Chapter 1059: The Burden We Share
Chapter 1059: The Burden We Share
While Yue Ling and Lu Tian slept peacefully in the Han Mansion, thousands of miles away, Imperial remained restless beneath the winter night.
The city glittered beneath a dark sky, its streets illuminated by countless lights. Beyond the crowded districts and towering skyscrapers, the quieter residential neighborhoods had long since settled into silence.
But inside Liu Shan’s bungalow, sleep was the last thing on anyone’s mind.
The living room had been transformed into a makeshift investigation center again.
Documents were scattered across the coffee table. Photographs, surveillance stills, and handwritten notes lay among several open folders.
Two laptops displayed different sets of information, while an enlarged map of Imperial occupied a nearby screen.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
No one had much to say.
Liu Shan sat before his laptop, his expression grave as he watched surveillance footage from Glory nightclub.
On the screen, several familiar figures moved through the dimly lit establishment.
Choi Li Sun.
Ji Chu Hua.
And two individuals whose involvement had raised more questions than answers.
One was the man Gui Tian Lan had spent years searching for.
The other was a mysterious woman who concealed her face behind a mask.
Liu Shan leaned back in his chair and rubbed his tired eyes.
When he first learned that Gui Zhongmin had clashed with Choi Li Sun and that Gui Tian Lan had unexpectedly encountered the man responsible for his girlfriend’s death, he had immediately contacted Yuanyuan.
As the younger sister of Glory’s mysterious owner, she had been his first choice for obtaining access to the nightclub’s surveillance recordings.
He had briefly explained the situation.
However, Yuanyuan had informed him that she could not authorize the release of the footage herself.
He would have to speak directly with her older brother.
Liu Shan had done exactly that.
The conversation had been surprisingly brief.
He had offered only enough information to explain why the recordings were necessary. But the moment he mentioned Yue Ling, the man’s attitude changed.
He agreed without hesitation.
There were no demands for further explanations.
No questions about what Yue Ling was involved in.
Instead, the man had said something Liu Shan would not soon forget.
"If Yue Ling is in danger, tell me. I’ll do everything in my power to help her."
There had been a brief pause before he continued.
"That girl is like a little sister to me. Whatever trouble she’s facing, she doesn’t have to face it alone."
Liu Shan had thanked him sincerely.
It was reassuring to know that, despite the enemies surrounding their boss, there were still people who cared deeply enough about her. People who would offer their help without expecting anything in return.
Now, however, as he studied the footage, that reassurance did little to ease his growing uneasiness.
He paused the recording.
His gaze shifted toward Gui Tian Lan.
The tailor had been pacing the living room for nearly half an hour.
His expression was dark, his jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles along his cheeks occasionally twitched.
His hands repeatedly curled into fists before relaxing again.
Liu Shan watched him in silence.
He could only imagine what was going through the man’s mind.
Years ago, Gui Tian Lan had lost the woman he loved.
At the time, her death had been ruled a suicide.
For a long while, he had lived with the unbearable belief that she had taken her own life.
Then came the devastating discovery that her death had been deliberately staged.
She had been murdered.
The grief he had struggled to endure had turned into anger, guilt, and a desperate need for answers.
For years, he had searched for the person responsible.
Every lead had eventually gone cold.
Every promising discovery had ended in disappointment.
And just when he had begun to believe that the man had vanished completely, fate had placed the killer directly in his path.
Only for him to escape again.
Liu Shan exhaled heavily.
He rose from his chair and approached the tailor.
"Tian Lan."
Gui Tian Lan stopped pacing.
Liu Shan placed both hands on his shoulders.
"We’re going to get him."
The tailor looked at him.
Liu Shan’s expression was stern.
"We’ll find Liu Peng, Choi Li Sun, and that bastard."
His grip tightened slightly.
"You have my word."
For several seconds, Gui Tian Lan said nothing.
Then his gaze lowered.
