The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 436 - 438. Betrayal

Chapter 436: 438. Betrayal

Han Zhengshan had thought of a few names, but seeing the look on Han Yi’s face, he eventually didn’t suggest any to choose from, "No rush for a formal name, calling her Guoguo is quite nice."

Han Zhengshan and Yu Xiaoxuan exchanged questions and answers while Han Yi sat aside with a cold face, not saying a word.

At the end, Han Zhengshan finally took out a small box from his pocket, "This is a gift for the child, left by Han Yi’s mother; let’s give it to the child."

Yu Xiaoxuan glanced at Han Yi, but Han Zhengshan glared, "What are you looking at him for? This is my gift for the child, does it require his approval?"

Han Yi kept his silence without expressing any opinion, and Yu Xiaoxuan reached out to take it, "Thank you, Dad."

"Don’t thank me, it’s not for you after all, and don’t think that just because you’ve had a child, I will acknowledge you. You are still not my daughter-in-law of the Han Family."

"You don’t need to acknowledge me, I acknowledge myself, and that’s enough. Have you finished looking? If so, you can head back." Han Yi was immediately displeased when he heard this.

Yu Xiaoxuan gave Han Yi another look; she had long been immune to these kinds of comments, and moreover, now that she had her child, the child was the most important thing to her. Whether Han Zhengshan agreed or not, perhaps she would have cared in the past, but now, it didn’t matter at all.

"Han Yi, I am your father," Han Zhengshan said angrily but lowered his voice, worried about frightening the child.

Han Yi pretended to clean his ear, "So what? Do I need to personally see you out?"

Feeling infuriated but holding back because of the child, Han Zhengshan stormed off without exploding in anger.

"Why did you have to do that? He just wanted to see the child; you could have let him look and then leave," Yu Xiaoxuan advised softly.

Han Yi looked at her, "I didn’t stop him from seeing the child; I just dislike the way he treats you. You are my wife, whether he acknowledges it or not, this fact will never change."

"Your words are enough for me, Han Yi. I used to be obsessed, thinking that a marriage without the blessings of the elders wouldn’t be happy. But now, I’ve realized that all we need in this home is you, me, and our child; that’s enough."

Holding her shoulders, Han Yi said, "You’re thinking correctly now. Our happiness will only grow from here."

Yu Xiaoxuan nodded, then suddenly stiffened, Han Yi looked at her, "What’s wrong?"

Yu Xiaoxuan looked down at her daughter, "Han Yi, your daughter seems to have wet herself."

Upon hearing this, Han Yi quickly took the daughter over and felt the diaper, which had indeed been wet. Skilfully changing her into a new diaper, he then handed the child back to Yu Xiaoxuan.

Yu Xiaoxuan, staring at Han Yi performing the task as though he had practiced it a thousand times, was flabbergasted, "Han Yi, have you taken care of children before?"

Han Yi glared at her, "What nonsense are you talking? If you had a few more moments of tenderness, you would learn too." These past few days, he had been learning how to take care of the child by following the nurses, and after several days of practice, it was naturally effortless.

Yu Xiaoxuan chuckled as Han Yi’s phone rang. She handed it to Han Yi; it was his assistant calling.

After a few words with the assistant, Han Yi’s expression darkened, "If they are not willing, then let it be. Tell them I am open to a video conference or that they can come to Beijing for a personal meeting; otherwise, there is no need for cooperation."

Hung up the phone, Han Yi met Yu Xiaoxuan’s worried eyes, "Han Yi, is it because of me that your work is getting delayed?"

Han Yi smiled, "It’s just a cooperation deal. The other party is difficult, and the profits are low; not cooperating is no big deal."

Yu Xiaoxuan knew that things were definitely not as simple as he was saying, "Han Yi, if you have things to do, go ahead. After all, you have to earn money for Guoguo’s milk powder."

