Chapter 133

Zhou Yu had barely laid down on the bed when Nianyu kicked him right off.

"What are you kicking me for?" Zhou Yu asked.

"Go sleep in someone else's room tonight," Nianyu replied. "You reek of alcohol."

Feeling quite dejected, Zhou Yu gathered his clothes and pants, then trudged over to Xiao Jie’s room. To his surprise, he found that Xiao Jie had already slipped away to Nianyu’s room, leaving him alone in the empty space. Zhou Yu was puzzled; they had drank together before, and nothing like this had ever happened. Why were they suddenly avoiding him?

...

The next morning, Nianyu dragged Zhou Yu out of bed. Downstairs, the three women sat opposite him, watching him with grim, serious expressions.

"Explain yourself," Nianyu demanded. "What do you mean by 'staying at the base lately'?"

"I have people to save," Zhou Yu replied. "I need to expand the base."

"That doesn't justify not coming home at night," Nianyu countered.

Zhou Yu felt a pang of confusion. How had Nianyu suddenly become so sharp? Seeing his silence, she pressed on, "What exactly are you doing? Can you really not tell us?"

"It’s not the right time yet," Zhou Yu said.

"Then when?" Nianyu asked, her voice tinged with unhappiness. "When exactly is this 'right time' you keep talking about?"

"When you have all mastered your martial arts," Zhou Yu answered.

"By then, you'll be gone," Nianyu retorted.

Zhou Yu had no answer, because she was right.

"Have we grown this distant during the time we were apart?" Nianyu continued.

"No," Zhou Yu replied.

"Then tell me!" she cried out. "What are you actually doing? Why is it that the version of you I used to know would tell me everything, while the person standing before me now feels like a stranger? I don't understand you anymore."

Nianyu was sobbing as she shouted these words, her heartbreak evident. Watching her cry, Zhou Yu whispered, "It’s not that we’ve grown distant. I just didn't want you to worry."

Nianyu rushed over, grabbed him by the collar, and screamed, "You didn't want me to worry? You keeping everything from me is exactly what makes me worry the most! I don't care about your past, and I don't care how many women are around you—I only care if I still have a place in your heart."

Zhou Yu pulled her into an embrace. "Alright, don't cry. Sit down, and I’ll tell you everything. Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll answer."

Nianyu pushed him away, wiped her tears, and said, "Then tell us: what exactly did you go through in the past?"

Zhou Yu sat her down on the sofa and took a seat beside her. "You remember how I told you I was always bullied as a kid?" he began. "After middle school, I spent my time just drifting aimlessly."

"Actually, it wasn't just drifting. I did anything that would make money or bring fame. I harassed residents to force them out of their homes, fought for others, pimped, and guarded venues. But eventually, I wasn't satisfied anymore, and I started having mental health issues—what you would call schizophrenia."

"Then, by chance, I came across an assassination mission. That was how I entered that world, and that was the first time I killed someone. I succeeded, but I was also severely wounded."

"Later, perhaps due to sheer luck, I encountered a few masters of traditional martial arts. I learned from them in secret and looked up combat techniques online to practice on my own. Eventually, I realized that I could choose to be a good person, so I started taking on missions selectively. That was when I began to think about developing a team, which eventually led to the creation of the Asura Squad."