221. Ending Chapter: We Will Be Alright

Bai YiHan sighed. “Because in my heart, I already have JingYuan. In this lifetime, I am determined on him and him alone. No matter what happens, be it in life or in death, that will not change. It’s not just you. It’s impossible for me to be with anyone but him. That’s why I say you should just give up.”

Qi MingYang reached out to smooth YiHan’s hair back. “No, no, no. YiHan, time will change everything. I believe faith will move mountains.”

“Think what you want,” YiHan said, turning his head away. “Just stay away from me.”

Surprisingly, MingYang actually retracted his hand and shuffled back to his original spot. “You’re sick,” MingYang said, still smiling. “You’ve gone through so much today and you’re even hurt. Does your body ache? I really don’t want to do anything while you’re sick, if possible. However, this will be the only time I’ll do this. Sleep. You will not suffer any pain in the future.”

Glancing down at the shackles, YiHan let out a cold chuckle and remained silent.

“I’m sorry,” MingYang apologised. “I know you don’t feel well but I can’t take them off yet. I don’t want to lock you up either. I will absolutely let you go when you agree to stay.”

“I’m afraid I’ll be wearing it forever then,” YiHan said, closing his eyes.

Holding back the urge to smooth out YiHan’s hair once more, MingYang whispered, “You won’t. Everything will get better. Sleep.”

In truth, YiHan didn’t feel well at all. He was already so sick in the first place that his head was heavy and he felt light on his feet. Now that his head was injured, it throbbed and spun. It was unbearable. Since he couldn’t escape anyway, he decided to just rest with his eyes closed. He now knew his grandfather was fine and the Qin brothers were still alive. All tension melted away and he soon fell asleep.

Seeing YiHan asleep, MingYang let out a soft chuckle and tucked him in. “I look forward to our future. YiHan, we’ll be alright.”

***

Some time later, YiHan was wakened up. Opening his eyes, he found his hands free of the shackles but tied together in a soft rope. His legs were unbound as well. MingYang helped him sit up before kneeling to slip shoes onto YiHan’s feet.

“I’m sorry, YiHan, for waking you up,” said MingYang. “There’s been a slight mishap. You can sleep in a few minutes, okay?”

It was chaos outside. YiHan could hear people running up and down, chattering and shouting. YiHan’s heart skipped.

“Has JingYuan found us?” YiHan asked.

MingYang froze. His face was unpleasant as he stood up to help YiHan to his feet. Even so, the way he spoke was still soft and warm.

“Yes,” said MingYang. “He truly cares a lot for you. He’s found us so quickly.”

“Since he’s here, it means you’re done for,” said YiHan. “Where are you going to take me to now?”

“He’s here, so I’ll give him this boat.” MingYang pulled YiHan out of the room. “We’ll leave in a raft.”

Still sick, YiHan couldn’t muster up any strength to struggle away. All he could do was be led along by MingYang. “I’m afraid it’s useless,” said YiHan. “You can’t run.”

“Only by running away can we know if escape is possible,” responded MingYang.

Once they were out on the deck, MingYang half-carried and half-dragged YiHan to the end of the boat where Li Guang was waiting by a lifeboat with a suitcase.

“Mr Qi, hurry!” Li Guang called out upon seeing them.

MingYang wanted to get YiHan into the boat first but how could YiHan be willing to do so after knowing JingYuan was nearby? YiHan pretended to cooperate and board the raft, but began to fight back as soon as he lifted his leg to take a step forward. With a hard push from his rope-bound arms, MingYang, who was focused on YiHan’s feet, was pushed to the ground. YiHan turned, thinking to run, but Li Guang panicked and swung his leg at YiHan. With a loud bang, YiHan crashed to the ground. Letting out a soft grown, he tried to get back to his feet but was instantly pinned back to the ground by a knee on his back.

“What are you doing?” MingYang roared, tearing Li Guang off YiHan’s back. “Who allowed you to kick him?”

“Mr Qi, he’s not cooperating and there’s not much time,” Li Guang responded, alarmed. “The people up ahead can’t hold on for long. We have to hurry up.”

Pursing his lips, MingYang lifted YiHan up to his feet and tried to get him to board the raft but YiHan adamantly refused to do so.

“Mr Qi, just knock him out.” Li Guang was panicking.

MingYang glanced at YiHan who glared back at him. His hands clenched into fists but he didn’t lash out in the end. Instead, he decided to just lift YiHan up and carry him to the lifeboat, ignoring the younger man’s kicks and wriggling. Li Guang swiftly followed them to the raft, but before he could move the raft away from the boat, their way out was blocked.

“Mr Qi,” said a languid voice, “where are you taking my friend?”

All blood fled MingYang’s face. Li Guang also went pale. YiHan was the only man happy to hear the voice.

“Qin Feng!” YiHan joyfully cried out.

With a grunt in response, Qin Feng slowly walked towards them. His eyes always appeared asleep but, in this very moment, they were wide open in a sharp, spine-chilling gaze.

MingYang pulled YiHan closer into his embrace and gradually stepped out of the raft. Suddenly, he pushed YiHan up onto the deck.

It was clear which side was winning from the sight on the deck. MingYang’s men were mostly subdued. JingYuan had been searching the boat and was walking out on the deck with nothing to show from his search. When he saw MingYang and YiHan, he was like an enraged lion. He strode towards the two men. His dark eyes looked like swirling black holes, trying to consume everything around it through its gaze.

MingYang looked around. They were surrounded by roughly forty boats. Loud rumbles echoed through the air as helicopters closed in. All his men had been subdued. Restrained by Qin Feng, Li Guang was slowly ascending the stairs. He didn’t know if Li Guang was still alive. The man’s head drooped low. MingYang knew that it’d be hard to escape now. He forced the uncooperative YiHan closer into his arms and retreated to the edge of the boat.

When YiHan saw JingYuan, he started struggling harder. “Mu-Mu, I’m here!” he shouted as loudly as he could, but he had been tormented by his illness and he had just been kicked. He didn’t have much strength left in him. That one shout was soon swept away by the salty sea winds.

JingYuan’s gaze darkened when he saw the bandage on YiHan’s forehead. “HanHan, don’t be scared.”

“You move fast, Mr Mu,” MingYang said.

“It’s all thanks to Qin Feng’s help,” JingYuan said, face stormy. “I wouldn’t have been so fast otherwise. Since I’m here, everything’s done. Let go of YiHan and I’ll let you live.”

“Live?” MingYang laughed. “Live in prison?”

Qin Feng threw Li Guang to the ground and let out a wicked laugh. “It’s good enough that you can live. Don’t be so picky.”

The boats around them were drawing closer. Yan Hui, Yan Yan, Bai FuRen, Bai Yan, Chen TianYang and Bai XueQing; they could be seen standing at the head of the boats. It was clear they wished they could jump over already.

MingYang glanced at the distant faces before looking back to JingYuan. “It’s all or nothing. One’s life is filled with countless bets. I’ve lost, so I’ll die. That’s what’s fair. You don’t need to let me live.”

JingYuan’s pupils shrank. “Return YiHan and I won’t do anything to the Qi Group.”

Looking down at YiHan, MingYang softly said, “YiHan, I’m so very close to the life I’ve longed for. I really can’t go back to how I was now. We made a deal to support each other. You’ll come with me, right?”

“Who promised you that?” YiHan was furious. “You can go wherever you want but don’t bring me along!”

“Qi MingYang, think carefully,” said Qin Feng, squinting his eyes. “Don’t you want your father?”

“Without me, his good days will come to an end,” said MingYang. “We can be reunited in hell. That’s good enough.”

“What do you want from us before you’ll let him go?” asked JingYuan, stepping forward.

“I want the Mu Group,” MingYang said with a cold laugh. “Will you give it to me?”

“I will!” JingYuan barked.

MingYang was stunned. “No wonder, YiHan,” he mumbled. “No wonder you only want him and no one else.”

YiHan didn’t say anything.

MingYang laughed and continued, “Unfortunately, I want you too. What do we do?” He looked up at JingYuan. “Even if you’re stronger than me in every way, so what? YiHan is now by my side. I’ve won this battle.”

JingYuan took another step forward. “I don’t gamble with YiHan. As long as you return him to me, I can give you anything you want.”

“Fool,” YiHan chuckled. “Who negotiates like you?”

 Leaning against the sidewall of the boat, MingYuan smiled as the sea wind blew into his face. “I already have what I want.”

Glancing down at the rolling waves beyond the wall before looking back at YiHan, MingYang abruptly leaned back, throwing himself and YiHan off the boat.

JingYuan was terrified. He dashed forward as well as Qin Feng who charged ahead at the same time. With all the might they could muster in themselves, their hands grabbed onto the front of YiHan’s shirt and stopped the fall. YiHan had only been wearing a thin sleep shirt the entire time. It was unable to bear the weight of two men anyway. However, for some reason, MingYang, who had wanted YiHan to be with him through this whole ordeal, decided to let go at the last minute. JingYuan and Qin Feng hurriedly pulled YiHan back from when he was half-hanging off the side of the ship.

Bai Yan silently retracted the foot that had been ready to launch himself off his boat and let out a long sigh of relief. He then reached out to support his father who had gone pale from fear.

XueQing’s legs gave out from beneath her. She nearly fell on her behind but was caught by TianYang who was soothingly patting her on the back with trembling hands.

Fang Yi dropped to sit on the floor of his boat with a loud bang, his forehead covered in sweat.

The Yan brothers glanced at each other where they could see the terror in each other’s eyes and sweat on each other’s forehead.

YiHan turned to look behind him to find waves crashing and splashing violently. MingYang was nowhere to be seen.

With a wave of Chen Jing’s hand, several scuba drivers immediately leapt into the sea. Even so, their search proved futile.

JingYuan didn’t have the time to care about the other aspects of the rescue. He held YiHan tightly in his arms. YiHan was held so tightly that the thumps of JingYuan’s heart loudly rang in his ears. Even though YiHan’s bones were protesting at the strong grip, he still wrapped his arms around JingYuan.

“It’s fine,” whispered YiHan, hand gently running up and down JingYuan’s back. “Don’t be scared. I won’t leave you.”

JingYuan remained silent as he buried his face into YiHan’s neck.

Qin Feng let out a heavy sigh before chuckling softly. He turned to wave at Fang Yi who was on the same boat as Captain Chen.

“Xiao-Fang, I’ve completed the mission you gave me!” called out Qin Feng.

In response, Fang Yi let out an exasperated sigh and, although he knew full well Qin Feng couldn’t hear him, he replied with a soft chuckle of his own.

Long moments later, everyone was finally reunited on the same boat. While JingYuan still insisted on keeping his arms wrapped tightly around YiHan, he wasn’t as emotional as before.

Recalling what MingYang said, YiHan asked, “Is Qi Kun onboard?”

Qin Feng slumped over Fang Yi’s shoulders like a boneless lump. Contrary to the previous times this happened, Fang Yi allowed the younger man to hang off him. Delighted at how Fang Yi showed no signs of wanting him off, Qin Feng lazily responded, “He is. Qi MingYang planned on running away. He wouldn’t have forgotten his father.”

Following the directions he was given, YiHan walked into one of the rooms where Qi Kun could be found surrounded by medical machinery. The old man’s hazy eyes stared at the door the entire time while two trembling nurses cowered in a corner of the room.

Looking at the bedridden man who couldn’t speak but could still affect the outside world, YiHan softly asked, “Do you want to know where your useless and disobedient son is?”

Qi Kun let out a series of unintelligible shouts.

“He’s dead.”

Qi Kun went silent.

“It happened just now. He jumped into the vast ocean. We couldn’t even find his corpse.”

Qi Kun began shouting once more.

“Do you think we forced him to die? You’re wrong. You are why he died.”

Qi Kun glared at YiHan.

Looking straight into Qi Kun’s eyes, YiHan continued, “You are ambitious but you are narrow-minded. A single loss in business is enough to give you a stroke. You blame everyone around you, but you never admitted your mistake. You pushed all the blame on my father and the stress on MingYang. You forced him to act out your unreasonable revenge, all so you can vent your anger. Your son has never known a day of peace because of that, did you know that? JingYuan offered to let him live and even do nothing to the Qi Group, but he was willing to die rather than go back to how things were. Look at how much pressure you’ve placed him under. Qi Kun, your pettiness harmed you yourself and pushed your son to his death. Are you happy now?”

Glaring back at YiHan, tears slowly streamed from Qi Kun’s hazy eyes and disappeared into his white hair. He remained still the entire time.

YiHan didn’t bother looking at the elderly man anymore. Just as he left the room, an inhuman roar rang out from within the room. He didn’t turn around. Instead, he walked back onto the deck, hand clenched around JingYuan’s hand. Then, they went boarded the Bai family’s boat.

Once they were back in their home city, JingYuan arranged a full body checkup for YiHan. Upon being informed YiHan was fine, he brought YiHan back to the Mu family home. On the way home, JingYuan received a call.

“Qi Kun is dead,” JingYuan said to YiHan after ending the call. “They say it was a sudden cardiac arrest. All resuscitation attempts failed.”

“Mn,” YiHan said and said no more.

Moments later, YiHan asked, “How are Qin Ying and Qin Jie?”

“Qin Ying had a hole in his head and a few of Qin Jie’s ribs were broken. They suffered some internal bleeding but they’re safe and will recover soon. Don’t worry.”

YiHan nodded. “Have we told Grandfather?”

“I’ve told him you’re safe. Relax.”

Then, clenching his hand around YiHan’s, JingYuan continued, “Do you have nothing to say to me?”

YiHan turned to look at JingYuan. “I’m sorry.”

“Little meanie,” JingYuan whispered, pulling YiHan into a hug, “I don’t want your apology. I only ask this of you — don’t ever frighten me like this again.”