"No need," Han Yi sat down and began peeling an apple for Yu Xiaoxuan, "I’ll stay in the hospital with you both. Right now, my most important task is to be with you and our daughter; I wouldn’t be at ease otherwise. As for Guoguo’s milk powder money, even if you were to have ten or eight more, I can afford it."

Yu Xiaoxuan was touched.

*********

In Country Y, Allen’s castle.

The housekeeper came in from outside, not seeing Allen in the living room, so he headed to the study, and sure enough, Allen was there, "Young Master, Qin Yan’s people are still searching for the old master’s ashes."

Allen held an album in his hand filled with Shen Qinglan’s photographs, all taken without consent, which Allen organized and put into the album—two full volumes.

Hearing the housekeeper’s words, Allen did not even lift his head, "So?"

"Do I need to send people to take care of them...?"

"No need. If they want to search, let them search."

"Young Master, they’ve been searching for so long without success, yet they have not stopped their search. It shows they won’t give up easily. I wonder where the old master’s ashes are hidden. Do I need to send someone to guard it?"

Allen finally lifted his head from the album, looking steadily at the housekeeper, "Are you curious?" his eyes icy cold.

The housekeeper was startled, "Not curious, Young Master, I overstepped my boundaries."

"Make sure it doesn’t happen again. You may go."

"Yes, Young Master." The housekeeper turned to leave, took a couple of steps, then stopped again, "Young Master, we haven’t heard news about Qin Yan for a while, shall we have someone look into it?"

Allen’s voice was frosty, "Housekeeper, you’re quite chatty today, aren’t you?"

"Young Master, I’ll go and take my punishment."

Allen watched the housekeeper’s retreating figure with a cold gaze, and it took a long time before he turned his eyes back to Shen Qinglan’s photos, his eyes instantly softening.

"Hey, housekeeper," Peter called out as he saw the housekeeper hurrying along, waving his hand in greeting.

The housekeeper paused, "Mr. Peter."

"Where are you off to, housekeeper?"

"To instruct the kitchen to prepare lunch."

Peter pursed his lips, "Go on then, housekeeper, you’re getting more boring by the day. Hanging round Allen has turned you all into logs."

The housekeeper bowed slightly and passed by Peter towards the kitchen, while Peter went to the study to find Allen.

"I say, Allen, looking at this album eight hundred times a day, don’t you get sick of it?"

"Get out," Allen said coldly.

Naturally, Peter didn’t leave but sat down opposite Allen, "Let’s talk business. Qin Yan has been taken away by Shen Qinglan and the others for quite some time now; don’t you really plan on bringing her back?"

"What for?"

"She’s a good subject for experiments. I’d like to use her for some tests. Could you help me bring her back? I think if you ask them, they might agree."

Allen’s expression was indifferent, "Can’t you see the kind of relationship I have with them?"

Peter was feeling awkward. Fine, those people hated Allen so much that it would probably make matters worse if Allen got involved. With Allen’s irksome personality, although he had never harmed Shen Qinglan, he had sent people to pursue and kill the others. They probably wanted to rip Allen’s heart out alive. Thinking this, the desire within Peter to bring back Qin Yan weakened.

He wanted Qin Yan only to use her for experiments, as she was the first human body sample. The reactions occurring in her might differ from others.

"Alright, let’s put this matter aside for now. What’s been going on with the housekeeper these days? I saw him earlier, rushing and looking pale. Did you scold him?"

"One can’t clearly recognize their own status, isn’t it normal for them to be scolded?" Allen said indifferently.

Peter clicked his tongue, "Allen, take it easy. The housekeeper has been loyal to you after all. Aren’t you afraid of chilling his heart by treating him like this?"

Allen snorted coldly and said no more.

Peter leaned back in his chair, "Now that Qin Yan has fallen into Shen Qinglan and their hands, what do you plan to do with her influence? Those people have always been buzzing around annoyingly."

Qin Yan’s people didn’t know that their boss had been captured and were still searching for Carl’s ashes according to Qin Yan’s previous instructions. Peter had more than once realized he was being followed. Did they think he would know the location of the ashes? Don’t joke; although he had been with Allen for many years, and Allen did not conceal some matters from him, only Allen in this world would probably know about this.

