In the basement, after waiting for a while, everyone began to grow suspicious.
“Boss isn’t going to take the chance to run off alone, is he?” Cui Dong Dong said. “Xiao Ma, go take a look!”
Xiao Ma responded and dashed out. Before long, he came back carrying a small crate of beer, with Xia Liu Yi following behind, holding a tray of glass cups.
“Boss was crying all by himself in the kitchen! Haha!” Xiao Ma said bluntly—only to get kicked from behind by the Boss.
A few of them gathered around to help open bottles and pour drinks. Foam frothed up in the glasses, and in the end they all clinked together heavily.
“Cheers—!” everyone shouted. “We live and die together! We swear to save Sister-in-Law!”
They downed the large glasses of beer in one gulp.
Cui Dong Dong had not drunk so boldly in a long time. She was the first to slam down her empty glass, letting out a hearty sigh of satisfaction. Suddenly, she noticed that Xia Liu Yi, sitting across from her, had not taken a single sip, merely watching her calmly.
A jolt of unease struck her. She lowered her gaze to the glass, her vision beginning to sway—the beer had been opened by them, but the cups… had been prepared by Xia Liu Yi.
“Why didn’t Boss drink?”
“Hey, Boss is cheating!”
The others finished their drinks and started making noise. Amid the clamor, Cui Dong Dong reached weakly toward Xia Liu Yi, struggling, “Xiao Liu… don’t…”
Before she could finish, she collapsed onto the table.
Moments later, Xia Liu Yi walked out of the basement alone. Black Chicken stepped forward to meet him.
“Move them to the guest rooms. Cover them with blankets—don’t let them catch a chill,” Xia Liu Yi instructed.
“Yes,” Black Chicken replied. Though he did not know what had happened today, Xia Liu Yi asking him earlier for sleeping drugs had already made him sense a grave danger. “Boss, are you really going out alone? Why not let me go with you?”
Xia Liu Yi patted his shoulder. “You stay here and protect everyone—that’s the greatest help you can give me. Thank you.”
“Boss, please don’t say that. It’s what I should do.”
Xia Liu Yi turned and went upstairs, entering the guest room where the He family were staying.
Mr. He was lying on his back resting. Seeing him enter, he struggled to sit up, but Xia Liu Yi hurried forward and helped him up before Xin Xin and Mrs. Wu could.
“Aunt Wu, Xin Xin, sorry—I need to speak to Mr. He alone,” Xia Liu Yi said.
“Alright, alright, talk it out properly—don’t get agitated,” Mrs. Wu urged.
“Yes, Dad, don’t get too upset,” Xin Xin added.
They withdrew together, closing the door behind them.
Mr. He’s face darkened as he shook off Xia Liu Yi’s hand, not even looking at him. He picked up the smoking pipe from the bedside table. Before he could light it, Xia Liu Yi suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud.
Mr. He was startled. “What are you doing? Tell me honestly—did something happen to A’San?”
Xia Liu Yi lowered his head. “Yes. He’s encountered some danger… because of me.”
Mr. He’s stern gaze fixed sharply on him. Xia Liu Yi continued, “But please rest assured—I will bring your son back safely.”
“My son has not had a single peaceful day since he met you!” Mr. He roared. “I didn’t stop you two at the beginning because I thought you still had some humanity left. Who knew you were rotten to the core! That foolish boy even told me he pursued you first—do you think I’d believe that? You deceived his feelings, led him down the wrong path, and now you’ve put him in danger!”
He jabbed Xia Liu Yi’s chest fiercely with the pipe.
“Mr. Xia, Boss Xia—do you even have a heart? Do you feel pain?! If I had known, A’San and I should never have saved you in the first place!”
A tear suddenly fell onto the pipe. He froze.
Xia Liu Yi lifted his head and looked straight at him. His eyes were red and wet, the deep, irrepressible sorrow and guilt in them impossible to hide.
