Urban Soldier Young Master

Chapter 927 - 926: Chu Chengrui Apologizes

"Thump thump thump, thump thump thump"Chu Shiyao's heartbeat was getting faster and faster, and just then, Chu Ge suddenly let out an indistinct "uh".

This sound, ordinarily almost inaudible, now exploded like a thunderclap in Chu Shiyao's ears. She felt a tremor run through her body, and a buzzing filled her head. One second, two seconds, three seconds passed...

Chu Shiyao didn't dare to move a muscle, holding her breath, her eyes fixed on Chu Ge. It wasn't until she confirmed that Chu Ge was merely talking in his sleep that she hurriedly moved her hand to the side. Quietly, she got up from the bed, tiptoed into the bathroom, and began to gasp for air, only to discover that her palms were actually damp.

If she stayed there any longer, Chu Shiyao really doubted whether that wildly beating heart would leap out of her throat.

Finally, after calming her heartbeat a bit, Chu Shiyao began her morning routine, her mind still brimming with that incredible feeling of being needed.

Chu Ge slept deeply that morning, not waking till after nine. In fact, it was a phone call that disturbed his sleep. But for that annoying ring, he could have continued tossing and turning in his chaotic dreams.

The hangover left him with a headache, and though awake, he felt too lazy to move. He lacked any motivation, and the ringing phone was mere noise to his ears.

Forget it, I won't answer it, whoever it is—it's not Qin Ruojing anyway.

On second thought, maybe I should answer it, just in case it is her?

The phone rang several times before Chu Ge finally fumbled to find it, glancing at the number on the screen.

The call turned out to be from the perplexing Chu Chengrui. Although not Qin Ruojing, as expected, Chu Ge couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.

Without picking up directly, Chu Ge let the phone ring on, leisurely got dressed, and went next door, yawning to knock on the door.

Now, it felt like when he was pretending to be Qin Ruojing's boyfriend. To maintain appearances, he needed to keep in touch with Chu Chengrui while with Chu Shiyao.

Thinking this, Chu Ge couldn't help but smile wryly. The fake boyfriend became a real husband; everything was going well, but just as the wedding was approaching, a situation arose.

Adding to yesterday's misunderstanding, the chances of Qin Ruojing changing her mind seemed to dwindle further. Who knows if the wedding can still proceed smoothly as planned?

After a few knocks, the door was quickly opened. As soon as their eyes met, Chu Shiyao's gaze shifted, with a slightly awkward smile, she said, "Brother Chu, you're awake?"

Having just woken up and somewhat absent-minded, Chu Ge didn't notice anything amiss and helplessly waved the phone in his hand.

"It's your family's old man who woke me up; see, it's still ringing."

"Oh, that's annoying, why not ignore it, turn off the phone, and go back to sleep?"

"But then he'll think I've sold you off or something. Let's make sure we have our stories straight, then I'll call him back."

Chu Ge shrugged and entered Chu Shiyao's room, only then noticing her slightly conflicted expression. Stopping briefly, he asked, "Yaoyao, why is your face so red? You're not running a fever, are you?"

"Running a fever? No way, I'm fine!"

Chu Shiyao grumbled internally but smiled outwardly, "No, maybe, maybe it's just hot in here, hehe..."

"Hmm? The air conditioning is running well, is it hot?"

Chu Ge murmured curiously, making the corners of Chu Shiyao's eyes twitch, and she quickly changed the subject to aligning their stories.

The story was simple: they went out eating, drinking, and having fun together. When it got late, they found a hotel for the night. However, they had a minor disagreement about how many rooms they booked.

Chu Shiyao suggested saying they booked one room, making them seem closer, as if their relationship was intimate enough to share a room. This would make Chu Chengrui take Chu Ge more seriously.

Chu Ge, however, preferred saying they booked two rooms. After all, they used their IDs to book the rooms, and if Chu Chengrui wanted to check, he easily could. Claiming one instead of two would clearly be suspicious.

As for lying about which hotel they stayed in, that seemed even more pointless.

Upon hearing Chu Ge's reasoning, Chu Shiyao realized it was indeed a problem. After some discussion, they decided to say they were out with two friends, hence the two rooms.

At this juncture, Chu Ge thought it best to pretend that the two non-existent friends were young women around him. If Chu Chengrui insisted on inquiring further, then he'd intentionally be vague, finally refusing to answer, leaving him to ponder it himself.

Chu Ge clearly remembered that Chu Chengrui said he didn't mind if Chu Ge had a wife, saying that as long as Chu Shiyao and Chu Ge were happy together, it was fine.