Allen’s fingers bent, tapping lightly on the tabletop, a hint of contemplation in his eyes, "Call the housekeeper in for me."

Peter’s eyes lit up, "Are you planning to make a move?"

Allen didn’t speak, just glanced at him faintly. Peter chuckled, "Got it, I’ll go now."

When Peter found the housekeeper, he had just finished receiving his punishment, "Housekeeper, what happened to you?"

The housekeeper’s forehead was covered in sweat. He glanced at Peter, "Mr. Peter, it’s my personal matter."

Peter shrugged, "Alright, if you need to be bandaged, come to me. I won’t charge you a consultation fee."

The housekeeper tried to pass by Peter, but Peter stopped him, "Housekeeper, Allen is looking for you. He’s waiting in the study, wants you to go up now."

The housekeeper looked at Peter, saw his serious expression, no hint of a joke, and became solemn, heading upstairs.

"You’re planning to go see him like this?" Peter retorted, "You’re injured all over. Let me bandage you first, it won’t take much time."

"No need, thank you, Mr. Peter."

Alright, his kindness was rejected, and Peter felt a tad upset. He looked at the housekeeper and smiled indifferently, "As long as you’re happy."

As soon as the housekeeper went upstairs, Peter left. He had no right to interfere in Allen’s matters anyway. Better to know nothing; that way, he would be safe.

The housekeeper returned to the study where Allen had put down the photo album. Standing one meter away from Allen, the housekeeper bowed his head, "Young Master."

Allen was looking out the window, absorbed in thought, and the housekeeper just stood there in silence. Settling his mind, all his attention seemed to focus on the wounds on his back, causing more fine sweat on his forehead.

"Where have Qin Yan’s people been active recently?" After a long while, Allen finally spoke.

The housekeeper frowned, "Around the family cemetery." Those people had been in and out of the cemetery countless times, nearly turning every stone.

"Tonight, take someone to deal with them for me. I’m tired of this game. I no longer want to play."

"Yes, Young Master. Should we spare none?"

"Yes, spare none. I’ll personally lead people to Qin Yan’s lair and make sure all of her remaining forces are taken care of."

"Yes, Young Master."

Allen tossed something resembling a token to the housekeeper. "Get the weapons and equipment yourself. I only want results."

"Alright, Young Master, I’ll start preparing right away."

"Go ahead." Allen waved his hand, signaling the housekeeper to leave.

The housekeeper didn’t rush to summon his subordinates, instead he returned to his room first; the wounds on his back needed tending.

Gazing into the mirror, his back was covered with crisscrossed whip marks. Although they looked terrifying, they were merely superficial. After disinfecting and dressing his wounds, the housekeeper was again drenched in sweat.

Dressing himself, he waited until the pain from the injuries had somewhat subsided before he went to summon his men.

As nightfall approached, the castle was shrouded in darkness, looking from a distance like a ferocious beast opening its gaping maw, with lights still shining in the study room.

"Allen, everything is ready," Peter walked in and said, "Shall we depart now?"

Allen nodded. "Let’s go."

Peter followed behind Allen, looking at his silhouette and asked in confusion, "Allen, didn’t you already send the housekeeper and his men to exterminate Qin Yan’s people? Why do you need to personally lead a team there? Are you worried the housekeeper won’t be able to handle it?"

After the housekeeper left, Allen suddenly called him to the study room, instructing him to gather the remaining men and prepare the weapons and equipment, without mentioning the destination or purpose.

"You talk too much useless chatter," Allen said with a cold voice.

Peter shrugged; okay, he knew he wouldn’t get any answers from Allen. In his hand, he carried a small medical kit, which he had prepared just in case.

The housekeeper took half of the manpower, so the men at Allen’s disposal were actually few, but fortunately, each was an elite with formidable combat strength.

"Are we going overseas, Allen?" Peter saw the airplane parked on the lawn and asked.

