ATD Chapter 10

When Zheng Yan returned to Yuan Ming Du, Manager Zhao made it a point to find him and slip a thick envelope into his hands.

“Manager Zhao, this… this is too much.” Zheng Yan said, feeling the envelope’s weight. “I’ve only been working here for less than a month…”

“Shh… take it, it’s yours.” Manager Zhao patted his shoulder. “Don’t let your coworkers see, it wouldn’t look good. Didn’t you say your sister is sick? This should cover the surgery, right?”

“More than enough.” Zheng Yan muttered, hesitant. “Manager, did Qin Xuan ask you to give me this?”

Manager Zhao gave a knowing smile but neither confirmed nor denied. “You know the answer. No need to say more. I’ve got business to attend to.”

“Wait.” Zheng Yan paused. “Manager, can you take me to see Qin Xuan? I need to thank him in person and… I should at least write him an IOU.”

“Young Master Xuan didn’t say anything about lending you money.” Manager Zhao refused. “If you want to find him, you’ll have to do that yourself. Aren’t you his teacher?”

Zheng Yan let out a bitter laugh. “I only know where his dorm is, but he hasn’t been at school for days.”

“Well, I can’t help you there.” Manager Zhao shrugged, and as Zheng Yan caught his arm with increasing urgency, he sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I haven’t seen Young Master Xuan myself. He hasn’t set foot here for days. Do you expect me to take you to Qin Shi’s corporate office? We’d be thrown out before we got through the door. If you’re that desperate, don’t you have his number? Call him.”

“The number I have is disconnected.” Zheng Yan said, shaking his head as he released the manager’s arm.

Manager Zhao pondered for a moment. It seemed clear to him that Qin Xuan didn’t think much about this teacher. Perhaps helping Zheng Yan was just a gesture of sentimentality.

Of course, he couldn’t say that aloud. Instead, he patted Zheng Yan’s shoulder again and said, “Well, I’m out of ideas. You’ll have to figure it out yourself.”

Zheng Yan sighed in response, watching Manager Zhao walk away. He glanced at the envelope again before tucking it away, changing his clothes, and heading back to the hospital to arrange Zheng Min’s “surgery.” The sooner this was taken care of, the less likely Qin Xuan would notice anything suspicious.

He felt the presence of two more people tailing him. That night’s incident had clearly made Qin Xuan even more suspicious. It had taken Chen Kai two years to infiltrate the heart of Qin Shi, but how long would it take him? And considering his current situation, this move might have been the worst one he could make.

Lost in thought, Zheng Yan arrived at the station and got off the subway, heading towards the hospital. He carefully maintained his facial expressions and kept tabs on the men tailing him. As he walked down a narrow path a few hundred meters from the hospital, he suddenly sensed someone quickly closing in on him.

Zheng Yan’s heart sank. The four men following him didn’t seem to be making any unusual moves, so who was this new person? A test? Or an assassin?

Whoever it was moved with expert skill—good enough that Zheng Yan would have missed him if he hadn’t been so alert.

He adjusted his breathing, forcing his tense muscles to relax and acted as though he hadn’t noticed anything. His right hand quietly slipped into his coat pocket.

The man was only five meters behind him now—so close!

Zheng Yan’s fingers brushed the cool metal of the gun inside his pocket. He slowed his steps slightly, bending his back ever so slightly.

Three meters.

For someone with Zheng Yan’s training, that distance was nothing. Yet, he remained still. He couldn’t act until the last possible moment. The four men tailing him from Qin Xuan’s side were still watching, and any rash action could expose him. Besides, this person might be Qin Xuan’s test.

The figure behind him was now within one meter. Zheng Yan gripped his gun tightly. He could hear the man’s shallow breathing, and the soft sound of fabric—a handkerchief or cloth—being drawn out. It was probably laced with ether or some other chemical to knock him out. At least for now, there didn’t seem to be any immediate threat to his life, which meant his mission was still his top priority.

Just as the man behind him raised the cloth to cover Zheng Yan’s mouth and nose, a figure appeared at the end of the alley. It was Wu Wenli, the tall, energetic student from Qin Xuan’s dorm.

“Teacher Zheng!” Wu Wenli called out excitedly upon seeing him. But the moment he noticed the figure trailing behind Zheng Yan, his voice cut off abruptly. Almost simultaneously, the four bodyguards trailing Zheng Yan also noticed the man hidden in the shadows. They bolted toward them in a panic.

Hadn’t Young Master Xuan told them? If anything happened to this man, they might as well never return!

Sensing the shift, the person behind Zheng Yan quickly abandoned his plan and vaulted over a nearby low wall. Zheng Yan blinked in confusion, playing up his feigned ignorance.

“What are you doing here?” Zheng Yan asked in surprise as Wu Wenli jogged up to him, out of breath.

Wu Wenli grasped Zheng Yan’s shoulders, panting heavily. “Are you okay? There was a guy following you, trying to cover your face.”

“Huh?” Zheng Yan blinked. “That’s impossible.”

“I saw it with my own eyes! I bet it’s because of Qin Xuan…” Wu Wenli trailed off as the bodyguards finally arrived.

“Mr. Zheng, are you all right?” one of them asked anxiously, prompting Zheng Yan to step back instinctively.

“Who are you?” Zheng Yan demanded.

Wu Wenli scratched his head. “You guys were sent by Qin Xuan, right?”

