"Can't find anything?"

The two of them had been struggling for more than half an hour in a café with internet access, but even with all his effort, Li Kuo couldn't find what Xiaofan wanted.

"What exactly are those things, Yanhuang Soul and Red Butterfly, that you're talking about? There are just two names, nothing else. How am I supposed to search for that?" Li Kuo pouted. This stuff isn't something you can just find on Baidu. No domain names, no IP addresses, nothing to go on. How to search?

"If even you can't find it, then there's no way I could, right?" Xiaofan seemed relieved rather than disappointed.

"What's up with you?" Li Kuo asked, puzzled.

"Nothing. Hey, show me around today, will you? It's my first time in the Capital City. Yesterday, I got so lost." Xiaofan said as he got up, ready to pay and leave.

Seeing Xiaofan's odd behavior, Li Kuo followed him, utterly confused.

"Hey, Ye Xiaofan, is something on your mind?"

"No, come on, let's go." Xiaofan smiled slightly.

"If you don't tell me, I won't go. And what on earth is up with Yanhuang Soul and Red Butterfly?" Li Kuo looked seriously at Xiaofan. Even though they hadn't seen each other in over three years, he knew Xiaofan well.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to get involved, and I guessed you wouldn't be able to find it. I'm just looking for some peace of mind. Cutting ties. Come on, take me to 'Black Skin Black Skin'."

"Peace of mind?"

Having said that much, Li Kuo didn't press further. But his curiosity lingered.

Cutting ties. Xiaofan made it sound easy, but who could know the pain he felt when saying those four words?

Yes, after obtaining Ren Zhongtian's power, Xiaofan's personal abilities improved significantly, but so what? Relying on one's own strength to fight against a Red Butterfly is nonsense.

If he couldn't handle it alone, he'd need help. However, confronting an organization like Red Butterfly always comes with life-threatening risks, possibly even endangering the entire family.

Li Kuo had been a remarkable hacker since middle school, something Xiaofan was well aware of. If Xiaofan wanted information, he'd have to rely on Li Kuo's help.

Now, even Li Kuo couldn't help, so there was no hope.

So, Xiaofan just wanted a way to give up. He couldn't risk his friends' lives. He could die, but not them. Why should they be involved when they have nothing to do with this?

Taking it a step further, just before leaving, Shen Zuimo told him she had found the man waiting for her. She might be living safely and happily now. Even if he tried hard, succeeded, and stood in front of her, she might not return to his arms, right? So why bother searching or chasing?

If others heard what Xiaofan had in mind, they'd surely wonder: If Ye Xiaofan wants to cut ties with Shen Zuimo, why come to Capital City? What are you doing here after traveling so far? If you just wanted to attend a second-rate university, then why didn't you go to the prominent university in H City that accepted you?

No one is perfect, and Xiaofan is no saint. Yes, he has strong logical thinking, strong enough to always judge the best course of action. Forgetting Shen Zuimo is the best way. Yet, there's another voice in his heart struggling. That voice explains Xiaofan's discontent and reluctance.

With such confusion and contradiction, Xiaofan set foot in this big city. However, the vast city left him lost again. Indeed, he shouldn't have come. Finding a Shen Zuimo in this sea of people is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Shen Zuimo."

"Hey, what are you doing? Shameless, isn't that pickup line a bit outdated?"

Xiaofan and Li Kuo arrived on a pedestrian street. Xiaofan saw someone who looked a lot like Shen Zuimo, so he chased after them, but once he saw their face, he helplessly muttered an apology and turned away.

"Hahaha, Xiaofan, since when did you become so bold? Let me tell you, the best place to flirt is at a nightclub. Here, no one will care about you."

Later, as the two of them strolled around, Xiaofan learned that Li Kuo had been accepted into Capital University this year, which didn't surprise him at all.

Capital University is the most famous university in the country, and nearly everyone who gets in is a top student, or they have significant family connections.

Li Kuo met both criteria, so if he hadn't gotten into Capital University, that would be strange to Xiaofan.

"What? You didn't take the college entrance exam? No way! Then how did you..."

"Mingyuan University is right next to Capital University, isn't it?" Xiaofan suddenly recalled that he'd looked up the address online.

"Yes, they are very close. However, with your grades back then, it's a pity you skipped the entrance exam."

The two sat in a bar, drinking and chatting. Time has flown by, and unexpectedly, they both matured from their childish appearances before leaving.

"Do you still blame me for hitting you back then?" Xiaofan suddenly asked.

"Hey, who didn't have their youth? You hit me, so what? Besides, thank you for waking me up with that hit. Otherwise, I might never have had a friend in my life." Li Kuo answered seriously, his thoughts drifting back to those days.

In the last semester of junior high, Chen Mengying's family faced a major event. Xiaofan organized fellow students to raise money for her family. How much could they collect back then? In the end, it was Li Kuo who filled in the gap with tens of thousands.

However, this guy Li Kuo used that money to force Chen Mengying into a relationship with him. He even booked a hotel room for the day of graduation.

Originally, Li Kuo kept this secret from everyone, but on that day, Xiaofan noticed something off about Chen Mengying. He intended to ask her about it but saw her getting into Li Kuo's family car at the school gate, so he followed them to the hotel.

In front of the hotel, Li Kuo was beaten badly by Xiaofan, nearly causing a breakup between the friends. Finally, it was Chen Mengying who stopped Xiaofan, explaining that nothing in the world is free; to get something in return, one must pay a price. Although Li Kuo's method was wrong, if it could save her mother, why not?

"I found out, the class monitor also got into Capital University. Xiaofan, this time I'll pursue the class monitor properly, so don't blame me for having the advantage of proximity..."

"Really? I never asked about that. Alright, it's getting late, I have to go back."

"What? Going back? It's only eight. Later, if you spot a girl who's had too much to drink, you can approach her, and maybe you can take her to a hotel that very night." Li Kuo's expression changed, suddenly speaking slyly to Xiaofan.

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