Chapter 28: Perhaps Debts of Love?

Some people spoke of welcoming the newcomers and cleansing the dust of travel.

Yet Lu Yunzhou and Feng Chenxin had arrived long ago. Jiang Buyan, that rascal, had still not appeared.

Gu Suizhou paused, as if recalling something.

“Now that I think about it, what’s going on between you and Chenxin?” he asked.

Either they were too busy in the military district to spare any time, hardly ever coming back to the capital throughout the year, or the two of them returned at the same time—was this arranged?

Lu Yunzhou set down his teacup, pulled a wet napkin from the table, and wiped his hands with deliberate care.

“In a few days, it’s our teacher’s birthday. There’s also a military conference to attend, and once I’ve wrapped up matters in Dongzhou, I can set aside my current work.”

As for Feng Chenxin, he was much the same.

But Feng Chenxin had spent so many years in Xinzhu—rarely returning. Now that he was back, it felt as if something significant had happened.

From the moment Gu Suizhou entered and took a seat, the man lying on the sofa hadn’t moved an inch. If not for the aura of cold authority emanating from him, Gu might have wondered if he were dead.

“I thought so. Xiao Yan told me yesterday that you came back to the capital,” Gu Suizhou said, though he’d suspected Jiang Buyan was lying.

Now, seeing Lu Yunzhou and Feng Chenxin both here, he realized it was true.

“If you’re back for the military conference, what about Chenxin? Did you arrange to return together?”

Otherwise, how could they have arrived before him and already be sitting here together?

As Gu Suizhou voiced this question, the man reclining on the sofa suddenly moved his arm.

He sat up, unfolded his long legs, and with an upright, straight-backed posture, his jet-black eyes turned toward Gu Suizhou.

“It wasn’t arranged.”

“We met in District One.”

Lu Yunzhou noted the man’s expression, leisurely admiring his somber face—his brows furrowed as if someone owed him money, adding a playful note to his words.

Before Gu Suizhou could respond, the man leaned back against the sofa, legs loosely bent, hand resting on his knee, eyes barely lifted.

“Mm.” Feng Chenxin’s lazy posture and husky voice answered.

They had indeed met in District One.

Feng Chenxin had blocked a woman’s path, and Lu Yunzhou happened to witness it.

Turning around, he met Lu Yunzhou’s enigmatic gaze and slowly uttered a couple of words.

“Gather together?”

And so, they had come here.

“Clearly, I’m entirely out of the loop,” Gu the doctor said awkwardly, his eyes full of suspicion, as if he sensed something had happened between the two men in District One—something Lu Yunzhou knew but he did not.

Lu Yunzhou shifted naturally, half-reclining on the sofa, raising his brow with a casual irreverence, his deep, dark phoenix eyes thoughtful as he watched the man who had just awakened and sat up.

Seeing Feng Chenxin’s continued grim expression, brows tightly knit and face dark, Lu Yunzhou tapped his fingertips against the table edge, smiling languidly.

“Care to explain?”

He was a step away from directly naming Feng Chenxin to give the doctor a full account.

He was also curious about what had transpired in Xinzhu.

“I know her.”

After Lu Yunzhou and the doctor had watched and waited for quite some time, Feng Chenxin finally looked up, his face cold as he spoke.

“That’s it? You merely know her?” Gu Suizhou was skeptical.

He knew Feng Chenxin as well as Lu Yunzhou—both men were always cold, keeping strangers at bay. What kind of woman could possibly catch Master Feng’s eye?

Even if there was one, he shouldn’t be acting like this.

Feng Chenxin had always been reticent, but never like today.

“Yunzhou, what on earth happened?” Gu Suizhou asked.

At this, Lu Yunzhou finally lifted his gaze, staring directly at Feng Chenxin as if he’d guessed the man’s thoughts.

His lips curved in a faint, indifferent arc. “Perhaps a romantic debt?”

Yet judging by his demeanor today, he seemed less the debtor and more the collector.

“A romantic debt?”

Gu Suizhou’s expression changed, surprised—a man of gentle, refined bearing, now unexpectedly shocked.

Impossible.

He couldn’t imagine it.

Who would have thought that the ruthless, decisive man from Xinzhu could ever be troubled by matters of the heart?

But isn’t that precisely what it is—tormented by love?

If he’d wronged another, he certainly wouldn’t look like he did now—like a neutered cat.