Mr. He himself began to cry. “My A’San is a good boy. He studies hard, treats people kindly. From childhood till now, he’s never given me worry. Why did you have to pick him… of all people?”
Xia Liu Yi’s heart was pierced bloody by those words.
He was not as eloquent as He Chu San. Faced with Mr. He’s accusations, he had no words to answer. He loved He Chu San deeply—he had never deceived his feelings. But what of it?
Had he not still harmed him? Had he not still placed him in mortal danger?
He bent deeply at the waist and kowtowed three times in succession.
Mr. He choked with emotion as he got up to pull him. “Get up! I have nothing to do with you! I won’t accept this! Give me back my son!”
In the struggle, the jade Buddha hanging from Xia Liu Yi’s neck slipped out. Mr. He reacted swiftly and grabbed it.
“What is this?! A’San gave it to you?!”
Xia Liu Yi, still being pulled by the collar, eyes brimming with tears—this formidable underworld boss crying like pear blossoms in rain—answered honestly, confused, “A’San went to Lantau Island to pray for it for me.”
Mr. He’s vision went black as he sat back down heavily. Xia Liu Yi tried to support him, but was met with a furious shout:
“Kneel back down! You wretched creature!”
Xia Liu Yi quickly knelt again, even trying to tuck the jade Buddha back into his collar. Mr. He exploded:
“What are you hiding it for?!”
He clutched his chest in anger. “That useless boy was talking nonsense! This is something passed down in the He family for the daughter-in-Law!”
Xia Liu Yi froze on the spot.
Seeing his dumbfounded look only made Mr. He angrier—What am I even comforting myself for?! This fool of a boss clearly got tricked into this by my idiot son! Who deceived whose feelings is still up for debate!
“Get out, get out, get out! Why are you still standing here talking nonsense?! Hurry up and bring my son back!”
Mr. He grabbed his pipe and started striking wildly, beating Xia Liu Yi out of the room.
Outside, Xin Xin and Mrs. Wu waited anxiously. First they heard furious shouting from within, then saw Xia Liu Yi emerge, face streaked with tears, disheveled.
He nodded to them and hurried down the stairs.
As he ran, he clutched the jade Buddha at his chest, his heart surging with both pain and overwhelming emotion.
This was the first proper token of love He Chu San had given him—the first time he had invited him to live together. He remembered how He Chu San had borrowed a manager’s car, given him flowers, taken him to a Western restaurant, and shown him their new “home.”
He remembered his nervousness, his excitement, his unease.
He knew He Chu San had not meant to deceive him—he had simply been afraid. Afraid it was too solemn, too serious. Afraid Xia Liu Yi’s feelings had not yet reached that point. Afraid of being rejected.
What did he have, after all?
Nothing but sins in his hands, burdens on his shoulders.
What right did he have to be cherished like this? What could he possibly offer in return for such pure love? How could he ever be worthy?
He rushed back to the basement, grabbed one of the bags of weapons, and got into his car alone.
He adjusted the rearview mirror, wiped his face hard, and straightened his hair and clothes. In the reflection, his eyes were slightly red, but the expression on his face slowly shifted—from fragile sorrow to sharp, icy killing intent.
The murderous aura of a Blood Asura seemed to freeze the mirror itself.
The car shot forward like an unbridled horse, plunging into the night.
Meanwhile, Xie Ying Jie personally participated in the investigation at the ICAC scene, then conferred with the arriving ICAC leadership. Only late into the night did he finally get into his car to return home.
Two vans followed his vehicle at a measured distance, filled with his privately hired “security personnel.”
A strong wind rose outside, slamming against the half-open window. His assistant shut it and handed him a new brick phone.
Xie Ying Jie’s expression darkened as he raised the receiver to his ear.
From the other end came the sharp sound of whipping, mixed with suppressed cries of pain.
“Has he talked?” Xie Ying Jie asked coldly.
“He refuses to speak,” the killer on the other end replied.
Futile Devices Scans 
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