Chapter 92: What Can I Gain?

Guan Ran only approached Lu Yao after making thorough preparations; he never fought a battle unprepared.

He raised an eyebrow and, with clarity in his eyes, said, "You must be eager to know who imprisoned you and your mother on that isolated island all those years ago."

Lu Yao pondered for three seconds before answering naturally, "Since the jade pendant came from Ye Hua, isn’t she the culprit?"

She had always suspected Ye Hua, and now the appearance of the jade pendant made the evidence irrefutable.

Guan Ran shook his head mysteriously, glanced around, and suggested, "Though there’s no one here, we can’t be sure someone isn’t listening. If you trust me, Miss Lu, why not come with me to a safer place, and we’ll discuss our cooperation in detail?"

In recent times, the dangers Lu Yao had endured had made her wary of everything. She looked down at her shoes, unwilling to follow so rashly.

"Or perhaps, you choose a place and I’ll go with you," Guan Ran quickly compromised upon seeing her hesitation.

He had made his intentions clear, and it seemed there was no need to be on guard. He needed something from her—he wouldn’t dare harm her.

"Let’s go."

Lu Yao walked toward the intersection, weighed down by an indescribable heaviness. This heaviness had begun the moment she saw the jade pendant that belonged to her mother.

Guan Ran chose a deserted factory as their meeting place. The surroundings were desolate, and the only vehicle was a secondhand pickup truck he had driven there. The two of them stood on the rooftop, gazing into the distance.

A gust of wind swept over, strands of hair obscuring Lu Yao’s face. Her eyes dull, she spoke, "Tell me what you know, and then I’ll consider whether to cooperate with you."

"Over ten years ago, Ye Hua would vanish mysteriously for periods, only to return to the capital with finished ink paintings. At first, I thought she was retreating to create. Driven by curiosity, I once followed her and discovered those masterful ink paintings were not her own work. Ha..."

Guan Ran let out a self-mocking laugh.

He continued, "Back then, I was moved by her art, so I abandoned my career in France to return to the capital and make her famous. How ironic. Naturally, she discovered my tracking and, to silence me, dug up my secrets. She controlled the daughter my ex-wife had kept from me, intending to control my life."

Lu Yao was moved by his account. In essence, she and Guan Ran were kindred spirits.

Both had suffered at Ye Hua’s hands.

Still, she did not empathize blindly, and asked with confusion, "If you cared so much about your daughter, why did it take you more than ten years to look for her?"

Guan Ran gave a wry smile and shook his head, "Aside from the first few years after my burns, when my health prevented me from searching, I’ve been looking ever since. Unfortunately, my access was limited, and clues were scarce."

"You spent more than ten years undercover in the Ye family and found nothing. What makes you think I can help you find your daughter? You overestimate me."

"The secret lies in Ye Hua’s studio, which belongs to the Ye Group. Now that you’ve infiltrated Ye’s inner circle, you have a better chance to uncover more than I ever could. And, both of us have the same person to avenge."

"So, what do I get out of this?"

"I haven’t finished," Guan Ran sighed. "In fact, Ye Hua is not your only enemy. She’s backed by an organization, and she and Yang Lan are merely its gloves. The tragedy that befell you and your mother was meticulously orchestrated by this organization."

The truth struck Lu Yao unprepared. Her voice trembled slightly, "What organization?"

(End of this chapter)