Feng Chenxin’s face was dark, brows tightly drawn, clearly unsettled and complex.

He sat in silence, face blackened.

Gu Suizhou thought of the phone call Jiang Buyan had made to him and wondered aloud, “Where’s Xiao Yan? Where did he go?”

Jiang Buyan had told him he was on his way while Gu was still at the hospital, promising to arrive soon.

Yet Gu had been here half an hour, and still no sign of Jiang Buyan.

Lu Yunzhou turned his head, gaze shifting from the man to Gu Suizhou with lazy indifference.

Then he tugged at the corner of his mouth, half-smiling.

“He’s always late.”

He silently curled his lips, his gaze cool and deep, his tone casual and teasing.

The man who usually wore a military uniform in District 13, every action precise, now donned a black suit, exuding even more aloof elegance—a unique, refined aura.

“But I suspect he’s off somewhere, surrounded by women again.”

“Busy spreading his irresistible charm wherever he goes.”

Lu Yunzhou’s low, magnetic voice lingered lazily in the quiet, expansive VIP suite, its slight hoarseness as seductive as misted air.

As expected.

Lu Yunzhou knew him well.

Imperial View, Nightfall Club.

This was the most luxurious place in the capital, a venue for entertainment and leisure.

But tonight, a grand auction and wine gala was to be held in the Imperial View hall. Before eight o’clock, the parking lot was already crammed with all manner of sports cars.

A flamboyant red sports car roared in, screeching to a dramatic halt at the club entrance.

“Look, it’s Young Master Jiang!” the debutantes flocking to the gala exclaimed, rushing to surround the red vehicle. The car door opened, and a young man in a tailored red suit stepped out, expensive shoes touching the ground. He narcissistically raised a hand to smooth his freshly styled blond hair, striking a confident pose for his adoring fans.

“Hi, ladies! Long time no see!”

Jiang Buyan, the heir of the Jiang Group among the capital’s wealthy elite.

Young, extravagant, with more money than sense. Usually, only middle-aged nouveau riche tycoons could be described as lavish, treating money like dirt, but his family’s assets ran deep—they tossed cash around for fun!

Known as Young Master Jiang, he possessed a face so striking it was almost criminal, and this, combined with his youth and wealth, made him the darling of the city’s socialites.

“Ah! Young Master Jiang looked at me!”

No sooner had Jiang Buyan stepped out, the debutantes’ eyes sparkled, nearly pressed to his face, calling out with delight.

In the capital, there were many types of wealthy, but few could rival the Jiang family.

“Young Master Jiang just looked at me!”

Jiang Buyan closed the car door, confidently preparing to stride into the Imperial View hotel amid the cheers of his fans.

He was certain everyone around would revolve around him, screaming and excited, making him the center of attention, utterly besotted.

Just then, a flash of red skirt swept past him.

“Don’t block the way,” a woman said coldly, reminding him.

That vivid hue caught his eye.

Jiang Buyan was stunned.

Before he could speak, the woman in the red dress walked by him without turning her head or glancing aside, heading straight in.

At the same time, a heady scent of roses drifted through the air and into Jiang Buyan’s nose, leaving him entranced.

So beautiful!

Such stunning beauty.

“Hey?!” But the woman in red hadn’t even looked at him as she passed.

Jiang Buyan didn’t even have time to call out; she paid him no mind.

He stood there, dumbfounded.

He thought, is it possible that in this world there’s a woman who isn’t captivated by his handsome face? It shouldn’t be.

No, that can’t be right.

Seeing the red dress receding, he inwardly cried out, Beautiful lady, look at me!

At the very least, leave your contact information!

“Ah, Young Master Jiang!”

But as he pushed aside the crowd of admirers to follow, there was no sign of the woman in red in the opulent hall.

Not even a shadow.

“Bring me two bottles of red wine, thanks!”

Arriving late, Jiang Buyan slumped into the private suite, unbuttoned two of his shirt buttons, and summoned two waiters to bring the wine he’d stored here. He uncorked the bottles.

“Come, Second Brother, Dr. Gu, look—I stored this wine just for your return, so we could drink together.”

Jiang Buyan opened the wine, apparently unaware that before he entered, a man had been lounging on the sofa, arms folded, black eyes fixed on him.

Before Gu Suizhou had even taken two sips, Jiang Buyan had already downed the entire bottle.

Glug, glug—he hiccupped, laughing carelessly.