"Too much blabbering."

Alright, rejected again, Peter was already accustomed to it.

The plane rose into the air then headed toward the direction of the Pacific Ocean. Peter, looking at the vast expanse of the Pacific below, felt like weeping but had no tears. "Allen, you’re not really expecting me to jump out here, are you? I’ll drown." Although he could swim a bit, he certainly couldn’t survive in the ocean.

"You can stay here alone," Allen said indifferently, then without hesitation jumped out. His parachute opened against the night sky, blending into the darkness, unnoticed by anyone.

Following Allen, one after another jumped down until only the pilot and Peter were left in the plane.

Peter closed his eyes, ultimately lacking the courage to jump. He consoled himself, "Never mind, I’m just a doctor, without a hint of combat capability. I won’t go down there just to drag them down."

The plane quickly flew away from the area. Although it was night, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t be noticed.

On the isolated island, Allen watched the tranquil island become even more serene in the night, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes. This was Qin Yan’s stronghold that he had spent considerable effort to uncover.

Qin Yan’s influence in "R" country had already been taken care of by the enraged Yamamoto, which could be counted as a good deed by him.

Allen gestured with his hand, and those behind him immediately merged with the darkness, vanishing from his sight.

Soon, gunshots rang out on the small island, screams mingled with gunfire, and as the scent of blood grew thicker in the air, the smile on Allen’s lips deepened.

Hmm, he really did like the taste of blood. He squinted his eyes slightly, an expression of enjoyment on his face.

Suddenly, Allen’s eyes turned cold and he raised his hand to fire a shot behind him. A muffled groan came from behind, followed by the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground. During the whole process, he didn’t even glance in that direction.

The gunfire didn’t stop, Allen darted behind a large tree, shooting in all directions, each bullet accompanied by the sound of piercing flesh. When the gunshots ceased, there were no less than ten bodies lying around Allen.

"Boss, the cleanup on the island is done," a man dressed in black said as he approached Allen.

"Casualties?" Allen asked coldly.

"One third."

Allen narrowed his eyes. He had brought a total of twenty men, which meant seven were dead. "Hmph, a bunch of waste. Seems I’ve been too soft on you guys."

The man bowed his head, not daring to utter a word. Who knew that Qin Yan’s people left on the island would have such fierce firepower; they had lost three brothers because they hadn’t understood the situation at the outset.

"Sure there’s no one left?" Allen asked.

"Should be none."

Allen gave the man an icy stare, "Should be?"

The man cast his eyes downward, "It’s too dark; I can’t guarantee it."

Allen’s gaze grew even colder. The man stiffened up, facing Allen’s look, but soon Allen diverted his eyes, "Let’s go."

And just after Allen boarded the plane, the small island experienced a violent explosion. The whole island was blown to pieces and soon submerged by the sea, as if it had never existed.

"Allen, you’re hurt," Peter exclaimed as he noticed the dark patch on Allen’s clothes upon returning to the plane.

Allen glanced at his wound indifferently and extended his arm towards Peter, "Bandage it," he said calmly.

Peter gave him a speechless look, "You, going down there and coming back with a wound, might as well have stayed on the plane with me."

Allen closed his eyes, refusing to speak with Peter. Peter removed the bullet, not even using anesthesia, and during the entire process, Allen didn’t so much as grunt. Peter couldn’t help but admire his willpower.

However, as soon as the plane reached the border of Country Y, Allen’s phone rang. "Answer it," Allen said to Peter.

Peter rolled his eyes; this man always had such an imperious attitude when asking others to do things, it was so irritating.

Peter took the call, but as soon as he connected, his face changed. He handed the phone to Allen, "Don’t freak out, Allen."

Allen glanced at him, took the phone, and then his expression darkened. After the person on the other end finished speaking, Allen smashed the phone, "Speed up, head to the graveyard."

The plane couldn’t fly directly to the graveyard. So, after landing at the airport, Allen drove straight to the graveyard.

In the graveyard, a heavy stench of blood permeated the air, making the place even more sinister.

