I still didn't say anything.
Cang Yu seemed to smile wryly at this point, her smile somewhat strained: "Unfortunately, Fang Nan refuses. I've already told her everything, but she stubbornly refuses to abandon you. So I had no choice but to accompany her to see you. All I can do is give you one piece of advice… You'd better go upstairs immediately to pack your things, then take your woman and leave! Leave right now! Take the fastest car, leave this city, go anywhere—a remote region, or even a small town—change your name, and pray to God that they'll never find you… And if they do find you, you'd better kill yourself first! Otherwise…"
“I…” I was about to speak.
Cang Yu suddenly flared up. She abruptly reached out and grabbed my clothes. This usually composed and elegant woman was now blazing with anger in her eyes: "Are you crazy! How could you do something like this! Do you know how much trouble you've caused?! Who do you think you are? Who can protect you? Brother Huan? Or Fang Nan?"
I took a deep breath, stared into Cang Yu's eyes, forcefully removed her hand from my collar, and said coldly, "Cang Yu, before you get angry at me, can you explain things clearly first?"
Cang Yu turned her head and looked out the window. She took a few deep breaths, as if suppressing the anger in her heart. She gritted her teeth and said, "After you rescued that girl, they found a cell phone she left behind. You severely injured the male owner of that place, and he's still in the hospital. But they've already started searching for the girl... That cell phone is a crucial clue... You should thank God that I happened to know about this... The last call record on that phone was your number. The two bodyguards you knocked unconscious confessed that the girl named Ni Duoduo hid in the bathroom and was dragged out by them after breaking down the door. And clearly, the girl made a call in the bathroom, to you! So everything is clear... You went to the villa, injured those guys, and then took the girl away, right?" She snorted, "Now Zhou Jing has sent almost all his men to the casino, just to drag you out! Thank goodness, they don't know who 'Chen Yang' is, but I happen to know! And I recognized that phone number as yours! So I found Fang Nan... I can tell you honestly, I'm not planning to save you. I'm advising Fang Nan to give up on you!"
I glanced back at Fang Nan; her expression was also very serious, her brows furrowed tightly.
"Is that man I hit so great?" I sighed. "Did I mess with someone I shouldn't have?"
"He's nothing special," Cang Yu said with a hint of mockery and anger. "But even Zhou Jing, or Huan Ge from before, have to bow down and speak to him! This man is nothing special... but his father is the big boss behind Zhou Jing and Huan Ge! In other words, this man you beat into a eunuch... is the crown prince of our organization! I reckon the big boss has gotten wind of this... so if you run fast, you might live a little longer."
"Enough! Cang Yu!" Fang Nan suddenly shouted angrily, "You can shut up now!" She was somewhat agitated, glanced at me, and gritted her teeth, saying, "I'm going home tonight! I'll beg the old man to save Chen Yang's life! I'll beg him, I'll kneel before him! You say no one can save him, then I'll beg the old man. As long as he says so, no one can touch a hair on Chen Yang's head!"
Cang Yu looked at Fang Nan with a hint of pity in her eyes, and couldn't help but shake her head: "Fang Nan... you've completely lost your mind! You've been blinded by your so-called love! You're going to beg your old man? How can you beg him? Your old man can protect Chen Yang... but have you considered that by doing so, he will completely offend our big boss! Big shots like them, if they turn against you, they at least need a reason, right? What makes you think you can beg your old man to do this? What makes him think he'll make such a huge sacrifice for Chen Yang? If he asks you, 'Who is Chen Yang to you?' What will you answer? 'Chen Yang is your man'? You know... if you dare say that, without our big boss even lifting a finger, the Wu family will take matters into their own hands and cripple Chen Yang!" She shook her head, her tone tinged with pity: "If Chen Yang had only gotten into minor trouble, like last time he went to the police station, you could have protected him with just one phone call... but the situation is different now!"
Fang Nan froze, a look of helplessness crossing her face. She gave me a deep look, tears welling in her eyes, and gritted her teeth, saying, "I don't care! I will never let anyone touch him!"
