The apartment was in complete chaos.
Chen Yan stood frozen at the entrance, his eyes sweeping across every corner of the wrecked room.
The table had been overturned, the chairs smashed apart, and the painting hanging on the wall tilted crookedly to one side. Papers, clothes, and shards of broken glass littered the floor. The windows stood wide open, allowing the cold night wind to rush inside as the curtains whipped violently in the air.
He walked toward the window and looked down.
Below was a narrow alley swallowed by darkness, concealing everything from sight.
His gaze moved slowly across the room again before he crouched down and picked up a torn photograph from the floor.
The picture had been ripped in half. After piecing it together, it revealed the face of a middle-aged man with thick brows, a square jaw, and cautious eyes filled with wariness.
It had to be Zhang Chenghai.
Chen Yan slipped the photograph into his pocket.
Standing by the doorway, Su Qingyuan quietly took in the scene before speaking.
“Someone got here before us?”
Chen Yan nodded faintly.
“When did this happen?”
He walked over to the overturned table and brushed his fingers across the wooden surface. A thin layer of dust covered it, though several marks had clearly been disturbed recently.
“At most, two hours ago.”
He turned back toward the window, glancing outside once more.
The alley below connected to a small street where several shops still had their lights on.
Finally, he spoke.
“Let’s leave.”
The two of them headed downstairs and returned to the car.
Chen Yan did not start the engine immediately. He sat behind the wheel in silence, his eyes lowered slightly as if sorting through countless thoughts in his mind.
Su Qingyuan quietly watched him without interrupting.
After a long moment, he took out his phone and dialed a number.
“Uncle Li, Zhang Chenghai has been taken. Help me investigate Zhou Jianguo’s movements over the past two days, and check whether he has any connections here in the neighboring city.”
The person on the other end replied briefly before the call ended.
Chen Yan turned to look at Su Qingyuan.
“We’ll return to the hotel tonight. We’ll deal with the rest tomorrow.”
She nodded softly.
The car slowly drove back toward the hotel.
After returning to the room, silence settled between them once more.
Chen Yan sat beside the window, staring quietly at the city lights outside.
Su Qingyuan sat on the edge of the bed, watching him in silence.
After a long while, she finally spoke.
“Will that man be alright?”
Chen Yan remained quiet for several seconds.
“I don’t know.”
She did not ask anything further.
A little later, she stood up and walked over to him.
“Don’t think about it too much,” she said gently. “We still have other options.”
Chen Yan lifted his eyes toward her.
The soft light from the side illuminated her face, and there was unmistakable tenderness in her gaze.
For the first time since entering that ruined apartment, the tension tightly wound inside his chest eased slightly.
“Yeah,” he answered softly.
She sat down beside him.
The two remained there quietly, looking out at the city beyond the glass.
Much later, Su Qingyuan slowly leaned her head against his shoulder.
“I’m tired,” she whispered.
Chen Yan did not move.
The night deepened around them.
Outside the window, the city gradually quieted down until only the occasional passing car could be heard in the distance.
Her breathing slowly became calm and steady.
Chen Yan tilted his head slightly and looked at her sleeping face.
Her eyelashes were long, casting faint shadows beneath her eyes. Her lips were lightly pressed together, as though even in sleep she carried unresolved thoughts in her heart.
He slowly raised a hand, wanting to touch her face.
But halfway there, he stopped.
In the end, he quietly withdrew his hand and turned back toward the window.
That entire night, he remained sitting there while she leaned against him.
He never slept.
The next morning, Su Qingyuan slowly woke to find herself lying in bed beneath a blanket.
Sitting up, she saw Chen Yan seated by the window, holding his phone.
“You’re awake?”
She nodded.
“Uncle Li found something,” Chen Yan said. “Zhou Jianguo was indeed in the neighboring city last night, and he’s flying back to the Capital this afternoon.”
Su Qingyuan froze briefly.
“So the people who took Zhang Chenghai belong to him?”
“Most likely.”
