The next day, Ruan Nianchu and Li Teng had a fierce argument. Throughout the shouting match, the little fat cat was so scared by their raised voices that it trembled and hid under the sofa, not daring to come out.
After the fight, Ruan Nianchu proposed breaking up. Li Teng did not try to stop her. She packed her bags, slammed the door angrily, and stormed out. On the main road, she flagged down a taxi and got in.
The driver asked, “Miss, where to?”
Ruan Nianchu thought for a few seconds and gave the address of Qiao Yufei’s house.
The driver nodded and started the engine. The taxi quickly merged into the congested traffic.
She glanced at the street scenery outside the car window, then took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Qiao Yufei: “I’ve broken up with Li Teng.”
About three minutes later, Qiao Yufei replied: “Weren’t things fine between you two before? Why have you broken up again?”
Nianchu: “I can’t live with him anymore.”
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Ckys Zwqlk: “Rv’p dsaxyz qsa nswrzlp vs byhl nsdqzknvp. Psd’v ynv sd kxrwzpl.”
Lkydnbw: “R’x dsv ynvkdt sd kxrwzpl.”
Ckys Zwqlk: “…Gzaktbv, yp zsdt yp usw’al pwal kv’p dsv kxrwzpkhl. Gal usw pvkzz yv Nk Mldt’p rzynl?”
Lkydnbw: “R’hl xshle yzz xu pvwqq swv.”
Ckys Zwqlk: “Gal usw tskdt bsxl?”
Lkydnbw: “R esd’v oydv xu xsx vs jdso ycswv vbl calyjwr qsa dso. Zsw jdso bso pbl kp; pbl’e elqkdkvlzu rlpvla xl okvb iwlpvksdp. Rv’p yddsukdt.”
Ckys Zwqlk: “Zlyb, kv’p clvvla vs vyjl psxl vkxl clqsal vlzzkdt bla. Fs oblal yal usw rzyddkdt vs ts dso?”
Lkydnbw: “R cssjle y bsvlz dlya uswa rzynl. R’zz pvyu vblal qsa vbl vkxl clkdt.”
Qiao Yufei: “Alright. Which hotel?”
Nianchu: “Century New City Hotel, Room 1016.”
Qiao Yufei: “I’ll come by later to see you.”
Ruan Nianchu squinted her eyes slightly, exited the chat, and opened a newly created group chat, sending a message: “Hotel address disclosed.”
The members of this group chat, besides her, included Li Teng, Yang Zhengfeng, and Lei Lei. The three of them almost instantly replied: “Received.”
The taxi crawled through the city center, barely moving a few meters every few minutes. The incessant honking of horns created a cacophony that filled the entire street.
Soon after, Ruan Nianchu received another notification on her phone. She checked it and saw that Lei Lei had sent a message in the group chat: “Perimeter secured.”
Ruan Nianchu’s expression remained calm as she locked her phone and put it back in her bag. She turned to look behind her. The long line of cars stretched out in multiple rows, disappearing into the distance.
She adjusted her position, rested her head against the seat back, and closed her eyes to rest. Suddenly, she let out a heavy sigh.
A few minutes earlier.
“I’ve booked a hotel near Qiao Yufei’s place for you. After you leave, go straight there and tell Qiao Yufei your hotel address and room number,” Li Teng instructed in a serious tone.
“Okay,” Ruan Nianchu nodded, feeling a bit anxious. “What should I do once I get to the hotel?”
“The rooms around yours are all occupied by Yuncheng SWAT officers. Once you’re inside, you don’t need to do anything except for one thing: don’t draw the floor-to-ceiling curtains.”
“Why not?”
“There’s a sniper across the street who will be protecting you at all times.”
Ruan Nianchu bit her lip after hearing this and said, “We’ve done so much preparation. If Da En doesn’t take the bait, it’ll all be for nothing.”
“Impossible,” Li Teng replied with a faint smile, patting her cheek. “Da En isn’t a patient person. He’s reached his limit of staying still. His people will definitely make a move in the next few days.”
She was curious. “You seem to know Da En quite well?”
Li Teng’s lips curved slightly, his tone ambiguous. “He knows me quite well too.”
At that moment, the driver’s voice pulled Ruan Nianchu out of her thoughts. “Miss, we’re here.”
Ruan Nianchu opened her eyes and saw that the taxi had stopped at the entrance of Qiao Yufei’s residential area, right next to the Century New City Hotel. She thanked the driver, paid the fare, and got out with her luggage.
Once inside the hotel room, Ruan Nianchu instinctively looked up at the floor-to-ceiling windows. Through the glass, she could see a residential building across the street with rows of neatly arranged windows, but she had no idea where the sniper might be stationed.