YiHan inhaled in the scent of JingYuan and whispered back, “I won’t. We will be alright.”

***

Far off in the ocean floated a luxurious cruise ship. A tall and muscular man with golden eyes and hair looked down in curiosity at the man in the bed.

“Wow, it’s an Asian beauty,” sighed the golden-haired man. “I’m starting to think I’ve fished out a gorgeous merman.”

The man in the bed slowly opened his eyes. The hazy glaze swiftly vanished from the man’s eyes and was replaced by a sharp gaze.

“Who are you?” barked the man’s thin lips.

Translator’s Note

It’s done! The ending is finally here. The remaining 8 extras will be translated in January while I prep for my next project. Happy new year, everyone! Thank you for reading.

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220. Impossible

“The righteous man speaks not with hidden meanings,” said Bai YiHan. “Qi MingYang, I was kidnapped last year and was nearly strangled. You were behind it, right? Now, you say you want to be my friend. Don’t you find it ridiculous?”

Placing his hand against the wall above YiHan’s head, MingYang solemnly explained, “YiHan, I must explain to you what happened. Yes, I was behind the kidnapping. However, my grudge is only against the Bai family. I didn’t know you well back then. I thought I could use a few sly tricks to start chaos in the Bai family. If I had noticed you earlier, gotten close to you earlier, I would not have hurt a single hair on you. Truthfully speaking, I still feel fear when I recall the incident. In fact, I’m even thankful that Mu JingYuan is a capable man who could save you in time.”

“He’s my man,” YiHan scoffed. “It’s only natural for him to save me. We don’t need your thanks.”

“YiHan,” MingYang said, leaning closer, “I know you blame me for it, but I have no choice. There’s a great grievance between me and the Bai family. I must have my revenge.”

“Stay away from me!” YiHan said, twisting his head to the side. “Why do I not know about it? How had my family wronged you?”

MingYang obediently stepped away from YiHan and sat down by the bed. “Our fathers were competitors. Throughout their rivalry, they were always equal in terms of wins and losses. However, your father intentionally hid his abilities and made my father underestimate him. During one of their face-offs, your father used some trick that heavily damaged the Qi family. My father collapsed from anger. He was paralysed after his stroke. He can’t even speak clearly. He has always been a proud man. How could he accept that? Ever since I was a child, my father has been my role model. He’s the man I admire the most, the family member I’m closest to. How can I not hate your father for that?”

“Doing business is like going to war,” said YiHan. “One cannot avoid losing forever. It is impossible for anyone to have a smooth-sailing life from birth to death. Your father is closed-minded. One loss and it’s enough to give him a stroke. No one is to blame for that. Speaking of tricks, do you think your family doesn’t play tricks on others? Why don’t I know of anyone who had a stroke because of that?”

Contrary to YiHan’s expectations, MingYang actually nodded. “At first, I hated your family so much, but then I took over the Qi Group. It opened my mind up on many issues. What happened back then certainly can’t be fully blamed on the Bai family. However, my father can’t accept it. He burns with hatred. Every time I visit him, he forces me to avenge him. How could I refuse the father who gave me life, the man who raised me?”

“Your father’s capabilities have nothing to do with the Bai family in the first place,” said YiHan. “It’s only a face-off. My father has been through many in his entire life. If every time he won, someone wanted revenge, he’d die from overworking.”

MingYang smile and confessed, “I know, but my father keeps pushing and forcing me. Every time I visit him, he’d only ever ask if I’d avenged him and what the progress was on the revenge. I do my best but the Bai and Qi families were equals in every way. My foundation wasn’t secure yet. The few times I tried something, I’ve secretly lost something in one way or other. I knew that I would never be a match for your father if I challenge him outright. However, my father can’t wait for me to slowly grow strong. He scolds me for being useless and refused to see me ever again. I had no choice. I had to risk it once more.

I had planned on paying off Feng Qun to drive a wedge between you and JingYuan. I hoped you two would have a fallout. You’d lose an important protector while the Bai family loses a capable supporter. Then, I’d hire someone to murder either your brother or sister. The Bai family would definitely fall into chaos. I can seize my chance then and destroy the Bai family. As you’ve seen, nothing went as planned. Feng Qun was useless to me before he even had a chance to act. It was then that I realized I didn’t know you at all. The results of my investigations were as far and different from your actual personality as the north is from the south. I had to change my plans. I thought that the Bai family would be equally as impacted if you die, so I used Feng Qun’s hatred for you to plan that abduction. Even that failed.”

YiHan let out a long sigh. MingYang’s plan should’ve been a success, a huge success. He had a fight with JingYuan, leading to the older man leaving. MingYang didn’t kill Yan or XueQing, but he accidentally killed TianYang. Deciding to just go along with it, MingYang used Feng Qun while the Chen family had yet to discover his part in the car crash. Through the pawn he had paid off long ago, he enticed YiHan to start a new company by himself and steal the Bai Group’s company secrets. Then, working with the companies who wanted a slice of the pie and the Chen family who detested the Bai family then, MingYang dealt blow after blow at the Bai family. In the end, the Bai family collapsed. With a scheme that had gone on for four years, MingYang had avenged his father.

Things were different now because Bai YiHan was reborn before Qi MingYang even had the chance to act in this life.

YiHan thought the tragedy that befell his family in his last life was all his fault. He had drowned in guilt over it. Even in death, he was unable to let his eyes slide close and rest in peace. After his rebirth, he had planned to use his whole life, the life of a criminal, to compensate for the wrongs he had done. He didn’t dare fight for anything nor kick up a fuss about anything. He didn’t dare let himself make a single wrong move. If not for JingYuan and the fluke that was the old Mr Yan’s birthday party, who knew what kind of life he would be leading now?

So everything about that tragedy had a mastermind prompting it to happen. The man had used YiHan’s gullibility and stupidity and turned YiHan into a blade that would tear apart the Bai family from within. As for misfortune YiHan suffered, it came from Feng Qun’s hatred. Without the Bai family and JingYuan, YiHan was like a fish on the chopping board to Feng Qun who was once not even worth mentioning. YiHan was helpless and ripe for the picking.

Forget it. What happened in the past would stay in the past. YiHan had led the right life this time around.

“Were you also why Feng Qun died?” YiHan softly asked as he closed his eyes.

“Yes,” MingYang answered, nodding. “I had my men sent him a message.”

“What was it?” asked YiHan.

“I told him if he died, I have the power to make you accompany him on his journey; if he lived, he’ll have to suffer the wrath of the Bai, Chen and Mu families. Oh, I also told him his lower region was now useless.”

“He really can’t get it up anymore?” asked YiHan.

“Of course, he can,” said MingYang. “It might be injured but it’s not absolutely ruined.”

YiHan sighed and stopped talking.

Thinking that YiHan’s silence meant he was angry, MingYang continued, “YiHan, I know you’re angry. However, everyone has their own motivations and stories. I was born my father’s son. I cannot ignore a request from my father that was born from deep-seated sorrow. I’m certainly useless. Not only can I not avenge him, but I also can’t even protect the Qi family’s status as part of the Great Five. Father has since refused to allow me to visit him. At this point in time, I truly have no other choice left. JingYuan has already found proof of my involvement in the kidnapping last year. I know he won’t let me walk free. He would handle anything related to your safety as if it was his life on the line. Neither I nor the Qi Group can be his match. The death of the Qi family looms right ahead. I wanted to use what time I have left to do something that I’ve wanted to do for a while.”

“What do you want?” asked YiHan. “You don’t plan for a retreat. Instead, you abducted me and brought me here. It would do nothing but infuriate JingYuan. Why? Do you want to threaten him with me? You should know that it’s not a long-term solution. If you kill me, you’ll have invited his rabid revenge. Let’s say you don’t kill me. You can’t hide me away forever. I’m afraid you can’t even keep me hidden for two days.”

“Why would I kill you?” MingYang smiled. “As I’ve said, I won’t lay a hand on you.”

“Then, why have you gone through all of the effort to bring me here?”

MingYang leaned down close to YiHan and whispered, “Would you believe me if I said I like you?”

YiHan looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

“The plan failed before because everything I found out about you was all wrong,” MingYang continued with a bitter smile. “Ever since then, I’ve been secretly observing you, collecting all information on you. However, the more I observed, the harder it was to take my eyes off you. By the time I realised I was paying too much attention to you, it was too late. Heh. The gods make fools of us all. I want revenge on the Bai family but end up falling in love with someone from the Bai family. Whether this revenge is a success or a failure, it matters not to me. Every move is the wrong move. Now that things have progressed to this stage, I can’t have my revenge and the Qi family would be gone soon. Frankly, I feel so much more carefree now. This was a decision that fate has made for me. YiHan, I know I can’t hide you regardless of how hard I try. JingYuan would always find us. Thus, I’ve made my plans. I can’t protect the Qi family, so I won’t do something so useless. Do you know where we are now? We’re on a ship. I didn’t just bring you with me on this plan. I’ve brought plenty of cash and gold. We’re leaving the city, the country, and heading towards a tiny nation known as Vair. It might be small but the culture there is amazing. We can change our names and live there. I don’t need to strive for the glory of the Qi Group and I don’t need to avenge anyone. The money I’ve brought is enough for us to live on for the rest of our lives. We can buy a house there. I can go get a job. It’ll just be the two of us. I don’t want the Qi Group or revenge. I just want you. We can live in peace and be each other’s support for life. Well?”

“You’re way too confident in your fantasy,” YiHan coldly barked back. “If you want to hide and live a peaceful life, no one’s stopping you. However, don’t drag me into it. I’m already married to JingYuan. We have a great relationship. Be it supporting each other or living out the rest of our lives together, I’ll always be doing it with him. Screw living with you!”

Instead of being enraged by YiHan’s words, MingYang smiled instead. “I know you won’t be able to accept me for now, but that’s fine. I can wait. I believe that one day, you’ll willingly live with me.”

“You don’t need to wait,” YiHan said. “That day will not arrive. Just give up.”

“YiHan,” said MingYang, “I might’ve wanted revenge before, but my plans failed. None of them did any significant harm to the Bai family, to your family. Even today, I merely got my hands on your grandfather’s phone. I didn’t lay a single hand on him. I also didn’t put Qin Ying and Qin Jie’s lives in danger. See? There’s no insurmountable grievance between us. If any, the only issue was the kidnapping last time. I know you’re angry. I’m willing to accept any punishment. I believe that you will eventually forgive me.”

“Qi MingYang,” said YiHan, “even if nothing ever happened between us, it is absolutely impossible.”

MingYang frowned. “Why?”

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219. Prisoner

Pan Wen and Wei Wu didn’t dare dally. They swiftly got into the car. Before JingYuan stepped into the car, he turned to look at Fang Yi.

“Please ask Qin An for help!” said JingYuan. “Tell him that I’ll do anything in return on request as long as YiHan is safe!”

Blinded by panic, Fang Yi had forgotten about the man JingYuan spoke of and only remembered Qin An when he heard JingYuan’s words. Thumping himself hard on the head, Fang Yi’s terrified hands pulled out his phone and called Qin An.

“YiHan’s in trouble!” Fang Yi immediately shouted into the phone when the call was answered. “Help me bring him back safely!”

“What’s going on? Tell me everything!” Qin Feng barked. Gone was his usual languid attitude.

Fang Yi briefly summarised the situation. His voice was trembling with fear — a rare occurrence. “Ah-Feng, this is very important. If anything happens to YiHan…”

“Don’t panic,” Qin Feng calmly said. “He’ll be fine. I’m here.”

When the call ended, Chen Jing glanced at Fang Yi from behind the steering wheel and said, “I know you’re close to Little Master Bai. It’s understandable that you’re worried for him. However, you must understand that it is a major mistake to panic at the scene. The more dangerous the situation, the more important it is for you to stay calm. That is a basic rule of being a policeman.”

Slapping himself on the head once more to calm himself down, Fang Yi slowly replied, “I understand, chief.”

 When JingYuan and the group finally arrived at the location Qin Ying spoke of, there was no trace of anyone to be found. Continuing on towards the old Mr Bai’s home, they were passing by a rather remote patch of the road when Pan Wen suddenly cried out.

“Qin Ying’s over there!” shouted Pan Wen.

Looking at the direction Pan Wen was pointing, JingYuan saw a shirt peeking out from the bushes on the side of the road. It belonged to Qin Ying.

JingYuan’s heart dropped. The men stepped out of the car to check on the situation. Qin Ying and Qin Jie were laid out behind the bushes. Half of Qin Ying’s face was covered in blood. The front of Qin Jie’s shirt and his jaw was also covered in blood. It was unclear whether they were dead or alive. From the looks of them, they must’ve been in a vicious battle. Their car and YiHan’s car had crashed into the river. YiHan was nowhere to be seen.

Pan Wen’s eyes were red as he looked down at the Qin brothers. With clenched jaws, Wei Wu and he strode forward to examine the duo. Pan Wen then laid a hand over his eyes.

“Boss, they’re still alive!” Pan Wen called out in a shaky voice that hinted at both laughter and tears.

JingYuan let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Go and arrange for transport to the hospital. Wei Wu, follow me!”

“Leave the injured men to me,” Chen Jing spoke up. “Pan Wen is an exceptional fighter. He should come along with our search for Little Master Bai.”

Captain Chen had brought a few policemen with him. After briefing his men on what to do, he left two of his men behind with a car to send the Qin brothers to the hospital.

“Qin Ying and Qin Jie aren’t any weaker than Wei and me,” Pan Wen said with a serious face. “They must’ve been faced with a lot of opponents in order to be defeated. Boss, I think the old Mr Bai might just be a red herring.”

