Liang Ziyue was considered the most down-to-earth among this group of second-generation heirs. His background wasn’t as intimidating as the Ke or Chu families, and he was more straightforward and gentle. He wasn’t particularly close to Ke Mingxuan, and he only spoke a few extra words with Bian Yiqiu when they were off-roading because of his daughter. Afterward, they could be called friends at best—just the kind who’d call each other to check in during the holidays. They didn’t keep in regular contact, and when trouble struck, Bian Yiqiu never even thought to ask him for help.

When the sudden phone call came in, Bian Yiqiu was a bit dazed at first. But he snapped out of it in just two seconds and replied firmly with one word: “Yes.”

Liang Ziyue said, “Alright, I’ll take you to see him. But you have to promise me that once we’re there, you’ll listen to me. If you can’t do that, I won’t take you.”

“Fine, I’ll listen to you.” Bian Yiqiu agreed almost without thinking. As long as he could see Ke Mingxuan, as long as he knew he was doing well, he’d do whatever Liang Ziyue asked—no questions asked.

The two of them agreed to meet at 9 AM on Saturday. After hanging up the phone, Bian Yiqiu only then realized how hastily he had agreed. He didn’t even ask where they were going.

Even if Liang Ziyue told him they were going to a dangerous place, like a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, or a den of dragons and tigers, he would rush there without a second thought.

Unfortunately, there were still three days until Saturday, and Bian Yiqiu had never known that three days could feel longer than three years.

He had imagined countless scenarios of meeting Ke Mingxuan and prepared himself for the worst possible situation. But he had never considered that when the time actually came, the distance between them—though not far—would feel impossible to cross.

At 9 AM on Saturday, Liang Ziyue arrived on time and parked the car outside the entrance of Junlin Tiantian Community. Bian Yiqiu and Zuo Cheng had already been waiting at the gate for ten minutes.

Liang Ziyue had no issue with the extra person. In fact, he secretly felt relieved, knowing that once he got out of the car, someone would be keeping an eye on Bian Yiqiu, the “Big Boss,” making things a bit safer.

The car smoothly merged onto the main road, heading south out of the city and onto the highway.

The three of them remained silent throughout the drive. After passing the toll station at the southern edge of the city, Liang Ziyue looked at Bian Yiqiu through the rearview mirror and smiled gently. “Relax, why do I get the feeling you’re nervous?”

Bian Yiqiu, his face blank, looked at Zuo Cheng. “Am I nervous?”

Zuo Cheng replied, “A little.”

Liang Ziyue chuckled, and Bian Yiqiu, attempting to lighten the mood, gave a faint smile. He then took a couple of deep breaths, doing his best to calm himself down.

But how could he relax? He had no idea how Ke Mingxuan was doing—whether he had regained consciousness, how serious his injuries were, or if they would even be able to meet. And if they did meet, what should he say? What should he do if he ran into the Ke family? If Commander Ke pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot him, should he turn and run, or stand there trying to be a hero? If he chose the latter, would Ke Mingxuan think he was an idiot?

These questions had been bothering him for three days, and even now, there were no answers.

Liang Ziyue spoke again. “Why don’t you ask where we’re going?”

Bian Yiqiu, feeling defeated, replied, “I’ve already gotten in the car.” The implication was clear: even if you packed me up and handed me over to Ke Mingxuan’s father, I’d accept it.

Liang Ziyue smiled but didn’t say anything as he turned the steering wheel and exited the highway, the sign for “Fenghu” flashing past Bian Yiqiu’s eyes.

Meeting Ke Mingxuan had been purely accidental for Liang Ziyue. Nearly a month had passed since his incident, and everyone in their circle—regardless of their relationship with him—had been trying to gather news about him. Some were genuine friends concerned for his safety, others were rivals with ulterior motives, and a third group simply had too much time on their hands and enjoyed stirring up drama. Yet, up until now, no one could claim to have reliable information.

Maple Lake was located 70 kilometers south of Z City, within the Crane Song Mountain Forest Park. Known for its picturesque scenery and fresh air, the area had been home to a high-level cadre sanatorium since the 1980s. It was designated for the rehabilitation of provincial and bureau-level officials or higher. If you didn’t meet that rank, you couldn’t even get past the gate. Even those who qualified would only be assigned to standard hospital rooms.