She redirected her gaze and sent a WeChat message to Qiao Yufei: “I’m at the hotel.”
Qiao Yufei replied: “I just finished my work. I’ll come find you. Let’s have lunch together.”
Ruan Nianchu frowned slightly: “Are you coming alone?”
Qiao Yufei: “I’m with Jiang Hao. He says there’s a new Japanese restaurant that’s pretty good.”
Ruan Nianchu thought for a few seconds, unsure of what to do, and decided to send a message to Li Teng: “Yufei wants to bring Jiang Hao to have lunch with me. What should I say?”
Li Teng replied: “Say you’re too tired and don’t want to go.”
Nianchu: “Never mind. I’m a bit tired and don’t feel like going out.”
Qiao Yufei: “Then rest at the hotel. We’ll get takeout and bring it back to eat with you.”
Nianchu: “That’s not necessary.”
Qiao Yufei seemed a bit exasperated: “Come on, you can’t starve yourself just because you broke up. What’s a breakup? What’s a man? You still have me. Our friendship can withstand any test.”
Seeing her friend’s reply, Ruan Nianchu suddenly felt a tightness in her chest and a lump in her throat. After a long pause, she typed back: “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”
Qiao Yufei: “We’ll come over soon.”
Meanwhile, a few meters away from the hotel entrance, a black Volkswagen was parked by the roadside.
In the driver’s seat, Yang Zhengfeng pulled out a pack of cigarettes, shook one out, and handed it to Li Teng, who was sitting beside him. He raised an eyebrow and teased, “Is this really necessary? I’ve never seen you this nervous, not even during a 2,000-meter sky jump.”
Li Teng fiddled with a lighter, waved his hand, and looked impatient.
Yang Zhengfeng frowned, “This is a premium cigarette.”
Li Teng coldly replied, “Smoke it yourself.”
“Forget it then.” Yang Zhengfeng scoffed, putting the cigarette in his mouth and lighting it. After taking a puff, he continued, “Look at you, a man in his thirties. Usually, you’re so composed. Why do you seem so lost when it involves your wife?”
Li Teng glanced at him. “Try it with your wife and see.”
Yang Zhengfeng laughed. “My wife is fierce. Back when she was on a mission, she took down four big guys by herself. Anyone who crosses her is asking for a beating. I never worry about her.”
Li Teng’s face remained stern, and he didn’t respond.
Seeing this, Yang Zhengfeng’s smile faded. He frowned and said, “I asked Officer Lei. Those SWAT officers and snipers are the top elite of Yuncheng’s police force, seasoned and battle-hardened. Your wife will be safe in there. Can you relax a bit?”
“Handing my woman over to others, how the hell am I supposed to relax?” Li Teng snapped, his brows knitted.
Yang Zhengfeng was speechless. “If you’re that worried, why don’t you go in and stay with her?”
Li Teng replied coldly, “After all the effort we put into this fake breakup, going to her now would ruin everything.”
“Who says it would be ruined? Just make sure no one sees you.” Yang Zhengfeng lowered his voice, offering a suggestion. “I’ll tell you what, when Jiang Hao gets to the hotel, you sneak into the room and hide under the bed. He won’t find you there.”
Li Teng turned to look at him, half-squinting his eyes.
Yang Zhengfeng raised an eyebrow. “What? Hiding under the bed for your wife is too much for you?”
After a few seconds of silence, Li Teng pocketed his lighter, opened the car door, and got out.
Yang Zhengfeng looked puzzled. “Where are you going?”
Li Teng, expressionless, replied, “Under the bed.”
Yang Zhengfeng was speechless. “Be careful. Don’t let anyone see you.”
“I know.”
Just before the knock on the door, Ruan Nianchu was sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought. Her mind kept replaying Qiao Yufei’s earlier WeChat message: “What’s a breakup? What’s a man? Our friendship can withstand any test.”
Ruan Nianchu and Qiao Yufei had known each other since they were eighteen. Back then, they had just graduated from high school and entered university, full of youth and carefree.
Now, they were twenty-six years old, unknowingly reaching the age where marriage and serious relationships became topics of discussion.
Growing up, forming their own values, and understanding the importance of certain things over others meant they could no longer do whatever they wanted like when they were young. There were too many concerns, too many things to consider, and they gradually lost the ability to act on a whim when faced with choices.
Ruan Nianchu didn’t know whether to feel happy or sad about this change.
The only definite solace was that despite the passage of time and all its challenges, some things and some people remained in her heart, always by her side.
Ruan Nianchu couldn’t imagine, or rather, didn’t dare to imagine, whether Qiao Yufei would forgive her after learning the truth about Jiang Hao. Protecting her friend’s feelings from being hurt was indeed something she should do as a friend. But Da En was cruel and heavily armed. As long as he was at large, countless lives were at risk. She had no choice but to prioritize the latter.
