Luo Yu's gun was the one he had brought with him, equipped with a silencer. He said, "Fire a warning shot." You Mingxu understood his meaning. She was holding a standard pistol and fired a shot into the air.
Guo Feirong and Huang Long had overheard You Mingxu's background story earlier on the mountaintop. Regardless of its authenticity, Guo Feirong now spoke up: "Miss, the boss is your biological father. Are you really going to arrest your own dad?"
You Mingxu let out a cold laugh and said, "I don't have a father."
Xing Jifu remained silent.
Huang Long pleaded, "Miss! Even if you don't care about the boss, think about yourself! If the boss goes to prison, you're his daughter—won't you be implicated? The police are always so rigid. Would you even be allowed to remain an officer? They might even suspect you!"
You Mingxu's heart jolted, and she shouted, "Shut up!"
It was then that Luo Yu spoke: "Xing Jifu, I will definitely arrest you. But if you truly care about your father-daughter bond, don't mention Mingxu after you're in custody, and make sure your subordinates don't either."
His words stunned everyone.
You Mingxu glanced at Luo Yu. Right, many of this man's actions had always been unconventional. So was he trying to protect her?
Xing Jifu replied, "Fine."
Huang Long and Guo Feirong both showed indignant expressions.
Luo Yu shouted again, "Drop your guns! Squat down!" The three finally complied. Luo Yu glanced at You Mingxu, and she understood, moving forward to pick up their guns and throw them far away.
The situation was under control. They only needed to wait for backup.
Luo Yu looked up toward the distant hillside, where there was some movement. The gunshot had been fired; backup would arrive soon. And his undercover career could finally come to an end.
You Mingxu stood with him, guns trained on the three.
Time passed minute by minute.
Luo Yu gazed at her beautiful, cold face and said quietly, "This time, you won't have to collect my body."
That was something they had discussed before coming.
You Mingxu replied, "The wicked live a thousand years."
Luo Yu couldn't help but laugh.
You Mingxu watched him. This version of Luo Yu was actually unfamiliar—the accumulated gloom in his eyes seemed to have completely dissipated. Though exhausted, he appeared brighter overall.
How long had he been undercover?
Was this the real Luo Yu?
Suddenly, You Mingxu recalled all their interactions over the past few years. Those utterly detestable, hateful actions of his—were they all an act? Or had he, as an undercover agent, long been forced to become that person?
For a moment, You Mingxu's feelings were complicated. She remembered the times she and Yin Feng had beaten Luo Yu, how he had openly bullied her along the way while actually using her and protecting her. A trace of guilt unexpectedly surfaced.
The two stood in silence, Luo Yu's own emotions churning.
She finally knew his true identity.
Finally.
Backup hadn't arrived yet, and he didn't dare relax in the slightest, standing guard with his gun. But with You Mingxu right beside him, a faint, awkward tension seemed to spread between them.
He ultimately lowered his voice and said, "I'm sorry about what happened before."
You Mingxu let out a soft hum of acknowledgment but didn't respond.
That single hum, however, eased the tension in Luo Yu's heart. He knew that despite the awkwardness, she was capable of understanding.
So he added, "But my intentions toward you were real."You Mingxu glared coldly at him, seeing the thickly sinister smile in his eyes, as if he were still that black-hearted lawyer Luo Yu. This man—she knew he was just being his true self; even as a police officer, he still had this detestable personality! So the guilt that had welled up in her heart actually eased considerably.
The two fell silent.
Xing Jifu and the other two remained squatting on the ground, not attempting any tricks.
Just as Luo Yu was about to raise his head to check the situation on the mountain again, he suddenly heard two dull "thump, thump" sounds. His body jolted violently, and he staggered back two steps.
You Mingxu turned around in horror and saw Luo Yu lifting his head to look at her, his expression somewhat dazed. He had been shot in the chest and abdomen, and blood was already gushing out. You Mingxu grabbed hold of him, but he could no longer stand steadily and collapsed limply to the ground. Dragged down with him, You Mingxu fell to the ground and cried out, "How are you? You..."
Luo Yu gasped for breath, the intense pain turning his face pale as his body trembled uncontrollably. Tears instantly welled up in You Mingxu's eyes as she reached out to press on the wound in his abdomen, but she couldn't stop the blood from flowing.
She looked up and saw several people standing in the woods. At the forefront was Xing Yanjun, holding a gun. Despite his disheveled state, his face showed a mix of determination and anguish. Behind him were four subordinates, all sweating profusely and panting heavily. The men Xing Jifu had left for his son were undoubtedly elites; they had clearly protected him and fled here.
There were eight of them, with several guns, while You Mingxu had only one gun and a severely wounded Luo Yu. But she could no longer care about anything else. She immediately took off her jacket and tied it around one of Luo Yu's wounds, then pressed her hand against the other wound, saying, "Luo Yu, hold on! Reinforcements will be here soon. You have to hold on for me!"
Luo Yu took a breath, lying in her arms. By now, his vision was almost blurred. He could see the gray sky, some trees, and the faint outline of the woman. His mind grew hazy, and for a moment, he forgot where he was.
So he smiled faintly and said, "Still... you're the one... to collect my body..."
Seeing his expression, You Mingxu felt a sharp pang of grief. Memories of their past together flooded her heart, and suddenly she was overwhelmed with sorrow. How much had he suffered? How much had this undercover agent endured in his life? She shouted, "Luo Yu, you are not allowed to die! I'll get you out of here! I'll take you back to the police force, to our team, do you hear me?"
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his breath faint as he whispered, "Okay..."
Tears streamed down You Mingxu's face. She didn't know what to do. Instinctively, she pulled the man she had disliked for years tightly into her embrace.
Luo Yu caught the faint fragrance from her—something he had never truly possessed. Suddenly, he too felt an overwhelming sadness, more unbearable than the approaching death. It was an emotion so oppressive it felt suffocating. In her arms, he took a deep breath and, with his remaining willpower, whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "They have more people... don't resist... Xing Jifu won't kill you... wait for reinforcements..."
You Mingxu choked back a sob and said, "I know... don't talk anymore, save your strength, do you hear me?"Luo Yu said, "I must say... that necklace... in the bottom layer of the box... is evidence Guo Xing exchanged with his life... I wanted to arrest Xing Jifu... feared alerting the enemy, so I didn't submit it... later... hand it over to the superiors..."
You Mingxu was in tears, nodding vigorously.
Luo Yu took a few shallow breaths.
Then You Mingxu felt his lips press very lightly against her cheek. Or perhaps it was merely a gentle touch. Lowering her head, she saw Luo Yu slowly close his eyes, two streams of tears flowing from them. Then his arm slipped powerlessly from her embrace.
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