Evergreen Apartments, Huaxi City;

As the first rays of light fell upon Huaxi City, a helicopter sliced through the calm morning air, descending onto the rooftop of Evergreen Apartments. The city was peaceful, untouched by the chaos that had consumed the capital city of the country.

The chopper's blades slowed as Lin Fang, Zhi Yan, Li Liu, Xuenyi, and Vivian stepped out one by one.

Zhi Yan gave a curt nod to the pilot. The helicopter rose again, quickly disappearing into the blue sky.

As the group descended the rooftop stairs, Vivian looked around, brushing a strand of her hair aside. Her gaze swept over the modest but modern apartment complex as they stepped inside.

"So this is where you live, huh, Lin Fang?" she said softly, but her eyes seemed a little curious.

Lin Fang smiled faintly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, it's Zhi Yan's. But for me, it is no less than any home."

Xuenyi's eyes glimmered with curiosity as she too scanned the recently upgraded security system.

"Well, at the very least, the outside certainly seemed peaceful," she commented quietly. Taking a pause, she hurriedly added, "I don't mean right now at the moment. I mean, it generally gives off good vibes, like it is filled with greenery, in a well-off area, and not too far away from a police station and the business district. If I ever move to Huaxi City in the future, I would definitely want to live in such a neighborhood."

Zhi Yan chuckled at that, but that smile didn't quite reach her eyes. With a tired stretch, she said, "Well, that's why my aunt bought this land and built the apartments."

Vivian didn't know what to make of that comment. She became silent.

Meanwhile, Lin Fang threw himself onto the sofa with a tired groan. "Ugh…"

Pointing lazily toward the corridor, he added, "That's my room. Vivian and Miss Leng, you can use it if you want to crash a bit or use the restroom. And don't worry, I like to keep things neat and clean."

Zhi Yan nodded, "Well, I recommend it too." Then, narrowing her eyes, she added. "Our room might be a bit busy. My conversation with my roommate is due…"

At that, Li Liu blinked. She suddenly stretched her arms with a fake yawn. "I'm too tired, Yan Yan," she murmured. "I'm going to take some rest… We can talk later… Fang-Ge, how about I use your room to…"

Before she could finish the words, Zhi Yan shot her hand forward and grabbed Li Liu's arm. She then dragged her friend with her after quietly saying. "I'll be back in a minute."

Soon, the door shut with a soft click, and at once, Zhi Yan raised her hand, taking out an oval-shaped remote kinda thing from her dimensional ring and pressed the button. At once, it released a faint barrier and covered the entire room. The people outside could no longer hear their words.

Li Liu, sitting on the edge of her bed, looked up weakly as Zhi Yan folded her arms, standing tall in front of her. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were sharp. "Now, care to explain? We grew up together like siblings. I know when you are hiding the truth. And I saw the look of guilt in your eyes when Lin Fang put the blame on himself. So…"

Li Liu looked down for a moment, her fingers twisting the edge of the blanket.

After a long pause, she sighed and lifted her head. "Fine… I'll come clean. But I also have questions. Will you answer me honestly for the questions I ask, too?" She said, looking straight into her bestie's eyes.

As Zhi Yan nodded, Li Liu took a deep breath. Her voice trembled slightly at first, but she forced herself to speak. "It started before his Hunter examination… when we kind of fooled around under the influence of alcohol. You remember — when you found me on his bed."

Zhi Yan's expression darkened just slightly, her jaw tightened, but she didn't speak.

Li Liu's voice softened as she continued, "Ever since that night, whatever I felt for him just… grew stronger. But I never showed it, because I knew you liked him — no matter how much you deny it."

Zhi Yan's lips parted slightly, but Li Liu continued before she could respond."After that assassination attempt… when he was in the hospital, he proposed to me."

Her eyes grew distant toward the window. "And I couldn't stop myself anymore. But I didn't know how to handle it. Yes, it wasn't Lin Fang who wanted to keep it a secret… it was me. I told him not to tell you because I don't want to spoil our relationship because of him."

