When Xu Zhihan returned to the Xu Family home, the living room was empty.
That was rare.
No matter how quiet the house usually was, someone always watched him from the shadows. A servant, Xu Mingji, Zhou Man, or someone Xu Chengyuan had assigned.
Today, even the sound of breathing was scarce.
Xu Zhihan stood in the entryway and paused while changing his shoes.
Too deliberate.
He glanced across the living room, his gaze settling on the surveillance camera in the corner.
Its little red light was on.
Xu Zhihan looked at it without a word, then slowly went upstairs.
Just as he reached the second floor, the candy tin in his pocket bumped against his phone with a faint clink.
Xu Zhihan stopped.
He lowered his head and took out the candy tin.
Lu Wenchuan had bought it.
He had said it could save a life when blood sugar dropped, and could also coax Xu An.
Xu Zhihan stared at the tin for a few seconds, his expression unchanged, then put it away after all.
Troublesome.
Even the things that man bought were troublesome.
He returned to his room. As soon as he closed the door, his phone lit up.
Lu Wenchuan had sent a screenshot.
It showed a chat window.
The other person had sent several secretly taken photos, all shot from carefully chosen angles. They showed Lu Wenchuan opening the car door for Xu Zhihan, handing him candy, and leaving the hot pot restaurant with him. One even captured their profiles inside the car.
The caption was already written.
[The Xu Family's eldest young master was just released from his engagement, and now he's getting cozy with a Special Investigation Bureau captain.]
Xu Zhihan read it, his expression indifferent.
Lu Wenchuan sent another message.
[Your family really knows how to take pictures.]
Xu Zhihan replied.
[Your smile is an eyesore.]
Lu Wenchuan sent back a question mark.
[That's what you're focusing on?]
Xu Zhihan glanced at the photos.
Lu Wenchuan really was smiling in them.
His smile was lazy and flippant, as though there really was something illicit between them.
Xu Zhihan typed expressionlessly.
[Delete them.]
Lu Wenchuan replied quickly.
[We've already detained the photographer, but Xu Chengyuan probably has backups.]
Xu Zhihan stared at the screen for a few seconds.
[Let him post them.]
This time, Lu Wenchuan did not reply instantly.
Half a minute later, he sent a message.
[Are you sure?]
Xu Zhihan leaned against the back of his chair. His face still held a trace of post-illness pallor, but his eyes were cold.
[If he wants people to see, let them see everything.]
Lu Wenchuan seemed to understand what he meant.
[You're going to hit back with the full record?]
[Yes.]
[You really hold a grudge, Young Master Xu.]
Xu Zhihan replied.
[He's always been noisy.]
This time, Lu Wenchuan sent a voice message.
Xu Zhihan frowned, unwilling to play it.
But the message lingered on his screen, as though Lu Wenchuan himself were standing before him, casual and irritating.
In the end, he tapped it.
Lu Wenchuan's voice came through, carrying a hint of laughter.
"All right, we'll do it your way. Let's wait for Xu Chengyuan to offer up his face for a slap."
Xu Zhihan immediately closed the voice message after listening.
Even the way this man talked was noisy.
In the study downstairs, Xu Chengyuan was on the phone.
"Release the photos tonight."
The person on the other end hesitated. "President Xu, we still haven't completely suppressed that recording of Xu Mingji. If we release something about his private life now, could it backfire?"
Xu Chengyuan's tone was cold. "That's exactly why we need to divert attention."
"But Lu Wenchuan..."
"He's in the photos. The Special Investigation Bureau won't get involved on its own." Xu Chengyuan lowered his voice. "Lu Wenchuan is Xu Zhihan's biggest support right now. If we make people think their relationship is improper, any further interference from Lu Wenchuan in Xu Family affairs will come under suspicion."
There was a pause on the other end.
"Understood. I'll have someone handle it."
Xu Chengyuan hung up, his expression still grim.
Xu Zhihan had disrupted far too many things over the past few days.
The Gu Family was in trouble, Xu Mingji had been exposed, the basement had been sealed, Jiang Ren had been arrested, and Lu Wenchuan had blocked their attempt to have Xu Zhihan declared mentally unstable.
Now they could only change tactics.
Didn't Xu Zhihan care nothing for his reputation?
Then let him see how this felt.
A sickly young master whose engagement had just ended, privately getting close to a Special Investigation Bureau captain-this topic would be enough to shift public attention away from Xu Mingji again.
As long as the waters were muddy enough, the Xu Family would have time to catch its breath.
At eight that evening, the first set of photos was released by a clickbait account.
The headline was suggestive.
[The Xu Family's eldest young master dines out after controversy; male companion suspected to be a senior Special Investigation Bureau official.]
The photos quickly gained traction.
At first, the comments were mostly confused.
[Isn't that Lu Wenchuan from before?]
[What's the relationship between Xu Zhihan and someone from the Special Investigation Bureau?]
[No wonder Lu Wenchuan keeps helping him. They know each other personally.]
[He's already having dinner with someone else right after his engagement ended? Isn't that a little fast?]
The Xu Family's paid commenters joined in quickly.
They pushed only one point.
Lu Wenchuan was taking Xu Zhihan's side, and the Special Investigation Bureau's investigation into the Xu Family was biased.
Xu Zhihan read the comments without any change in expression.
He even thought their insults were less original than the last few rounds.
Lu Wenchuan's message arrived soon afterward.
[They posted them.]
Xu Zhihan replied.
[I saw.]
[Are you angry?]
