exo Icy Gem

Chapter4

-------Time Divide------

"Hey, Young Master Lu, in such a hurry, where are you going alone?" Lu Ming called out to Lu Han, who hurried past, his tone tinged with a hint of disdain.

"I... I'm going to cook for Shi Xun," Lu Han's voice trembled; he was afraid of Lu Ming.

"Cooking, huh? Has the house run out of servants? Is it your turn to cook?"

"I don't trust the servants with cooking." His voice was too soft and gentle, which stirred jealousy in the already unsettled heart of Lu Ming.

"Ha, is this your way of seducing Wu Shi Xun?" Lu Ming looked at Lu Han with disdain, saying this as he reached out to grab Lu Han's chin. The spacious and luxurious house was steeped in coldness, the air tense.

"It's not like that, Lu Ming, listen to me explain." Lu Han instinctively stepped back, somewhat at a loss.

"Explain what? You have no right to call me. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't bear the Lu surname, and if it weren't for your father, I wouldn't have ended up like this. He said he would treat me the same as his own son, but how did it turn out? Impossible!" Lu Ming shouted at Lu Han and forcefully pinched Lu Han's face. Lu Han was caught off guard and tried to pull Lu Ming's hand down, but it was in vain.

"Lu Ming, is that you?" It was Shi Xun's voice. Lu Ming, as if hearing a command, quickly grabbed the fruit knife from the table and stabbed it towards his own chest. "What are you doing, Lu Ming?" Lu Han snatched the knife from Lu Ming's hand, but it was too late. Lu Ming's blood flowed freely, soaking his chest. He slumped to the ground, while Lu Han held the sharp knife, now dripping with dark blood. Lu Han's eyes widened in shock, wondering how it could have come to this...

Sehun entered and saw everything, “Lu Lu, how are you?” He ran to Lu Ming and held him in his arms. “Sehun, it was him…” The finger pointed at Lu Han. Sehun followed the direction of the finger and looked at Lu Han, who was terrified, his face pale and his hands trembling, not knowing what to say. “Sehun, do you think I did this?” Sehun glared fiercely at Lu Han. “Someone, lock him up. Without my permission, no one is allowed to give him food!” Instantly, three servants rushed in from outside and dragged Lu Han away. “Sehun, it wasn’t me, you have to believe me!” Lu Han struggled, casting a pleading look at Wu Sehun. “If it wasn’t you, are you saying Lu Ming did this to himself by accident?” “It’s not me, Sehun, it really isn’t me.” How could Lu Han explain?

“Sehun, it hurts…” Lu Ming’s groaning voice irritated Sehun. “Enough! Get him out of here now!” Wu Sehun coldly shouted at the servants. “Yes, young master!” The servants dragged Lu Han out… Lu Han’s face was expressionless, he couldn’t even cry, just let these people pull him away. “Sehun, do you know how much my heart hurts? It hurts so much that even breathing feels difficult.”

Thinking of all this, a sly smile appeared on Lu Ming’s face, his lips curling up slightly. “Lu Han, don’t blame me. Who asked you to drag me into your world and disrupt my plans? You’re really annoying. But it’s mainly you, Wu Sehun. Your Wu family drove my father to death, and I will not let you live in peace. I must avenge this grudge! I will show no mercy!” That smiling face quickly turned into one filled with hateful anger, the sinister and cold expression on his face conveyed his feelings vividly…

Dawn broke, and the room was warm. The clock on the wall ticked away cheerfully. The large floor-to-ceiling windows made the heart feel open and bright, and the sunlight shone through the glass onto the person lying in bed. The boy had sleepy eyes, with long eyelashes resting on his eyelids. His small, pointed nose was fair, and his cherry-like lips were tinged with pink but not vulgar. His eyebrows soared from the middle to the sides, with somewhat high arches. His cheekbones were not prominent but just right. His dark hair perfectly framed his pale face, parting at two-thirds of the way up, with a side-swept fringe and a playful lock of hair falling down. The boy was at a rebellious age, too beautiful, as if the sunlight wanted to penetrate him, giving him all its warmth, even illuminating the quilt. Lu Han slowly opened his eyes, which had been asleep for who knows how long, and sat up quietly, feeling a wave of soreness. He hadn’t felt the pain before because he had been numb, but now it seemed serious. Seeing the bandage on his leg, he knew the doctor had been there. It seemed like someone had held him last night, not Wu Sehun’s embrace, but it was warm and comfortable. Whose was it? Lu Han, are you asking yourself? That embrace must have been Huang Zitao’s, the man who would give anything for you.

Lu Han struggled out of bed, limping out of the room. Downstairs, Huang Zitao was cooking. His solid arms chopping vegetables created a harmonious rhythm without any dissonance. Huang Zitao didn’t notice Lu Han coming down from upstairs; his mind was focused on cooking. Lu Han was sick and needed nutritious food to recover. His face had thinned, his body had lightened, and he needed to be taken care of properly. “Don’t add too much salt, you’ve been coughing. Add more meat, you need to gain weight. Cook more soup, otherwise, you won’t be able to eat… Zitao, let me do it.” Huang Zitao turned around to find Lu Han standing beside him.

“Who let you get up? Go back,” he said with concern. “Zitao, let me,” Lu Han said, reaching for the knife in Huang Zitao’s hand. “No, I’ll do it.” “No, I’ll do it.” They argued. “Ouch.” Zitao’s hand was cut. “Zitao, are you okay?” “Ai Xi, I’m fine.” Lu Han, are you concerned about me?

