Touma 08

Fang Zhiyi looked at Xue Wanning, who was dressed in disguise before him, and both saw intense disdain in each other's eyes.

"How did you know about this place? Move over."

"Don’t forget your crappy detective agency was funded by me! Stop crowding me!"

"Shh, someone’s coming!"

"Xiaocao, I was wrong." The man stepping out of the luxury car was none other than Fu Jingxuan, impeccably dressed and holding a bouquet of flowers.

Qin Xiaocao looked at him, her eyes reddening.

"Fu Jingxuan, how dare you show your face after what you did?" Gu Mingyu, pushing Zhou Han in his wheelchair, stepped forward, instantly ratcheting up the tension.

Xue Wanning felt like she could barely breathe.

"Are you two buying anything or not?" The vendor couldn’t take it anymore—these two had been crowding her stall but kept glancing behind them the whole time.

"Yeah, yeah." Xue Wanning pulled out some cash and shoved it at the vendor without even looking.

The vendor finally snapped, "Go sit over there! You’re blocking my view!" She pointed to a few small tables she’d set up for herself.

"Fine, fine." The two moved away, and the vendor sighed in relief. At least she hadn’t missed the drama—some kind of love chase, it seemed?

The conversation quickly turned sour, and Gu Mingyu and Fu Jingxuan came to blows. Qin Xiaocao, true to form, delivered the classic plea: "Stop fighting!"

Fang Zhiyi realized that when it came to gossip, age and gender didn’t matter—even the girl at the next table was watching with rapt attention.

Rapt... attention?

"Fang Zhiyun! Why aren’t you in school? What are you doing here?" His younger sister, Fang Zhiyun, was sitting right there!

"Bro..." Fang Zhiyun only seemed to notice him now, looking guilty. "I, uh, came with Wanning-jie."

"Shh, don’t interrupt! It’s getting good." Xue Wanning didn’t even turn her head.

The fight only ended when the police arrived. Both men were bruised, and then—Qin Xiaocao just wheeled Zhou Han away?

"Typical. Always this dramatic." Xue Wanning exhaled deeply.

Fang Zhiyi shook his head. Well, at least his mission was technically complete... or not!

"Fang Zhiyun, go back to class. Now."

"And you—come with me to the office. There’s something important."

Xue Wanning pouted. "No way. Not unless you say those three words!"

Fang Zhiyun’s eyes widened with excitement. Could it be? Her gaze darted between Xue Wanning and Fang Zhiyi.

The onlookers perked up at this, and Fang Zhiyi felt their curious stares burning into him.

He took a deep breath. "Let’s go, my lady?"

"Ugh." The crowd collectively groaned—they’d been hoping for a love confession.

As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot. With Fu Jingxuan distracted by his pursuit of Qin Xiaocao, now was the perfect time to dismantle him. Xue Wanning might not be cutthroat, but Fang Zhiyi was a seasoned player.

Xue Wanning watched as he swiftly issued orders—everything from corporate sabotage and reputation destruction down to petty schemes like having someone kidnap and roast Fu Jingxuan’s prized arowana fish.

Fang Zhiyi had once again reshaped Xue Wanning’s impression of him.

Was her right-hand man always this ruthless?

Of course, the Fu family wasn’t easy to topple. Fang Zhiyi had planned a slow, methodical takeover, and Fu Jingxuan’s neglect of the company made him the biggest liability. His father even stripped him of his position.

Trapped at home under his father’s scolding and barred from seeing Qin Xiaocao, Fu Jingxuan took his rage out on his "white moonlight."

She was baffled—why had the man who once adored her suddenly turned cold?

She tried to leave, to return abroad, but it was too late.

Consumed by obsession, Fu Jingxuan knocked her out and tied her up. When she woke, she was in a basement, limbs strapped to a metal bed.

Fu Jingxuan caressed the spot where her kidney lay, his gaze feverish. "Just wait... soon, you’ll be back where you belong—inside your real owner."

She realized his plan and trembled in terror, but there was no escape.

"Return what you stole from her, and I’ll let you go," Fu Jingxuan said coldly before walking out.

Back at Xue Corporation’s office...

"My lady, here’s what we’ve uncovered." Fang Zhiyi placed a document in front of Xue Wanning. His job was done—what came next wasn’t his call.

Xue Wanning read it, her breath hitching. She stared at him for a long moment.

"Zhiyi, you once told me not to meddle in others’ fates... but I can’t just stand by. Not after what I saw back then—just like when I first met you."

She picked up the phone.

Fang Zhiyi shrugged. He’d expected this.

Fu Jingxuan barged into Qin Xiaocao’s home with a knife. With Gu Mingyu absent, he struck Zhou Han across the head. As Zhou Han slumped unconscious, Fu Jingxuan seized Qin Xiaocao’s wrist. "Come with me! I’m giving you back what’s yours!"

Terrified but unable to resist, Qin Xiaocao sobbed as he dragged her out.

But when Fu Jingxuan sped through red lights back to the basement, the moment he opened the door, a cold gun barrel pressed against his temple.

"Suspect apprehended!"

Fu Jingxuan was arrested on multiple charges. His "white moonlight," traumatized, suffered a relapse and was hospitalized. Qin Xiaocao was taken in by Gu Mingyu.

Just like the original story, she ended up living "happily" with Gu Mingyu and a recovering Zhou Han—except it wasn’t so easy. With her not working and Zhou Han unable to, Gu Mingyu struggled to support all three. Medical bills piled up, and soon, their home was filled with resentment and arguments.

Gu Mingyu’s "don’t mock the young for being poor" turned into "don’t mock the middle-aged for being poor," then "don’t mock the elderly for being poor"... until even grave robbers would pity them.

Fang Zhiyi suddenly realized something—he, too, had interfered in Xue Wanning’s fate. He hadn’t cared until he saw his sister strolling arm-in-arm with Xue Wanning, cheerfully calling her sister-in-law.

Oh.

"Honestly, the moment you pulled her into your arms to shield her from that spilled food, she was already out of the game—and you were dragged in," Little Hei remarked, thoroughly amused.

Fang Zhiyi thought back to that look years ago. He’d long forgotten what human love even felt like.

"You really think a girl like her would drag you everywhere for no reason? Get real." Little Hei scoffed.

Fang Zhiyi glared at him, then glanced back at the two laughing girls. "Right now—bring the original host back. Now."

"That’s no way to ask for a favor."

"Are you even human?"

"Tch. Fine. Another free meal wasted." Little Hei grumbled.

As he left, Fang Zhiyi watched the original host—now sprawled on the ground—being yanked up by Xue Wanning, utterly bewildered.

He tilted his head and smirked. Love? Ugh... whatever. A wise man doesn’t drown in love—this guy’s not sticking around to clean up the mess.