Where Jin confronted his past with Jinhai, there were Jun and Ai on the other side, who embarked on a similar meeting with Cai Lingyun to learn the truth about Guiying's past.
They arrived at a shabby apartment, which after seeing that Ai couldn't help but question, "Cai Lingyun lives here?"
"That's what the report says."
"In this apartment…" Ai muttered.
Until a few months ago, Cai Lingyun worked in a well-to-do job with a well-to-do salary crediting each month in his account. But after the events in Shanghai, especially the one where he attacked Jun which got Jin hurt instead, there was no going back for him.
Jun and Nian personally ensured that Cai Lingyun's life would be miserable. He was fired from his job, and there was absolutely no chance of him landing another job or earning even a penny.
The turn of events for Cai Lingyun was too tragic but one which he deserved.
Jun knocked - no - banged on the door, not caring if he disturbed Cai Lingyun or not. He held Ai's arm and pulled her behind him. "If he dares to jump at you, I will kill him. Better not let his filthy blood fall upon you."
"..."
The door opened after a long time when a drunk Cai Lingyun faced them. Ai immediately covered her nose, unable to bear the smell. Her eyes slightly widened watching his state from head to toe.
It was pretty much visible how the lack of job and money had hit him hard. He could barely stand on his feet.
"Fuck off!" He exclaimed because of Jun's incessant banging. "I will kill you! Get lost!"
Jun smiled. "You will kill me? That's some nice imagination."
His brows strongly knitted together and he looked up. His vision was blurry, but he felt he had heard the voice before. He blinked his eyelids a few more times. After much struggling to fight the intoxication, he finally caught a hint of two people standing in front of him.
But his gaze was locked onto the woman behind Jun, and his eyes ever so slowly widened. His lips parted in disbelief upon seeing Ai.
"Ai…" he whispered in a hushed voice.
He trembled, and the liquor bottle fell from his hand. With Ai in front of him, it felt like nothing more than a dream to him. Joy erupted in his heart.
"Ai! Y-you…you finally came to see me…"
Ai didn't respond to that.
"I knew you would come to see me, Ai! I was waiting for you. I am your Bro Lingyun. I knew you would…"
He tried to reach out his arm which was brutally stopped in its way as Jun gripped and threatened to crush his wrist.
"Mind where your hand goes, otherwise it will be a tragic ending for you, Cai Lingyun."
Cai Lingyun shook off his arm, throwing a murderous glare at Jun as he finally recognized him too. "Liu Jun! How dare you…how dare you show your face here!?"
His clenched teeth gritted hard in his jaw, remembering how he snatched Ai away from him. His fingers twitched with an urge to strangle him to death. Suddenly, his body craved violence.
Ai was right before him, but Jun stood in his way yet again. The bitterness of his current jobless state also rang in his ears, further inciting him for revenge.
"Liu Jun! I will fucking kill you!" He roared.
At this moment, all the injustice he suffered at his hands welled in his heart and he balled his fist, carrying the weight of all his hatred for the man named Liu Jun. His fist flew to punch Jun on his face, but Jun simply snorted.
"Such a simpleton."
With such deep hatred in his eyes, Jun could effortlessly gauge Cai Lingyun's intentions and moves. He caught his incoming fist in his palm. The momentum of his punch stopped abruptly.
Cai Lingyun's nostrils flared, and he further felt even more agitated. But before he could do anything else, Jun knocked him out with a sharp jab to his chest, forcing him backwards. He choked hard with the impact and fell on the floor. Due to his partially intoxicated state, he couldn't control his balance either.
Ai pursed her lips. "Don't hit him too hard. We need answers from him."
Jun's dark brown looked stormy akin to harsh weather. "He was trying to touch you."
"You stopped him, didn't you?"
"I want to kill him."
"How will we interrogate him then if he is dead?" She calmly questioned him back. "Unless you know of a method to question a ghost.
He glared at her, muttering curses for Cai Lingyun under his breath.
They stepped inside, shutting the door behind them. Jun ruthlessly kicked Cai Lingyun on his knee and coldly shot an order. "Get up before I forcibly make you kneel and trust me, that will be more painful than this."
Cai Lingyun somehow got up in a half-kneeling position with the support of a chair. His face turned red and livid with fury.
"Liu Jun…I won't forgive you…I won't ever forgive you! You bastard! I-I…"
He glanced at Ai, unable to make his next words come out of his lips.
Jun sneered. "See? You are such a coward that you still cannot admit your feelings for Ai though I would like to burn those filthy feelings into ashes. You are nothing but a coward who cannot face his own feelings but still expect things to go your way. But I am not here to chit chat with you about your life's philosophy."
Jun kneeled to his level, making Cai Lingyun suddenly jolt in fear.
What was it? His aura? His expression? Or his eyes that forced him to behave?
Cai Lingyun wasn't sure but right now, Jun seemed to be a different person altogether as if he belonged to a world that ruled darkness.
"I have some questions, and you will answer those with all truthfulness. I am saying this for your own sake."
Cai Lingyun felt humiliated to be threatened by the man who ruined his life.
"Tell me about your sister."
He blinked.
Guiying?
"You are her brother, so you must know. Does Cai Guiying suffers from any mental condition? Something like an alter ego inside her."
With that question, Cai Lingyun froze.