Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 562: This Is Your World

The media exploded, figuratively and quite literally.

Less than an hour after Liang Yuanjun’s brief interview in the airport, countless articles popped up one after another as various media outlets clamored to deliver the news. The national channels were thrown into a huge frenzy. Liang Yuanjun’s seemingly casual words revealed a lot of hidden meanings, but the most important one was: XIU was back!

After an absence of seven long years, XIU, who used to be the core of the fearsome mafia group Xuanlong, had appeared again and this time, his appearance had even been captured on camera!

It had to be noted how mysterious XIU was. Even in the past, the police couldn’t unearth any concrete information about him before he vanished without a trace. But now, his face was plastered all across the media landscape and to top it off, it was revealed that he shared some kind of association with the current omega prime minister!

"Prime Minister Liang, Prime Minister Liang! The one you’re talking about, is it really XIU of Xuanlong?!"

"Prime Minister Liang, how did you come to know XIU?"

"What type of relationship do you have with each other?"

"Have you maintained contact with him over the past seven years?"

"Has XIU always been in Myanmar all along?"

"Prime Minister Liang!"

On the screen, Liang Yuanjun made her way through the throng of frenzied reporters, surrounded by her vigilant bodyguards. She remained indifferent toward the barrage of questions hurled at her, only showing a faint obscure smile that explained nothing. The group proceeded toward the VIP passage, and just as the reporters thought that they would not obtain anything more, Liang Yuanjun abruptly halted on her tracks and turned around.

The crowd fell into hushed silence as they hung on her every word, their only backdrop being the persistent clicks of cameras punctuating the air.

"He is indeed XIU," Liang Yuanjun confirmed, sending the cameras into more of a frenzy. "However, he is not XIU of Xuanlong. Please don’t forget that fact, and I would appreciate it if you no longer associate him with Xuanlong in the future. From now on, he is simply XIU."

With that declaration, Liang Yuanjun turned on her heels and walked through the double doors, leaving behind the sight of her unwavering and resolute posture.

***

Inside the car, He Juan let out a faint groan as he shifted his gaze toward the instigator of the chaos, who wore a satisfied smile on her face as she replayed the interview recording on her phone. "Why did you say that, Miss Liang? Isn’t it chaotic enough already?"

"Apologies," Liang Yuanjun said without looking guilty at all. "I hadn’t planned to say anything at first, but I couldn’t help myself when I kept hearing them mention ’XIU of Xuanlong’. It’s starting to get on my nerves. From now on, your name will no longer be mentioned together with Xuanlong. Isn’t it good?"

The inconspicuous car glided smoothly along the road and merged with the flow of traffic. He Juan leaned against the seat and pinched his brows. Now he couldn’t even tell if his lingering headache was due to the flight or the willful omega beside him. "I don’t care what they say about me." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Stop saying that," Liang Yuanjun clicked her tongue lightly. "This is the exact reason why the police and your enemies could take advantage of the situation seven years ago to throw all the blame on you. If only you had explained yourself a little, I’m sure the outcome of the news would have taken a totally different turn altogether."

He Juan let out a helpless laugh, torn between laughter and tears. "What’s the use of explaining myself when everyone will believe what they want? I am a mafioso, not a celebrity. I don’t need validation from the public."

A light snicker sounded from Huang Zhiyan who sat in the front passenger seat as he handed his phone to He Juan. "Correction," he quipped in a teasing tone. "You don’t even need to explain yourself, Boss. Just showing your face is more than enough."

"What?" Confused, He Juan accepted the phone and saw that the page was currently open to the comments section of the trending news. The top comment instantly seized his attention, leaving him dumbfounded.

[Holy shit, that’s XIU?! All this time I thought he was a bald old man with a beer belly, but he turns out to be a... daddy? DADDY?? *bark* *bark*]

The first comment had garnered over three thousand likes and the count still rose rapidly as He Juan continued to stare. With trepidation, he began to scroll further and found more and more comments with a similar tone.

[Oh my God, he looks so young. Is he really the XIU who wreaked havoc on our country when I’m still a snotty brat?!]

[Asking for a friend, does anyone know his contact information? Does he have a social media account?]

[AHHH, SO HANDSOME!! I CAN TELL AT A GLANCE THAT HE’S A SUPERIOR ALPHA!]

[Upstairs commenter, you’re spot on. There’s just something about Superior Alphas that makes them stand out from the crowd, you know. I’m a hundred percent certain that he’s one.]

[Um, is he married? *blush* Is he interested in a twenty-year-old omega?]

[That face! That sharp jaw!! That body!!!]

[He looks so good even from the side! Ah, what are the cameramen doing there?! Why didn’t they take more shots?!! *bite handkerchief*]

[Let me lick the screen for a while *slurp* *slurp*]

[Is it only me or do you guys also see that scar on his forehead?]