"I should have taken your offer back then."
Liu Shan’s expression softened.
He knew exactly what the man meant.
When he first learned about Gui Tian Lan’s past, he had offered to help investigate the murder.
But the tailor had declined.
At the time, Gui Tian Lan had believed it was a burden he needed to carry himself.
Neither of them had imagined the search would continue for so many years.
Liu Shan sighed.
"You couldn’t have known it would turn out this way."
Gui Tian Lan shook his head.
"I should have accepted your help."
"Tian Lan—"
"No."
He lifted his head.
His eyes were filled with anger, guilt, and regret.
"If I had taken your offer, maybe we would’ve found him sooner."
He gestured toward the documents scattered across the table.
"Maybe my problem would’ve been dealt with before any of this happened."
His arm dropped to his side.
Both hands tightened into fists.
"But now..."
His voice grew strained.
"Now my problem has become part of everything else we’re dealing with."
He hated that his troubles were now troubles for others, especially the ones who accepted him.
Liu Shan understood why he felt that way.
After gaining access to Glory’s surveillance system, they had discovered a shocking truth. The man Gui Tian Lan fought was associated with Choi Li Sun.
Not only that but the masked woman was connected to him as well.
Both were seen leaving the same private room occupied by Choi Li Sun and Ji Chu Hua.
What had initially appeared to be separate investigations had begun converging around the same people.
But Liu Shan refused to let Gui Tian Lan shoulder the blame.
"You’re wrong."
The firmness in his voice made the tailor look at him.
"Even if we weren’t searching for Liu Peng or Choi Li Sun, your problem would still be ours."
He glanced toward the others.
"Just like everyone else in this room."
Gui Tian Lan’s expression shifted.
Liu Shan continued.
"You don’t have to earn our help by making your problems convenient for us. We’re family. That means your fight is our fight."
A moment later, Lin Hui pushed himself away from the wall.
He approached the two men and placed a hand on Gui Tian Lan’s shoulder.
"You’re not alone in this."
Gui Tian Lan turned toward him.
Lin Hui met his gaze.
"You never were."
Before the tailor could respond, Gui Zhongmin walked forward.
His eyes were already glistening.
"Brother..."
Gui Tian Lan looked at his younger twin.
Gui Zhongmin swallowed hard.
"I never gave up looking because you never gave up."
His voice trembled.
"I know how much she meant to you. I know how much you’ve suffered."
He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his older brother.
"And I know nothing we do can bring her back."
Gui Tian Lan’s expression tightened.
"But we can still get justice for her."
Gui Zhongmin held him more firmly.
"So don’t ever think you’re dragging us into something that doesn’t concern us."
For a moment, Gui Tian Lan remained motionless.
Then he slowly raised his arms and returned his brother’s embrace.
Around them, the others began speaking.
Qi Li and Tang Zhonghui assured him that they would continue searching.
Lian Ni Shang reminded him that they had never abandoned one of their own.
Ju Suo firmly declared that the killer would not escape again.
Even Shan Sinan, who rarely wasted words, gave him a solemn nod.
Then Xu Long stepped forward.
"I know I haven’t known all of you for very long."
Everyone turned toward him.
He looked around the room.
"But you welcomed me without hesitation."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"And whether you like it or not, I’ve already started considering you family."
He folded his arms.
"Which means your problems are mine too."
Qi Li adjusted his rimless glasses.
"You welcomed yourself."
Silence.
Then Gui Zhongmin snorted.
Xu Long turned toward him.
"What?"
Qi Li calmly continued.
"No one actually invited you. You just kept showing up."
Xu Long stared at him.
"Wow."
Lin Hui’s lips twitched.
"He’s not wrong."
Xu Long placed a hand against his chest.
"Here I am, pouring my heart out, and this is how you treat me?"
A few chuckles broke through the heavy atmosphere.
Even Gui Tian Lan couldn’t suppress a faint smile.
