Unexpected Second Chance at Love

Chapter 1041: Scars That Never Heal

Glory continued its unusually lively night.

The deafening music shook the walls, while flashing lights swept across the crowded dance floor. Expensive liquor flowed freely, and laughter mingled with conversations that were never meant to reach the wrong ears.

Not long after Ji Chu Hua had disappeared into the private rooms upstairs, two men entered the nightclub.

Gui Tian Lan and Gui Zhongmin.

The twins were dressed casually. They wore dark shirts and tailored trousers that allowed them to blend in with the patrons.

To hide their face, they put on tapered beards.

Or at least, that had been their intention.

Unfortunately, their handsome appearances made remaining unnoticed rather difficult.

"Brother," Gui Zhongmin muttered as they approached the bar. "I think we’re attracting attention."

Gui Tian Lan glanced toward the women already watching them like they were prey.

"You think?"

His younger twin chuckled.

"Can’t help being handsome."

"Try being less obvious about it."

"That’s impossible."

Gui Tian Lan shook his head.

They settled onto two barstools and ordered drinks.

Their objective was simple.

Gather information about Choi Li Sun.

Glory was notorious for its underworld connections. If Choi Li Sun had recently established himself in Retro, there was a reasonable chance someone here knew something.

And where there was liquor, money, and loose conversation, information often followed.

It didn’t take long for several women to approach them.

"Hello, handsome."

A blonde woman leaned against the counter beside Gui Zhongmin.

"First time at Glory?"

Gui Zhongmin turned toward her with an easy smile.

"Is it that obvious?"

She laughed softly, her fingertips tracing featherlight strokes along his arm.

"Not really. I just don’t remember seeing you before."

Another woman approached Gui Tian Lan.

"Are you two brothers?"

"Twins," Gui Zhongmin answered.

The woman’s eyes brightened.

"Really?"

"How interesting!"

"Are you both single?"

Gui Tian Lan nearly laughed.

His brother, however, seemed delighted by the attention.

"Depends who’s asking."

The women giggled.

Gui Tian Lan quietly sipped his drink.

He allowed the conversation to flow while listening carefully.

Most of what the women discussed was meaningless gossip.

Wealthy customers.

Expensive gifts.

Arguments between regular patrons.

But occasionally, a name or location slipped into their chatter.

Gui Tian Lan paid attention to those details.

After several minutes, Gui Zhongmin identified the woman who appeared most eager to talk.

The blonde.

She had already mentioned several regular customers, two private-room hosts, and a leader in the underworld who had recently caused trouble upstairs.

His brother caught his eye.

A brief glance passed between them.

They understood each other immediately.

Gui Zhongmin slipped an arm around the blonde woman’s shoulders.

"Beautiful."

She looked up at him.

"Yes?"

He leaned closer.

"Why don’t we take this upstairs?"

A blush spread across her cheeks.

"Sure."

She rose onto her toes and whispered into his ear.

"Would you prefer my company alone, or should I invite some of my sisters?"

Gui Zhongmin pretended to consider the question.

"Hmm..."

His gaze drifted toward the women standing nearby.

Then he pointed toward two of them.

"These two will do, too."

The blonde laughed.

"Greedy, aren’t you?"

He smiled.

"Only when the company is good."

The women giggled as the blonde caught his hand.

"Come on, then."

Gui Zhongmin rose from his stool.

As he passed his brother, their eyes met.

No words were exchanged.

They didn’t need any.

Gui Zhongmin would investigate the private rooms.

Gui Tian Lan would remain downstairs and observe the crowd.

The blonde led Gui Zhongmin toward the staircase, the other two women following close behind.

Gui Tian Lan watched them disappear.

Then he turned toward the remaining women.

"Sorry, ladies."

One of them pouted.

"Aren’t you inviting us upstairs too?"

He smiled politely.

"I think I’ll stay here for a while."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite."

The women exchanged disappointed looks.

Eventually, they wandered toward another group of customers.

Gui Tian Lan was finally alone.

He turned his stool toward the dance floor and took another sip of his drink.

His eyes moved slowly across the crowd.

Faces.

Clothing.

Behavior.

He watched the people entering and leaving the private staircase.

A man in a gray suit.

Two women wearing expensive jewelry.

