You Mingxu had indeed come out to scout the area. She needed to assess their current manpower and get a clear picture of the situation. Seeing the injured Xing Yanjun took her by surprise. It was said that Xing Jifu never allowed his own son to get involved in these matters, yet it seemed the Crown Prince had been brought along this time—and an accident had occurred. She also wondered if Xiangtan Lao was behind the attack.
Then, in the blink of an eye, she saw his face.
You Mingxu’s eyes widened in disbelief.
It seemed that every time, Yin Feng would appear at unexpected moments, in unexpected places, in ways she never thought possible. Neither treacherous paths nor perilous dens could hold him back. And every single time, he emerged unscathed, completely unharmed.
Seeing her stunned expression, Yin Feng felt a sudden surge of delight and smiled.
From the dark window, You Mingxu saw the usually aloof and roguish man sticking his head out, a large piece of tape plastered over his mouth, his hair and collar disheveled. Yet he was smiling at her—a smile that, in that instant, held both the foolishness of You Yingjun and the composed confidence of the man he had become.
You Mingxu clearly felt her heartbeat falter chaotically. With just one smile, he sent an electric thrill coursing through her entire body.
They gazed at each other in silence for a while. Afraid of drawing the attention of the underlings, You Mingxu turned her head away and looked in another direction.
After a moment, Yin Feng saw her smile as well—her eyes lowered, the corners of her lips curving upward. He knew that smile was meant for him, and suddenly, his heart skipped a beat, a tingling sensation creeping over him.
——
Back in her room, You Mingxu naturally didn’t sleep. She leaned back in a chair, closing her eyes to rest.
The door creaked open, and Luo Yu entered, his expression as calm as ever. He walked to the bed and lay down fully clothed.
Both remained quiet for a while, You Mingxu keeping her eyes open and watching him closely.
But he had already closed his eyes, one hand resting on his forehead, and said, “Sleep, Mingxu. Everything will be resolved tomorrow.”
After a while, You Mingxu closed her eyes as well.
She had been drifting in and out of sleep when, at some point, she caught a faint, subtle fragrance. Her mind jolted awake, and she tried to open her eyes, only to find her eyelids unbearably heavy. Suddenly, the scent intensified, and something pressed firmly over her nose and mouth. She gasped twice, her head spinning, before sinking into unconsciousness.
——
Yin Feng was awakened by the pain of someone pinching his cheek.
He opened his eyes to see Guan Jun’s smirking face in the dim light. They were still in the abandoned farmhouse, with Tuya and Chen Feng rubbing their eyes beside him.
Guan Jun handed him a cup of water and said, “Teacher Yin, you were drugged. The others have all run off. Too bad for them—when it comes to drugging, I’m their grandmaster!”
Yin Feng climbed to his feet and asked, “How long have they been gone?”
Guan Jun replied, “Half an hour.”
“What about A Xu?”
“Of course, she was taken too. But strangely, aside from you all, they left two others behind—also drugged.”
Yin Feng and the others walked to another room and, sure enough, found two men lying unconscious on the floor. They were none other than the skilled fighters who had protected Xing Yanjun during their escape the previous day.
Chen Feng asked, “How long will this drug keep them unconscious?”
Guan Jun answered, “At least until tomorrow evening.”Chen Feng: "The deal is today. If we wait until then, it'll be too late." He glanced at the two people on the ground again. Yesterday, Xing Yanjun had mentioned in the car that the people around him were all personally selected by his father. Yet, Luo Yu had specifically said yesterday that he would send Xing Yanjun back to Hunan early this morning.
A glint flashed in Chen Feng's eyes: "What is Luo Yu playing at?"
Yin Feng, however, only smiled faintly: "Interesting."
—
Among those taken away, Luo Yu had only drugged You Mingxu and Xing Yanjun. You Mingxu was left in his car, while Xing Yanjun was stuffed into the trunk. After handling everything, he went to wake Huang Long and Guo Feirong, telling them they had to leave immediately in the middle of the night.
Huang Long asked: "What's going on?"
Luo Yu replied: "I suspect Xiangtan Lao's movements have been too conspicuous, and the police are already onto us. The sooner we leave, the better."
This was hard to argue against.
Guo Feirong then asked: "What about the Heir?"
Luo Yu smiled and said: "The boss wasn't at ease, so he had him leave with some men an hour ago. It's just as well—after all, this trip of ours is dangerous."
Huang Long and Guo Feirong exchanged a glance but said nothing. Blood is thicker than water. No matter how much Xing Jifu trusted them, he wouldn't let his son get anywhere near such a life-threatening situation.
So they didn't bother asking further. Huang Long remembered something and asked: "What about those people who brought Yanjun back yesterday? Didn't they have a grudge against you?"
Luo Yu said: "I drugged them. They'll sleep until tomorrow night. Don't worry about it."
Huang Long looked at him: "It'd be simpler to just kill them."
Luo Yu smiled and said: "Ah Long, we're here to do business, not to kill people. He has some connections. If we kill him, the police will investigate relentlessly. Better to avoid trouble. Besides, he did save the Heir, and the Heir gave the order to spare him. If we kill him now, when the Heir takes over someday, he might hold a grudge."
This resonated with Huang Long and Guo Feirong, and they said nothing more. With their subordinates, they got into the cars and drove off under the cover of night.
So when You Mingxu woke up again, it was already broad daylight. She found that the convoy was no longer on the highway but had driven into a dense forest, bumping along rugged terrain. Luo Yu sat in the passenger seat, wearing sunglasses, his expression indifferent.
She was seated in the back with another person—Xing Yanjun. However, both of their hands were tightly bound to the front seats with ropes, making it impossible to break free.
She said coldly: "Luo Yu, what are you doing?"
Luo Yu glanced back at her and smiled: "You're awake. We're almost there."
She kicked his seat. Luo Yu's smile deepened, unmoved. The commotion stirred Xing Yanjun beside her, who slowly woke up. Seeing the situation in the car, he froze.
Xing Yanjun wasn't foolish. His heart sank gradually as he said: "Luo Yu, whatever you want, you can discuss it with my father."
Luo Yu replied: "You misunderstand, Crown Prince. It's going to be dangerous soon. I just want you both to stay in the car and not run around, so you don't get hurt. If you end up shot, how could I explain it to the boss?"
Xing Yanjun: "Luo Yu! How has my father treated you? Are you really going to betray him?"
You Mingxu stayed silent, observing their expressions. Luo Yu paused for a moment before answering: "Yes, I'm going to betray him."
At this point, Xing Yanjun's face turned pale and speechless. You Mingxu then spoke up: "No matter who you've sided with or which side you're on, tying him up is one thing. Why tie me up?"Luo Yu laughed and said, "Exactly, why did I kidnap you? You Mingxu, you're so clever. Think about it—why would I kidnap Xing Jifu's son and then kidnap you too? Think about why I had to chase after you? Why did I bring you to parade in front of the boss? Because only by obtaining you could I climb higher by his side and secure this big deal. Haha!"
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