As Luo Wen descended the last step of the staircase, his foot twisted, nearly sending him tumbling to the ground.
After enduring punishment at the Qin family ancestral hall, he had rushed straight here to check on Zheng Yan, determined to catch him slipping. Yet, despite all his efforts, Zheng Yan remained out of reach. Luo Wen was certain that Zheng Yan was an undercover agent—partly due to intuition. No matter how weak or unassuming Zheng Yan seemed, something about him felt off. The second reason was the subtle clues he had gathered over the past few months. Zheng Yan’s presence was too coincidental to be harmless.
As Luo Wen drove back to the Qin family estate, his mind replayed the scene in the hospital room, searching for anything suspicious. But before he could find what he was looking for, the car pulled up in front of the brightly lit Qin family mansion. His heart sank as he saw the blazing lights. He straightened his clothes and walked inside.
In the living room, Qin Xuan sat on the sofa, his face unreadable. Luo Wen sighed inwardly, realizing he had made a serious mistake and crossed a line.
Without showing any surprise, Luo Wen calmly approached and knelt before Qin Xuan. “Young Master Xuan, I know I’ve made a mistake.”
Qin Xuan raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What’s this? You rush back home just to kneel and beg for forgiveness?” He gestured to a nearby bodyguard. “Go on, help him up. You wouldn’t want to offend the old man’s trusted right-hand man, would you?”
At these words, not only Luo Wen but every bodyguard in the room immediately dropped to their knees.
These men didn’t serve Qin Yang—they served Qin Xuan. If they couldn’t understand that simple fact, they had no business staying in the Qin household.
Luo Wen’s heart pounded as his palms grew sweaty. “Please calm your anger, Young Master.” Having worked under Qin Xuan for several months now, Luo Wen understood his temperament. If Qin Xuan insulted or hit you out of anger, that meant it wasn’t serious. But if he treated you politely after you made a mistake, that was when you were in real trouble.
Sure enough…
“Why would I be angry?” Qin Xuan laughed coldly. “You’re the old man’s handpicked right-hand man. In Qin Shi, who dares not to listen to your orders? You can interfere with the people I send to protect Zheng Yan, and the guards at the eastern suburbs report to you right away. You’re unstoppable.”
Luo Wen knew he had violated a major taboo by overstepping his boundaries, even though his goal was to unmask Zheng Yan. “I made a mistake, Young Master. Please punish me.”
“How could I punish you?” Qin Xuan smiled mockingly. “Everyone’s watching.”
The other bodyguards kept their heads low, chanting in unison, “Please punish us, Young Master.”
Qin Xuan said nothing, heading upstairs.
Since Qin Xuan hadn’t spoken, no one dared to rise. They stayed kneeling through the long hours of the night, remaining in place until the early morning when Qin Xuan finally descended the stairs. By then, they were still rigidly kneeling in the same positions.
“Get up!” Qin Xuan commanded, not surprised by the sight. He waved at one of the housemaids. “Take them to the rest area and call Dr. Chu to check on them.”
Having knelt for several hours, the bodyguards’ legs had gone stiff, and they could barely stand. Still, when they heard Qin Xuan’s order, they collectively dropped to their knees again. Ah Liang, their leader, spoke up, “Young Master, we know our mistake. From now on, we will follow your orders alone, even if Mr. Qin himself comes—”
Qin Xuan cut him off with a wave of his hand. “I’ll judge your actions later. Go and take care of your legs before reporting back to me.”
“Yes, sir.” The housemaids helped them up and slowly guided them to the rest area, but Luo Wen remained kneeling where he was.
Qin Xuan sat down in front of him. “You can get up too. Sit.”
Luo Wen hesitated, opening his mouth as if to speak but ultimately said nothing. Stiffly, he sat across from Qin Xuan.
“You’re very capable. You get things done.” Having an intelligent subordinate was useful, but if that subordinate was too smart and acted on his own, it became a problem. Qin Xuan’s tone turned cold. “You know what you did wrong this time, don’t you? Luo Wen, your hands reach too far, and you make decisions on your own far too often.”
Luo Wen lowered his head. “I am grateful for your leniency, Young Master.” He didn’t resent being used as an example. In fact, he was glad. The fact that Qin Xuan had immediately discovered his actions—his attempts to plant people in Qin Xuan’s circle—showed that Qin Xuan was gaining control over his subordinates. Mr. Qin would be pleased.
“If I let this slide just because I’m young, how would anyone beneath me respect my authority?” Qin Xuan softened his tone slightly. “You know the current state of Qin Shi better than anyone, Luo Wen. You’re an old hand.”
The statement carried a subtle weight, and Luo Wen couldn’t help but think of Li Wu, who had died tragically. He spoke in a hoarse voice, “I’ve let you down, Young Master.”
After a moment of silence, Qin Xuan said, “Take a step back from your duties for now. Let Ah Liang handle them.”
“Yes.” Luo Wen stood and bowed deeply. “But Young Master, you cannot let your guard down around Zheng Yan.”
Qin Xuan paused as he lifted his teacup. “Why?”
“Last night, when Chen Kai was taken, the only people who knew besides Ah Liang and his men were Zheng Yan and you.” Luo Wen’s gaze sharpened. “If we rule out internal leaks, that only leaves him.”
Qin Xuan slowly sipped his tea, giving no response for a full minute. Finally, Luo Wen bowed again. “If there’s nothing else, Young Master, I’ll take my leave.”
“Luo Wen.” Qin Xuan set his teacup down and stood, placing a hand on Luo Wen’s shoulder. “My father—leave him to you.”
Luo Wen tensed at the words, then felt a surge of emotion. “Don’t worry, Young Master. The foreign experts have arrived. Mr. Qin will recover soon.” Initially, to hide his illness, Qin Yang had refused to go abroad or see foreign specialists. But once Qin Xuan learned of his condition, he had arranged for specialists to treat Qin Yang right away. That was how word of Qin Yang’s critical condition had leaked, and it increased the pressure Qin Xuan faced.
That Qin Xuan said this now was not merely a warning about overstepping boundaries—it was a display of trust.
Qin Xuan gave a brief nod, and Luo Wen silently left the room.
At some point, Ah Liang approached Qin Xuan. “Young Master, about Zheng Yan…”
“Withdraw the guards.” They were only placed to send a message, and now that the message had been delivered, there was no need to continue protecting an ordinary man. Though, after last night, Zheng Yan was probably on more than a few people’s radar.
Ah Liang nodded and started to leave. “Wait.” Qin Xuan rubbed his temples in frustration. “Send two more people to protect Zheng Yan.” He remembered Zheng Yan mentioning his sister’s illness. “And tell Old Zhao that Zheng Yan’s sister is sick and needs money. Make sure he takes care of it.”
Though surprised, Ah Liang didn’t ask questions and went to carry out his orders.
Qin Xuan reclined on the sofa, crossing his legs. What Luo Wen said made sense. His decision to protect Zheng Yan was purely for surveillance, not out of concern for his safety… right?
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