extra ko-fi chapter (3/4) for szm! 
Thank you so much again!! ❤️
On Friday, Xu Ze went home for dinner and then studied for two hours. At 9 pm, he got up and went out. After waiting at the entrance for a while, a bodyguard came out of nowhere and asked him, “Going out?”
Xu Ze nodded, “I can go by myself.”
“Sorry, not possible,” the bodyguard firmly refused, “Where are you going?”
Xu Ze knew he couldn’t hide it and could only answer honestly, “Westside.”
He thought he would be stopped, but the bodyguard simply nodded, “No problem.”
When arriving at the parking lot, three bodyguards and Xu Ze exited the car together. Soon after, they split up as they entered the club. Xu Ze lost sight of them in the blink of an eye.
Even with his cap on, Xu Ze was immediately recognized by the omega attendant at the front desk. The attendant waved at him and mouthed, “Seventeen.” The omega pulled Xu Ze aside as he walked over, “Why are you suddenly back?”
Before he could respond, an impatient drunkard yelled, “Get outta here.” Some alpha was kicked out of the way like a piece of trash and crashed into Xu Ze.
Xu Ze immediately swept the alpha behind him while raising his other hand to catch the drunkard’s punch and swat it aside. Xu Ze’s strength was clearly professional, and his eyes under the brim of his hat carried a warning. The drunkard scoffed resentfully and mumbled as he walked away.
“Seventeen?” The alpha came out from behind Xu Ze; it was Xiao Feng. He asked in surprise, “Why are you here?”
“Something came up. Do you have time now?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Xiao Feng replied instantly.
Xu Ze nodded. He turned to the attendant and said softly, “I have to go.”
“Mn,” the omega couldn’t take his eyes off him, “Be careful.”
“I will.”
“I heard that you broke your contract with the big boss. It’s dangerous for you to be here now.” Xiao Feng walked alongside Xu Ze and sounded worried, “I’m sure someone noticed you just now and will report to the big boss.”
Xu Ze just asked, “Has Boss Shao from the casino been here recently?”
“Ah, Boss Shao, he often comes here to help the big boss take care of the other areas. You know the club is getting increasingly chaotic. There’s a rumor that it might be torn down soon. Everyone is trying to make money while they can.”
“What about you?”
“Same as always, selling cigarettes and drugs and working as a junket operator. If the club really closes, I’ll go somewhere else. Maybe I won’t even need to pretend to be an alpha.” Xiao Feng rubbed his loins as if he had just realized the pain from the kick, “I still want to thank you for helping me get the pheromone spray.”
“No problem,” Xu Ze said.
Xiao Feng was fifteen years old this year, a true child in every sense of the word. He had started fending for himself when he was just over ten years old and had endured a difficult life of beatings and insults. Last fall, Xiao Feng regressed into a beta due to his low innate pheromone level and inadequate nutrition during his development. Xu Ze found a way to get the right alpha spray for him and helped him keep the secret.
It was normal to be born a beta but Xiao Feng knew he would face harsh ridicule as he had changed from alpha to beta. It would be one more way for people to insult him, especially in this place.
Xiao Feng thought Seventeen was the best person in the club.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Thus, Xiao Feng was even a little happy when he first heard the rumors between Seventeen and the big boss, as it would mean Seventeen wouldn’t be assigned to fight in dangerous matches and wouldn’t have to exert himself to make money. But it turned out that Seventeen hadn’t been sponsored by the big boss, and instead continued to shed a lot of blood and suffer severe injuries inside the octagon cage.
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“Thank you.” Xu Ze found a gambling table. He had previously worked part-time as a dealer, so he knew which strategy was the safest. The important thing was that he could see the entrance from his current position.
After playing a few rounds, he had four to five times more chips in his hand. Xu Ze kept looking at the entrance. Tang Feiyi and those people usually came to the club between 9:30 and 10:00.
In less than two minutes, a bodyguard entered the casino. Just in time as the game ended. Xu Ze put all the chips on the table into a box and handed it to Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng was still immersed in Xu Ze’s skilled gambling techniques and instinctively hugged the box. Xu Ze kept his eyes on the entrance. Not only did Shao Ping enter, but there was also a familiar alpha—He Yu.