[No.]
[Then why haven't you done anything?]
Xu Zhihan typed slowly.
[I'm watching to see what else they can make up.]
Lu Wenchuan replied with a smiley face.
The next minute, a new account posted the full video.
It was surveillance footage from the entrance of the hot pot restaurant, clearly showing Lu Wenchuan booking a private room in advance, the physically weakened Xu Zhihan getting out of the car, and the two entering the restaurant without anything unusual happening. Next came footage of Lu Wenchuan stopping the photographer.
The photographer's chat history with Xu Chengyuan's assistant was also released, with identifying details censored.
[Make the shots look more intimate.]
[Focus on Lu Wenchuan taking care of him.]
[Someone will take it from there.]
The moment those messages appeared, the comments changed.
[??? The Xu Family hired someone to take secret photos?]
[People were just saying Xu Zhihan had a messy private life, and it turns out the Xu Family arranged for someone to follow him?]
[A sick person can't even go out for a meal without being photographed?]
[That's such a dirty move from the Xu Family.]
[I thought the photo of Lu Wenchuan handing him candy looked intimate, but Xu Zhihan could barely walk in the full video. He was obviously being taken care of.]
The Xu Family quickly tried to suppress the story.
But Lu Wenchuan also issued a statement.
For the first time, the Special Investigation Bureau's Seventh Team account responded publicly.
[Lu Wenchuan contacted the relevant individuals in connection with the anomalous incident at the Xu residence. Xu Zhihan is currently a key witness in the Xu residence basement case. The source of the secretly taken footage has been referred for investigation. Those who maliciously spread rumors will be held accountable under the law.]
It was brief.
But it was enough.
Xu Chengyuan's expression changed on the spot.
In the study, his assistant hurried to explain. "President Xu, we didn't expect Lu Wenchuan to get involved directly. He rarely concerned himself with public opinion before."
Xu Chengyuan abruptly swept the documents off his desk.
"Useless."
The assistant lowered his head, not daring to say another word.
Zhou Man had also seen the reversal online, and her expression was ugly. "Chengyuan, what do we do now? If this continues, people will start suspecting that the Xu Family has been hurting Zhihan all along."
Xu Chengyuan's gaze darkened.
People already suspected it.
Some had connected Xu Mingji's earlier recording, what had happened to Gu Huai, the secret photos, and the psychiatrist's visit, and were starting to ask what exactly the Xu Family was afraid of.
What Xu Chengyuan feared most had happened.
Xu Zhihan had offered little explanation, yet he had turned every move the Xu Family made into evidence.
The more they did, the more mistakes they made.
Zhou Man said quietly, "Why don't we stop for a while?"
Xu Chengyuan looked at her, his eyes frighteningly cold.
"Stop?"
Zhou Man did not dare speak again.
Xu Chengyuan picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Tomorrow night's reception will proceed as scheduled."
The person on the other end was taken aback. "President Xu, with everything going on, you're still holding the reception?"
Xu Chengyuan closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, he had regained his composure.
"It's precisely at a time like this that we need to show everyone the Xu Family is fine. Notify all our business partners and the media. Xu Zhihan will also attend."
Zhou Man grew anxious. "Will he go?"
Xu Chengyuan sneered. "He will."
"You have a way?"
Xu Chengyuan looked toward the upper floor.
"Tell him an old friend of Lin Wan's will be at the reception."
Zhou Man's expression changed.
"Are you insane? Wouldn't that put what happened back then right in front of him?"
Xu Chengyuan's voice was heavy. "If he wants to investigate Lin Wan and Xu An, he'll go."
Zhou Man wanted to say more, but closed her mouth.
Because Xu Chengyuan was right.
Upstairs, Xu Zhihan also received the message.
Xu Chengyuan had his assistant relay it.
Someone who had known Lin Wan when she was alive would attend the Xu Family's reception tomorrow night.
As Xu Zhihan finished reading, his gaze slowly turned cold.
Xu Chengyuan was baiting him.
It was a clumsy trick.
But it worked.
His phone chimed again.
Lu Wenchuan had sent him a message.
[Xu Chengyuan is hosting a reception.]
Xu Zhihan replied.
[I know.]
[Are you going?]
[Yes.]
[I'm going too.]
Xu Zhihan frowned.
[Who invited you?]
Lu Wenchuan quickly sent back a reply.
[I've got no shame.]
Xu Zhihan stared at those words, suddenly feeling a headache coming on.
He put down his phone, opened the candy tin, and took out a piece.
The candy was sweet.
Annoyingly sweet.
He didn't eat it, setting it on the table instead.
A few seconds later, the faint spirit of a child materialized in the corner of the room.
Xu An looked at him timidly.
Xu Zhihan didn't look at him. He only said, "Go ahead."
Xu An froze, then his eyes brightened a little as he cautiously approached the candy.
He couldn't touch anything physical, but he could catch a faint whiff of sweetness.
Xu Zhihan lowered his gaze to watch him.
After a long while, Xu An said very softly, "Thank you, big brother."
Xu Zhihan closed his eyes.
"Don't call me big brother."
Xu An looked a little crestfallen.
Xu Zhihan paused, then added, "And don't cry."
Xu An immediately nodded.
Xu Zhihan leaned back in his chair, his expression cold, but his voice was no longer quite so harsh.
"I'll take you to watch the show tomorrow."
Xu An looked up at him.
Xu Zhihan looked out the window.
"It's time the Xu Family started paying back what they owe you."