RALP Chapter 33.1

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The agent’s guess was correct. Xiao Tiantian did reappear on purpose to let them find him.

Because he is already aware of Shen Chen’s helplessness during his disappearance.

Failure in love and in career, and then a virus infection and impending leak of critical files——Each and every one of those have pushed the once chosen one into his lowest point in life.

Though X’s hacking is turning out to be the last straw, Xiao Tiantian does not blame X.

As it was only because of X accompanying him during his imprisonment that allowed him to mentally adapt. And X also only targeted Shen Chen due to his anger and jealousy at his imprisonment.

Certainly they are both men who he loves so he cannot just watch as they fight each other to death, since they will eventually become one.

Speaking of which, it was the system’s help that he disappeared from sight back then.

Now, he has turned off the main system’s function of hiding his trail as he moved, allowing himself to be seen by the public eye, so that Shen Chen can discover him.

Then, Shen Chen will definitely look for him despite anything and everything.

He will forgive everything Shen Chen did thanks to his kindness when he sees how emaciated the person has become from being so mentally exhausted. He will convince X to give up on this hacking operation and save Shen Chen from his suffering.

After this, Shen Chen will not only fully succumb to and fall for him, but this will turn out to exacerbate X’s possessiveness over him as well.

Killing two birds with one stone.

He is prepared, prepared for this heart-wrenching love triangle.

So that he could appear before Shen Chen in as fresh an image as possible, Xiao Tiantian woke up early in the morning, dressing up while humming a tune.

He has part-time work in a café later. He has decided that he will have his ‘coincidental’ reunion with Shen Chen there.

Du You has assistant Xiao drive him to the vicinity of the café before getting off the car alone.

On his way here the agent has already scouted the vicinity.

This area is far from the CBD and it has low pedestrian traffic.

The café sits right in the intersection with a chocolate-coloured placard. There is a small blackboard placed outside the door listing the menu of the day in coloured chalk.

Since there’s barely any customers right now, he will definitely attract Xiao Tiantian’s attention if he went in.

Also, there’s CCTV cameras installed both in the shop and at its entrance. If he wanted to take him by force he’ll have to make Xiao Tiantian come out and do it somewhere else.

Currently, it’s two in the afternoon.

Du You takes a look at his watch and heads for the café door.

Occasionally cars would go racing past the street and leave behind a trail of dust and exhaust.

That is when another car comes along and stops by the road. Then, the door opens, and a man dressed in a coat has stepped off the car.

It’s Shen Chen.

It’s only been four days since their last meeting, but Shen Chen has changed greatly.

His normal well-kempt hair is strewn about messily. There are big black bags underneath his eyes. On his chin are unshaven, unkempt stubbles.

He didn’t even notice Du You there. Instead, he marches right on towards the café.

It was half an hour ago when Shen Chen received the news.

His hired men told him they had found Xiao Tiantian, so he immediately left his work and hurried here from the company.

His HQ is still in tatters. When he wanted to leave, secretary Dong did everything he could to try and stop him, but he cannot let this opportunity go.

If Xiao Tiantian were to disappear right in front of his eyes again, he will not know what to do.

The moment he left the company, the progress bar on screen has already progressed more than halfway. So there were less than 12 hours left.

Quickly persuade Xiao Tiantian to come back and maybe he’ll still have enough time to make it back to the company.

He is hurrying with his gaze fixed at the café door, but then suddenly he gets pulled.

Shen Chen turns to look at the person stopping him, and raises his brows when he sees who it is, “why are you here?”

Du You does not respond.

Over Shen Chen’s shoulders, he can see Xiao Tiantian wearing a white shirt and a black apron, moving a vase of flowers to the windowsill. He is taking occasional glances through the window.

Though he doesn’t know why he would choose to water the flowers at such an angle, but Du You can feel that he must be waiting for someone there.

In any case, he must not let the two see each other again.

Shen Chen also turns to look at what Du You is landing his gaze on seeing his focus shift, but before he can do so his chin gets held in place.

The bossy CEO You has finally managed to clamp onto the chin of the old bachelor from the prominent family. Though, it ended up being quite prickly in his hands.