JingYuan nodded, his thin lips pursed into a grim line.

“Have the men we sent to the old Mr Bai responded?” Captain Chen asked.

“No,” JingYuan replied, shaking his head, “but they should be responding soon.”

As the two were speaking, JingYuan’s phone started ringing. JingYuan answered the phone, hand clenched tight around the phone.

“The old sir is fine,” said the person on the other side of the call. “Someone had just stolen his phone and all communication devices in his home had been disrupted or disconnected by someone. The signal around here has also been blocked for some time. The old Mr Bai left the area as soon as he could and had called the Bai family home with a borrowed phone. He had also called YiHan but he had already left by then and had left his phone behind.”

“As expected,” Fang Yi spat through gritted teeth, “YiHan was the target of all of this. They stole the old Mr Bai’s phone so they could scare YiHan, then they set a time limit so he couldn’t verify the truth of the situation. He must have thought it was better to believe in the threat than to take risks. The culprits did all of this just to lure YiHan out!”

“Our enemy has planned this to the minute,” Captain Chen said. “Our investigation hasn’t gone well lately. However, we suddenly made a new breakthrough today. Now that I think about it, it must’ve been bait to lure Mr Mu away. They began to make their move the moment Mr Mu left the house. They took the old Mr Bai’s phone, cut off all communications to him and even blocked off the signal around him. Then, using this short period of time the old Mr Bai would be cut off from the world, they messaged Little Master Bai. Panicking, Little Master Bai left the safety of the Mu family manor and this is where they had been gearing up for an ambush to deal with his bodyguards.”

“I was too careless,” JingYuan said, jaw clenched.

Fang Yi was pacing up and down, hands curled up into fists. “They’re using the same method as last time. However, he doesn’t even bother covering up his tracks this time. It’s clear Qi MingYang has gone mad. He doesn’t want to fight us but he won’t prepare for a retreat. Instead, he strikes at YiHan at such a time. Normal people don’t think like that.”

“No matter the reason,” said Captain Chen, “Little Master Bai is now in his hands. The trail ends here. We must make good use of our time and find the Little Master as soon as possible.”

Pulling out his phone, Fang Yi called Qin Feng to update him on the situation. The men of the Hidden Dragon quietly spread out and searched through every property ever connected to the Qi family, be it done through legal or shady means. JingYuan notified the Bai, Chen and Yan families, hoping that the might of all four families combined could find YiHan in the shortest time possible.

***

When YiHan came to, he found his limbs spread out and shackled to all four corners of a bed. The bed was soft and comfortable. Someone had covered him with a blanket as if they were afraid he’d catch a cold. The shackles were even lined with a layer of soft fabric, making it impossible for YiHan’s wrists to be hurt by the shackles.

YiHan tested his bindings, chains clanking and rustling as he did so. He still felt a little dizzy while his head and neck throbbed with pain. Halfway through his drive to his grandfather’s home, two cars began to drive extremely close to him from both sides. He had to slow down. Then, someone shot at his car’s tyres. The sudden shift in momentum caused him to hit his head. He dazedly watched as over a dozen cars suddenly appeared before him. Realizing he was in a bad situation, he tried to get away, but it was all too late.

Although Qin Ying and Qin Jie managed to show up by his side and defeated the men that tried to drag him out of the car, they couldn’t escort him into their car. There were too many enemies. No matter how amazing the Qin brothers were, they couldn’t get him away. Then, someone had hit him in the back of his neck with something. The last thing he remembered was the sight of the twin brothers charging towards him with eyes burning with fury. He wanted to tell them to run. No one could stop them if their goal was just to run away. If they continued protecting him, they would die. However, YiHan couldn’t fight against the darkness and fainted. He knew nothing of what happened afterward.

YiHan looked around. The room he was in looked extremely cosy. He had been locked to a narrow steel bed but the blanket was made of silk. The room had a window, but all sunlight had been blocked off by a thick purple curtain. The only source of light in the room was the ceiling light which gave off a soft and warm glow. The entire room looked very wobbly to YiHan with furniture slightly swaying and rocking at times. He could even hear the faint splash of waves.

YiHan didn’t care too much how his kidnappers treated him. His mind was overwhelmed with worry over the wellbeing of his grandfather and the Qin brothers. He didn’t know how long he had been out for, but it had likely been over twenty minutes. If his grandfather was truly in the hands of Qi MingYang, he would be in danger. He didn’t even know if the Qin brothers had survived the encounter. If JingYuan found out about his kidnapping, JingYuan would be panicking as well.

Distress blazed through him. He knew there was no way he could get out of his bindings, but he still did his best to wrestle against them. Despite the soft cushioning added to the shackles, his fair wrists were slowly dyed a bright red as he struggled too hard. Loud clangs echoed through the room as the metal shackles banged against the metal bed frame.

Soon, the door was opened and MingYang swiftly walked in.

“YiHan, you’re awake,” MingYang said, smiling. “Does your head still hurt? The idiots are all to blame. I’ve told them you must be brought to me unharmed. Unharmed. Still, those clumsy oafs injured you. Don’t be angry. I’ve punished them.”

“Where is my grandfather?” YiHan asked, glaring at the other man.

Walking closer, MingYang reached out to stop YiHan from struggling. His face was filled with sorrow as he tenderly ran his fingers over the red scars on YiHan’s wrists.

“Don’t struggle anymore,” said MingYang. “You’ve nearly scraped off your skin. This fabric is still too coarse. Does it hurt?”

“I’m asking you a question. Where is my father?” YiHan hoarsely yelled.

“The old Mr Bai?” MingYang asked with a faint smile. “Relax. He’s fine. I wouldn’t dare do anything to him. I’ve only picked up his phone and thought to joke around with you. He’s perfectly fine. You don’t have to worry.”

YiHan let out a sigh of relief. “Really?”

“Of course, it’s true,” MingYang patiently answered. “Why would I lie to you?”

Letting out a cold chuckle, YiHan then asked, “What about Qin Ying and Qin Jie?”

“You mean the twins?” asked MingYang. “They’re fine. They’re both still alive. They had to suffer a few unavoidable but minor injuries. You know how good they are at fighting. I had gone to great lengths in order to stop them. Many of my men were nearly incapacitated by their fight with them.”

“Minor injuries?” asked YiHan.

“They really are nothing,” MingYang said, gesturing with his fingers. “Relax. Their lives weren’t at risk.”

Closing his eyes, YiHan went quiet.

“I’m going to let go,” said MingYang. “Don’t struggle, please.”

YiHan didn’t respond. MingYang slowly released his hold on YiHan’s hands. When YiHan didn’t continue struggling against his shackles, MingYang smiled.

“YiHan, why aren’t you speaking?” asked MingYang.

“I’m a prisoner,” said YiHan. “What is there to talk about?”

“Don’t say that,” MingYang pitifully said. “While the message I sent you about the old Mr Bai isn’t true, I truly want to be your friend. I honestly meant that line. Don’t worry. I absolutely would not hurt you.”

“Ah, is this how one makes friends? That’s a first. I’ve learned a lot,” YiHan said, coldly smirking.

MingYang was even more upset upon hearing that. “I have no choice. I’ve tried several times to show my sincerity, but you’ve always kept me away. If I don’t do this, I would never again have the chance to have a proper chat with you.”

◄Previous • Index • Next►

218. Soul-Shattering

“That serious?” Li Guang exclaimed. “You were so secretive about that plan. How did he find out?”

Now that Qi MingYang properly realized he had a knife at his throat, he felt much more relaxed. Perhaps it’s because he had been bottling it all up for too long and needed someone to vent to, he patiently continued his explanation.

“Bai YiHan’s life was at risk,” MingYang said. “Even if Mu JingYuan had to comb through the entire world, he would find me. He had never once let up the investigation after the kidnapping was over. Anything done in the world would leave behind a trace. It has been a miracle the investigation had dragged on as long as it had. It’s fine. At least, there’ll be an end to things.”

“Do we stand any chance of winning?” Guang cautiously asked.

“Winning?” MingYang asked with a lopsided smile. “We stood no chance of winning prior to the restructuring of the southern districts, let alone now. Have you never witnessed the might of JingYuan?

“If I had started paying attention to YiHan earlier, perhaps everything would be different,” he continued in a mumble, sighing. “Unfortunately, the most unlikely to be rewound in the world is time.”

“Do we just wait then?” asked Guang.

MingYang softly chuckled. “Wait? I’ve never been one to wait for death. You must know that the blood of the Qi family flows within me. Everyone in the Qi family is crazy…”

***

Back at the Mu family mansion, JingYuan carefully carried YiHan out of the car and onto his bed. YiHan remained sound asleep the entire time.

“You must be knackered,” JingYuan whispered as he tenderly stroked YiHan’s cheek. “You didn’t sleep well last night.”

After helping YiHan out of his suit, JingYuan tucked his husband in and head into the bathroom to wash up. However, when he walked out, he saw YiHan sitting up on the bed with his head drooping and his eyes still closed.

“HanHan, what is it?” JingYuan asked, hurriedly walking over. When he noticed YiHan’s closed eyes, he cautiously asked, “Are you awake?”

“Mn,” YiHan softly hummed before mumbling, “I’m hungry.”

“I just asked Mrs Liu to make some congee,” JingYuan swiftly responded. “However, it might not be ready yet. Why don’t I get you a bowl of noodles?”

“Cooked by you?” YiHan suspiciously asked, one of his eyes opening up to a slit.

“Okay, I’ll cook for you,” JingYuan replied, nodding. “Go back to sleep. I’ll call you once it’s done.”

“Carry me down,” YiHan said. His eye slid back shut as he stretched out his arms. “I’ll wait there.”

JingYuan reluctantly helped YiHan into some clothes and turned to carry him on his back.

“Mr Mu, what’s with Little Master Bai?” Mrs Liu was startled to see them downstairs.

“He’s fine. Just hungry,” JingYuan said as he placed YiHan down on the couch. “I’ll go cook a bowl of noodles for him.”

“Hungry? The congee’s not done yet. Why don’t I cook the noodles? What would the Little Master like?” asked Mrs Liu.

“It’s fine,” answered JingYuan. “I’ll cook for him. Go rest your feet — oh, wait. You can’t — you need to teach me how to make it taste nice.”

“Okay, sir,” Mrs Liu said, hiding a smile. “You’re so nice to Little Master.”

JingYuan smiled in response and turned to the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves as he went.

Resting against the back of the couch with his eyes closed, YiHan pursed his lips to hide a smile. However, his dimples still appeared, and the corners of his eyes crinkled with joy.

After a series of bangs and crashes, a bowl of noodles was finally served. It didn’t look like much, but it tasted quite nice.

“I didn’t think you had the talents of a chef as well, great sir,” YiHan said, hands clasped in front of him in a salute. “My apologies for the disrespect.”

“You’re too kind, young warrior. Eat up,” JingYuan said, smiling.

Once the entire bowl of noodles was consumed, YiHan let out a satisfied sigh as he ran a hand over his stomach.

“Are you full?” JingYuan asked.

“I had too much,” YiHan said with a laugh. “At the thought that you made this yourself, I couldn’t even bear to let a drop of soup go.”

Upon hearing those words, there was a hint of a smile in JingYuan’s warm eyes. A moment of silence later, JingYuan spoke up, “HanHan, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?” asked YiHan.

“Our honeymoon would probably be postponed for a while,” said JingYuan.

“What? Did something happen?” YiHan anxiously asked.

“No,” JingYuan hurriedly moved to hold his hand. “Don’t worry. It’s about your kidnapping. We’ve found a lead and are currently wrapping things up. I want to resolve this matter before we have fun. I’d feel less worried.”

“You found the mastermind? Who is it?” asked YiHan.

“Chen Jing and I are now certain it’s Qi MingYang,” JingYuan answered after some thought. “We just need the final evidence.”

“It was him? He wanted to kill me but failed,” YiHan was shocked. “Now, he’s trying to cosy up to me. He said he was lonely. He said he only wanted to be friends. It sounded so honest and true that I nearly believed him! This man… He’s too good of an actor! But there are no grudges between us. Why would he want to kill me?”

“There are many reasons other than a grudge that would drive one to murder,” replied JingYuan. “He’s a meticulous man who has many nefarious means at his disposal. Before the case is closed, it’s best that you’re never alone.”

“I know,” YiHan said, nodding. “But I did go out alone before and he didn’t do anything then.”

“That’s because we were all-out investigating the matter. He wouldn’t dare make another move. Furthermore, every time you went out, you only appeared alone. Qin Ying and Qin Jie were secretly protecting you the entire time. They just wouldn’t act unless it’s an emergency.”

YiHan’s eyes went wide. “There were people following me? How did I not realize? Qin Ying and Qin Jie? Are they the pair of identical twins?”

“That’s them,” JingYuan said as he tweaked YiHan’s nose. “They specialize in staying hidden. If you could see them, they wouldn’t be secretly protecting you.”

“Oh, then wouldn’t I be fine with them? I can pretend to be going out alone. If he ever makes a move, we can catch him red-handed. Simple, right?”

JingYuan’s face went dark. “What nonsense are you saying? He’s a mad man. He’s capable of anything. Don’t you know how dangerous that would be? Nothing is worth putting you in danger’s way!”

“Okay, okay.” YiHan hurriedly pacified upon seeing his husband getting angry. “I was wrong. I’m just joking. I have a family. How could I do something so dangerous?”

“A boat can survive for millennia under a careful hand,” JingYuan said, face slowly calming down. “Now that the investigation is in the final stages, there’s nothing wrong with being cautious in case he bites from being backed into a corner.”

“Then, I’ll just follow you everywhere.” YiHan nodded. “I’ll always be safe when I’m by your side, right?”

