Zhou Rui had always struggled to grasp Lin Chuan's true thoughts and whether he had any feelings for her. So, she decided to give it a try.

Lin Chuan was taken aback, and with an awkward smile, he said, "Xiao Rui, you can't just carelessly choose a boyfriend. You need to find someone who sincerely cares for you; you mustn't go for those men who harbour inappropriate thoughts toward you, understand?"

"Mind your own business!" Zhou Rui huffed coldly.

Although she seemed dismissive on the surface, her heart was bursting with joy. Lin Chuan's words gave her some clarity, suggesting he did care about her deep down.

Upon hearing her, Lin Chuan hurriedly said, "How can I not care, I'm practically your older brother. When you're looking for a boyfriend, how can I not interfere!"

"Fang Zicheng from Glory Group isn't bad," Zhou Rui said earnestly as she looked at Lin Chuan.

Truth be told, Lin Chuan felt somewhat distressed when he heard that name. Fang Zicheng shared a good relationship with Zhou Rui, and the man's character, temperament, and cultivation were all commendable. Yet, something about it made Lin Chuan uncomfortable.

"No way!" Lin Chuan immediately shook his head.

Zhou Rui was taken aback and pouted, "Why not?"

"His family's too wealthy and powerful; they're not suitable for you," Lin Chuan waved his hand hastily, "Those kinds of wealthy households have a lot of rules. You should find a man who is a match in social status. You'd suffer if you chose Fang Zicheng.

"I certainly won't settle for just anyone," Zhou Rui snorted lightly.

"No worries, I'll matchmake someone for you later," Lin Chuan chuckled.

"Get lost, I'm not interested," Zhou Rui snorted again.

"Hahaha…" Lin Chuan laughed heartily.

"Or maybe…" Zhou Rui's eyes twinkled as she giggled, "Lin Chuan, why don't you be my boyfriend?"

"Eh?!" Lin Chuan's jaw nearly hit the floor, and he said in shock, "Zhou Rui, are… are you kidding me?"

"Of course, I'm not kidding," Zhou Rui huffed, "We grew up together like childhood sweethearts and are well-matched in social status, knowing each other thoroughly. I know what kind of man you are, and you know what kind of woman I am. So, I think we are quite suitable for each other."

"But... I... I already have a girlfriend," Lin Chuan said awkwardly.

"Break up with her," Zhou Rui insisted with a pout, "You say I'm not a match for Fang Zicheng, but you and Tang Yumeng aren't a match either. Tang Yumeng is the executive of a foreign company, and also, she's the City Secretary of Jiangbei City; you are mismatched. Tang Yumeng would be more suited with Bai Yifan from Extraordinary Bar."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan's expression darkened.

"What? Unhappy to hear this?" Zhou Rui's face got even angrier.

"I..." Lin Chuan was starting to regret coming to Zhou Rui's office; every encounter between them ended up in relentless disputes over romantic matters. In fact, it was impossible for Lin Chuan not to like Zhou Rui; they had grown up together, and now she had become so graceful and beautiful, a genuine beauty. Even Fang Zicheng, the head of Glory Group, was so infatuated with Zhou Rui.

"Go on, show some kind of reaction," Zhou Rui pressed.

Zhou Rui was always impatient, while Lin Chuan's demeanor was more moderate, neither too hasty nor too sluggish. Faced with Zhou Rui's pressing questions, Lin Chuan said awkwardly, "Xiao Rui, how could I let someone down? Tang Yumeng and I share true love, and if I broke up with her, then..."

"Then what?" Zhou Rui was increasingly vexed.

"Besides, if I really break up with Tang Yumeng for your sake, aren't you afraid that one day I might leave you for another woman?" Lin Chuan looked at Zhou Rui.

Zhou Rui appeared stunned for a moment and then lowered her head, saying, "I understand, but I really do like you a lot."

Zhou Rui's gentle tone and aggrieved expression made Lin Chuan feel somewhat heartbroken.

"Silly girl," Lin Chuan smiled and then said, "There are so many outstanding men in this world, why hang yourself on one tree?"

"Because this tree is different from the others," Zhou Rui bit her red lip, seemingly very unwilling to let go.

"There are no two identical trees in this world!" said Lin Chuan with a smile.

"I can't win against you," Zhou Rui glared at Lin Chuan, "Go find your Tang Yumeng, hmph, I'll choose whoever I want."

With that, Zhou Rui stormed out, fuming.

Zhou Rui was indeed hot-tempered, and perhaps only Lin Chuan had the ability to handle her. Other men would find it quite challenging to tame this fiery girl. Watching Zhou Rui's receding figure, Lin Chuan felt utterly helpless.