“Good wine!”

“Come on, Second Brother, Dr. Gu, try it—see how it tastes?”

Lu Yunzhou shook his head.

Gu Suizhou smiled softly.

Jiang Buyan had always been this way.

Having grown up with them in the capital, all from prominent families, yet everyone else matured, while he remained carefree and aimless.

Not that he was lacking—his childhood companions all had their own careers, but he lived lavishly, untroubled, enjoying life.

He still hadn’t noticed the extra person in the suite.

He only knew Lu Yunzhou had returned to the capital.

He didn’t know Feng Chenxin was back, too.

Just then, a commotion sounded outside the suite.

A group of men were shouting angrily.

Someone bumped into the door, knocking over a wine bottle.

“Filthy woman, I’m telling you, don’t refuse when someone gives you a chance!”

“If the brothers fancy you, that’s your luck. Be grateful, instead of pretending to be some virtuous maiden—who are you fooling?”

“Exactly! You come here dressed up like this, flaunting yourself—it’s obvious you want men’s attention, isn’t it?”

As they spoke, a lewd hand reached out, and the girl shrank back in fright.

The next moment, the VIP suite door opened.

Several men in suits, tall and imposing, stepped out, witnessing the scene in the corridor.

Four or five drunk men had cornered a girl who looked no older than eighteen or nineteen, trapping her and trying to touch her face.

To Jiang Buyan, such behavior was intolerable.

“What are you doing?”

“Mind your own damn business!” one of the men spat back.

“Mind my own business?” Jiang Buyan looked at the broken wine bottle on the floor—his wine, originally meant to be delivered by a waiter, had been smashed by them.

The scent of red wine still lingered.

“Ah!”

“My hand! It’s broken!”

“Let go!”

“Let go—!”

The man who’d harassed the girl found his wrist seized by Jiang Buyan, who glared at him, brows furrowed.

Despite his reputation for flirting and playing with debutantes, Jiang Buyan despised men who bullied women.

No, such people weren’t men at all—they were scum.

Trash!

Seeing one of their own getting roughed up, the other three men’s expressions turned fierce. They drew short knives from their waists and lunged at the meddlesome youth.

But Lu Yunzhou’s eyes turned cold, and he swiftly subdued two of the attackers, their knives clattering to the floor.

Feng Chenxin kicked another man away.

They collapsed instantly, clutching their injuries, unable to rise.

Feng Chenxin’s face was icy.

Seeing these drunken thugs daring to harass women, he strode forward, his long legs delivering a sharp stomp, grinding his boot into one of them.

“Ah!” The man who’d just been obscene turned pale, crying out in pain.

“Who are you, interfering with us?”

“Jiang Buyan, Young Master Jiang of the capital.”

Jiang Buyan looked coldly at the four or five men sprawled on the floor.

He confidently announced his name.

“If you’ve got guts, come find me, then!”

The name “Young Master Jiang” carried weight in the capital.

And that didn’t even include the three men behind him.

What were their backgrounds?

The drunken men frowned, struggling to their feet, unable to say more.

“You’ll regret this!” They still tossed out threats for the sake of saving face.

But they dared not cross Jiang Buyan.

“Come on, let’s go…”

Once the drunken thugs had left, the girl hiding in the corner finally stepped out.

She approached, almond eyes glistening with tears, cheeks flushed as if about to cry.

“Thank you all for coming to my rescue.”

Despite Jiang Buyan being the first to intervene, she now stood before another man.

Jiang Buyan turned and glanced at them.

Lu Yunzhou’s expression was cool and precise—his thin lips pressed together, not a trace of a smile in his eyes, let alone any gentleness for the girl.

“You subdued them, and they were armed. Are your hands injured?” the girl asked with concern, her voice soft, demure as a gentle lady.

She wore a long, pure white dress, her makeup light, as delicate as a lotus emerging from water—evoking pity.

Anyone else, having played the hero and been thanked by the girl, would surely feel tender affection.

But Lu Yunzhou was different.

As the girl began to say more words of gratitude, the man in the black suit before her, tall and upright, his jet-black eyes tinged with a subtle, meaningful emotion, fixed his gaze on her.

“What are you trying to say?” he asked, inadvertently raising an eyebrow, his eyes now more knowing, his voice lazy and cold.

The girl’s face stiffened.

She hadn’t expected the cool, handsome man to treat a delicate, innocent girl like herself with such indifference.