Several muscular guards escorting a drunken customer.

Nothing particularly unusual.

Then—

"Rough night?"

A sweet voice sounded beside him.

Gui Tian Lan turned.

A slender woman had taken the neighboring stool.

She wore a fitted dark dress beneath a light jacket, and brown hair framed her face.

But what caught his attention was the mask covering her features.

Only her eyes and the lower portion of her face were visible.

Gui Tian Lan raised an eyebrow.

"Quite the mysterious one, aren’t you?"

The woman smiled.

She turned toward the bartender and ordered a drink.

Then she rested one elbow against the counter.

"You didn’t answer my question."

Gui Tian Lan leaned sideways, mirroring her posture.

"And you didn’t answer mine."

Her smile widened.

"Fair enough."

He studied her mask.

"Why the mask?"

She tilted her head.

"Does it bother you?"

"Not particularly."

He lifted his glass.

"Just curious."

"Curiosity can be dangerous in a place like this."

Gui Tian Lan chuckled.

"So I’ve heard."

His gaze returned to the mask.

"Are you hiding from someone?"

The bartender slid her drink across the counter.

She accepted it with a quiet word of thanks.

Then she looked at him.

"I prefer that no one sees my face."

"Why?"

She paused.

"A bad accident."

Gui Tian Lan waited.

"It left an ugly scar."

Her fingers brushed the edge of her mask.

"Not something people enjoy looking at."

Gui Tian Lan studied her beneath the shifting nightclub lights.

Her voice was steady.

Her smile remained unchanged.

And although he couldn’t see her entire face, something about her explanation felt rehearsed.

She was lying.

He was certain of it.

But he had no reason to expose her.

Instead, he allowed sympathy to soften his expression.

"Oh."

He nodded.

"It must have been a terrible accident."

The woman shrugged.

"Terrible enough."

She lifted her drink.

"Although I suppose everyone has scars."

Her eyes drifted toward the crowd.

"Mine just happens to be on my face."

Gui Tian Lan didn’t immediately respond. He turned back toward the dance floor.

"I suppose we all do."

The woman smiled faintly.

Neither spoke for several seconds.

To anyone watching, they appeared to be two strangers sharing a casual conversation.

But beneath Gui Tian Lan’s calm expression, something stirred.

Something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

A memory.

A wound.

A scar that had never truly healed.

His fingers tightened slightly around his glass.

Time had passed.

Years, in fact.

Yet some things refused to disappear, no matter how deeply a person tried to bury them.

He lowered his gaze toward the amber liquid.

Everyone has scars.

Perhaps the woman was right.

Some were simply easier to hide than others.

Beside him, the masked woman quietly observed his expression.

Then she smiled.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Gui Tian Lan looked at her.

His familiar easygoing expression returned.

"Not at all."

He lifted his glass.

"Just remembered something."

"Something unpleasant?"

He chuckled softly.

"You could say that."

She studied him for another moment.

Then raised her own glass.

"To old scars, then."

Gui Tian Lan looked at her.

A faint smile touched his lips.

"To old scars."

Their glasses touched.

Neither knew what the other was hiding.

And neither had any intention of revealing it.

Not yet.

Elsewhere in Imperial, Liu Shan stood outside a secluded building.

He checked the address on his phone one last time.

Then looked up.

’So this is where they’re staying now.’

It wasn’t the same place he had located the last time he saw them.

The three men had moved.

And judging by how difficult it had been to trace their new residence, they hadn’t wanted anyone finding them.

Liu Shan slipped his phone into his pocket.

He approached the entrance and made his way inside.

A few minutes later, he stood before their apartment door.

He knocked.

There was movement inside.

Then the door opened.

Kira stood on the other side.

His long black hair was loosely tied back, and a cigarette rested between his fingers.

He stared at Liu Shan.

Then sighed.

"Of course."

Liu Shan raised an eyebrow.

"That’s a strange way to greet someone."

Kira stepped aside.

"Come in."

Liu Shan entered. The moment he crossed the threshold, he felt it.

Tension.

Thick enough to cut with a knife.

Qin Jun stood near the windows.

Song Jing Li leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

Neither looked particularly pleased to see him.

Liu Shan glanced around the place then slowly nodded.

"Not bad."

