Free Web NovelChapter 181: THAT IS THE SADDEST THING I HAVE HEARD ALL WEEK
One of the men stepped forward carrying a tray, moving with practiced ease as though the action had been repeated so many times that even thinking about it was unnecessary, and he crossed the room under the steady weight of silence before setting the tray down and pouring tea with careful precision that did not break the atmosphere even once.
The steam rose in thin curling threads that drifted upward and vanished just as quietly, while Liuxian stared at the cup without reaching for it, as though something so ordinary no longer belonged in a moment that had already shifted into something far more uncomfortable than a simple conversation.
Liuxian let out a low sound that resembled laughter but it carried no warmth, and when he shook his head it was not amusement but disappointment settling in, the kind that lingers longer than anger because it has already decided something was wrong and is simply waiting for confirmation.
"I received a disturbing message from Jae," he said, and the room tightened instantly because everyone understood Jae did not exaggerate and Liuxian did not repeat information unless it mattered enough to change how the room breathed.
"As my top notch security team tasked with protecting me and my spouse," he continued, his gaze moving slowly across each face as though measuring them against their own silence, "it appears that somewhere along the line we stopped functioning as a unified system and became something far less reliable than I was led to believe."
The air grew heavier at that, because "unified system" was not a phrase Liuxian used casually, and anything that fell below that standard was already being judged in ways that no one in the room wanted to define too quickly.
"To keep such crucial information from me," he added after a pause that stretched long enough to feel deliberate rather than uncertain, "I find that to be a betrayal of the highest order, and I do not use that word without reason."
Luo Cheng’s expression shifted immediately at the word betrayal, because in all his years under Liuxian it had never once been directed inward at their own people, and the implication of it now forced him to reconsider every assumption he had made in the past few weeks.
Liuxian sighed and finally reached for the teacup, lifting it slowly as though even something familiar required caution in a situation that had clearly changed shape without warning.
"Usually I would drink this without hesitation," he said quietly while turning the cup slightly in his hand, "but right now I cannot ignore the possibility that even something this ordinary could be compromised in ways none of us would immediately detect."
That single implication was enough to freeze the room, not because anyone believed the tea itself was dangerous, but because the idea of trust itself being compromised carried far more weight than any physical threat.
Luo Cheng stepped forward, posture straightening as he moved into a position slightly closer than the others, because waiting any longer would only deepen whatever misunderstanding had already begun forming.
"Sir," he said carefully, "if you could be straightforward with us, I can assure you the tea is exactly as it has always been and none of us would ever consider harming you in that manner."
"Really," Liuxian replied immediately, the word landing sharper than intended and shifting the entire tone of the room in an instant, "then what about my spouse, and what about the person you are all also responsible for protecting with the same seriousness you claim to apply here."
The mention of Guiying changed the room’s focus entirely, because it was no longer about internal failure alone but about a target outside the usual perimeter, something that should have been impossible to overlook.
Liuxian set the cup down with controlled precision, the sound small but distinct in the silence, and when he spoke again there was no hesitation left in his voice.
"Six sightings have been reported near his workplace over a sustained period," he said while watching them closely, "along with repeated suspicious activity in surrounding areas that none of you flagged in any report."
Confusion spread through the room in slow realization because the details did not match anything in their records, and that contradiction alone was enough to unsettle even the most experienced among them.
"And yet somehow," Liuxian continued, leaning forward slightly, "none of you noticed any of it, and I am expected to treat that as a simple oversight rather than a failure of judgment."
No one answered, because there was no version of that statement that could be addressed without admitting fault.
Liuxian leaned back slightly, and for the first time fatigue crept into his expression, not from exhaustion but from the weight of realizing something had already slipped too far without resistance.
For a brief moment his gaze drifted toward the tea again before he spoke, voice quieter but more final.
"If I discover that any of you deliberately withheld this information," he said, placing his hand down with deliberate control, "then I will treat it as the betrayal I have already named, and I will not hesitate to kill all of you."
The room understood immediately that the conversation had crossed from discussion into consequence.
"Your duties will now include continuous monitoring of my spouse," he continued, "and Luo Cheng will be assigned to assist him directly at all times, responsible for his day-to-day protection."
Luo Cheng blinked once before speaking, the professional composure cracking just slightly.
"Sir," he said carefully, "with respect, I am not sure I am suited for that role, especially since I do not have experience handling younger generations in close proximity situations."
Liuxian’s gaze sharpened instantly.
"Are you calling my spouse a child."
"No," Luo Cheng said quickly, hands lifting slightly in defense, "I only mean he is twenty three and I am thirty eight, and the age gap creates a professional dynamic I am not fully prepared for."
"You think I married a child."
"That is not what I said."
"Do I look like a pedophile to you, Luo Cheng."
"Sir, I would never imply such a thing."
"Good," Liuxian said evenly, as though the matter had already been settled in his mind, "then it is decided. You will serve as his assistant, and perhaps your wisdom will finally be useful in practice."
Luo Cheng opened his mouth, then closed it again when he realized there was no version of speech that improved his situation, and slowly looked around the room to find every man carefully avoiding eye contact as though witnessing his downfall required moral distance.
"Yes, Sir," he said finally, sounding like a man accepting a sentence rather than a job.
Behind him the silence lasted only a few seconds before it cracked.
"Babysitting duties," Ma Defeng said.
"Congratulations," Zhou Kang added.
"Truly an honour," Wen Guang said.
"I will remember every single one of your faces and get my pay back." Luo Cheng replied flatly.
The room broke into laughter, tension dissolving just enough to make the humiliation survivable rather than suffocating.
"Luo Cheng," Tang Shiwei said once he recovered, "you are thirty eight years old. Have you considered whether this line of work is still sustainable long term?"
"I am not interested in marriage or children," Luo Cheng replied immediately, "and I am not interested in any future you are trying to assign to me."
"So what is the plan?" Zhou Kang asked.
"I will retire to the countryside," Luo Cheng said without hesitation, "and live a quiet life alone until I die."
The room went still.
"That is depressing," Zhou Kang said.
"Indeed, it’s genuinely tragic," Wen Guang added.
"That is the saddest thing I have heard all week.." Ma Defeng said.
"I’m not finished.." Luo Cheng said.
Everyone looked at him.
"If I ever want children, I already have the option, because I preserved it years ago in case it ever became necessary."
The room went quiet again.
"Hah. You really planned ahead." Chen Boyu said slowly.
"I always plan ahead," Luo Cheng replied.
"By freezing your sperms.." Chen Boyu laughed.
"And? Is there anything wrong with it," Luo Cheng said "Children are a product of love, and I have not yet encountered that in a way that would justify it, but if I do, I will be prepared."
Nobody spoke for a moment.
"Spoken like a true uncle," Liu Pengfei finally said.
