The next evening at seven-thirty, Chen Yan set out.
The location Zhou Jianguo had given him was an abandoned factory in the outskirts of a neighboring city. The place was incredibly remote, with not a single residential area within several kilometers.
Chen Yan drove there himself, with Su Qingyuan seated in the passenger seat.
The entire journey passed in near silence.
As they approached the destination, Chen Yan pulled the car over to the roadside.
“We’ll stop here,” he said quietly. “If we go any farther, they might notice us.”
Su Qingyuan nodded.
Chen Yan turned to look at her.
“Wait for me here. If I’m not back by eight-thirty, call the police.”
She paused, stunned.
“Didn’t you say we weren’t supposed to call the police?”
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
“That was only to trick him.”
She stared at him for a moment, wanting to say something, yet in the end, she simply nodded.
“Be careful.”
Chen Yan pushed open the car door and stepped outside.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and turned around.
Su Qingyuan remained seated in the car, quietly watching him.
The moonlight spilled across her face, making her eyes seem unusually bright.
Without warning, he walked back and lightly tapped on the car window.
She lowered it.
Leaning down, he gently pressed a kiss to her forehead.
She froze.
Straightening up, he looked at her for a moment.
“Wait for me to come back.”
Then he turned and disappeared into the night.
Su Qingyuan sat there, fingers unconsciously touching the spot on her forehead where he had kissed her. Her heartbeat raced uncontrollably.
It took her a very long time to calm herself down.
Inside the abandoned factory, darkness swallowed everything.
Chen Yan walked inside, his footsteps echoing through the vast, empty workshop.
The moment he reached the center, the lights abruptly flickered on.
Harsh incandescent lights flooded the entire space.
Not far away stood Zhou Jianguo, flanked by four men dressed in black.
Zhang Chenghai knelt on the floor nearby, tightly bound, a cloth stuffed into his mouth.
The moment Zhou Jianguo saw Chen Yan, a smile spread across his face.
“Young Master Chen, long time no see.”
Chen Yan looked at him without saying a word.
Zhou Jianguo slowly sized him up.
“You’ve had it rough these past years, haven’t you? I heard you’ve been working as someone’s nanny.”
He burst into laughter.
“The son of Chen Zhengyuan, working as a nanny, hahaha, now that’s interesting. Truly interesting.”
Chen Yan’s expression did not change.
“Where’s the person?”
Zhou Jianguo casually pointed toward Zhang Chenghai.
“He’s right there. But whether you can take him away depends on your capability.”
Chen Yan met his gaze.
“What capability?”
Zhou Jianguo smiled.
“How much do you know about what happened to your father back then?”
“Everything I should know.”
“Then do you know who forced him to jump off that building?”
Chen Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Zhou Jianguo stepped closer and looked him straight in the eye.
“It was me.”
A smug smile spread across his face.
“I arranged the trap. I found the people. I made him shoulder all those debts. Then I went to him and told him that if he handed over the Chen family assets, I’d help him settle everything.”
He paused deliberately.
“Want to know what he said?”
Chen Yan stayed silent.
“He said, ‘Zhou Jianguo, I treat you like a brother.’”
Zhou Jianguo sneered.
“Brother? There are no brothers in business, only interest.”
He looked straight at Chen Yan.
“He was too naive. So when he jumped off that building, I wasn’t surprised at all.”
Chen Yan remained silent.
The workshop fell into complete stillness, broken only by the faint buzzing of the overhead lights.
After a long pause, Chen Yan finally spoke.
“Finished?”
Zhou Jianguo blinked, caught off guard.
Chen Yan looked at him calmly.
“Since you’re done, my turn.”
He took a step forward.
Almost instinctively, Zhou Jianguo stepped back.
The four men in black immediately moved in.
Chen Yan merely glanced at them.
Then he moved.
No one could even see how.
A loud crash echoed through the workshop as the first man flew backward, slamming into the wall before collapsing motionless onto the floor.
The second.
The third.
The fourth.
In less than ten seconds, all four men lay sprawled across the ground.
Zhou Jianguo stood frozen in place, his face filled with utter disbelief.
Chen Yan slowly walked toward him.
“You know,” he said calmly, “all these years, I kept thinking about what the first thing I’d say to you would be when we met again.”
Zhou Jianguo’s lips trembled, but no words came out.
