I'll call him."

Chen Xitong wasn't saying this on a whim—he'd been mulling it over for a long time, racking his brain over the past two days.

Zhao Yu turned to look at Chen Xitong's thoughtful face, feeling conflicted. Chen Xitong had stabbed him in the back before, and now he was acting like he had Zhao Yu's back.

Was this an act or was he for real?

Zhao Yu said, "Then make the call."

Chen Xitong took out his phone, about to dial the number, but his fingers trembled on their own. He hesitated for two seconds, took a deep breath, and gritted his teeth to make the call.

The moment the call connected, Zhao Lianfeng cursed, "Why haven't you been picking up my calls these past two days? You little punk, you asking to die?"

The second he heard that voice, Chen Xitong got scared. All the words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat, and he couldn't choke out a single word.

His fear of Zhao Lianfeng was carved into his bones—deep childhood trauma.

"Hey! The hell are you not talking?!" Zhao Lianfeng said impatiently.

Zhao Yu glanced at the rattled Chen Xitong. A rough life had forged a tough mentality in him, and he was far calmer than Chen Xitong right now.

Zhao Yu took the phone and mimicked Chen Xitong's tone: "Dad, I wanted to ask—what are you planning to do to my brother?"

Zhao Lianfeng said, "Curious? Bring me thirty grand in cash tomorrow afternoon, and I'll tell you."

"Didn't I already give you money last time?..."

"Cut the crap. Tomorrow at 3 PM, I'll be waiting outside your building. If you don't show, I won't let you off easy."

Zhao Lianfeng hung up, and Chen Xitong asked in a panic, "He insists on meeting face-to-face. What do we do?"

Zhao Yu thought for a moment, then looked at Chen Xitong. "If I asked you to go see him, would you dare?"

Chen Xitong stayed silent—he didn't dare. One slap from Zhao Lianfeng could knock him out cold. He'd been dodging Zhao Lianfeng's calls for two days, and meeting in person would definitely mean getting his ass kicked. He was terrified.

Zhao Yu spun the phone in his hand, reading the situation. He hadn't expected much from Chen Xitong anyway. Chen Xitong was only sucking up to him to take shelter at his place—deep down, he was still selfish, with no real brotherly bond to speak of.

Having Chen Xitong risk himself for Zhao Yu was obviously out of the question.

The two sat in silence for a bit. Zhao Yu got up to make lunch when the hem of his shirt was suddenly tugged.

Chen Xitong's face was pale, his fingers gripping the fabric slowly tightening as he said in a low voice, "I can go see him. What do you want to ask him?"

Zhao Yu was caught off guard, noticing his hand trembling slightly and his eyes full of unease.

"Why?"

"...Because I owe you this."

The selfish, self-centered Chen Xitong could actually say something like that.

He could watch other people's misery with cold indifference for a lifetime, but Zhao Yu was his biological brother—there was an unbreakable bond between them.

Chen Xitong slowly realized that his feelings toward Zhao Yu weren't just jealousy. He had done many bad things, driven by the fear of being replaced, by the desperate need to protect the life he used to have.

When Zhao Lianfeng's slap landed, he realized he still wanted to lean on Zhao Yu, to earn a little more of his brother's attention.

Zhao Yu didn't trust Chen Xitong, but Chen Xitong's willingness to go this far did shift his view a bit.

"Forget it. I wasn't planning to send you anyway." Zhao Yu said.

"Then... you're not going to see him?"

"I'll go see him using your identity."

"But what if you get exposed?"

"I've been impersonating you for months now. You think I can't fool him?"

Chen Xitong nodded, then looked at Zhao Yu's hair and said, "Then I'll buy you a wig, and you can wear my clothes too. I'll go with you."

"You stay home. I'm already impersonating you—if the real one tags along, what's that about?"

"Then how about Mr. Gu accompany you..."

Zhao Yu cut him off: "I've had nothing to do with Gu Hansheng for a long time. Don't mention him again, or you can get out."

Chen Xitong immediately shut up, finding his attitude strange. Gu Hansheng seemed to like him—even if Zhao Yu didn't like him back, why not use someone so wealthy and powerful when he had the chance?

That night, as Chen Xitong was hanging clothes to dry, he suddenly spotted a familiar car parked downstairs. The classic silhouette was unmistakable—a Maybach. A dark figure leaned against the car, smoking. Even without seeing the face, Chen Xitong recognized it as Gu Hansheng.