Peter held a flashlight that he had gotten from somewhere, emitting a faint light. Within this small beam, several bodies could be seen lying on the ground of the graveyard, identifiable by their clothing as the people taken away by the housekeeper.

"Where’s the housekeeper?" Allen asked coldly.

An injured man came out from behind, "The housekeeper escaped."

"Issue an assassination order and a bounty, a hefty reward of two hundred million dollars to anyone who can kill this traitor." Allen’s voice sounded like it came from a demon in Hell.

Peter shuddered abruptly, edging to the side, trying to minimize his presence. An Allen like this was extremely dangerous, with an attack range that did not distinguish between friend and foe—better to stay clear.

"Yes, boss." The man in black who had gone with Allen to exterminate Qin Yan’s hideout responded. Allen looked at the bodies on the ground, smelling the persisting stench of blood, his eyes flashing with surging emotions. If the housekeeper were in front of him now, he would probably be flayed a thousand times over.

Nobody would have thought that the housekeeper would betray Allen. All his men assigned for this operation had been wiped out, and the weapons and equipment had been embezzled by the housekeeper.

The traces at the scene indicated these men had died completely unguarded, and all the wounds were on their backs, meaning the enemy had attacked from behind.

The housekeeper’s operation was spontaneous on Allen’s part, but the other side had reacted so quickly and turned the tables, wiping out his men. Clearly, someone had been tipping them off and planning this.

"Boss, the housekeeper has betrayed us; he’s in cahoots with Qin Yan. Those people were following his orders," said the only survivor. He also had sustained serious injuries. Peter glanced at Allen and, seeing no reaction, stepped forward to dress this man’s wounds.

Allen’s expression was ugly to behold. The housekeeper was a person his mother had left to him, planted by his side to monitor every move of Qin Yan, and after being discovered by Qin Yan previously had returned to his side. Yet this man, who was supremely loyal to him, had still betrayed him.

"Qin Yan, very well done." Allen squeezed the words out through clenched teeth. Qin Yan really had skills, to have bought off his men. When did this happen? Was it possible that last time the housekeeper’s betrayal of Qin Yan was also intentional? Was it to conceal himself at his side, to better inquire about the location of his father’s ashes?

Suddenly, Allen’s gaze hardened. He snatched the flashlight from Peter and quickly walked in a specific direction. Moments later, Allen’s angry roar could be heard.

His mother’s grave had been dug up; the gravestone carelessly discarded to the side. Although he had moved his mother’s ashes elsewhere years ago, and this was only an empty tomb, he had always visited this place every year, so in his heart, this place had become his mother’s resting place over the years.

"Qin Yan, you better hope I don’t find you, or the Beast Cage will be your final resting place."

Allen gave his mother’s gravestone a cold glance and turned to leave, with Peter quickly following suit.

Back at the castle, Allen said to the man in black, "Call back everyone who is out on missions, terminate all operations, and put all our efforts into finding the housekeeper’s whereabouts."

The man in black’s expression turned grave, "Yes, boss. I’ll go right now."

"Wait, bring a few men with me," Allen said coldly.

The man in black followed behind Allen, with Peter carrying the medical kit and following closely.

Allen went straight to Eden’s villa. Don’t ask how Allen knew Eden’s address. This country was his stronghold. He was aware of every move Eden and others made here; he simply chose not to concern himself with them until now.

The villa’s main gate was surprisingly open. Allen’s heart skipped a beat as he hastened his steps to enter the building. Just reaching the threshold, he smelled the thick scent of blood and saw Cissily and Eden lying in pools of blood, the blood beneath them staining the floor a sprawling red ocean.

Allen’s expression paused, but he quickly regained composure, "Peter, save them."

Peter stepped forward to check their breathing, "They’re hanging on to their last breath. Someone come and help."

The man in black approached to assist Peter.

Allen stood quietly to the side, watching Peter administer aid. After a moment, he looked around and noticed several bodies lying in a corner. His subordinate checked the bodies and shook his head at Allen, "Boss, they’re all dead."

