Chapter 76: The Fierce Battle with the Beloved

“What?”
Chen Yu’s mind buzzed violently, as if someone had slammed a massive hammer against his skull.
He doubted his own ears—or wondered if Li Qing’s lips had uttered something wrong.
Brother Lei?
Missing?
This was even more outrageous than hearing Liu Gang was a secret philanthropist.
This was Brother Lei!
He’d dominated Jiangcheng’s underworld for over a decade, his reach boundless, a warlord so formidable that even officials of Yan Zheng’s stature found him troublesome.
Kidnapped?
Which blind bandit group dared tempt fate, eager to taste the river’s depths?
“Brother Lei’s men are frantically searching! They’re almost calling me non-stop!”
“Outside, I bet the streets are rife with panic, everyone on edge.”
Li Qing’s voice came lazily through the receiver, but Chen Yu could detect the gravity beneath her languid tone.
A cold sweat instantly broke out across Chen Yu’s back.
Just moments ago, he and Yan Zheng had been like a pair of fools, holed up in the interrogation room, oblivious to the outside world, focused solely on cracking Liu Gang and Zheng Liangchen.
He never imagined that while they played their “civilized” psychological games, the real battlefield outside had already erupted—and the opening move was an explosive one.
In Jiangcheng, those capable of quietly making a move against Brother Lei could be counted on one hand.
Chen Yu quickly filtered out the impossible suspects in his mind.
Unless Brother Lei had partied too hard last night and lost track of time, still lingering in a den of pleasure, unwilling to leave.
Otherwise…
Chen Yu’s heart sank sharply, a name surfaced vividly.
Zhang Fu!
Jiangcheng’s richest man, who had just lost his beloved daughter.
Only he possessed the capability, the courage, and above all, the motive.
The big boss himself had stepped onto the stage!
Damn, that’s ruthless!
He promised a day, but less than half that had passed before he flipped the table.
But why target Brother Lei?
Could it be Zhang Fu had already discovered that his daughter’s death was directly linked to Brother Lei?
No, that doesn’t add up…
Chen Yu’s mind spun rapidly, countless clues colliding and reorganizing.
Brother Lei, Liu Gang, Zhang Luoluo…these three, originally worlds apart, were now forcibly intertwined by Zheng Liangchen’s words.
Liu Gang knew Brother Lei, and their relationship was close—this was the biggest anomaly.
Zhang Fu moved against Brother Lei to avenge his daughter.
Could these events be mere coincidence?
Chen Yu abruptly hung up, turning to rush back to the interrogation room and share this earth-shattering news with Yan Zheng.
But as he turned, he saw Yan Zheng already standing silently in the shadows of the corridor, his face grave as water.
He wore a crisp uniform, his posture upright as a pine, but his perpetually stoic face now bore an exhaustion and helplessness Chen Yu had never seen.
Like an indomitable mountain suddenly eroded by time, revealing cracks.
Chen Yu’s “Eye of Insight” instinctively swept over him.
[Character: Yan Zheng]
[Heart Rate: 98 (Heavy)]
[Affection: 75 (Appreciation, Concern)]
This old fox was indeed hiding something, and it was big enough to unsettle even his icy resolve.
“You know already?” Chen Yu’s voice was dry.
Yan Zheng nodded slightly, a weary smile struggling on his lips.
“The trouble I warned you about—came early.”
“I underestimated how much Zhang Luoluo meant to him, and his methods and determination.”
Yan Zheng’s voice was low, as if talking to himself, yet explaining to Chen Yu as well.
“Chen Yu, go back for now.” He raised his head, eyes burning as they met Chen Yu’s. “The mess ahead is too deep, too dirty—it’s not yours to handle, or rather…it shouldn’t be.”
“What should I do then?”
Chen Yu’s heart sank. He knew well who “he” referred to in Yan Zheng’s words.

Zhang Fu’s power was indeed not something a “small fry” like him could confront head-on.
Yet being sidelined from the inner circle irked him deeply.
“You…” Yan Zheng pondered a moment, his gaze lingering on Chen Yu, then spoke slowly:
“Go back and wait for news.”
“If…”
Yan Zheng’s words halted mid-sentence, as if choosing them carefully, then he simply sighed deeply.
“If some…unexpected event occurs, I hope you’ll make the ‘right’ decision.”
That cryptic sentence exploded like thunder in Chen Yu’s heart.
What did he mean by “right decision”?
Was he hinting at something?
Chen Yu was startled, bewildered, staring at Yan Zheng.
But Yan Zheng only gazed at him deeply, then turned and walked back into the shadows, his figure resolute and solitary.
Chen Yu stood where he was, snorting in derision.
So that’s it—he’s completely cut me out!
Used and discarded, classic Yan Zheng maneuver.
He understood that Yan Zheng was, in a way, protecting him—keeping him from being drawn into direct conflict with the behemoth Zhang Fu.
Understanding was one thing; it still felt lousy.
Like punching a pillow—frustrating and powerless.
Now the investigation team was out of his hands, and he had no desire to return to the performative live broadcast.
Back to the hotel?
Images of two women flashed unbidden in Chen Yu’s mind.
One was Liu Hong, alluring and gentle, eyes brimming with affection.
The other was Li Qing, with those impossibly long, dazzlingly white legs.
He recalled the ambiguous, electric atmosphere at Liu Hong’s villa earlier, at the brink of crossing the final line…
Only for Su Qingzhu, clueless about romance, to ruin everything!
A nameless fury, mixed with the frustration of the case, Yan Zheng’s exclusion, and lingering hormones, burned fiercely inside him.
He needed an outlet!
No way! He had to extinguish this fire tonight!
If Liu Hong was out of reach, surely he could handle his “white moonlight”?
A bold, daring idea surged in his mind.
Without hesitation, he flashed a roguish grin, hailed a taxi by the roadside, and headed straight for the hotel.