For a moment, silence filled the sealed space.

Zhi Yan finally let out a soft sigh, her shoulders dropping as she replied. "Yeah… I figured as much. That's just like him — always adjusting, always putting others before himself."

Li Liu hesitated, glancing up. "So… what now?"

Zhi Yan tilted her head slightly. "So what?"

"I mean… how do you feel?" Li Liu asked slowly. "Will this… affect our friendship? If you truly want me to break up with him, I will consider it. You are more important to me."

For a few seconds, Zhi Yan said nothing. She could see sincerity in Li Liu's voice. Her bestie didn't just say those words simply for formality. She knows that if she says it, Li Liu would indeed proceed to break up with Lin Fang.

Zhi Yan stood there, studying Li Liu with unreadable thoughts in her head. Then she let out a long breath and forced a small smile in the end, walking closer and sitting beside Li Liu, "A mere man isn't enough to break our friendship, sis."

Her smile softened, touched with both honesty and restraint. "Yes… I agree that there were feelings involved. I care about Lin Fang, maybe too much for a friend, but not in that way you think. Even if you weren't in the equation, I still wouldn't date Lin Fang."

Li Liu blinked in surprise. "Why?"

At that, as Zhi Yan stayed silent, Li Liu didn't press her and instead jumped up and wrapped her arms around her tightly. "Forget it. I don't care. I don't want to spoil the happiness I'm feeling right now…" She whispered against her shoulder. "I was so afraid of losing you because of Fang-ge."

But Li Liu couldn't see Zhi Yan's face from that position. Her friend's expression was completely deadpan — calm, emotionless, as if holding something tightly within.

After a few seconds, Zhi Yan spoke calmly, "I have but one request though. Just don't act lovey-dovey in front of me — not at home, and definitely not at the office."

Li Liu blinked, taken aback for a moment before pulling back from the hug. Then she gave a sheepish smile.

"Of course. I'll keep that in mind."

Zhi Yan nodded slightly, her eyes sharpening as her tone grew serious again, "Also… listen carefully, Li Liu. Soon, someone might try to approach you to sever your relationship with Lin Fang. They might use emotional pressure, threats, or manipulation. When you sense that something's wrong… tell me before making any decision. I'll check whether it's truly between you two — or if there's a third party meddling in the shadows."

Li Liu stared at her, stunned.

"What?" she gasped. "Why would anyone even want to break us up? Is it that blonde bitch?"

Zhi Yan opened her mouth, about to say something dismissive — but before she could, something seemed to click in Li Liu's mind. Her brows furrowed slightly as she thought back to earlier events.

"She said slowly. "Earlier, I didn't want to put you in any tight spot, but now that you mention it… I couldn't help but ask you."

Zhi Yan's gaze narrowed subtly. "What is it? Shoot away. I promised that I would be honest with you, too."

Li Liu crossed her arms, her expression unusually serious. "Why did Xuenyi-jie call Lin Fang 'young master' when she was talking about him with you? It was her idea to bring us here in a hurry, and she seemed… a bit too concerned about his safety. And now I think about it, she is the owner of the store Fang-Ge was renting, and she rented it at an impossibly low price… I mean… is there a relationship between those two I need to be aware of? I had enough displeasure because of that foreigner. I don't want to feel that way toward Xuenyi-Jie, too."

For a second, Zhi Yan's eyes flickered, but then she let out a chuckle. "Nothing of the sort that you think. It's just because your boyfriend is the disciple of Li Chengfeng. And Xuenyi serves the Li family. She promised to look after him while Li Chengfeng was away. That's all."

Li Liu's suspicion eased instantly with that explanation, her shoulders relaxing.

"Oh, I see… that makes sense," she said with a smile. The blind trust in her best friend's words remained unshaken.

Zhi Yan smiled faintly in return, although inwardly, she apologized to her friend because of the lie.

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