Running a hand through YiHan’s hair, JingYuan smiled and nodded.

However, one could never predict the future. YiHan fell sick.

As the weather turned hotter, YiHan grew to love the cold. One day, he stood directly under the cool air of the air conditioner while he was still sweating from being outside. It felt amazing then but what happened later made him regret his decision. The very next morning, he had a stuffy nose and a persistent cough. His head throbbed as his vision spun.

The family doctor was summoned. Some medication and IV fluids later, YiHan felt better. However, he was still ill. He was unable to head into the office with JingYuan as he still had another injection lined up. For two days, JingYuan skipped going into the office to stay by YiHan’s side.

Then, on the morning of the third day, Chen Jing called to inform them he had concrete evidence pointing to Qi MingYang as the mastermind of the kidnapping. JingYuan instructed YiHan to take a nap as he hurriedly changed his clothes and rushed out to meet Captain Chen.

YiHan had been obediently dozing off in bed when he felt his phone buzz. It was a message from his grandfather’s number.

The old Mr Bai might be old but his body is still strong. I wonder if he can survive having an arm chopped off. For the old man’s safety, come to his place alone. I really do want to be friends with you. Note: if you’re not here within twenty minutes, I will be mailing you a finger. — Qi MingYang

YiHan froze. He felt as if he had shattered into pieces. He immediately hopped out of bed. He didn’t have time to think. He ran out of the room, still barefoot and dressed in his pyjamas.

As he was still sick and had been sprinting at full speed, his vision began to spin. He tripped the moment he stepped off the staircase.

“Little Master!” Mrs Liu called out upon hearing the noise. When she saw him trip, she panicked and rushed over to support him. However, he had already climbed to his feet and raced towards the foyer. Grabbing his car keys from the keyholder, he flung the door open and dashed like a madman towards the garage. Soon, a car sped out of the manor with a loud vroom.

From their posts in the shadows, Qin Ying and Qin Jie were startled. One of them instantly started calling JingYuan while the other chased after YiHan’s car.

When Qin Ying briefed JingYuan on the situation, the man violently shot up to his feet, flipping his chair over.

“What’s going on?” JingYuan spat through gritted teeth. “Where is he now?”

“We don’t know either,” came Qin Ying’s swift reply. “Little Master Bai suddenly charged out of his room. He didn’t have any shoes and hadn’t gotten dressed either. He ran straight for the garage and drove off. We’re currently trying to stop him but he’s going too fast. It’s like he’s gone insane. We don’t dare forcefully stop him as it’d be too easy for an accident to happen. He went on Riverside Street as soon as he could and headed in the direction of the old Mr Bai.”

“If you can’t stop him, follow him,” JingYuan said, face pale as he ran out of the room. “I’ll be there soon.”

“What’s happened to Little Master Bai?” Chen Jing and Fang Yi asked, following close behind.

“My man said he suddenly ran out for some unknown reason and drove off in a crazed state,” JingYuan answered with his jaw clenched.

With a few quick taps on his phone, JingYuan was able to locate YiHan’s phone. He had previously installed a tracker on it just in case something bad happened. The locator indicated YiHan to be home. Just then, his phone chimed. His heart dropped as he saw the notification for a new message from YiHan. The younger man had forwarded to him a copy of the message he had received from his grandfather’s number. JingYuan’s pupils shrank as he read the message. Then, the phone rang. It was a call from YiHan.

Answering the call, he was greeted with the panicked voice of Mrs Liu. “Sir, have you received the message? Little Master tripped when he ran down the stairs just now, dropping his phone. I had thought to keep it safe for him but then I saw this…! Sir, he’s driven off! He must be heading towards the old Mr Bai’s home!”

“Understood,” JingYuan responded before hanging up. “Damn it!” he spat through gritted teeth.

“What is it, Mr Mu?” Chen Jing asked.

Showing Captain Chen the message he had received, JingYuan replied, “YiHan left his phone at home. I had a tracker installed in his phone but it’s useless now.”

“Pan Wen! Wei Wu!” JingYuan hollered, striding out the building. “Start the car!”

◄Previous • Index • Next►

217. Escape Will Be Tough

The expression on Qi MingYang’s face twisted before going back to his usual shrewd look. He slowly stood up and turned to look at Mu JingYuan.

“You keep such a close eye on Little Master Bai, Mr Mu,” said MingYang. “He doesn’t have any personal space. Wouldn’t he find it suffocating?”

“We are lovers.” JingYuan’s face was stormy. “You need not worry about how we usually act around each other. YiHan’s too breathtaking. I must be more careful. We don’t want people with ill intentions to eye him all the time and annoy him. As lovers, our duties include protecting each other, yes?”

JingYuan then turned to Bai YiHan and warmly asked, hand outstretched, “Are you done eating? Father’s calling for us. He has something to tell us.”

Nodding, YiHan stood up and held JingYuan’s hand.

“Pardon us,” JingYuan said to MingYang with a lopsided smile.

Watching the two men walk away, MingYang gradually sat back down and picked up his wine glass from the table. Sip by sip, he finished the dark red liquid it contained as he stared down at the half-eaten plate of food YiHan left behind. The man’s thoughts were a mystery for nothing showed on his face.

“So annoying. I’m still not full,” YiHan whispered when he had walked far enough away from MingYang. “Hmph! Anyone who disturbs me from my meal is an enemy of mine!”

In spite of his stormy face, JingYuan comfortingly clenched his hands around YiHan’s.

Looking up at JingYuan, YiHan softly said in belated realization, “You’re…angry?”

“Someone tried to steal my husband,” JingYuan said, turning back to glance at YiHan. “Shouldn’t I be angry?”

“But your husband’s very secure,” YiHan said, blinking.

“That’s a completely different matter,” responded JingYuan. “Even if my husband’s secure, how can I be calm when I know someone is eyeing him? I told you he’s going to try something with you, and you said I was being paranoid!”

“But after you said that, I’ve been avoiding him whenever I can,” YiHan innocently said. “This isn’t my fault. Really.”

JingYuan kissed YiHan on the back of the hand. “I know that, of course. However, some people are just masochists. The more you ignore him, the more he wants to get close to you. It’s extremely infuriating.”

“He even disrupted my meal,” YiHan agreed. “Oh, right. Did Father really call for us?”

“No,” JingYuan said, looking away. “Father doesn’t worry about us at all. There’s nothing for him to tell us. I didn’t want to talk to MingYang, so I lied.”

“You sure are fast to start calling him Father,” YiHan said, hiding a laugh.

Passing by a meal-laden table, JingYuan grabbed a clean fork, picked up one of the prawn balls and shoved it into YiHan’s smiling mouth. “I had planned on calling him that as soon as we had our marriage certificate but someone, I don’t remember who, said it was part of the wedding ceremony. That’s why I waited until today.”

“It’s actually all the same,” YiHan said, swallowing the savoury prawn ball. “We’re family no matter when you start calling him that.”

“I thought so too,” JingYuan answered, smiling.

Upon seeing YiHan enjoying his snack, JingYuan handed YiHan another prawn ball. He then looked up and squinted his eyes at the distant MingYang.

Not far away, Ma Bai and Ma Chen were chatting away.

“I’m already ecstatic that he wasn’t nervous enough to swing his left arm when his left foot steps out, tripping himself.” Chen TianYang’s mother didn’t hold back at all when making fun of her son.

“No, no. He looks so handsome today,” Ma Bai defended her son-in-law. “The two of them look so perfect together. They are such a treat for the eyes.”

“Speaking of eye candy, YiHan and JingYuan are the real feasts for the eyes,” Ma Chen said with a smile. “They both look so outstanding. They overshadowed everyone.”

“If HanHan heard that, his tail would be flicked up in pride as high as the clouds,” Ma Bai chuckled.

“In the blink of an eye, the kids have all grown up,” Ma Chen said, laughing as well. “We’re old now. Time flies by so quickly. The kids really did grow up the second I turned around. It feels like yesterday when I held my baby in my arms. Today, he has turned into a man, found the love of his life and started a new family.”

“Yes,” Ma Bai sighed along. “Children grow up way too fast.”

Looking at YiHan who was whispering something sweet to JingYuan and smiling so brightly that his dimples were showing, Ma Chen chuckled. “Speaking of which, YiHan has changed a lot this year. It seems like he became so level-headed and mature overnight. My husband even remarked to me that he’s seemed to have turned into a completely different person in the span of one short year.”

Following Ma Chen’s gaze to look at her youngest son, Ma Bai smiled and responded, “Yes. He seems to have grown up overnight. My husband and I are both very shocked. In the end, however, it’s all good.”

“Some people say some kids mature in a second, as if something suddenly clicked in them. YiHan was rather inconsiderate before, but he had a good heart. Now that he’s grown up, he’s even more likeable. See how the old Mr Yan smiles as soon as he sees YiHan? He’s an old man who has seen through dozens of people. He’s so perceptive that no one can hide their true personalities from him.”

“No matter how amazing he is, nothing can save him from a disobedient child,” Ma Bai sighed. “His health isn’t what it used to be.”

“Whose wouldn’t be? He’s an old man who has experienced near-death multiple times,” said Ma Chen. “Not even a body made of steel would be able to survive that. I think he’s doing alright.”

“True,” replied Ma Bai. “He didn’t even attend Yan Miao’s trial. Also, I think Yan Hui and Yan Yan intervened with the case. That’s why she was given such a heavy sentence. Still, in retrospect, I agree with them. Miao nearly killed their parents. If I were in their place… Those two brothers might even want her dead.”

“You’re right,” agreed Ma Chen. “Twenty-five years in jail… After twenty-five years, she’d be an old woman. The world changes in fast and unpredictable ways. Even if she will be considered young still, the stage wouldn’t have space for her anymore.”

“That’s for the best,” Ma Bai said. “If someone is so egocentric that they overstep themselves to the extreme, it’s a disaster for their family. Without her tantrums, the old Mr Yan can live longer.”

Ma Chen nodded in vehement agreement.

***

By the end of the post-ceremony party, YiHan was exhausted. He hadn’t slept well last night due to nerves, and he’d been busy the whole day. He fell asleep on the drive home. JingYuan took off his jacket, covered YiHan with it and held his sleeping husband in his arms for the whole journey. The driver for the day was Wei Wu. Sitting in the passenger seat, Pan Wen kept glancing at his lover through the rear-view mirror. Wei Wu felt a burning sensation spreading across his face as his bronzed skin flushed pink. Pan Wen was chuckling the entire time.

“He’s driving,” JingYuan said in a low voice. “Don’t tease him.”

“Alright, boss,” Pan Wen replied, still chuckling.

“Boss,” Wei Wu spoke up, trying to break the awkward atmosphere in the car, “how did you know the Little Master would fall asleep on the way back?”

“It’s because lovers understand each other, silly billy,” Pan Wen whispered. “Don’t you also know when I’d be tired?”

Wei Wu let out an awkward cough and stopped talking.

Pan Wen shot his lover one last flirtatious glance before focusing on their surroundings.

A few minutes later, he suddenly hissed. “There’s someone following behind us.”

“How many?” JingYuan asked with a sharp gaze.

“Only one car,” Pan Wen said, voice serious and low as he stopped acting flippant. “They’re not far from us but they’re not close either. If it were someone else, they might not realize they were being followed. He must’ve thought to secretly follow us. However, he’s acting so shady that there’s no way he means well by it.”

“One car?” JingYuan asked. “Is it someone we know?”

While Pan Wen didn’t look reliable, he had a pair of astonishingly perceptive eyes. His memory is even more surprising. “It’s Qi MingYang’s car,” he said in frustration after taking a moment to scrutinise the car. “I’ve only seen this car once so I didn’t recognise it just now.”

JingYuan squinted his eyes into a frigid gaze. “He’s just like a piece of bandage that can’t be shaken of. Does he think I’m an easy target that’s made from dough?”

“Lose him first,” JingYuan said to Wei Wu. “Today is my wedding. It’s a good day. I’ll take care of him tomorrow.”

With a grunt of response and a few hard twists of the steering wheel, Wei Wu turned the car into a dragon swimming swiftly through a river. Soon, they disappeared from view of the car following them.

“My apologies for my lack of skill, Mr Qi,” said Li Guang, the driver of the car that had been following JingYuan and YiHan, as he smacked the steering wheel. “I’ve lost them.”

Head weakly leaning back against the seat, MingYang’s face twisted at the news and sighed. “They’ve discovered us, then. Wei Wu, Mu JingYuan’s subordinate, isn’t just a great fighter. He’s also skilled at racing cars. Even professional racers are no match for him, let alone you. It’s normal to have lost them.”

Carefully looking at MingYang’s face through the rear-view mirror, Li Guang softly said, “Then, since they’ve discovered us, will they…? Didn’t you say Little Master Bai is the apple of Mu JingYuan’s eye…?”

“Yes. I know. I must’ve been mad,” MingYang said, closing his eyes. “Let’s head back. JingYuan won’t rest easy about this.”

“You know their destination, sir,” Li Guang commented, baffled, as he turned the car around. “Why must we follow them through their journey? You’ve offended Mu JingYuan for nothing.”

“Do you think I haven’t offended him already today?” MingYang said, exhaustion clear in his voice. He didn’t even open his eyes. “His investigation about the previous incident has already led him to me. No matter what, there will be a battle of life and death between us.”

“Why did you do that at the start then?” asked Li Guang.

“There is a great grievance between the Bai and Qi families,” explained MingYang. “However, Bai FuRen is a sly old fox while the Qi family was plagued by internal and external problems. I can do nothing to them. If the proper channels don’t work, I can only take a few risks for an attempt. Everything depended upon sinister tricks. You die if you lose.”