These must be Qin Yan’s people, likely brought by the housekeeper. The bodies were lying in positions that faced the entrance to an underground basement staircase. Allen walked down alone, and a subordinate quickly followed behind; no one knew what risks might still lurk inside the villa.

Below was a well-equipped laboratory with various scientific instruments, an operating room, and medications, "Tell Peter to bring the wounded here for treatment."

"Yes, boss."

Allen examined the laboratory closely and noticed a room smeared with blood trails on the floor, yet it was empty. It was clear this must have been where Qin Yan was held captive—whether she was now dead or had been taken away by the housekeeper, Allen could not determine.

Peter quickly brought Cissily and Eden in, and upon seeing the equipment here, he didn’t even have time to marvel before rushing them into the surgery room. With these tools at his disposal, he was confident he could save them both.

Compared to Eden, Cissily’s injuries were far more severe, with a bullet having pierced directly through her chest cavity, missing her heart by mere millimeters. Eden’s fatal injury, on the other hand, was in his abdomen, which could be temporarily managed by stopping the bleeding—enough time for Peter to save Cissily’s life.

Peter was the only one who could help; nobody else could. He had to act as if he were two people, and fortunately for him, Eden had spent a fortune to refit this laboratory. The lab was fully equipped, providing great convenience to him.

Allen checked the entire villa, finding everywhere except the laboratory and living room to be clean and tidy. It must have been the housekeeper who stumbled upon Cissily and Eden, resulting in a fierce battle in the living room.

It was ten hours later when Peter emerged from the surgery room, "How are they?"

"That guy is fine, he should wake up in a few days. But the girl, being alive is already fortunate for her. Whether she’ll wake up or not is up to her own will to live. If she’s strong enough, she should be able to come around."

Allen eyed him coldly, clearly dissatisfied with his answer.

"Allen, I’m just one person, not God. The fact that I was able to bring them back has already exhausted all my strength," Peter said wearily.

Allen knew that Peter had done his best and said no more, pointing to a row of solutions in the lab, "Take a look at these, are they research on the Strangereal virus?"

Peter followed his pointing and saw the rows of distinctively colored solutions—more than twenty types—and his eyes brightened as if his fatigue had lessened.

He strode over quickly, picking up a tube and examining the label, "Hey, it really is." He looked at them one by one, his eyes growing brighter, "Oh my God, Allen, what’s this man’s name? He’s a genius. He figured out the things I couldn’t. And the outcome is perfect."

Peter was brimming with excitement, occasionally picking up a tube to examine, his eyes gleaming as if he weren’t looking at solutions, but unparalleled treasures.

"Oh my God, so these cells have such a method of division," Peter exclaimed, picking up a notebook Eden had casually left aside, flipping through it, then hugging it to his chest like a precious treasure, unwilling to let go.

"Huh?" Peter’s expression changed, "This isn’t right."

Allen turned to him, "What’s wrong?"

"There are a few solutions missing," Peter frowned, then suddenly slapped his forehead, "Damn it, Allen, the virus antidote has been taken."

Allen’s face changed color, "You said there was no antidote for that virus, didn’t you?"

"There wasn’t, originally, but this person managed to create one. If I’m not mistaken, he must have just developed the antidote these past few days. See these spots? They should have had something placed on them, but now they are empty."

Allen’s face darkened even further. If Eden had really developed an antidote, then it must already have been tested on Qin Yan. And now that Qin Yan was missing, it was likely that she had still been alive when the housekeeper arrived and had taken her.

Allen’s hands clenched into fists tightly.

"Allen, should we take the two of them back?" Peter asked.

"Take them back."

Back at the castle, Allen stood in the room, looking at the painting of Shen Qinglan on the wall for a long time, ultimately deciding not to call Shen Qinglan.

Three days later, Eden was the first to wake up. Seeing the unfamiliar environment, his eyes were filled with wariness. "You’re awake," Peter said to Eden.

