Chapter 3 Reunion

Waking in the early morning, Gu Mo Yang sat silently by the bedside, his chest fluttering with an inexplicable mix of anticipation and nervous excitement. The tense feeling of waiting for someone made his whole body flush with heat. In his mind, the desperate gaze of Shen Yan from his past life remained vividly etched - the man who once knelt in a sea of blood, clutching Gu Mo Yang's cold, lifeless body and crying hoarsely. A love so sincere it bordered on madness, yet back then, Gu Mo Yang had been foolish and blind, leaving him to suffer alone in pain while he chased after the cruel shadow of Tạ Khải.

Now, memories surged like a tidal wave, each image sharp and piercingly real. Leaning back against the headboard, fingers clutching the blanket tightly, Gu Mo Yang was both anxious and eager to see that man again. He longed to study once more the usually cold eyes that softened like a summer breeze when they rested on him. He wanted to ask the question left unspoken in the last life: "Did you ever hate me?"

Though outwardly he still lived the luxurious life within his vast mansion, inside Gu Mo Yang's heart, what he craved was no longer extravagance or power. What he needed was strength, thorough preparation, and the chance to make amends to the man who had buried his life in blood for him.

That morning, Gu Mo Yang woke early. After a simple breakfast in the small garden behind the mansion-now filled with rows of tender vegetable sprouts-he donned a long coat and called Shen Yan.

The call was brief, with only a few casual words: "Come with me. It's important. Bring weapons."

The voice on the other end was steady: "Understood. I'll be there in ten minutes."

In just eight minutes, a black off-road vehicle pulled up at the mansion gate. Shen Yan stepped out - tall, broad-shouldered, muscles taut beneath his fitted black shirt. His sharp, angular face, straight high nose, and narrow piercing eyes scanned the surroundings quickly. His formidable aura was impossible to hide.

When the car stopped in front of the mansion, Shen Yan immediately got out and briskly approached the rear door to open it for Gu Mo Yang.

But Gu Mo Yang raised a hand to stop him, a faint smile playing on his lips: "No need, I'll sit up front."

Saying this, he circled to the passenger side and opened the door himself. Shen Yan was momentarily caught off guard but quickly followed. Seeing Gu Mo Yang lean into the car, he instinctively raised his hand to shield the doorway, preventing his head from hitting the frame.

In that instant, Gu Mo Yang's heart skipped a beat. His eyes trembled slightly - warm and flustered all at once. A flood of indescribable feelings washed over him: bitterness, tenderness, and a subtle, lingering sweetness. Shen Yan tried to appear composed, but his hand gripping the door frame tightened, and his gaze softened, a rare gentleness quietly flickering deep within.

Gu Mo Yang looked at him, the corner of his mouth curling slightly. No one could know the storm of memories raging within him at that moment - of the man who once threw himself into a sea of undead without hesitation, carving a bloody path to rescue his frozen body, then single-handedly detonating the base to eradicate the merciless cannibals. That image was forever etched in Gu Mo Yang's heart.