Chapter 188: If There Is a Next Life
Yan Luo never expected Yan Man to be kidnapped even on his own turf, nor did he expect Xiao Bai to risk his life to save her. The worry in his heart completely overwhelmed his displeasure, and he personally led his brothers to rescue them.
When he saw Xiao Bai covered in blood, his entire pant leg soaked red, barely clinging to life, he completely snapped—no, he went mad. The younger brother he cherished above all else, the Xiao Bai he couldn’t even bear to scold—how could a bunch of thugs bully him into this state?!
He ordered someone to take Xiao Bai back for treatment, then picked up a machete himself and, like a lunatic, chopped every member of the Green Tiger Gang into pulp.
When it was all over, he rushed back without delay and stayed by Xiao Bai’s side, never leaving him for a moment as he took care of him.
Thankfully, Xiao Bai’s life wasn’t in danger. Otherwise, he couldn’t guarantee what even crazier things he might have done.
If Yan Man hadn’t been the one Xiao Bai fought with everything he had to save, he wouldn’t have let her off—even if she was the sister he’d raised for so many years.
At that moment, he even felt a trace of disgust toward that boring decision he’d made back then. If there were no Yan Man, how nice it would be if it were just him and Xiao Bai living together.
The instant that thought surfaced, it scared him.
Xiao Bai was a normal man. Sooner or later he would marry and have children. How could he selfishly bind him to his own side?
But once the thought appeared, it never went away. From time to time it would slip back into his mind. He even thought—if Xiao Bai really liked men, how great that would be. Then he wouldn’t marry any woman. He was certain he didn’t like men—but if that man were Xiao Bai?
Just thinking about it didn’t repulse him at all. Instead, a strange, thrilling excitement rose from the deepest corner of his heart. This feeling grew stronger with each passing day, like a poison—impossible to quit.
Yan Luo began subtly shifting Xiao Bai’s focus, drawing his attention away from Yan Man.
Yan Man also seemed to have no feelings for Xiao Bai. She was grateful to him, but she seemed to have been intimidated by him. She no longer dared to like Ji He, let alone Xiao Bai. She went to school obediently every day, returning to being his well-behaved little sister.
Yan Luo was very satisfied with this.
When he discovered a traitor within the gang, Yan Luo never once suspected Xiao Bai. After filtering through all the suspicious people, he finally locked onto Ji He.
That time was a setup. He told only Ji He the false information—and that very day, the police indeed arrived.
He thought he’d found the traitor, but instead he heard a piece of news from Captain Zhao that struck him like a bolt from the blue.
Xiao Bai was also… an undercover agent!
He had never been that furious before. The feeling of being deceived nearly made him explode on the spot.
But he quickly calmed down. Some feelings don’t lie—and the child’s anxious attempt to explain himself soothed him.
So what if Xiao Bai was an undercover agent? He had never done anything to harm him.
He dismissed all the brothers clamoring for revenge and kept the real traitor—Ji He.
Ridiculous. Ji He actually begged him to spare Xiao Bai. Xiao Bai was his dearest younger brother; he couldn’t protect him fast enough—how could he ever hurt him?
What right did a traitor who had betrayed his trust have to say such things to him?
He shot Ji He twice and severed the bond between him and Xiao Bai.
The debt Xiao Bai owed Ji He—he would repay it himself.
After that, Yan Luo secretly tracked Xiao Bai’s whereabouts. Although leaving him with the police would keep him safe, he didn’t trust the police’s capabilities. There were too many extremist brothers below him. Even if he declared that Xiao Bai knew nothing, they no longer believed it. They thought he was covering for Xiao Bai—how could someone who called Yan Luo King “brother” and lived under the same roof possibly know nothing?
The people he had raised himself—he knew them best. They wouldn’t let Ji He or Xiao Bai go. Ji He was a tough bone to chew, so their target would soon shift to Xiao Bai.
Yan Luo successfully found Xiao Bai and locked him in a small room beneath the underground casino. Trusting no one, he personally delivered three meals a day. When he left, he locked the door as well, creating the illusion that no one was inside.
He could tell Xiao Bai longed for his forgiveness, but at the time his anger hadn’t fully subsided, and he wanted to teach the child a lesson—so he said nothing about forgiving him.
He thought that if he’d known what would happen later, he would definitely have told Xiao Bai that he didn’t blame him at all.
His Xiao Bai died before he could even hear a single word of forgiveness.
When he held that ice-cold body in his arms, he felt as if he were dreaming.
How could Xiao Bai be dead? How could he die just like that?
He had already planned everything. After rooting out the traitor, he would slowly bring all the underground businesses into the open. He would open a large corporation—he would be the chairman, and Xiao Bai would be his personal assistant. Together they would build a kingdom that belonged to the two of them.
When everything could finally be handed off, he would give the company to people he trusted to manage, then take Xiao Bai traveling around the world. He had worked himself to exhaustion for so many years—it was time to stop.
By the time the years had been spent wandering, Xiao Bai would have missed the age for marriage. Then he would naturally say to him: Xiao Bai, forget it—don’t get married. From now on, just rely on your brother. If you like children, we can adopt one later.
He had thought it all through—so why did things turn out like this?
Xiao Bai, his dearest younger brother, was killed by those extremist brothers of his. Not a single inch of skin on his body was intact.
He was covered in blood, lying lifeless on the ground, his face pale as paper.
He could barely hold him. His hands were shaking—his whole body was shaking.
How he wished he could open his eyes one more time, look at him again, and call him “Brother” once more.
If his Xiao Bai could come back, he would do anything—even spend his whole life in prison. It wouldn’t matter, as long as… his Xiao Bai could return.
At that moment, he finally realized how important what he’d lost truly was. He couldn’t help but clutch Xiao Bai’s body and break down in loud, wrenching sobs.
His Xiao Bai was really gone. He would never hear him call him “Brother” again.
He wanted to destroy this world. He wanted to kill everyone around him to vent his rage—especially those brothers who swore undying loyalty to him. More than anything, he wanted to kill himself, because if he hadn’t raised such a pack of vicious, ruthless men, they wouldn’t have dared to kill his Xiao Bai.
These extreme, bloodthirsty thoughts took a long time to subside. He saw the last words Xiao Bai had left behind—each blood-written character was like a nail hammered into his heart, hurting so badly he wanted to crush his own heart.
He knew Xiao Bai didn’t want his brother to become a demon.
Xiao Bai, do you know? What I regret most is not telling you what was in my heart in time. I was used to sharing my plans and intentions only after everything had settled—but it was all too late.
If there is a next life, no matter whether you are a man or a woman, I will definitely tell you in advance: I like you.
Yan Man rushed over after hearing the news. She cried with him, crying bitterly.
In a daze, he heard Yan Man say, “Brother, do you know? Actually, Xiao Bai doesn’t like women. That was all a lie to you. He likes men—no, he likes you.”
Yan Luo’s mind went completely blank. After a brief moment of confusion, he cried until his heart was torn apart. Then, as he cried, he started laughing—laughing like an idiot.
Xiao Bai, you liar.
