Chapter 13: Faults

As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, the people in the lobby all turned to look at Ye Chen, their eyes wide with surprise as they watched the police escort him outside, whispering and gossiping among themselves. When someone is taken away by the police, it is always assumed to be nothing good—such is the ingrained thinking among the people. While they curse the police as useless, they still firmly believe in everything the authorities do.

“Hey, I bet that guy stole something. Just look at his shifty eyes and sneaky face!”

“No way, I think he looks quite handsome!”

“Heh, you guys have no idea, do you? Let me tell you the truth—this kid went to a brothel two days ago and didn’t pay, so…”

“Nonsense!”

The speculation grew wilder with each retelling, from petty thief to notorious criminal, and in the blink of an eye, Ye Chen became an infamous villain in everyone’s eyes. Poor Ye Chen—he had only tried to do the right thing, but now, for a single act of justice, he found himself in such a predicament.

Outside, three police cars waited with their lights flashing.

“Put him in the car!” ordered the leading officer.

Ye Chen blinked and, by chance, caught sight of Yao Yue searching for him not far away. A chill involuntarily ran down his spine. He hesitated, debating whether to use that girl’s appearance as an opportunity to escape. But after some thought, he decided the police were far more frightening than that troublesome girl. Suddenly, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Yao Yue! Your Lord Ye is right here!”

Yao Yue was nearby, scouring the area for Ye Chen. She’d spent the last few days searching the neighboring city, but hadn’t found any trace of him. On reflection, knowing how cunning Ye Chen was, she reasoned he would probably remain in Jianghuai City, so she had returned, focusing her search at the entrance to the Tianya Group building where he’d last given her the slip.

She had barely begun when she suddenly heard that familiar voice. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately drew a crescent moon-shaped saber, about a meter long, from her coat. With gritted teeth, she charged at Ye Chen. At that moment, she saw no police, only the scoundrel himself.

“Stop! Don’t move!” shouted a police officer when he saw her brandish a weapon.

But Yao Yue paid no mind, only quickening her steps. She swung her saber twice, her long, graceful legs springing off the ground, and with a leap that left everyone staring in disbelief, she sailed through the air. People couldn’t help but wonder—was this woman a former gymnast for the national team? How else could she have such agile and ruthless skills?

“Ye Chen, for your life!” she cried, lunging toward him.

Bang!

The lead officer fired at Yao Yue without hesitation. Startled, she flicked her saber, and, astonishingly, deflected the bullet in midair. The officer was dumbfounded. To think there were such people in this world! He trembled all over and shouted, “Fire! Fire!”

Bang bang—

The police, on high alert now, all opened fire at Yao Yue. She was only one person, after all, not some invulnerable being. Under their gunfire, she was forced to retreat. Meanwhile, Ye Chen grinned slyly and quietly slipped away during the commotion, dashing around the side of the Tianya Group building. He quickly pulled his shirt over his head, wrapped his arms inside, flagged down a taxi, and sped away from the scene.

Yao Yue hid around the corner, her gaze sweeping the crowd. When she realized Ye Chen’s figure was gone, she fumed. She’d been used by that scoundrel! Grinding her teeth, she cursed, “You bastard, if I ever catch you, you’ll regret it!”

---

“Hurry! Find him!” the police soon realized Ye Chen had vanished and began shouting, hopping about in panic. If they lost the suspect, they’d be in real trouble. It wasn’t so bad if they never caught him, but to arrest someone and then let him escape? Unforgivable.

“Boss, he’s gone,” the officers said helplessly.

“Damn it. Let’s go back and accept punishment from Captain Zhang,” sighed the lead officer, shaking his head. It seemed today was destined to go badly.

The gunfire had reached the twentieth floor, drawing the attention of Li Ruo. As the CEO, she couldn’t ignore a shootout at her company’s entrance. After learning what had happened, she immediately asked Lin Ziwen to contact Ye Chen, only to find his phone was off. Without delay, she hurried to the twentieth floor to find Li Cheng.

“Minister Li, do you know what’s going on with Ye Chen?” Li Ruo asked, sitting in Li Cheng’s office.

“Well…” Li Cheng blinked, looking at his younger sister, who was far more capable than he was, despite being a year younger. He licked his lips, rubbing his fingers together.

