Dangerous Liaisons - Chapter 17

Chu Yu glanced at Bayu, who was still sitting motionless on the bench in the hallway. He merely looked up briefly in her direction before lowering his head again to fiddle with the game console he had just bought. Back then, it was because Renault had kidnapped Deng Xin that she had resorted to such a desperate move to shake off Yu Feng, who had been on a date with her at the time. She had thought that the “Chinese cop” mentioned by the other party was Yu Feng.

Later, after subtly probing her family, she learned that Yu Feng did indeed work at the city archives. Chu Yu knew she was in the wrong. “I’m sorry… It was a sudden situation back then, and I had no choice but to act that way…”

“Since I ran into you, you owe me an explanation, don’t you?”

Yu Feng smiled, clearly not intending to hold it against her, and his tone softened. Chu Yu looked at him, “What are you doing here?”

“Accompanying my cousin for a check-up. Food poisoning…” Yu Feng glanced at Chu Yu a couple of times, “You’re not working at this hospital, are you?”

“Sort of, but I won’t officially start until next Monday,” Chu Yu smiled. Yu Feng looked regretful, “Ah, what a shame. Having a connection but not being able to use it.” Then he brightened up, “Well, from now on, this hospital will be one of our family’s strongholds. Having someone in the hospital can benefit the masses.”

Chu Yu’s gaze shifted past Yu Feng to look ahead. Bayu showed no interest in joining or being introduced. Considering his insistence on remaining invisible, she didn’t push it. She nodded at Yu Feng, “I have some things to take care of, so I need to go now.”

“Hey, beautiful, you still owe me an explanation. You’re not going to run off again, are you? That’s not very sincere. At the very least, you should treat me to a meal or offer me a cup of tea as an apology, don’t you think?”

Yu Feng joked, waving his phone, “Alright, go ahead and take care of your business. I’ll call you on Saturday and give you a chance to make it up to me.”

“Alright,” Chu Yu smiled, “See you on Saturday.”

After leaving the hospital, Chu Yu wandered around the nearby neighborhood, looking for a suitable apartment. She finally settled on a place just a five-minute walk from the hospital. The area was bustling, and the rent wasn’t cheap, but as long as she could move out of her family’s home, the extra cost didn’t matter.

When Chu Yu returned home and told her family about finding a job and renting an apartment, they didn’t object too much. Her parents probably understood her intentions. As for her uncle’s family, they naturally hoped she would move out. Her grandparents were reluctant but couldn’t do much. The hospital was too far, and they couldn’t expect their granddaughter to commute four hours by bus every day.

Once the decision to move was made, she realized she didn’t have much to take with her. The new place was already furnished. Most of what she brought were the things she had packed when she returned from Thailand. Many of the boxes hadn’t even been opened, so they could be moved directly. Her mother, worried, accompanied Chu Yu to check out the new place and helped her unpack for a whole day. Before leaving, her mother hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up, “Xiao Yu, now that you’re moving out, it’s not like being at home. Living alone with that big guy, a man and a woman together, it’s not proper. Are you two…”

“No, Mom,” Chu Yu smiled and hugged her mother, “He’s just a friend.”

Chu Yu lowered her eyes slightly, not letting her mother see her thoughts. He was just a pawn that man had placed by her side, under the guise of protection, to constantly remind her of his presence.

After settling into the new place and buying some necessities, several days passed without her realizing it. Early on Saturday morning, Yu Feng called, “Beautiful, time to fulfill your promise, right?”

So they agreed to meet at a Chinese restaurant not far from the hospital. Bayu followed silently about ten meters behind her. He didn’t interfere with her daily activities but kept a close eye on her movements. Chu Yu wondered what Bayu had done after leaving the military and why he was so loyal to Lu Zimo. As she pondered this, she glanced back at Bayu before entering the restaurant. She and Bayu entered one after the other, and the hostess led them to the second-floor dining hall after confirming Chu Yu’s reservation. Yu Feng was already waiting by the window.

The restaurant had a traditional Chinese decor. Although it was a large dining hall, it was divided into relatively private yet open spaces using screen-like partitions. Seeing Chu Yu approach, Yu Feng stood up and smiled, “No plans to ditch me again today, right?”

Chu Yu smiled and took her seat. After ordering and the tea was served, they chatted casually. Yu Feng didn’t press her about why she had left that day. He seemed like a decent guy. It was just unfortunate that they had met too late. If she hadn’t gone abroad, if she hadn’t met Lu Zimo… Life was full of unchangeable events. Her life trajectory would have been entirely different, and she might not have met Yu Feng at all.

Similarly, if it was fate for her to meet Lu Zimo, then no matter the circumstances, he would have appeared in her life, stirring up waves.

