《Fatal Attraction: The CEO &amp; His Mischievous Wife》


 Chapter 1 - When Fate Literally Hits You In The Face

    The spring breeze raked through the city as the sun set casting an ominous shadow. It was a typical Wednesday in City E, however, a storm was brewing in a specific building.

    "Have you found him." A deep voice spoke as his body emitted dangerous energy.

    His secretary, despite being by his side for years, was crying on the inside from the pressure his boss was showing him.

    "Yes. Yes sir we have, according to our intel he will be making his routine jog through harbour street." Lei Shufen stood rigid in front of his boss, sweat dropping down his neck awaiting his next orders.

    "Remember the plan, we strike tonight." Han XiLong turned around and stared out into the city. His eyes turned dark as he gazed into the impeding darkness as a wry smile curled up on his face.

    ''The Hunt begins and it begins tonight.''

    Meanwhile on the other side of the city a certain woman was quietly walking through the streets, blending into the background with her head down. Her worn out sneakers hit the cement as she took long but powerful strides towards the harbour. Jiang Ying Yue wasn''t in a particular rush but these were streets you never wanted to linger in too long. Her eyes glanced cautiously around her as she made sure no one was following her.

    As she walked forward into a narrow lane she sensed three men hiding. ''Heh.'' She laughed inwardly at the lack of stealth these men possessed, she could tell quickly that these men weren''t trained - probably local thugs who thought they could rob her. Without altering them she noticed their presence, she kept her stance maintaining her pace. As she took her fifth step forward she saw a bulky man step in front of her.

    "Well look who we caught. Little missy don''t worry we won''t hurt you as long as you give us everything you have. Aren''t we nice men." He spoke with a crooked smile as he gazed at the woman in front of him. Her hood covered most of her face but her beauty couldn''t be hidden. Just through her small body and silky black hair sticking out he was feeling his smile get bigger. ''Heh, even if she can give money I must try her out tonight.''

    "Listen missy, if you don''t have money I don''t mind. Just stay with us tonight and we''ll take that as payment. What do you say." He glanced at his two friends standing behind her just in case she ran. But surprisingly, she did not make a sound, her head did not even raise from its lowered position.

    With that he stepped forward a blade in his hands, seeing her demure position he reached towards her hood ready to grab her hair and expose her identity. But right before he could touch her, the knife in his hands was quickly taken away and plunged into the neck of his friend. The second man went down just as quick with three small taps on his forehead. Blinking, he was stunned at how fast everything happened and before he could even process anything his head was bashed into the floor with a foot pressing it down. Sweat trickled down his back as he realized she was no ordinary woman.

    "Who are you, let me go you wench, I''m going to kill you! I''m going to kill - "

    A dark chuckle rang through the air cutting him off. YingYue was amused that this man still tried to threaten her while it was her foot on his head right now. Pressing her foot down harder she leaned down to the man. Releasing her suppressed energy she stared him in the eyes, her cold sinister eyes piercing him.

    "Mhm. You''ll kill me how? Like how I just killed your two friends?"

    The man blanched at her words, the sight of his two friends on the floor behind her scaring him further.

    "Hehe. Don''t worry I didn''t kill them ...yet. I don''t want any trouble disappear from my sight and this city right now and I''ll let you live. But if I see you again...well I guess I''ll just have to slit your throats and feed you to my dogs."

    Pressing deeply one more time she knocked the man out and once again contained her dark energy reducing her to grey-man*. Walking away with the three men knocked out she glanced at her watch ''9:00 p.m., I wasted my time playing with them and now I''m behind schedule.'' YingYue hated being late as she was raised remembering the importance of time - one second could be the difference between life and death. Speeding up her walk she calculated the amount of time it would take her to reach her destination.

    ''15 minutes more, too long.'' Remembering a shortcut through a dark alley she made a turn and headed down the pathway. Pulling her hoodie closer towards her body she breathed in the salty scent only the harbour could bring. Intending to speed up into a jog she bent her body forward as her senses went on red alert. Quiet but fast steps were heard behind her as they were quickly catching up with her. Analyzing the situation she could sense only one man but her senses kept telling her something was wrong. She would not be this alert if it was only one man.

    Taking a deep breath in, she felt a presence right behind her as they reached towards her. She quickly turned and used a roundhouse kick to surprise attack the man who dared to attack her first.