“Yes, Young Master Wen.”

“Good. Let’s escort Mr. Zheng to see Qin Xuan then.” Wu Wenli declared, waving them forward. “Teacher, someone’s targeting you. I just saw it myself. You’re in danger because of Qin Xuan, so he’s got to take responsibility.”

“What are you talking about?” Zheng Yan asked, trying to maintain his composure.

Wu Wenli grinned. “Don’t ask. Just come with me. You’re lucky I decided to visit you today. Otherwise, with these useless bodyguards, you’d have been snatched already.”

Zheng Yan paled slightly but shook his head. “My sister is still sick. I need to pay the surgery fees before I can leave with you.”

Wu Wenli thought for a moment. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

After Zheng Yan handed over the “surgery fees” to the doctor, he turned to Wu Wenli. “Let me go inside and say a few words to my sister before we leave.”

Leaning against the wall, tall and gangly, Wu Wenli drew curious glances from passing nurses. He rubbed his nose awkwardly. “Be quick.”

Nodding, Zheng Yan pushed the door open and entered the room.

Zheng Min could hardly stay still. “What happened? Those men tailing you—why are they all out in the open? Did they find out about you?”

“Calm down.” Zheng Yan slid the gun from his pocket into his sleeve, then reached into the covers, taking her hand and slipping the gun into her palm. “Hide this. I’m going to Qin Xuan’s place.”

“He’s figured you out!”

“No.” Zheng Yan kept his voice low, glancing toward Wu Wenli, who was signaling for him to hurry up. “It’s Qin Xuan’s enemies who are after me. His friend said I should hide at Qin Xuan’s place for a few days. I might find an opportunity.”

“But what if it’s a trap?”

“If it’s a trap, I’ll get out.” Zheng Yan tucked her blanket in, his voice calm and steady. “Be cautious. If things go wrong, move immediately. I’ll be back soon.”

Zheng Min grabbed his hand. “Don’t go.”

“I’ll be fine.” Zheng Yan gently removed her hand and left the room.

Wu Wenli led Zheng Yan straight to Qin Xuan’s office.

“Hey, Qin Xuan! Guess who I brought?” Wu Wenli knocked on the door, and after hearing permission to enter, he strolled inside confidently. Qin Xuan initially glanced over casually, but the moment he saw Wu Wenli dragging Zheng Yan in, his expression shifted.

“Why’d you bring Mr. Zheng here?” Qin Xuan quickly walked over and swatted away Wu Wenli’s hand that was holding Zheng Yan. “Teacher, how’s your sister’s condition?”

With his head lowered, Zheng Yan let his bangs fall over his forehead. “Thanks to your help, the surgery will happen soon. Thank you…”

“That’s good.” Qin Xuan lifted Zheng Yan’s chin, and Zheng Yan didn’t pull away. The storm clouds that had been hanging over Qin Xuan’s head for days suddenly lifted. Zheng Yan’s chin was just so delicate and sharp, his skin smooth and pale—Qin Xuan couldn’t help but be mesmerized. He had thought he didn’t care much for Zheng Yan, but seeing him again after these few days, he felt a joy he hadn’t experienced before. As long as this person stayed by his side obediently, nothing else seemed to matter. Once this mess was over, maybe he’d settle things with Zheng Yan for real, Qin Xuan mused.

Zheng Yan lowered his gaze, his long lashes fluttering briefly. “Thank you… and I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what? Don’t worry about it, I didn’t take it to heart.” Qin Xuan thought Zheng Yan was referring to that night and waved it off as he leaned in for a kiss.

Wu Wenli, who had been standing around awkwardly, could no longer ignore the situation. “Hey, hey! Watch yourselves! I’m still here, you know.”

Zheng Yan flinched and quickly pulled back. Qin Xuan’s expression darkened, and he pulled Zheng Yan back into his arms, standing upright again. He shot Wu Wenli a cold look. “Ever heard of ‘mind your own business’?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Wu Wenli said, wearing an exaggerated expression as if shielding his eyes from a bright light. “But shouldn’t you hear me out? I’m the one who brought him here, you know. Consider it a favor to help you relieve some of that longing.”

Qin Xuan frowned. “What happened?”

Wu Wenli scoffed. “I went looking for Teacher Zheng at the hospital today and couldn’t find him. But on my way back, I spotted him, and some shady guy was tailing him. If I hadn’t caught him in time, who knows where Teacher Zheng would be now? Didn’t you tell me…?” Wu Wenli trailed off. “It’s probably because of you.”

Qin Xuan’s face darkened further. “I remember assigning four bodyguards to protect him. Useless!”

“It’s not their fault.” Wu Wenli became more serious. “The guy was highly skilled. As soon as I shouted, he was over that wall like some kind of ninja—gone without a trace.”

Qin Xuan’s expression grew colder. “Those people really aren’t holding back. Since they can’t get to me, they’re targeting Teacher Zheng instead. I owe you one for today.”

“Wow, rare words coming from you.” Wu Wenli chuckled. “You actually thanked me. Well, you owe me one now, don’t forget it.”

“A favor is a favor.” Qin Xuan replied, his tone shifting to something more meaningful. “But why were you randomly looking for my teacher today?”

Wu Wenli was briefly taken aback, then finally muttered, “Well, Teacher Zheng is my teacher too. Can’t I visit him for no reason?”

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