Kira shut the door.

"What?"

"This place."

Liu Shan examined the furnishings.

"Good location. Decent security. Spacious living room."

He turned toward Kira.

"Thinking of buying it?"

Kira stared at him.

"Are you here to inspect the property?"

Liu Shan smiled faintly.

"Just curious."

He walked toward an empty chair and sat down as though he had been invited over for tea.

Then he looked at the three men.

"What happened to your other place?"

Kira’s expression changed.

He sighed and walked toward the couch.

"Burned to the ground."

Liu Shan’s smile faded.

"Burned?"

Kira sat down.

"Someone found our location."

He spread his hands.

"And set the whole place ablaze."

Liu Shan frowned.

"Someone tried to kill you?"

Kira shrugged.

"That’s one way to describe it."

He lifted both hands and imitated an explosion.

"Boom."

Song Jing Li rolled his eyes.

"Must you do that every time?"

Kira lowered his hands.

"What? It was a very impressive fire."

"It nearly killed us."

"Exactly. Impressive."

Liu Shan stared at him.

Some things never changed.

Kira could make a joke out of almost anything.

Even his own near-death experience.

Qin Jun finally moved away from the window.

He sat in the chair opposite Liu Shan.

"What do you want?"

His voice was calm but there was no warmth in it.

Liu Shan looked at him. He knew better than to waste time exchanging pleasantries.

His expression grew serious.

"I want everything you have on Choi Li Sun."

Silence.

Song Jing Li straightened.

Kira slowly lowered his cigarette.

Qin Jun’s eyes narrowed.

For several seconds, no one spoke.

Then Song Jing Li frowned.

"Why?"

Liu Shan looked at him.

"Because I need it."

Song Jing Li scoffed.

"Last time, you made it very clear that you wanted nothing to do with our investigation."

"I know."

"You said you didn’t want Yue Ling dragged into our business."

"I remember."

"And now you suddenly want everything we’ve found?"

Liu Shan sighed.

"It’s complicated."

Qin Jun folded his arms.

"We can do complicated."

He leaned back in his chair.

His eyes never left Liu Shan.

"But if you want our information, you’ll have to give us something in return."

Liu Shan’s jaw tightened.

"I’m not here to negotiate."

"Neither am I."

Qin Jun’s voice hardened.

"You came to us asking questions. We have every right to know why."

Liu Shan stared at him.

Frustration slowly crept into his expression.

He had expected resistance.

But he hadn’t expected Qin Jun to be this stubborn.

Then again, he should have known better.

Qin Jun had always been like this.

Especially when it came to Lee Shin.

The two men had never shared the same blood.

But that had never mattered.

They had been brothers in every way that counted.

And when Lee Shin died, Qin Jun had lost more than a friend.

He had lost family.

Liu Shan knew that grief had never left him.

He also knew that anything connected to Lee Shin’s death was something Qin Jun would never treat lightly.

Liu Shan exhaled.

Without realizing it, he raised a hand.

His fingers moved to the back of his neck.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Across from him, Qin Jun’s expression changed.

Kira’s eyes flickered.

Song Jing Li slowly uncrossed his arms.

The three men exchanged a glance.

It was a small gesture.

One most people would have overlooked.

But they knew Liu Shan.

They knew his habits.

And they knew that when he rubbed the back of his neck three times, something was seriously wrong.

Something troubling enough to shake his usual composure.

Qin Jun leaned forward.

"Liu Shan."

The assistant looked up.

"What happened?"

Liu Shan’s hand froze. He slowly lowered it.

For a moment, he considered brushing off the question.

But the three men were watching him too closely.

There was no point pretending.

He needed their information.

And they weren’t going to give him anything unless he offered something first.

Liu Shan leaned back then sighed.

"Fine."

Kira extinguished his cigarette.

Song Jing Li moved toward the couch and sat beside him.

Qin Jun remained perfectly still.

Liu Shan looked at each of them.

"Have you heard about what happened to Red Militant?"

Qin Jun’s eyes narrowed.

"The organization in Retro?"

Liu Shan nodded.

"It’s gone."

Kira raised an eyebrow. He had heard rumors while following the leads, but at the time, he hadn’t given them much thought.

Now hearing Liu Shan confirm it, he slightly narrowed his eyes.