Cang Yu shook her head. She gently touched Fang Nan's face, her tone softening slightly: "Alright, now's not the time to talk about this... All I could do was come and inform you of the news. The most important thing is to get Chen Yang out of here! There might still be a chance... But don't take a plane, because flying will leave your identity record. You'd better take a train tonight and leave this city, find a place anywhere, and hide your identity..." Cang Yu then gave a bitter laugh: "Never come back... And I can't guarantee you won't be found... Because, Chen Yang, you have no idea how powerful they are!"
She stared into my eyes: "The boss only has one son... and this man hasn't even left any offspring. Now that you've beaten him like this, the doctor says he's lost the ability to be a man forever... You actually made the boss childless... Do you think he'll let you off the hook?"
She sighed: "I have to go back now... Everyone in the organization is busy, Zhou Jing is almost going crazy... You know, Chen Yang, the two bodyguards you injured at the villa tonight are now dead... When Zhou Jing arrived, he immediately interrogated the two bodyguards and then shot them dead with his own hands... But there is at least one good thing about this... Zhou Jing is finished too. The big boss's son got into trouble on his turf, and he's completely finished this time."
After a few seconds of silence, Cang Yu started the car: "Alright, I've said what I needed to say... I'm going back now. If I stay out too long, it'll arouse suspicion. You two get out. I know Fang Nan, you still have something to say to Chen Yang... I don't care what you say to him, but you'd better hurry. Every minute Chen Yang leaves is a minute safer!"
After saying that, Cang Yu shut his mouth and looked at me quietly.
My mind was a bit of a mess, and I said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Thank you, Cangyu."
Cang Yu shook her head: "Don't thank me, I can't help you this time, I'm sorry."
Cang Yu didn't hesitate for a second and immediately started the car and drove away.
Fang Nan stood beside me, looked at me for a second, and then said, "Go upstairs, pack your things. You, your little girl at home... and your girlfriend, must come with me immediately!"
Book 1, Part 1: A Man in the Martial World, Not in His Own Hands, Chapter 101: A Life on the Run
Inside the elevator, Fang Nan looked worried, her hands tightly clasped together. I remained expressionless, quietly looking at the mirror on the elevator wall.
"Fang Nan," I suddenly said, "Can I ask you for a favor?"
When the elevator reached the floor, I pulled it out, and then the two of us just stood there in the corner by the door.
"…What?"
I looked into the woman's eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then changed to a slightly colder tone: "I'm not afraid of death."
"What do you mean?" Fang Nan's eyes flashed with panic.
“I said, I’m not afraid of death.” A mocking smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “Perhaps I haven’t told you about my past, but I’m not afraid of death… But I have something else that’s worrying me… Can you help me?”
Fang Nan looked like she was about to cry, so I quickly reached out and cupped her face in my hands, whispering, "Consider this a request to you, okay?"
"Go ahead and say it," she said, her tone more like a murmur.
I nodded, let out a sigh of relief, and pointed to the door of my house not far away: "I will take Ni Duoduo away immediately and find a place to hide for the time being... But, I want to ask you to take care of Yan Di... take care of my girlfriend, is that alright?"
Before Fang Nan could speak, I lowered my voice and said quickly, "This whole mess is my fault... those people are after me—I definitely have to run, but I can't take her with me! She shouldn't be involved in this... if she runs away with me, it will be much more dangerous for her... so I beg you, can you take care of her for me?" I sighed. I continued, "She's such a pitiful girl... she shouldn't have to live that kind of life of fear with me... can you... help me?"
Fang Nan cried. She covered her face and said, "What do you want to do!"
I forced a smile: "Nothing much... but I need to run away... This is running away! Not a vacation! I can't take her with me! It would be more dangerous for me, and more dangerous for her. She's never experienced anything like this before. She shouldn't have to go through this. She's a very innocent girl. This fire hasn't even reached her yet, and hardly anyone knows she's my girlfriend. But if she runs away with me, it will be more dangerous for her!" My tone was pleading: "Fang Nan, I'm begging you. Please?"
"Chen Yang... I won't let anything happen to you! I won't let them touch you!" Fang Nan gritted her teeth.
I shook my head, staring into her eyes, my tone grave: "This is not something you can interfere with... What Cang Yu said earlier makes a lot of sense; you can't help me. I don't want to cause you so much trouble either. So I only ask that you take good care of Yan Di until this storm passes and she's safe... Can you promise me that?"