    As she swung around with force, her kick aimed for a head, it was suddenly stopped. Pale rough hands gripped her ankle as she stared into dark amused eyes.

    "Well hello there sweetheart."

 Chapter 2 - Kitten

    "Has he entered yet?"

    "Everything is according to the plan." Lei Shufen spoke.

    In the shadows of the city a black car was parked. Unknown to the people walking by there was a murderous energy contained within. Han Xi Long gazed out the window as his body lay still in anticipation. His eyes were sharp and filled with a thirst for blood.

    "Aiyaa boss can you not contain your blood thirst. Your servant can barely handle the pressure.''

    Struggling to even breathe, Shufen was tense waiting for the moment his boss would calm down.

    8:59 p.m.

    "Let''s go." Xi Long turned cold, suppressing his energy he placed his long legs outside the car. Quickly leaving the vehicle he turned his attention to the narrow path before him. According to his intelligence team, Hu Bao would take his regular jog through the harbour.

    Taking the gun from his secretary he tucked it into this waistband. Glancing at his watch, he increased his speed. Quick long strides encompassed the street, the already narrow street feeling smaller under his presence.

    Passing a dim street light, a faint body in a hoodie was outlined a few feet in front of him.

    "Hm, this man seems smaller than I expected.''

    Walking even quicker, Xi Long caught up to the figure and reached towards their shoulder. But before, he could reach his hand, the body turned and a kick was thrown at him. Grabbing the ankle in mid-kick in his steel grasp, he was shocked at the fiery eyes glaring back at him.

    Under the light of the moon, before him stood a woman who was definitely not the sc.u.m he was expecting. The hoodie covered parts of her face but he could clearly see her eyes and wisps of shiny black hair peaking outside it. Intrigued, he wanted to rip the hoodie down to see her full face.

    With an amused smirk on his face, he spoke "Well hello there sweetheart."

    Jiang Ying Yue, was not expecting to be attacked so many times tonight, nor did she expect the man who stood before her right now. He was handsome in the most sinister way. His dark black hair sat on his head in an unconstrained manner. Piercing black eyes that were once murderous now gazed at her with amus.e.m.e.nt. Dark lips curved in a smirk, body clad in a tight black dress shirt and dress pants he exuded dangerous seduction.

    "Like what you see?"

    Snapping out of her daze, she quickly threw her weight using her other leg to land another kick on him. He released her ankle and avoided the second attack. His gaze turned appreciative at her agility.

    ''Seems like this kitty has some claws.''

    "What are you doing in such a dark street, kitten."

    A sweet voice dripping with disdain responded. "Who are you. What do you want."

    Xi Long was stunned, her voice was soft but strong. The need to hear her voice again, overtook his original desire to find Hu Bao. Signalling his secretary he sent him after that man while he remained in front of the kitten.

    Shufen, understanding his boss''s signal quickly left alerting the men he had in the area to grab Bao.

    Ying Yue was tense, her eyes did not miss the signal that man made to his companion. Narrowing her eyes she spoke again, her voice getting deeper. "Who are you."

    "I think the real question is, who are you little kitten."

    Angered at his term for her "Who the f.u.c.k is a kitten, call me that again and ''ll kill you.

    "You can try but you can''t kill me...kitten." Stepping towards her he bent his head down to gaze at her.

    Her small body was filled with anger that he was sure of. But even her hateful glare did nothing but entice him more. He was tired of the typical women who approached him. All of them dressed in exquisite clothing and jewels attempting to appeal to him and become the next Madam of the Han family. None of them even got close, but this woman before him was dressed in a black hoodie, half her face covered, and glaring at him hatefully but it excited him even more.

    Ying Yue was tired of talking to him, she turned around and walked away ignoring the gorgeous man behind her. Hearing footsteps follow her, she turned back around and glared at the man who wore an innocent expression.

    "What do you want. Why are you following me."

    "Do I need a reason kitten."

    "Get lost."

    She turned around once again, intent on ignoring this man. Suddenly, she felt a strong grip on her wrist as she was pulled back into a warm embrace. Before she could free herself, he turned her around and caged her within his arms. Dipping his head to her ear, his musk scent filled her senses.

    "I hate it when people walk away from me, don''t test me kitten."

