Chapter 85: “Big bro can only help you this far.”

Huo Chongyao rubbed his temples with two fingers before sliding his gold-rimmed glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. He tried his absolute best to speak to his brother with a calm, composed mindset.

Huo Chongyao: They are husband and wife. Do you understand what “husband and wife” means?

Huo Chongyu: Being a husband gives him the right to just hit people?

Huo Chongyao: Are you stupid? Don’t you know what a married couple does at night?

After sending that, Huo Chongyao remained as steady as an old hound. He crossed his legs, shook a cigarette out of his case, and lit it.

There was a long silence from the other end before a message finally popped up.

Huo Chongyu: Brother, I understand now.

Huo Chongyao let a confident smirk curl his lips. Biting down on the cigarette filter, he leisurely typed into the chat box: “So stop being a ‘dog catching mice’ and minding other people’s business. You’re worrying blindly about a young couple’s—”

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Jlqsal bl nswze qkdkpb, bkp casvbla’p dlmv xlppytl yaakhle.

Tws Ubsdtuw: Tla bwpcyde kp yd F&yxr;Y (pyesxypsnbkpx) ldvbwpkypv.

Tws Ubsdtuw: Jasvbla, Ubakpvkdy kp vawzu zkhkdt y vaytkn zkql.

Tws Ubsdtuw: Zsw eked’v pll bla vseyu; pbl oyp vsaxldvle vs vbl rskdv sq clkdt cyalzu bwxyd! Tla bwpcyde kp y vsvyz psd sq y ckvnb!

Ms qkdkpb kv sqq, bl pldv y pvakdt sq plhld sa lktbv lxsfkp sq y rlapsd oykzkdt. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Tws Ubsdtuys: …

Nshl xyjlp sdl elyq yde czkde, bl vbswtbv. Tkp casvbla oyp pkdtzl-bydelezu zsolakdt vbl RC sq vbl ldvkal pvallv. Jlnywpl Tws Ubsdtuw’p pwcnsdpnkswp bye yzalyeu ral-elvlaxkdle vbyv Ubld Nwsaw oyp clkdt ayhytle cu bla xyaakytl, ydu ycpwae yppsnkyvksd bl xyel qlzv rlaqlnvzu zstknyz vs bkx.

Tws Ubsdtuys: R’x pyukdt… nyd usw vau y ekqqlaldv rlaprlnvkhl?

Huo Chongyu: Don’t say another word, Brother. I cannot stand by and watch Christina sink into the quagmire of an unhappy marriage. I’m going to rescue her!

Huo Chongyao: …

Ten minutes later, Huo Chongyao sent over a million-dollar insurance policy. It was a personal accident policy for Huo Chongyu, with Huo Chongyu himself named as the beneficiary.

Huo Chongyao: Third Brother, this is all the help I can give. When the insurance company pays out, we split it fifty-fifty.

Huo Chongyu was practically begging for the husband to beat him up. Since Chongyao couldn’t change that fact, he might as well profit from it—no point letting a good opportunity go to waste. If Huo Chongyu ended up with a broken leg, at least the medical bills would be covered.

~

Huo Chongyu, his mind set on saving his Muse, didn’t listen to a single word. He bought a pair of binoculars and set them up by the window. This way, he could see every blade of grass and every movement outside the Meng residence. Although it felt a bit like an invasion of privacy, Chen Luoru’s safety was a far greater concern.

He had to gather enough evidence to make her leave that scumbag!

Perhaps Huo Chongyu’s arrival had put Meng Jianchen on guard, because he came home exceptionally early today, arriving by 6:00 PM. Huo Chongyu watched the house, but he couldn’t see anything inside.

The first floor of the Meng residence featured “rose windows,” similar to the large circular windows found above the main entrances of Gothic cathedrals. These windows were radially symmetrical and inlaid with colorful stained glass. While such flamboyant windows might look odd on a normal house, they complemented an ultra-luxury European villa perfectly. They balanced aesthetics with privacy—a double win for the owner.

The night was cool with a thin moon and few stars. Huo Chongyu sat dejectedly behind his binoculars. To an outsider, he looked like an amateur astronomer waiting for a comet that never came. In his mind, however, he was imagining Chen Luoru being tortured with whips and candles, and he was filled with grief and indignation at his own helplessness.

He punched the window frame in frustration. He would have to fight another day.

