Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 478: Fair Exchange

He Juan’s mind felt like a maze of tangled knots, all messed up with no way out in sight. He had always considered himself a calm and cool-headed person who would weigh his choices based on the available pros and cons; but that was because he had not involved emotions before.

Now, the person he was going to deal with was Luo Xuan, his Boss, his partner in crime and hell— Luo Xuan could even be considered as his benefactor! That year, if the man had not approached He Juan when he was deep in the mire of fury, blinded by desperation to avenge his wrongly murdered parents, he would not be able to achieve his revenge so soon.

Without Luo Xuan, there would be no He Juan of today.

And it was for that exact reason that he was feeling extremely lost now. Hence, he found himself here, because he trusted that Marius – who was better than him in any way – would definitely be able to help him sort out his thoughts.

He poured all of his concerns and worries to the man. He recounted his conversation with Luo Xuan, and in the end, he even presented the discovery he had made about the shell companies under Xuanlong’s management. Marius was kind and patient enough to listen to him until he finished speaking, though his complexion was turning more solemn with each passing second, his brows tightly furrowed.

Inside the office, He Juan rubbed his face roughly, his voice hoarse, "What should I do, M? If you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

After a lengthy silence, Marius finally spoke, "Do you think what he’s doing is right?"

"Of course not!" He Juan did not even need to think before blurting out the answer. "I can’t say I understand where he is coming from, because I didn’t know what kind of suffering he has gone through to get to this point, but it doesn’t justify his current actions. If this keeps on, he will continue to sow the seeds of hatred and revenge." He Juan released an exhausted sigh, "He will only create another version of himself, don’t you think so?"

"There you have your answer," Marius offered him a thin yet gentle smile. "I’m sure the reason why you can’t make up your mind is because you care about him, no? You care about him so much that you can’t bear to see him go down this path, but at the same time, you also don’t want him to get hurt."

Marius was spot on. Indeed, He Juan cared about Luo Xuan as he had taken the man as a friend and brother. But here comes the main problem— he had no way of stopping Luo Xuan’s madness without hurting him. He could tell from their conversation earlier that Luo Xuan had made up his mind, he really believed that he was doing it for the sake of a better future. And if He Juan wanted to stop him... he was bound to be taken as an obstruction. When that time came, would Luo Xuan deal with him like how he dealt with his enemies?

"I’m more concerned about you," Marius added, breaking the line of He Juan’s thoughts. "The conflicts between you two can’t be considered personal. After all, it’s your Boss we’re talking about. Going against him... will it jeopardize your position in the organization?"

He Juan couldn’t help but chuckle, because Marius’ thoughts were completely in line with his. "I’m not afraid about that," he replied in a light tone. "If I have to forsake ’XIU’ to bring everything to an end, then so be it." It was not like he planned to stay in Xuanlong forever, he added inwardly. His retirement was bound to happen sooner or later, and if he had to sacrifice this nickname, along with its associated sins and glory, it seemed like a fair exchange.

XIU— a shield, protector. This name was initially bestowed upon him by Luo Xuan, and wouldn’t it be fair if he were to ruin it in exchange for stopping Luo Xuan before everything was too late? Consider it the last act ’XIU’ would achieve before he completely vanished from the surface of Earth.

Gazing at his loosely clenched fists, a flicker of determination ignited in He Juan’s silver eyes. "I have decided," he declared in a low voice. "I will stop him. I will try... to let him understand that his method is wrong, that the world is not as irredeemable as he perceives it to be. As for these documents," he gestured at the ledgers he had taken from Xuanlong. "Could you keep them for me, M? When that time comes, if I have no other choice, I will use it as the last resort."

Marius stared at him for a while before heaving out a sigh. He Juan knew what he was worrying about, and he offered the man a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry, I will be fine. I’ve braced through countless storms in my years within the underworld, when have you ever seen me fall?"

"Okay, fine," Marius conceded with a helpless look. "I will keep these ledgers safe."

At that moment, a gentle knock resounded on the door, and Ye Qiu entered with a tray of baked cookies and chocolate milkshake.

Now that he had come to a decision, He Juan felt like a burden had been lifted off his shoulders and stomach began to growl in response to the tantalizing aroma from the tray. As soon as Ye Qiu placed it on the table, he snatched a cookie and shoved it into his mouth, his eyes brightening when the delicate and savory taste danced across his taste buds. "Delicious!" He exclaimed in praise.

"I know, right?" Marius took another cookie, taking a bite and chuckling softly. "This is Miss Ye’s first attempt in baking, and I’ve been telling her that she did a great job, but she didn’t seem to believe me."

Ye Qiu pursed her lips and lowered her gaze, a faint blush dusting the tip of her ears. "...It’s a little burnt. Next time will be better."

"Oh right," He Juan was suddenly reminded of something important. "I’ve received word that the paperwork for everyone’s legal identities are going to be approved soon. It will be done by the end of this week at the latest. Congratulations, Little Miss Ye," he said with a warm smile.

"R–Really?" Ye Qiu’s hands trembled and the corner of her eyes reddened.

"Yes, soon you will be a legal adult citizen of this country," he cast a teasing look at Marius when he said that, secretly urging him to move forward with his plans to take the girl out on a date.

However, Marius pretended not to notice his gesture and clapped instead, his smile as dazzling as the midday sun, "Wonderful! I believe this calls for some celebration, doesn’t it? What about—" he was interrupted mid-sentence by the ringing of his phone. With an apologetic look, Marius retrieved the phone and answered the call, "Hello?"

As soon as he heard the response from the other side, the warmth in his ocean blue eyes faded, replaced by a touch of annoyance as his brows furrowed slightly.