“Don’t look,” says Du You.

“… What are you doing?” Asks Shen Chen.

Perhaps because of his exhaustion, he does not try to free himself. Or, perhaps thanks to last time, he is not so wary of Du You anymore.

Du You takes another glance at the café. Xiao Tiantian has moved away from the window now and walked somewhere else. So he decides to release his chin and grab his shoulder instead, pushing him towards his car.

“Get on. I have something to say.”

Shen Chen pushes against the car door and says with furrowed brows, “I’m busy, so say it here.”

“I cannot let others hear it.”

Though actually there are barely any pedestrians present. If that weren’t the case these two men dragging and pulling at each other on the road would have become a spectacle already.

Something others must not hear?

Shen Chen has an idea of what he wants to say. He thought he made it clear enough last time, but this person is still unable to let go, huh.

He sighs lightly and glances over to the café again, but then immediately his head gets clamped and turned back again.

He can practically hear the cranking from his neck.

Shen Chen “…”

“Fine, I’ll get on then,” says Shen Chen.

Du You has managed to get Shen Chen onto the vehicle with him as planned. Thanks to the custom-order windows, people outside cannot see the people inside the car.

A pair of customers happen to enter the café now and Xiao Tiantian welcomes them at the door. They entered the car just before being discovered.

“Five minutes,” that’s when Du You hears Shen Chen say, “I’ll give you five minutes to say whatever it is you want to say,” then, a pause, “after that, I will wipe them from my memory.”

Du You didn’t actually have anything to say. He just wanted Shen Chen to get out of his way, and clearly, he is also not loquacious enough to strike up a chat or a persuasion.

One minute of silence passes in the car. A ring whizzes past them outside. Someone has passed by the car on a bicycle.

Shen Chen takes a look at the time, “it’s already a minute now. Is this all you wanted?”

“…”

Certainly, time is being wasted here.

Du You turns to look at Shen Chen, “no matter what I do, you will wipe them from your mind?”

“Yes.” Shen Chen answers before realising the verb is off.

He promised to ‘listen,’ not to ‘do’ anything.

What does he plan to do in the four minutes left?

His brows are knit when he looks back at Du You, which is when he happens to see him closing in on him, his left hand grabbing onto his shoulder.

“Wait,” Shen Chen extends his hands, trying to block Du You, “what are you doing.”

As Shen Chen left his company in such a hurry, he didn’t even open the heating in the car. It’s cold, so cold that even the seat is like a block of ice.

But, right now, it’s as if the temperature between the two of them has went up a notch. The atmosphere is burning up.

Du You does not understand, “you promised I can do anything?”

Shen Chen is speechless. He is starting to regret this now, “you heard wrong.”

Du You ignores him, but reassures him that, “it won’t hurt.”

Won’t hurt?

Shen Chen’s face goes pale. There is a growing anxiety in him for what he thinks is to come.

This person, he really… if he cannot win his heart, at least he wants his body.

He wants to push Du You away, but he is stronger than him, and since he’s coming from above and skillfully locking the movements of his joints, he can’t muster much force.

“Stop,” Shen Chen glares at Du You, “if you dare to continue, I will never forgive you!”

“If it did hurt, you can go to the hospital.”

Go to the hospital? What kind of injury does he think he would be causing?!

It looks like he has no intention of letting him go at all.

Shen Chen is as pale as a ghost, not even his lips have any semblance of colour now. He actually looks a bit pitiful.

“Calm down! At least…” He is fumbling with his words now, “do it somewhere else.”

“There is no time.”

Du You’s usual unchanging tone of voice sounds like the devil’s speech to Shen Chen right now.

“Really now——!”

Shen Chen starts to yell to try to attract attention of passers-by. It might be embarrassing, but at least it’s better than this continuing.

Not another syllable in before his mouth gets covered up by a hand.

“Don’t speak so loudly,” orders Du You.

Shen Chen is trying to yell, but with his mouth covered the only sounds coming out are meaningless whimpers.

“Look into my eyes.”