“Ugh… you idiot!” Li Ruo glared at him. “When will you ever break that habit?”

“I… heh!” Li Cheng chuckled sheepishly, smacking his lips. “Can’t help it. Back in the orphanage I never had money, so I always had to scam for cash. It’s just a habit now!”

“Brother, I know you’ve always resented Father, but… he’s still our father.” Li Ruo couldn’t help but tear up at his words. Li Cheng was her real brother, separated from their father more than twenty years ago due to an accident. Their father had never been able to find him, and after Li Ruo was born, he had finally given up and devoted himself to his business, pouring all his energy into her. Two years ago, her brother returned, reunited with their father thanks to a DNA test, and was at last acknowledged as family.

But a rift had grown between father and son, especially after their father handed control of the Tianya Group to Li Ruo a year ago. By way of consolation, he put Li Cheng in charge of security. Having grown up in an orphanage, Li Cheng had never received a proper education. Li Ruo was different—she’d been exposed to Western capitalist values and was an outstanding businesswoman.

“I know,” Li Cheng nodded, smiling awkwardly. “I never said I didn’t acknowledge him.”

“Brother, Dad actually feels very guilty. He used to talk about you all the time,” Li Ruo said tearfully, hugging him. “So please, don’t blame him anymore, okay?”

“I won’t, I won’t,” Li Cheng shook his head.

“Then tell me, why did the police arrest Ye Chen?” Li Ruo pouted. “If you don’t tell me, I won’t acknowledge you as my brother anymore!”

Li Cheng’s mouth twitched.

“He… he saved you yesterday, but in the chase, he accidentally killed two people,” Li Cheng said lightly. “It was originally a good deed, but I guess the city leaders have their own agenda. They don’t want the incident to escalate, so they need a scapegoat. Ye Chen jumped right into the fire—wasn’t he asking for trouble?”

“It was really him?!” Li Ruo was stunned. She’d suspected as much, but confirmation still surprised her. That awkward figure and the heroic one in the video—why couldn’t she reconcile the two?

“Yeah, I think he’s a bit special,” Li Cheng smiled.

“Why?” Li Ruo asked, surprised.

“He’s hard to read,” Li Cheng said with a blink. “He’s like a hedgehog—always protecting himself. No one can really understand what’s in his heart.”

---

“Really?” Li Ruo was skeptical. If someone lived like a hedgehog, what was the point? Or was he simply a man with two faces?

“At least, that’s how I see it,” Li Cheng nodded.

“Thank you, brother,” Li Ruo replied, smiling in a way few had ever seen. She turned and left the office. As soon as she was gone, Li Cheng’s expression twisted awkwardly, but he soon calmed himself.

---

A taxi pulled up in front of Xinhai Apartments. Ye Chen hurriedly dug into his pocket to pay the fare.

“Young man, if you’re in trouble, you should go to the police,” the driver said kindly. “You look so nervous, as if someone’s after you.”

“Thank you, Uncle,” Ye Chen replied quickly, nodding. He dashed upstairs, closed the door, and collapsed breathless on the floor. Glancing at the window, he leapt up to draw the curtains tightly shut, then untied the shirt wrapped around his hands. Fishing a pin from the counter, he inserted it into the handcuffs’ lock and fiddled until he heard a click and they sprang open.

Phew…

Ye Chen let out a heavy sigh. “Damn, finally out of those claws. I really have to thank that Yao Yue girl—without her, escaping would have been a headache.”

“Hee hee… So, how do you plan to thank me?” came a teasing voice from behind the curtains. Stepping out in tight black leather, Yao Yue’s figure was nothing short of stunning. She smiled mischievously, her right hand behind her back—no doubt hiding her signature crescent blade. Dangerous indeed…

“You… How did you get in?” Ye Chen stammered.

“Isn’t this place mine to come and go as I please?” Yao Yue replied with a sly smile.

“Damn it, you think this is a public restroom?” Ye Chen retorted angrily.

“Oh…” Yao Yue shrugged, feigning apology. “At least the restrooms I use are much cleaner than this.”

The insult was blatant and unvarnished, and Ye Chen’s expression grew dark. In that moment, he dearly wished he could pin her to the floor and pay her back, to tear through that leather, to force apart those shapely—

Unfortunately, he was no match for her. He’d be defeated in just a few moves.

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