"Haha! I buried more than just these."
After the first wave of explosions, even Lu Lutong beside Lu Ludu was severely injured, and many others were hit by flying debris.
This indiscriminate blast was like a lottery—no one knew who would be hurt next.
At this moment, the Lu family estate was in complete chaos. The explosions were bad enough, but the fires were even worse.
No one knew how Lu Ludu had planted all these explosives and incendiary devices.
Lu Ludu raised the remote control in his hand.
"Whoosh—"
Just as he was about to press the button, a cold glint cut through the air with a sharp whistle.
"Ah—!"
The dagger struck Lu Ludu’s hand with perfect accuracy, and the remote clattered to the ground.At the same time, the police officer tackled Lu Ludu, wheelchair and all, pinning him down without hesitation.
Lu Lutong, his leg blown apart, lay on the ground staring in disbelief at his youngest brother, the one he’d been closest to.
"You lunatic! You absolute madman! We all betrayed the old man just to make you the family head, and now you want us all to die together?"
At the same moment, a younger member of the Lu family knelt beside a lifeless body, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I’ll kill him! He murdered my mother!"
Pinned to the ground, Lu Ludu grinned at Lu Lutong’s furious expression. "Hahaha, did you really think I didn’t know? You just wanted to control me after I took power. You and Lu Youqi are the same kind of people."
Lu Lutong froze. He’d never actually thought that way. While he coveted the position of family head, he’d been content with securing more benefits for his own branch.
He had genuinely supported Lu Ludu’s rise—and genuinely believed they were close.
Watching the scene unfold, Lin Ran couldn’t help but sigh. That had been too close.
This was the nearest he’d come to death since his "rebirth."
Too close.
As the dust slowly settled, Luo Yao tenderly brushed her fingers along Lin Ran’s face, wiping away the blood and dirt before tasting it on her tongue.
A little salty.
It was a familiar taste.
"Ran, does it hurt?"
Lin Ran shook his head. "No. Protecting you makes me happy."
Luo Yao’s eyes weren’t just sparkling now—they were filled with pure adoration, as if she wanted to tear his clothes off right then and there.
"Ran, I want to…"
Pfft—!
Lin Ran nearly choked. Here they were, surrounded by danger and enemies, and she was still thinking about that?
"I want to go home with you."
Oh. Home. Right. Maybe he’d misunderstood.
"Okay, let’s go."
Luo Yao nodded and had someone contact Uncle Fu.
Then she glanced down at Lu Youqi, who was curled up on the floor, miraculously unharmed.
Her eyes narrowed.
If Lin Ran was hurt, why did this old man get to walk away unscathed?
Liu Meng handed the dagger back to Luo Yao—the same one she’d thrown earlier. Without her quick action, many more lives might have been lost.
Even the police officers looked at her with gratitude and admiration.
Luo Yao took the blade, its surface still clean and unblemished, and fixed Lu Youqi with an icy stare.
"Lu Youqi, remember my words."
Lu Youqi was truly shaken. He’d never imagined his own son could be so deranged.
"I understand. Thank you, President Luo."
Luo Yao glanced at the busy officers and armed personnel, then paused.
"Come to the Luo Corporation branch tomorrow at noon."
"Yes." Lu Youqi didn’t dare refuse.
Only then did Luo Yao turn back to Lin Ran.
"Liu Meng, handle the rest. Ran and I are leaving."
"Huh? Oh—right."
At this point, who would lead the Lu family, who would be arrested, who would die—none of it mattered anymore.
As Luo Yao and Lin Ran walked out, neither the Lu family nor the authorities made a move to stop them.
This was no longer the Luo Yao the world had seen on variety shows.
The moment she stepped out of the Lu estate, everyone understood just how terrifying she truly was.
Outside, the fires raged on—the entire Lu estate was ablaze, all thanks to Lu Ludu.
"What a beautiful sea of flames. Quite the welcoming ceremony he prepared for us."
Luo Yao admired the view as if the screams within the inferno meant nothing to her.
Lin Ran was stunned by the sight.
"That Lu Ludu was ruthless. If he couldn’t have it, he wanted to destroy it all. If the second explosion hadn’t been stopped, we’d really have been in trouble."
Luo Yao fell silent for a moment. "It’s my fault. I didn’t investigate thoroughly enough—"
"Shh. Not your fault. You did everything you could."
Lin Ran had never blamed Luo Yao for danger. His stance remained the same:
If Luo Yao lived, he’d stay by her side.
If Luo Yao died, he’d follow her.
Fire engines wailed as one after another arrived. Uncle Fu’s car trailed behind one of them.
"Young Miss, thank goodness you’re safe."
Uncle Fu had been terrified when he got the news. If anything had happened to Luo Yao, the global business landscape would have shifted overnight.
Most saw her as just a businesswoman, but few knew the truth—when she spoke, the world’s economy trembled.
Even world leaders hesitated before crossing her.
That was why they’d orchestrated the bidding war, hoping to pressure her through the three great families.
But no one expected things to escalate this far—now, even the authorities were struggling to control the fallout.
As Luo Yao and Lin Ran got into the car, Chen Qingtian came running after them.
"Wait for me! Wait!"
The car drove off without him, leaving Chen Qingtian gaping.
"Swallow—er, I mean, sister-in-law! Don’t leave me behind! Sister-in-law, wait!"
Sister-in-law, take me with you!
On the way out of the Lu estate, Lin Ran watched the devastation and heard the cries of the wounded. For the first time, he felt a pang of sorrow.
He wasn’t a saint, but Lu Ludu’s kamikaze tactics had shaken him.
Never underestimate the destructive power of a man with nothing left to lose.
"The most dangerous people in this world are those with no way out. How did he even plant all those bombs without anyone noticing?"
Even Luo Yao was baffled. Were the Lu family members blind?
"Ran, why did you protect me earlier?"
"You’re my wife. Who else would I protect? You’re the only one left in my world."
Lin Ran wasn’t lying.
His so-called relatives? Nonexistent. As for the Chen family—he acknowledged them, but that didn’t mean he cared.