The crystal nucleus was undoubtedly beautiful. Due to their inherent power, different nuclei exhibited various colors. Their translucent appearance and the flow of energy within made even the finest gems pale in comparison.
Le Shu casually picked up a crystal nucleus, and the fiery red stone only made the slender, fair hand appear even more beautiful. Ye Chengran’s gaze involuntarily lingered on that hand.
At this moment, he had a thought: what did it matter if it was the most precious nucleus? If it could win a smile from this beauty, the trip would be worth it.
His eyes darkened, and he rubbed his fingers behind his back. No wonder Gu Lin was so obsessed with this person. If this person stayed by his side, he too would be willing to abandon all duties just to remain with him.
So what if he was just an ordinary person? There was an indescribable aura about him that drew men closer, compelling them to risk everything for him, like moths to a flame.
How lucky was Gu Lin? Even while being hunted, he managed to meet someone like this. A long-buried jealousy surged in Ye Chengran’s heart as his thoughts swirled.
From the beginning, he had always been overshadowed by Gu Lin’s brilliance. Every time he thought he was exceptional enough, there was always someone to remind him: your excellence is just what you think it is. The truly outstanding radiate brilliance, and he could only ever stand in their shadow.
He had always been proud, and being eclipsed by Gu Lin time and time again had fueled a deep resentment. At first, he admired Gu Lin because the man was indeed outstanding. But at some point, that admiration turned sour.
He had climbed to the pinnacle of power, and he thought he had finally escaped Gu Lin’s shadow. But now, standing beside this beautiful young man, he once again felt the cruel injustice of fate.
After all the schemes to bring Gu Lin down, the man had returned, and not just that—he had come back in full glory, undoing all of his carefully constructed balance. Everything he had done was for nothing.
“I have higher quality crystal nuclei. If you like, I can have some delivered to you,” Ye Chengran said softly, hiding all his emotions.
“We don’t know each other. Why would you give me something?” Li Shu’s demeanor fit perfectly with the persona of a pampered canary, as if he had lived through the apocalypse but remained untouched by its horrors and was still as innocent and kind as ever.
There wasn’t a hint of pretense in his expression. He was genuinely puzzled as to why this man would suddenly offer him something, and he voiced his confusion without any vigilance, like a soft fruit waiting to be devoured if not for the fierce beasts guarding him.
Seeing such a young man, Ye Chengran felt a rare softness in his heart. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t encountered someone like this since the apocalypse began, or perhaps it was due to the fleeting glimpse of Li Shu from some time ago. That image had now solidified and taken root in his heart.
“I’m friends with Gu Lin,” he said vaguely. “I had originally planned to invite you both to a gathering after your return, but I’ve been too busy lately. Consider it a small gift.”
He had initially planned to lure Li Shu over and use certain methods to make him switch sides. After all, people are driven by desires. No matter how well Gu Lin protected him, Ye Chengran couldn’t believe that Li Shu, an ordinary person, had no desires at all.
He had access to a potion that could turn ordinary people into evolvers. He didn’t believe anyone could resist that kind of temptation. As the apocalypse dragged on, the gap between the evolvers and ordinary people would only widen. Gu Lin might be devoted to Li Shu now, but who could predict the future? Without Gu Lin’s favor, Li Shu would be nothing but a lamb awaiting slaughter.
A naive young man like him probably couldn’t foresee such a future, but that didn’t matter. He would break the illusion Gu Lin had created for him and show him the true face of the apocalypse. Many had already fallen down that path. The apocalypse was like a key, unlocking the worst in people. What they once repressed, they could now indulge without consequence.
Without any external restraint, many plunged into the abyss of sin without hesitation.
Ye Chengran’s eyes darkened. That had been his original plan—to shatter the utopia Gu Lin had built for Li Shu and reveal the apocalypse’s true face. But now, he had changed his mind.
He didn’t want to see the young man’s expression break. There were countless ways to achieve his goals, so there was no need to stick to just one. If possible, after dealing with Gu Lin, he would take on the role of Li Shu’s protector. He would keep the young man in a world he created, free from any outside interference.
Li Shu had no idea that this brief encounter had already made Ye Chengran change his approach, even to the point of considering “imprisoning” him after getting rid of Gu Lin.
He looked at Ye Chengran for a while, and just when Ye Chengran thought he might agree, Li Shu withdrew his gaze and picked a few crystal nuclei from the stall, then signaled for the people behind him to pay.
Since Ye Chengran’s arrival, Qiao Yuan had been on high alert. He knew a bit about the friction between Gu Lin and Ye Chengran. Now that Ye Chengran had appeared so suddenly, he feared he might have ill intentions toward Le Shu.
Since being assigned to guard Li Shu, Qiao Yuan had already fended off many people who had approached with ulterior motives. He could understand their curiosity about Li Shu, but some certainly had bad intentions. Li Shu’s very existence was like an exposed weakness. Controlling him could mean controlling Gu Lin.
