“Why? Didn’t you say it was love at first sight with me?”

Mo Sheng anxiously reached out to grab Bai Rui, but the latter avoided him.

“Is it because I hurt you? You can hit me back! Shoot me a few more times if you want—I’m sorry! I really know I was wrong!”

Bai Rui shook his head and looked at Mo Sheng with a hint of helplessness.

“It’s not because of that. Do you know how the Song family collapsed? I was clearly the president of Ruixin—do you know why I ended up in such a miserable state? Have you ever looked into the reason? Maybe you really should get to know your dear little sister better. As for the details… I don’t want to talk about them. She ruined me like this. No matter how much I like you, I won’t be with the brother of my enemy.”

Bai Rui’s expression was ice-cold, but there was a trace of regret in the way he looked at Mo Sheng. He reached out and gently caressed Mo Sheng’s cheek, then placed a kiss on his lips with clear reluctance.

“So… I’m sorry. The memory of that kiss was beautiful. I’ll remember you for the rest of my life.”

After speaking, Bai Rui turned to leave—but Mo Sheng grabbed his arm. His heart felt like it was being ripped apart as he asked in anguish:

“Where are you going?!”

Gently prying off Mo Sheng’s fingers one by one, Bai Rui replied softly:

“Of course, I’m leaving Country H. After all, there’s no place for me here anymore. Don’t worry, I know you were deceived, so I don’t blame you. I’ll let you go. If fate allows, maybe we’ll meet again.”

With a faint smile, Bai Rui truly walked out the door, leaving Mo Sheng standing there in a daze. He wanted to reach out countless times, but each time he remembered Bai Rui’s words, he forced himself to lower his arm.

The man had said he bore a grudge against his sister. But after spending time together today, Mo Sheng knew—Mo Xiaoyun had been lying to him. He had spent the past few years overseas on missions, so what had really happened between them? Enduring the pain in his heart, Mo Sheng gritted his teeth and decided he needed to uncover the full truth before making any decisions.

After stirring up her man’s feelings, Bai Rui really did leave Country H in style, boarding a plane with his subordinates. He believed in his man’s abilities—once everything was clear, what choice would he make?

Bai Rui had faith in his man, believing that his lover would surely choose him. In fact, he had already thought about what kind of reward to give him once he came running back after learning the whole story.

But if the man made a foolish mistake and chose Mo Xiaoyun… A red glint flashed in Bai Rui’s eyes—then he’d just tie him up and keep him locked at his side.

“Master, are we really just leaving Country H like this? Aren’t we letting that brat Song Yi off too easily?”

On the plane, Kong Sheng—seated beside Bai Rui—grumbled with clear frustration. The growth and success of their family over the years had been inseparable from Song Ruian’s efforts, and those efforts had indeed borne fruit. While making money on the edge of danger brought high returns, earning it cleanly and safely was naturally more satisfying for everyone.

But Song Yi didn’t see it that way. He had always opposed Song Ruian’s approach, thinking he was too timid and unfit to be the family head, and even wanted to profit through illegal means.

Thinking of the brothers still left behind in Country H, Kong Sheng couldn’t help but feel worried. Even though he knew their current situation was precarious, he still couldn’t swallow the bitter taste of retreat.

“Be patient—we’ll be back soon.”

Bai Rui took a sip of his drink and replied calmly.

“Mm! I’ll follow your lead, Master!”

Although Kong Sheng was impulsive, his strength lay in his absolute obedience and trust in Song Ruian’s decisions. One could say he had reached a level of blind admiration.

At that moment, watching Bai Rui drinking water beside him, Kong Sheng couldn’t help but feel that today’s family head seemed a bit more elegant beneath the usual coldness. His heart skipped a beat without warning, and his ears flushed red.

Kong Sheng had always known that Song Ruian was strikingly handsome—tall and straight-backed, with fair skin and perfectly groomed hair. But it was those cold, fox-like eyes that usually made it hard for anyone to harbor romantic thoughts.

Still, Kong Sheng understood one thing: the family head was loyal and righteous. Without him, Kong Sheng might still be wasting away in some dark corner—or worse, beaten to death by someone unknown. He clenched his fists, silently vowing to protect Bai Rui no matter what and to never let anyone hurt him again.

Bai Rui, unaware (or simply ignoring) whatever fantasies Kong Sheng was conjuring up, focused on the true purpose of this trip abroad. The Song family held significant influence, and their connections extended beyond the borders of Country H.