He was about to tell Zhao Yu, but then remembered Zhao Yu had forbidden him from mentioning Gu Hansheng, so he let it go.

The man stood silently by the car. He came every few days, but each time he just smoked downstairs.

He had lost count of how many times he had reached for Zhao Yu's hand, only to have it pulled away each time.

The kiss in the garden that day hadn't relieved his desire—it had only made it swell further, like encountering a single drop of water at the peak of drought, then craving a torrential downpour.

That dark thought began to surface again—take Zhao Yu away, even if he didn't want it, even if force was required.

Gu Hansheng's rationality was tightening bit by bit, almost on the verge of being put into action at any moment.

His eldest uncle had already withdrawn from the struggle for Tuotu, and his third uncle had been put in his place. He was now in a comfortable position in the Gu family, with almost all problems at home and abroad resolved.

Even if he really wanted to take Zhao Yu away, no one could cause him any trouble.

The cigarette tip glowed and dimmed, and dangerous undercurrents swirled in Gu Hansheng's dark brown eyes.

Once such thoughts took root, they endlessly burrowed into his mind, lingering like specters day after day, whispering seductively: Do it—make Zhao Yu submit—there's no other way.

...

Gu Hansheng went to the Yatai club the next day. He knew Zhao Yu wouldn't let him in at home, but in the private rooms at Yatai, he could see him and even have a proper conversation.

When he arrived at the entrance of Yatai at noon, he saw two security guards throwing out a man. The man rushed up to his car, shouting, "My son works inside! Help me get him to come out!"

The security guards, flustered and red-faced, grabbed him from both sides and said to Gu Hansheng, "I'm sorry, please, go on in!"

The man shouted, "My son's name is Zhao Yu! You hear me? Tell Zhao Yu to come out!"

Gu Hansheng looked at the man's face and immediately recognized him—the one who had called him that day and arranged to meet at Tuotu.

"Wait." Gu Hansheng halted the security guards and asked the man, "Are you Zhao Yu's father?"

Zhao Lianfeng shook off the security guards and stepped forward, saying, "Sir, you know Zhao Yu? I'm his dad. Tell him to come out and see me—I have something urgent."

A security guard said, "Don't be fooled by him, Mr. Gu. He's just a lowlife."

"Mr. Gu?" Zhao Lianfeng squinted, studying Gu Hansheng. He had looked Gu Hansheng up online and knew what he looked like, then asked, "Are you the Mr. Gu from Tuotu?"

Gu Hansheng didn't answer, his cold eyes fixed on him, and he could indeed see a resemblance to Zhao Yu in his facial features.

He was really Zhao Yu's father? This kind of man?

"What do you want with Zhao Yu?" Gu Hansheng asked.

"Of course it's urgent. If he won't come out, I'll wait here every day."

Zhao Lianfeng smiled, his tone dripping with menace.

A security guard said, "The manager said he's on leave. Coming here won't get you anywhere!"

Zhao Lianfeng replied, "I don't give a damn about that. I have to see that kid no matter what!"

People were coming and going at noon, and Zhao Lianfeng was almost shouting Zhao Yu's name loud enough for everyone to hear. Gu Hansheng tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, a flicker of disgust flashing in his eyes, but he said, "I'll take him inside. Have the manager arrange a quiet private room."

Zhao Lianfeng grinned and followed Gu Hansheng's car into Yatai.

Once inside the private room, Gu Hansheng cut to the chase: "What urgent business do you have with Zhao Yu? Since you're his father, you should know that making a scene like this will cause him a lot of trouble, right?"

Zhao Lianfeng sat down on the sofa and crossed his legs: "That's the whole point—to cause him trouble. Mr. Gu, I know you rich folks like to have your fun. Since you've taken a liking to Zhao Yu, why not work with me? Whatever you think he's worth, pay me that amount, and I'll help you get him in your bed."

Gu Hansheng stared at Zhao Lianfeng expressionlessly, clenching his jaw, and asked with forced patience, "Why would you do this? Isn't he your son?"

"He's my precious son. I raised him to adulthood—shouldn't he repay me?"

Hearing Zhao Lianfeng's shamelessly greedy tone, Gu Hansheng felt an indescribable discomfort and a chill run down his spine.

So this was the type of person who had taken Zhao Yu abroad to raise him?

From what he knew, Zhao Yu was only eleven when Chen Li divorced.

Taken away by a madman at eleven, far away in a foreign land, with no one to rely on—how on earth had he managed to survive for so long...

Gu Hansheng's heart suddenly clenched.