#61: Despair

During his mission, Lu Zhou didn’t hear from Shen Yihuan very often.

Only when he was free in the evening did he have a chance to call her. Each time, he could hear the wind howling more and more violently in the background.

It was getting colder.

January was almost over.

The New Year was approaching.

A week later, Shen Yihuan returned to Beijing with Commander Lu and his wife, moving back into her small apartment.

She had rented the apartment for a year, and the lease was set to expire in February. The landlord had messaged her a few days ago to ask if she wanted to renew, but Shen Yihuan refused.

The last time she was in Beijing, she had already taken half of her clothes to Lu Zhou’s place. When he returned, she probably wouldn’t need this apartment anymore.

Qiu Ruru came to visit in between.

Shen Yihuan went out for afternoon tea with her.

Qiu Ruru noticed the ring on Shen Yihuan’s ring finger and was momentarily stunned. “Lu Zhou is moving so fast. He’s already bought a ring.”

“When he gets back, he’s going to apply for a marriage license,” Shen Yihuan said with a smile.

“Whoa,” Qiu Ruru said, raising her eyebrows dramatically.

Back in their school days, everyone used to wonder who Lu Zhou and Shen Yihuan would end up marrying. Even though they were together, no one seemed to believe they would go the distance.

“Tonight is the class reunion,” Qiu Ruru said. “Still not going?”

Shen Yihuan had been idle for days and was starting to feel bored.

Besides, she didn’t want to be “sensible” anymore. She wasn’t someone who could easily restrain her boisterous nature.

Her lips curved into a smile. “I’ll go.”

Her eyes squinted slightly, the upturned corners carrying a youthful swagger—carefree, confident, and genuinely happy.

Qiu Ruru smiled as well.

As they left the cafe, they ran into a man in his fifties. Dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase, he clearly seemed to be a person of importance.

Qiu Ruru stopped to greet him. “Uncle Gu, what a coincidence!”

Shen Yihuan was startled. She leaned closer and whispered, “Who is that?”

“Gu Minghui’s dad,” Qiu Ruru whispered back.

Shen Yihuan took a closer look and realized the man did look familiar. She had seen him at parent-teacher conferences and when they’d all gotten into trouble and their parents were called in. However, he had aged, and his appearance was different from her memory.

She followed suit and greeted him. “Hello, Uncle Gu.”

Gu Minghui’s father had a good memory. After looking at them for a moment, he recognized them and called out their names. He made small talk. “You two are still so close.”

“Yes,” Qiu Ruru said. “We see Gu Minghui often, too, but he’s been so busy lately that it’s been a while.”

Gu’s father sighed with a look of disappointment, as if his son was a good-for-nothing. “I haven’t seen that kid in a long time. I don’t know where he’s off to now, and he barely answers his phone. Do you know where he is?”

“Huh? Isn’t he in...”

Qiu Ruru was about to say something when Shen Yihuan squeezed her hand firmly.

She fell silent and heard Shen Yihuan say, “I think Gu Minghui went on a trip somewhere. He should be back soon. We’ll give him a call later to hurry him up.”

After Gu’s father left, Qiu Ruru let out a sigh of relief. “That was a close call.”

“From what his dad said, Gu Minghui didn’t go to Xinjiang for the company. Is he starting his own business?” Qiu Ruru asked.

Shen Yihuan replied, “If he were starting a business, his dad wouldn’t ask that, would he?”

“And back then, he told us he was working for the old man at home,” Qiu Ruru added. “Maybe he has a crush on a girl from Xinjiang and went there to woo her without telling us?”

That sounded more like something Gu Minghui would do.

For some reason, Shen Yihuan suddenly recalled that day in the desert when Gu Minghui stood apart from them. As she walked past, she overheard him say, “Don’t let him show his face again.”

His voice was sharp and commanding, completely different from his usual demeanor.

At the time, Shen Yihuan hadn’t thought much of it, only that Gu Minghui seemed so different when he was working.

Thinking about it now, something felt off.

A terrible feeling suddenly arose in her heart.

It was as if many details she had overlooked were intertwined around her, but she couldn’t connect them into a clear picture.

Qiu Ruru nudged her with her elbow. “What’s wrong?”

Shen Yihuan smiled. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

________________________________________

The class reunion that night was at a bar.

Shen Yihuan and Qiu Ruru were about ten minutes late. When they walked in, everyone was already there.

Everyone noticed the change in Shen Yihuan immediately. She was completely different from the last time they saw her at the school anniversary. She was still beautiful, but something in her essence had become more confident and unrestrained.

She hadn’t even dressed up much.

It’s said that class reunions a few years after graduation are a show-and-tell of who’s more successful.

Shen Yihuan had made a last-minute decision to come. Dressed in a simple outfit—a pair of tight jeans that made her legs look long and straight—she was slender and tall, with a natural presence that set her apart.

