Chapter 24: If You're Okay, Then Everything's Fine

Nightfall slipped into the car, shedding his soaked clothes with a quiet sigh. Li Chuzhe leaned back against the rear seat, damp strands of hair clinging to his forehead—sexually charged, almost dangerous in his exhaustion.

He ran the pad of his thumb over his lips. “Not bad.”

Both had vanished for a while. Li Chuzhe had plummeted from high altitude straight into the sea—impact so brutal it shattered his spine and bruised his internal organs beyond measure.

Tang Yan, by contrast, bore lighter wounds. He’d returned to the villa first. Days without seeing Li Chuzhe didn’t faze him. After all, work often kept him out late—long stretches when they hadn’t seen each other at all.

“Mr. Li,” the doctor stood beside the hospital bed, voice heavy with concern, “you’re lucky you were wearing that ultra-pressure-resistant suit. With injuries like these, your life might not have made it.”

Li Chuzhe nodded once, then rose to change into dry clothes. “Mm-hmm.”

“The medication’s already been delivered to your home. For heaven’s sake, don’t get hurt again anytime soon.”

After the doctor’s lecture, Li Chuzhe asked Xiao Li to drive him home.

“Miss Tang,” the butler announced formally outside the door, “Master has returned.”

For days, Tang Yan had been locked in his room, buried in tasks, checking Nightfall’s status online every few minutes. It was no secret: since that mission, Nightfall had gone silent—completely off the grid.

“Alright, got it.” Tang Yan replied absently, already slipping back into his world.

As soon as Li Chuzhe stepped into the mansion, he scanned the foyer. “Where’s the lady?”

“Sir,” the butler said, head slightly lowered, tone sharp and formal—nothing like the deference he showed Tang Yan. “Madam is in her room. Seems busy with work.”

“Xiao Li has the medicine. Go get it.” Li Chuzhe gave the order, then turned toward the stairs.

At Tang Yan’s door, he tapped lightly. “Honey, can I come in?”

No answer. Only hurried footsteps inside. Then the door flew open.

“Li Chuzhe. Last time, I was tied up with something important—I let it slide. But if you keep pushing, I *will* lose my temper.”

Seeing Tang Yan bouncing around like nothing happened, Li Chuzhe smiled gently. “Okay, Miss Tang.”

“What do you want?” Tang Yan relaxed slightly, arms crossed over his chest.

"Just came to check on you. What are you doing?"

Li Chuzhe’s eyes caught the faint glow of the screen—though he couldn’t make out the interface, the light was unmistakable.

“My work. Stop bothering me. Go away."

Tang Yan shoved him toward the hallway. Li Chuzhe just smiled warmly, then obeyed, stepping back without protest.

But as he turned to leave, he suddenly grabbed Tang Yan’s wrist. In one swift motion, he leaned down and pressed his lips softly to Tang Yan’s forehead.

“Take care of yourself, Miss Tang. Don’t overwork.”

Before Tang Yan could react, Li Chuzhe was already gone.

“Damn it,” Tang Yan muttered—not at Li Chuzhe, but at himself.

Knowing Tang Yan was still logged into the hacker network, Li Chuzhe returned to his study. He fired up his computer and connected to the site instantly.

Tang Yan saw Nightfall go online within seconds. His face lit up. He typed fast:

> **Nightfall:** Thanks again for last time. How are you feeling?

Li Chuzhe sat back, equal parts happy and jealous.

> **Nightfall:** Much better. You?

> **Nightfall:** Just minor scrapes. Oh—about the mission… (Morning Sun)

> **Morning Sun:** We failed, right? Didn’t get the bomb out. Still, call it a draw.

> **Morning Sun:** A draw? But you saved me. If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead.

> **Nightfall:** So you’re saying you lost to me?

> **Morning Sun:** Not a bad thing.

Li Chuzhe chuckled, fingers brushing his lips with a teasing smirk. His eyes gleamed—predatory, hungry.

“Good. I *did* say before—if I win, you owe me one condition.”

> **Morning Sun:** As long as it’s within reason, I’ll agree.

“From now on, whenever I call you during a mission, you show up. No excuses.”

Tang Yan frowned. Hackers thrived in shadows. Why did this guy insist on dragging him into the light?

“That depends on my schedule.”

“I’ll pick only your free times. Trust me.”

Once they settled the terms, Li Chuzhe exhaled in relief. Then his phone rang.

“Xiao Li. What is it?”

“Boss, Sanya wants to see you. She said… she asked if your heart was still okay. I don’t understand. Have you been feeling unwell lately?”

The worry in Xiao Li’s voice was clear.

Li Chuzhe narrowed his eyes. “I’ll go see her. Come pick me up.”

“Sir.” Xiao Li hesitated, then swallowed the rest.

After that incident, the Sa family had been jailed for crimes. But Sanya hadn’t taken part—she’d been released. Li Chuzhe feared what she might do, so he’d placed her in a secluded villa, isolated and monitored.

Now, Sanya sat in a garden pavilion, sipping coffee leisurely. She looked up as Li Chuzhe arrived—and gave him a slow, knowing smile.

“Mr. Li. Please, sit.”

Her pose was too theatrical, too calculated. Disgusting.

Li Chuzhe sat stiffly. “Spit it out. What do you want?”

Sanya smiled again, then glanced pointedly at Xiao Li behind him.

“Mr. Li… this is between us. There’s no need for an outsider.”

“Cut the crap. Out.” Li Chuzhe snapped, impatient even in the presence of such beauty.

Sanya’s expression darkened. “You really should think carefully, Mr. Li.”

Their stares locked—both stubborn, both unwavering. Xiao Li stepped forward.

“Sir, I’ll wait outside.”

Li Chuzhe glanced at him, gave a barely perceptible nod. Then turned icy eyes on Sanya.

“Now?”

Sanya lifted her cup, took a slow sip.

“Mr. Li, you remain so calm in front of a woman. That’s… astonishing.” Her tone dipped, then sharpened. “You’ve felt intense chest pain recently, haven’t you?”