"Gone?"

"Completely."

Song Jing Li frowned.

"What do you mean, completely?"

Liu Shan looked at him.

"Their headquarters was destroyed. Their operations were dismantled. All members dead."

Kira let out a low whistle.

"Someone certainly had a busy night."

Qin Jun ignored him.

"Who did it?"

Liu Shan hesitated.

"That’s not important right now."

Qin Jun studied him but he didn’t press.

"Continue."

Liu Shan nodded.

"During the cleanup, one of their men had escaped."

"Who?" Song Jing Li asked.

"Liu Peng."

Kira’s expression shifted in confusion.

"Liu Peng?"

Liu Shan nodded.

"It was assumed he was dead. Turns out there was a mistake."

Qin Jun’s gaze sharpened.

"And?"

"We tracked him through Imperial."

Liu Shan leaned forward.

"He led us to a lounge bar."

Song Jing Li frowned.

"What happened there?"

"He met someone."

"Who?"

Liu Shan looked directly at Qin Jun.

"Choi Li Sun."

Silence fell over the room.

Kira slowly sat upright.

Song Jing Li’s expression darkened.

Qin Jun didn’t move.

But something cold entered his eyes.

Liu Shan continued.

"We recovered surveillance footage from the bar. Liu Peng entered a private room where several men were waiting."

"And Choi Li Sun was one of them?" Qin Jun asked.

"Yes."

"Are you certain?"

Liu Shan nodded.

"We identified him from the footage."

Qin Jun’s jaw tightened.

They had spent every waking moment, day and night, hunting for the man, yet despite their relentless efforts, they hadn’t managed to catch so much as a glimpse of his shadow.

"Where is he now?"

"We don’t know."

Song Jing Li cursed under his breath.

"You lost him?"

Liu Shan gave him a sharp look.

"We weren’t exactly expecting five men to ambush one of ours while Liu Peng escaped through the back."

Kira raised an eyebrow.

"Five?"

"Five."

"And your man survived?"

Liu Shan gave him a dry look.

"He’s fine."

Kira chuckled.

"Impressive."

Qin Jun wasn’t amused. He leaned forward.

"Did Choi Li Sun see your people?"

Liu Shan hesitated then nodded.

"We believe he knew he was being watched."

Qin Jun’s expression grew colder.

"Explain."

Liu Shan thought of the surveillance footage.

The man standing inside the private room.

The deliberate glance toward the camera.

The smirk.

"He looked directly at the surveillance camera."

Song Jing Li frowned.

"So?"

"It didn’t look accidental."

Liu Shan’s voice lowered.

"It was almost as though he wanted someone to see him."

Qin Jun fell silent. His fingers slowly curled against the armrest.

Kira exchanged a glance with Song Jing Li.

Something about that detail clearly troubled all three men.

Liu Shan noticed.

But he said nothing.

There were still things he wasn’t prepared to reveal.

He didn’t mention Ji Jingxu’s kidnapping that led to Red Militant’s destruction.

He didn’t explain what had happened between Yue Ling and Hung Woo.

And most importantly—

He didn’t tell them that Choi Li Sun was now wearing Lee Shin’s face.

Not yet.

That information was too dangerous to reveal without knowing more.

Qin Jun slowly stood.

"Give me a second."

Liu Shan looked up.

"Where are you going?"

Qin Jun didn’t answer.

He turned toward the hallway.

Liu Shan’s patience finally snapped.

"Qin Jun."

The man stopped.

"I gave you an answer."

Qin Jun glanced over his shoulder.

Liu Shan’s expression hardened.

"Now give me mine."

For several seconds, they stared at each other.

Qin Jun’s eyes narrowed.

He opened his mouth—

Beep.

The sudden electronic sound interrupted him.

Everyone froze.

A second beep followed.

Then came the unmistakable click of the front door unlocking.

All four men turned toward the entrance.

The digital lock disengaged.

All four men reached for their weapons.

The handle moved.

Kira and Song Jing Li stepped quietly toward the door.

Slowly, the door swung open.

Liu Shan remained where he was while Qin Jun slowly stood up. However, their hands did not leave their weapons.

Their eyes watched with alertness.

A figure stepped inside.

And the room came to an abrupt halt.