Everyone greeted her.

They were all just being polite.

The “reunion” was really just a chance to talk about the past, their current careers, and gossip about those who hadn’t shown up.

Shen Yihuan noticed that Zhang Tongqi wasn’t there.

Then she heard them mention that Zhang Tongqi was embroiled in a scandal. Apparently, the old man who had helped her get famous when she first debuted was a secret sugar daddy.

Photos of him had been leaked—he was bald and pot-bellied, as unattractive as could be.

Zhang Tongqi wasn’t very famous to begin with. She had been in the spotlight for a while after one successful drama, but now, with the scandal, she was essentially blacklisted.

She had been the star of the school anniversary.

How things change.

“Shen Yihuan, I heard Zhang Tongqi caused you a lot of trouble before, but now that she’s fallen this far, I guess she got what she deserved.”

Shen Yihuan heard someone say this.

They weren’t even using her stage name, “Zhang Tongqi,” anymore, just her birth name.

She glanced at the woman who spoke, not recognizing her, and smiled coldly without replying.

The laser lights in the bar crisscrossed, casting a hazy glow. The band on stage was screaming rock music, the deafening sound vibrating her chest. It felt oppressive.

Shen Yihuan realized she must be getting old.

She couldn’t understand why she used to like places like this. It was too loud.

After chatting for a while, it was past 10 PM, and the party was getting livelier.

Shen Yihuan was about to leave, but someone laughingly pushed her back into her seat. A waiter brought over a new ice bucket.

Inside were ice cubes and a bottle of champagne, giving off wisps of white steam.

These were things people in their circle only started to encounter after they entered the workforce and had to attend social events. Shen Yihuan, on the other hand, had seen these things often in middle and high school and now found them boring.

A man took out the champagne bottle and, using a metal fork from the snack platter, gently tapped the foil to open it.

Shen Yihuan sat idly, watching his movements.

Even opening a bottle of wine had become a show of skill.

“Let’s play a game! The person the bottle cap points to has to choose ‘Truth’ or ‘Dare’! If you chicken out, you have to drink a glass. No cheating!”

He poured a full glass of champagne for everyone.

And so, the game began.

Shen Yihuan and Qiu Ruru sat together.

After a few rounds, the conversation opened up. They weren’t kids anymore, so few chose “Dare” and most opted for “Truth.” Whether they were telling the truth, no one could really know.

“How come the bottle hasn’t pointed to our class beauty yet!” the man who opened the wine said, rubbing his hands together and seriously spinning the bottle again.

One turn, two turns, three turns, four turns...

It slowed down, stopped, and pointed at Shen Yihuan.

Everyone cheered.

“What’s a good question?”

Someone with a keen eye said, “I’ve noticed the ring on Shen Yihuan’s hand. Are you getting married?”

Everyone turned to look at her hand. “Where’s the ring?”

“I put it away.” Shen Yihuan cherished the ring. In a chaotic place like this, she had taken it off and put it away shortly after arriving.

She answered frankly, “Yes, I’m getting married.”

“Wow!” everyone exclaimed.

The next question was a natural follow-up. “To whom?”

The young woman answered calmly and openly, “Lu Zhou.”

A moment of silence fell, followed by a wave of excitement. For the entire evening, all eyes were on Shen Yihuan.

They had invited Lu Zhou to the group chat, but he hadn’t responded. Since Shen Yihuan was there alone, they hadn’t expected them to be back together.

By the end, Shen Yihuan was even invited back into the class WeChat group she had left long ago.

Then, her phone blew up with messages as everyone tried to add her as a friend.

Shen Yihuan got up and excused herself to go to the restroom.

She walked to the bright main hall of the bar.

Lu Zhou hadn’t called her yet. He used to call her every night.

Shen Yihuan leaned against the wall, holding her phone and staring at their conversation. She typed a few words, deleted them, and retyped them several times before finally pressing send.

Cherry: Call me back when you’re free.

________________________________________

Xinjiang, Pamir Plateau.

Outside a small restaurant.

Gu Minghui got out of the car, followed closely by two bodyguards.

As he walked into the restaurant, he was nearly bumped into by a waiter carrying a tray around a corner. Gu Minghui frowned and stepped back, narrowly avoiding getting his suit dirty.

Gu Minghui: “Be careful.”

The waiter apologized repeatedly. After watching Gu Minghui walk up the stairs, he avoided the crowd, pulled out a walkie-talkie, and said in a low voice, “Captain Lu, the target is here.”

Lu Zhou saw Gu Minghui, protected by two bodyguards, enter a hidden room.

Waiting for Gu Minghui inside was Fan Hu, the leader of a poaching gang, whom Lu Zhou’s team had already captured a while ago.

According to Li Wu, Fan Hu used to be his supplier of guns and ammunition, but later, Gu Minghui stole his clients. So, all of Fan Hu’s supplies now came from Gu Minghui.

