Chapter 9

After school, Qi Yuhuan took Lu Yan on a bike ride, weaving through alleyways and taking shortcuts to Entertainment Street.

“You really don’t seem like someone from Beicheng. You’re completely unfamiliar with this place.”

Lu Yan smiled and said, “I’m familiar with Beicheng twenty years from now. I’ll take you around when that time comes.”

“You’re so funny.”

Lu Yan looked at the unfamiliar streets around her. Twenty years had passed, and so much had changed. By chance, she had returned over twenty years ago, and there was so much she wanted to change.

The two of them arrived at the entrance of the nightclub on Entertainment Street.

The two nightclubs were facing each other, both adorned with grand opening flower baskets.

It was clear that Lu Zhen’s side was much livelier, with a bustling crowd of young people coming to have fun, while the nightclub across the street, which charged an entry fee, had a sparse crowd. A few young men stood at the door, their expressions very sour.

Lu Yan glanced at them again but didn’t see Shen Kuo.

She locked her bike and walked into Lu Zhen’s nightclub with Qi Yuhuan, feeling a faint sense of worry in her heart.

The basement venue wasn’t large. The floor was decorated with black-and-white tiled circles, and the ceiling was lit with beautiful starry lights, creating a lively atmosphere.

Lu Yan looked around. There were tables, chairs, booths, a bar counter, and even music equipment. It was hard to imagine how much her father had spent to set all this up.

And all of this was just to outdo Shen Kuo’s nightclub across the street.

Lu Yan asked herself, if she were Shen Kuo, she wouldn’t just want Lu Zhen to go bankrupt—she might not be able to stop herself from smashing him!

Lu Zhen had even hired a band to perform. The band was energetic, singing and dancing on stage, having a blast, while the young students in the crowd followed the rhythm, shaking their bodies like they were at a disco.

Lu Yan saw Liang Ting talking to a boy and walked over to ask, “Uncle Liang Ting, where’s my dad?”

Liang Ting looked up and, seeing it was Lu Yan, smiled warmly. He was already quite used to being called “Uncle” by her.

“Over there, across.”

Lu Zhen stood at the highest DJ booth, surveying the venue with a satisfied expression, like an emperor inspecting his kingdom.

Lu Yan rolled her eyes.

As soon as Lu Zhen saw Lu Yan, he immediately came down from the DJ booth and walked toward her, proudly saying, “So, how’s it? Not bad, right?”

Lu Yan asked him, “How much did you spend to open this nightclub?”

“Not much. The venue and equipment were all ready.”

“Then the rent must be really high.”

“What do you care? No matter how high, I can afford it.”

“So, how long are you planning to rent it?”

“Until I bankrupt Shen Kuo’s nightclub. Then it’s over.”

Lu Yan twitched her lips. “Why do you have to do something so harmful to others and not beneficial to yourself?”

“A thousand gold can’t buy my happiness.”

“…”

Lu Zhen started swaying to the rhythm of the music, even pulling Lu Yan to dance with him.

“Don’t touch me.”

Lu Yan really didn’t have the mood to sing or dance. She was now filled with worry, afraid that her father had once again offended Shen Kuo, which could lead to a serious problem in the future.

“I’m going out to get some air.”

“Pfft, party pooper.”

Lu Yan rolled her eyes, thinking, so what if I ruin your fun? This whole thing is really underhanded from the start.

Just as Lu Yan was about to turn and leave, she suddenly smelled a burnt odor.

Curious, she looked around. Just then, someone behind her shouted, “Fire!”

Lu Yan turned around, and sure enough, thick black smoke was billowing from a small door at the back. Flames had already started to spread out.

“Fire! Run!”

People panicked and rushed toward the narrow exit, causing chaos to break out instantly.

Lu Zhen immediately took off his jacket and draped it over Lu Yan, shielding her as they squeezed toward the basement exit.

When they reached the door, he pushed her out and turned back into the basement without a second thought.

Lu Yan grabbed him and urgently shouted, “What are you doing?!”

“Everyone’s trying to rush out, but they can’t!” Lu Zhen said anxiously. “I have to get them all out. No one can be left behind!”

Lu Yan was terrified, her face turning pale. She instinctively grabbed onto his clothes, “No! It’s too dangerous, the fire’s spreading below!”

She couldn’t let him take such a risk, especially now that she had the chance to be back with her father.

“I won’t let you go! If anything happens to you, what’s the point of me coming back?!”

Lu Zhen hugged her tightly, his voice heavy as he whispered, “They came to my place, I’m responsible. Do you understand?”

He finished speaking, then pushed her away and rushed back into the smoky basement, yelling hoarsely, “Liang Ting! Open the back door!”

Liang Ting, covering his mouth, pushed through the thick smoke with Qin Hao and opened the back door, leading the people out in an orderly fashion.

The basement was filled with thick smoke, and the fire quickly spread, engulfing the entire stage, the flames growing fast.

Lu Zhen led the last boy out of the basement door, then turned to Liang Ting, asking, “Anyone else?”

Liang Ting, gasping for air, answered, “No, that’s the last one.”