Song Ruian’s original plan had been to seek out his childhood friend Adam, hoping to leverage the power behind the Smith family. But from Bai Rui’s perspective, the Smith family was far from an ideal ally.

Thanks to Lao Hei’s global intelligence network, Bai Rui knew that Adam and Song Yi had long been secretly colluding, tied together by mutual interests. In contrast, the Brown family—rivals of the Smiths—seemed far more trustworthy.

The Song family also had business operations in Country Y and had established dealings with the Browns. On top of that, the Brown family had ties to the government, and Bai Rui was on fairly familiar terms with their head, Alger. From a profit-driven standpoint, Bai Rui regaining control of the Song family would bring significant benefits to the Browns.

“Master, are we heading to see Adam this time? I haven’t informed him that you’re arriving today,” Kong Sheng asked.

Kong Sheng suddenly remembered this matter, feeling a little uneasy for not handling things more thoroughly, and looked at Bai Rui with some apprehension. Bai Rui shook his head and smiled gently at Kong Sheng.

“It’s fine. Our purpose this time is to be low-profile, so not informing anyone was the right move. Besides, the purpose of our visit to Country Y isn’t to meet Adam; I have other plans.”

Kong Sheng was left puzzled, but Bai Rui didn’t mind. That evening, Bai Rui took Kong Sheng to Alger, the head of the Brown family’s room. The two powerful men had similarly cold expressions, though Alger appeared even more serious and austere.

Perhaps due to their similar approaches to handling matters, Bai Rui and Alger quickly reached a mutual understanding. Alger had long been eyeing a share of the lucrative H Country business market. The enormous profits from such a market were enough to make anyone eager. The two men shook hands happily, and Bai Rui smoothly secured the Brown family’s support.

Back at his residence in Country Y, Bai Rui wasn’t surprised to see Adam. His movements hadn’t been completely under wraps, and with Adam’s influence, it was easy for him to find out.

“Ruian, you’re here! It’s been so long since we last met!”

Adam walked over enthusiastically, giving Bai Rui a big hug and smiling as he spoke.

“But you’re not being much of a friend! You come to Country Y and don’t even give me a heads-up? And instead of coming to see me first, you went to meet that guy Alger?”

Adam teased him, but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. Bai Rui maintained his icy expression, playing the role of the cold, distant Song Ruian. With a hint of disdain, he pulled away from Adam’s embrace and said,

“The Song family has business dealings with the Brown family, and you know that. Naturally, I had to take care of that first. And lately, things at the Song family aren’t looking good. I’d rather not burden you with these things—more people just make it more troublesome.”

“What happened to the Song family?”

Adam’s tone immediately became serious when he heard Bai Rui’s words, and he followed Bai Rui into the room. Bai Rui knew full well that Adam had likely already heard about everything that had happened. His reason for coming to see him was probably just to dig for more information.

Since Adam had such intentions, Bai Rui didn’t mind returning the favor. He engaged in a quiet and subtle game of back-and-forth with Adam, who, thinking that Song Ruian’s current strength was no threat to Song Yi, offered a few simple words of comfort before leaving the apartment.

Bai Rui then briefly discussed the upcoming days’ plans with Kong Sheng before heading back to his room to rest. The gunshot wounds from earlier had already been healed by Lao Hei, who had also enhanced his body in the process.

Lying on the large bed in the apartment, Bai Rui stared intently at the ceiling, his mind racing. Then, suddenly, he sat up in bed, a sense of urgency flooding over him.

He thought to himself, after everything he’d done, his longing for his lover had reached its peak.

“Why hasn’t he come to find me yet?”

Bai Rui slammed his fist down on the edge of the bed, and his eyes began to ripple with a red glow.

“He’s been gone this long and still hasn’t come to find me. Lao Hey, what do you think—should I just head back to Country H and drag him back? I’ll lock him up right here on this bed. I think my man would look irresistibly captivating with his hands and feet bound in chains.”

Bai Rui smiled gently, but his eyes betrayed a wild, uncontrollable madness. Lao Hei, sensing the madness brewing in Bai Rui’s mind, quickly spoke up in an attempt to calm him down.

“Xiao Rui, calm down! You’ve only been apart for just over 24 hours, including the flight time from Country H to Country Y!”