More importantly, Li Shu was just an ordinary person. Targeting him was much safer than going after Gu Lin, the strongest man in the apocalypse.
As Qiao Yuan stayed vigilant, he also worried for Li Shu. He feared that the young man, having been protected too well, wouldn’t recognize Ye Chengran’s malice and might unknowingly fall into a trap. Ye Chengran was skilled at pretending, and he was afraid that Li Shu would fall into his trap.
He had already made up his mind to take Li Shu away by force, even if it meant being punished.
Li Shu cradled a few crystal nuclei in his arms. “There is no need to trouble yourself, sir. As an ordinary person, I have no use for high-grade crystal nuclei. These are more than enough.”
It was the first time Ye Chengran’s goodwill had been rejected. His expression faltered for a second before he quickly recovered, once again the picture of elegance. “I just wanted to offer a gift. If you don’t like it, we can exchange it for something else. Gu Lin and I were comrades, so there’s no need to be so cautious with me. I heard Gu Lin found someone special, and we were planning to meet, but he kept refusing.”
Someone like Gu Lin, who had remained aloof and unapproachable for so long, had finally opened up to someone. Naturally, many were curious. Some simply wanted to stir up trouble, while others, driven by more sinister motives, had tried to get Gu Lin to introduce Li Shu. But Gu Lin always declined on the grounds that Li Shu was in poor health.
In dealing with Li Shu, Gu Lin had been both high-profile and low-key. High-profile in that everyone in the capital knew Gu Lin was deeply infatuated with an ordinary young man. Low-key in that no matter how many people tried to investigate, they couldn’t uncover anything about Li Shu’s identity, which only fueled their curiosity.
What Ye Chengran said was true, but the way he said it carried a hint of provocation. If Li Shu had been more insecure, he might have started doubting himself. Just a crack was all it would take for others to worm their way in, using every trick in the book to widen that crack.
Once that happened, it would be much easier to manipulate him.
Li Shu easily heard the meaning behind Ye Chengran’s words, but he pretended not to: “I don’t really like crowded places. Ah Lin had mentioned taking me out to meet people, but I just didn’t want to go.”
His expression carried a hint of apology, and his eyes also showed embarrassment. He blinked and asked, “My actions won’t have a bad impact on Ah Lin, right? It was my own choice not to meet people, it has nothing to do with Ah Lin.”
Ye Chengran was momentarily speechless by his words and didn’t know how to respond for a moment.
After finally meeting Li Shu, Ye Chengran was clearly unwilling to leave just like that. It was noon now. He glanced at the time and said, “Since we’ve met, let me treat you to a meal. Don’t refuse—it’s just a meal. Gu Lin has been keeping you hidden so well that I don’t know when we’ll meet again.”
Qiao Yuan was as anxious as ants on a hot pan. Though the two maintained a friendly relationship on the surface, how could they, who were working under them, not know that the relationship between Gu Lin and Ye Chengran was just a matter of tearing away the surface layer.
He didn’t dare to act rashly. Even if they all worked together, they might not be able to defeat Ye Chengran. If they angered him and Li Shu was harmed, there would be no way to atone for their mistakes.
Their only hope was that Li Shu would refuse.
Li Shu thought about it and agreed. He was quite curious about what Ye Chengran was planning.
At some point, one of the people in Li Shu’s group had quietly left to inform Gu Ren, while the others stayed around to protect him, wary of Ye Chengran suddenly making a move.
In the post-apocalyptic world, food was scarce, and many people struggled to fill their stomachs. Any restaurant still capable of operating during such times spoke volumes about its owner’s power. Ye Chengran took Li Shu to a well-decorated restaurant, and upon entering, it was as though they had stepped back into the world before the apocalypse.
The staff at the restaurant clearly knew Ye Chengran, and as soon as he entered, they immediately came forward to greet him.
Li Shu glanced around; all the staff were evolvers, and their levels weren’t low. It seemed the owner of this place was even more powerful than he had imagined.
Throughout the meal, Ye Chengran maintained his gentlemanly demeanor. He handed the menu to Li Shu, and Li Shu ordered the dishes he liked without hesitation.
The server at the side was secretly astonished, wondering what the identity of the young man Ye Chengran had brought could be. Although he was just an ordinary person, he showed no signs of nervousness in such a high-end place and didn’t try to curry favor with Ye Chengran at all.
Since the food had been served, Li Shu saw no reason to waste it. He wasn’t afraid of whatever Ye Chengran might do since he wasn’t entirely defenseless.
Meanwhile, Gu Lin received a report from his subordinate and stopped his work without hesitation: “I have something to take care of. We’ll continue this discussion later.”
Without waiting for anyone’s response, he left immediately.
He rushed to the restaurant where Li Shu was at full speed, ignored the staff who came to greet him, and headed straight for the private room where Li Shu was.
The door swung open with a bang, and the two people inside that were in the middle of talking turned to look at him.
Gu Lin paused for a moment, then said, “Shu Shu, come here.”
