Mr. Lu Was Devastated After I Left - Chapter 21

Lu Beiye did not know what impulse had driven him to show up at the door of Xu Zhuoyang’s apartment.

He had, of course, seen the trending topics on Weibo. He had asked Lan Lin about the situation, and she told him the injury was significant, as four stitches were required. Furthermore, Xu Zhuoyang must have been terrified; after all, a madman had come at him with a kitchen knife. If he had not been lucky enough to be wounded in the arm, the outcome could have been fatal.

Upon hearing this, he had to admit his heart sank, and a wave of uncontrollable worry washed over him. He could no longer deny that he still held feelings for Xu Zhuoyang.

Inside, Xu Zhuoyang, whose half asleep eyes had snapped wide open, spoke in a cold, sharp tone. “So, what are you trying to say with this call?”

Li Peixin’s voice sounded drained of all energy. “I want you to be careful of Mu Yuan. He does not just hate you; he wants to kill you.”

Xu Zhuoyang sounded skeptical. “Do you have proof?”

Li Peixin gritted his teeth in hatred. “If I had proof, I would not be calling you. I would have handed it to the police already. Let them deal with that dog.”

His career was undoubtedly over, but faced with his own downfall, he refused to let Mu Yuan off the hook.

“I know you will not drop the charges. A man takes responsibility for his actions. I did not call for any other reason than to warn you to watch out for him.”

Xu Zhuoyang touched the corner of his mouth, speaking with feigned nonchalance. “Thank you for the call. I will be careful of Mu Yuan. As a gesture of gratitude, I can promise not to publicize the final outcome of this case. But, as you said, I will not drop the charges.”

That single sentence left Li Peixin stunned. Before he could ask for clarification, Xu Zhuoyang hung up.

Li Peixin was overcome with a frantic sense of hope and quickly dialed Brother Yu. “Brother, my career might be saved.”

Xu Zhuoyang rubbed his temples, throwing his phone aside in agitation. He was no saint, but he was no fool, either. He believed that Mu Yuan held a grudge against him, and it was entirely possible Mu Yuan had tried to use Li Peixin to eliminate him.

If he fell into Mu Yuan’s trap and sent Li Peixin to prison, Mu Yuan would be able to sit back and relax. But if Xu Zhuoyang chose to be magnanimous and let the matter slide, Mu Yuan would be the one losing sleep. He also believed these words would earn him Li Peixin’s undying gratitude.

After all, one less enemy is worth one more friend.

That said, Mu Yuan was turning out to be quite the trouble.

Outside the door, Lu Beiye had hesitated for a long time before finally pressing the doorbell. The moment the chime rang, Xu Zhuoyang’s entire body went rigid. The incident on set had shaken him deeply; he was still reeling from the shock.

He panicked, his first thought to call the police, but Lu Beiye’s phone call came through first. The familiar voice instantly soothed his anxiety and fear.

“Open the door. It is me.”

“Brother.” Xu Zhuoyang’s eyes brimmed with moisture as he scrambled out of bed to the door.

When he saw the man standing outside, weary and weathered, he could no longer hold back. The tears spilled over. “Brother, why did you wait so long to come see me?”

Seeing his tears, Lu Beiye froze. He stood in the doorway, motionless.

This was the first time he had seen Xu Zhuoyang cry. In his memory, Xu Zhuoyang was like a person made of iron, whether dealing with illness or unfair treatment, he always held on. If he could not keep it in anymore, he would complain a little, but he would never shed a tear.

Yet this time, Xu Zhuoyang was showing his vulnerability without reservation, like a proud cat finally willing to expose its soft underbelly.

The tears of someone who was usually so strong were all the more heart wrenching. Lu Beiye, who had originally intended to drop off the medicine and leave, suddenly stepped forward, gently pulling the man into his arms and patting his back in comfort.

“Do not be afraid, A-Yang. Brother is here.”