Dangerous Liaisons - Chapter 14

The two boats gradually drew closer and finally came to a stop. Before the gangplank could even be set up, Lu Zimo had already leaped onto the other boat. Renault laughed heartily and went to embrace him, “Lu, it’s rare for you to show such face…”

Renault’s words caught in his throat. His face suddenly turned pale. Slowly, he began to back away. Lu Zimo’s smile was faint, and he didn’t look at Chu Yu. His gaze was firmly locked on the man in front of him. In the sunlight, his dark eyes glinted with a hint of bloodlust. His voice was soft, “It’s not easy to see you either, Renault.”

The two men moved step by step, one advancing, the other retreating, until they reached the deck. Just as Renault suddenly paused, the bikini-clad woman who had been lazily sunbathing earlier had somehow sneaked up behind Chu Yu and now held a gun to her head. Lu Zimo glanced at Chu Yu indifferently, as if she were a joke, “Renault, Mr. Jin sends his regards.”

Renault’s plump body trembled uncontrollably. He forced a dry laugh that sounded more like a sob, “Lu, don’t forget, your precious is still in my hands…”

“My precious?”

Lu Zimo’s hand slowly rose. A flash of silver caught the light. Only then did Chu Yu notice the small, sleek gun in his hand, moving from Renault’s belly up to his chest. Lu Zimo tilted his head, feigning confusion, “My precious? I don’t understand.”

Renault trembled, not daring to speak. Lu Zimo leaned in closer, his eyes filled with murderous intent. His voice was low and deliberate, and Chu Yu heard every word, chilling her to the core, “The weakness I showed you was the one I wanted you to see. How could you not understand such a simple thing?”

Renault shook even more violently. Lu Zimo sneered, “Renault, haven’t you heard the Eastern saying, ‘retreat to advance’? If not for this, how could I lure you out of hiding, you scurrying rat?!”

“Lu, you must be joking.”

Renault struggled to maintain his composure. Without turning around, he shouted to the woman behind him, “Gina, shoot her.”

The woman pointing the gun at Chu Yu shifted her aim slightly, and a searing pain exploded in Chu Yu’s thigh. She cried out and collapsed onto the deck, blood gushing from the wound. Gina quickly returned the gun to Chu Yu’s temple. But Lu Zimo, this man, didn’t even glance in Chu Yu’s direction. His expression remained calm and cold. After the gunshot, he raised an eyebrow and pressed closer to Renault, “You can gamble if you want. Go ahead and shoot her.”

Sweat dripped down Renault’s face. He croaked, “Gina, kill her!”

Gina took a step back and cocked the gun. The cold metallic click made Chu Yu close her eyes. She never thought she would die like this.

How naive she had been.

A bitter smile crossed Chu Yu’s lips. How could she have believed that this man, whose heart was as cold as ice, could have feelings for her? Renault’s words had fooled her, and she had even shouted into the sea earlier. Maybe death was for the best. It would end everything.

Another gunshot rang out. Chu Yu felt as if her body had been struck by a heavy blow, and she could no longer hold herself up. She collapsed onto the deck. The sensation in her chest disappeared, and even the pain in her leg began to fade. Her body grew colder, and her consciousness blurred. Everything around her slowed and grew distant. She turned her head slightly and saw Lu Zimo, cold and unyielding, his entire being radiating a fierce, murderous aura.

But he didn’t look at her, not even once.

Renault could no longer withstand the psychological pressure. He finally realized that this man truly didn’t care about the woman’s life. He fell to his knees, “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!” Renault screamed. Lu Zimo didn’t move, and Renault didn’t dare to either, “I… I’ll return all the goods I took from Mr. Jin. They’re still hidden in Chiang Rai, not shipped yet. And my Swiss account… I can tell you everything, just don’t kill me…”

“Tell your men to throw their guns into the sea.”

Lu Zimo spoke softly. Renault shouted, “You idiots, do as he says!”