He had only met He Yu a couple of times. The first time was when He Wei brought He Yu to watch the match and he wanted to sign a contract with him. Later, Xu Ze happened to see He Yu with Tang Fei at the club. Xu Ze had heard He Wei mention not too long ago that He Yu had been kicked out of the company and had vanished.
Xu Ze turned his head and saw Xiao Feng’s eyes glued to someone with Shao Ping, but he didn’t know who he was looking at.
“Someone you know?” Xu Ze asked.
Xiao Feng answered with a slight delay, “Oh… that, that’s Mr. He. He’s been here for some time and handles the cargo delivery. Boss Shao is wary of him because Mr. He’s influence is about to surpass his own.” After another pause, Xiao Feng added, “But I think Mr. He is a good person. He has helped me a few times.”
Xu Ze’s eyes remained on Shao Ping’s face until he went upstairs. He Yu refrained from going upstairs when he unintentionally glanced in Xu Ze’s direction upon entering and seemed to recognize him.
He Yu walked over and extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray on the edge of the gambling table. He looked at the chips in Xiao Feng’s arms and laughed, “You’ve won so much.”
Xiao Feng appeared nervous and stuttered, “It… it was my friend who helped me win.”
He Yu then looked at Xu Ze. Xu Ze patted Xiao Feng’s head, “Thank you for your time today.”
Xiao Feng quickly caught on, “Oh, then I’ll go now.”
With many curious eyes on them, the two of them headed down a secluded passage. He Yu lit another cigarette and placed it in his mouth before offering the pack to Xu Ze. Xu Ze shook his head to indicate that he didn’t smoke.
“How has Xiao Wei been lately?” He Yu took a drag of his cigarette and asked.
He still loves to sleep but spends more time studying and has a serious attitude. Xu Ze replied, “Not too bad.”
“I heard you broke the contract with Tang Feiyi and didn’t pay the damages,” He Yu smiled, “While the contract is void in the first place, how did you dare to come here alone?”
“I need money,” Xu Ze murmured.
He Yu looked at him for a moment and smiled again, “They say you’re being sponsored, but is the Chairman’s son really that stingy?”
Xu Ze didn’t refute this conclusion because the premise was wrong. But Xu Ze knew why they would think that way. It was because it was impossible for the Chairman’s son to be with a poor student, so using money to seek novelty and excitement was indeed a more reasonable explanation.
He Yu continued as Xu Ze didn’t say anything, “Do you think that by working in the casino, Tang Feiyi won’t discover you?”
“I don’t know.” Xu Ze lowered his eyes, “I just came to see if I could work under Boss Shao.”
“Shao Ping?” He Yu seemed surprised to the point of finding it absurd, “Tang Feiyi is his protege. A person like him would only be more ruthless than Tang Feiyi. There’s nothing he won’t do. I suggest you give up such an idea.”
Xu Ze pursed his lips as if he was thinking. A few seconds later, he said, “I’ll rethink it.”
“There’s nothing to think about. You’re still so young. It’s not worth rotting here. Don’t come back in the future.” He Yu glanced at his watch, “I have other things to do. Can you go out on your own?”
“I can,” Xu Ze said, “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” He Yu raised his hand, “Go on.”
After leaving the passage, Xu Ze sensed something was wrong. He pushed through the crowd to make his way toward the bar and entered the restroom. He immediately locked the toilet door and went to the last stall. Xu Ze grabbed the edge of the window with both hands and stepped on top of the toilet tank. Just as he crawled out through the window, he heard the toilet door being kicked open and the alphas in the toilet shouting and cursing. Xu Ze stepped on the wall and leaped decisively into the alley while sending a message to the bodyguards that he would soon be in the parking lot.
After waiting around a corner for about half a minute, he saw the three bodyguards coming out of the building. He approached them and got into the car.