"No need to look at me so guardedly. I have a good relationship with Allen, but without him this time, you both would have been dead."

"My companion?" Eden asked in a hoarse voice.

"She was more seriously injured than you and is still unconscious," Peter replied, moving forward to check on Eden.

Eden raised a hand to block, and Peter shrugged his shoulders, handing him the medicine. "Fine, you’re a doctor yourself, so you can change your own dressings."

Eden didn’t reach out to take the medicine, aware of the condition of his body, knowing he was utterly incapable of changing his dressings now. "Thank you."

Peter snorted with laughter. "See, after all is said and done, I’m the one who has to do it. Like master, like disciple, all of you are just as stubborn as Allen."

Eden remained silent. Only after Peter had changed his dressings did he speak. "Can you take me to see my companion?"

"Alright, I’ll take you." Peter wasn’t refusing, and he carefully helped Eden up from the bed, trying his best not to touch his wound. "You and Allen do differ a bit. Compared to him, you lot have more heart, at least you seem human. Unlike Allen, he’s like an ice-cold, emotionless machine—oh wait, that’s wrong, he does have emotions." It’s just that all his emotions were given to one person.

Eden said nothing, just listened as Peter rambled on. "By the way, your companion is in a very serious condition. I can’t guarantee she will definitely wake up."

A heavy feeling settled in Eden’s heart. "What happened to her?"

"The bullet narrowly missed piercing through her chest, plus the excessive blood loss. It’s already fortunate if her life can be saved," Peter explained.

Eden soon laid eyes on Cissily, her body wrapped in gauze, her complexion pale, lying unconscious on the bed.

Since Peter knew he was a doctor, he didn’t hide anything from him and showed Eden all the examination results for Cissily. Eden’s face turned ugly.

"As a doctor, you should be able to understand. Her chances of waking up in such a condition are extremely slim."

Eden fell silent. "I want to see Allen."

"Fine, I’ll take you to see him. But he’s not been in a good mood these past few days. If you don’t want the life you’ve just won back to be taken away by him again, you’d better be careful with your words."

Eden nodded.

"Allen, the man’s woken up. Do you want to see him now?" Peter knocked on the study door, where Allen had spent most of his time in the last few days.

"Come in," came a hoarse voice from inside.

Peter didn’t enter, closing the door immediately after Eden stepped in. Eden looked at the man sitting in the chair with a complex expression. He never imagined that the person who had saved him and Cissily would be Allen. They had nearly killed him back then, and it could be said that deep hatred divided them.

"Worthless." Allen’s cold voice broke the silence. "What a waste of all the time and effort I spent on you, to think you couldn’t even handle a few traitors. What happened to the skills and confidence you had in me back then, did you feed them to the dogs?"

Eden hung his head, an instinctive reaction to seeing Allen. When he realized it, he looked up to meet Allen’s cold gaze.

Eden pursed his lips and then said, "You haven’t told An, have you?"

"Heh, you still have the nerve to spread it around. Eden, I should never have saved you. Worthless people don’t deserve to live in this world."

Eden didn’t resist, letting Allen berate him—this time, they really had been too careless.

"Spit it out, what exactly happened? Where’s Qin Yan?"

At the mention, Eden’s eyes dimmed, recalling the events of that day.

The day before Qin Yan was taken away, Eden had just deduced the antidote for the peculiar virus and tested it on Qin Yan. After observing for two days with no issues, he planned to deal with Qin Yan—better sooner than later to avoid future problems.

But the very next night, the housekeeper led people storming in. As he was taking Qin Yan out of the lab, Cissily, who came to see Eden, happened by. Naturally, they clashed. Cissily, unarmed, was no match for the prepared housekeeper’s men and fell on the spot. Eden heard gunshots from upstairs and came down to see Cissily collapsing.

When he came out armed, they were outnumbered and quickly both seriously injured, helplessly watching Qin Yan being rescued. If Allen hadn’t arrived just in time, it’s likely neither he nor Cissily would have survived this time.