The truth

In a café far from downtown Jiangcheng.

Le Shuya's mind went briefly blank, but she immediately said,

"Yes, I need your help, Mr. Cheng."

Cheng Yu chuckled over the phone. "All right. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Le, but could you give me an address where we can meet?"

Before Le Shuya could speak, Cheng Yu continued,

"I know a very good café. It's a little far from downtown, but it's quiet, and the windows don't let people see inside. There are too many prying eyes downtown, after all. What do you think, Miss Le?"

Le Shuya froze and glanced around. There were only a handful of people, and the windows were one-way glass. Nobody outside could see in.

"All right. I'll wait for you there."

He ended the call.

Cheng Yu inwardly cheered several times. He had pulled it off!

Look at that performance! Now that was sophisticated-showing off on a psychological level. Damn, that felt good!

Please, I'm a man with the script in hand. Never mind knowing your movements-even your thoughts are an open book to me.

You can be as monstrously clever as you like, but I've got the script.

Too bad the Big Shot won't give me a script for the next world. Boohoo, o(╥﹏╥)o.

Just as Cheng Yu had expected, Le Shuya felt psychologically intimidated by someone for the first time. She had spent quite a while choosing this café as their meeting place.

As Cheng Yu had said, it was far from downtown, quiet, and private. Only a few cafés in Jiangcheng met those requirements, and taking everything into account, this one was the best.

Once could be a coincidence, but twice? Two coincidences in such a short time?

Looking at the address Cheng Yu had sent her, Le Shuya sank into thought. Was getting involved with this man really the right choice?

But if she did not work with him, who would help her? Who else had the ability to withstand Lin Mo's pressure and lend her a hand?

Ding-a-ling.

The café's doorbell rang as a young man in a white shirt, a gray checked waistcoat, and matching trousers opened the door and stepped inside.

Declining the assistance of the server who opened the door, the young man walked toward a woman in casual clothes.

As soon as he sat down, Cheng Yu smiled. "A beauty is a beauty, after all. Even in casual clothes, you look lovely, Miss Le."

Le Shuya was about to say something, but Cheng Yu cut her off.

"I've just finished work, and I'm already exhausted. Why don't you have a drink with me, Miss Le?"

Le Shuya could only nod.

"Server, two black coffees."

Two cups of black coffee were brought to the table.

"Enjoy."

Le Shuya put half a sugar cube into her coffee, poured in a little milk, gently stirred it, and took a small sip.

Across from her, Cheng Yu stirred his coffee gently for a while, waited for it to cool, and took a small sip as well.

Le Shuya was slightly surprised. After all, hardly anyone aged twenty-three or twenty-four could stomach straight black coffee.

Seeing her expression, Cheng Yu smiled. "Surprised?"

Le Shuya nodded honestly.

Cheng Yu smiled and spoke pointedly.

"Black coffee is like most people's lives-extremely bitter, yet with a faint sweetness that's hard to detect. It's like the most beautiful thing in a person's heart. No matter how fiercely the bitterness outside assaults it, that trace of sweetness can never be erased."

Cheng Yu took another light sip and continued,

"The sugar and milk you add are like outside influences. They make sweetness seem natural, masking the sweetness that originally belonged to the bitter coffee-or rather, replacing it, leaving people lost in the sweetness of sugar and milk."

At that moment, a server brought over another cup of black coffee.

Le Shuya looked at the server in confusion and was about to speak, but the server explained first.

"This gentleman ordered it. He asked us to bring another black coffee ten minutes after the first two."

After thanking the server, Cheng Yu pushed the fresh cup toward Le Shuya and gave her a meaningful smile.

"Try it. See whether you can still find the coffee's original sweetness, Miss Le."

Le Shuya accepted the fresh black coffee with a slight frown, but still took a small sip.

Bitter. Unspeakably bitter. Bitter and astringent, without any of the sweetness he had described.

Watching Le Shuya's expression change several times, Cheng Yu raised his cup again, took a light sip, and said,

"Once you've tasted sweetness, bitterness becomes even harder to swallow, until you can no longer find even that trace of sweetness within it. Wouldn't you agree, Miss Le?"

After hearing him, Le Shuya swallowed the black coffee she had wanted to spit out and stared coldly at Cheng Yu. How could she fail to understand his meaning?

Cheng Yu was mocking her, suggesting she might choose to forget the truth behind her parents' deaths for a life of wealth and luxury, or forget that deep blood feud for romance.

Cheng Yu chuckled.

"Why don't you visit the restroom, Miss Le? As a gentleman, waiting while a lady composes herself and tidies her appearance is a required lesson."

Le Shuya gave Cheng Yu a long look before heading to the restroom.

After watching Le Shuya enter the restroom, Cheng Yu immediately opened the sugar jar and popped a sugar cube into his mouth.

Meanwhile, he thought, This act is fucking torture. It's so damn bitter! Sweetness, my ass. I heard this crap from someone talking out of their ass before. Hopefully, I've managed to fool her.

And the way I drink coffee is exactly how the Big Shot drinks tea. That's got to send my sophistication through the roof.

In the restroom, Le Shuya looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath. She had considered whether Cheng Yu was merely trying to gain the upper hand in their conversation.

But he had drunk that black coffee without any change in his expression, more than once. His manner clearly came from habit, not an act.

That meant Cheng Yu was far more frightening than she had imagined. Someone like him constantly reminded himself not to succumb to outside temptations and reflected on himself at every moment. The person he sought to surpass had always been himself, and the only enemy he recognized was himself.

With a man like that as Lin Mo's enemy, she did not know whether to feel fortunate or unfortunate.

After collecting herself, Le Shuya left the restroom.

