Unexpected Second Chance at Love

Chapter 1032: The Man Who Never Came Home

In another part of the city, far from the glittering towers of the business district, a secluded building stood beneath the winter sky.

Its exterior was unremarkable.

The windows were dark.

The surrounding street was quiet.

To anyone passing by, it appeared to be another private property tucked away from the busier parts of Imperial.

Inside, however, three men occupied a spacious room.

Qin Jun sat on one side of a low table.

Song Jing Li lounged on the couch opposite him.

Kira sat nearby, quietly reviewing something on his phone.

A faint scent of coffee lingered in the air.

The television remained off.

Qin Jun had just ended a phone call.

But instead of placing his phone down immediately, he continued staring at the black screen.

His expression was difficult to read.

His brows were faintly drawn together.

His lips formed a thin line.

Song Jing Li noticed. He leaned forward.

"What did he say?"

Qin Jun didn’t answer immediately.

His thumb rested against the edge of the phone.

"She called Hana."

Then he slowly placed it on the table.

"Min Joon said she’s planning to visit City Z."

Song Jing Li straightened.

"Noona?"

Qin Jun nodded.

Kira lifted his head.

"Did he say why?"

Qin Jun leaned back.

His head tilted toward the ceiling.

For a long moment, he stared at the pale overhead light.

Then he answered.

"She’s getting married."

Song Jing Li blinked. His brows drew together.

"I mean..."

He looked confused.

"We already know that."

He folded his arms.

"It was all over the media. The whole world knows that she is getting married."

Kira nodded.

The announcement of Yue Ling’s upcoming marriage to Lu Tian had hardly been a secret.

The two were among the most recognizable figures in Imperial.

News of their relationship had attracted considerable attention.

Qin Jun slowly turned his head toward the window.

"It seems they’re moving up the wedding."

Song Jing Li stared at him.

Then shrugged.

"So?"

Qin Jun didn’t answer.

Song Jing Li frowned.

"What’s wrong with that?"

He leaned back.

"People change wedding dates all the time."

His eyes narrowed.

"Why do you have such a long face?"

Qin Jun’s jaw tightened.

"I’m fine."

Song Jing Li scoffed.

"You don’t look fine."

Kira quietly studied Qin Jun.

Unlike Song Jing Li, he did not immediately question him.

He noticed the tension in the man’s shoulders.

The way his fingers curled slightly against his knee.

The distant expression in his eyes.

Something about the news had unsettled him.

But Kira chose not to press.

Instead, he turned toward Song Jing Li.

"Didn’t you hate the idea of your noona being with Lu Tian?"

Song Jing Li looked at him.

Kira raised an eyebrow.

"You weren’t exactly subtle about it."

Song Jing Li rolled his eyes.

"I still don’t like it."

"Then why are you acting like it’s perfectly normal?"

"Because it is."

Kira stared.

Song Jing Li shrugged.

"Besides..."

He hesitated then looked away.

"He’s not that bad."

Kira’s eyebrows rose.

Qin Jun finally turned toward him.

Song Jing Li noticed their expressions.

"What?"

Kira slowly lowered his phone.

"Did you just say Lu Tian isn’t that bad?"

Song Jing Li frowned.

"Don’t make it weird."

Kira stared at him.

Then a faint smile appeared.

"Oh?"

"Stop."

"Interesting."

"Kira."

"I never thought I’d hear those words from you."

Song Jing Li clicked his tongue.

"You’re annoying."

Kira chuckled.

But Song Jing Li meant what he said.

He still found Lu Tian intimidating.

The man’s cold expression alone was enough to make most people reconsider approaching him.

And Song Jing Li had never particularly enjoyed the thought of someone like that standing beside Yue Ling.

She was his noona.

Someone he respected.

Someone he wanted to protect.

For a long time, he had believed no man would ever be good enough for her.

Especially not Lu Tian.

But then came the fire.

The chaos.

The smoke.

The terrifying realization that they might not make it out alive.

And Lu Tian had saved them.

He hadn’t hesitated.

Hadn’t stopped to consider whether they liked him.

Hadn’t demanded anything in return.