As for the eight villas right by the lakeshore, they were guarded by armed military police year-round. Ordinary people couldn’t even dream of staying there. In fact, taking a few extra steps in that direction would get them swiftly escorted out at gunpoint.

Old Master Liang, the patriarch of the Liang family, lived in one of these villas. A few days ago, when Liang Ziyue visited him, he noticed that another big shot had moved into the neighboring villa.

The reason he concluded it was someone important was simple: aside from the standard guards stationed at each villa, this one had bodyguards posted every three to five steps. Liang Ziyue did a rough count—there were over twenty of them, each with a posture and aura that screamed elite military training.

He couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement and joked with Old Master Liang, saying, “Ever since Old Master Ke passed, no one in Z City could pull off such a show of force.”

Old Master Liang wasn’t in the best health. At the time, he was lounging in a rocking chair on the second-floor terrace, basking in the sun. He didn’t reply, merely dozing off. Liang Ziyue had just finished speaking when two people walked out of the neighboring villa. Their backs were startlingly familiar.

The two didn’t notice him. They left the courtyard directly and got into a military vehicle waiting at the gate, escorted by the guards.

Liang Ziyue muttered, “Could it be Old Master Feng?” After all, those two figures were unmistakably Commander Ke and Director Feng. Who else could warrant both of them showing up personally, if not Old Master Feng?

But he’d seen Old Master Feng not too long ago. Though over ninety, the man was in great shape—vigorous and loud-voiced, his body strong enough to spend his days sparring, playing chess, and chatting up Old Master Chu. Why would he be at a sanatorium?

If it wasn’t Old Master Feng…

Liang Ziyue glanced up at the second floor of the villa. The master bedroom’s floor-to-ceiling window was open, and someone stepped out onto the balcony. The person leaned against the railing, surveyed the bodyguards in the courtyard, and seemed to conclude that “escape is impossible.” With a miserable frown, they turned their head—and met Liang Ziyue’s gaze.

Both were startled, but Ke Mingxuan only hesitated for a second before curving his lips in a faint smile, as if greeting him.

The Ke and Liang families weren’t exactly allies in the political arena, but they weren’t enemies either. Belonging to different systems with little overlap, their interactions were limited to polite small talk when they met, without any deliberate effort to forge closer ties. Naturally, the younger generation wasn’t particularly close either.

Ke Mingxuan and Liang Ziyue ended up hanging out together because Fang Rui had a good relationship with Liang Ziyue, and Ke Mingxuan was close to Fang Rui. A friend of a friend became a friend by default. Still, Ke Mingxuan never imagined that the first person to discover him would be Liang Ziyue.

Liang Ziyue stood up from his chair and walked a few steps closer to the balcony railing, intending to say a few words.

Ke Mingxuan shook his head at him and glanced at the bodyguards below, signaling for him not to make a sound or attract their attention. Otherwise, Commander Ke might have him moved somewhere else by the next day.

Liang Ziyue immediately stepped back and tried to come up with a hand gesture, only to realize he didn’t know sign language. He wanted to ask why he was there, what was going on. Wasn’t Ke Mingxuan supposed to be gravely injured? Everyone thought he’d still be in the military hospital.

In truth, Ke Mingxuan’s injuries weren’t as severe as the Ke family had let on. The steel rod had indeed pierced through his back at the scapula and exited from his chest. If it had been on the left, he wouldn’t have survived. But fate had been kind—it went through the right side. Though he had fallen into a deep coma from severe blood loss while waiting for rescue, and the nerve damage in his shoulder had temporarily impaired the mobility of his right arm, the experts at the military hospital had managed to stabilize him. By two weeks ago, he could even get out of bed and walk.

But that was all he could do—get out of bed. He wasn’t allowed to leave the room. The guards at his door were all elite special forces, personally assigned by Commander Ke.

If he hadn’t been injured and was still in peak physical condition, escaping might not have been entirely impossible. But now, it was little more than a fantasy. If his hospital room hadn’t been on the 19th floor, he might have already tried jumping out the window. That idiot gangster of his must be losing his mind, unable to find him.

Under Commander Ke’s unyielding control, however, he had no options. All means of contacting the outside world had been completely cut off. At least four bodyguards followed him at all times. Back in the military hospital, his movements were restricted to the hospital room, and here, he was confined to the villa.