As she pondered, there was a sudden knock at the door.
She snapped back to reality, her heart sinking. “Who is it?”
There was no response from outside.
Frowning, Ruan Nianchu got up and walked to the door, looking through the peephole. She was stunned. “Li Teng?”
The sniper across the street holding a rifle was also taken aback.
Ruan Nianchu quickly opened the door. “What are you doing here…?” Before she could finish, Li Teng had already come in and closed the door behind him.
She was utterly shocked. “Li Teng, why are you here?” According to the plan, he and Yang were supposed to be on guard outside the hotel all day, watching for suspicious individuals to identify the second mole. His direct intrusion was completely off-plan.
Li Teng turned off the communicator on his collar, quickly scanned the room, and said flatly, “I can’t rest easy with you here alone.”
“What’s there to worry about?” Ruan Nianchu was almost panicking. “Yufei and that Jiang Hao are coming soon. You need to leave.”
“It’s too late,” Li Teng said. “They were at the entrance when I came up.”
Sweat formed on her forehead as she stamped her foot. “What should we do?”
Li Teng glanced around and noticed a wardrobe a few steps from the bed. He quickly stepped over, opened the wardrobe door, and slipped inside, closing it behind him.
Ruan Nianchu watched him hide in the wardrobe, speechless, her mouth twitching uncontrollably.
Suddenly, there was another knock at the door.
Startled, she bit her lip and asked, “Who is it?”
“It’s me,” Qiao Yufei’s voice came from outside.
Ruan Nianchu glanced at the wardrobe again, making sure nothing seemed out of place before opening the door with a smile. “You got here so quickly.”
“Who else would be kind enough to come over and eat with you at this time?” Qiao Yufei laughed as she walked in, followed by Jiang Hao, who was carrying a takeout box and smiling.
Ruan Nianchu closed the door, jokingly said, “You’re really something, dragging Jiang Hao into this. Don’t college students have classes?”
“It’s not a bother. I have fewer classes today,” Jiang Hao said, placing the takeout on the table. He casually glanced around the room and said, “Sister Nianchu, have you been staying here alone these days?”
Ruan Nianchu remained calm and said lightly, “Yes.”
“A girl staying alone in a hotel should be careful,” Jiang Hao said with a smile, testing the waters. “It’s normal for couples to quarrel. Yufei and I argue all the time. It’s no big deal. You shouldn’t stay mad at Li Ge for too long.”
Ruan Nianchu’s face suddenly turned cold. “A breakup is a breakup, not just a quarrel or a spat.”
Qiao Yufei found it amusing. “What’s going on with you two? There must be a reason for the breakup, right?”
Ruan Nianchu looked up at the two of them and said in a serious tone, “Do you know that Lain has been arrested by the police?”
“What?” Qiao Yufei was so shocked her eyes almost popped out. “Arrested by the police? What did that kid do?”
Jiang Hao also looked surprised. “How could he get arrested just like that?”
Ruan Nianchu closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t go into the specifics. In short, that Cambodian guy isn’t a good person, and neither is Li Teng.”
After she finished speaking, Qiao Yufei and Jiang Hao exchanged glances. Qiao Yufei looked bewildered and helpless, while Jiang Hao seemed deep in thought.
They finished the meal with Qiao Yufei comforting Ruan Nianchu. As an emotional expert, Qiao Yufei consoled her, saying that there are plenty of fish in the sea and there was no need to dwell on one flower. She even took out her phone to recommend WeChat contacts to Ruan Nianchu, saying, “Your breakup is actually timely. My godmother recently asked me to introduce a girlfriend to her son. He’s twenty-eight, a senior executive at a foreign company. Although he doesn’t look as good as your ex, he’s still decent and has no bad habits. Want to give it a try?”
Ruan Nianchu choked on her sashimi.
Inside the wardrobe, Li Teng’s face turned cold.
Sensing something, she glanced at the wardrobe and smiled, declining, “No need. I prefer enjoying my single life.”
Qiao Yufei thought she didn’t like that type and frowned. “You should quickly correct your aesthetic standards distorted by your ex. Have you forgotten your ideal type? A man in a suit and tie, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a refined scoundrel. Your ex didn’t fit any of those criteria. No wonder you broke up.”
Ruan Nianchu choked again.
Inside the wardrobe, Li Teng’s expression grew even colder.
After finishing the meal, Ruan Nianchu hurriedly sent Qiao Yufei and Jiang Hao off. With Qiao Yufei’s enthusiasm for introducing men to her, she feared that if they stayed any longer, Li Teng might break out of the wardrobe and cause chaos.