Lu Han looked at Huang Zitao awkwardly. How did he get hurt? See, Lu Han, wherever you go, you only cause trouble. No wonder Wu Sehun doesn’t like you. He watched as Huang Zitao went to the bedroom to rummage through the medicine box. Fortunately, the wound wasn’t deep, and a band-aid was enough. “Lu Han, I really want you to rest. Why won’t you listen?”

“Zitao, I’m sorry, I just…” “Just very sorry, right?” An unreserved guess. Lu Han was taken aback, speechless. Huang Zitao, you’re absolutely right. “Lu Han, you don’t need to be sorry. Whatever I do for you, I do willingly. You just need to accept it,” Huang Zitao said calmly, with reassurance. “Huang Zitao, I can’t accept it with a clear conscience because I…” Lu Han couldn’t bear to continue, he had said it many times before, but Huang Zitao had given too much, and he couldn’t bear to hurt him again. “You don’t need to say it, I know what you’re going to say. It’s okay, we’ll take it slow,” Huang Zitao said, his large hands embracing Lu Han’s shoulders. Huang Zitao, at 1.85 meters tall, bent down to face Lu Han, his peach blossom eyes fixed on Lu Han’s clear pupils. Lu Han felt completely exposed to the air, somewhat unnaturally. Zitao noticed his embarrassment and let go of Lu Han’s shoulders. He turned back to cooking.

Huang Zitao, you’re right, I don’t love you. I only have full apologies for you, including the injury on your hand. Can we really take it slow? No, we can’t. Time will only deepen my apologies to you but cannot change the fact that I don’t love you. Zitao, I’m sorry. Lu Han, besides sorry, what else can you say? Huang Zitao’s cooking is too delicious, and you really can’t afford it.

A colossal office building stands tall in City A, its structure spiraling upwards in a square shape. At first glance, it appears to be a glass tower, layer upon layer, each structure so perfectly aligned, showcasing the high level of skill of the building's architect. At the very top of this building, there is only one office. The office is vast, with dozens of oil paintings hanging on the walls. To the left of the office, there is a bedroom, a bathroom, and even a walk-in closet. A whole wall of floor-to-ceiling windows facing the light makes the mahogany desk gleam. The owner of this office sits in his chair, hands resting on the desk. His suit complements his handsome face, with a sharp and straight nose bridge, a pair of eyes with a slight curve, double eyelids, and a small, charming mouth. A "V"-shaped face frames these features perfectly. His hair is parted in the middle, with the hair on both sides sloping downwards then turning upwards, adding a touch of elegance. This beautiful young man is Wu Shi Xun, the heir to this towering building.

In this empty office, he sits alone. As the heir to the Wu Corporation, others view him with extreme envy, as if he is above all. Yet, he himself feels no sense of honor, only immense pressure. The empire his parents built weighs heavily on him from the moment of his birth, carrying a heavy responsibility and mission, without even the right to choose. To others, he may seem high and mighty, but he speaks of no happiness. Wu Shi Xun wishes he had a brother, either older or younger, to take on this enormous responsibility. But that's just wishful thinking; after all, since his birth, he has been the only child in the family. It's not like his parents can have another child now. These past few days, his mind has been troubled by Lu Han and Lu Ming's situation. How did they get hurt? Sigh, his thoughts gradually drift back to that day...

---

"Lu Han, did you kill Lu Ming's father, your own biological father?" Wu Shi Xun grabbed Lu Han's collar, his face twisted with rage, the sunny disposition nowhere to be seen. In front of Lu Han's father Lu Zhu's tombstone, thunder roared, and rain poured down as if weeping for the deceased. The relentless rain fell on Lu Han, making his already chilled heart feel hollow, numb to any sensation.

"No." Lu Han, with eyes red from crying, truly didn't know what to say at that moment. It was unclear whether his delicate face was wet from rain or tears, his eyes bloodshot and filled with sorrow. His father, who loved him more than anything, had left him, and now no one could give him that kind of love. Lu Han no longer cared about the feelings of those around him.

"No? Then why would Lu Ming say that? You wanted to fight for the inheritance early, so you chose to kill your father. Unfortunately, your father's will left all his assets to Lu Ming. Lu Han, have you played your cards well enough?" Wu Shi Xun's questioning tone pressed Lu Han.

"What do I want with wealth? I only wanted my father, and also..." Lu Han choked up. Shi Xun, do you know I love you? Why don't you believe me? Why?

"And what else? Why aren't you speaking?" Shi Xun was infuriated, feeling that Lu Han was playing the victim.

Lu Han was speechless, his indifferent expression igniting Wu Shi Xun's fury. He raised his fist, but then he saw Lu Han's tearful, large eyes. Lu Han didn't dodge. Wu Shi Xun, do whatever you want to me. If I didn't do it, I won't hide. Those eyes seemed to see right through Wu Shi Xun, forcibly quenching his fiery anger. Helplessly, he pushed Lu Han away.

"Why do you keep looking at me? You like me, don't you?" Wu Shi Xun's tone was slow and icy. Lu Han was thrown to the ground by Wu Shi Xun, slowly standing up without a word. Do I have to happily tell you that I like you at this time?

"If that's the case, from today on, you'll move in with me. Don't bother Lu Ming anymore. Under my watch, I'll see just how much you can hurt Lu Ming!" Wu Shi Xun's provocative tone was etched into Lu Han's mind, stinging every nerve. Shi Xun, I can finally see you every day. It's just a pity that your heart only has room for Lu Ming. For Lu Ming, you would even let me live with you. Even so, it's still good. Lu Han's eyes fixed on Wu Shi Xun until he turned and disappeared into the rain...

---Time Divider---

Wu Shi Xun sits alone in his office, the air freely flowing under the sunlight. Lu Han, did you hurt Lu Ming just because you love me? What does this mean? Who would believe it if they heard it? Now you say run, and you've run away. I must...