Chapter 157: Promising a Reunion with Song Jiaru

It was over.

After the teaching session, the sky outside the window had turned to dusk. The waters of West Lake were dyed a warm gold, and the distant mountains had softened into gentle silhouettes.

Xu Yunzhou leaned against the headboard, watching Xu Nuo sitting with her back to him, slowly and deliberately putting on her clothes.

The beautiful curve of her waist tempted him to reach out and cover it with his hand.

"Teacher,"

Xu Nuo didn't turn around. Her voice was a little hoarse, but her tone had already returned to its usual calm.

"Can you take me to Song Jiaru's concert tonight?"

Xu Yunzhou's hand froze instantly.

Concert?

His mind flashed to last night's unsettling dream—the sudden gunfire beneath the stadium's dazzling lights, the crowd fleeing in panic, and Xu Nuo standing at the center of the chaos, her eyes cold and hollow, a wisp of smoke curling from the gun in her hand...

Even though he'd witnessed Xu Nuo's repentance in the game afterward, he still felt a lingering fear. Instinctively, he wanted to refuse.

"Do you really have to go...?"

Could it be... that the real Asura Field was going to start here, in this way?

After all, Xu Nuo had once harbored murderous intentions toward Song Jiaru, seeing her as her father's killer.

Though she'd later come to her senses, abandoned those thoughts, and even reached a kind of delicate understanding with Song Jiaru to some extent...

But that was eight years ago!

Eight years had passed. Things had changed, and people were no longer the same.

Xu Nuo had experienced darkness and bloodshed that he couldn't even imagine. Her temperament had long since transformed beyond recognition.

And now, she had personally witnessed the intimate relationship between him and Song Jiaru...

Who knew what new thoughts might be brewing in her mind at this moment?

Would she completely let go? Or... would she target this so-called enemy again, but in a colder, more lethal way?

But Xu Nuo turned around at that moment.

A gentle smile appeared on her face. She reached up and smoothed his slightly disheveled bangs.

"Don't worry."

"I'm not going to cause trouble. I just want to see her one more time."

She paused, her voice dropping a little, revealing a calm that bordered on resignation:

"After all... from now on, Teacher will be living together with her and President Lin, right?"

There was no resentment in her words, no accusation—only a quiet acceptance of reality after seeing things clearly. This made Xu Yunzhou's heart ache.

He frowned and held her hand before she could withdraw it.

"And you...? What about you?"

Xu Nuo's lips curled into a smile, tinged with helplessness, along with the calm, commanding presence of "Lord Nuo" who had everything under control:

"What else can I do?"

She pulled her hand back, stood up, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

The last rays of the setting sun filtered through the glass, coating her silhouette in a soft, fuzzy golden edge.

"Teacher, back then... you dumped such a huge mess on me."

"The Incense Gang, from top to bottom—over a dozen old and new halls. On both sides of the Pacific, so many open and hidden businesses to manage, so many tangled relationships to maintain, so many covetous opponents to deal with..."

She stood with her back to him, her voice steady, only the faintest trace of exhaustion leaking through her tone.

"How could I possibly have much time to stay in the country?"

A moment of silence. Then she let out an almost imperceptible, soft laugh.

"Right, esteemed Second Great-Grandfather?"

Xu Yunzhou suddenly understood her underlying meaning!

She believed that when he, as the Second Great-Grandfather, left the prophecy for her to take charge of the Xiang Gang, it wasn't just because he recognized her abilities.

The key point was that he wanted to send her far away—to the other side of the ocean, into that vast, complex world of the underworld that would drain all her energy.

To keep her from staying in the country, staying by his side, becoming an unpredictable, uncontrollable variable... or even a "hidden danger."

After all, among all the "nurturing targets" currently by his side...

Xu Nuo was the only one who had truly taken lives, the most lethal existence.

Xu Yunzhou looked at Xu Nuo's somewhat slender figure silhouetted against the light. A powerful surge of guilt and heartache washed over him.

He threw off the covers, got out of bed, walked behind her, reached out, and gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

He felt her body stiffen almost imperceptibly for a moment, then slowly relax, leaning back into his embrace.