[Damn, I never knew that a man could look so sexy with long hair]

[Please ignore me. I think he looks so similar to my former teacher! My Teacher He is also very handsome!!]

[Now I’m really curious. What kind of relationship does he have with Prime Minister Liang? Could they be... *bombastic side eye*]

[Upstairs commenter, please get your logic straight! There’s like... twenty years of age gap between them. Moreover, Prime Minister Liang said that they are only partners! PARTNERS! *flip table*]

[Will he make another appearance? Please, I need more photos of him – for research purposes, of course!]

[How old is he? In his thirties? Does it mean he was still in his twenties when he became a wanted criminal?]

[Ahhh, what’s with that domineering aura? I’m so weak! I think I will faint if he smiles at me! *dies*]

[Everyone, I’ve written 5000 words of XIU/reader e-rated fanfiction. If you’re interested, please go to this link...]

"What the hell is this...?" He Juan asked with a dumbfounded look, earning him a gleeful cackle from Huang Zhiyan.

"Boss, haven’t you heard? Morally gray characters are extremely popular nowadays! Youngsters prefer villains over heroes now, so you’re completely safe for the time being!"

"Ah," Liang Yuanjun exclaimed with a thoughtful look. "It seems like I’ve heard of something like that before. Does it have something to do with how villains can burn the whole world down just to save you, while heroes will sacrifice you for the world?"

"Right, right! Prime Minister Liang, you’re more resourceful than I thought!"

What?

"What?" He Juan asked out loud, sounding utterly lost.

What the hell were they talking about? Why would people be obsessing over his looks when he had just entered the camera for a split second? Had he been out for so long that he could no longer keep up with the current trends?

More importantly, had everyone forgotten that he was a criminal?

"Don’t put on such a look," Liang Yuanjun told him with a mirthful smile. "To be honest, I didn’t see this coming either. Who would have thought that your face would be so in line with the public aesthetics? Besides, haven’t we discussed this beforehand? This way, your enemies will know that you’re back, and you will be able to proceed with your plans."

That’s right, the main part of the reason why he ended up agreeing to such a ludicrous idea was because he wanted to use the media to warn Ku Jin that he had returned, and he would start hunting the man down. However, it wasn’t until he witnessed the exploding popularity of the news that he realized one important thing he had overlooked before.

If Ku Jin could see him, then didn’t it mean... Mu Yuze could do it as well?!

He Juan resisted the urge to groan. There goes his plans to stay under the radar and never announce his presence. If Mu Yuze were to see him on the news, he would realize that the Gege who had so heartlessly abandoned him seven years ago had returned. Goodness, what should He Juan do now?!

"Boss, are you okay?" Huang Zhiyan’s glee morphed into concern upon seeing the troubled look on He Juan’s face. "Are you still feeling uncomfortable? Should we stop by the hospital?"

"No, there’s no need." He Juan replied with a sigh. "I was just thinking about something."

Half an hour later, the car departed from the highway, revealing a completely transformed city before He Juan’s eyes. He did not even realize that he had straightened his back or how his eyes were glued to the window, too enamored by the unfolding spectacle.

An array of skyscrapers he did not remember seeing rose into the sky, and most of the old buildings had undergone extensive renovations. The car came to a gradual stop at a red traffic light, and an astonished sound escaped He Juan’s throat as he took in the streets bustling with people.

"Do you see that, XIU?" Liang Yuanjun asked softly.

He Juan managed a jerky nod. Perhaps she was right when she said that he did not know anything, because right now He Juan had that feeling of surrealism again as though he had been transported into a dream.

As far as his memory stretched, people had always chosen to keep to their own houses for the sake of personal safety. They wouldn’t have come out unless absolutely necessary and the streets would become utterly desolate once the sun descended into the horizon.

Yet what he was seeing right now was a completely different scene.

It was so... lively, joyous and boisterous. Smiles and laughter were ever present on their faces. And it was not only Alphas or Betas, but Omegas were also strolling around happily. Some still wore patches, while others were adorned with stylish and beautiful collars to cover their glands. On the billboard displayed a poster of an omega supermodel, who boldly bared the column of his unblemished neck covered in a newest model collar, his eyes sultry and enchanting.

Everyone coexisted harmoniously without discriminating against secondary genders, and Omegas were no longer suppressed by any malicious prejudice.

In the back of He Juan’s mind, memories of the dark and grimy warehouses flashed like fast-forwarded movies. The huge steel cages, the pungent odor of sweat, bitter pheromones, blood and excrement, the eyes brimming with fear, the frail trembling figures attempting to shrink themselves as small as possible...

But now, those bleak and depressing images were gradually overshadowed by the peaceful scenery before him.

So carefree, so beautiful.

They emitted dazzling light that made his eyes burn.

"Look," Liang Yuanjun added with a nostalgic smile. "This is the world you risked your life to see, XIU. This is your world."