Chapter 165 – The White Moonlight is Forcibly Loved by the Substitute 63
The rain came suddenly, falling without warning and showing no signs of stopping. In the midst of the storm, Meng Ying, clad in a black raincoat, huddled in a corner, his eyes fixed on the port as he paced back and forth restlessly. The ground was littered with cigarette butts, a testament to how long he had been waiting there.
Why hasn’t A Yan arrived yet? Could something have happened… He never considered that Gu Qiyan might not show up. Because Meng Ying knew him better than anyone. To get the information he had, he would definitely come.
After months on the run, Meng Ying was so thin he was unrecognizable, his face covered in stubble. His haggard appearance was no better than that of a homeless man on the street. He not only had to evade the World Government’s wanted notice but also dodge the assassins sent by Ai Jing. To have made it back to Tianning was, by all accounts, a near-death experience. He hadn’t even dared to contact Gu Qiyan, fearing that Ai Jing might have him under surveillance. If he hadn’t heard the news that Ai Jing was now wanted, he would never have shown himself!
Time ticked by, second by second. There were only two minutes left until the agreed-upon time of twelve o’clock.
“Mr. Meng, the rain is too heavy. Going out to sea now would be courting disaster. We can’t leave today,” the boatman in charge of the smuggling operation said, braving the rain to speak with him.
“Damn it, I paid you so much money, and you’re telling me we can’t go?!”
Meng Ying flew into a rage and grabbed the man by his collar.
“No amount of money is more important than my life! A day’s delay won’t kill you. Anyway, I’m not setting sail today. You can either wait or find someone else!”
The man shook him off, threw the money he had been given onto the ground, and left without a backward glance.
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Nothing was going right! He was like a tiger stranded on the plains, bullied by dogs…
Frustrated, Meng Ying quickly bent down to pick up the money. He glanced resentfully at the deserted port, then finally decided to leave for now. Under the dim yellow streetlight, his figure soon vanished into the curtain of rain.
Tap, tap, tap—
From the opposite side of the alley, a tall man in high-end leather boots and a tailored suit, holding an umbrella, walked directly toward Meng Ying. His figure was like an Asura descending to the mortal realm, filled with power and murderous intent.
“What a coincidence, Mr. Meng. We meet again.”
Lifting the umbrella to reveal his handsome face, Jingmo greeted him with a smile.
Shit! Meng Ying’s face changed drastically. He turned and ran without a second thought. His mind was in chaos; he couldn’t understand how this guy had found him!
BOOM—
A clap of thunder split the sky. The black umbrella in Jingmo’s hand drifted down onto the muddy concrete ground. At the same time, he moved swiftly, launching a flying kick at Meng Ying’s back. The man staggered forward a couple of steps. Knowing he couldn’t escape, he decided to make a desperate stand.
Meng Ying’s fighting skills were decent. But he was up against Jingmo, who possessed god-given strength… In less than five minutes, he was a bloody, mangled mess lying on the ground, half-dead and gasping for breath.
“Mr. Meng must be very curious why I’m here. Why don’t you… take a guess? If you guess correctly, I’ll let you go?”
A soul-snatching smile played on Jingmo’s lips as he spoke slowly.
Why else? It’s obviously because of Si Shuangyu! Meng Ying’s eyes filled with contempt as he answered silently.
“Wrong guess… No prize for you. The person who sent me here wasn’t Yu. It was the Gu Qiyan you value more than your own life.”
Jingmo revealed a gloating smile as he stated the fact.
“Impossible! A Yan would never cooperate with the World Government, much less betray me!”
Provoked by his words, Meng Ying retorted loudly, his eyes bloodshot.
“Too naive. In a TV drama, you wouldn’t survive past three episodes. Has no one ever taught you not to trust others too much? You’re truly pathetic, always being used by Gu Qiyan. Unlike me, I have Yu to protect and guide me.”
Jingmo boasted smugly.
Damn it, this lunatic! He and Si Shuangyu have been separated for decades, where did this ‘protection and guidance’ come from! Meng Ying was so angry he nearly coughed up blood.
“Are you planning to tell Gu Qiyan that I’m the mole? What to do… I’m not done with my business yet, so I can’t let you have your way…”
Jingmo sighed helplessly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. With a swift motion, Meng Ying’s bright red tongue was brutally cut out.
Glancing at the time, he slowly stood up, smoothed his rain-matted hair, and dragged the half-dead Meng Ying out of the alley as if he were a dead dog.
BOOM—
Another clap of thunder echoed. A black sedan approached from a distance, finally stopping not far from them. Meng Ying looked at the familiar license plate and instantly felt as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.
The truth is like peeling back flesh to expose the bloody bones, then shattering those bones inch by inch.
The driver got out, opened the rear door with an umbrella, and the lofty Gu Qiyan slowly stepped out. This scene. It was so familiar.
The bone-deep pain sent Meng Ying into a trance, and he was transported back to his reunion with him. He had been caught stealing and was being beaten half to death by a crowd. Because the road was blocked, a luxury car was forced to stop.
“Young Master, there’s a fight up ahead. The road is blocked.”
“It’s fine, we’re not far. I’ll walk over to pick up Xiao Yu.”
The car door opened, and Gu Qiyan, dressed in a high-end suit, got out. Their eyes met across the distance. At that moment, Meng Ying had been hoping desperately that he would be recognized. He wanted a better life too. He wanted to be a man above others, just like Gu Qiyan. It was also in that instant that Meng Ying suddenly became certain about this man. He felt that he was his destiny, that he could save him from his suffering.
But reality was destined to be cruel. Gu Qiyan’s gaze lingered on him for only a second before quickly moving on.
“Xiao Yu!”
His face lit up with pleasant surprise as he ran towards a person watching the commotion from a distance. Meng Ying watched the intimate scene between the two, his heart feeling as if it were being torn apart. He had never envied anyone except Si Shuangyu. He had been protected by Gu Qiyan since childhood. When Gu Qiyan left, he had unhesitatingly chosen to take him along. He had always been with them, so why… why was he always the one who was ignored, the one who was abandoned…
Memories and reality constantly battered Meng Ying’s nerves, and scalding tears rolled down from the corners of his eyes. So… no matter how hard he tried, he would always be the one left behind…
“Ahhh…”
With his tongue cut out, Meng Ying could no longer speak. He kept making guttural sounds, his fingers scratching at the ground, his bloodshot eyes fixed unwaveringly on the distant Gu Qiyan.
“What’s going on?”
Gu Qiyan glanced at him and asked with a frown.
“My apologies, Mr. Gu. His mouth was too filthy, he kept cursing Yu. I couldn’t hold back and cut out his tongue.”
Jingmo shrugged, offering an unapologetic apology.
This lunatic. He cut out his tongue, how was he supposed to question him now? Gu Qiyan was somewhat displeased, but ultimately said nothing and slowly walked toward Meng Ying. The latter’s blood-stained hand tightly gripped his suit trousers.