"Ah Nuo."

He called her softly.

"Mm-hmm?"

Xu Nuo responded without turning around.

"From now on..."

Xu Yunzhou tightened his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, inhaling the faint, fresh scent of her hair.

"I'll come visit you often."

"Really?"

Her voice came out muffled from against his chest.

"Really."

He promised, his voice utterly serious.

"No matter if you're in San Francisco, or anywhere else in the world. As long as you want me to, as long as I'm free."

Xu Nuo was silent for a long time.

So long that Xu Yunzhou thought she wouldn't respond.

Then he felt the person in his arms nod, ever so slightly.

"Okay." She said.

Just one word.

...

That evening, Binzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium.

The concert was about to begin. Outside the venue, there was already a sea of people. An ocean of glow sticks rippled in the night, and the fans' cheers were almost enough to lift the roof.

Xu Yunzhou led Xu Nuo through the surging crowd.

A staff member from Qingsheng Media had long been waiting anxiously at the VIP entrance, craning their neck to look.

When they spotted Xu Yunzhou and Xu Nuo's figures, their eyes lit up. They immediately jogged over, their demeanor respectful to the point of humility.

"Mr. Xu! This lady! Please, this way!"

While guiding them, they explained in rapid-fire speech:

"Teacher Song specifically instructed us to wait for you two here! She didn't see you for a while and started getting a little worried—she called twice to ask!"

Hearing this, Xu Yunzhou found it both amusing and vaguely... regrettable.

Tsk. Not even a classic "arrogant security guard looks down on the protagonist, then gets face-slapped" face-slapping scenario triggered...

These security guards had too much professional integrity. Negative review.

He silently complained in his head as he followed the staff member directly into the venue through the employee passage.

The passage was dimly lit, echoing with the faint warm-up music and fans' shouts from inside the stadium. The air smelled of cables, dust, and nervous excitement.

They proceeded without any obstacles, arriving at the backstage area.

The atmosphere here was completely different from the chaos outside. Though still busy, it was orderly.

Makeup artists, stylists, backup dancers, band members, and staff shuttled back and forth, speaking in low voices as they made final checks and preparations.

At the door of the largest dressing room, which had the name "Song Jiaru" posted on it, they saw tonight's protagonist.

Song Jiaru was already in full costume.

A custom-made wedding dress with a sparkling, trailing train of tassels shone brilliantly under the bright lights of the dressing room, so dazzling it was almost hard to look at directly.

This Song Jiaru was no longer the girl by West Lake who clung to her "Big Brother." She was the Asian diva about to step onto the king's stage, her aura fully unleashed.

She was in the middle of finalizing her in-ear monitors and stage blocking with the director, her expression focused and serious.

But when her peripheral vision caught sight of Xu Yunzhou and Xu Nuo, the seriousness on her face instantly melted away. Her eyes lit up.

"Big Brother! Ah, Lord Nuo! You came too!"

She practically lifted her dress hem, flying over like a cheerful little bird, completely ignoring the slightly stunned looks from the staff nearby.

Rushing up to them, she first gave Xu Yunzhou a radiant smile, then without hesitation, opened her arms and gave Xu Nuo, who was standing beside Xu Yunzhou, a solid, warm, enthusiastic hug.

"Great! Lord Nuo, I'm so happy you could come!"

Xu Yunzhou was full of question marks.

Why wasn't she hugging me? Why Xu Nuo? Did someone hand out the wrong script?

Xu Nuo, suddenly embraced, visibly stiffened.

She wasn't used to such direct, passionate physical contact, especially in front of so many people.

But soon, she relaxed. She even raised her hand and gently patted Song Jiaru on the back.

A faint, but genuine smile appeared on her face.

"Teacher Song,"

She spoke, her voice calm.

"Good luck tonight."

"Mm-hmm!"

Song Jiaru nodded vigorously, pulling back. Her eyes sparkled as she looked between her and Xu Yunzhou.

"With you two watching from the audience, I'm definitely going to exceed expectations!"

She turned to Song Jinxuan, who was hurrying over, and called out:

"Chairman Song! These two honored guests tonight—take good care of them for me!"