"Then..." Fang Nan suddenly broke free from my hand and screamed hysterically, "Then what about you! What about you! Where are you going to run off to! Where are you planning to leave to! Are you never going to come back?"
I quickly pressed myself against her, covering her mouth with my hand and staring intently into Fang Nan's eyes. The woman's beautiful eyes were now filled with panicked tears. Her face was contorted with unknown terror, and her hands gripped my arm tightly, her body trembling slightly.
"Don't shout..." I said softly, "Don't get agitated...please don't get agitated, okay? I'm just leaving for a while...I'm hiding temporarily, there will be a way...there will be." I paused. I leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "I promise!"
Then I tilted my head back a little, creating eye contact with Fang Nan, and asked again, "I only have this one request... can you grant it?"
"..." Fang Nan looked at me, didn't say anything, and nodded with difficulty.
Five minutes later, Fang Nan and I walked into the house together. Fang Nan had wiped away her tears. Although her eyes were still a little red and swollen, and she looked tired and haggard, she had calmed down a bit. After I entered, I saw Yan Di holding a glass of water, seemingly making some kind of antacid.
Seeing me come in, and then noticing Fang Nan behind me, Yan Di was clearly stunned. I didn't explain, just walked over. I took the cup from her hand and placed it on the table, my tone stern: "Yan Di, go inside and pack your things right now! Take everything with you... photos, ID cards, anything that might leave clues, take it all! Now, be quick! Wake Ni Duoduo up, I'll give her five minutes to get dressed!"
"What happened..." Before Yan Di could finish her question, I interrupted her: "Go do as I say first, and I'll explain when I have time! We have to move immediately, right now!"
Yan Di, looking confused and bewildered, was ushered into the room by me. I added, "Time is of the essence, we need to hurry!"
I told Fang Nan to wait outside for a while, and went into my room to pack my things.
Compared to the women, I didn't have much to pack. I only took a small bag that I could tie close to my waist, and rummaged through the drawer to find all my documents and bank cards... Of course, the most important thing was the measuring device, which I carefully put into the bag as well.
He hesitated for a moment, not even bringing many clothes, and grabbed a large bag to stuff in a few pairs of underwear. He then grabbed a jacket and stuffed it in as well. Then he turned and left the room.
In the next room, Ni Duoduo had already gone to sleep... This girl had suffered too many frights today and was already exhausted, both physically and mentally. She had also been caught a cold from being splashed with cold water. She had just gone to bed, but was woken up and immediately rushed out to find me. I looked at Ni Duoduo standing in front of me, her face filled with panic, wearing pajamas... Those pajamas were clearly Yan Di's.
"What happened? Chen Yang..." Ni Duoduo looked terrified.
"We need to leave here." I said calmly, "Go get dressed quickly."
"Why?" At this moment, Ni Duoduo finally showed a reaction consistent with her actual age—panic and helplessness.
I just glanced at her. I didn't say anything.
Ni Duoduo immediately understood: "It's them...they've come?"
I suppressed my anxiety and said in a deep voice, "I don't have time to explain now. Go get dressed first, and we can talk on the way."
The house instantly descended into chaos. I thought for a moment. I went to the kitchen, picked up a serrated fruit knife from the counter, weighed it in my hand, and brandished it a couple of times. I ran my thumb along the blade to check its sharpness, then silently slipped it into my bag.
Fang Nan watched me gesture from the living room. Her face showed a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, as if she wanted to say something, but didn't dare.
I came out of the kitchen and glanced at her. I smiled faintly: "Just in case, hopefully we won't need it..."
Soon, Ni Duoduo emerged from her room, sobbing. She was dressed in Song Dynasty attire, carrying the bag she had brought from her own home not long ago that evening…
The girl's eyes are now filled with regret... I can clearly read the meaning in her gaze.
I still didn't speak to her. I just walked past her and gently patted her shoulder. Then I went into the room to see Yan Di.
Yan Di acted quickly, at my direction. All the clothes in the wardrobe were taken out and casually thrown into a large box.
There was no time to fold clothes. I had to just stuff them in. I checked each drawer one by one to make sure there weren't any documents or photos inside.
