Chapter 44: The True Pain Lies in the Heart

Nangong Ao put down his hand, raised his eyes to look at Bai Luomei, and pondered, “Most of them have been cleared out. Let Cang Yu return to the residence for now.”

Bai Luomei understood that Nangong Ao was worried that Xianyu Zheng might encounter danger.

Although Su Cha was quite skilled, she’d be at a disadvantage if she came up against a true senior member of the Zhengxuan Sect. With Jiang Mohe around, at least there was some peace of mind.

But Bai Luomei couldn’t help voicing her doubt: “Cang Yu seems to know a lot about the Zhengxuan Sect, but he’s been in Country K all along. There’s no record of him ever having contact with the Zhengxuan Sect…”

Nangong Ao had already verified this earlier.

“One of the hall masters in the Zhengxuan Sect was once his comrade-in-arms.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Luomei understood.

After all, Jiang Mohe had even crossed paths with the leader of the White Dragon Organization, so it was hardly surprising he knew someone in the Zhengxuan Sect. The Jiang family specialized in courier work and always had fast, wide-reaching sources of information. Even though Jiang Mohe had left the family years ago, he hadn’t lost their skills.

After leaving Nangong Ao’s office, Bai Luomei headed to the twenty-ninth floor of the Dihong Building—a workspace and lounge for their people.

When she entered, Ah Si was pestering Ah Ren to let him join a game, while Jiang Mohe stood alone by the floor-to-ceiling window, deep in thought.

His stature was as imposing as Nangong Ao’s, and when silent, he exuded a chill and solitary pride.

Bai Luomei had seen him in action—decisive, ruthless, yet composed, as if the vibrant lives before him were mere puppets.

Perhaps it was because he’d spent years as a mercenary, witnessing bloodshed on the battlefield. With such a past, it was no wonder the Jiang family head regarded him with caution, Bai Luomei mused.

“Miss Bai.” Ah Ren stood up immediately upon seeing her.

Ah Ren was a computer hacker, but unlike the cool, nimble-fingered characters in movies, he’d always been a thorough homebody. Years spent indoors had left his skin pale to the point of looking almost sickly. His features were ordinary, with a pair of black glasses perched on his nose—so much so that he seemed even more unremarkable than a passerby.

His codename was equally plain: Ren.

Yet this “nobody” was one of the top computer experts in the country. He used to keep a low profile, but after joining Nangong Ao and thwarting several hacker alliance attacks, his reputation soared.

Despite his fame, Ah Ren was always shy and bashful in front of Bai Luomei, because in his heart, she was his goddess.

Ah Si couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Ah Ren’s awkward, nervous demeanor. Pathetic.

Bai Luomei gave the two a slight nod, then walked over to Jiang Mohe and said, “The boss has a new assignment for you.”

Jiang Mohe waited for her to continue.

But Bai Luomei suddenly smiled playfully. “You seem to be getting close to the young lady.”

Jiang Mohe pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

Bai Luomei kept teasing him. “Just the day before yesterday, she asked me to speak to the boss on your behalf, hoping you could continue working at the residence. As it happens, your assignment this time is to protect her. Don’t let her down.”

Jiang Mohe’s expression didn’t change; he simply replied, “Understood.”

Bai Luomei clicked her tongue softly. What a dull man! Young Master Ao may have been reticent, but at least he wasn’t this wooden.

Watching the exchange, Ah Si nudged Ah Ren with his elbow and whispered, “You don’t think Miss Bai’s interested in Cang Yu, do you?”

Ah Ren lowered his head, feeling a bit dejected.

Miss Bai was so flawless, she deserved someone as capable as Cang Yu.

Ah Si snorted. “What’s wrong? Heartbroken already?”

At the keyboard, Ah Ren was a superhuman. But in real life, he was just a homebody who could only daydream about his goddess.

Ah Ren ignored him, slumping back into his seat, eyes fixed on the screen but not really seeing it.

It wasn’t until Bai Luomei and Jiang Mohe left the lounge that Ah Ren looked up again, his gaze lingering dreamily on her graceful silhouette.

Ah Si shook his head in exasperation. “Ah Ren, I’ll say it again—Miss Bai is out of your league.”

But Ah Ren didn’t care what Ah Si said.

He had no extravagant hopes—just being able to occasionally catch a glimpse of his goddess was enough.

—

That evening, when Xianyu Zheng returned from school, Housekeeper Rong noticed a large stain on her skirt and exclaimed, “Miss, what happened to you?”

She glanced at Su Cha as well.

Su Cha frowned and said nothing. Xianyu Zheng had been like this when she picked her up—it was obvious something had happened at school, but Xianyu Zheng wouldn’t tell her anything.

“It’s nothing, Aunt Rong,” Xianyu Zheng replied indifferently, forcing a smile. “A classmate accidentally dirtied it, that’s all. I’m not hurt.”

Relieved, Aunt Rong still fussed, “Which classmate was so careless! Getting your clothes dirty—how uncomfortable! Next time, you should bring an extra set to change into…”

Xianyu Zheng ignored the murmuring and went upstairs to wash and change.

In the misty bathroom, she stood under the shower, letting the water cascade over her slender, curvaceous body.

Through the haze, one could faintly see a pale scar on the inside of her thigh—a childhood injury from falling into a trap.

On the front of her thigh, however, was a new patch of redness, scalded by hot cocoa spilled on her that day.

Fortunately, the cocoa wasn’t very hot by then, so it wasn’t serious; she’d only needed to apply some camellia oil at the school clinic.

Now the water stung a little as it ran over the spot, but what truly hurt was inside her heart.

Her brother had been sent abroad for advanced studies by the Southern City Medical University and was later highly valued by an international medical organization. It was only because of this that she’d been given the rare chance to attend high school in the Imperial City.

Originally, Zuo Qingqing was the school beauty at Southern City High, admired everywhere she went. But after Xianyu Zheng arrived, she siphoned away much of her popularity.

Even though she was always low-key, aloof, and frequently out sick, there were still some boys who preferred a girl like her.

Especially since she was not only beautiful but also excelled academically.

Girls who couldn’t stand Zuo Qingqing’s haughty airs began comparing the two, always praising Xianyu Zheng and mocking Zuo Qingqing; even the similarity in the sounds of their names became fodder for jokes.

So Zuo Qingqing often tried to trip Xianyu Zheng up at school. But with Mao Wandou around, Xianyu Zheng rarely had to deal with her directly—Zuo Qingqing couldn’t really do anything to her.

One day, Zuo Qingqing somehow learned of her hidden illness and spread rumors online, saying she had a mental disorder and should be forcibly hospitalized.

For a time, all the students at Southern City High became afraid of her. This only worsened her condition.

The school eventually stepped in to quash the rumors, but by then, Xianyu Zheng’s attacks had become so frequent that she couldn’t even take the college entrance exam.

This was a wound that never healed in her heart.

And now, Zuo Qingqing was trying the same old trick again.