Once Qiao Yufei and Jiang Hao left, Ruan Nianchu closed the door properly and turned around to find Li Teng standing casually in the middle of the room, hands in his pockets, staring at her with no expression on his face.
Feeling awkward, she tried to explain, “Don’t misunderstand. What Qiao Yufei said… that was my ideal type when I was a teenager. Mainly… I was infatuated with those ‘dominant CEO falls for me’ novels back then.”
Li Teng raised an eyebrow. “Dominant CEO?”
“During adolescence, most girls have a bit of a silly phase,” Ruan Nianchu said, lacking confidence.
Li Teng nodded, unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt, adjusted his sleeves, and his expression remained indifferent. Then he motioned to her with his hand. “Come here.”
Ruan Nianchu felt a bit uneasy. “Why?”
Li Teng just repeated, “Come here.”
She had no choice but to walk over and stand still. He expressionlessly grabbed her wrist and led her toward the bathroom.
“Why are we going to the bathroom?” Ruan Nianchu asked, confused.
Before she could finish her sentence, Li Teng pushed her against the wall, leaned in, and gripped her chin, saying roguishly, “Listen, whatever a dominant CEO can do, a dominant paratrooper can do too.”
With that, he kissed her forcefully.
Across the street, the sniper and the officer with binoculars exchanged a look and scratched their heads in unison—where did those two go?
Late at night, the streets were deserted and cold, with only a few drunkards stumbling by occasionally.
In the Volkswagen, Yang Zhengfeng yawned and checked his watch—it was 2:30 AM. He unscrewed a bottle of mineral water and took a sip.
Just then, a figure emerged from the street corner ahead, dressed in white clothes and pants, a normal outfit, but wearing a mask.
Yang Zhengfeng squinted and spoke into his communicator, “Everyone, attention. The target has appeared.”
A few minutes later, the masked man entered the hotel lobby. The receptionist was watching a movie on her computer and only glanced up briefly before returning her attention to the screen.
The masked man entered the elevator and pressed the button for the tenth floor. The elevator doors slowly closed.
At this moment, hurried footsteps sounded from the end of the street.
Yang Zhengfeng looked up to see a tall man running over. The man stopped in front of him and pounded on his car window, out of breath. “Captain Yang! I saw the man who tried to kill me!”
“Chen Guozhi?” Yang Zhengfeng asked, puzzled. “Why are you here?”
“I saw the guy who tried to kill me at the hospital. He was wearing black clothes, a hat, and a mask. I followed him all the way here…” Chen Guozhi was sweating profusely and extremely anxious. “He should be in the building opposite the hotel. I saw him go in.”
Yang Zhengfeng eyed him suspiciously. “Where’s Officer Lei?”
Chen Guozhi, clutching his painful wound, looked exasperated. “I was looking for her too. We were together a moment ago, but she vanished in the blink of an eye.”
Yang Zhengfeng pulled out his phone to call Lei Lei. Two calls went unanswered.
Chen Guozhi frowned. “What do we do now?”
Yang Zhengfeng thought for a few seconds and said, “Let’s go up and check.”
Chen Guozhi nodded. “Okay.”
On the tenth floor of the hotel, the masked man cautiously stopped at room 1016. After looking around, he pulled out a white keycard and held it to the sensor.
With a beep, the door unlocked.
The masked man turned the handle and entered silently, not even making a sound with his footsteps.
The room was pitch dark, unlike earlier when the floor-to-ceiling window curtains were drawn tightly, letting no light in. The bed showed a lump under the quilt, and a pair of slippers were neatly placed on the bedside mat.
The masked man drew a short knife and lifted the quilt to stab down. In a matter of seconds, the cold glint of the blade was intercepted by the person in the bed.
Realizing something was wrong, the masked man turned to flee.
But it was too late.
Li Teng grabbed the man’s arm and twisted it fiercely, forcing him to his knees, a sharp umbrella knife pressed against his throat.
“Either you surrender,” Li Teng said coldly, “or you die.”
The masked man instantly froze.
Ruan Nianchu emerged from the wardrobe and turned on the lights, flooding the room with brightness.
Li Teng yanked off the man’s mask.
Seeing the man’s face, Ruan Nianchu’s voice trembled with anger, “It’s really you… Yufei loves you so much, and you use her like this. Aren’t you afraid of karma?”
Jiang Hao, kneeling on the ground with a blank expression, suddenly smiled and looked up at Li Teng. “Da En has a message for you.”
Li Teng glared at him, his lips tightly pressed, remaining silent.
Jiang Hao smirked and spoke in fluent Khmer, “Lee, you’ve lost this round.”
Sansukini: Only 12 chapters left. What novel would you like to read next?
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