“Revenge is a dish best served cold,” Li Guang said. “Why must you be so rushed, sir? Why act when you’re not fully prepared? It wouldn’t be very likely for you to win.”

“I’m not in a hurry,” answered MingYang. “My father is. He can’t wait another day. What else was I meant to do? The plan failed back then, and we gained nothing from when they restructured the southern districts. The other four families have left us far behind. Now, the Bai and Mu families are stronger than ever. The Bai and Chen families are also linked in marriage now. They can be considered the same party. The Yan family still owes YiHan their lives. Under the current circumstances, there’s absolutely no hope for any revenge. Since JingYuan suspects me already, it’s only a matter of time before he learns of the truth. For the Qi family, escape will be tough this time around.”

Translator’s Note:

Steal my husband: JingYuan actually said, “Someone just tried to dig at my wall”, which is a common reference to someone trying to steal something/someone from you. Here’s the original translation of the conversation:

JingYuan: “Someone tried to dig at my wall. Shouldn’t I be angry?”

YiHan: “But your wall’s very sturdy and secure.”

JingYuan: “That’s a completely different matter. Even if my wall is secure, how can I be calm when I know someone is eyeing it?”

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216. Wedding

“Mrs Liu is truly amazing!” Yan Pei said with a smile.

Scared witless, Mrs Liu had collapsed onto the ground the moment they were out of the house. She had been sobbing ever since. No matter how many times she wiped her tears away, she just couldn’t stop crying.

About ten minutes or so later, Chen Jing arrived at the scene with his men. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw everyone safe and sound outside of the mansion.

“Little Master, what happened?” he asked, walking over to Bai YiHan.

“By the time we arrived,” explained YiHan, “Yan Miao had taken someone hostage while the gas was left on. She planned on committing suicide and taking everyone with her. Thankfully, JingYuan and Mr Liu over there were able to seize control of the situation through their combined efforts. As for the overall story, we’d have to ask Uncle Yan.”

Captain Chen nodded in response and went to question the Yan family members on the situation.

“You’ve breathed in the toxic air in the house for quite a while,” YiHan worriedly said to the old Mr Yan. “It’s bad for the body. You’d better go to the hospital for a health check-up.”

“Yes, YiHan’s absolutely right,” Yan Cheng said to his father. He had his hands full but he still found the time to listen in on his father’s conversation. “I’ll arrange for someone to drive you to the hospital.”

Once the hectic aftermath of the incident died down, Miao was arrested for attempting murder, and detained pending trial. Cheng had everyone in the family go through a thorough check-up. Fortunately, no one was truly hurt. Kong Wen had been sliced on her neck. Fortunately, nothing vital was hurt and the wounds were mere scratches. Liu Yu’s wrists suffered some minor injuries, but those were nothing to him.

The old Mr Yan’s condition post-incident was the most reassuring of them all. He didn’t suffer another distress from Miao. It seemed as if he had really let go. In the old Mr Yan’s words, he had risked his life three times for her. He no longer had the guts to hold any expectations of her. Without any expectations, there naturally wouldn’t be any disappointment. No matter what she did now, she would never be able to hurt him anymore.

Fear rose in YiHan when he found out about how the two men had taken down Miao. If Liu Yu hadn’t broken free of his bindings and stopped Miao from starting a fire, everyone in the house, including JingYuan, would’ve been gone. The thought of the possibility made him break out in a cold sweat. He couldn’t even fall asleep anymore, insisting on hugging his entire body around JingYuan before he could fall asleep. Often, he’d wake up in the middle of the night to ensure his lover was still in his arms. During the day, he remained stuck to JingYuan’s side. Even if JingYuan was just working in his office, YiHan would move his chair over to sit by the other man, making sure their legs always touched. His actions were both moving and heart-wrenching for JingYuan.

With solid evidence, there was no doubt Miao attempted murder. She was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison as she had tried to commit arson and blow up her family at the same time. It was aggravated murder. She kicked up a fuss and adamantly filed an appeal. However, her appeal was rejected.

During one of the dinners Yan Hui and Zhang Su attended at Hui’s new home, Miao’s case was brought up in conversation. Zhang Su commented on the severity of Miao’s sentence while Hui let out a cold laugh that spoke volumes.

“That’s karma for her,” Yan cryptically said with a harrumph. “Perhaps her prison life would be equally rocky.” He paused. “Oh, right. I think her plan to set fire to the family home has frightened YiHan. I hear JingYuan was particularly upset about it. Hehe.”

Zhang Su and Xu YouRan exchanged glances and chuckled. The group then changed the subject with no further comment on Miao’s situation.

No matter how much Miao cursed them out and cried out about her family’s heartlessness, no one cared as something more important had popped up. It was mid-June. The four couples’ wedding day was finally here.

Because this wedding involved four different families and had plenty of guests, it was held on an open-air grass plain in the outskirts east of the city. The Yan family arranged for landscapists to flatten the area beforehand, returf it and install a pink rose hedge wall along the perimeter. On the wedding day, numerous bodyguards were stationed on the outside of the rose wall to ensure the safety of the guests and stars of the wedding and the success of the wedding. A huge stage was erected in the centre of the venue, indicating to all that this was a “ginormous” wedding.

YiHan had been fidgeting with nerves since the night before the wedding, constantly afraid that there might be a mishap or that he might perform badly. In the end, JingYuan had to frighten him to bed by commenting on how he might be an ugly groom if he had dark circles from sleep deprivation. YiHan hurriedly jumped in bed and screwed his eyes shut. JingYuan patted YiHan on the back as one would comfort a kid. When YiHan finally calmed down and fell asleep, JingYuan moved YiHan’s hand to his chest and let out a soft sigh.

“I’m nervous too, little one,” whispered JingYuan.

Fortunately, everything went well on the day of the wedding. As the musicians struck up the wedding march, four wedding couples slowly walked down their respective red carpets in a rain of flower petals. Arm in arm, they walked up to the stage. The only bride, Bai XueQing, was dressed in an intricate lace wedding veil. She looked exquisite in her make-up. Every move she made was elegant and poised. Her beauty was so overwhelming that no one dared to let their eyes linger too long on her. During the entire walk down the aisle, Chen TianYang dazedly stared at XueQing. If not for her arm around his, who knew where he would’ve walked to. The sight drew the occasional muffled chuckle from the crowd while his moth facepalmed and let out a soft, resigned chuckle of her own.

YiHan was dressed in a white suit, dark red tie and pocket square. Dressed in the exact same outfit but black, which emphasized his long legs, JingYuan’s face was solemn as he linked hands with YiHan.

On the other hand, Bai Yan wore white while Jiang Hua wore black. The two men were of similar height. Hence, when they walked down the aisle side by side, their appearances complemented each other, especially when one had a stern face on while the other looked so gentle and warm.

Yan Yan and YouRan were also dressed in black and white. Contrary to how Yan Yan’s usual dour appearance, he had a bright smile on. YouRan, however, had a very serious face on. He focused intently on every step he took.

The wedding went smoothly. The four couples made their vows simultaneously. Under the cover of the romantic flower shower, the sincere words “I do” spoken at the same time by four different voices warmed everyone’s heart. TianYang’s mother couldn’t resist facepalming again when she saw her foolish son’s hands fumbling and trembling during the ring exchange.

JingYuan solemnly slid the ring carved with the initials of their names onto YiHan’s ring finger.

“HanHan, I love you,” he whispered as he gently kissed YiHan on the forehead.

“I love you too, and only you. In life and in death, it will never change,” YiHan whispered back, nuzzling against his cheek.

“In life and in death,” JingYuan sighed as he pulled YiHan into his arms.

Influenced by JingYuan’s composed appearance during the entire ceremony, YiHan’s anxiety melted away. As for whether JingYuan truly felt as composed as he appeared, that was something only he and the gods knew.

After the ceremony ended and the party began, YiHan kept sensing someone’s stare following him around, never to stray from his back. However, every time he turned around to search for the stare’s owner, he would find nothing. But then again, he was one of the stars of the wedding. It was normal for people to focus on him. Thus, he stopped obsessing over the mysterious stare.

Once all the mingling and socializing were done, YiHan was starving. JingYuan loaded a plate full of food for him and found him a table on the edges of the party to eat at. Just then, Hui called for JingYuan to come over. YiHan waved his new husband off as he sat there gobbling down his food.

He was enjoying his meal when a shadow loomed over him. He looked up to find Qi MingYang smiling at him with a glass of wine in hand.

“I’m tired of standing, Little Master Bai,” said MingYang. “Could I sit here with you?”

Swallowing down his mouthful of food, YiHan wiped his lips with a napkin, sat up straight and answered, “Of course, you can. However, if you’re tired, we have many caravans over there where guests can rest in.”

MingYang placed his glass down on the table and moved to sit down opposite YiHan. His gaze bore into YiHan as he said, “It’s fine. I can just rest here for a while. It just so happens I can use this chance to chat with you.”

“Please, Mr Qi,” YiHan said with a smile, “talk away.”

“Little Master, why must you be so polite with me?” MingYang asked with a somewhat disappointed smile. “I just want to be friends. Is that so hard?”

“As I’ve said before, we belong to the same circles,” YiHan said, maintaining the same polite smile. “Naturally, we’re all friends.”

“And I’ve also said before that you don’t need to use polite niceties as an excuse,” MingYang said, looking right into YiHan’s eyes. “From the head of the Hidden Dragon to Xu YouRan, a nobody, it’s clear to see that you befriend others solely based on feelings. You care not for their family background. I truly wish to befriend you. Why must you simply reject me and keep me at a distance?”

YiHan’s smile vanished. “Since you’ve put it out in the open, I don’t need to be so polite then. Mr Qi, be honest. Do you approach me time after time because you want to be my friend or because you have another motive? You’ve also said that I make friends solely based on feelings, not family background. But we’re not close and I’m definitely not someone who can accept all who approach me.

“You are a complex man. Every move you make has a deeper meaning behind it. You are someone who will go on to do great things while I am just a mere peasant who only cares for my own plot of land. While my birthright and tie to JingYuan might be of use to you, I am unfortunately a man with no ambition. I don’t have a bright mind either. I can’t work with you on creating some grand empire together. Naturally, I wouldn’t dare to take up your time and energy.”

MingYang’s hand on the table twitched as if he wanted to reach out to YiHan, but he suppressed the urge. “You misunderstand me,” he glumly said, pulling his hand back. “I only want to be your friend. I have absolutely no intention on using you or some other ulterior purpose. I just…find it too lonely. I want to have a friend like you to whom I can have heartfelt talks with and a friendship where both parties would do anything to help and protect each other. I think that if I have someone like you by my side, I can definitely live out the rest of my life in joy.”

Linking his hands in front of him on the table, YiHan calmly responded, “If you find it lonely, why not be like me and find a lover you can be intimate with? Wouldn’t it be nice to support each other for life, never to betray the other? I believe that with your looks and family background, you can definitely have anyone you want, be they as a friend or as a lover. It didn’t need to be me, yes?”

Looking up, YiHan noticed JingYuan striding towards them from behind MingYang. He couldn’t help but smile. Did this man keep an eye on him every moment of the day?

“What if I hope it can be you and I only want it to be you?” MingYang muttered, eyes fixed on YiHan’s smile.

Before YiHan could do more than frown, JingYuan spoke up from behind MingYang, “Then, we can only say sorry to Mr Qi’s ‘hope’. After YiHan’s marriage to me, he would be very busy. We must eat our meals together, go to work together, go home together, and go on vacations together. He so very much wishes to spend every second by my side and wouldn’t have the time for anyone else. You’d best select someone else to be your friend. I believe that with your status, it shouldn’t be hard to make a friend.”

Translator’s Notes:

Aggravated murder: I am no lawyer and the author definitely wasn’t either. Do not take this statement at face value and research on local laws first.

Advent Calendar: Apologies for the delayed and missing Advent chapters. I had hoped to have everything translated before I post these chapters. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to translate the last arc of the story before Christmas. For now, and since this is a good place to leave off, Merry Christmas and enjoy the chapters. There’s less than 5 chapters left to the main story and the last arc/climax of the story is here. I’

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215. Perfect Chemistry

“You mean,” the old Mr Yan sighed, “I have to treat you like a child forever. I must give you everything you want. Whatever you do, no matter right or wrong, must be praised. I must fully support you in who you want to marry, be they the right or wrong man for you. I should give you all of my shares. No matter how old you are, you can do whatever you want. Your two brothers and sisters-in-law must also love you like I do. Your nieces and nephews must also give you unconditional love and respect. They must let you have your way. If you hit anyone, the other person cannot fight back. If they fight back, they’ll have wronged you. I must get you whatever you want no matter who it belonged to. I will only do right by you if I maintain that attitude until the day you become an old woman, until the day I die. Is that it?”

“Why must you sound so pitiful?” Yan Miao coldly scoffed. “I never asked you to do that. You can’t be the saintly father you claim to be, yet you insist you are one. Isn’t that hilarious? Even a kid knows to not speak of things they can’t do!”

“I’m no saint,” the old Mr Yan sighed. “When you three were young, I’ve always thought that boys can only mature if they grow up with some bumps and bruises. Girls, on the other hand, had to be cherished and spoiled. I didn’t think my sons who grew up bumping and bruising themselves would all be very filial while my one and only daughter grew up to be my debt to pay. Tell me. Who should I complain to?”

When Cheng heard his father speaking in such a bleak tone, he couldn’t help but speak up, “The grace of birthing and raising another is greater than anything else in the world. Miao, you have the nerve to talk big before Father as if he owed you everything. I told you, you’re a white-eyed wolf. But you didn’t like hearing that.”

