Go To Your Death Chapter 9
byForever
Mu Huacheng’s gaze pierced through the floor-to-ceiling window, his eyes closely following the slender figure in the garden.
Until Lin Jinyao’s back disappeared from view, he didn’t turn his full attention back to the meeting.
“Mr. Mu, what are your thoughts on the proposal just now?” an executive asked cautiously during the video conference, his voice laced with obvious trepidation.
Mu Huacheng withdrew his gaze. The moment he looked up, the lingering tenderness in his eyes had already been replaced by coldness.
“Redo it,” he said, his thin lips parting to utter two icy words.
A fine layer of cold sweat broke out on the executive’s forehead, and his Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily. “Understood, Mr. Mu. We will adjust it immediately!”
Without any further response, Mu Huacheng disconnected the meeting.
He stood up and walked toward the window, his long fingers unconsciously stroking the knuckle of his left ring finger as he stared gloomily toward the garden.
“Chen Jin,” he pressed the intercom.
“Mr. Mu,” Chen Jin’s voice responded instantly.
“How did he react?”
Chen Jin paused, lowering his voice. “Mr. Lin appeared calm on the surface, but when he heard ‘those with the surname Zhou,’ he seemed somewhat concerned.”
Mu Huacheng gave a low chuckle. “That’s to be expected. He shares a deep bond with the Zhou siblings.”
“Then… the suit for tomorrow?” Chen Jin asked tentatively.
“Prepare it as planned,” Mu Huacheng said indifferently, his fingertip tracing a light line across the windowpane. “Also, I want real-time updates on Zhou Xuan’s movements.”
“Understood.”
After hanging up, Mu Huacheng’s gaze fell on a crystal photo frame in the corner of the bookshelf. It was a photo taken when Lin Jinyao first arrived at Xiling Island.
The young man in the photo had features as beautiful as a painting, but his face was as cold as frost, like an emotionless doll.
At that time, Zhou Xubai had just died, which was a heavy blow to Lin Jinyao. His heart was like a spark hidden beneath a glacier—no one could warm it.
To capture Lin Jinyao’s attention, Mu Huacheng had deliberately dangled some bait, causing Lin Jinyao to take an interest in him. Behind the scenes, Lin Jinyao had exhausted every effort to get close to Chen Jin, trying to catch Mu Huacheng’s eye.
A hunter disguised as prey! His goal was to hunt Mu Huacheng himself.
Wasn’t that interesting?
It was just a pity that despite a year of careful nurturing, Lin Jinyao remained lukewarm, simply staying quiet—if the enemy didn’t move, he wouldn’t move.
But now…
Mu Huacheng’s long fingers gently brushed over the photo frame, a nearly pathological possessiveness lurking deep within his eyes.
Lin Jinyao closed the door softly with a click.
He leaned against the cold doorframe and slowly slid down to sit on the floor, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably. The conversation between Chen Jin and Seven echoed in his ears.
“Someone from Hai City will be coming on the day of the birthday banquet… someone with the surname Zhou, I think?”
Someone named Zhou…
Who else could it be but Zhou Xuan?
Lin Jinyao clutched his chest, his knuckles turning white as his breathing became difficult.
He couldn’t understand what Mu Huacheng was plotting.
Why suddenly allow Zhou Xuan to step onto Xiling Island?
And… why choose his birthday banquet of all times?
He tilted his head back, resting it against the doorframe, and closed his eyes, forcing himself to take deep breaths. “Don’t panic… this is an opportunity. I can’t miss it.”
Even though he knew a bottomless abyss lay ahead, he had no choice but to step forward.
Because it concerned the truth about Xiao Bai.
Because… this might be his only chance to touch the truth.
He pushed himself up and walked to the balcony. As the sea breeze blew against him, his mind refused to settle.
The sound of waves crashing against the shore in the distance was faintly audible, sounding exactly like the background noise of that rainy night.
Sadness gradually surfaced in Lin Jinyao’s eyes as he murmured, “Xiao Bai… who exactly… drove you to the point where death was the only solution?”
Meanwhile, in Hai City.
Zhou Xuan sat in front of a computer, a dashcam video playing on a loop on the screen.
On a rainy night, a black sedan suddenly lost control on the highway, crashing into the guardrail without warning and rolling down the slope.
“Is this the complete footage of Zhang Ming’s accident?”
“Yes, but there’s a problem.” Old Cha pushed up his glasses and pulled up another set of data. “The crash happened too suddenly. We investigated the vehicle and found that the brakes were in a state of failure. Then I checked the footage from the preceding and following road sections. Sure enough, his speed was consistently around 140 kilometers per hour, and he couldn’t stop at all until he finally hit the guardrail.”
Zhou Xuan sneered. “A-Yao was right. It really was tampered with.”
“Not only that.” Old Cha lowered his voice and produced a bank statement. “A week before Zhang Ming died, two million US dollars were suddenly transferred into his overseas account. The sender is unknown.”
Zhou Xuan snapped the video shut, his gaze sharp.
Xiling Island, late at night.
Lin Jinyao sat in a rocking chair on the balcony, staring blankly at the lighthouse in the distance. The sea breeze lifted the sheer curtains, brushing them gently against his cheek. Moonlight cast a silver edge over his thin frame, making him look both real and ethereal.
He had once naively thought that as long as he found the killer, he could end this nightmare.
But now, he found it harder and harder to see what role Mu Huacheng was playing in this game of chess.
Was he using him to investigate the Zhou family?
Or… was he also pursuing some unknown truth?
A thousand thoughts tangled in his mind, impossible to unravel.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps behind him snapped him back to reality, his whole body tensing up.
Before he could turn around, a warm hand covered his forehead while another gently stroked his cheek.
“Still not sleeping this late?” Mu Huacheng leaned down, his deep voice whispering against his ear with a touch of tenderness. “What are you thinking about?”
Lin Jinyao held his breath, his voice sounding unnervingly calm. “I can’t sleep.”
Mu Huacheng lowered his head and nuzzled Lin Jinyao’s collar, his warm breath brushing against his ear. “Is it because you’re trying on your suit tomorrow?” A large hand slid slowly down from the collar toward his waist. “Or is it because… people from the Zhou family are coming?”
Lin Jinyao stood up abruptly, stopping those wicked hands from moving further, and met those bottomless dark eyes.
A faint, ambiguous smile played on Mu Huacheng’s lips.
“What exactly do you want, Mr. Mu?”
Mu Huacheng gazed at him for a moment before suddenly pulling him into his arms. He stroked the small head, his voice so gentle it made one’s skin crawl. “A-Yao, haven’t you always wanted to know the truth behind Zhou Xubai’s suicide?”
Lin Jinyao trembled.
“On the day of the birthday banquet, I will let you meet some interesting people. But the condition is that you must stay obediently by my side. The duration: forever.”
Forever? What a malicious vow!
Lin Jinyao’s eyes flickered. He looked into Mu Huacheng’s unfathomable eyes and forced himself to stay calm, trying not to show any weakness. “Mr. Mu’s condition… is that simple?”
Mu Huacheng smiled, and a kiss as light as a dragonfly landing on water fell upon his brow.
“My requirements have always been simple.”
Yeah! Fucking simple!