Going out to eat with Yu Feng was still a vague concept in Chu Yu’s mind. She knew Yu Feng likely had some feelings for her. Their outing could be defined as somewhere between friends and a blind date. But she hadn’t figured out whether she was treating Yu Feng as a friend or as an opportunity to start a new, safe life away from Lu Zimo.

Yu Feng talked about his work and asked about Chu Yu’s experiences studying and working as a doctor in Thailand. They got along well. By the time they finished lunch, it was already around two in the afternoon. While Yu Feng settled the bill, Chu Yu went to the restroom. When she came out, she saw Officer Wen standing in the hallway, smiling at her.

Chu Yu frowned almost imperceptibly and nodded slightly in greeting. The officer’s persistence was truly astonishing. She tried to walk past him to return to her seat, but Officer Wen, unfazed, spoke up casually, “Miss Deng, you’re quite unique. You can openly go on a date with another man while having a bodyguard arranged by your man following you. Aren’t you afraid Lu Zimo will find out and bring disaster to your little lover?”

Chu Yu stiffened. She had never considered this possibility. Perhaps because Lu Zimo had never done anything to harm her, she subconsciously believed he was safe for her.

But what about Yu Feng?

Would he really mind, as Officer Wen suggested?

Chu Yu didn’t respond, pausing for a moment before continuing forward. Bayu was also in the dining hall, sitting near the corridor. When he saw Chu Yu come out, he merely glanced up briefly. Officer Wen followed her, “Miss Deng, have you ever thought that if I wanted to cause trouble for Bayu, I could report him for illegally carrying a firearm? That’s a serious crime in China. Aren’t you being a bit too trusting of the protection Lu Zimo arranged for you?”

“Officer Wen.”

Chu Yu turned around, “I don’t know what makes you so determined to follow me, thinking I have the power to help you catch Lu Zimo. Let me say it one last time: there’s nothing between me and Lu Zimo.”

“I understand.”

Officer Wen leaned against a carved wooden pillar, smiling faintly, “Lu Zimo is currently seeing a French model. He’s been seen with her at various events in Thailand recently and even bought her a villa… Compared to you, who’s renting an apartment, we naturally believe your claim that you’ve broken up and have no connection.”

Chu Yu felt as if she had been struck by lightning, frozen in place.

It wasn’t the teasing or the slight sarcasm in Officer Wen’s words that affected her. She had just never imagined that Lu Zimo’s name would be so casually linked to another woman, to gossip and tabloid-like news.

She remembered the last thing he had said before leaving. Had she misunderstood him?

Before, he had always appeared by her side because he wanted to use her as bait to lure out Renault. If he had no feelings for her, why had he secretly followed her back to China and arranged for Bayu to protect her, saying those ambiguous words? If he did have feelings for her, how could he turn around and indulge in a lavish lifestyle, treating women as if they were mere accessories?

Perhaps he wasn’t the man she had imagined him to be. How could she have thought that a man like him could fall for a woman and remain devoted? Especially with his personality. Even if he did have feelings, how much of his heart could they truly occupy?

Chu Yu’s thoughts grew more tangled. Officer Wen observed her expression with interest, dragging out his words, “Oh, so Miss Deng didn’t know about this? Seems I spoke out of turn.”

Chu Yu had no intention of continuing to engage with this strange officer. Bayu had already put down what he was holding and was looking over. Since it was Officer Wen, he remained on standby. Officer Wen smiled slightly and said, “Think carefully about the conditions I mentioned, Miss Deng. And, I never said my target was Lu Zimo. Take care of yourself.”

Officer Wen nodded at Bayu in the distance and then turned to leave, descending the stairs. His last words made Chu Yu turn around, but Officer Wen had already reached the first floor and quickly exited the restaurant. Yu Feng, who had been waiting for a while, came over and noticed Chu Yu’s pale complexion. He followed her gaze, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Chu Yu turned around, forcing a smile, “I suddenly feel unwell and want to go back. Is that okay?”

Yu Feng studied Chu Yu for a moment before finally nodding, “Alright, we can reschedule.”

Chu Yu declined Yu Feng’s offer to take her home and hailed a cab herself. After turning a corner, she had the driver stop, and Bayu’s car quickly caught up. Chu Yu got into the back seat, remaining silent.

Bayu drove straight home. Chu Yu stared out at the passing scenery for a long time before finally speaking, “Bayu, Lu Zimo…”

The words caught in her throat. Chu Yu felt a tightness in her chest. It was only after Officer Wen told her these things that she realized she couldn’t help but care. Even though he had never made her any promises, even though they were so far apart.

If she truly wanted to forget him completely, shouldn’t everything and everyone related to him disappear? Yet here was this big guy, constantly reminding her that somewhere far away, a cold man still cared about her safety.

