Chapter 818: Love Starting from a Breakup 07

I will move out of that apartment; if you can't find things later, Young Master Qiao, just buy new ones.

After all, whether it's a person or an object, you dislike staying too long.

As soon as his words fell, the phone was hung up.

Qiao Xu opened his mouth, his breath caught, and his eyes instantly reddened.

He put down his phone, propped his hands on his face, looking out at the night scenery, and only then did the sadness in his heart surge up.

It seemed only because of Jin Chen's words about moving out that he belatedly realized they had really broken up.

What does it mean to dislike staying too long,

It's not that he wants to break up because they've been together too long.

At the last dinner, Qiao Xu still didn't eat much.

Perhaps because he lacked someone's company, even the dishes he usually loved tasted bland.

So Qiao Xu went home early.

His low mood caused him not to greet as usual; he just quietly went upstairs.

When passing the second floor, he heard Qi Zhan and Gu He seemingly saying something.

At such a late hour, they created such a solemn atmosphere; Qiao Xu thought it was company business and didn't think much of it.

But he didn't think much; as they chatted, he suddenly saw Gu He and got a fright.

His expression flashed with panic, and he didn't even have time to ease it.

Qi Zhan also seemed unnatural, forcing a smile at Qiao Xu; because of the earlier topic, his gaze toward Qiao Xu still held some scrutiny.

Both of their gazes were strange.

Even if Qiao Xu was absent-minded, he still noticed.

"What are you guys talking about?"

He tilted his head, his beautiful pupils filled with deep confusion.

"Nothing, Gu He and I are arguing."

Qi Zhan reacted first, and even at this moment he remembered to maintain his persona in front of Qiao Xu.

Is arguing supposed to be like this?

Qiao Xu felt weird.

He also felt that the family was hiding something from him.

His already low mood became even more unhappy.

Obviously, before, regarding his own matters, Brother Gu wanted to know everything inside out.

"Oh."

Qiao Xu glanced at Gu He again, saw his evasive gaze, let out a soft hum, and hurried upstairs.

This home is becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

Very annoying.

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value 5, total 45!】

【This method really works, it's all thanks to you!】

When Jin Chen heard the sound, he finally rose from his seat, his nostrils filled with the smell of blood.

The basement is very spacious; even walking produces echoes.

Yet it is the final destination of many traitors and intruders, and also an inescapable hell.

He slowly walked toward one of the iron hemispherical cages.

Inside are packed with small protruding spikes; they won't kill, nor cause bleeding.

But for someone with wounds, the pain is no less than death by a thousand cuts.

It's most suitable for dealing with stubborn traitors.

The subordinate beside him immediately opened the cage door.

The man inside still wore a breathing-control mask, unable to breathe normally like a regular person, only able to maintain a non-lethal range.

His hands and feet were bound, unable to move; he could only let the still-bleeding wounds be tortured by the iron spikes.

Every minute spent inside makes him want to die, but once inside, even death becomes a luxury.

The subordinate used a password to unlock the mask, and immediately heard the man start taking big breaths, his face turning purple from strain.

Jin Chen looked down coldly; the chill leaking from the corner of his eyes was enough to be deadly.

"The Gu family won't be your backing; you have two hours—if you can't produce something, your life will stay here."

The man, upon hearing this, became very agitated, opening his mouth wanting to say something.

But it was nothing but pleas for mercy; Jin Chen heard them until his ears grew calluses.

"If you were truly loyal, you wouldn't have stolen the confidential documents from the armory."

Jin Chen placed a timer beside the man.

Behind the timer was also tied a bomb.

"The countdown is two hours—either press the button on the side, or be blown to bits by the bomb."

The countdown began, immediately emitting a beeping sound, like a death-summoning note.

The man's body began to tremble, watching helplessly as Jin Chen closed the iron door again.

"Mmm!"

Beep, beep, beep.

Fearful eyes stared fixedly at the timer; originally he thought he had already suffered enough torment, facing death without fear.

But hearing such a countdown, his panic only intensified.

When he worked for the Jin Family, he had also seen such torture devices before.

Once the countdown ends, it will explode immediately, but it will not affect the outside.

As long as the iron door is opened, corpse fluid will immediately flow out……

Fear is deeply engraved in the heart.

He only lasted twenty seconds before the man could no longer bear such a sound and slammed his head into the button.

The iron door opened with a sound.

Jin Chen seemed to be waiting there on purpose, still with a look of looking down from above, but now with a hint more mockery.

Five minutes later, the man confessed everything he had done in detail, including the current whereabouts of the confidential documents.

"That day… that day I stole the documents, and the Gu Family people immediately took them away; I never saw them again, only knowing… they are in the hands of the Gu Family head."

"Moreover, moreover! I know what the Gu Family's follow‑up preliminary plan is!"

Jin Chen's brows and eyes were cold and stern; he signaled his subordinates to keep listening.

The armory activated the emergency lockdown device on the day the documents were discovered missing.

The Gu Family couldn't open it for a while.

But the traitor's words also meant that there were likely Gu Family spies still in the Jin Family manor.

Although they couldn't match up openly, they had done plenty of sneaky, petty deeds.

Isn't it the Qiao Family, secretly supporting the Gu Family's massive talent cultivation, that has been used as a pawn?

"Young Master, the Family Head is waiting for you in the upper‑floor study."

The subordinate who opened the basement door for him gave a reminder.

The manor's upper floor.

Jin Chen was mocked by his cheap dad as soon as he entered the door.

"You finally deigned to come back, you big romantic."

Jin Chen ignored the remark, casually sat down in a Western‑style soft chair, his handsome, noble face full of resignation.

"You didn't come just to make fun of me, did you?"

"You can't deny it; it really is."

Jin Tingxiao sat behind the desk, imposing and arrogant; his stern expression softened a little in front of this son.

The tabletop bore a white bone skull used to hold pens; the decapitated doll's blood, made from pigeon‑blood rubies, was used to hold tea cups, looking utterly eerie.

Jin Tingxiao's smile was teasing.

"Not only did you fail to marry in after three years, you ended up being publicly dumped and mocked for your family background."

"If I were you, I wouldn't just spare the old feelings for the Gu family; I'd have blown up the whole Qiao Family."

Jin Chen grunted, "So Mom left home and has been out of contact to this day precisely because of this."

He returned the mockery without hesitation.

It's just exposing each other's scars, as if someone were happier.

Jin Tingxiao: "……"

"If you don't talk about this matter, will you die?"

"If you don't bring up the breakup, will you die?"

Jin Chen tilted his head to look at his cheap dad, then unceremoniously picked up the collected red wine on the tea table and poured himself a cup.

In the ancient, dim study, he lurked in the light, his handsome face showing a hint of wistfulness.