Vol. 1 - Ch. 152 - Hunter or Hunted?

The students genuinely felt that the HuMing before them now was completely different from the "Han HuMing" they once knew.Whether it was his manner of doing things or his habits, everything about him had changed.

During the afternoon PE class, HuMing shocked everyone by single-handedly crushing every boy in their class at basketball. To think, the previous HuMing didn't even know how to dribble!

Meanwhile, Kang Xin had yet to interact with HuMing at all, which further solidified Han YunXi's suspicions.

Still, the situation left everyone feeling a little uneasy.

Han YunXi was desperate to find out where the real "Han HuMing" had gone.

---

After school, HuMing packed up his belongings and prepared to head home.

However, as soon as he stepped out of the school gates, he saw Han LiTian standing by his car, smoking. The man's expression was filled with melancholy, a clear sign that the results from this morning had already come in.

Before his return, HuMing had already contacted Liang Feng. During this period, Liang Feng absorbed much of the remaining resources left behind by Lee Tian and used them to reestablish himself in the city.

Although his current standing couldn't compare to the Han family, his business was developing well, and he had gained a notable reputation within the city.

However, HuMing had no intention of meddling in the company's affairs. He only needed to focus on his own matters.

Slipping his backpack on, he headed in the direction of home.

---

After school, Han YunXi spotted her father waiting at the school gates. She hurried over to question him.

"Dad, is he Han HuMing?"

Hearing the urgency in his daughter's voice, Han LiTian wanted nothing more than to give her the answer she hoped for. But he couldn't do that. He dropped his cigarette to the ground, extinguished it, and then said,

"YunXi, he isn't Han HuMing."

"How can he not be my brother? They look exactly the same!"

"YunXi, the results confirm he really isn't your brother. And think about it---if he were, why would he hide his identity? What could his purpose possibly be?"

Han LiTian's words left Han YunXi frozen in place.

She couldn't bring herself to imagine what this all meant.

Her energy suddenly drained, she looked utterly deflated, as though someone had hollowed her out.

She climbed into the backseat of the car, her eyes fixed on the fading silhouette in the distance.

---

Even though Han LiTian had given the answer, Han ShuYi still couldn't believe it.

He clearly remembered the moment he fell off the cliff, the smile HuMing had flashed at him. Sёarᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

That smile had haunted him for a long time, keeping him awake at night.

He opened his desk drawer, intending to call someone, but when he dialed, he discovered the number was no longer in service.

It dawned on him that the other party had severed all ties with him.

This meant he would have to personally investigate whether or not that boy was really HuMing.

Han LiTian had forbidden them from telling Zhou WenLi about the matter, fearing that she might overreact.

He didn't want to see history repeat itself.

Likewise, Han ShuYi didn't want to tell his mother, especially after seeing how much she had been missing HuMing lately. He couldn't shake the feeling that HuMing was about to take over the place he held in her heart.

Clenching his fists, his face was filled with unwillingness.

"HuMing, even in death, you manage to cause me trouble..."

---

In a nondescript little diner, two figures sat in a corner eating noodles.

Liang Feng, dressed casually in a T-shirt and shorts with flip-flops on his feet, was a far cry from the polished, professional image he presented at work.

Across from him, HuMing was adding chilli to his bowl.

"Doesn't eating like that hurt your stomach?"

"Life's better spicy. Want some?" HuMing passed the chili to Liang Feng, who took it and set it aside.

"Can't handle spicy food. Back when I worked for Lee Tian, my schedule and diet were uncontrolled. Over time, I developed stomach problems. Thinking back, I really can't believe I made it out alive."

Liang Feng couldn't help but sigh.

If it weren't for the young man in front of him, he might still be living a life worse than death under Lee Tian's thumb.

But he was curious---after less than a year, HuMing had returned. Was he not afraid of being recognized?

"So... why did you choose to come back at this particular time? It doesn't seem like the best timing."

HuMing swallowed his mouthful of noodles before replying,

"There's no such thing as the right or wrong time. As long as everything is arranged properly, I could've returned long ago. It's just that some things delayed me earlier, so I ended up coming back later."

"Was it because of that old man?"

"Hm? You've investigated that far already? But I bet you didn't get anything out of the neighbors, did you?" HuMing chuckled, and Liang Feng couldn't help but nod.

He was curious, though---how had HuMing managed to pull this off?

"Well, it's probably because Old Man Hu was well-liked. We didn't have many neighbors, and before I left, I notified them in advance. I told them that if anyone came asking about me, they were probably people after Old Man Hu's assets."

"That kind of story won't hold forever," Liang Feng said skeptically, feeling that HuMing's approach was a bit too reckless.

If HuMing truly wanted to conceal his identity, he should have devised a better plan.

But HuMing shook his head, placing his chopsticks back into the bowl.

"Honestly, I don't care whether my identity is exposed or not. I just need enough time to figure out one thing. That's all."

"To figure out one thing?"

"I want to know who has been targeting me in the shadows. You know I'm neither from the Han family nor the Zhao couple's child. So, what is my real identity? I don't know, but clearly, someone else does."

"So that's the real reason you came back---to find out who you truly are!"

Liang Feng finally understood, but he was still worried about HuMing.

Seeing the concern in Liang Feng's eyes, HuMing immediately guessed what he was thinking.

He retrieved two glass bottles of soy milk from the fridge, placed them on the table, and opened them with a bottle opener.

"That person has been secretly helping Han ShuYi. And Han ShuYi despises me to the core, which is why he keeps making trouble for me. But you know the saying---'no pain, no gain.' If I don't show myself, I'll never find out who I really am."

"So your plan is to push Han ShuYi to the brink, forcing him to reveal the person behind him. That way, you'll have a chance to find the culprit. Is that it?"

"Wrong. I'm not pushing Han ShuYi to the brink. He's pushing himself there."

HuMing shrugged, looking slightly resigned.

He's not a saint. If Han ShuYi hadn't caused him so much trouble, he wouldn't have gone after him.

As a hunter, you always have to be prepared to become the prey."