Chapter 72: Leaving Oneself a Way Out
Li Yaru blocked Lu Jingyu’s path, her eyes filled with urgency and resolve.
He could tell that she wouldn’t let him leave until she had said her piece.
And whatever she wanted to say was clearly of immense importance, at least to her.
Lu Jingyu finally reacted to her behavior and words, shifting his body to meet her gaze directly.
"You have three minutes. If you have something to say, say it quickly!"
Seeing Lu Jingyu relent, Li Yaru visibly relaxed with a sigh of relief.
"Let’s go somewhere else to talk! There are too many people here, too many prying eyes."
"That’s not necessary. We can talk here. No one will deliberately eavesdrop, and if you were truly worried about prying eyes, you shouldn’t have stopped me here in the first place."
He had only reluctantly agreed to listen; Lu Jingyu wasn’t about to give her an inch so she could take a mile.
Li Yaru hesitated, looking like she was about to clam up again.
Lu Jingyu immediately turned to leave, and Li Yaru panicked.
"Don’t go! We’ll talk here!" She knew very well that this would be her last chance. If she didn’t seize it, she might never get another one.
Lu Jingyu once again adjusted his stance, waiting to see what on earth Li Yaru had to say.
Before speaking, Li Yaru carefully glanced around. Seeing that the passing members were all hurrying on their way, giving them at most a single glance, she finally lowered her voice.
"Captain, someone is plotting for your position. They want to pull you down from your post as captain, and they’ve even thought of getting rid of you."
Lu Jingyu’s eyes narrowed slightly, but that was it. No other expression crossed his face.
Seeing Lu Jingyu’s plain reaction, Li Yaru grew anxious again.
"I’m not lying! This is information I overheard. They must have been planning this for a long time, and they’ve even involved many others. You’re very powerful, but even the strongest man can’t fend off a hundred hands. You have to be careful."
Lu Jingyu’s expression remained impassive, because what Li Yaru was telling him was hardly a secret.
Not to mention the past, but ever since he joined the Heiyu Alliance and rose to his current position, it was inevitable that some people would have him in their sights.
He had long been prepared for this sort of thing, always on guard against those with ill intentions.
Besides, recent events had already made it obvious. Whether it was Li Yaru, Shen Ling’an, or Xu Ruming, someone was clearly working against him.
He even already knew what Shen Ling’an and Xu Ruming were plotting, and he had already started investigating them.
The information Li Yaru was revealing meant little to him.
However, he was starting to get curious. Why was Li Yaru revealing this to him? Wasn’t she afraid of bringing trouble upon herself if those people found out?
"Since you were able to learn this information, it proves you have some connection to this matter or the people involved. Aren’t you afraid of putting yourself in danger by telling me this now?"
Li Yaru looked at Lu Jingyu with a burning gaze and said seriously, "I am afraid. But I’m even more afraid of seeing you fall victim to them."
Lu Jingyu’s expression was placid, as if he hadn’t heard a word she said.
Li Yaru looked embarrassed, but after composing herself, she continued, "You should know my situation in the Li Family. My very existence is meant to be a check on you, but I know you’ll never give me the chance."
"The day you’re really gone, my reason for existing will disappear. After that, the Li Family will treat me as worthless. That’s why I have to find a patron to protect me."
"I can continue to gather intelligence on those people for you, to find out their plans. I only hope that when the time comes, you can give me a way out."
Her words finally had some substance. Lu Jingyu pondered for a moment before giving a slight nod.
Having reached his position, he naturally had some trusted subordinates. He would, of course, investigate anyone who was suddenly thrust upon him.
He had some understanding of Li Yaru’s situation, more or less.
He knew very well that certain family matters were dictated by too many people, leaving an individual with little power to make their own decisions.
Therefore, he could understand Li Yaru’s predicament.
Now that Li Yaru had laid her cards on the table, he didn’t mind having a spy to feed him information.
After all, those people were hiding very deep. So deep that after all this time, he still hadn’t identified who Shen Ling’an and Xu Ruming were involved with.
"I can give you a way out, but just saying this isn’t enough, is it? Shouldn’t you show me your sincerity? For example, who are these people?"
Li Yaru’s brow furrowed, and she shook her head slightly. "I will show you my sincerity. It’s just... I truly don’t know who those people are right now."
"After you expelled me from the Alliance last time, I was called back to the Li Family. After being reprimanded, I was kicked out. As I was leaving, I suddenly decided to go back for something, and that’s when I accidentally overheard them plotting outside the main hall."
"And you didn’t recognize their voices?"
Li Yaru shook her head helplessly. "I didn’t dare to peek, for fear of being discovered. And the voice... it sounded like it had been disguised. I couldn’t tell who it was."
Seeing a disdainful look on Lu Jingyu’s face, Li Yaru quickly added, "Although I couldn’t figure out who it was this time, I’ll pay more attention in the future. And I’ll secretly try to get information out of Li Gengnian. Just give me a little time, and I’ll definitely find out who those people are."
Li Yaru was truly getting desperate. She spoke without even thinking to lower her volume, only dropping her voice again after feeling eyes turn their way.
Looking at her state, Lu Jingyu finally nodded.
"Then I’ll give you some time. As long as you can provide me with useful information, I will definitely give you an escape route when that day comes."
"But you’ve stopped me and said so much in plain sight. Aren’t you afraid they’ll become suspicious of you?"
Li Yaru’s expression was grim. "Of course I’m afraid. But you didn’t give me a chance to speak with you in private, so I had no choice but to take this risk."
"If they do notice something, I’ll find an excuse to brush it off. But whether I succeed... that will depend on my fate."
Lu Jingyu gave a cold smile. "Well said. But let me give you a warning: once you’ve grabbed onto a rope, don’t let go. Don’t play with fire and get burned, cutting off your own escape route."
With that, Lu Jingyu left, leaving Li Yaru standing frozen in place, a look of terror on her face.
Having dealt with Li Yaru, Lu Jingyu hurried to the infirmary. He wasn’t sure how Tian Teng was doing, and he also wanted to know what Tian Teng and Lü Jia had experienced after being separated from the team.
When he reached the infirmary, Lu Jingyu saw another familiar figure, and the corners of his mouth turned up involuntarily at the sight.