23: Chapter 23 The Exquisitely Beautiful Fifth School Beauty! The Eldest Miss of the Tang Family! She still has to behave...

"I was wrong!" Su Binglan cried and begged.

"Only now do you realize you were wrong? It's too late." Zhou Liangan's expression was cold and stern. "If you do something wrong, you must be punished."

Liang Zichen was currently scrambling through the night, the gravel under his feet bruising his soles, yet he didn't even have the courage to pause for half a second, his heart filled only with the panic of having nowhere to turn.

He knew all too well the power the Zhou Family held in this city.

With a mere flip of their hands, they could cover the sky and rain; wanting to eliminate him silently was as easy as flipping their palms. They didn't even need the main Zhou Family to act; their minions below could grind him to dust.

But compared to the Zhou Family's pursuit, what made his heart feel as if it were being repeatedly sliced by a dull knife was the betrayal of his mother, Su Binglan.

The moment he thought about how his mother would go as far as to try to kill him just for that useless playboy Zhou Liangan, who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun, a fine, dense pain spread through his veins to every part of his body, clogging his chest and making even his breathing carry a bitter ache.

What was Zhou Liangan anyway?

He was just a parasite relying on the Zhou Family to live without worry, yet his mother was partial to that straw bag, and for his sake, she didn't even care about his own safety.

Thinking of this, a piercing pain struck Liang Zichen, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

If he had known earlier, he shouldn't have offended Zhou Liangan just to save that bitch.

He stumbled into a pitch-black alley, leaned against the cold wall, and panted heavily. His fingertips were trembling violently, and after searching his whole body, he remembered that his phone had long since been left at home.

He gritted his teeth, braced himself to stop a passerby returning late, and after putting on a smiling face and saying several nice things, he managed to borrow an old button phone.

His fingertips rubbed over the buttons twice, and in the end, he pressed that number he knew by heart. The moment the call connected, he could even hear his own rapid heartbeat.

"Yasu, it's me." Liang Zichen's voice carried an undisguisable hoarseness, mixed with a faint, barely perceptible tremor. He didn't dare to waste words and spoke extremely quickly, "The bronze box I hid with you before—find a place to hide it immediately. Hide it as securely as possible; even if the sky falls, you cannot lose it. Do you understand?"

On the other end of the line, Tang Yasu was clearly stunned for a moment, then a bewildered voice filled with worry came through, "Zichen? What's wrong with you? Why does your voice sound so strange? Did something happen? What exactly is going on? Where are you? Can I help you?"

A barrage of questions came crashing over, filled with genuine concern, which allowed Liang Zichen's tightly strung heartstrings to loosen for a fleeting moment.

"My situation is too complicated; I can't explain it in a short while. Just do as I say." Liang Zichen suppressed the bitterness in his heart and quickly gave the address of a remote alley in the suburbs, "Go get a sum of money and bring it over. The more, the better. Bring it to this location. Remember, don't make a scene, and don't let anyone follow you. Once you're done, hurry back and don't worry about anything else."

"But Zichen..." Tang Yasu still wanted to ask more, but a busy signal had already come from the other end of the phone.

Liang Zichen ruthlessly hung up the phone. How he wished he could explain the cause and effect to Tang Yasu, but he couldn't.

The Su Family must have already cast a net from heaven to earth. Anyone involved with him would be dragged into this storm, and he couldn't implicate the innocent Tang Yasu.

After hanging up, Liang Zichen gripped the old phone, his fingertips icy cold.

In fact, just now on the phone, he had almost couldn't help but ask Tang Yasu to bring the bronze box as well.

But the moment the thought arose, he suddenly remembered his Junior Martial Uncle, Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing.

That cold and otherworldly woman had accidentally seen the bronze box once before. Liang Zichen still remembered the heat in her eyes; clearly, his Junior Martial Uncle also had a great interest in this bronze box.

After much deliberation, Liang Zichen ultimately dismissed this thought. Leaving the bronze box with Tang Yasu was, in fact, safer than keeping it by his side or handing it over to his Junior Martial Uncle.

Taking a deep breath, Liang Zichen dialed a complex number.

