Chapter Ninety-Five: Another Meeting

As the car sped along, Liu Shaoyu sat inside, his thoughts still echoing with the conversation from moments ago.

He had never imagined that the truth he had pursued for so many years would surface today.

What was even more surprising was that the Long family was actually related to him by blood. And even now, he still could not learn everything. He only knew his parents’ names, and how they had met.

The deeper questions remained unanswered. Since he was an orphan now, why had he become one?

Long Bingchu’s answer was that they had died in a battle.

Really? As simple as that?

If it had truly been nothing more than a simple sacrifice in war, how could there have been not a single trace of information, not even the faintest clue, until today?

Thud.

A dull sound rang out as Liu Shaoyu slammed his fist hard against the inside of the car door.

"These matters, sooner or later, I will know them all. And whatever you tried to hide, sooner or later, I will drag into the light," Liu Shaoyu vowed with unyielding resolve.

What he could never have imagined was just how powerful the "you" in his mind truly was.

In the office at the Tenth Layer of the Frozen Ice Hell, Long Bingchu stood blankly by the window, gazing into the distance. The memories from earlier had stripped away every trace of softness hidden in his heart.

Ever since Long Ruyuan had grown old enough to understand things, the only face he had ever seen on his father was stern and severe. Such a change today... was the first time he had ever witnessed it.

Feeling the subtle upheaval in his father, Long Ruyuan merely stood quietly to the side.

As a child, Long Ruyuan had only once learned that he had an aunt. When he was young and ignorant, he had simply asked, "Where did Aunt go?"

He still remembered the change that came over the person he asked. That face, filled only with sorrow, had replied, "Your aunt? Perhaps... she has gone to a very faraway place."

"When will she come back?"

"Come back? She will never come back."

Until today, that had been the entirety of his memories regarding his aunt. But now... that aunt was actually Liu Shaoyu's mother!

No wonder Liu Shaoyu's features had always felt so familiar at a glance.

"Did Aunt really die in that battle?" Long Ruyuan, for reasons he himself did not know, gathered the courage to ask his father.

In a situation like this, such a question did not mean simple curiosity. It meant he was beginning to doubt the matter.

Long Bingchu had not expected his most unpromising youngest son to actually gather the courage to ask him such a thing.

"Some things, even I cannot explain any further," Long Bingchu said with regret.

Long Ruyuan understood in his heart that his question would most likely receive exactly this answer.

"What is it? Disappointed?" Long Bingchu pressed when he saw no response.

"No, Father," Long Ruyuan hurriedly said.

"Ruyuan, remember this: the most important thing for a man is responsibility. Since you now know about this matter, then from now on, no matter what happens, remember this. That woman was your aunt, and Liu Shaoyu is your brother. We owe them too much."

Long Ruyuan had never expected his normally stern father to say such things to him. Yet in an instant, he sensed something deeper.

"Remember this: if one day I am forced to make you choose, then help me make amends to their family. That is the only thing I, as an older brother, can still do."

Long Ruyuan frowned. As expected, some things were still going to happen. At times, he hated himself for possessing such a gift. And he hated even more that this gift was always so accurate.

"All right, go. Go help him. Do not come back unless I order it," Long Bingchu said with a wave of his hand. Only after Long Ruyuan had fully left the room did he sit back down.

His expression returned once more to the same stern look it had held when Liu Shaoyu had first entered.

As for these arrangements, Long Bingchu did not believe for a moment that they would make Long Ruyuan resentful, because he knew that on matters like this, Long Ruyuan understood better than he did what should be done.

Though called the least promising, in truth Long Ruyuan was the most valued of this entire generation of descendants. The image of a playboy or idle rich heir was, in fact, a form of protection. All of that existed only because Long Ruyuan's S-gene ability was Perception.

The ability to sense what was about to happen.

After stepping out the door, Long Ruyuan suddenly stopped, as if he had thought of something astonishing... If Liu Shaoyu's mother was his aunt, then... Xin Qingyi's relation to him... heavens! That would be a generational mess!

By then, Liu Shaoyu had already returned to his residence. The moment he opened the door, a figure suddenly appeared.

"Welcome home!"

Xin Qingyi stood before him in a white dress.

Liu Shaoyu, who had still been sunk in a somewhat gloomy mood a moment earlier, suddenly broke into a smile.

"What are you doing here?" he exclaimed.

Xin Qingyi immediately frowned. "What, you don't welcome me? Then I'll leave."

With that, she actually lifted a foot as if to go. How could Liu Shaoyu let her do that? He grabbed her small hand at once and pulled her back, and Xin Qingyi naturally fell into his arms.

"How could I not welcome you?" he said, then promptly lowered his lips to hers.

"Annoying, always so improper in broad daylight," Xin Qingyi muttered, slipping free from his embrace and walking inside.

Liu Shaoyu was about to chase after her when he noticed that someone else was in the living room.

"Uh... I didn't see anything. You two carry on, carry on," Monkey said awkwardly, glancing around with exaggerated innocence.

Liu Shaoyu was a little embarrassed too.

"Why are you here as well?" he asked without thinking.

On hearing that, Monkey thought to himself that he really could not answer with some pretended line like, "What, not welcome?"

"Was afraid I wouldn't be able to find you, so I had to block the door. Conveniently, Sister-in-law was home too," Monkey said bluntly.

When Xin Qingyi heard the change in how he addressed her, she muttered, "Who is your sister-in-law?" Yet inside she was thinking, Good boy. You have an eye for things.

Liu Shaoyu simply ignored it, because the title sounded quite appropriate. Yes, very appropriate.

Of course, he knew exactly what Monkey was referring to.

"You're right. Even if you hadn't come, I was going to look for you."

At last, the agreed-upon time arrived. Liu Shaoyu followed Monkey to the location arranged in the communications.

"These people are way too cautious! They've changed the place three times already!" Monkey complained beside him.

Liu Shaoyu remained calm. He rather looked down on this sort of tactic.

It was partly for safety, but more than that, it was also meant to give him a show of force.

For a business like this, if someone truly wanted to investigate, even changing locations a hundred times would not be enough to shake them off.

Finally, after the fourth change of venue, the car stopped outside a courtyard in a remote area.

"What a desolate place. It's really hard to find," Monkey could not help grumbling at the scenery outside.

"Let's go," Liu Shaoyu said softly, stepping out of the car first.

"Mr. Hou, Mr. Liu, please this way."

They exchanged a glance and followed the man toward the building inside the courtyard.