…

Twenty minutes later.

The hotel room door was flung open with a bang.
Inside, Li Qing was startled by the sudden commotion.
She was curled on the bed, one leg bent, half-reclining, engrossed in a thick book.
She wore Chen Yu’s oversized white T-shirt, the hem barely covering the essentials. Her flawless, pale legs were casually crossed, their sheen seductive beneath the soft lighting.
Hearing the door, she looked up, her pure face tinged with just the right touch of confusion.
Then she saw Chen Yu, aura bristling with aggression.
At that moment, Chen Yu’s breathing was heavy, his eyes blazing, full of predatory intent—like a wolf starved for three days spotting a tender lamb.
Li Qing’s gaze shifted instantly from confusion to amusement.
Chen Yu slammed the door shut behind him, even locking it, then symbolically rolled up imaginary sleeves, and, in a tone he thought “CEO-like,” shouted:
“Come, white moonlight! Your lord is in a foul mood today, so prepare for a three hundred-round battle!”
Before the words even finished, he lunged at Li Qing on the bed like a wild beast.

An hour later…

The room was a mess.
Li Qing stood elegantly by the bed, hands on hips, breathing slightly heavy.
The oversized white T-shirt she wore now had a dramatic tear at the neckline, exposing large swathes of smooth skin and her delicate collarbone, adding a wild disarrayed beauty.
But her face wore an unabashed smirk of triumph, her eyes saying plainly, “Is that all?”
On the floor before her…

Chen Yu lay sprawled, gasping for air, his gaze vacant and utterly defeated.
His clothes were even more disheveled than Li Qing’s, torn and twisted, resembling dried veggies.
Every patch of exposed skin—neck, arms—was covered in purple-red streaks and fingerprints, evidence of a one-sided, merciless thrashing in their “battle.”
His expression brimmed with resentment, unwillingness, and a sense of utter exhaustion.
“The last time I took the initiative, you were so nervous, like a bashful virgin—pathetic, huh?”
Li Qing looked down at him, sneering:
“What, you got guts today? Thought you could force your way?”
“Can you even beat me?”
“I—” Chen Yu ground his teeth, wanting to retort, but every word triggered waves of soreness, making him grimace.
He recalled the scene just now—it was a saga of blood and tears.
Her fighting skills were nothing like the restrained techniques taught at the police academy, but lethal moves!
His pride as the academy’s top fighter melted before her like a toddler before a giant.
Within an hour, God knows how many times he was thrown over her shoulder, slammed to the floor in bizarre positions.
He felt his tailbone was nearly shattered.
Too tragic.
Utterly miserable.

“Eye of Insight!”
Refusing to believe it, he glanced at Li Qing again.
[Character: Li Qing]
[Stamina: 82 (Slightly depleted)]
[Heart Rate: 95 (Excited)]
[Affection: 81 (↑↑)]
Good heavens!
She still had over eighty stamina left? That hour was just a warm-up for her?
And her affection went up after my “attack”?
Does this woman…have masochistic tendencies?
No, it’s me with the masochistic streak!
The more Chen Yu thought, the angrier he got.

“So? Ready for another round?” Li Qing crooked a slender finger at him, her eyes full of challenge and provocation.
“Go to hell! Not a chance!” Chen Yu all but shouted, his voice laced with impotent rage.
“Hey!”
Li Qing laughed lightly, the sound crisp and pleasant, but to Chen Yu’s ears, it was sharper than the devil’s taunts.
She walked naturally to the wardrobe, took out the clean pajamas prepared by the show’s staff for Chen Yu, then turned, tossing them onto the bed, and gave him a look of irresistible allure, her lips sweet and teasing:
“Not coming? Then I’ll shower. When you’ve improved, big sister will welcome your challenge anytime.”
She even deliberately thrust her chest forward, the torn neckline offering an enticing view.
Chen Yu swallowed involuntarily, then rolled his eyes and turned away.
His bones felt disassembled—aching and exhausted.
The fire from before had long since been thrown to the winds.
All that remained was the tidal fatigue from last night’s sleepless vigil.

He grimaced, moving with glacial slowness, crawling up from the cold floor, limping to the bed, and collapsing onto it.
The soft mattress enveloped his weary body.
From the bathroom, the sound of running water soon echoed.
It was like a spell, lulling him.
Chen Yu didn’t even have the energy to ponder Li Qing’s earlier words, nor to admire the silhouette behind the frosted glass.
His eyelids felt like lead.
He closed his eyes and, almost instantly, drifted into a deep sleep, soft snores rising in the quiet room.