The phone rang only a few times before it was answered. From the receiver came Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's characteristically cold and otherworldly voice, like a clear mountain spring flowing over blue stones, carrying a kind of transcendent calm that instantly settled his restless mood.

"Zichen?" There was a hint of imperceptible confusion in Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's voice, "It's so late, why are you calling suddenly?"

"Junior Martial Uncle, please help me pick up a sum of money." Liang Zichen subconsciously clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, his palms pressed with deep marks from his nails, "The location is the old pine forest outside the city. Please make a trip for me."

"What exactly happened?" Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's tone remained calm, but there was a hint of questioning.

Liang Zichen's Adam's apple bobbed. A thousand words were stuck in his chest, but he didn't know where to start, so he could only say in a low voice, "Junior Martial Uncle, I'm coming to find you now. If there's anything, we'll discuss it in detail when we meet."

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the line, then came Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's faint response, "Alright, I'll wait for you at my residence. Be careful on the way."

Liang Zichen replied, hung up the phone, returned it to the passerby, and after thanking them repeatedly, he sprinted towards the direction outside the city.

He knew that Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's hiding place was extremely well-hidden. It was a small mountain village far from the city center, a place ordinary people would never set foot in, and it was currently the only place where he could temporarily find refuge.

On the other side, after hanging up the phone, Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing slowly turned around, her gaze falling on the courtyard not far away.

Under the dim, yellow light, a young girl wearing a white robe was leaning against a pillar. The white robe set off her skin as whiter than snow. Between her brows and eyes, she possessed both purity and charm; every frown and smile carried a soul-stirring brilliance. It was Yu Shuier, who had always been by Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's side.

"Shuier, go to the pine forest outside the city and pick up a sum of money for Zichen." Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's voice was soft.

Upon hearing this, Yu Shuier immediately straightened up. There was no hesitation on her exquisite and beautiful face as she nodded slightly, "Alright, I'll go right now."

As her voice fell, she turned around, picked up the coat on the side, and her figure lightly disappeared into the night. The hem of her white robe traced a graceful arc in the wind, fast as a gust of wind.

The night grew deeper, and the mountain mist slowly rose, carrying a bone-chilling cold.

An hour later, Liang Zichen finally arrived at that farmhouse courtyard hidden in a remote corner of the mountain village. The journey had left his clothes tattered, his hair messy, and his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, mixed with dirt and dust; he was in a wretched state.

He panted heavily, leaning against the old locust tree outside the courtyard to catch his breath for a good while before he could barely steady himself.

The farmhouse door was wide open, and soft light shone from within. In this pitch-black mountain village, it was like a beacon guiding the way.

Liang Zichen glanced around, confirmed he wasn't being followed, and then, without further hesitation, lifted his feet and walked inside quickly.

The courtyard was very quiet. Under the light of the main room, Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing was sitting upright by a wooden table. A simple and elegant white dress set off her graceful figure and exquisite curves. That cold and otherworldly temperament made her look like an immortal who didn't eat the food of the mortal world, carrying a sense of transcendent detachment. Even though she was just sitting there, she made people feel she was high above, exquisitely beautiful and untouchable.

Hearing footsteps, she slowly raised her eyes. Her beautiful eyes fell on Liang Zichen, and a hint of surprise instantly surfaced in the depths of her eyes; clearly, she could see his wretchedness and panic.

"Zichen, you're here." Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's voice remained calm but carried a hint of concern, "Now, can you tell me what exactly happened?"

Liang Zichen nodded, dragged his exhausted body to the table, sat down, raised his hand to wipe the dust off his face, and told the whole story from beginning to end.

"I never expected that she would be so ruthless to me." Liang Zichen's voice grew lower, carrying a hint of self-mockery, "At the end of the day, I am not her biological child after all, so in her heart, I could never compare to the affection she has for her lover."

After listening, a flash of shock passed through Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's beautiful eyes, which immediately turned into deep astonishment. Her tone carried a hint of disbelief, "There is actually such a thing? Your mother... how could she do such a muddled thing? It is simply..."

"Simply damnable!"

A crisp voice filled with anger came from outside the door, interrupting Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's words.

