Ji Ran took his delivery upstairs. As he reached the door, he noticed that the lock on the room across from his had been smashed open and the room was full of people.
He reacted instantly, looking away without breaking stride. Like a startled passerby, he walked to the room at the far end and pretended to search his pocket for his keys.
A bodyguard came out and took a look. Seeing nothing amiss, he went back inside.
Ji Ran quickly took the elevator on the other side downstairs and immediately called Zhao Pingchuan.
Zhao Pingchuan said on the phone, "Don't go home yet. Come to the company."
After a moment's thought, he still felt uneasy and changed his mind. "I'll come pick you up."
"Don't!" Ji Ran hurriedly refused. "It's no big deal if someone sees me, but it'll be trouble if they recognize you."
He had a point, so Zhao Pingchuan agreed. But after hanging up, his heart sank. Knowing Gu Xingye, if he had managed to find this place, he had most likely already discovered Zhao Pingchuan's whereabouts.
Was all this really a coincidence?
Ji Ran didn't dare hail a cab until he had turned the corner to the complex's side gate. While waiting for it, he happened to see Jiang Jinyue walking back from across the road.
He was carrying a bag, so he had probably gone out shopping.
Compared to the last time Ji Ran had seen him at the restaurant, Jiang Jinyue looked thinner. His face was utterly bloodless, and even walking outside in broad daylight, he looked like a wandering ghost.
His eyes were vacant too, as though he had lost all life and vitality.
Ji Ran struggled with himself for a few seconds. In the end, he couldn't stop himself from stepping forward to stop him.
Jiang Jinyue's expression shifted slightly. Looking at the young man who appeared to be about his age, he asked gently, "Can I help you?"
He was certain he had never met him before.
Ji Ran got straight to the point. "Someone smashed open the door to your room. There are a lot of people inside."
Jiang Jinyue froze for a moment, then gave him a faint smile. "I see. Thank you."
He didn't ask who Ji Ran was, why he knew him, or how he knew someone had entered his room.
Because he didn't care about any of that.
Ji Ran warned him, "You'd better not go back right now."
Jiang Jinyue stood there and thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Forget it. I can't avoid it."
With that, he went into the complex.
Ji Ran sighed. Unlike Gu Xingye, Jiang Jinyue had never hurt Zhao Pingchuan. Ji Ran didn't hate him; he even pitied him a little. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stepped forward to warn him.
His cab arrived just then. Ji Ran left the couple's affairs alone and headed straight to Hengtu.
Meanwhile, when Jiang Jinyue returned to his room, everyone's gaze snapped toward him.
Jiang Jinyue seemed not to notice. He calmly set down what he was carrying before looking at the man sitting on the sofa.
Gu Xingye spoke in a hoarse voice. "Where did you go?"
Jiang Jinyue said, "I went out to buy a few things."
Gu Xingye held back his anger. "Do you know how long I've been looking for you? You disappeared without a word. Jiang Jinyue, do you have a heart?"
Jiang Jinyue's gaze was indifferent, but the instant their eyes met, Gu Xingye felt a surge of panic, as if something important were slipping through his fingers.
Jiang Jinyue merely asked calmly, "I don't have a heart. Didn't you know that already?"
Gu Xingye was so angry he laughed, raising his voice. "Did you do that on purpose? Are you trying to make me angry?"
Jiang Jinyue shook his head gently. "I just wanted some peace and quiet by myself."
Gu Xingye looked at his slender frame, which seemed as though it would fall over in a breeze, his thin neck, and his pale lips. His tone softened, as if he were trying to make peace. "Was I pushing you too hard? I'm sorry. A-Yue, come back with me."
It was a rare concession from him.
Even Jiang Jinyue was a little surprised. Still, he shook his head. "A-Ye, can you let me go? Just pretend you didn't find me today."
Gu Xingye's eyes widened, and he roared, "Impossible! I won't let you leave me!"
They had been together for so long and loved each other so deeply. How could he possibly let Jiang Jinyue leave?
Something occurred to him, and he asked suspiciously, "Did Zhao Pingchuan say something to you?"
Jiang Jinyue frowned. "Zhao Pingchuan? Didn't he go bankrupt? Why are you bringing him up all of a sudden?"
Seeing that his confusion didn't seem feigned, Gu Xingye relaxed a little and changed the subject. "It's nothing. In any case, you have to come back with me today."
Jiang Jinyue smiled bitterly and wasted no more words. When had Gu Xingye ever changed a decision to suit someone else's wishes? He often asked himself whether what they had was really love. Perhaps it was nothing more than a desire for control and possession.
He went back with Gu Xingye after all. Before leaving, he took one last look at the little apartment. The three months he had spent there had been the most peaceful he'd had in many years. He might never have such a time again.
After getting into the car, Jiang Jinyue still didn't say a word.
Gu Xingye tried to take his hand and promised, "A-Yue, I'll change. If I do anything wrong, just tell me."
Jiang Jinyue only shook his head, gazing sadly ahead. He looked like a withered flower.
Gu Xingye clenched his fists, struggling to suppress his anger. He had to investigate and find out exactly what was going on.
And there was that Zhao Pingchuan, who just wouldn't go away.
In fact, when Zhao Pingchuan and Ji Ran returned home and saw the state of the room across from theirs, they knew their peaceful life was about to be disrupted.
Ji Ran was full of regret. "We should have moved out sooner. We knew Gu Xingye would come looking. Why didn't we move?"
Zhao Pingchuan ruffled his hair, his tone calm. "As long as we lived here for even a day, Gu Xingye would have found out sooner or later. Moving wouldn't have made much difference."
Ji Ran let out a heavy breath. "There's no getting away from that plague god."
Seeing him frowning in thought, Zhao Pingchuan found himself thinking, at a rather inopportune moment, Ranran is so cute.
Still, Ji Ran's attitude toward Gu Xingye was somewhat strange. He had never seen such unmistakable hatred and disgust from Ji Ran before.
"Ranran, why do you dislike Gu Xingye so much?"
Ji Ran's heart tightened, and he instinctively looked into Zhao Pingchuan's eyes. There was unwavering trust and acceptance in them; he really was just a little curious.
Ji Ran wrapped his arms around Zhao Pingchuan's arm, making no attempt to hide his feelings. "Ge, he hurt you. I don't like him."
What had happened back then was too strange, and Zhao Pingchuan still hadn't fully untangled it. He didn't know whether it had all been a coincidence or whether Gu Xingye had interfered. But the outcome was clear: Gu Xingye had sucked Pingchuan Technology dry and used it to grow even stronger.
The situation was troublesome. Jiang Jinyue had been taken away, and Zhao Pingchuan himself lived right across from him. Who would believe they had nothing to do with each other? Gu Xingye would surely seek revenge.
Hengtu as it stood now was a far cry from what Pingchuan Technology had been back then. If Gu Xingye made a move, Zhao Pingchuan would struggle to fend him off.
Ji Ran had clearly thought of that too. Given time, Zhao Pingchuan could help Hengtu grow quickly, but now they were out of time.
A hand smoothed away his deep frown. Ji Ran looked over and saw Zhao Pingchuan smiling gently. "Don't worry, Ranran. I'm here."
Ji Ran shook his head and insisted, "Ge, I'm not afraid. I can protect you too. We'll face it together."
Zhao Pingchuan wanted to say, I know. Haven't you been the one protecting me all this time? You pulled me out of the depths of despair and brought sunlight back into my world.
Even though disaster was bearing down on them, he felt no panic. Ji Ran's love had woven him the strongest armor.