"Is that Zhao Cheng your biological cousin?" Fang Yu asked casually, his gaze drifting lazily over the road as he steered the red convertible along the quiet streets.
Lin Ruofei shook her head and huddled slightly against the chill, a soft glow of warmth gracing her features. "No. He's an orphan my uncle adopted, and we grew up side by side…"
Before she could finish her sentence, she rolled her eyes at Fang Yu beside her and curled her lip. "What's it to you, anyway?"
"Alright, it's none of my business." Fang Yu shrugged with apparent indifference, yet a quiet unease lingered in his mind.
First, from what had unfolded earlier, he could tell the thugs had targeted Lin Ruofei deliberately. Who, then, had ordered her abduction?
Second, how had her cousin known she was in danger at just the right moment?
Though suspicions took shape in his mind, he kept them to himself. Somewhere in his bones, he sensed that his assignment as a bodyguard would prove far more complicated than he had initially imagined.
"We're here. This is my place." Lin Ruofei spoke up as the car pulled up before a sprawling, opulent villa.
Fang Yu parked the vehicle and followed her inside.
Wealthy families truly lived in a world of their own, he mused. He had already hauled several large trunks overflowing with dresses alone.
Thankfully, his stamina was exceptional; otherwise, the endless trips back and forth would have left him utterly exhausted.
Thud.
With the last suitcase stowed in the trunk, Fang Yu let out a long, relieved breath.
"Thanks for your hard work." Lin Ruofei giggled behind her hand at the sight of his sweat-slicked face. She gave his shoulder a generous pat before sliding into the passenger seat.
Fang Yu wiped the perspiration from his forehead and smiled bitterly. Why did his luck have to be so wretched? He'd carried mountains of luggage, and now the girl expected him to drive them back too. Truly ungrateful.
With a resigned shake of his head, he climbed into the driver's seat despite his quiet complaints.
Beneath the veil of night, a lone figure stood with his hands clasped behind his back before another grand villa. Tall and poised, he exuded an imposing aura, though his features remained obscured in shadow.
Behind him stood a cohort of men. At their head was none other than Brother Ghost, the ringleader who had failed in his attempt to abduct Lin Ruofei earlier. His head hung low, his gaze daring not to meet the man before him.
Crack!
The dark-cloaked figure spun abruptly and struck Brother Ghost across the face with a sharp slap. One side of Brother Ghost's cheek swelled instantly.
"I'm sorry, boss. We did everything we could." Brother Ghost's face twisted with discomfort, yet he remained rigidly deferential.
"I care not for excuses. I care only for results." The man Brother Ghost had addressed as boss stepped closer, his pale, handsome features illuminated by the moonlight.
Incredibly, his face bore a striking resemblance to Lin Ruofei's cousin, Zhao Cheng.
"Yes, sir." Brother Ghost dared not utter a single word of protest in the man's presence.
"There will be no second chances next time." The dark figure turned away once more, his silhouette looming menacingly against the night sky.
Brother Ghost shuddered at the cold, oppressive aura surrounding him.
"Fortunately, that boy Fang Yu suspected nothing. Otherwise, our plans would have been severely compromised." The man spoke as he began to stride away into the distance.
"Find an opportunity to eliminate him." His faint, ethereal voice drifted through the still night air.
"Yes, boss."
As his superior vanished into the darkness, Brother Ghost straightened from his hunched posture, a look of relief washing over his features.
"From this day forward, keep that boy under constant surveillance." He turned to his underlings, his voice cold and commanding.