Chen Yan looked at him steadily.
“I thought of many possibilities. In the end, I decided not to say anything at all.”
He reached out, grabbed Zhou Jianguo by the collar, and effortlessly lifted him into the air.
Zhou Jianguo’s face immediately turned red, his legs kicking wildly.
“W, what are you trying to do?!”
Chen Yan’s gaze remained calm.
“The way you made my father die back then, I’ll make you experience the same thing today.”
Zhou Jianguo’s eyes widened in terror.
“You, you can’t kill me! If you kill me, you won’t escape either!”
Chen Yan let out a quiet chuckle.
“Who said I was going to kill you?”
He released him.
Zhou Jianguo collapsed onto the floor, gasping desperately for air.
Chen Yan crouched down and looked at him.
“I won’t kill you. I want you alive, alive enough to watch everything you own disappear piece by piece.”
He pulled a USB drive from his pocket.
“Everything about your dirty dealings over the years is inside here. Bank transfers, contracts, recordings, videos, everything.”
Zhou Jianguo’s face instantly turned pale.
“How… how did you get those?”
Chen Yan stood up.
“Did you really think you were the only one searching for me all these years? I’ve been searching for you too.”
He slipped the USB drive back into his pocket.
“Tomorrow morning, all of this will arrive at the Procuratorate. Zhou Jianguo, spend the rest of your life in prison.”
Turning around, he walked toward Zhang Chenghai and untied the ropes.
Zhang Chenghai looked up at him, eyes trembling.
“Young Master Chen…”
Chen Yan helped him to his feet.
“Let’s go.”
The two headed toward the exit.
Just as they reached the doorway, Chen Yan suddenly stopped.
Turning back, he looked at Zhou Jianguo, who was still slumped helplessly on the ground.
“Oh, right. One more thing.”
Zhou Jianguo slowly looked up.
Chen Yan’s gaze was cold.
“Before my father jumped off that building, he told me something. He said Zhou Jianguo wasn’t truly a bad person, only blinded by greed. He told me that if there ever came a chance in the future, I should let you off.”
Zhou Jianguo froze.
Chen Yan continued calmly.
“I originally intended to listen to him. But this time, you touched someone you shouldn’t have.”
His voice softened slightly.
“You touched the only family I have left.”
He turned away.
“So no, I won’t let you off.”
Then he walked out.
Outside, the moonlight was bright and clear.
Su Qingyuan stood not far away. The moment she saw him emerge, she ran toward him as fast as she could.
She rushed over and immediately checked him from head to toe.
“Are you okay?”
Chen Yan shook his head.
“I’m fine.”
Without warning, she threw her arms around him.
Holding him tightly.
Chen Yan froze for a moment before gently wrapping his arms around her in return.
Burying her face against his chest, she muttered softly, her voice muffled,
“You scared me to death.”
He smiled faintly.
“It’s over now.”
Standing nearby, Zhang Chenghai watched the two of them with a knowing smile.
Soon, all three got into the car and left.
The next morning, a thick stack of documents appeared at the entrance of the Procuratorate.
Three days later, Zhou Jianguo was taken away for investigation.
Not long after, the news broke.
Hengyuan Group was suspected of major economic crimes, and its chairman, Zhou Jianguo, had been formally arrested. The case involved billions and was connected to several unsolved cases from years ago.
Su Qingyuan sat on the living room sofa, quietly watching the news.
Chen Yan brought over two cups of tea and sat beside her.
She turned to look at him.
“You did this?”
Chen Yan nodded.
Her expression shifted with complicated emotions.
“You avenged him.”
Chen Yan shook his head.
“It’s not revenge. It’s making him pay for what he did.”
She fell silent for a while.
“If your father were still alive, what do you think he’d say?”
Chen Yan thought about it for a moment.
“He’d probably say, enough is enough.”
She nodded.
The two sat quietly together, watching the television.
After a while, Su Qingyuan suddenly leaned her head against his shoulder.
“Chen Yan.”
“Hm?”
“Stay here from now on.”
Chen Yan turned slightly to look at her.
She still leaned quietly against him, not lifting her head.
“Don’t leave again,” she murmured softly. “I don’t want to wait alone anymore.”
Looking at her, something inside Chen Yan softened completely.
He raised an arm and gently wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Alright.”
Outside the window, the sunlight was warm, peaceful, and just right.