Meanwhile, Bai YiHan had called Chen Jing right after getting off the phone with Pei. “I suspect something has happened to the old Mr Yan,” he said as soon as the call was answered. “I hope Captain Chen can head over to the Yan family home with a squad of men. I’m still not sure what’s going on exactly though. If my guess is wrong, I will personally apologise and compensate you and your men.”

YiHan then hung up and turned to Mu JingYuan. “Hurry. We must head to the Yan family home. I’m positive something bad has happened.”

JingYuan had already sped up the car upon hearing YiHan’s words to Chen Jing. “Why do you say that?” he solemnly asked.

YiHan’s face was dark and serious as he replied, “Pei’s voice sounded like she might be crying. What she said wasn’t right either. I’ll explain it to you later. I hope I’m only being paranoid.”

JingYuan nodded and floored the gas pedal. The car soared away towards the Yan family home.

The old Mr Yan had been languidly speaking with Miao. Time ticked by and it was soon past ten. The people lined up against the wall watched with wide eyes as JingYuan snuck out of the kitchen on socked feet. The man’s pupils dilated at the sight in the room. However, he soon snapped back to his senses and silently drew closer to Miao whose attention was still locked onto the old Mr Yan.

Nevertheless, Miao was on alert the entire time. She soon noticed something off about Mrs Liu’s gaze. She instinctively looked back but JingYuan was already close behind her. Upon seeing Miao turn around, JingYuan strode forward and reached out for the hand with the knife. At the same time, Liu Yu stomped hard on the ground and pushed himself forward towards Miao. Startled, Miao’s hand reflexively swung the knife at Kong Wen’s neck. However, JingYuan’s strong arm grabbed her by the wrist and squeezed hard. Miao shrieked. The bloody knife fell to the ground before being kicked away by JingYuan. Miao had the lighter on her other hand. She was going to light it up when her hand, and the lighter, was held in a tight grip by Liu Yu. The man clamped down on her ulnar nerve, rendering her arm immobile. Under these circumstances, Miao was no match for Liu Yu. She could do nothing but watch as Liu Yu pried the lighter out of her fist. The two men then pressed her down against the floor where she struggled, screamed and shrieked in a crazed manner.

YiHan was initially waiting outside, forbidden from entering the abode by JingYuan. Miao’s shrieks made YiHan fear that JingYuan couldn’t handle the crazed woman alone. Disobeying his lover’s orders, YiHan boosted himself into the house through the kitchen window. What he saw in the house shocked him. He hurriedly ran over to untie the group by the wall.

“I’ll untie everyone else,” Cheng said as soon as he was free. “Go and open all the windows and doors now!”

Having just came from outside, YiHan could sense the strong scent of gasoline. He nodded and dashed off to do as he was told.

Cheng released everyone else and joined YiHan in helping the old Mr Yan up. Cheng stretched out his body, numbed from being tied up for ages. He knelt down, thinking to give the old Mr Yan a piggyback ride. However, the old Mr Yan refused the offer.

“Everyone, out!” said the elderly man with a wave of his hand. “Cheng, leave me. Go help your wife!”

“I’m fine, Father,” Wen quickly responded. “These are only flesh wounds. Let’s hurry.”

“You two, come out as well!” YiHan called to JingYuan. “Bring Yan Miao with you!”

“Don’t worry,” JingYuan calmly said. “Hurry out. It’s not good to breathe in too much of this air.”

Miao was struggling so hard that Liu Yu decided to just tie her up with the leftover rope. He hoisted her up on his shoulder and ran out of the house beside JingYuan.

“Impossible!” Miao shouted repeatedly in disbelief. “Why would you be here? How did you find out?”

Now that everyone was out, YiHan stopped worrying and was in the mood to talk to Miao. “We have to wait for the house to air out and cleaned. It’s fine to have a little chat with you.”

Miao stared at YiHan, waiting for the answer.

“I promised Pei-Pei we’d visit Grandpa today. When I called her just now, her voice sounded wrong,” YiHan said, pride evident in his voice. “She’s always so lively and rambunctious. I’ve known her for so long yet I’ve never heard her talk to me with that kind of voice. Also, there’s what we talked about. It’s true that Grandpa Yan and I always trade losses and wins in our chess sessions. Last time was also different. However, it wasn’t Grandpa Yan who lost all of the matches. It was me with my bad luck. By the time I left, he was clearly in a good mood. Why would he feel unwell as soon as I left? If he wasn’t feeling well then, he definitely wouldn’t have waited until today to tell me not to come. He would’ve told me earlier. Furthermore, when I said I won’t play chess with Grandpa Yan anymore, Pei-Pei agreed to it way too fast. After all, she knows he loves our chess sessions. How can she not ask him for his opinion first? I intentionally said the opposite of what had happened but Pei-Pei kept going along with what I said. Combined with the unusual tone of her voice, of course, I can make a guess that she was talking to me while being threatened.”

Now that Pei was out of danger, she was back to her usual energetic self. “That’s right!” she loudly stated. “I was a little confused as to why YiHan said Grandfather kept losing the last time but then I saw Grandfather winking at me, so I reflexively just went along with whatever YiHan said.”

Miao turned to look at the old Mr Yan in incredulity. However, he didn’t look back at her. Instead, the old man patted YiHan on the shoulder.

“Little YiHan and I have a tacit understanding of each other,” said the old Mr Yan. “When I heard him lie about the chess session, I knew he had sensed something and was trying to probe for more information. Pei-Pei’s a smart girl as well. She instantly knew what I was trying to tell her.”

“Did you understand what I meant by my last sentence, Grandpa Yan?” YiHan turned and smiled at the old Mr Yan.

“Of course,” the old man guffawed. “You were telling me to not worry, that you’ve realised what was going on. You would be arriving around ten and I should try and stall for time.”

“We have perfect chemistry!” YiHan said, smiling.

“Little YiHan, you were so obvious,” said the old Mr Yan. “You and the wedding are both so important to JingYuan that he would never decide on wedding outfits alone. You’re also coming over. Unless he had something exceptionally important going on, he would most likely drive you here himself. Why would he go look at wedding outfits alone? Since that’s not logical, it naturally means you were telling me the time you’d arrive.”

Letting out a laugh, JingYuan commented, “You, sir, are wise and very discerning.”

The old Mr Yan let out a soft sigh and replied to JingYuan, “The only person I could never read is my daughter. Truthfully, I kind of knew what she was like. I just never wanted to believe it. I keep thinking she can change. Ping is right — indecisiveness leads to disaster. I’ve always been too soft on her. That’s why she had the chance to do this.”

“Too soft on me?” Miao broke out in harsh laughter. “Hahaha! So, I’m like this all because you were too soft on me?”

Stepping up to her, Cheng slapped her in the face and roared, “You decided every move you made! You said every single word yourself! You were the one who did the wrong thing! No one else is to blame!”

Miao was stunned by the slap. Not once in her entire life had Cheng laid a hand on her. “You would dare hit me?” she mumbled as she stared at him.

Breaking out laughing from rage, he responded, “You wanted to kill me. So what if I hit you? Well? Will you hate me? You hate me so much that you wanted me to die. It doesn’t matter if you despise me more.”

A bright red slap mark appeared on Miao’s cheek as she glared at Cheng.

“You have the courage to act so unrestrained all because you know deep down that we love you,” said Cheng. “You think you we should forgive you no matter what you do. However, there is a limit to everything. There’s also a line to my love for you. You can be ungrateful and never pay anything back. It’s fine. I am your big brother. At most, I’d feel a little disappointed and disheartened. But you shouldn’t have hurt Father repeatedly! You shouldn’t want to kill your own family! Since you wish us dead, we are enemies! Yan Miao, from today on, I reject you as part of the Yan family. I disown you as my sister. Whether you live or die, it doesn’t matter to me and it doesn’t matter to Father. He gave you life, but he doesn’t owe you an entire lifetime. Everyone has their own life to lead. Since you refused to listen to advice and went on the wrong path, you must bear the consequences. No one can save you from that.”

Tears streaked down Miao’s cheeks. Looking at her father who refused to even look at her, she knew her family truly didn’t want her anymore.

“You’re not bad,” JingYuan said to Liu Yu. “You actually broke free of the ropes yourself. Without you, we might’ve been in trouble today.”

“Mrs Liu was smart,” the other man said with a smile. “She shoved a knife into my hands. Unfortunately, it wasn’t sharpened. It took a lot of effort before I cut myself free. It even cost us the best chance we had in saving everyone.”

◄Previous • Index • Next►

214. Another Family Member Added

“I’m biting the hand that fed me?” asked Yan Miao. “Just who’s the confused one here? To think I still came back asking for help after being bullied. I trusted you and what did I get in return? You locked me up in my room just because I joined in on a little business venture. How are you any different to He Yuan?”

“Can that be considered a ‘little business venture’?” Yan Cheng loudly responded. “That is an inhumane trade!”

“Ah-Cheng, there’s no use talking to her about this,” the old Mr Yan interrupted. “You won’t get through to her. She only thinks about herself. Other people aren’t human to her. They’re things that can be categorised as either useful or useless.”

“See,” Miao angrily said. “No matter what happens, you guys only ever blame me. You would always push the blame on me. You know, between you and He Yuan, I despise you more! He had nothing to do with me. He only used me because he was black-hearted. But you are my family! I treated you like family. When I was in pain, I came to you first. What about you? You put on a kind face and said you’d give me some shares but then you’d take everything away from me just because of a simple, unimportant mistake! I have nothing now: no lover, no shares, no assets and no family. I hate you! I swore that I would make everyone who wronged me pay the price! I don’t want to live anyway. Haven’t you always said you love me, you cherish me? Why don’t we all die together?”

“You’re mad!” Kong Wen roared. “Yan Miao, you’re out of your mind! Your brother hasn’t done anything wrong by you! Let him go!”

“Wen, don’t speak!” the old Mr Yan barked.

As the elderly man expected, Miao flew off the handle the moment she heard Wen speak. “He hasn’t done anything wrong by me, but you?” Miao spat, hands clenching hard around Wen’s neck. “Ever since you married into our family, you’ve been antagonising me every single day. You drove a wedge between my brother and me. You taught Hui and the rest to stay away from me, to be hostile towards me. Wasn’t it all for what’s happening now? I have never done anything to you! Why must you do this to me?”

Wen’s neck pulsed in pain from the bleeding wounds Miao left and Miao’s strangling hold, yet the pain ignited the bloodlust in the woman who had been gentle and polite her whole life. She knew the old Mr Yan didn’t want her to speak because he was afraid she’d upset Miao further and cause more harm to herself.  However, Wen was feeling contrary now. She insisted on angering Miao.

“I have done nothing to you and I have never provoked anyone to do anything!” Wen hoarsely shouted as she struggled against Miao’s stranglehold. “On the contrary, you have always been hostile towards me! Your own actions are also why Hui and the other kids don’t like you! Why don’t you think about how you’ve treated them? From the day they were born until now, have you ever acted like a proper elder? Look around. Which kid must compromise and make way for their aunt? Which kid had to let their aunt have anything nice, be it food or toy? No matter what relationship it is, one must always give before they can take! You don’t act like an aunt, yet you want to be respected as an aunt. Dream on!”

“They are boys,” Miao shrieked. “I might be in an older generation but I’m not much older than them! Why should I yield to their wants?”

“What about Pei-Pei then?” Wen kept pushing. “Pei-Pei is the youngest and she’s also a girl. Even so, you still fight with her over anything that catches your eye. Not only that, but you also had to upstage her. You are her aunt. Why don’t I see you doing anything for her? Why must she be close to you?”

“I’m only her aunt, not her mother,” Miao said, glaring back at Wen. “Why should I be nice to her?”

“You are so right,” Wen said. “You’re only their aunt, not their mother. Why should the children be nice to you?”

Cheng’s heart hurt at the sight of his wife who refused to keep talking even though she was on the brink of death. He understood his wife had been suppressing herself for so long that she couldn’t stop once she started.

“Wen, stop,” Cheng said, voice trembling. “She’s mad. She won’t listen to you. Why…”

“There certainly won’t be an understanding reached here,” Miao heatedly said. “We might as well all just die here then. There won’t be any grudges left unresolved then!”

“When I was in the kitchen just now,” Miao said, smiling as she pulled out a lighter, “I turned on the stove and left the gas on. Combined with the oil I’d just spilt, one little spark and all of us will be sent to the otherworld!”

Liu Yu took a few deep breaths. If the worst happened, he could go berserk. He wouldn’t have time to think too much. One life saved was better than nothing.

The old Mr Yan turned to calmly look at the man. That glance calmed Liu Yu’s agitation. He knew the elderly man wouldn’t give up on saving Kong Wen. If he moved now, Miao would drag Wen down to hell. Liu Yu let out a large exhale. He had to calm down and find another opportunity.

Just then, someone knocked on the front doors. “Grandfather, I’m here!” a young girl’s voice joyfully called out.

Miao’s gaze sharpened. As a big smile spread across her face, Cheng’s heart dropped.

“Pei-Pei, run!” Cheng shouted.

Liu Yu had his eyes trained on Miao’s hands. The moment her knife left Wen’s neck, he will take Miao down. However, while Miao’s eyes bore into the doors, her knife remained stuck to Wen’s bloody neck.

“Brother, you’d best not to scream and shout too much,” Miao softly said. “What if my hands shake? Your wife’s neck will be bleeding.”

Pei heard nothing of what’s going on inside. When no one answered the door, she pulled out her copy of the mansion’s keys and opened the door herself.

Upon hearing the door unlock, Cheng and the old Mr Yan both sighed.

Pei locked the door behind her. The sight that greeted her after walking past the foyer drew a shriek out of her mouth.

“Aunt, what are you doing?” Pei screamed, taking a few steps back.