He looked at the people surrounding him.
For years, he had carried the weight of his girlfriend’s death, believing that bringing her killer to justice was a responsibility that belonged to him alone.
But perhaps he had forgotten something important.
He had never truly been alone.
Gui Tian Lan drew a deep breath.
Then he looked directly at Liu Shan.
"He’s mine."
The faint smile disappeared from his face.
His eyes turned dangerously cold.
"When we find him, no one gets to interfere with what I do to him."
Liu Shan studied him.
He could see the determination beneath the anger.
After a long moment, he nodded.
"His fate is yours to decide."
Gui Tian Lan’s jaw tightened.
"But first," Liu Shan continued, turning toward the table, "we need to find them."
Lin Hui followed his gaze toward the scattered documents.
Something suddenly occurred to him.
"Ji Chu Hua."
Everyone looked at him.
He walked toward Liu Shan’s laptop.
"She’s a prominent figure in Imperial. A member of the Ji family, someone who’s spent years maintaining a respectable public image."
He gestured toward the paused footage.
"Despite being two-faced, she’s probably the last person most people would suspect of having connections to someone like Choi Li Sun."
Liu Shan nodded slowly.
Ji Chu Hua had always presented herself as an elegant young woman from a distinguished family.
She attended charity events, social gatherings, and business functions.
To outsiders, she appeared refined and privileged.
The sort of woman who would look down upon anyone associated with the underworld.
Yet the surveillance footage told a different story.
She had been seen entering and leaving the same private room as Choi Li Sun.
And her involvement with him could no longer be dismissed as a coincidence.
Tang Zhonghui frowned.
"Then what about the masked woman?"
He leaned forward.
"Where does she fit into all this?"
Silence settled over the room.
No one had an answer.
The footage showed the woman meeting Choi Li Sun outside Glory.
They had exchanged a few words before going their separate ways.
There was no obvious confrontation.
No indication of what had been discussed.
And nothing that explained her role in his affairs.
Liu Shan stared at the screen.
Then his gaze shifted toward several folders lying near the corner of the table.
The ones he and Xu Long had brought back after meeting Qin Jun, Song Jing Li, and Kira.
His expression darkened.
"We need to go through that information again."
Everyone followed his gaze.
The atmosphere changed almost immediately.
Those folders contained far more than ordinary intelligence.
They held the truth behind a death that had devastated someone they all cared about.
Lee Shin.
For years, Yue Ling had believed that the man she once loved had died in a tragic car accident.
But the information Qin Jun and the others had gathered revealed something far more sinister.
The accident had not been the true cause of his death.
Lee Shin had been murdered.
Silenced because he had uncovered information that threatened Choi Li Sun.
The discovery had left everyone shaken.
Liu Shan and Xu Long didn’t need to explain much after the others read the reports.
The evidence had spoken for itself.
And perhaps the cruelest part was knowing that Yue Ling remained unaware.
She still believed the man she had loved for ten years had died because of a terrible accident.
She had mourned him.
Visited his grave.
And carried the pain of losing him for three years.
All while the man responsible continued moving through the shadows.
Lian Ni Shang approached the table.
"We’ll need to keep an eye on Ji Chu Hua."
She glanced at the others.
"Boss has agreed to take the position of Ji Corps chairwoman. There’s no doubt Ji Chu Hua is planning something."
Her expression hardened.
"She’s already desperate. Even going so far as to orchestrate Ji Jingxu’s kidnapping. And now that we know she’s connected to Choi Li Sun, we can’t afford to underestimate her. She’s helping Choi Li Sun for a reason."
Ju Suo stepped forward.
"We won’t let her touch Boss."
Her voice was calm.
But the determination in her eyes was unmistakable.
Xu Long glanced at her.
Despite her petite figure, Ju Suo carried herself with the confidence of someone who had never backed away from a fight.
A faint chill ran down his spine.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of Jiangyu.