He had simply acted.

That moment had changed something in Song Jing Li’s opinion of him.

Not entirely.

But enough.

Song Jing Li leaned back against the couch.

"He’s still terrifying."

Kira laughed.

"That sounds more like you."

"But..."

Song Jing Li’s expression softened slightly.

"He really does care about Noona."

Kira’s smile faded into something more thoughtful.

Song Jing Li glanced toward the window.

"And if she’s happy with him..."

He shrugged.

"Then I guess that’s what matters."

Qin Jun listened quietly. His expression remained unreadable.

He wanted to agree.

Part of him did.

He had known Yue Ling long enough to understand how much she had suffered.

He had watched her smile disappear.

Watched her bury herself in responsibilities.

Watched her continue living while carrying grief that never seemed to grow lighter.

If Lu Tian had managed to make her happy again, then Qin Jun should have been relieved.

And he was.

He truly was.

But another emotion sat heavily beneath that relief.

Anger.

Not entirely toward Yue Ling.

Not entirely toward Lu Tian.

Mostly toward the situation itself.

Because while Yue Ling was finally preparing to begin a new life—

Shin’s murderer was still out there.

Free.

Breathing.

Living as though nothing had happened.

Qin Jun’s fingers tightened.

He lowered his gaze.

’How can everyone move forward when we still haven’t found the person responsible?’

The thought came uninvited.

He hated himself for thinking it.

Yue Ling had every right to be happy. She had already suffered enough.

And more importantly—

She didn’t know.

No one had told her the truth.

She had been allowed to believe that Shin’s death was a tragedy she could eventually come to terms with.

That his already weakened heart had simply been unable to withstand the violent impact of the crash.

An unfortunate accident.

A cruel twist of fate that had taken away the man she loved.

But what Yue Ling didn’t know was that the accident had been no accident at all.

Someone had deliberately orchestrated the crash that ultimately claimed Shin’s life.

Someone who had turned an ordinary journey to the wedding venue into a death sentence.

And while Yue Ling had spent three years grieving a tragedy she believed no one could have prevented, the person responsible was still out there.

Unpunished.

Unaccountable.

And somewhere beyond her knowledge, the people who knew the truth were still searching for the one who had stolen Shin’s life.

Qin Jun’s jaw tightened.

How could he blame her for moving forward when she didn’t even know what had truly happened?

He couldn’t.

And yet the bitterness remained.

Song Jing Li noticed his silence.

"Jun?"

Qin Jun blinked.

"Hm?"

"You alright?"

He forced a faint smile.

"Yeah."

Kira studied him.

Qin Jun looked away.

"I’m just tired."

Neither man seemed convinced.

Qin Jun leaned forward.

He reached for the pack of cigarettes resting near the edge of the table.

Then stood.

"I’m stepping outside."

Song Jing Li glanced at the cigarettes.

"Again?"

Qin Jun ignored the comment.

"I need some air."

He walked toward the back door.

Kira watched him leave.

Only after the door closed did Song Jing Li turn toward him.

"What’s wrong with him?"

Kira remained silent for a moment.

Then he looked toward the closed door.

"I don’t know."

But his expression suggested he had his suspicions.

The back door opened with a quiet creak.

Cold winter air immediately rushed inside.

Qin Jun stepped out.

The small courtyard behind the building was deserted.

Snow had gathered along the edges of the pavement, and a few bare trees stood motionless beneath the dark sky.

He closed the door behind him.

For a moment, he simply stood there.

Then he placed a cigarette between his lips.

His lighter clicked.

Once.

The wind extinguished the flame.

He frowned.

Shielding it with one hand, he tried again.

This time, the cigarette caught.

He inhaled deeply.

The smoke burned its way into his lungs.

Then he slowly exhaled.

A pale cloud drifted into the freezing air before disappearing.

Qin Jun lowered his hand. His gaze lifted toward the sky.

Snowflakes fell silently around him.

Some settled against his dark coat.

Others melted against his hair.

He didn’t bother brushing them away.

His thoughts returned to the phone call.

’She’s getting married.’

Park Min Joon had sounded happy when he told him.