Calling it recuperation was putting it nicely—truthfully, it was house arrest. Commander Ke’s stance was firm, his intentions clear, and he gave no room for negotiation. Want to reason with him? Sorry, the commander was far too busy to listen. Hoping to find someone to plead on your behalf? Even worse—aside from the special forces soldiers absolutely loyal to the commander and the medical staff too terrified to disobey him, Ke Mingxuan hadn’t seen another soul. Not even his mother.

Madam Feng had cried to her brother, Director Feng, for days over this. The director had helplessly brought it up with Commander Ke, only to be shut down with a single line: “Your sister is too soft-hearted.”

It went without saying how difficult it was for anyone else to see him.

Ke Mingxuan was so frustrated that he’d almost resorted to a hunger strike—though even that wouldn’t work. Commander Ke would simply have the doctors put him on a nutrient drip. In the end, to avoid unnecessary suffering, he decided it was better to eat, drink, and recover properly. Only by regaining his strength could he stand a chance against the commander.

So far, Commander Ke hadn’t made any demands or asked him a single question about Bian Yiqiu, which only made Ke Mingxuan more uneasy. The calmer Commander Ke appeared, the more uncertain Ke Mingxuan felt. It was like the eerie calm before a storm, where you couldn’t tell what kind of thunder and lightning lay in wait.

He was worried about Bian Yiqiu. Worried that he might be at a disadvantage facing Commander Ke. Worried that not hearing any news would drive him to panic and lose focus—just like when Bian Yiqiu had been taken away by Qian Ying a month ago, and he had no idea where to find him.

He wanted to tell him, I’m fine. Don’t worry. If the Ke family takes action against you, the best thing to do is avoid a direct confrontation. Don’t fight them head-on.

But there was nothing he could do. Nothing at all.

Just as he was overwhelmed and at his wit’s end, Liang Ziyue appeared.

The moment Ke Mingxuan saw Liang Ziyue, it felt like fate had finally decided to take his side.

Since effective communication wasn’t possible, the two didn’t stay on the balcony for long. First, Ke Mingxuan’s body hadn’t fully recovered. Second, with guards and bodyguards everywhere, standing on the balcony too long was too conspicuous.

From Ke Mingxuan’s lip movements, Liang Ziyue painstakingly managed to piece together the name “Bian Yiqiu.” Ke Mingxuan wanted him to pass a message to Bian Yiqiu: that he was fine and to stay low for now. If Commander Ke came looking for trouble, Bian Yiqiu should consult Chu Yi or Fang Rui for help and not try to handle everything alone.

It was a simple message, but with no sound and only lip movements, Liang Ziyue looked completely baffled, clearly trying his best to make sense of it. He swore that once this was over, he would rally all his friends to learn lip reading and sign language. That way, if anyone else got kidnapped or placed under house arrest, they wouldn’t be as clueless as he was now.

Luckily, he at least recognized the name “Bian Yiqiu.” Combining that with Ke Mingxuan’s expressions and some guesswork, Liang Ziyue roughly understood that Ke Mingxuan wanted him to assure Bian Yiqiu that he was fine and not to worry. However, in Liang Ziyue’s opinion, saying “Ke Mingxuan is fine” a thousand times wouldn’t be as convincing as letting Bian Yiqiu see it for himself. As for the rest of the message—sorry, no clue.

And so, with his trademark enthusiasm, “Nanny Liang” brazenly brought Boss Bian into the sanatorium.

Liang Ziyue’s car had already been registered, so once the license plate was scanned, the gates automatically opened. The armed guards saluted sharply as his car drove along the shaded path straight into the villa complex.

Parking between two villas, Liang Ziyue turned to Bian Yiqiu. “Remember what you promised me?”

Bian Yiqiu replied, “I remember. I’ll listen to you.”

Liang Ziyue nodded. “Good. Now, I’m going to see my grandfather, but you can only stay in the car.”

“What do you mean?” Bian Yiqiu frowned. Wasn’t he supposed to bring him to see Ke Mingxuan?

“Exactly what I said. You can look at him from the car, but you can’t get out.” Liang Ziyue pointed at the villa where Ke Mingxuan was staying. “See those guards and bodyguards? The guns they’re holding aren’t just for show. Don’t do anything reckless.”

Bian Yiqiu stared silently at the villa, his gaze sharp and intense. Liang Ziyue caught the look and couldn’t shake the feeling that the next second, Bian Yiqiu might just burst out of the car and storm in to grab Ke Mingxuan.