After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

Two phone calls in a row.

Two hundred billion yuan in cash and top-tier medical resources nationwide were completely mobilized within ten minutes. This is the extraordinary influence Zhu Xunchuan has cultivated in Kyoto.

Zhu Xun Chuan put away his phone. He sent a very short text message to Xiao Baifa: Bring heavy goods, see you at the airport.

He stood up and picked Jiang Yao up in his arms.

Gu Qinghan also stood up. She tidied up the lesson plans and documents on the table and picked up her black handbag.

"Let's go." Gu Qinghan walked ahead in her high heels.

The three left the library.

……

Five o'clock in the afternoon.

Nanyuan Private Airport.

The early winter wind whipped up the withered leaves on the tarmac. A white Gulfstream G650ER passenger plane sat in the middle of the runway, its engines emitting a deep roar.

In the distance, a military helicopter had just landed. Twelve special medical experts from Peking Union Medical College Hospital, dressed in white coats, carrying incubators and portable rescue equipment, rushed to the boarding stairs of the Gulfstream passenger plane.

Xiao Bai, dressed in a black combat suit and carrying a long, black violin case, stood at the bottom of the boarding stairs.

She watched as Zhu Xun Chuan carried Jiang Yao over. The top assassin on the dark web didn't utter a word of mockery, nor did he show any sign of jealousy. With a cold expression, she stepped aside, protecting Zhu Xun Chuan as he escorted Jiang Yao into the cabin first.

The cabin was air-conditioned at a constant temperature. Jiang Yao lay on the large leather seat, clutching Zhu Xun Chuan's coat tightly in her hand. She had fallen into a deep sleep due to the shock and exhaustion of the past few days. Tears still clung to the corners of her eyes.

Zhu Xunchuan stepped out of the passenger cabin and down the gangway.

Gu Qinghan stood in the wind. The hem of her black coat fluttered in the wind. Her fair cheeks were flushed slightly in the cold wind.

Zhu Xunchuan stopped in front of Gu Qinghan.

Gu Qinghan didn't speak. She raised her hands and naturally turned up the collar of Zhu Xunchuan's trench coat to block the chill of late autumn. Her fingers smoothed out the wrinkles on his shoulders.

"The waters in the North are murky." Gu Qinghan looked into his eyes. "Foreign forces are usually far better equipped than domestic gangs. Don't try to fight them head-on."

"Just a few small fry." Zhu Xun Chuan pinched her cheek.

Gu Qinghan pulled a black privilege encryption card from her handbag and stuffed it into Zhu Xunchuan's trench coat pocket. This was the highest-level access key from the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

She took half a step back.

With her hands crossed in front of her, the icy counselor's aura reached its peak at that moment—a commanding and authoritative presence befitting a ruler.

"Go." Gu Qinghan adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone calm yet chilling. "I'll guard your backyard in Kyoto. While you're away, who in Kyoto dares to cause trouble..."

A ruthless glint flashed in her eyes.

"I skinned her alive."

Zhu Xun Chuan looked at the woman in front of him, who seemed aloof but actually had an extremely strong desire for control. He reached out and put his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace.

He lowered his head and placed a deep kiss on her forehead.

"Wait for me to come back. I'll personally hand in that final report to your house."

The large, soft leather airline seat was reclined flat. Jiang Yao curled up in the thin blanket. This wildcat from the North, who usually roamed freely in Kyoto, now had her eyes tightly closed, her brows furrowed, and her forehead covered in sweat.

"Dad..." Jiang Yao uttered a short, terrified murmur in her sleep, her hands gripping the edge of the blanket tightly.

A large, warm hand reached out and grasped her cold hand.

Zhu Xun Chuan sat beside her, holding a warm, damp towel in his other hand, gently wiping away the cold sweat from Jiang Yao's forehead and neck.

Feeling the familiar warmth and scent, Jiang Yao suddenly opened her eyes. Seeing Zhu Xun Chuan's calm and profound profile, her tense body instantly went limp.

Her eyes reddened again. She threw off the blanket, rolled over, and straddled Zhu Xun Chuan's lap. She wrapped her arms tightly around the man's neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"Husband, I dreamt that the old man didn't make it, and the Jiang family was in complete chaos..." Jiang Yao's voice was muffled, filled with undisguised panic and vulnerability.

Zhu Xun Chuan tossed aside the towel, cupped her lower back with both hands, and hugged her tightly.

"Dreams are always the opposite of reality. With Meng Wanqing's medical team from Peking Union Medical College Hospital, even the King of Hell can't take him away." Zhu Xun Chuan patted her on the back.

Xiaobai sat in the front row of a single chair. She wore a striking black combat suit, her legs crossed, and black combat boots draped over the carpet. She didn't turn to look at the two embracing figures, but instead carefully wiped a high-density ceramic blade in her hand with a chamois cloth, her indifference seemingly devoid of any human emotion, merely a machine ready to execute commands at any moment.

An announcement came over the intercom: "Mr. Zhu, the plane is about to land at Harbin Airport. The ground temperature is -25 degrees Celsius, and there is a blizzard. Please dress warmly."

The plane pierced through the thick clouds and landed smoothly on the snow-covered runway.

The hatch slowly opened.

A fierce gust of white wind, mixed with ice shards, violently poured into the cabin.

Zhu Xun Chuan stood up. He took off his six-figure dark gray cashmere coat and draped it over Jiang Yao, wrapping her petite body completely in it.

Jiang Yao looked up at him. Zhu Xun Chuan, dressed only in a thin casual suit, remained expressionless, his brows and eyes exuding a reassuring composure.

"Let's go." Zhu Xun Chuan took her hand.

The three of them walked out of the cabin and onto the gangway.

The biting cold wind howled.

There were no shuttle buses or even a single guide light on the wide tarmac below.

Instead, there were eight black Land Rover Defenders lined up in a row.

More than thirty burly men in heavy mink coats blocked the area directly beneath the gangway. A gust of wind whipped up the snow, which lashed against the long-handled machetes in their hands, reflecting a chilling light.

This is the purest and most primal form of deterrence from the Northern underworld.

The Jiang family patriarch was on the verge of death, and instead of Jiang family loyalists, the people who came to pick him up were all these menacing swordsmen.

Jiang Yao's hand tightened instantly.

From the crowd, a low-ranking leader with a thick gold chain around his neck stepped forward through the snow. He had a cigar in his mouth and his eyes brazenly swept over Jiang Yao's exposed legs outside her coat.

"Miss, it's windy outside. Brother Tao is considerate of your long journey, so he specially sent us brothers to welcome you." The gang leader exhaled a puff of smoke, his smile forced and insincere.

Jiang Yao looked down at him and said, "Who does Jiang Tao think he is? Does he even deserve to send someone to pick me up? Tell him to get over here and see me."

The underling chuckled.

"Miss, you're being too polite. The old master is currently lying in the intensive care unit, his fate unknown. Brother Tao is holding down all three branches in Bingcheng. Brother Tao said that for the sake of the Jiang family, Miss, please hand over the black jade ring that represents your status as the head of the family."

The leader looked up, his gaze passing over Jiang Yao and settling on Zhu Xun Chuan, his tone turning disdainful.

"As for the guy next to you, the pretty boy you brought back from Kyoto? The wind is harsh in the North, don't let your delicate skin freeze to death here. Hurry up and find a flight to go back to your warm bed and live off your wife."

As soon as he finished speaking, the thirty-odd swordsmen below burst into laughter.