Xue San suddenly woke up, dazed and disoriented. His head throbbed like a drum, returning him to the harsh reality of his situation. He blinked against the harsh light and noticed Xiang Yu, who didn’t even glance up from the device he was using.
"Oh, you are awake," he said casually as if Xue San’s plight was of little concern.
Panic surged through Xue San. He struggled against the chair, scraping the floor with frantic movements, but the bindings held him fast.
"Stop moving," Xiang Yu warned, his glare sharp and fierce.
The look froze Xue San in place, terror spreading through him like ice. He swallowed hard, his throat dry. "What do you want? Money? I can give you money," he pleaded, his voice shaky. "I... I can even give you precious nuclei."
Xiang Yu ignored him, remaining focused on the task at hand. Desperation clawed at Xue San. He licked his dry lips and added, "I swear you can take anything you want."
With a slow, deliberate movement, Xiang Yu twirled the key card between his fingers. "I am," he replied, a smirk playing on his lips.
Panic flooded Xue San’s mind as he caught sight of the card. "You don’t know who the fuck you’re offending! The overseer will hunt you down and kill you!" His voice was frantic, filled with fear.
Xiang Yu sneered. "Is that right?"
He rose from the desk, a predatory glint in his eye. Walking to where Xue San sat bound, he picked up a tissue from the box and grimaced as he picked up the man’s filthy and smelly sock. His smile was sinister, a promise of what was to come.
Xiang Yu’s eyes glinted with mischief as he said, "I am looking forward to it." In a swift motion, he stuffed the dirty sock into Xue San’s mouth, silencing any further curses coming from his mouth.
Just as he finished, a noise from the balcony caught his attention. He whirled around, his fierce gaze locking onto Xue San, suspicion coursing through him. "So you brought backup?" he accused. Xue San hastily shook his head, panic reflecting in his eyes.
Xiang Yu stepped toward the open glass door, suspicion prickling at him. Suddenly, Han Xin strode into the room, his expression tense and focused.
A while ago, Han Xin had returned to the hotel room they were sharing, only to find that he was gone. Panic had surged within him, but he suppressed it, thinking that he was with Lian and Mei. Those three were joint to the hip so all he had to do was find the twins.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a piece of paper on the bedside table. Picking it up, he read Xiang Yu’s careful handwriting.
He noted the note declaring that he had gone out with the twins for something important, a heart drawn at the bottom. Han Xin’s brow furrowed. He should have felt relieved, but uncertainty gnawed at him.
As they were out, he considered searching for them, but he quickly grew frustrated at the thought of how difficult it would be to find them in such a big city. Where would he even start form.
Just then he recalled the device he had given to Xiang Yu earlier. They were linked; he could track Xiang Yu’s location as long as the device was with him.
Han Xin swiped the screen of his own device, and when the ping revealed Xiang Yu’s location, confusion washed over him. He frowned deeply. Why was Xiang Yu at another hotel? A high-end one, no less? Something felt very wrong.
Han Xin felt a wave of unrest wash over him. Without a second thought, he stormed out of the hotel, his mind racing. As he strode down the street, thoughts of Xiang Yu consumed him. He collided with Han Zhan but didn’t even register his presence.
Han Zhan had seen that look before. It was the calm before a raging storm. Instinctively, he ran after him, trying to catch up.
As Han Xin walked briskly through the streets, he ignored everything around him. He passed by Lian and Mei, who were blissfully eating ice cream while sitting on a bench. They waved as he walked by, but he was too lost in his thoughts to notice them.
"Did he just walk past us?" Mei asked, her brow knitted in confusion.
Lian nodded, surprise creeping into her expression. "Well, that didn’t take long," she said and just then they saw Han Zhan rushing after Han Xin.
The girls thought quickly. They got up and immediately blocked his path. " What are you doing? Let me go," he urged, glancing back at them. "Something is wrong with him."
Lian piped up, "Master was right. You are too idle."
Mei’s eyes widened as she added, "Brother, please take us to buy something nice!" With her big, round, teary eyes, who could say no?
Lian hooked her arm around Han Zhan’s on one side, while Mei did the same on the other, and they began to pull him toward the market stalls, chattering excitedly.
Meanwhile, Han Xin arrived at the entrance of the hotel, his frustration mounting. He stopped short, realizing it was a members-only hotel, reserved for exclusive clients. The irritation on his face deepened, and he muttered under his breath, feeling like a husband ready to catch an unfaithful wife.
He looked up and glanced at the building across the street, determination igniting in his chest. His only option now seemed to be climbing.
With a firm resolve, he started surveying the best route to scale the building, ready to do whatever it took to find Xiang Yu.
With incredible speed, Han Xin scaled the rough surface of the building opposite the hotel. Each handhold and foothold seemed to slip away as he climbed higher and higher.
His heart thudded in his chest, the rhythm quickening with each pulse. It twisted painfully, a reminder of his inner turmoil. He knew he should trust Xiang Yu, yet fear gnawed at him relentlessly.
Finally, he reached the rooftop, breathing heavily as he scanned the hotel windows below. He scraped his hands across his device, checking the tracker. Xiang Yu was there.
Han Xin’s breath quickened further. He lifted his binoculars. Most of the windows were dark. He skipped the darkness and honed in on the lit windows instead.
He surveyed five windows before he found something. It was... a naked man tied to a chair? Han Xin’s brows twitched in disgust. How shameless. Who would do such things and leave the curtains open?
He was about to move on when he caught a flicker of movement in that room. He zeroed in on a satin skirt.