At the street corner, fire trucks came rushing in. The entire basement was ablaze, and all the equipment was destroyed. Fortunately, the evacuation was timely. Aside from a girl suffering from a minor burn on her elbow, which required hospitalization, there were no casualties.

Lu Zhen’s face was completely blackened by the thick smoke. Standing at the wet street corner, he covered his mouth and hunched over, coughing violently.

Lu Yan rushed into Lu Zhen’s arms, gripping his waist tightly, trembling, and sobbing lightly… For her, nothing was more important than her father’s safety.

Lu Zhen gently patted her shoulder, softly comforting the frightened girl in his arms, and then looked up at the basement.

The fire had been brought under control, and it hadn’t spread to the surrounding shops. However, all their equipment had been completely destroyed.

Liang Ting stood staring at the smoky basement, dejected, murmuring, “It’s over.”

The few men from the opposite dance hall, upon seeing that Lu Zhen’s side was on fire, showed a glint of satisfaction in their eyes, leaning against the door and watching the drama unfold.

Lu Yan was thinking about how to comfort her father, but when she turned her head, she spotted Shen Kuo across the street.

It was getting late, and he lazily leaned under the neon lights of the dance hall. His left hand was idly fiddling with a lighter, his dark eyes hidden in deep shadows, making him difficult to read.

Lu Zhen also noticed Shen Kuo. When his gaze fell on the lighter in his left hand, he immediately exploded in fury!

“Fuck you!”

He rushed over, grabbed Shen Kuo by the collar, and slammed him against the wall. His strong elbow pressed against Shen Kuo’s neck as he forcefully asked, “You set the fire, didn’t you? It must have been you!”

Shen Kuo’s long, narrow eyes gleamed with a cold, mocking expression. He glared at Lu Zhen, his lips curling into a cold smile.

“It wasn’t me.”

“You’re lying!”

Out of control, Lu Zhen raised his fist, about to hit him. Lu Yan quickly grabbed Lu Zhen’s arm. “We need to ask him properly, don’t wrong an innocent person.”

“Ask what? Who else could it be besides him?”

Liang Ting and Qin Hao quickly ran over and pulled the enraged Lu Zhen away. “Brother Lu, calm down.”

Shen Kuo straightened his shirt collar, a half-smile on his face, as if nothing had happened.

Lu Zhen was adamant that it was him who set the fire, but Lu Yan felt that, even though Shen Kuo disliked Lu Zhen, setting a fire to harm people was something he would never do.

In those years, Shen Kuo had done everything he could to deal with Lu Zhen, but every action he took was above board and legal. He always did things openly and never resorted to underhanded methods.

“Dad, it wasn’t him,” Lu Yan firmly grasped Lu Zhen’s arm. “If it was him, he would admit it.”

Lu Zhen shouted angrily, “How long have you known him? Why do you believe him!”

“I…”

Lu Yan paused for a moment, then firmly said, “I believe him, that’s why!”

At that time, she found Shen Kuo and desperately begged him to spare Lu Zhen.

At that time, Shen Kuo, still handsome in middle age, had pinched her chin and said, “Okay, stay by my side, and I’ll spare him. I’ll help you clear all the debts.”

Lu Yan had watched her father being relentlessly chased by creditors, hiding here and there in a miserable state, and finally made the decision to move into Shen residence.

She had even prepared herself to be bullied to death by this powerful man.

But what she hadn’t expected was that Shen Kuo had maintained a gentleman’s demeanor, never touching a single strand of her hair.

He only wanted to use her to make Lu Zhen suffer, but he never took advantage of her.

On countless nights, Lu Yan would walk out of her room and see Shen Kuo standing by the large floor-to-ceiling window, holding a half-smoked cigarette, his back silhouette lonely.

Sometimes, she even felt a sense of sympathy for this “devil” and thought that he must be hiding a great sadness deep inside.

—

Lu Yan swore that since Shen Kuo said he wasn’t the one who did it, then it must be true. If it had been him, he would have admitted it.

Lu Zhen clearly didn’t believe Shen Kuo. He thought that Lu Yan, this little girl, must have fallen for his good looks and was biased in his favor.

“You’ve only known him for a few days! Why do you trust him?”

Lu Yan didn’t know how to explain and could only grit her teeth and remain silent.

Shen Kuo lowered his gaze, looking at the little girl standing in front of him, feeling restless inside.

Yes, she had only known him for a few days. Why should she trust him?

Liang Ting also tried to persuade Lu Zhen. “I don’t think Shen Kuo would do such a thing. Calm down.”

Lu Zhen responded excitedly, “Even if it wasn’t him, it must be one of his brothers. It’s obvious their business isn’t as good as ours, so they resorted to such underhanded schemes!”

Shen Kuo turned his head slightly and looked at the few brothers behind him who were watching with glee. He pressed the cap of the lighter down and said in a low voice, “If it was really one of my people, I’d drag the one who set the fire out.”

“Why the hell should I believe you!”

“Believe it or not, it’s up to you. I’m not doing it for you anyway.”

“Then who are you doing it for?”

Shen Kuo glanced at Lu Yan. Her face was a little dirty from the smoke, looking quite messy.

He raised an eyebrow, narrowed his eyes at her, and gave Lu Zhen a provocative smile.

“Guess.”