Yu Shuier walked in carrying a black briefcase. Her white robe was stained with a little night dew, but it still couldn't hide her brilliance and charm.

Yu Shuier walked quickly to Liang Zichen's side, her pair of clear, beautiful eyes staring fixedly at him, her gaze full of heartache and anger, "Brother Zichen, that woman is too much! To actually want to kill you for her lover, she is truly too vicious!"

Looking at Yu Shuier's righteous indignation, Liang Zichen pulled a bitter smile onto his face, the smile full of sorrow and helplessness, "Yes, I never thought she would go to this extent."

Liang Zichen's appearance fell into Yu Shuier's eyes, making her heart ache, "Brother Zichen, don't be sad. I have noted this grudge. Sooner or later, I will help you vent this anger; I will never let that woman get away with it!"

"No!"

Liang Zichen and Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing spoke almost in unison to stop her. Their gazes met in the air, and both saw the same concern in each other's eyes.

Liang Zichen withdrew his gaze first and looked at Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing, saying in a heavy tone, "Junior Martial Uncle, you have been injured by enemies and are still avoiding pursuit; you must absolutely not expose your tracks because of my affairs."

After a pause, he looked at Yu Shuier again, his eyes carrying a hint of apology and determination, "As for me, now that the Su Family and the Zhou Family have certainly joined forces and are searching the whole city for my tracks, if I stay here, I will only drag you down. I plan to go hide in the mountains for a few days. The terrain in the mountains is complex; even if they want to find me, they might not be able to. When the heat dies down, I will come back to reunite with you."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shuier's heart tightened. Her pair of beautiful eyes were locked tightly on Liang Zichen, her eyes full of worry, and her voice carried a hint of choking, "Brother Zichen, the mountains are so dangerous, dark and cold, and there are wild beasts. You are alone... you must be careful."

Looking at Yu Shuier's worried appearance, a touch of warmth welled up in Liang Zichen's heart, and he squeezed out a relaxed smile, "Don't worry, I've been roaming the mountains around here since I was a child. I know every path in the mountains very well; it's even safer than being in the city. I'll be fine."

After speaking, Liang Zichen no longer hesitated. He stood up and picked up the black briefcase that Yu Shuier had placed on the table. The case felt heavy in his hand; the cash inside should be enough to sustain him for a while.

Liang Zichen, of course, would not just stay in the mountains; otherwise, he wouldn't have asked for such a large sum of cash.

He had his own plans, but he still felt a degree of wariness in his heart toward this cold and ethereal Junior Martial Uncle.

Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing had been sitting by the table, her beautiful eyes fixed steadily in the direction where Liang Zichen had left. It wasn't until that disheveled yet upright silhouette completely vanished into the night that she slowly withdrew her gaze and turned to look at Yu Shuier, who was standing to the side.

"Shuier, when you went to the pine forest to collect this money, besides the cash, did you see a copper box?" There was a trace of imperceptible anticipation in Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's tone.

Upon hearing this, a look of confusion appeared on Yu Shuier's exquisite and beautiful face. She carefully recalled the scene when she picked up the goods, then shook her head gently and said with certainty, "No, Master. When I went, the other party only gave me this briefcase. Inside, apart from the cash, there was nothing else, certainly not the copper box you mentioned."

The anticipation in Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing's eyes instantly dimmed, replaced by an unconcealable sense of loss. She lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow under her eyelids.

A moment later, she slowly raised her head, suppressing the disappointment in her heart, and her tone returned to its usual calmness. "Alright, I understand. It's getting late, and the nights in the mountains are cold. Go back to your room and rest early. Remember to lock the doors and windows; don't be careless."

Yu Shuier could tell that Martial Aunt Feng Nanqing was in a bad mood, but she didn't ask any further questions. She just nodded obediently. "Alright, Master, you should rest early too."

The next morning, as the sky began to brighten, the morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting mottled shadows on the floor.

Zhou Liangan pushed open the door to Liang Zichen's room, familiar with the way.

Liang Zichen had fled in a hurry last night; he definitely wouldn't have had time to pack his things.

But after searching for a long time, Zhou Liangan was disappointed.