“Behave, Pei-Pei,” said Miao. “Since you’re here, you can accompany us.” Miao gestured to the knife in her hand. “As usual, throw your phone away.”

Pei was terrified to the point of tears at the sight of her grandfather and uncle tied up together while her aunt’s neck was covered in blood. Her hands were trembling as she pulled her phone out of her bag. She was about to put it on the floor when it suddenly rang. Startled, Pei’s hands accidentally pressed on the button to answer the call.

“Pei-Pei, are you there yet?” YiHan asked over the phone. “Tell Grandpa Yan that I’ll be there soon.”

With the call answered, Miao didn’t dare speak too loudly in case Bai YiHan realised something was wrong. Glaring at Pei, she moved her knife closer to Wen’s neck and mouthed, “Go on speakerphone and tell him to go back.”

Blood flowed once more from Wen’s neck. Frightened, Pei did as she was told and put YiHan on speaker.

“It’s fine!” Pei loudly replied. “You don’t need to come!”

Miao bared her teeth at Pei in a wicked grin. Tears streaked faster down Pei’s cheeks.

“What is it?” YiHan asked. “Didn’t we promise Grandpa to play chess with him today?”

“Grandfather, he…” Pei did her best to speak calmly without crying, too afraid her voice would betray her. “He doesn’t feel well. The doctor said he needs to rest. He said you don’t need to come now.”

“What?” gasped YiHan. “He was feeling well a few days ago. Why is he sick now? When did it happen?”

“He was unwell not long after you left last time,” Pei said. “It’s nothing major but the doctor said he had to rest in peace and quiet. Guests are discouraged.”

“Oh, I see,” YiHan said. There was a moment of pause before he continued, “Is it because he was too emotional during our last chess session?”

Pei stared at her aunt’s neck while working hard to make her voice sound normal. “P-Perhaps.”

There was another pause on YiHan’s end. “I understand. We’ve always traded losses and wins during our chess sessions, but he kept losing last time. Maybe he was too wound up from then. His heart isn’t in the best health. It would fall ill occasionally. That’s my fault. When I visit him in the future, I’ll try to stay away from chess so that he doesn’t get so agitated.”

Pei’s teary eyes blinked. “Okay,” she said, glancing at the old Mr Yan whose eyes were shining brightly. “The doctor also said that he shouldn’t be playing these games since he has a bad heart.”

“Okay, then,” said YiHan. “I won’t be visiting today. JingYuan had an appointment with the wedding outfit designer at ten. I’ll go sit in as well. I wonder if it’ll be too late if I rush over now. Tell Grandpa Yan to rest well. Everything will get better. Relax.”

Pei turned to look at the clock on the wall. It was nine-fifty. Looking back down at her grandfather who winked at her, she gently gnawed on her lower lip in thought.

“No problem,” Pei said into the phone, nodding her head emphatically. “You won’t be late. Go on. See you.”

“See you,” YiHan said before hanging up.

“You did well in making him go back,” Miao chuckled. She cocked her head at the remaining loose rope on the floor. “Now, throw the phone aside and tie yourself up as well.”

Pei slowly shuffled over, picked up the rope and tied her hands up. She glanced up at Miao before tying her hands up. She moved over to sit down by her grandfather’s feet.

“Alright,” said Miao, “that’s another family member added. When we’re down there, we can be one big happy family. No one would be lonely. How nice.” She sniffed the air, sensing the faint taste of gasoline. A crazed smile appeared on her face. “Very good. With this amount of gas in the air, I only need to wait a few more minutes before a single spark and then, bang! Any and all grudges will vanish into thin air.”

The old Mr Yan hadn’t felt like talking to Pei in the first place but, at this moment, he actually responded, “Miao, I don’t know just why or how we’ve come to this. Tell me. What must I do to be considered to have done well by you?”

“What must you do?” Miao asked. “You did so well when I was a kid, but when I grew up, you began to dislike me. Nothing I did was right to you. You distanced yourselves even further after I was married. Every time I came asking for help, you’d sigh and lecture me first. I know you didn’t want to help me at all. Every time you helped, you only gave as much help as I asked for. If I don’t come begging, you would never help me on your own accord. I know I haven’t been visiting home often after my marriage, so you were slowly enticed by Kong Wen to her side. And then there’s Hui and the others. They are your grandchildren after all. They would be closer to you than I ever could, right? Your love for me slowly disappeared but you still insisted you loved me and cherished me. Frankly, you were lying the entire time!

“You’d help me with some minor, inconsequential matters. However, when the Bai, Chen and Mu families ganged up on me, all of you turned into cowards. You shrank back into your shell while pushing me out alone to deal with them. From then on, I knew that my family, my father, my brother are all unreliable! Still, I had hope deep down. After I discovered He Yuan’s scandalous nature, he locked me up. The first thing I did upon my escape was coming to you. But you? You actually locked me up just like He Yuan did over some insignificant people! You even stole away my shares and assets! Father, I didn’t want to hate you but how can I not after how you’ve treated me?”

Translator’s Note:

Apologies for the missing updates for the advent. I was caught up in a reading binge. Have some extra chapters to make up for it.

◄Previous • Index • Next►

213. Bite the Hand That Feeds You

“If anyone runs away, I’ll stab right through her neck!” Yan Miao screeched. Her hand swiped down and Kong Wen’s neck, delicate and well taken care of, was marred by a thin line of blood.

Yan Cheng nearly fainted from fright. “Yan Miao!” he hollered. “Don’t you dare!”

“I don’t have anything anymore,” Miao said, grinning wide. “I was even locked up by you, my so-called family. What wouldn’t I dare to do, my dear brother?”

Compared to Cheng, the old Mr Yan appeared much calmer. He slowly stood up from the foyer stool. “Yan Miao,” he asked, “do you know what you’re doing?”

“Of course I do,” replied Miao. “I’ve been preparing a long time for this day. I’ve torn off my skin sharpening this toothbrush. Father, don’t you love me the most? Look at my hands. Does your heart not ache for me?”

The old Mr Yan stepped forward, partially blocking Cheng’s body from Miao’s view. One of his hands formed the shape of a phone behind his back as he answered, “Miao, I’ve loved you for half of my life, even when you only ever cared for He Yuan, even when you refused to visit me as I was ill and near death, even when I was thoroughly disappointed in you. However, I still ensured you had justice when you were bullied. I was even going to transfer my shares to you so that you could be happy. Is this how you’ll repay me?”

When Cheng saw his father’s hand gesture, his mind finally calmed down. He silently reached his hand into his pocket for his phone. However, it was impossible to accurately call anyone on a phone that operated solely on touch screen without looking down at it. All Cheng could do was call the last person he had contacted via muscle memory. Before he was certain he had pressed on the “dial” button, he heard Miao call out.

“Cut the chatter,” said Miao. “Both of you, throw out your phones. Then, all of you move to the wall! We can continue reminiscing later. Hurry!”

When Cheng stayed still, Miao pressed down once more on Wen’s neck with her sharpened toothbrush. “Are you calling someone?” she shouted. “Throw your phone away! Now!”

Cheng was helpless. He had to pull out his phone and throw it away. Miao’s sharp eyes instantly noticed the lit-up screen of his phone.

“You were actually calling someone!” she shrieked. “Don’t you want your wife to live?”

Cheng’s eyes slid shut. He could only cut off the call and throw the phone aside. The old Mr Yan heaved a sigh and threw his phone to the floor as well.

“Now, everyone to the wall with your hands up!” Miao shouted.

“Yan Cheng!” Wen called out. “Why are you taking Father away from here? She can’t stop you!”

“If you dare run, I will kill her!” Miao coldly stated. “Brother, I definitely can’t stop you if you were to run. Now, you have a choice before you. Your father or your wife?”

Cheng clenched his jaw. “Yan Cheng, are you mad?” Wen loudly interrupted. “She’s crazy! Even if you stay, she might not let me go! You and Father might even die here!”

Cheng looked at the two bright red lines of blood on his wife’s neck. His eyes went red. The old Mr Yan had already started shuffling towards the wall.

“Father!” Wen shouted.

The old Mr Yan patted his son on the shoulder. “Are you a fool? There are no knives by the wall. What can happen to us by standing near there? If you step through those doors, your wife will be dead. Wen’s right. Miao’s gone insane. She was already prejudiced against Wen. I guarantee she would really do it.”

“Father, you are so right,” Miao laughed.

Tears streamed down Wen’s cheeks as she whispered, “Father…”

“You are a good kid,” the old Mr Yan warmly said. “I’m an old man. It would be worth it, even if I have to give my life in exchange for yours. Don’t be scared. Cheng and I will save you.”

Miao said nothing. She merely smirked.

Once everyone was standing by the wall, Miao spoke, “Mrs Liu, go find a rope and tie them all up now.”

Mrs Liu had been sobbing softly the entire time. She glanced at the old Mr Yan, afraid to move.

“Go,” the old Mr Yan said. Only then did Mrs Liu have the courage to walk to the storage room, legs trembling the whole way.

Worried for his wife while also afraid that his father might get too agitated, Cheng’s face was no longer an expression that could be simply described as unpleasant.

As if he knew what Cheng was thinking, the old Mr Yan calmly said to his son, “Don’t worry about me. She’s no longer my daughter. What is there to be angry about?”

“Have you ever thought of me as your daughter?” Miao scoffed. “Who would lock their own daughter up?”

Cheng was about to shout back in rage when the old Mr Yan pressed a hand firmly down on his shoulder. 

“There’s no need to talk to her about this anymore,” said the old Mr Yan. “You can’t get through to her.” He then sat down on a chair Cheng had dragged over before looking up at Miao. “There’s also no need to speak of father-daughter love between us anymore. Now, tell me. Just what do you plan to do? You should know that after this, we can no longer coexist in peace.”

“You’re not going to play the love card now?” Miao coldly asked. “Very well. I don’t want to hear your hollow reasoning anymore. As for my goal today, well, you’ll know soon enough.”

As the two conversed, Mrs Liu had returned with a bundle of nylon rope in her arms.

“Good,” said Miao. “Now, tie them all up.”

Mrs Liu glanced at the old Mr Yan once more.

“Tie us,” the old Mr Yan said with a nod.

Mrs Liu slowly shuffled over. Her conflicted emotions clear in her eyes. 

“Wen is still in her grasp,” the old Mr Yan softly said. “She’s gone mad. Don’t aggravate her.”

Tears flowed down Mrs Liu’s cheeks once more. As she cried, she began unwinding the bundle of rope.

“Tie up that Liu guy, the guard, first,” Miao said. “Then, Cheng. Tie them all up in a chain. Make it tight. Hurry up.”

After the old Mr Yan’s words, Mrs Liu no longer dared to dawdle for fear of enraging Miao. She had to tie up Liu Yu but she didn’t know how to tie someone up. All she could do was tie the man’s hands behind his back before looping the rope around him several times and tying a knot. When her arms reached behind the man, she sneakily stuffed something small into Liu Yu’s hands. The man merely turned his hand to hold the object tightly in his fist, face as still as ever. It was a small pocket knife, the kind that’s not very sharp and was actually akin to a child’s toy. It was a toy Yan Hui had played with as a naughty kid. When Wen found her son playing around with something so dangerous, she confiscated it and lectured the boy hard. The knife was handed to Mrs Liu for disposal. However, Mrs Liu couldn’t bear to throw it away. It was an intricate pocket knife that was also liked by Hui. In the end, she left it on a shelf in the corner of the storage room. When Mrs Liu went for rope, she suddenly remembered the pocket knife and secretly brought it back. Thankfully, the knife was so tiny that an adult’s fist didn’t look off while holding it.

Through teary eyes, Mrs Liu tied up Cheng and the old Mr Yan as per Miao’s orders. However, she tied their hands in the front instead.

“Tie your hands up as well,” said Miao.

Mrs Liu did not hesitate this time. She looped the rope around her hands several times and tied a double knot with the help of her teeth.

“Not bad,” Miao said, satisfied. “Throw me the end of the rope now.”

Mrs Liu did as commanded. Miao walked closer to the group with Wen and pressed Wen into a chair. She then tied the woman up using the rope. Letting out a sigh of relief, she disappeared into the kitchen before reappearing with a fruit knife and a jug of oil.

Miao slashed the jug open before throwing it on the floor. She then walked back to Wen.

“You know what I want to do now, right?” Miao said, smiling as she mimed slashing Wen’s face and neck over and over again with the knife.

Liu Yu had been trying to cut the rope off with the pocket knife since the moment he had his hands on it. However, Miao was a very alert woman. He didn’t dare be too obvious about his actions. Not only that, but the knife was also too small and too blunt. It was the kind of knife that never had an edge to it. It was a difficult task. When he saw Miao entering the kitchen without Wen, Liu Yu knew it was the perfect opportunity. He worked so hard that his veins were popping. Even so, the pocket knife was too weak. He couldn’t complete the task by the time Miao had returned. When he finally cut the ropes off, Miao had returned to Wen’s side once more. Liu Yu’s teeth were grinding against each other with fury but he didn’t dare let it show. Fortunately, he wasn’t tied up now. The ropes had yet to fall apart because he was holding them taut. They could wait for another chance to appear.

“Brother, look at the men you hire,” Miao mockingly laughed upon seeing the thin sheen of sweat on Liu Yu’s face. “The old man hasn’t even reacted but your man has already broken out in a cold sweat. How can he be trusted with that attitude?”

Cheng turned to look at Liu Yu. They were sitting next to each other but Cheng’s seat was slightly further back. From his angle, he could see the cut ropes in Liu Yu’s hands, held tightly to prevent them from falling. In one of those fists was a tiny, intricate toy knife. Blood stained the ends of the rope and the knife. The other man must’ve hurt his wrists in the heat of the moment.