They had investigated Fan Hu’s background. He had no powerful backing, having made his way up by poaching and selling deer, leopard, and sheep pelts. He only had business partners, no one to protect him.

That made things much easier.

They had abducted Fan Hu and set up this elaborate trap.

Lu Zhou watched as Gu Minghui entered the room, then quietly moved closer, a bullet already in the chamber.

The area was completely silent.

Lu Zhou had a hidden earpiece in his ear, receiving constant updates from all directions. While keeping an eye on the room, he had to also process the information coming through the earpiece.

Gu Minghui had a briefcase in his hand when he entered. They needed to wait until the trade was complete and the evidence was in hand.

A burst of laughter came from inside the room.

Fan Hu, with a scar on his face that made him look menacing, handed a briefcase to Gu Minghui.

The bodyguard behind Gu Minghui took it, opened it, and saw a case full of cash.

The bodyguard glanced at Gu Minghui, who nodded. The bodyguard then handed his own briefcase to Fan Hu.

Watching through a crack in the door, Lu Zhou held his breath. He held his gun tightly, ready to rush in at any moment.

Fan Hu took the briefcase and lifted it slightly, his expression freezing.

Lu Zhou noticed this detail—Fan Hu would only react like that if the briefcase was very light. Guns and ammunition wouldn’t be light.

At the same time, He Min’s voice came through the earpiece. “Captain Lu, watch out for a trap—”

The voice cut off, replaced by a jumble of distracting static.

Lu Zhou gritted his teeth and cursed softly, then tore off his earpiece.

Gu Minghui saw Fan Hu’s stunned expression and gave a subtle, charming smile. The briefcase was opened to reveal that it was empty.

In an instant, all the lights went out.

The restaurant’s layout was cleverly designed. The outer area had spacious dining tables, and one had to navigate several turns to reach the private rooms in the back.

Lu Zhou heard the sound of hurried footsteps and gunshots from outside.

He kicked the door open, his gun pointed directly at Gu Minghui!

This was the first time they had faced each other in this way. Gu Minghui sat leisurely in a chair, watching him brazenly. He tilted his chin up, his eyes narrowed with a slight smile.

Behind his ear, Gu Minghui held up his hand, forming a gun with his fingers, pointing it at Lu Zhou, and whispered, “Bang.”

He wasn’t afraid. Lu Zhou had two guns aimed at his temples from either side.

If he made any sudden movements, two bullets would likely meet in his head.

It was a trap!

Gu Minghui had known all along that this was a setup. He had only shown up to take them all down.

His ambition was tens of times greater than Li Wu’s. He didn’t just want to hide and make a quiet fortune. He wanted to become an arms lord no one would dare to cross.

Lu Zhou stood his ground, his face tense, his gun still aimed at Gu Minghui.

“Tsk.”

Gu Minghui let out a flippant whistle, then slowly unholstered his own gun from his waist.

He twirled it casually on his index finger before gripping it tightly again. He chambered a bullet, tilted his head, and aimed it at Lu Zhou’s heart.

“Lu Zhou, did you ever think you’d be looking down the barrel of my gun like this?” he asked with a smile.

“Yes.”

Before leaving, Lu Zhou had considered every possible outcome.

Gu Minghui said, “But Shen Yihuan definitely didn’t.”

Lu Zhou’s eyebrows furrowed. The composed and flawless facade he had maintained finally cracked.

“Lu Zhou, if you die here today, what do you think Cherry will do?” Gu Minghui raised an eyebrow. “You said you’d rather die than let her go, right?”

Lu Zhou had indeed once thought that if he could abandon all morals, he would drag Shen Yihuan down to hell with him. He didn’t want to leave her in a world without him.

But things were different now.

“No.”

Lu Zhou tilted his head. He suddenly turned his gun, pulling and yanking the man next to him. A gunshot rang out, hitting the man, who became a human shield.

Lu Zhou kicked off the wall, crudely bending the other man’s elbow back. The man instinctively reacted, his finger on the trigger, and he shot himself in the head, falling to the ground instantly.

It took less than a minute.

Lu Zhou’s face and body were splattered with warm blood. He took a shallow breath and casually wiped a hand across his face.

He slowly stood up, the blood making his face look fierce.

Lu Zhou walked toward Gu Minghui, gun in hand, and said with a tone of contempt, “Shen Yihuan can be wherever she wants.”

Gu Minghui stared straight at him, his gaze unwavering, his lips a tight line.

“As for me, whether you can take my life is up to you.” The man’s voice was low, and when he said this, a cruel smile appeared on his face. “As long as I have a single breath left, I’ll crawl back to her.”

“We’ve crossed three years and this entire desert.”

Lu Zhou and Gu Minghui both squeezed their triggers at the same time.

“—What are you to her?” Lu Zhou said, his last words to him.

...

Bang—!

Bang bang bang bang!