After getting into bed, Huo Chongyu checked his WeChat and made a major discovery—Chen Luoru had posted to her Moments!

Chen Luoru: Goodnight.

Huo Chongyu immediately screenshotted it and sent it to his brother.

Huo Chongyu: Brother! Something’s wrong!! Look at this!!!

Huo Chongyao: What is it?

Huo Chongyu: Christina’s latest update!!!

Thirty seconds later, Huo Chongyao sent back three question marks. Clearly, he didn’t see why his brother was so hyperactive.

Huo Chongyu: Brother, can you really not decode the deep, hidden meaning behind her words?

Huo Chongyao: What hidden meaning?

Huo Chongyu: The word “Night” (晚) doesn’t just mean it’s a dark evening; it reveals that Christina is currently trapped in a world of boundless darkness.

Huo Chongyu: And the word “Peace” (安 – from ‘Goodnight’) is even more heartbreaking. That she can feel “peace” in such a marriage shows she’s unable to resist her husband’s high-pressure reign. She can only passively accept it.

Huo Chongyao: …

Huo Chongyu: And this period (full stop) at the end is very telling. Why didn’t she use an exclamation mark or no punctuation at all?

Huo Chongyao: I won’t say. You tell me.

Huo Chongyu: Because a period shows her attitude of being used to it—resigned to her fate.

Huo Chongyao: . (Period)

Huo Chongyao: Why don’t you “decode” the attitude behind my period?

Huo Chongyu: What attitude?

Huo Chongyao: The attitude of wanting to shove your head into Repulse Bay to clear your mind, then sending you to the Equator so the sun can dry out all the water inside your brain.

Huo Chongyao: Your reading comprehension is so “good,” why did you always rank last in Chinese class at school?

Huo Chongyu: .

Huo Chongyao: Goodnight.

Huo Chongyu: Goodnight.

The brothers’ conversation ended in a bizarre atmosphere.

~

The next morning, Huo Chongyu got up early. Armed with a piece of bread and a bottle of milk, he sat by the window to begin his “human observation.”

8:00 AM: Meng Jianchen leaves by car.
9:00 AM: Chen Luoru leaves by car.

Wait—Chen Luoru was going out?

Huo Chongyu immediately tossed his bread and milk aside and raced down to the garage. He had used his remaining house-buying money to buy a small BMW. While it didn’t compare to the luxury supercars back home, it was enough for a temporary ride in Beijing.

He maintained a safe distance from her Porsche Panamera, following her all the way to the bustling Wangfujing district. After parking, he skulked around, hiding behind corners for fear of being spotted.

Chen Luoru first entered an Hermès store. Less than half an hour later, she walked out carrying two large orange bags. Next, she went into the Chanel across the street, staying for nearly an hour. When she emerged, her bodyguards were laden with bags.

Around noon, she went to a high-end Japanese restaurant to enjoy a meal alone. In the afternoon, she hit up a few more luxury boutiques before returning home fully loaded.

Her day ended peacefully, but Huo Chongyu’s heart was in turmoil. In his memory, Chen Luoru wasn’t like this. She was the little fairy who played the harp, the girl whose smile made the whole world light up.

He messaged his brother in despair.

Huo Chongyu: Brother, I’ve found that Christina has changed.

Huo Chongyao: Now what?

Huo Chongyu: She spent the entire day buying things in luxury stores.

Huo Chongyao: So you finally realized how happy her life is.

Huo Chongyu: Happy? Brother, how could you think she’s happy?

Huo Chongyao: Is this not happiness? Do you know how many women dream of this life?

Huo Chongyu: You call this happiness? This is a human tragedy!

Huo Chongyu: She spent the whole day “buy, buy, buy.” Just how empty and lonely must she be to rely on money to soothe her internal trauma!

Huo Chongyu: She used to be a fairy who didn’t care for worldly things. This marriage has ruined her!

Huo Chongyu: Brother, what do you think?

Huo Chongyao: Can I use profanity?

Huo Chongyu: Why would you use profanity toward a fairy?

Huo Chongyao: Then I have nothing left to say.

Huo Chongyu returned home dejectedly, arriving just as Meng Jianchen pulled into his driveway. Thinking about how this “dog of a man” was going to torment Chen Luoru again tonight, Huo Chongyu felt a knife twisting in his heart.

He had to rescue Christina!

Sansukini: Imagine if Huo Chongyu ends up with Chen Luoru.. two drama queens with overactive imagination.

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