Cheng turned back to Miao and calmly replied, “At least, he knows gratitude. He has never made a mistake in working for me.”

A chuckle burst out of Miao’s lips. “That’s because he’s paid. If you don’t pay him, would he still obey you?”

Glancing at the blade Miao held against Wen’s neck, Cheng darkly said, “Father raised you from the moment you were born. He didn’t just give you money. He even taught you the basics of humanity. Whatever you wanted, he’d provide as long as it was possible for him. When you create trouble, he cleans up your messes. I’ve never once seen you obey him. Instead, you bite the hand that feeds you. If you ever took a word of his to heart, you wouldn’t have fallen from grace this badly.”

“He is my father,” Miao coldly laughed. “You are my brother. Isn’t it your duty to do that for me? If you don’t want to raise me, be good to me, then don’t give birth to me.”

“People say that one can never grow to truly appreciate their parents without raising a child first,” Cheng said. “You have children but you still don’t appreciate your parents. Do you treat Ying-Ying and He Rong like Father treats you? From the moment you gave birth to them, you left them to the nannies. When you’re happy, you’ll hold them for a few minutes. When you’re upset, you’ll throw them to one side and just do whatever you usually do. The two children’s existence had no effect on your daily activities. It’s as if you just gained two new toys. Well? You gave birth to them. Shouldn’t you be good to them?”

“What kind of family are we?” Miao loudly rebuked. “We have a horde of nannies and servants. Must I take care of the children too? They never lacked anything. How am I bad?”

“Yes,” said Cheng, “they lacked nothing. But how much time have you spent by their sides? This year, Ying-Ying is already ten. Have you ever paid attention to how she grew up? Why don’t you think about what your childhood was like? You were always clinging to Father. If he has to work, you’ll cry and shout. You made a mess of his stationery and filled his paper with doodles. He was unable to fulfil your sudden request to go to the theme park due to work, so you intentionally broke the blue and white pot he loved the most. There are countless similar occurrences. Has he ever scolded you, blamed you? If it were you and Ying-Ying instead, could you have held back your temper? All in all, you’re just selfish and cold-hearted in your core. You hold double standards when it comes to how you should be treated compared to how others should be treated. It doesn’t matter how you treat everyone else, but no matter how nice other people were to you, they would be hated forever if they didn’t grant your wishes just once. You are a living example of what people call white-eyed wolves that can never be tamed. Don’t speak as though everyone has wronged you. You are where you are now because of your own actions. What right do you have to begrudge Father?”

◄Previous • Index • Next►

212. Shake-up

Jolted back to his senses by Kong Wen’s shout, Yan Cheng frantically called for an ambulance. The couple didn’t dare move the old Mr Yan. They left him on top of Kong Wen until the paramedics arrived. The ambulance’s siren echoed throughout the city as the old Mr Yan was once more sent into the emergency theatre.

A few hours of emergency surgery later, the old Mr Yan was admitted to the ICU. Cheng and Wen sat outside in the hallway, bodies slumped over as strength left their bodies. Everyone in the Yan family was there, except Yan Miao. Even Bai YiHan and Mu JingYuan had rushed over. Cheng, a tough man through and through, finally lost control. Right before everyone’s eyes, he broke down sobbing as he held on tight to his wife, who was still in shock herself. Yan Ping sent his men to put Miao under house arrest. She was forbidden from visiting the old Mr Yan.

The old Mr Yan eventually recovered from the brink of danger a few days later. He was transferred to a normal ward where he’d stay for another month. Cheng stayed by his side the entire time, taking care of his father in every way including helping the elderly man relieve himself, wiping his father down and feeding the old Mr Yan. He never allowed anyone else to help out. Wen and Ping knew that Cheng was scared beyond his wits and still feeling guilty, so they didn’t try and fight him on it.

Cheng handed the flash drive to Ping who personally arranged for that shady “club” to be taken down. However, for the sake of Ping’s career, Miao’s involvement was kept secret. As for what would happen to Miao, the family had been debating non-stop about it. Unable to come to a conclusion, they had only placed her under house arrest with all of her shares and assets taken away. She was even more bankrupt than He Yuan. Miao began to cry and shout in her room every single day. She even went on a hunger strike. Upon noticing everyone ignoring her, she slowly calmed herself down.

It was nearly April by the time the old Mr Yan was healthy enough to be discharged from the hospital. By then, there was a new piece of shocking news in the city: the city’s university was moving.

The university was originally located in the middle of the city. It occupied a great deal of land but it was hard for them to expand any further. Furthermore, many of the campus buildings were old and required maintenance. The board decided to secretly purchase some land in the southern districts to rebuild their campus. The land was double the size of the original campus so as to provide for the university’s needs. In support of the city’s education sector, the city officials have started up two new public transport lines to the area. With various development projects like road expansions planned, the southern district’s restructuring was off to a blazing start.

The Yan family was the first to know. However, with JingYuan’s previous act of “lighting the beacons and pranking the nobles” for Bai YiHan’s happiness, JingYuan and the Bai family had taken more than half of the properties in the southern districts. By the time the Yan family acted, only a few properties remained in the edges of the district. With the Bai and Mu families working together, they could’ve bought everything in the area. However, JingYuan felt that they shouldn’t be too extreme. Everything would be fine if the southern district remained useless, but if YiHan was right and the area became a “treasure” in the future, it would be considered rude of them to leave nothing for everyone else. The properties they had acquired were already enough to make YiHan jump with joy. They had enough. The Yan family might’ve been hit with problem after problem, but they weren’t bad judges. Even if most of the profits had been taken and there were only scraps left behind, they wouldn’t turn their nose up on it. They were able to purchase the remaining lands before anyone else could act.

When the news was publicly announced, countless property developers swarmed to the area. Those who acted early and snapped up any ounce of scrap left would be beaming with ecstasy. Those unfortunate enough to miss out would be left fantasising and sighing at how no one could ever compete with the shrewdness of great families. After all, they were big for a reason.

The Chen and Qi families were left behind. If they couldn’t obtain large pieces of land, they wouldn’t bother scavenging for scraps with the crowd.

At the end of everything, the city’s hierarchy had been reshuffled. The Bai and Mu families were initially weaker than the Yan family. They were only able to stand on an equal footing to the Yan family due to their close friendship and years of helping each other. When YiHan and JingYuan’s engagement was announced, the two families showed signs of growing stronger than the Yan family as the Bai and Mu families were nearly joined by then. In the restructuring of the southern district, the Bai and Mu families profited most. Their net worth grew even higher. In a blink, they had turned into the most powerful families in the city. The Yan families acted swiftly, Combined with their deep roots in the city, the Yan family was right behind the two families in terms of influence. Next came the Chen family. While they weren’t able to obtain any lands, they had Bai XueQing.

Not only did XueQing own shares in the Bai Group, but she also played a big role in purchasing land in the southern district. This was a collaboration between the Bai and Mu families. The Bai family provided the finances while JingYuan provided manpower. XueQing was also a shareholder in this project. As the Bai and Chen families’ wedding day grew closer, the Bai family had stated that XueQing would be bringing with her everything that was hers. Furthermore, she would be bringing a few properties in the southern districts with her as her dowry. Of course, included in her dowry were many more minor assets here and there.

This series of events gave a big slap to the face of those who were jealous of the Bai family and how they’d used two children to garner the support of two up and coming powerful men. The Bai family wasn’t using their daughter to entice the Chen family. Instead, the Chen family had found gold!

The addition of XueQing to the Bai family was akin to giving a tiger wings, making them stronger than before. Of the original Five Great Families, the only family who gained nothing out of the restructuring was the Qi family. While they were weaker before, it wasn’t obvious. After such a major shake-up, the other four families had strode forward while the Qi family was left standing where they were. Although the other families still couldn’t compete with the Qi family, it still left a big gap between the Qi family and the other four. Now, people only said there were five great families in the city merely to be polite to the Qi family. Of course, other power struggles are happening in the city. The He family was exterminated. The Feng and Li families were too scared to do anything but lay low. Naturally, someone else would be there to fill in the holes left behind. In April that year, some rejoiced while others wept.

In all honesty, the person who benefited the most from the restructuring was Bai YiHan, as it was YiHan who proposed purchasing property in the southern district. JingYuan initially thought this purchase would most likely lead to no profits or losses. In order to make YiHan happy, he registered most of the purchases under YiHan’s name. If the gamble paid off, the profits would go to YiHan. The younger man would be ecstatic then and he could gain some pocket money. If the gamble failed, then it’d be JingYuan’s loss. He’ll sneakily pay back the losses incurred. JingYuan never imagined the gamble could’ve paid off this much. YiHan owned nearly half the shares in this project. YiHan’s net worth rose as fast as the high tides crashing in. Solely based on this project, YiHan would be able to live in luxury for several lifetimes, even if he lost JingYuan or the Bai family in the future.

JingYuan turned to look at YiHan. The young man was sitting on the sofa. As he read through his novel and munched on some chips, he’d occasionally look up to shoot JingYuan a goofy smile. JingYuan let out a soft chuckle, shoulders shaking up and down. What was this meant to be? Fool’s luck?

YiHan looked at JingYuan and tilted his head. The other man looked so handsome when he was smiling. 

“What has made you so happy that you’re smiling like that?” YiHan asked, subconsciously chuckling as well.

“Come here,” said JingYuan, stretching one hand out.

YiHan placed down his potato chip and wiped his hands clean with a wet wipe. “What is it?” he asked, walking over to the older man.

“Do you know what has changed with you?” JingYuan asked, holding the other man by the hand.

YiHan’s eyes darted down to look at himself. “No. What is it?” he asked. He pinched himself on the waist. “Have I grown fat?” he dejectedly asked. “I’ve told you to not give me so much food. You insisted on letting me eat!”

JingYuan grabbed YiHan’s hands, preventing the younger man from tormenting his own waist. “You have not,” JingYuan said, laughter evident in his voice. “Nothing has happened. You’re fine as you are.”

“Really?” YiHan asked, giving JingYuan a sceptical look. “Don’t try to pacify me. I’m a man. Even if I’ve really grown fat, I won’t collapse from shock.”

“It’s true,” JingYuan solemnly said. “I guarantee you, I am the authority on whether you have grown fat.”

“Then, what has changed with me?” YiHan asked.

JingYuan held YiHan’s hands and looked into the younger man’s bright and confused eyes. He then let out another chuckle before leaning his forehead against the younger man’s stomach.

“I misspoke,” JingYuan softly said. “You haven’t changed. You haven’t changed at all.”

YiHan looked down in bewilderment at the man who had abruptly gone emotional and was rubbing his cheeks against YiHan’s stomach.

***

In the middle of May, the weather grew warmer. Mrs Liu, a servant of the Yan family, brought the tray of food up to the innermost room on the second floor. The man guarding the door opened the door. Sighing, Mrs Liu stepped in while the man closed the door behind her.

Not long after, a shriek could be heard from within. The man was about to open the door when Mrs Liu dashed out.

“The Third Miss has committed suicide!” shouted Mrs Liu. “Someone, help! She’s killed herself!”

Wen just so happened to be heading up the stairs then. “What did you say?” she gasped in shock.

“Miss Miao has committed suicide!” Mrs Liu said, panicking.

Wen quickly walked into the room to find Miao all dressed up and lying still on the bed. There were a few empty bottles of medicine messily strewn about the bedside table.

Startled, Wen hurriedly walked to Miao. She was about to check if the other woman was still alive when the man at the door noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

“Madam, don’t go near her!” he hollered.

Wen was taken aback. By the time she wanted to retreat back to the door, it was too late. Miao leapt out of bed. The hand that was hiding by her side was actually holding a sharpened toothbrush!

Miao wrapped an arm around Wen’s neck and aimed the sharpened end of the toothbrush at Wen’s throat. “My dear sister-in-law, you’d best not move,” Miao coldly said. “Otherwise, don’t blame me if this pierces your throat.”

The guard who had taken two steps forward upon realising the situation halted. His two eyes bore into the weapon in Miao’s hand.

“You too. Behave,” Miao said, looking up at the man. “Take one more step and I’ll tear a hole in her throat!”

Mrs Liu was stunned. “T-T…” she stammered, “Third Miss, you…”

“There, there, Mrs Liu,” Miao “gently” said. “Thank you for being concerned for me. You summoned my sister-in-law without even checking if I’m dead. You’ve helped me. I won’t forget you. Now, all of you, throw away your phones and raise up your hands. Then, walk back out.”

Mrs Liu stared at Wen, sobbing as her trembling hands threw her phone on the floor. Her quivering feet shuffled backwards. The guard had no other choice. He could only throw his phone away as well and slowly backed out of the room. 

Miao held onto Wen as she forced the other two to walk backwards down the stairs. Downstairs, Cheng and the old Mr Yan had just returned from their stroll outside. Cheng was helping his father out of his shoes when his father suddenly patted him hard on the shoulder. He looked up to find his father glaring at something behind Cheng. He looked back. The sight made Cheng’s brain buzz with shock!

Wen had only just been feeling thankful that the two men were out of the house. She didn’t think they’d return just as this was happening. She couldn’t hesitate.

“Cheng!” she shouted. “Get Father out of here!”

Translator’s Note:

Lighting the beacons and pranking the nobles: An idiom/quote from an old story. There once was a queen who rarely laughed. In an attempt to hear her laugh, the king pranked his vassal subjects/nobles by lighting the emergency beacons when there were no enemies to fight. The sight of the baffled nobles made the queen burst out laughing. Since then, the king would frequently prank his subjects using the beacons. When war eventually came and the emergency beacons were lit for an actual emergency, no one came to help, for the king’s subjects had all lost trust in the beacons.

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