Liang Zichen must have long suspected the relationship between himself and Su Binglan.

Therefore, Liang Zichen had long since moved his important belongings out of the house.

However, during their fight yesterday, Zhou Liangan accidentally discovered the keys Liang Zichen had in his pocket. During the scuffle, he had torn Liang Zichen's pocket, and the keys had fallen to the ground.

Zhou Liangan picked up the keys.

The keys were dark gold in color, engraved with intricate patterns. Their material was unrecognizable, and it was impossible to tell what kind of locks they could open. Apart from this, there were no other valuable clues in the room.

Zhou Liangan tucked the keys into his pocket and turned to walk out of the room. Just as he reached the stairs, he bumped straight into Su Binglan, who was walking towards him.

The woman was dressed in a white lace-trimmed camisole dress, which outlined her full and sexy curves, exuding a sense of mature charm.

Yet that face, usually bright and stunning, was now as pale as paper, devoid of any color.

Her gaze was locked tightly onto the bloodstains in the corner of the room that hadn't been cleaned up yet. Her beautiful eyes widened suddenly, her eye sockets instantly turning red, brimming with tears.

She looked up abruptly, her gaze locking onto Zhou Liangan. Her voice trembled, filled with uncontrollable fear. "You... what did you do to Zichen?"

Zhou Liangan tugged at the corner of his mouth, letting out a cold sneer. "What else could I do? You useless woman, that brat didn't even drink the cup of stuff you brought over yesterday. I had a conflict with him, and he was just beaten away by me."

"Beaten away..." Su Binglan muttered to herself. Then, as if realizing something, her whole body began to tremble violently, shaking like a leaf in the autumn wind.

She looked up, tears finally breaking through her eyelids and sliding down her cheeks. Her voice carried a blood-curdling accusation. "You never intended to let him live from the beginning, did you? You wanted to kill him all along!"

Zhou Liangan's expression darkened instantly. He stepped forward, reached out, and grabbed Su Binglan's long hair with such force that she was forced to tilt her head back.

"How long has it been, and you've already forgotten the rules? Are you questioning me?" Zhou Liangan said coldly.

Su Binglan was intimidated by that cold gaze, her delicate body trembling involuntarily, all her questions stuck in her throat.

Two lines of clear tears slid down silently...

"Don't be so sad, your son isn't dead." Zhou Liangan tidied his lapels unhurriedly and pointed to the smart surveillance camera at the apartment entrance. "Go check the surveillance footage yourself. Look at the footage from around ten o'clock last night, and you'll see how that brat escaped. I didn't chase him."

He was telling the truth; he hadn't gone to hunt Liang Zichen down himself, but that didn't mean he would let Liang Zichen off the hook.

Su Binglan swallowed, a flash of joy instantly crossing her face. Even her voice carried a hint of trembling gratitude. "Thank you... thank you, Master."

Zhou Liangan ignored Su Binglan's thanks. He tapped his fingertip lightly in the Void Realm, and a light blue System panel quietly appeared.

[Target: Su Binglan] [destiny points: 3200] [Status: Not Conquered] [Affection: 25]

Looking at the numbers on the panel, a playful arc curled at the corner of Zhou Liangan's mouth.

Although he had lost billions in the turmoil last night, he had successfully plundered 600 destiny points, so, all things considered, it wasn't a loss.

What surprised him even more was that even when Su Binglan mistakenly thought her son might have been killed by him, her affection actually increased by five points.

It seems this woman's feelings for Liang Zichen aren't as deep as she makes them out to be.

Of course, this increase in affection could also be due to other reasons...

Putting away the System panel, Zhou Liangan tucked the five keys he had searched from Liang Zichen's room into his pocket, and without a moment's hesitation, drove straight to Su Wanyun's villa.

The car stopped steadily at the villa entrance. Zhou Liangan pushed the door open and entered. The servant at the entryway was just about to greet him, but was stopped by a wave of his hand.

He walked into the living room and immediately saw Su Wanyun practicing yoga by the floor-to-ceiling window.

The woman was wearing a smoky gray tight-fitting yoga outfit.

