Returning to Guangzhou

February 16, 2013.

There was just over a week left before school started.

Yet, Lin Mo was already on a bus back to Goat City.

Truth be told, Xie Yuling had asked him multiple times when he’d be returning.

Even Jiang Yunlu occasionally checked in on him.

But unlike ordinary people, Jiang Yunlu spent her New Year traveling with her family.

Perhaps her family didn’t need to pay New Year’s visits to others.

Lin Mo, however, still had to return to extend greetings to certain people.

Of course, the most important visits were to Xie Yuling’s and Chu Miaomiao’s families.

The buses back to Goat City were packed these days. Many had returned home for the holidays and were now heading back to the city for work.

Lin Mo sat by the window, quietly putting on his headphones.

It almost felt like last year’s summer vacation all over again.

But as soon as he stepped off the bus and walked out of the provincial coach station, he spotted Chu Lintian waiting at the entrance.

This time, he didn’t have to take the bus home alone.

In the car, Chu Lintian pulled a red envelope from her pocket and handed it to Lin Mo.

"Happy New Year—good luck and prosperity."

Lin Mo was taken aback. "You’re not married yet—why give me a red envelope?"

Chu Lintian’s face flushed. "It’s a habit. No one else knows about this, so I have to prepare red envelopes every year."

That made sense. With Chu Miaomiao as her daughter, Chu Lintian had to maintain the image of a married woman.

And over the years, she had perfected the act.

She effortlessly pulled off all the mannerisms of a mother.

"Fine, if it’s a habit, then it’s a habit. But I’m still not used to accepting red envelopes from unmarried people."

The car headed toward Chu Lintian’s home.

"Miaomiao was really happy when she heard you were coming back today."

"I thought you two would be traveling or something."

Lin Mo knew Chu Lintian had no relatives left besides Chu Miaomiao.

Under such circumstances, the New Year was the perfect time for a trip.

But Chu Lintian sighed and shook her head.

"No, the group has too many issues to handle. Especially with Jiang Beihe and the mess he left behind—even if he takes the blame, it’ll still affect the group. We’re trying to cover the losses now."

It was clear Chu Lintian was genuinely stressed.

The Great River Group was a massive ship, but it had sprung quite a few leaks.

Though Jiang Beihe, who had been placed under a soul-controlling spell, was cooperating fully, the process of patching things up remained tedious.

As for Chu Miaomiao, she was a homebody. Staying indoors was no issue for her—she could even focus on writing her novels in her room.

The car soon pulled into the underground parking lot.

Taking the elevator up, Lin Mo felt a wave of warm air as soon as the door opened.

Central heating—such was the luxury of the wealthy.

Chu Lintian took off her coat as she entered, revealing a thick, high-collared sweater underneath.

Lin Mo didn’t stare—he just let his divine sense linger for a couple extra glances.

Chu Lintian tied her hair back with a rubber band. "Want something to drink?"

"Cola!"

Lin Mo settled onto the sofa, feeling completely at ease.

After all, his grandmother’s house was furnished with redwood furniture—elegant, but still just wood.

Nothing beat the comfort of a sofa.

Chu Lintian walked over to Chu Miaomiao’s room and knocked.

"Miaomiao, guess who’s here."

At that moment, Lin Mo, still on the sofa, sensed something was off.

Very, very off.

Through his divine sense, he saw Chu Miaomiao typing away at her computer, likely working on her new novel. With headphones on, she clearly hadn’t heard Chu Lintian’s call.

Lin Mo relaxed slightly.

A moment later, Chu Lintian returned with a glass of cola, ice clinking inside.

Lin Mo took it without hesitation.

"That girl’s probably still asleep."

He took a sip of the ice-cold cola.

It was refreshing, but the atmosphere in the room felt oddly tense.

Then, the doorbell rang.

Chu Lintian stood up. "That’s the takeout I ordered. Didn’t have time to cook, so I had food delivered."

But just then, Lin Mo frowned. He grabbed Chu Lintian’s wrist and stood up abruptly.

"Wait!"

Outside the door stood a man.

He was indeed holding a large food container.

But more importantly, he also had a pistol tucked in his jacket.

Well, it seemed some loose ends hadn’t been tied up.

The world was always chaotic and messy.

Lin Mo recalled the last guy whose throat he’d crushed—he’d also had a pistol. So this wasn’t entirely unexpected.

For those with the right skills, crafting a homemade firearm wasn’t difficult.

But the man outside was carrying a Beretta M92F—with a silencer attached.

A professional, then.

Lin Mo pressed Chu Lintian down with one hand. "Stay seated and don’t move."

With that, he walked to the door and opened it.

The delivery man smiled politely. "Hello, Tianfulou delivery. Is this Ms. Chu’s residence?"

Lin Mo feigned confusion. "Wrong address. No one here by that name."

The man hesitated, checking the number again.

"No mistake—Building 9, 15th floor."

"Really? This is Building 10."

As he spoke, Lin Mo opened the door wider.

In the next instant, the man set down the food container and drew his pistol.

But before he could pull the trigger, the gun crumbled into dust in his hand.

Then, everything went black.

Another hired killer from the dark web.

Lin Mo shook his hand, stuffing the man’s soul into a yellow talisman.

He also acquired an anonymous offshore bank account.

If you crossed Lin Mo, any ill-gotten gains had to be returned.

As for the body? A flick of his wrist reduced it to dust.

After returning from the rooftop to the 15th floor, Lin Mo casually picked up the food at the door.

He’d already checked—no poison.

The killer wasn’t actually from Tianfulou. He’d just intercepted the delivery.

So the food was safe to eat.

As soon as he stepped back inside, Chu Lintian rushed over.

"Are you okay? Why are there still assassins?"

Jiang Beihe was already under control—why would anyone still come after her?

"The killer was targeting you. I think there are still some loose ends we missed."

The loose ends weren’t hard to guess.

Setting the food on the table, Lin Mo said, "Eat first. I’ll check if Jiang Beihe is still alive."

If someone had been sent to kill Chu Lintian, Jiang Beihe was likely next.

Chu Lintian nodded. "Understood. Be careful."

Lin Mo headed for the door. "As long as you keep the protective talisman on you, you’ll be fine."

Watching Lin Mo leave, Chu Lintian suddenly realized how much they owed him.

Glancing at Chu Miaomiao’s room, she knew how much her daughter relied on Lin Mo. But she could also tell Xie Yuling had feelings for him too.

She didn’t want Chu Miaomiao to end up heartbroken—or worse, treated as some kind of payment.

If it came down to it… maybe she herself would be the better choice.