Chapter 8: An Acquaintance? Deer Park

As the voice faded, everyone looked toward the entrance, watching as a sturdy man stepped out of the vehicle.

Watching him walk into the hospital, Jin Yuchuan tapped his earpiece. His calm tone betrayed no emotion, yet an underlying, chilling murderous intent could be sensed.

"Attention, target is approximately 1.85 meters tall, hair slicked back, wearing a black leather jacket and tight-fitting trousers. He has just entered the hospital."

A mere glance at the man's retreating figure had been enough for him to memorize the key features.

Glancing at the suspicious van, he gave instructions to the two men in the front seat: "Go and apprehend the people in that vehicle."

With the order given, the two men immediately moved to carry it out.

Inside the van, the man in glasses was busy scrubbing the surveillance footage of their route and hijacking the elevator controls to ensure his companion's smooth passage. Suddenly, a red light flashed frantically on another device beside him, accompanied by a warning siren.

His heart sank. He pulled up the feed from the van's external cameras. On the screen, two burly men dressed in black were marching toward him with an aggressive aura.

He forced himself to remain calm, though his hands and feet trembled uncontrollably. He snapped his laptop shut, clutched it to his chest, and hurriedly opened a communication channel.

"I’ve been spotted."

As he spoke, he flung the van door open and took off running. The two men in black behind him saw this and immediately gave chase. Trained professionals, they were far faster than the man in glasses. Within a hundred meters, he was quickly cornered and apprehended.

The man in glasses' first instinct was to shield the laptop in his arms. But before he could struggle for even half a second, the device was forcefully snatched away.

"You—" The man in glasses, filled with indignation, was about to roar when his mouth was clamped shut.

A sharp object pressed against his waist, radiating a bone-chilling cold that made his skin crawl. Beside his ear came the low, menacing voice of one of the men.

"If you don't want any trouble, come with us quietly."

The man in glasses closed his eyes, his expression one of grim resignation. One of the men in black slung an arm around his shoulder, leading him away as if they were old friends.

Jin Yuchuan took it all in. Judging by the man's actions, there seemed to be only two of them. It felt almost too simple.

Just as he was pondering this, the man beside him suddenly spoke up: "The first guy is back!"

As soon as he finished speaking, movement erupted. The man reappeared, moving with such blinding speed that he knocked the black-clad operative holding the man in glasses to the ground.

No longer restrained, the man in glasses watched the brawl with wide-eyed terror, shouting frantically, "Don't break my computer!"

The man who had been grabbing the other operative's collar paused. He let his coiled strength dissipate and reached down to retrieve the laptop instead. With his other hand, he literally flung the operative aside.

The man in glasses carefully hugged his laptop to his chest, still trembling, and reached out to touch the burly man's arm. "We're being watched. We should leave."

The man grumbled in frustration, his expression one of resentment mixed with helplessness.

Jin Yuchuan did not issue further orders until he watched the vehicle drive away. The man beside him couldn't hold back his anxiety.

Qing Ya asked in confusion, "Master Jin, this was a perfect chance to find out Bai Lan's identity. Are you just going to let them go?"

The confidentiality surrounding Bai Lan’s identity was so extreme that even he had difficulty tracking her. For a healer, this was somewhat absurd. Now that all other leads had been cut off, the only people who could have accurately pinpointed their location were those who had seen the car accident video online.

Since there had been no movement for days following the incident, the day of discharge was the perfect window—a time when they could use the public setting to mask their presence without worrying about Bai Lan's physical condition.

Jin Yuchuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, gazing toward the direction where the car had vanished. His gaze was deep and hollow, like an endless night, impossible to read.

Two seconds later, he looked away. "Too much commotion. It would have a negative impact."

He raised a hand, his pale, cool fingertips pressing his earpiece. "Security alert canceled."

Before leaving the car, he added to Qing Ya, "Take those two unconscious men to the hospital."

Qing Ya looked at the black-clad men sprawled on the roadside and then toward the hospital entrance, silently muttering to himself: *This has to be the fastest patient admission record in history.*

...

Having followed Jin Yuchuan for so many years, Nan Sheng was accustomed to such affairs. But this one had ended so quickly it left him feeling a bit dazed. Having just finished the paperwork, he happened to run into Jin Yuchuan on his way up.

"Master Jin."

Jin Yuchuan’s expression was indifferent, his eyes fixed ahead, lost in thought. When he entered the patient's room, Ye Chunxi was hunched over her phone, a lollipop of unknown origin in her mouth.

She sat on the bed, her slender legs dangling and swaying slightly. Her thin, bare feet were small and delicate, showing the cool, porcelain-white skin with pink-tinted toes.

Jin Yuchuan’s eyes darkened, and he looked away. "Put on your shoes. We're leaving the hospital."

The familiar voice made Ye Chunxi look up immediately. Seeing the face she had been longing for, her heart stirred with excitement. She put down her phone and slipped into the pair of white canvas shoes sitting beside her.

She picked up a bag containing her personal items and walked quickly to Jin Yuchuan, standing before him with her hands clutching the straps, looking exceptionally obedient.

She looked up and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Brother, I'm ready."

This "Brother" sounded even more melodic than the previous times. Ye Chunxi’s voice was naturally cool, but this utterance leaned toward a playful, spoiled tone; though it softened and mellowed, a touch of awkwardness still lingered.

Jin Yuchuan blinked, his focus momentarily shifting. He turned around, his voice as cold as ever. "Let's go."

At his side, his slightly curled hand suddenly tightened.

...

They took the elevator to the hospital's underground parking garage, with Ye Chunxi following closely behind Jin Yuchuan the entire way.

Nan Sheng stepped ahead to open the car door for them. Sitting beside Jin Yuchuan, the scent of pine that always clung to him seemed to grow richer, enveloping her completely. Ye Chunxi glanced at him sideways, unable to help herself.

His elegant, slender fingers were holding an iPad, and the dark pupils behind his gold-rimmed glasses shifted slightly as he read with intense concentration. Watching her brother work so hard, Ye Chunxi didn't dare disturb him and sat quietly for the duration of the trip.

She watched the scenery outside the window shift from the dense cluster of high-rise buildings to the lush, green ecological suburbs. The sky, which had been cloudy and overcast when they left the hospital, had begun to drizzle with a light rain.

Half an hour later, the car pulled up halfway up a mountain. As Ye Chunxi stepped out and stood still, she looked up at the massive structure before her, her eyes trembling.

The antique-style brick-red gates bore a plaque with the gilded characters "Deer Garden." As the gates opened, the scene inside came into view. Following the white walls and blue-tiled roofs, a massive artificial lake and exquisitely crafted pavilions and verandas came into sight, resembling a classic Chinese garden.

The fine drizzle cast a thin layer of mist over the grounds.

At the entrance, an elderly man in his fifties saw Jin Yuchuan approaching, bowed his head slightly, and said with great respect, "Young Master, I have followed your instructions and everything is prepared."