Chapter 8: Striking Back Online

Zhuang Qin’s lips curled up on one side, her gaze soft and indulgent as she looked at Mo Boyu. “So that’s why I couldn’t find you—off chasing little girls again?”

“Come on, how could I? I was just looking for you guys.” Mo Boyu scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Lí Chǔzé suddenly spoke up, cold and direct. “I’m getting married soon—giving Tang Yan some closure. Zhuang Qin, are you still planning to leave anytime soon?”

“For now, no. But you’d better hurry. I might just vanish without warning one day.”

“No problem.”

At that moment, Tang Yan was sitting in the backyard with Mo Yao, chatting like old friends—two former rivals turned inseparable sisters.

Meanwhile, Song Xieling strolled through the garden, spotting the two beautiful women. He approached with a smile. “Tang Miss, Mo Miss—just the sight of you two together is like a painting. Did we not host a good enough ball? Or did you both decide to escape our event?”

“It’s not that,” Tang Yan replied gently. Her tone had softened toward Song Xieling—thanks to his earlier interference, which had actually helped her more than she’d admit.

Noticing her change in attitude, Song Xieling sat down beside her. “How about joining me tonight? We could all hang out—invite Li Chuzhe too.”

“Song Xieling, what are you doing getting so close?” Mo Yao reached out and lightly pushed him away.

“Yaoyao,” Tang Yan stopped her with a hand on her arm. She didn’t want any tension between them—after all, they were all her closest friends.

As Song Xieling and Tang Yan chatted easily, Li Chuzhe and the others stepped out from the house and caught sight of the scene.

“Well, well,” Zhuang Qin smirked. “Li Chuzhe, your wife really knows how to charm people. That Song kid’s got serious feelings—he’s practically mooning over you two.”

Her words landed like ice. Li Chuzhe’s expression darkened instantly. Without another word, he walked straight over. “Tang Yan, let’s go home.”

“But Song Mr. just invited us to hang out tonight.”

“No. We’re going home.” His voice was firm. He held out his hand.

Tang Yan had no choice but to comply. “Mr. Song, sorry—we’ll have to reschedule.”

Before she even finished speaking, Li Chuzhe yanked her into his arms. One strong hand wrapped around her slender waist.

He shot a sharp glare at Song Xieling. “When did you two become so cozy? And ‘next time’? What next time?”

“What’s wrong with you? There are people everywhere!” Tang Yan whispered, flustered, trying to pull away.

Mo Yao stood up, smirking triumphantly at Zhuang Qin—as if she’d won some silent game. “Brother, let’s go home too.”

“Alright.” Mo Boyu said goodbye to Zhuang Qin and left with Mo Yao. Zhuang Qin didn’t linger either—she walked off alone.

Tang Yan, meanwhile, was pulled by Li Chuzhe into the car. Once inside, silence fell between them—thick, heavy, awkward.

Tang Yan fidgeted in her seat, clearing her throat. “Li Chuzhe… what’s wrong with you?”

He stared at her with a look of frustration—like he wanted to shake sense into her. Then, slowly, he leaned his head onto her shoulder.

“Tang Yan… do you like Song Xieling?”

“Huh? No! What’s gotten into you today? You’re acting weird.” She sat up straight, frozen in place.

Gently, he lifted her hand—the one he’d been gripping tightly—and studied it with tender eyes. “Sorry… does it still hurt?”

She glanced down at her wrist. At the same moment, he looked up. Their faces were inches apart. They could hear each other’s breaths—clear, steady, intimate.

“Tang Yan…” His fingers brushed against her cheek, drawing closer.

“No.” She startled, pushing him away hard. She scrambled sideways, heart pounding.

Realizing what he’d done, Li Chuzhe swallowed hard. His throat bobbed. His voice came out low, rough. “Sorry.”

She turned her face to the window, refusing to look at him. A small shake of her head—*it’s okay*.

Back at the house, Tang Yan bolted to her room, immediately contacting her organization.

【Morning Sun, the data we retrieved is incomplete. Someone leaked the info.】

【What now? The Song family will be suspicious. Getting back in will be harder than ever.】

【The order is clear: Find a way to win over the Song family’s only grandson. Gain his trust. That’ll make your second infiltration much easier.】

【But I’m already married. This would ruin the Li family’s reputation.】

【Don’t worry. We’ll give you a new identity.】

After ending the call, Tang Yan stared blankly at the wall, wondering if she was about to become the ultimate betrayal.

Li Chuzhe, thinking she was still angry with him, knocked softly on her door. “Tang Yan… I was wrong earlier. Are you still mad?”

“No. I’m just tired. Go to bed.” She couldn’t face him—not now. Not when she was about to betray him.

To Li Chuzhe, though, those words carried a different weight. He sighed, turned away, and walked off.

“Xiao Li,” he said to himself, staring out the window. “Cancel tomorrow’s schedule. Don’t let anyone bother me.”

He stripped off his usual formal clothes and changed into casual wear. Then he sat down at his top-of-the-line computer and logged into a black-themed website: Global Hackers.

As soon as he went online, the hacker world lit up. Headlines exploded across forums: *Nightshade has returned.*

Since that night when Nightshade stole the number one spot on the global ranking list, he’d vanished completely. No one knew who he was. No trace. Just a whisper—gone like wind.

Dozens of invitation messages flooded in—offers to join various hacker groups. Li Chuzhe typed effortlessly on the keyboard. In seconds, every incoming message was blocked.

This time, Nightshade wasn’t here to join anyone. He was here to find out Morning Sun’s real identity.

He found her. Sent a friend request.

At the same moment, Tang Yan’s screen lit up with notifications—hundreds of messages asking her what she thought of Nightshade’s return. She ignored them all.

“Ping.”

A new friend request appeared on Morning Sun’s end. She almost deleted it—then paused. The sender? *Nightshade.*

She frowned. *Challenging me? Perfect. I’m in the mood for a fight.*

She accepted instantly. Then fired off a message: *What? Come to provoke me?*

The reply came fast: *Just wanted to meet the genius behind the name.*

“Genius?” She snorted. “You’re clearly complimenting yourself. Hilarious.”

“If you insist,” came the reply. “I can’t help it.”

On the internet, Li Chuzhe was known as the Prince of Sharp Tongue.