Unexpected Second Chance at Love

*Screeeeech—!!!

The sound of screeching tires followed by a deafening crash echoed through the quiet of Yue Ling and Lu Tian’s home. Inside the study, Liu Shan and Xu Long both snapped their heads toward the window.

”What was that?”

Xu Long asked, frowning, as Liu Shan stood abruptly from his seat.

”Sounds like a car accident.”

They were both exhausted, barely keeping their eyes open, but the sudden noise jolted them fully awake.

From another room, Inu’s barking rang out—sharp and insistent. Liu Shan crossed to the study window and pushed aside the blinds, eyes scanning the snowy night for any sign of the crash.

If Inu was barking, something serious had happened.

At first, he saw nothing. But then, two beams of light sliced through the dark—headlights from motorcycles racing past the front gates.

His eyes widened. Lin Hui and Qi Li.

”Shit. We have to go.”

Grabbing his coat, Liu Shan rushed for the door. He didn’t know why, but instinct told him something was wrong.

Lin Hui and Qi Li were supposed to come inside after checking that their boss was safe. If they’d just sped past the gate without stopping, it could only mean trouble.

Xu Long followed, confused but concerned. One look at Liu Shan’s face told him everything—something was very wrong.

Neither man bothered with car keys. They ran out of the gate, making sure Inu didn’t follow, and headed in the direction Liu Shan had seen the motorcycles go.

After a minute of running through the snow, they spotted it—a white Rolls-Royce crumpled against a lamppost. Nearby was one motorcycle, its rider already off.

”Lin Hui? Qi Li?”

Liu Shan called out.

He then spotted Lin Hui crouched at the roadside, cradling a body.

Heart pounding, Liu Shan rushed over and froze.

”Assistant Zhong...”

Dropping to his knees, he quickly checked for a pulse. Faint—but there.

”Call an ambulance!”

He said to Xu Long without looking away. Then, his gaze shifted to Lin Hui, his face grim.

”What happened? Did you see anything? Where’s Qi Li?”

Liu Shan demanded, breathless.

Lin Hui sat on the snowy roadside, cradling the unconscious old man in his arms. His eyes stared into the void, stunned and distant, like his mind had just started processing what he’d witnessed.

Then, slowly, he looked up. The expression on his face was enough. Dread. Rage. Shock.

”They took Ji Jingxu,” he said hoarsely.

When Liu Shan called to say Lu Tian had found her, he and Qi Li had been circling Imperial, searching for their boss. They turned back, heading to their boss’s home to regroup with the assistants, only to hear the crash just as they neared the gate.

There was no hesitation. They sped toward the sound. Their boss had always taught them not to ignore someone in need.

At first, they assumed it was a simple accident—snow-slick roads and the season’s first snowfall always made for dangerous driving. But when they saw the white Rolls-Royce smashed against a lamppost, recognition struck.

They knew that car.

Three men were approaching the wreck.

One yanked Ji Jingxu up by the collar and slammed him to the ground.

Two others went for another body—already lying motionless—and began kicking it.

Lin Hui and Qi Li couldn’t tell who it was, but fury surged through them.

Without a word, Lin Hui accelerated. But as they closed within fifty feet, the attackers heard their engines and bolted. They threw Ji Jingxu into the back of their car and sped off.

Lin Hui managed to fire a shot—it hit one of them, he was sure—but it wasn’t enough to stop them.

”Fuck!!”

His roar tore through the cold night, echoing with raw frustration.

”I couldn’t get a good look at their faces. By the time we were close enough, they were already getting inside the van.”

His breath came hard and fast, eyes glowing with fury.

”Qi Li’s tailing them,” he said between clenched teeth, wishing his shot had not missed.

He had wanted to go too, but someone had to check the body on the ground. A terrible fear had gripped him that it might be Grandfather Ji.

When he stopped his motorcycle, he didn’t need to say anything. Qi Li knew what to do, and without hesitation, he went after the car.

Everything had happened so fast.

Lin Hui clenched his fist and slammed it into the frozen ground, the pain grounding him, if only barely.

”If we were just three seconds faster, we could’ve saved him.”

Liu Shan’s voice was tight with frustration as he stared down at Zhong Yang’s unconscious body. Rage boiled in his chest. That someone could be cruel enough to target an old man—and a kid—was beyond comprehension.

”We need to let Boss know.”

Lin Hui pressed his lips together and gave a grim nod. He hated that this had happened, especially now, when their boss was already grieving.

How was he supposed to tell her that he stood there and watched her little brother get taken?

His fists clenched around Zhong Yang’s limp form, jaw locked with fury. He swore to himself—he’d find whoever did this. And they’d pay for it.

The ambulance arrived within minutes, shortly after they contacted Grandfather Ji to inform him of the situation.

Xu Long volunteered to ride with Zhong Yang to the hospital, while Liu Shan and Lin Hui returned to the house to begin reviewing surveillance footage.

Back at the residence, they were joined by the rest of the Alpha Team and Jiangyu. The living room became their command center. Screens flickered with camera feeds from all over Imperial as they combed through every angle and frame, searching for a lead from beginning to end.

Gui Tian Lan approached Liu Shan and Lin Hui. He stood silently for a moment, watching them work, then pulled out a chair and sat beside them.

”Have either of you called her?” he asked.

Liu Shan’s fingers continued flying across his keyboard until the question hit. He paused, shoulders tense.

”Her phone’s dead,” he replied. ”But I spoke with Lu Tian. He said she needed to rest, but he wanted us to find out everything we could about the people who had taken Ji Jingxu. He’ll bring Boss back once she wakes up.”

Gui Tian Lan studied Liu Shan quietly for a moment, then gave a faint nod.

He’d wanted to tell her immediately—but given everything, letting her rest might be the only kindness they could offer right now.

Yue Ling had been through enough. She needed this rest because they knew she would move heaven and earth to find her brother once she woke.

The least they could do now was uncover who was behind this—and why.

”What about Qi Li?”

Gui Tian Lan asked.

”Has he made contact with either of you?”

Lin Hui shook his head, silent. His grip tightened around the phone, which he hadn’t let go of since the moment Qi Li took off.

He blamed himself.

He should’ve gone after them. Should’ve followed Qi Li. If anything happened to Ji Jingxu or Qi Li, it would be on him. His failure. His carelessness.

Gui Tian Lan could see the guilt written all over Lin Hui’s face. Of everyone, he was taking it the hardest. He had been there. He had seen it unfold.

Quietly, Gui Tian Lan reached out and placed a steady hand on Lin Hui’s shoulder. He didn’t say anything—he didn’t need to. The weight of that simple gesture said enough.

Then he leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, eyes drifting toward the window.

The snow had stopped.

But despite the warmth of the house, a cold still hung in the air, settling over them all like the echo of something terrible.