Chapter 178: Xiao Bai, You’re Different
Xiao Bai spoke with rare admiration in its voice. “So Ji He really isn’t easy. He graduated from the police academy at twenty-two and was selected to go undercover. To fabricate a complete, reliable background, he started from the very bottom as a street punk and, relying purely on his own abilities, clawed his way up to become one of the top gold-medal enforcers in the underworld. Didn’t the police bust several drug dealers’ dens earlier? He was behind that. And to really blend in with everyone, he seriously did everything. Tsk tsk.”
Holy shit. Holy shit holy shit holy shit! Nan Xun really wanted to curse.
After pacing angrily around the room twice, Nan Xun flung the door open and rushed out.
Little Eight let out a howl. “Darling, don’t be impulsive! You can’t expose Ji He—absolutely can’t! King Yan Luo hates traitors with a passion, and he’s not just a traitor, he’s an undercover cop! The big boss will kill him—he really will!”
“You’re so noisy. I’m just going downstairs to find Yan Man. I need to keep an eye on her.”
Little Eight let out a huge sigh of relief. It had been terrified Nan Xun would blurt everything out in a moment of impulse. If the chosen one died—hehe—game over.
Within a year, Ji He had performed outstandingly. Yan Luo kept giving him more and more territory to manage, which meant more opportunities to come into contact with core figures.
The more Nan Xun thought about it, the more alarmed he became. If Ji He really infiltrated Yan Luo’s inner circle, his bro would be completely finished.
He couldn’t expose Ji He’s undercover identity, and he couldn’t just watch the big boss get taken down—Nan Xun could only think of a solution himself.
But just as Nan Xun went downstairs, he heard fierce arguing.
“Bro, I like him! I want to be with him!” Yan Man shouted.
“I’ve said it before—no.” Yan Luo’s cold voice rang out.
“Why not? Isn’t he your sworn brother? Why can’t I like him?!”
“Because—it’s not suitable.”
In a rush, Yan Man yelled, “But I’m already his woman! I’m already pregnant with his child!”
Yan Luo’s voice grew even colder. “Then abort it.”
Yan Man stared at him in disbelief. “Bro, you’re too much! Wuwu…”
Then Nan Xun—only halfway down the stairs—saw Yan Man run upstairs with red eyes, not even sparing him a glance, and slam her bedroom door shut with a bang.
The sound made his ears ring.
Nan Xun shuddered. “Little Eight, I’ve got a really bad feeling.”
Little Eight cried out immediately. “Damn it, this is exactly how it went! Before something happened to that girl, she had this exact kind of fight with the big boss, and then she ran away from home early the next morning!”
Nan Xun’s heart started pounding wildly. “Little Eight, I’m assigning you a tough mission.”
Little Eight: “Say it!”
Nan Xun: “Don’t sleep tonight. Keep an eye on Yan Man at all times. The moment she leaves, tell me immediately.”
Little Eight: …
“Little Eight, is Yan Man really carrying Ji He’s child?” Nan Xun asked again.
“They did do the deed, that’s true. Ji He still doesn’t know Yan Man is the big boss’s sister. The pregnancy is fake—Yan Man lied to her brother. But her brother doesn’t know that. So later, after that incident happened to Yan Man, the big boss really hated Ji He.”
At this moment, Yan Luo was sitting on the sofa with a blank expression, reading the evening paper. Yan Luo was someone who rarely lost his temper—but once he did, it was terrifying. He wouldn’t stop until there was blood.
Nan Xun drifted over behind him like a ghost and started massaging his shoulders.
“Bro, don’t be mad at Manman.”
Yan Luo put down the newspaper and patted the sofa beside him. “Xiao Bai, come sit with your bro for a while.”
Nan Xun obediently responded with an “oh” and sat beside him.
“Xiao Bai, do you also think I went too far?” Yan Luo lowered his head slightly to look at him. His gaze was calm, seemingly without any anger mixed in—what had just happened felt like Yan Man throwing a tantrum all by herself.
Nan Xun shook his head. “Even though I don’t know why you’re stopping Manman and Second Bro, your decision must be right, bro. Manman is still young. When she grows up a bit more, she’ll understand your good intentions.”
Hearing this, Yan Luo didn’t reach out with his demonic hand to ruin Nan Xun’s hairstyle again. Instead, he pinched his nose, his thin lips lifting slightly. “Xiao Bai is always so lovable.”
“Bro, then why exactly won’t you let Manman be with Second Bro?” Nan Xun asked tentatively. The big boss didn’t know Ji He was undercover, so Nan Xun was really curious why.
Actually, Nan Xun already had a guess. Yan Luo had started running with the underworld at twelve or thirteen—those wandering, unstable days weren’t easy. Even though Ji He now controlled a lot of underground businesses, in Yan Luo’s eyes these were all high-risk trades. He loved Yan Man so much—of course he wanted her to live a stable, peaceful life, not one spent constantly worrying because of her partner.
Yan Luo didn’t answer. He leaned back slightly, one arm habitually draped over Nan Xun’s shoulder.
Then, as if lost in memory, his eyes narrowed a little. “Xiao Bai, do you know why I adopted Yan Man back then?”
Nan Xun: “Because Manman was an orphan too? Because she was cute?”
Yan Luo’s lips curled faintly upward. “There are plenty of cute orphans. Xiao Bai, do I look like someone whose sympathy overflows?”
Nan Xun shook his head. Definitely not.
“Back then, I was drifting around alone and felt pretty lonely and bored, so I casually raised a kid to pass the time. Later on, raising her felt not bad, so I kept raising her until now. Xiao Bai, Yan Man never had the right to say no. Understand?”
Nan Xun: …
He swallowed quietly.
Are you raising a pet or something? Even pets get to choose who they mate with. Big boss, you really need to stop meddling so much!
Little Eight suddenly coughed. “Grandpa suspects the big boss really thinks exactly like that.”
Nan Xun: “Didn’t you say that in the original world line, after something happened to Yan Man, the big boss was heartbroken?”
Little Eight: “You get attached to pets too, okay? If a kitten you’ve been raising all along suddenly gets killed by someone, wouldn’t you be angry? If he really loved Yan Man that much, how did his evil念值 turn into 100? Heh.”
Those last two words were dripping with inexplicable resentment.
Nan Xun: …
“Bro.” Nan Xun suddenly called out to the big boss.
The big boss rubbed his head with fascination. “Mm.”
“Bro, you’ve lived with Manman for so many years, and you’re already this, this… then I’ve only known you for a little over a year—am I…” As Nan Xun spoke, his head slowly drooped.
Yan Luo chuckled softly. “Xiao Bai is different from everyone else. You’re my little brother.”
“I don’t believe you.” Nan Xun slapped his hand away and ran upstairs in a few big strides.
Yan Luo stared at his now-empty hand, his gaze darkening slightly.
Xiao Bai, of course you’re different from everyone else. How could you possibly be the same?