She was currently performing a high-difficulty scorpion pose handstand.

The morning light spilled through the glass onto Su Wanyun, coating her graceful figure in a soft halo, a sight that was pleasing to the eye.

Hearing footsteps, Su Wanyun slowly withdrew from the pose, landing as lightly as a feather.

She turned around and, seeing that the visitor was Zhou Liangan, her originally cold brows and eyes instantly softened with a smile. "Liangan, you've come at just the right time."

While picking up a towel to wipe the light sweat from her forehead, she said, "I previously found some news about Liang Zichen. That brat is quite clever; he fled Jiangcheng overnight. I sent people to pursue him, but they only gathered a few scattered clues. It looks like he has hidden himself in the deep mountains south of the city. I have already organized people to enter the mountains for a search. Barring any surprises, we should have news soon."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Liangan nodded, his tone carrying a touch of genuine gratitude. "Thank you for your hard work, Mom."

Su Wanyun rolled her eyes at him, reached out to pat his shoulder gently, her tone filled with a touch of reproach. "Why use such polite words with your mother?"

Zhou Liangan smiled and didn't argue. Instead, he pulled the five uniquely shaped keys from his pocket and handed them to Su Wanyun. "By the way, Mom, you have extensive connections. Could you help me check what locks these five keys correspond to?"

Su Wanyun took the keys and examined them carefully. She saw that the keys were dark gold in color, engraved with intricate patterns, and didn't look like something an ordinary family would use.

She looked up at Zhou Liangan, and seeing his serious expression, she nodded. "Rest assured, leave this matter to me. I will definitely help you find out."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Mom." Zhou Liangan replied with a smile.

After bidding farewell to Su Wanyun, Zhou Liangan sat in the car, his mind involuntarily recalling the plot direction of this novel.

According to the original trajectory, although Liang Zichen hadn't conquered a single Destiny Heroine yet, he had used his ancestral acupuncture skills to cure the chronic illness of the old Master of the Tang Family in Jiangcheng, causing the eldest daughter of the Tang Family, Tang Yasu, to fall deeply for him.

Thinking of this, Zhou Liangan couldn't help but sneer.

This Liang Zichen could be considered a freak. He was clearly a total scumbag, yet he claimed to be a proponent of pure love, forcing himself to live like a "eunuch."

Tang Yasu had secretly given her heart to him, and he was interested in her too, but the two of them stubbornly held onto that so-called reserve, and nothing ever happened.

Liang Zichen might be a "eunuch," but he, Zhou Liangan, certainly wasn't.

Since these heroines aren't getting the nourishment of love, then he would just do it for them!

A look of certainty curled at the corner of Zhou Liangan's mouth. He instructed the driver in the front row, "Go to Jiangcheng University."

Tang Yasu, a freshman at Jiangcheng University, and also the fifth-ranked school beauty.

Of course, the main point was that after Liang Zichen started suspecting Su Binglan, he might have found Tang Yasu and stored some important items with her.

The car soon arrived at the entrance of Jiangcheng University.

Zhou Liangan didn't alert anyone and walked straight into the teaching building where Tang Yasu was.

He stood outside the classroom window, his gaze piercing through the glass, precisely locking onto the figure sitting in the first row.

The girl was wearing a moon-white cheongsam, the well-fitted fabric outlining her slender yet curvaceous figure.

Her long, dark hair was loosely tied into a bun, revealing her slender, fair neck. Her brows and eyes were cold and elegant, her temperament like the misty rain of a Jiangnan water town, exuding a gentle scholarly aura, like a piece of meticulously carved white porcelain.

Yet, the stretch of fair leg exposed by the slit of the cheongsam, along with the slightly raised curves, added a touch of alluring charm to this coldness, like an Epiphyllum blooming in the cold night—cold yet seductive.

Zhou Liangan's gaze fell on Tang Yasu, his eyes deepening, and the smile at the corner of his mouth grew more intense.

With a thought, the System panel appeared in front of him.

Zhou Liangan didn't hesitate at all and immediately opened the Blackmail Mall. He actually found the dirt on [Tang Yasu]...

P.S.: The image shows Tang Yasu.