Bayu didn’t respond to Chu Yu’s words. After parking the car, he didn’t immediately get out and head upstairs as usual. He remained silent for a while before finally speaking, “Miss Deng, Mr. Lu is getting engaged to the daughter of Viper next month. Mr. Lu instructed me to tell you this if you ever brought him up.”

Chu Yu stared blankly at Bayu, unable to process the information. Bayu looked at her, “Miss Deng, after delivering this message, my mission is complete. I’ll be returning to Thailand tomorrow. Mr. Lu also asked me to relay one more thing: Thank you for saving his life back then. He has done all he can. He hopes you can live happily from now on.”

What did this mean?!

So all his arrangements were just to repay a debt.

So everything had been her own delusion.

Bayu left as soon as he said he would. After a brief farewell, he boarded a flight back to Thailand the next day. After Bayu left, Chu Yu locked herself in her room for a whole day. Since Lu Zimo had withdrawn Bayu, did that mean her life would finally return to normal?

He was engaged. He was going to marry the daughter of someone called Viper. Just the name alone told her they were cut from the same cloth. She shouldn’t have read too much into the ambiguous signals he had given her. They were from different worlds, and their paths had crossed by chance. That didn’t mean anything would actually happen.

Now, at last, her wish had been granted. Everything and everyone related to Lu Zimo had vanished from her life. She could finally forget the past completely.

After Bayu’s disappearance, Chu Yu keenly felt a sudden emptiness around her. It was a strange sensation, as if the background characters who had always been around her—people she didn’t know or pay attention to—had all disappeared overnight.

Was it because Bayu’s withdrawal and the news about Lu Zimo had finally made everyone realize she no longer held the value they had once thought she did? Were those people Officer Wen’s informants? Her life had finally returned to peace, hadn’t it?

No matter what had happened, life had to go on. Chu Yu started her official duties at the hospital on Monday as required.

On her first day, she didn’t go to her office but spent the entire morning running around completing paperwork. By noon, the head of the surgery department took her around the various rooms before clocking out, briefly introducing her to her colleagues. They weren’t as enthusiastic as she had imagined. After a few simple greetings, it was over. The department head, however, was unexpectedly kind, “There’s not much to do today, so you can leave early. You’ll start officially tomorrow morning, so get some rest.”

Chu Yu thanked the department head and left half an hour early. Unexpectedly, she ran into Yu Feng again. However, judging by the way he was loitering in the hallway, this “chance encounter” was highly suspect.

“Who’s got food poisoning this time? Your cousin? Or your cousin’s cousin?”

Chu Yu smiled at Yu Feng, surprised she still had the energy to joke. This realization made her feel a bit better. She, Deng Chu Yu, was a strong woman. It was just an emotional setback. Strictly speaking, since it hadn’t truly started, there was no real heartbreak. Life was long, and starting over was always an option.

“Let me get food poisoning myself this time. I’ll treat you to dinner.”

Yu Feng laughed. Chu Yu hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. Yu Feng made a victory gesture and led Chu Yu out of the hospital.

It was 4:30 in the afternoon. The road outside the hospital was sparsely populated with cars and pedestrians. Just outside the hospital gates was a wide crosswalk. The hospital was located at a crossroads, and during rush hours, the traffic and crowds here could be overwhelming. Chu Yu and Yu Feng waited for the pedestrian signal to turn green before starting to cross. They had only gone a third of the way when the screech of tires echoed from the side. A silver car rounded the corner at high speed, ran a red light, and charged straight toward them.

Chu Yu’s face turned pale. In that split second, she instinctively shoved Yu Feng hard, sending him back to the curb. But the expected impact never came. The car skidded to a stop beside her, and two expressionless men got out, grabbing Chu Yu and shoving her into the back seat.

Yu Feng, who had fallen to the ground, jumped up. At the same time, several men and women who had been standing by the roadside rushed forward, pulling out guns from behind their backs as they ran. But the men in the car were faster. In just a few seconds, they had completed the abduction, slammed the car doors shut, and sped away.

Chu Yu was forced to sit in the middle of the back seat. The man in the passenger seat turned around and smiled at her, “Hey, beautiful, our boss has invited you over for a visit.”

“Who are you after, me or Lu Zimo? I have nothing to do with that man, so why won’t you leave me alone?!”

Chu Yu struggled, but the two men beside her held her firmly. The man in front raised an eyebrow, “Beautiful, what are you talking about? Our boss is Mr. Lu!”

Chu Yu was stunned, looking up at him. The man smirked, staring intently at her, “Of course, there’s someone else who wants to see you even more—our boss’s fiancée, Miss Sophie.”

Chu Yu’s heart sank. What did this mean? Was Lu Zimo kidnapping her to meet Viper’s daughter?!

Chu Yu bit her lip. Indeed, some fates were inescapable. This time, it seemed no one would come to save her.