Because I have to make sure that Yan Di's true identity is "invisible".
I must make sure that when they trace it back to me, they won't find any clues in my house that connect me to Yan Didi...
Of course, I can imagine. Once they find my address, they'll definitely get some information from the surrounding area and the property management: for example, that there are women living in this house. They'll also know that I have a girlfriend.
But they won't find out who my girlfriend is! They won't know Yan Di's identity! That way, Yan Di might be safe.
I searched through the drawers. I didn't find anything I had missed.
Actually, my biggest mistake tonight was on Ni Duoduo's phone call.
It's fair to say that without that phone call, they might not have been able to find me so quickly. Even if Ni Duoduo hadn't lost her phone there, they could have verified her identity, checked her phone number's call log, and found me much faster.
Even if someone saw my face when I left that neighborhood, even if Ni Duoduo's classmates knew who I was... they didn't know my name or my information.
If they only knew what I looked like, it would be very difficult for them to find me... After all, they're not police officers. They can't possibly issue wanted posters everywhere! As for Ni Duoduo's classmates, they at most know that Ni Duoduo has a friend like me, but they don't know my specific name, phone number, address, or any other information. Those two ladies could only describe what I looked like at most.
Knowing only their appearance makes it very difficult to find them!
So my goal is clear: I can't hide the fact that I have a girlfriend from the people who are coming here to investigate me, but at the very least, I can't let them know that my girlfriend is Yan Di.
I had considered that they could check my phone call history... but at this moment I'm suddenly very grateful for something!
I'm not worried about them checking my call logs. Because I rarely talk to Yan Di… and even Aze and the others rarely talk to me… During my time working at the nightclub, I had at least several hundred phone numbers in my call logs! They were either madams or clients of the nightclub! They wouldn't be able to find out.
When Yan Di and I got together, I had already left the nightclub. Among the people around me who knew Yan Di's identity, only A Ze and his close friends, and Fang Nan, did not know of Yan Di's existence.
So it seems she is safe for now; she has not left any clues about her identity anywhere!
Twenty minutes later, Yan Di had finished packing. She glanced at the clock and then said with some worry, "Amei hasn't come back yet."
"Call her," I said immediately. "Have you packed her things too?"
"Yes, I've packed everything." Yan Di hesitated for a moment: "Actually... you had a fight with her this afternoon, and she packed all her things tonight, ready to move out."
I gave a wry smile and remained silent. Compared to the trouble I was facing now, the conflict that afternoon was practically nothing.
"Go down and wait for her!" I was getting anxious. Ah Mei was so late; I wondered where she had gone.
There were three of us, one man and three women, going out downstairs. Before I left, I didn't even bother to lock the front door; I just glanced at the door behind me. Suddenly, a pang of sadness washed over me.
……Home!
It's been over a month now, and I've really come to consider this place my "home".
At least every day when I come home, I know someone will open the door for me, the living room light will be on, and there will be some food in the microwave… even though I rarely heat it up. There will be a hot breakfast in the morning, and laughter at the dinner table in the evening. Instead of eating takeout alone in the cold and quiet. On Sundays, there will be washed clothes hanging on the balcony. There will be three toothbrushes of different colors in the bathroom…
Now, I'm far removed from that kind of life again...
I couldn't help but smile wryly, and in the last moment before the elevator doors closed, I took one last deep look at my front door.
Ni Duoduo, standing next to me, looked guilty and seemed afraid to look up at me.
But to be honest, I no longer have the heart to blame this girl.
She's just a little kid.
Yan Di kept dialing A Mei's number. Finally, as they stepped out of the elevator, the call connected. She seemed unusually excited. She said a few words into the microphone, then looked at me and sighed, "I found her. She's at a barbecue restaurant near the company."
I didn't say anything, I just nodded. Then everyone left the building.
Fang Nan's car was parked behind the building. I let Yan Di get into Fang Nan's car. Yan Di immediately realized something and stared at me silently for a while. Her voice was a little hoarse: "Aren't you coming with us?"
I smiled nonchalantly and said, "You go with Fang Nan first, I'll come find you."
Yan Di's expression changed, and she swayed slightly: "Where...where are you going?"