The bodyguards still looked solemn as the car pulled out onto the street. They had lost track of Xu Ze on the way to the bar. Xu Ze navigated the club like a fish, knowing every route and exit extremely well. However, this familiarity was dangerously unpredictable for them.
“Sorry,” Xu Ze said, “Next time, I’ll go in alone and meet you when I’m done.”
One of the bodyguards immediately stated, “There won’t be a next time.”
Over the next few days, Xu Ze was busy applying for schools and transferring the house’s ownership. Next Saturday would be his birthday. After the birthday, the house could be transferred to his name. Xu Ze wanted to sell it as soon as possible to raise money for Ye Yunhua’s lung transplant.
Many schools had already contacted Xu Ze through teachers or privately, hoping to get him to apply. Xu Ze didn’t hesitate to rule out schools outside the capital. He didn’t have a specific major or university in mind. He just wanted to stay in the city.
He Wei, who had been pretty well-behaved this semester, suddenly went crazy. The admission deadline was Wednesday at 10 am. He took out his tablet to log into the application system just five minutes before the deadline to delete all three schools that the family’s professional consultant had filled out for him and submitted just one. After clicking the submit button, he immediately turned off the tablet and flopped onto the desk to sleep. Not more than half an hour later, two bodyguards came to the classroom and escorted He Wei away without a word.
Xu Ze didn’t tell He Wei that he had met He Yu at the club. He thought that He Yu probably didn’t want He Wei to know.
After returning from the Westside last time, Xu Ze thought that Lu Heyang would send a message or call to inquire about it. He had even prepared a seemingly suitable excuse and silently memorized it so as not to give himself away. But Lu Heyang didn’t contact him.
This made Xu Ze even more uneasy than being confronted by him because it meant that Lu Heyang might actually be angry or thoroughly disappointed in him.
On the weekend, Xu Ze went to the nursing home. Ye Yunhua hadn’t been feeling well lately. She frequently had trouble breathing and had to take supplemental oxygen for long periods. However, her state of mind seemed much calmer. She lay quietly in her hospital bed and no longer asked when Qiao Yuan would come to take her home.
On Wednesday, Xu Ze took the preliminary exam for his first school. It was the seventh day that He Wei hadn’t come to school, and the sixteenth day since he had lost contact with Lu Heyang.
Thursday arrived, and the military academy’s preliminary exam was today. Xu Ze had discovered it on the official website. As for why he was browsing the military education academy’s website—it seemed to be the only way he could find anything related to Lu Heyang.
Xu Ze hadn’t gone to the auto repair shop since admission and concentrated on preparing for the exams. During this time, he distanced himself from all the events. He vaguely realized that regardless of the real purpose behind the text message, it was most definitely not solely out of kindness to reveal the hidden circumstances surrounding his father’s death. The last time he returned to the Westside, he had almost walked into a trap, so he had to stop for now.
His phone beeped. Xu Ze picked it up and saw “9” on the screen—a phone number Lu Heyang had previously used. Xu Ze immediately unlocked the phone and opened the message. Lu Heyang had sent a link to a website with a message with only three simple words: Sign your name.
Xu Ze clicked on the link, which led to an electronic signature form for a subsidy application. After skimming through it, Xu Ze signed his name and closed the webpage. He messaged Lu Heyang back: Signed.
After waiting a while with no response from Lu Heyang, Xu Ze plucked up the courage to ask: Can I call you now?
Lu Heyang replied a few seconds later: Go ahead.
Xu Ze called after receiving permission. When he heard the “Hello”, he was suddenly at a loss for words—he hadn’t planned what to say, he just wanted to hear Lu Heyang’s voice.
“I’ve been in closed training and haven’t used my phone.”
Lu Heyang’s tone was flat, and Xu Ze guessed it was due to fatigue. He replied with an “Mn” and asked, “When you called me last time, was there something you wanted to discuss?”
That night, he was distracted by the strange text message and couldn’t think clearly. Afterward, he checked the call record with Lu Heyang, only to find out that it was only a short ten-second call. It was as if he just picked up the call and hung up without saying two words.
“Now you ask. Isn’t it a bit too late?”