Shen Chen hears that as Du You’s usual cold-looking eyes are staring right at him.

The next second, the black in his pupil is disappearing. It actually turns into off-white for a second.

Shen Chen widens his eyes in shock and a vague hmph comes out of his throat. Then, he feels as if his neck was lightly brushed with a feather, being lightly tapped upon.

Mm.

Du You looks back at his hand. It is slightly hard to control the strength. He’s worried that too much force will hurt him, but doing it like just now didn’t seem helpful.

He’ll add a smidgeon more force to it.

“Who are you.” Shen Chen has snapped back from his daze.

Du You’s pupils have turned black again.

He only had one chance. Even if his eyes turned colour again he would probably be unable to scare him now.

“Don’t move,” says Du You, “I’m researching.”

It sounds rather dangerous.

Shen Chen does not know what he is ‘researching,’ but, it seems like a good opportunity to fight back.

Before either of them made a move, though, a ringtone. The simple tone resounds throughout the narrow space inside the car, and both of them stop in place. Neither move.

Du You can feel his pocket vibrating.

“Take it,” says Shen Chen.

And the moment the grip loosens, he will capitalise on it.

Du You glances at the man before taking out his phone. It’s an unknown caller.

He accepts the call, putting the phone to his ear.

And then, an unfamiliar male voice.

Or rather, not exactly a male voice. It has clearly been changed and is currently just an electronic, robotic voice. It sounds rather chilling.

“Hello,” the electronic tone says, “you are looking for me?”

The car is narrow enough and the two people close enough that Shen Chen can also hear the content of the conversation.

That odd tone and strange question makes him pause and put his hand back down. He decides to keep quiet and listen instead of fighting back.

“I am calling you to warn you. Do not approach Xiao Tiantian anymore. Otherwise, you will be the next.”

The caller is X.

He probably isn’t here, but he must have somehow been aware of him approaching the café earlier.

“Where are you?” Asks Du You.

The other side does not respond to this question.

Nor is Du You expecting him to answer. He just wants to delay it for his own agents to perhaps discover clues from this call.

[I have it I have it!]

The system’s annoying voice rings out in his mind.

[X’s identity, host, I’ve found it out in three hours. Praise me!] It seems rather proud.

[Good job.] Du You obliges [Well?]

The system feels rather disappointed, but still, it tells him what it found.

X is from the book ‘The Apocalypse where After I Reincarnated I Punch Scum Men and Kick White Lotus in Their Faces, but End Up as a Favourite in Dalao‘s Heart.’

This familiar taste in naming.

By the way, X’s real name has come up as well.

He is named Qin Ge.

For some reason, Du You feels like the name sounds familiar to him.

But, now is not the time to think. He just plans to relay this information to his agents later.

The call is not cut yet.

Du You looks at his screen and confirms they are still talking. The person has not cut off the call nor spoken.

“Are you still there?” He asks.

A while later, the electronic voice speaks again.

“Get off the car.”

“Why.”

A pause, then, “in exchange, I can withdraw and return the documents.”

Du You takes a look at Shen Chen sitting opposite him, who is also shocked to hear it and stares into his phone.

“Of the Shen Conglomerate?”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

Though he isn’t sure what the person is planning, he is ready to do as he asks. Just before he pushes the door open, though, his arm gets pulled on.

Turning around, he sees Shen Chen looking hesitant with a complicated expression.

In the end, he mutters, “could be a trap.”

There is certainly something suspicious about all this, but Du You does not want to miss this opportunity. If Qin Ge would stop this attack of his own volition, then he would not have to lay his hand on Xiao Tiantian as his last resort.

“Don’t worry,” he pulls his arm out.

Shen Chen can feel how the arm he gripped slips away and the person leaves the car right in front of his eyes. Then, the car door shuts right in front of his face.

It’s just him in the car now. The temperature seems to have dropped back to normal.

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TL’s notes: Flag! It’s a flag! It’s a big big flag! Well, it’s only because I split the chapter in two though. Qin Ge will be dropping a pretty major bomb in the latter half iirc about why Du You felt his name was familiar.