In this regard, Chu Ge always found it a bit strange. Even if Chu Chengrui was open-minded and his lifestyle was liberal, he was, after all, Chu Shiyao's biological grandfather. Could he really not care that his granddaughter was involved with a married man?

Chu Ge wanted to see what kind of reaction Chu Chengrui would have if he told him that they spent a night together in a hotel with three women.

After discussing these details, Chu Ge called Chu Chengrui back, but the result was totally unexpected and completely different from what he anticipated.

Chu Chengrui did not ask where they went after ditching Wu Qing. He simply said to keep Chu Shiyao company well, as long as she was happy, nothing else mattered.

Chu Chengrui's voice sounded unexpectedly kind, giving people the sense of an old man who indulges his granddaughter unconditionally, which left even Chu Ge momentarily stunned.

When Chu Chengrui said he wanted to say something to Chu Shiyao, Chu Ge handed the phone to her. He saw that Chu Shiyao seemed a bit dazed as she listened.

It wasn't until Chu Shiyao hung up the phone that she hadn't snapped back to reality, filled with questions.

"Brother Chu, why do I feel like... Chu Chengrui seems to have changed?" After a few seconds, Chu Shiyao looked at Chu Ge with bewilderment. "He actually admitted to me about the eavesdropping devices he installed on my belongings? What... is going on?"

"Hmm?" Chu Ge took back the phone and sat on the sofa to one side. "Sit down and talk slowly."

"In short, he apologized to me, saying he shouldn't have tampered with my personal items, even if it was out of concern for my safety. He admitted it was excessive. He said he would cancel all surveillance on me and that whatever I wanted, including true freedom, he would give it to me."

Chu Ge gave a faint smile, "If he really means that, then that's a good thing."

Chu Shiyao was puzzled, "Hmm? What does that mean?"

"Yaoyao, do you know why I took action against Wu Qing twice, and why there was a conflict with the two bodyguards at the gate yesterday morning?"

Chu Shiyao replied matter-of-factly, "Because Wu Qing provoked you, and those two bodyguards wanted to search you, which upset you."

"That's just one aspect. On the other hand, it was also an indirect test of Chu Chengrui's reaction. Through these incidents, he would surely have gained a deeper understanding of me. He'd consider whether, apart from being able to fight, I had any other abilities, like discovering the little gadgets he placed on you, or realizing that the little Nanny Ru wasn't just a simple maid."

"Then he'd consider that if I found out about those eavesdropping devices and told you, you would be very angry, and your distrust and hostility towards him would increase. For some unknown reason to you and me at the moment, he clearly doesn't want that to happen, which is why he made that call earlier. Whether it's taking precautions or mending the situation after the fact, who knows?"

Listening to Chu Ge's analysis, Chu Shiyao blinked and tugged at her hair in distress, "Ugh... really? There's so much going on behind this?"

Chu Ge shrugged, "Indeed, it's just speculation. It's hard to say if it's really like that. In any case, it's better not to let down your guard against Chu Chengrui. Didn't your father's last words also advise you not to trust other family members? Being cautious is definitely not wrong."

"Ah... this is so annoying." Chu Shiyao sighed in frustration, slumping on the sofa, "Maybe I should tell Chu Chengrui I don't want to be some 'Miss,' ask him to stop acknowledging me as his granddaughter, and I'll act as if I don't have him as a grandfather?"

Chu Ge thought for a moment and shook his head.

"I think... it's best not to do that just yet. After all, your relationship just eased a little on the surface. Whether he has ulterior motives or simply wants to fulfill his duties as a grandfather, it's not appropriate to bring this up now. Let's observe for a while."

"Alright then, I'll listen to you."

Looking at the helpless expression on Chu Shiyao's face, Chu Ge actually felt quite helpless as well.

He didn't enjoy looking at the world through the eyes of a schemer, but his experiences over the years forced him to admit that often the harsh reality is hidden beneath a beautiful façade.

People, don't they often work that way? A friendly smile from someone doesn't necessarily mean their heart is friendly too. They might be cursing your ancestors' eighteen generations or looking for your weakness while you're blinded by appearances, then stab you in the back when you least expect it.

In the blink of an eye, several days passed. Whenever he wasn't with Chu Shiyao, Chu Ge spent time alone, but unfortunately, he still hadn't heard from Qin Ruojing.

During these days, Chu Ge and Chu Shiyao went back once to her previous home in Yipin Spring City. Chu Ge discreetly checked around and, sure enough, didn't find any eavesdropping devices. Also, there was no longer anyone tailing them.

One evening, Chu Ge received a call from Su Wei, the warden, bringing him unexpected news.