The men on the boat hesitated, then one by one, they turned and threw their guns into the sea. Lu Zimo nodded, “Now, all of you, get into the cabin.”

The men exchanged glances and began to move. Lu Zimo stopped them, pointing with his foot at the deck, “The one below.”

Without resistance, they opened the hatch leading to the lower deck and filed in one by one. When everyone had disappeared, Lu Zimo crouched down and looked at Renault, “Where are the goods hidden in Chiang Rai?!”

“T-the seventh street… behind the craft shop…” Renault stammered, his eyes pleading, “Lu, please, don’t kill me…”

Lu Zimo raised his hand, and a loud gunshot echoed. The faint smell of gunpowder drifted on the sea breeze to Chu Yu’s nose. In her dazed state, the gunshot seemed to reverberate endlessly in the sky, growing fainter and fainter… The last thing she saw was Lu Zimo’s face, silent and slowly growing larger.

Lu Zimo crouched beside Chu Yu’s lifeless body, silent for a long moment, then suddenly let out a heart-wrenching cry, “Whyyyyyy?!”

In a final, desperate act, he stood up, cradled Chu Yu’s body, and leaped into the sea, choosing to die with her.

…
…
…

It felt like she was having a nightmare. She was in a jungle, being chased by people with guns. She didn’t know why or where she could run. She just kept running blindly through the trees. The sound of voices and gunfire grew louder behind her. Finally, a stray bullet hit her, and searing pain shot through her leg and chest. The force of the impact sent her stumbling forward, but then someone caught her, holding her steady. Chu Yu looked up, and the face before her gradually came into focus, “Lu Zimo…”

So it wasn’t a dream. Chu Yu’s body shuddered again as Lu Zimo held her tightly, looking over her shoulder, “How is she?”

“The bullets have been removed,” a woman’s calm voice replied from behind, “but she’s lost a lot of blood. And you didn’t bring her in time. Her life is hanging by a thread. The next three days are critical. Are you sure you don’t want to take her to a government hospital?!”

“I trust you more.”

Lu Zimo’s voice was cold. He helped Chu Yu lie down gently. He picked up a roll of gauze and assisted the woman in applying medicine and bandaging the stitched wounds. As she lay down, her vision cleared a bit. She realized she was no longer on the boat but in some indoor space. The room was sparse, filled with the distinct smell of disinfectant. Chu Yu’s gaze wandered, and the woman tending to her wounds smiled, “Hello, I’m Ke Ren, a… friend of Lu Zimo’s.”

Chu Yu couldn’t speak, so she nodded slightly in response. Ke Ren glanced at Lu Zimo, “I think you can leave now. I only needed your help earlier because there was no other option. I can handle the medicine and bandaging on my own.”

Lu Zimo didn’t move, not even lifting an eyebrow to look at the woman. Ke Ren pursed her lips, “She’s naked, you know. How long are you going to keep taking advantage of her?”

“I’ve seen and touched every part of her body.”

Lu Zimo’s cold statement made Ke Ren blush furiously. She awkwardly laughed, “Haha, haha, so that’s the kind of relationship you have.”

Lu Zimo leaned down, supporting Chu Yu’s shoulders to help her sit up slightly, allowing Ke Ren to wrap the bandage around her back. He looked into her eyes, his gaze icy. Chu Yu couldn’t help but recall the scene on the boat. The woman had fired two shots, and he hadn’t even flinched, standing firm as a mountain.

If he didn’t care about her life, why save her at all?! Chu Yu turned her head away, avoiding his gaze. She felt the hand supporting her stiffen, but he didn’t say a word.

Enough. Her romantic, unrealistic fantasies were enough. She was twenty-eight, not eighteen. How could she still harbor such naive hopes for a man with such a dark, dangerous background?!

Who would have thought that Deng Chu Yu’s first love would be a one-sided infatuation with a man like this? What did she even like about him?! Was it just because he was handsome, ruthless, and dangerous?!

This man… once she left this place, she would avoid him like the plague, staying as far away as possible.