It was beyond too late. Xu Ze was about to apologize when Lu Heyang asked, “Is there a reason why you’re calling me now?”
“No,” Xu Ze replied.
“Are you sure there’s no reason?”
There really wasn’t. Xu Ze just wanted to hear his voice. Xu Ze replied again, “I’m sure.”
“In that case, let me ask you another question: Have any strange people contacted you in the past half month, or have you received any strange messages?”
Xu Ze thought Lu Heyang would ask about his visit to the club, but he didn’t expect Lu Heyang to skip over that and ask directly about the root cause. The rehearsed false reasons had to be invalidated. After a long pause, Xu Ze said, “Doesn’t seem like it.”
“Is it ‘doesn’t seem like it’ or ‘definitely isn’t’?”
Lu Heyang’s tone remained steady and unrushed, calm and patient, with no hint of aggression. But Xu Ze felt tension as if he were in an interrogation room and instinctively held his breath.
“Xu Ze,” Lu Heyang called him again at this moment, “Can you give me an answer without lying or hiding anything?”
Xu Ze lowered his head. After four or five seconds, he said, “I can.”
Lu Heyang didn’t say anything and waited for Xu Ze to continue.
“The last time at the hotel, I received a message at night with some pictures. It was about—” Xu Ze paused, “about my dad. It seems to be connected to an alpha at the club.”
Lu Heyang didn’t ask what the connection was and simply asked, “Can you investigate it yourself? While ensuring safety and not affecting the upcoming exams.”
The answer was too obvious. It wasn’t like Xu Ze didn’t have any self-awareness, but it seemed like only now that sense of powerlessness truly welled up. He rubbed his eyes and admitted, “I might not be able to… solve it myself.”
“It doesn’t matter, send me the pictures.” Lu Heyang’s voice softened, “I’ll handle it.”
At 10 pm, Lu Heyang and Gu Yunchi left the training dormitory and got into the car to go to the airport. The preliminary examination at the military academy ended today, marking the temporary conclusion of the basic training course. After that, they had to decide which military branch to apply for and undergo specific training and tests.
Once in the car, Gu Yunchi put on headphones and an eye mask to rest, while Lu Heyang opened his tablet to look at the pictures Xu Ze had sent him.
There was no problem with the case files or the Capital Bureau’s seal, but Lu Heyang felt something wasn’t quite right. He swiped to the photo of Shao Ping—the black and white surveillance screenshot. After looking at it for a long time, Lu Heyang realized where the anomaly was.
He scrolled back to the first picture. The time of the incident on the case file matched the time on the surveillance video, so there was no mistake. Lu Heyang returned to the home screen and searched for a folder. He hesitated briefly before clicking on it, which was unusual for him.
Inside the folder were the materials Jiang Wen had sent earlier about He Yi’s family. Lu Heyang’s eyes scanned the lines of text, including the date of the election ten years ago and the location of the property under He Yi and his spouse’s name—
Before this, Lu Heyang could guess who had sent the message to Xu Ze, but that was no longer the most important thing.
High street lights flashed past the window as the car sped along the highway toward the airport at 100 km/h. The interior of the car was quiet and somber. Lu Heyang turned off the tablet. After sitting in the same posture for a few minutes, he picked up his phone to dial the landline in the living room of his home.
The housekeeper answered quickly, “Hello.”
“Auntie, have you cleaned my room in the last few days?”
“Yes, I clean it every day.”
“Has anything new appeared in my room?”
“Yes. Just a few days after you went abroad, I noticed a thick folder on the desk. Would you like me to send it to you?”
The car headlights shone a bright white light on the overhead sign, flashing past Lu Heyang’s eyes. He slowly leaned back in the seat to support his body before replying, “No, I’ll be home early tomorrow morning.”
the suspense is killing me ackkk
xu ze sweetie, you should utilize your rich powerful boyfriend more often 🙏
Finally they talked!!!!!! The inability of Xu Ze to lie to Lu Heyang, is what saves his ass from trouble.. Xu Ze get it thru your head, you are not alone anymore, at least for the time being. Rely in Lu Heyang some more.