The matters of the heart are unpredictable; maybe departures, maybe reunions.

Those who leave you are destined to have too many departures in their life, not that you have lost them, but they have lost you. Or, as some might say, leaving is to make the next meeting at the crossroads even better. Yet, when leaving, sometimes we faintly feel that there are some people we will probably never meet again, certain individuals who will henceforth become parallel lines. You might be waiting for someone to return, even if the one who comes may not be the original person, but it is more likely that he will be a better one. Just as departures are inevitable, so are the unpredictable moments of return, reunion, and chance encounters. May you find your happiness.

Lin Chuan, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, walked slowly out of Zhou Rui's office.

......

Jiangbei City, South Huai Mountain Road.

A black Toyota Odyssey van, with two people inside. Both were clad in black leather jackets, with black sunglasses perched on their noses. They were fully armed, somewhat resembling the assassins from The Matrix.

One of them was holding a phone, speaking earnestly, "General, we have arrived at our destination."

"Good." A deep and chilly voice came from the other end, "I will soon have someone send you the documents. All you need to do is carry out the mission."

"Yes, General!" The man quickly nodded.

Before long, images and related information were transmitted to their phones.

Lin Chuan's portrait had been sent to the pair's mobile phones, along with some detailed information including data from his home, all displayed on their screens. After a careful glance, they firmly committed these details and Lin Chuan's likeness to memory.

Soon after, they immediately chose to format the storage card.

The two exchanged a glance and nodded to each other. Not long after, the van started and began slowly driving toward Changlin Factory.

That very night, Lin Chuan went to Night Color Bar.

Fang Yuan had said goodbye to him sometime ago, and he didn't know whether she had returned by now. This time at Night Color Bar, Lin Chuan did not encounter Fang Yuan, which he found very odd. Fang Yuan was the star of Night Color Bar, and now she was nowhere to be seen.

Lin Chuan walked around the bar but still didn't find Fang Yuan.

"Young man, wanna skate?" A drug dealer approached him head-on.

"Is it you?"

"Is it you?!"

Both couldn't help but exclaim. The drug dealer looked at Lin Chuan in astonishment and said, "Kid, you're looking for our Sister Fang, aren't you?"

"Where is Fang Yuan?" Lin Chuan asked in surprise.

"Heh, I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you," the drug dealer said with a grin. "Our Sister Fang left Jiangbei City half a month ago. No one knows where she went."

"Uh..." Lin Chuan was taken aback and asked, "Is she not coming back?"

"I don't know," the drug dealer shook his head and said, "Sigh, ever since Sister Fang left, our business has really suffered. I've been considering whether to move to a new place. The business here is really getting worse."

"She will definitely come back," Lin Chuan said with conviction.

"I hope so too," the drug dealer smiled and said, "Kid, you haven't fallen for our Sister Fang, have you?"

"We're just friends," Lin Chuan replied.

"Friends?" The drug dealer smirked, "I wasn't saying you weren't friends. But there's another 'friends' meaning, you know, like 'fuck buddies'."

"Get lost!" Lin Chuan scolded.

"What's the big deal." The drug dealer hitched up his belt and scurried away, heading towards another crowd.

Lin Chuan was perplexed; if Fang Yuan had left Jiangbei City, where could she have gone? Lin Chuan was clueless about Fang Yuan's whereabouts.

Because Fang Yuan wasn't there, Lin Chuan had no desire to drink. After making a round in the bar, he immediately walked out. His heart was unsettled, and most importantly, Lin Chuan was somewhat distracted. For some reason, he always felt a sense of loss and emptiness, as if he had lost something important.

Exiting Night Color Bar.

A black car was parked at the entrance.

A familiar voice stood at the front of the car, a ******** seductive woman, someone who used to be Lin Chuan's sworn enemy. But later, their relationship had eased, turning into a partnership of mutual benefit.

"Lv Yan?" Lin Chuan smiled and said, "Instructor Lv, what brings you here? Why come to this place in the middle of the night?"

"Of course, to look for you!" Lv Yan raised an eyebrow and said, "If I'm not mistaken, you came looking for Fang Yuan, right?"

"Correct." Lin Chuan nodded and said, "What about it? You know Fang Yuan? Or are you deliberately investigating me?"

"You'd be wrong then," Lv Yan snorted coldly and said, "I just want to tell you that Fang Yuan is in a lot of trouble right now. If you really like her, I hope you can help her."

"Why do you say that?" Lin Chuan frowned.

"If I'm not wrong, Fang Yuan has probably been called back to Shanghai by now," Lv Yan slowly lit a slim cigarette and then spoke, "And it's likely that she's undergoing brutal torture. If you don't help her, she might die."

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