Ke Ren clapped her hands, “Done!” Lu Zimo gently laid Chu Yu back down, pulling a blanket over her. He looked at Ke Ren, “Take care of her. Once she’s better, send her to China at this address.”

Lu Zimo handed Ke Ren a slip of paper and a stack of money. Ke Ren took the money without hesitation, glanced at the address, and muttered, “I told you she’s in critical condition for the next three days, and you’re still leaving? What a cold-hearted man. I’d rather not have…”

Ke Ren suddenly stopped, as if realizing she had said too much. She looked down at Chu Yu, who had closed her eyes. Lu Zimo’s expression didn’t change, “I’m leaving.”

“At least wash the blood off your hands before you go…”

Ke Ren muttered, but Lu Zimo didn’t seem to hear. He strode out of the room. When the door closed, Chu Yu slowly opened her eyes. Ke Ren looked at her and smiled, “I lied earlier when I said you had three critical days. You’re actually fine now. Just rest well and make sure the wounds don’t get infected or cause a fever.”

“Thank you.”

Chu Yu smiled, not wanting to speak. Ke Ren pulled up a chair and sat by Chu Yu’s bed, seemingly in no hurry to leave. She asked eagerly, “How did you and Lu meet?! This is the first time I’ve heard him admit to having a woman. I always thought he was gay. A man that handsome being gay would be such a waste…”

“I’m not his woman.”

Chu Yu spoke softly, her tone indifferent. Ke Ren finally noticed that Chu Yu’s attitude was off. She awkwardly fell silent, made an excuse, and left the room.

Chu Yu stayed on the small island in the Gulf of Thailand for over two months. The next day, she contacted her family through the internet. Her family had been in chaos over her disappearance. When they learned she was safe, her mother broke down in tears.

Chu Yu hid the truth about her injuries and the real situation. She only said she had been caught up in a black-market medical dispute and kidnapped back to Thailand, but was now safe. Once the formalities were settled, she would return home.

No matter how deep the wound, time would eventually heal it. Under Ke Ren’s care, Chu Yu recovered quickly. Soon, the wounds were just small, dark red bumps on her skin. Ke Ren suggested that Chu Yu consider cosmetic surgery for the bullet wound on her thigh. Chu Yu smiled but didn’t respond.

At first, Ke Ren would occasionally ask about Chu Yu and Lu Zimo’s relationship. Each time, Chu Yu remained silent. She refused to speak, and Ke Ren eventually stopped asking. During this time, Lu Zimo was completely absent. Chu Yu didn’t waste a single thought on him.

She wanted to forget him, completely and utterly, leaving no trace behind.

Once her wounds had healed, Ke Ren followed Lu Zimo’s initial instructions and sent Chu Yu back to Hangzhou. At the airport, they said a brief goodbye, and Ke Ren hurried back onto her return flight.

Returning to Hangzhou this time felt entirely different. The last time she had come back from Thailand, she had been filled with guilt over Tai, but there had still been a glimmer of hope deep inside. Now, that hope was completely extinguished. Perhaps it was for the best. Only by letting go could she start a new life.

Chu Yu left the airport and hailed a taxi home. There seemed to be some event in the city today, as traffic quickly became congested. The driver complained incessantly. Chu Yu found it irritating and frowned slightly. She had just gotten off the plane and had contacted her family at the airport, but without a phone, she couldn’t let them know she was stuck in traffic and would be late. Chu Yu looked out the window at the endless line of cars.

She sighed, and as she turned her head again, her body suddenly stiffened. She thought she must be seeing things. Her heart pounded, and afraid the person behind her would notice, she fished out her sunglasses and put them on, then cautiously glanced at the rearview mirror on the right side of the car. The curved mirror clearly reflected the driver of the taxi behind hers—a man she was sure she had seen before. The man who had carried her to Lu Zimo’s room when she was kidnapped to the mountain stronghold. His hand reached into his jacket, and a flash of dark gold caught the light.

Chu Yu’s heart sank.