“Then where is Zhang Chenghai now?”
Chen Yan fell silent for a moment.
“They’re still investigating. But one thing is certain, Zhou Jianguo won’t kill him before this afternoon.”
Su Qingyuan looked at him in confusion.
“Why?”
“Because the witness Zhou Jianguo is meeting this afternoon isn’t Zhang Chenghai,” Chen Yan replied calmly. “Zhang Chenghai is only bait.”
Her brows furrowed tightly.
“Bait? To lure who?”
Chen Yan met her gaze.
“To lure me.”
She stared at him in shock.
“He deliberately allowed me to discover Zhang Chenghai’s whereabouts. He also deliberately arranged for his men to capture Zhang Chenghai before I arrived. That way, I would believe he was desperately trying to silence a witness and rush to save him.”
He paused briefly before continuing.
“But the person he truly intends to meet is someone else. That individual is the real key to the case from back then.”
Su Qingyuan’s heartbeat quickened.
“What do we do now?”
Chen Yan stood up.
“We’re going to the airport.”
The two quickly packed their belongings and drove toward the airport.
The neighboring city’s airport was small, with only a handful of boarding gates.
After parking the car, Chen Yan led Su Qingyuan inside the terminal.
They found a quiet corner and sat down, silently watching the constant flow of people passing by.
In a low voice, Su Qingyuan asked, “What does he look like?”
Chen Yan pulled out his phone and opened a photograph.
The man in the picture appeared to be in his sixties. His hair had already turned gray, and he wore a faint smile on his face. Yet even through the photo, there was not a trace of warmth in his eyes.
“Zhou Jianguo.”
Su Qingyuan memorized that face immediately.
Time slowly passed.
Eleven o’clock.
Eleven-thirty.
Twelve o’clock.
Then, at twelve-thirty, Chen Yan’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
Su Qingyuan instinctively followed his line of sight.
An elderly man with graying hair, dressed in a dark gray suit and carrying a briefcase, was walking toward the security checkpoint. Two young men who looked like bodyguards accompanied him closely.
Zhou Jianguo.
Chen Yan remained seated, his eyes fixed directly on him.
Just as Zhou Jianguo reached the checkpoint, he suddenly stopped.
Then he slowly turned his head.
Across dozens of meters, the two men’s gazes collided for a single second.
A faint smirk appeared on Zhou Jianguo’s lips.
Then he calmly turned around and walked through security.
Chen Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Su Qingyuan tightened her grip around his hand.
His hand felt cold.
“Let’s go,” he said quietly.
The two stood and headed outside.
The moment they stepped through the airport exit, Chen Yan’s phone rang.
An unfamiliar number.
He answered the call.
“Chen Yan, correct?”
An old man’s voice came through the receiver, carrying a trace of amusement.
“Zhou Jianguo.”
A low chuckle sounded from the other side.
“Sharp ears. Just as expected from Chen Zhengyuan’s son.”
Chen Yan said nothing.
“You arrived faster than I anticipated,” Zhou Jianguo continued. “I originally thought I’d need to wait another two days.”
Chen Yan remained silent.
“Zhang Chenghai is currently in my hands. If you want him alive, come to this address tomorrow night at eight.”
He calmly gave an address.
“Come alone. Don’t contact the police, and don’t bring anyone with you. Otherwise, you can prepare to collect Zhang Chenghai’s corpse.”
The call ended immediately afterward.
Chen Yan slowly lowered the phone and looked out through the airport windows.
A plane roared overhead, its sound gradually fading into the distance.
Su Qingyuan looked at him quietly.
“Are you going?”
Chen Yan stayed silent for a long time.
“Yes.”
She tightened her grip around his hand.
“I’m coming with you.”
Chen Yan shook his head.
“He specifically told me to come alone.”
“Then I’ll still go,” she replied firmly. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
Chen Yan looked into her eyes.
There was not the slightest trace of fear or hesitation in them.
A faint smile finally appeared on his face.
“Alright.”