Happy that Yue Ling had finally found someone she wanted to spend her life with.

Happy that she was coming back to City Z to visit them.

Happy that she was no longer living entirely in the shadow of the past.

Qin Jun wanted to feel the same uncomplicated joy.

He really did.

But every time he imagined Yue Ling walking down the aisle, another image appeared.

Shin.

Smiling.

Laughing.

Standing beside her.

The future they had once spoken about.

A future that had been stolen before it could begin.

Qin Jun took another drag.

His expression hardened.

Three years.

Three years since Shin died.

Three years of unanswered questions.

Three years of searching.

And the person responsible was still beyond their reach.

He lowered his head.

A bitter laugh escaped him.

"What am I even angry about?"

His voice sounded strangely loud in the empty courtyard.

He knew Yue Ling wasn’t to blame.

He knew she deserved happiness.

He knew Shin would never have wanted her to spend the rest of her life mourning him.

Yet knowing something and accepting it were two very different things.

Qin Jun closed his eyes.

He remembered Shin’s voice.

His laughter.

The way he spoke about Yue Ling.

The unmistakable affection in his expression whenever her name came up.

He remembered the plans they had made.

The things they had wanted to do.

The promises they had believed they had plenty of time to fulfill.

Then everything had ended.

Abruptly.

Cruelly.

Without warning.

Qin Jun’s fingers tightened around the cigarette.

A familiar ache settled in his chest.

There were days when he could almost convince himself that Shin was simply away.

That he would walk through the door one evening with that familiar smile.

That he would complain about something trivial.

That everything would return to normal.

But the door never opened.

And Shin never came home.

Qin Jun slowly tilted his head back.

His eyes followed the snow drifting from the darkness above.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then his lips parted.

"I wish you were still here."

His voice was barely more than a whisper.

The words disappeared into the winter air.

He swallowed.

"If you were..."

He stopped.

What could he possibly say?

If Shin were alive, Yue Ling might never have met Lu Tian the way she had.

Perhaps she would already be married.

Perhaps she would have children.

Perhaps the people who loved them would be celebrating a completely different future.

But those possibilities belonged to a life that no longer existed.

Qin Jun lowered his gaze. His expression crumpled for a fleeting second.

Then he forced it back under control.

"I don’t know what to do anymore, Shin."

The confession came quietly.

He stared at the burning cigarette between his fingers.

"She’s happy."

A pause.

"She’s finally happy."

His throat tightened.

"And I want that for her."

He drew in a shaky breath.

"But every time I think about the bastard who took you away..."

His jaw clenched.

The cigarette trembled slightly between his fingers.

"I can’t let it go."

The wind swept through the courtyard.

Qin Jun looked toward the dark sky again.

"I know you wouldn’t want me blaming her."

His eyes glistened.

"And I’m not."

He swallowed.

"I’m just angry."

A humorless smile touched his lips.

"Angry that you’re gone."

His voice lowered.

"Angry that the world keeps moving without you."

He closed his eyes.

"And angry that I still haven’t found the person who killed you."

Silence answered him.

Only the wind moved through the bare branches.

Qin Jun remained there for a long time.

Eventually, the cigarette burned low.

He dropped it into the outdoor ashtray and watched the last ember disappear.

Then he drew in a deep breath.

His expression slowly hardened.

Yue Ling was going to City Z.

Sooner or later, she would visit Shin’s grave.

She would tell him about her wedding.

About Lu Tian.

About the happiness she had finally found.

And Qin Jun would be happy for her.

He would smile.

He would congratulate her when he saw her again.

He would do everything he could to make sure she enjoyed the future she deserved.

But there was something else he needed to do.

Something he had promised himself when he learned the truth.

His eyes darkened.

’I haven’t forgotten.’

He looked up at the sky one last time.

’And I won’t stop looking.’

Behind him, the warm lights of the building glowed through the windows.

Inside, his brothers were waiting.

Outside, the snow continued falling.

Qin Jun turned toward the door.

But before going inside, he whispered one final sentence into the winter night.

"I won’t let your death remain unanswered, Shin."