Han ShuYi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He hung up the phone and handed it back to Li Yue.
Li Yue, however, looked at Han ShuYi with great interest, as if she had just witnessed an entirely new side of him.
It was at this moment that Li Yue truly realized—there was something fundamentally wrong with Han ShuYi!
And this problem was so massive that she couldn't understand how she'd been so blind back then, letting his appearance deceive her.
Now, Li Yue deeply regretted her past choice.
Just from the words Han ShuYi had uttered moments ago, Li Yue was certain that he was a deeply self-centered person.
No wonder he had chosen to part ways with her back then—because from the very beginning, he had never considered her someone he cared about. To him, she was merely a stepping stone to gain fame and benefits!
Thinking this way, everything made sense.
So, she was just used and discarded by Han ShuYi?
Li Yue regretted it. She should have left Han ShuYi in that alley to fend for himself.
Taking the phone back from Han ShuYi, Li Yue’s abruptness made him pause in confusion.
Facing her sharp gaze, Han ShuYi hesitated to say what was on his mind.
"Li Yue, I was wondering if I could..."
"No. Letting you eat here and make a call was already my final act of kindness. Han ShuYi, I've seen through you. Now, please leave my house immediately."
The fact that Li Yue didn’t outright say "Get lost" was her greatest display of restraint.
Han ShuYi hadn’t expected to be so decisively thrown out by Li Yue. His fists clenched, his expression tinged with frustration.
"Li Yue, can you listen to me first? Let me stay for one night. After that, I promise I won’t bother you again!" Han ShuYi's tone was sincere, but to Li Yue, it was utterly laughable.
"Han ShuYi, didn’t you talk about repaying me? And now you’re saying you won’t bother me? Don’t you find your words contradictory? Han ShuYi, we’ve both changed. Do you think I’m still the Li Yue who used to trail behind you?"
Li Yue extended her hand, revealing the calluses on her palm.
She wanted Han ShuYi to see that his old manipulations no longer worked on her.
"Leave on your own, and preserve what little dignity you have left. If you still consider yourself the Han ShuYi of the past."
Han ShuYi’s face flushed at her words. He hadn’t anticipated things to escalate to this point, with Li Yue showing no mercy.
He took a deep breath, maintaining a veneer of composure. Then, bowing slightly to Li Yue, he turned to leave.
He walked straight out the door, still wanting to say something to Li Yue.
But just as he turned to speak, the heavy, old-fashioned door closed in his face, leaving no room for discussion.
Han ShuYi stood motionless, staring at the shut door.
The intricate carvings on the aged surface seemed to mock him.
Clenching his fists, his breathing grew heavier.
He had been humiliated by Li Yue!
Yes, humiliated by the very person he once toyed with.
He couldn’t understand where Li Yue gained the audacity to treat him this way. Didn’t she like him? Shouldn’t she be willing to do these things for him?
Without him, could she ever rise above her station?
To Han ShuYi, the answer was no. Without his help, Li Yue would be stuck in that tiny house for the rest of her life, never seeing the light of day.
Han ShuYi failed to realize that not everyone shared his obsessive drive.
Li Yue had come to terms with her future and no longer felt burdened by the past. For her, this was a resolution.
But to Han ShuYi, anything less than reclaiming his former glory was failure.
He slammed his fist into the wall, venting his frustration.
"You’ll all see! Everyone who’s looked down on me—I’ll make you regret it!"
The Han family took over the task of finding Han ShuYi, while HuMing had more pressing matters to attend to.
First, he analyzed the one-eyed man’s glass eye. Sure enough, embedded within was a recording.
“This time, there’s no need to involve Blizzard. That would arouse Father’s suspicions! Ah Gan, this task is yours. Make sure it’s done flawlessly.”
The voice belonged to a young man.
HuMing committed it to memory but couldn’t help feeling puzzled by the mention of “Blizzard”.
Leaning on the table, HuMing stared out the window, lost in thought.
Soon, he pulled out a jade pendant from his pocket—an heirloom from his grandfather.
He was certain now. His grandfather was hiding something from him. Otherwise, why would the assassin forgo the chance to kill him just to destroy the pendant?
Why his grandfather kept this secret, HuMing couldn’t say, but he knew there was a hidden mastermind pulling the strings.
Someone was manipulating events behind the scenes, intending to use a puppet to take his place.
But HuMing wanted them to understand—provoking him wouldn’t end well.
He silently returned the pendant to his pocket and tasked Liang Feng with investigating its origins.
He didn’t know what awaited him back at his family home, but he had grown accustomed to the chaos that seemed to follow him. If peace wasn’t an option, then he would face it head-on.
HuMing settled back on the couch to rest.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door.
Opening it, he found Kang Xin standing with groceries in hand.
Seeing him, she held up the bags.
"I can see that. But it’s been a while—Kang Xin, have you gotten prettier?" HuMing examined her closely, noticing subtle differences.
Her lips were rosier, her skin smoother, and she carried a light, alluring fragrance.
HuMing froze, his jaw dropping in exaggerated surprise.
He hadn’t expected Kang Xin to willingly wear makeup.
"Did I hear that right?"
"You did. A few guys asked for my number today, so I’d say it was worth it."
"Wait!" HuMing leaped over the couch. "You didn’t give it to them, did you?"
Kang Xin raised an eyebrow, her expression calm, though a hint of amusement played at the corners of her lips.