Cheng Yu had kept his attention on the women's restroom. When he heard footsteps, he still had undissolved sugar in his mouth, but chewing it would be too obvious.

That's it.

Cheng Yu raised his coffee cup and took a sip. Yes, the Big Shot's pose.

Le Shuya emerged just in time to see Cheng Yu drinking from his cup. His cheeks moved slightly; he was even savoring it. Then his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

Sweet now. I can swallow. Hmm? She's here.

With that thought, Cheng Yu gently set his cup on the table, clasped his hands, rested his elbows on the table, and propped his chin on his hands. Looking at Le Shuya across from him, he narrowed his eyes and smiled.

"I imagine you've only traced it back to a fellow nicknamed Flower Snake, Miss Le."

Le Shuya paused, but nodded.

"All I found was that Flower Snake tricked my father into going to the casino and lured him into taking out loan-shark debts. Flower Snake is only one of Wang Long's lackeys. I don't know what any of this has to do with Lin Mo."

Cheng Yu's smile remained unchanged, his eyes still narrowed.

"The question remains: why did Flower Snake specifically lure your father into the casino and persuade him to borrow from loan sharks? And he just happened to be Wang Long's lackey? While Wang Long just happened to be Lin Mo's close friend?"

Le Shuya fell silent. After a while, she raised her head and looked at Cheng Yu.

"I need your help. I'm willing to pay any price."

Still smiling, Cheng Yu answered readily.

"No problem. I don't need you to pay any price, Miss Le. I only want you to know that we have a common enemy, and I'd like you to lend me a hand."

With that, Cheng Yu placed another USB drive on the table and pushed it toward Le Shuya.

Just as Le Shuya reached for it, Cheng Yu covered it with his hand and said solemnly,

"Miss Le, I have an obligation to warn you. The truth is cruel, and you may not be able to accept it. Do you still want to know?"

Le Shuya stared into Cheng Yu's eyes and said firmly,

"I have to know."

Cheng Yu released the USB drive, picked up his coffee, and said quietly,

"As I said, life is like this black coffee. Bitter and astringent, but with a trace of sweetness."

Cheng Yu sipped his coffee and continued,

"What we must do is remember that sweetness and keep searching for it with every taste that follows. It's always there. The only question is whether you can find it."

After another light sip, he looked at Le Shuya and continued,

"Miss Le, I will help you. As I said, I won't ask you to pay a price. I only want you to know that we share a common enemy. We are natural allies, and we can also be friends who trust each other to watch our backs. I hope you'll remember those words."

After a moment of silence, Le Shuya said softly,

"Thank you."

Then she left the café.

As soon as Le Shuya opened the café's door, Cheng Yu hurriedly opened the sugar jar and tossed several sugar cubes into his mouth. Then he grabbed the milk jug and took a huge mouthful.

With his mouth full, he muttered,

"So fucking bitter."

Just then, a system notification sounded.

Congratulations to the host for unlocking the achievement:

Life mentor (does not count toward the evaluation)

Cheng Yu froze. "Me? A life mentor? Fine, a life mentor it is."

Elsewhere, Le Shuya opened the USB drive again. It contained some files and a written message.

The files included detailed information on Wang Long and Flower Snake, along with surveillance footage from a barbecue restaurant near the university she had attended three years earlier.

There was someone very familiar in the footage: the close friend who had stayed by her side for three years, the light in her dark life-Lin Mo.

Four people sat at an outdoor table: Wang Long, Flower Snake, Lin Mo, and someone she did not recognize. Judging by his appearance, though, he was probably a student at her university back then.

Suddenly, Lin Mo looked in one direction and stared.

Wang Long said,

"What are you looking at, Lin?"

Lin Mo replied,

"A beauty."

The unfamiliar man looked over as well, then said,

"Oh, that's Le Shuya. Brother Long, Brother Mo, she's one of our university's campus beauties-the beauty of the finance department."

Wang Long grinned lewdly.

"What, Lin? Taken a liking to her?"

Without even looking at him, Lin Mo said,

"Of course. Who wouldn't fall for a beauty like that?"

Wang Long continued with a grin,

"Then let your big brother help you out."

Lin Mo immediately turned to Wang Long.

"You've got a way, Brother Long?"

Putting on a mysterious air, Wang Long said,

"Little Snake, I'll leave it to you. Make sure Lin gets to play the hero and save the beauty."

Flower Snake smiled.

"No problem, Brother Long."

Lin Mo immediately picked up a bottle of beer and said to Wang Long,

"Brother Long, there's nothing more I need to say. This drink says it all."

Wang Long also picked up a bottle and smiled.

"Then here's to you winning the beauty's heart soon."

Flower Snake and the other man raised their drinks as well.

"Here's to Brother Mo winning the beauty's heart soon."

All color drained from Le Shuya's face. She had indirectly caused her own parents' deaths!

She had spent three years beside the very man responsible for their deaths, done so much for him, and even regarded him as the light in her darkness.

She had been so grateful to him, had considered being with him, and had thought of him as a lifelong friend.

Then Le Shuya looked at the written message.

"I'm very sorry, Miss Le. I never expected to reveal the truth to you this way. What followed was just as you imagine: Flower Snake gained your father's trust, lured him into a casino, and left him owing loan sharks. The plan was presumably for Lin Mo to pay off your debts, but something went wrong and caused your parents' deaths. If you don't wish to seek revenge, I only hope you will stop helping Lin Mo. If you do wish to seek revenge, I would be happy to assist you. As I said, I won't ask you to pay any price. I only want you to know that we have a common enemy, and that I will be your staunchest ally."

Le Shuya let out a low, hoarse laugh.

"Lin Mo, to think you made an enemy like him. Now I truly look forward to the day he crushes you beneath his feet. And I'll send you to hell with my own hands!"