The man was practically a giant compared to her.
Yet Xu Long had the distinct impression that Ju Suo could make him obey with a single look.
’That poor man.’
Xu Long silently shook his head.
Then he turned toward Liu Shan.
"What about Qin Jun, Song Jing Li, and Kira?"
Liu Shan looked up.
"Should we work with them?"
For a moment, Liu Shan said nothing.
He considered the risks.
Qin Jun and the others had been investigating Choi Li Sun long before Liu Shan became involved.
They possessed information his team did not.
And now that their investigations were converging, refusing to cooperate would only make matters more difficult.
Finally, he nodded.
"We don’t have much of a choice."
He looked around the room.
"They’re after the same man we are."
Lin Hui folded his arms.
"But?"
Liu Shan’s eyes narrowed.
"But we need to be discreet."
He tapped the folders.
"Keep contact with them to a minimum. No unnecessary meetings. No careless communications."
Qi Li nodded.
"If Choi Li Sun discovers we’re exchanging information, he’ll know how much we’ve uncovered."
"And he’ll disappear," Liu Shan finished.
Everyone understood.
Qin Jun and the others had remained hidden for a reason.
Whatever they were planning, they had taken great care to avoid attracting attention.
A single mistake could destroy years of work.
Xu Long glanced toward the folders.
Then he looked at Liu Shan.
"What about your boss?"
The room fell quiet.
"Are you going to tell her?"
Every pair of eyes turned toward Liu Shan.
He remained silent.
His thoughts returned to the conversation he had with Qin Jun before leaving the men’s hideout.
Qin Jun had asked him to hold off on telling Yue Ling the truth about Lee Shin’s death.
At the time, Liu Shan had understood his reasoning.
But understanding did not make the decision any easier.
He closed his eyes.
A shaky breath escaped his lips.
Their boss deserved to know.
More than anyone, she deserved the truth.
Yet he could not stop thinking about the happiness he had recently seen in her eyes.
Her wedding was only days away.
Grandfather Ji’s declining health had already placed an enormous emotional burden on her.
And now, just when she had begun looking forward to something beautiful, they had uncovered a secret capable of reopening one of the deepest wounds of her life.
Liu Shan opened his eyes.
"We’ll keep investigating."
His voice was quiet.
"After her wedding, I’ll tell her everything."
No one spoke.
Xu Long released a heavy sigh.
He understood the decision.
But that did not mean he agreed with keeping everything from their superiors.
Especially when Choi Li Sun had deliberately altered his appearance to resemble Lee Shin.
A man Yue Ling had once loved.
A man she still mourned.
The implications were too disturbing to ignore.
Xu Long looked around the room.
"I understand why you’re trying to protect your boss."
Liu Shan turned toward him.
"But I’m not going to keep this from mine."
The firmness in his voice drew everyone’s attention.
"Lu Tian is my boss. I’m his assistant and subordinate. I work directly under him."
He met Liu Shan’s gaze.
"I’ve never deliberately withheld important information from him, and I don’t intend to start now."
Then he shrugged.
"Besides, I’d prefer to keep my head attached to my body."
Lin Hui folded his arms.
"When do you plan to tell him?"
"When he gets back."
Xu Long’s gaze shifted toward the laptop and the documents scattered across the table.
His expression grew serious.
"He should at least know what kind of storm is coming."
Liu Shan studied him for a moment.
Then he nodded.
He would not ask Xu Long to betray his loyalty to Lu Tian.
Not when he understood that loyalty better than anyone.
But as Liu Shan looked down at the photograph of Lee Shin lying among the documents, a terrible thought crossed his mind.
They were all trying to protect Yue Ling.
Yet every decision they made seemed to carry the risk of hurting her.
He slowly closed the folder.
And for the first time that night, he wondered whether keeping the truth from her was truly protecting her—or merely delaying the pain that would inevitably come.