 Chapter 3 - Kitten Pt. 2

    Time stood still. Ying Yue was not sure how long she was in his arms. She fought hard against him but somehow she was powerless.

    ''Why am I like this, I could have easily gotten out by now if it was someone else.'' Although she fought against him, she restrained her strength. Something about this man stopped her from fully showimg her skills as if the notion of him getting hurt because of her.

    ''Hmph he''s lucky I''m being nice or I could have easily destroyed him by now.'' Although she did not know who the man in front of her was, she was sure he was not a simple man. A late night on a Friday, in the middle of a sketchy alley, this man was walking around as if it was his personal backyard.

    Struggling again, she sighed when she realized this man was adamant on keeping her in his embrace. Heat burned through her at the spots his body touched.

    "When do you plan to release me?"

    "Hmm, depends Kitten. What''s in it for me."

    "I won''t kill you when you release me, think that''s fair enough."

    He chuckled. This kitten was taunting him.

    "See kitten, I can let you go but that would just be too cruel. What if you get eaten by a big bad wolf."

    ''Is this man crazy? Why does he keep calling me kitten and who the f.u.c.k is the big bad wolf!''

    "There are no wolves and no one is getting eaten, stop with your analogies - let me go. I have somewhere to be."

    "Mhm but there is one right in front of you and I see a soft little kitten that I wouldn''t mind eating right in front of me. What do you say?" His voice turned rough as he finished his sentence, eyes turning dark. The threat was very real.

    He was excited at her response, she only glared and her body turned more aggressive in fighting against his arms. What was he to do, playing with her was just too fun.

    Intending on riling her up some more, he squeezed her tighter against him. "How about this. You tell me who you are and I let you go."

    "F.u.c.k off."

    He laughed out loud. There has never been a woman till date who dared to challenge him, let alone tell him to "f.u.c.k off." She was definitely different and he was not going to give up till he knew everything about her. But before he could pressure her into telling him her name, the sound of a cell phone ringing his attention. It was coming from his pocket and there was no way he could reach it without letting her go.

    "So ready to answer yet?"

    "Aren''t you going to answer your phone." Ying Yue glared back at this man, not only was he refusing to let her go, he didn''t even pick up his phone that kept on ringing. The sound of his ringtone annoying her further. When the phone rang for the 7 time he finally grunted in anger. Releasing her, he whipped out his phone to answer whoever dared interrupt him.

    "WHAT" Barking into the phone, he waited to see who was going to respond.

    "Sir..sir I was calling to inform you that we have captured Hu Bao and we are keeping him in the dungeon."

    Shufen trembled. He was calling his boss as usual to inform him of the successful capture but his boss was angry. Through the phone he could tell that he had not made the right decision as his boss''s fury was raging at him.

    ''Hu hu boss, take mercy on poor me. What have I done to offend you hu hu.''

    "Understood." Xi Long hung up the phone with that and turned around to see his kitten gone.

    Phoning his secretary again, "You have three hours to find the girl we met tonight. I want everything on her from her name to why she was here tonight."

    Shufen cried on the other end of the phone, we barely saw her face and now he was to spend the rest of his night looking for her. ''What did this woman do to provoke his boss?''

    Xi Long gazed at the spot she was standing in, her warmth still remembered by his body.

    ''Don''t worry kitten, I''ll find you. Oh I''ll find you for sure.''

 Chapter 4 - Where are you Pt. 1

    Taking advantage of the opportunity Ying Yue escaped from the devilish man before her. While he thought she had completely ran away, she was perched on top of the roof watching him from above. She was curious as to what he was here for and what he was going to do next.

    "You have three hours to find the girl we met tonight. I want everything on her from her name to why she was here tonight."

    Ying Yue smirked, ''we''ll see if you find anything.''

    Abandoning her position on the roof she hopped to the next building and climbed down to the familiar dirt path. Picking up her pace she walked confidently through the maze of streets till she arrived at a small broken home. The house seemed empty, broken boards, broken window, no lights. Ensuring no one was behind her, she walked towards to the corner of the house where a small tree was perched. To a normal eye it would be just a tree but to her it was the secret passageway into her base. The tree itself was modified to scan both fingerprint and eyes before you could even get to the next security measure. To reveal the entrance you needed to know the password - a five movement sequence you had to press into the tree to verify. Quickly moving her hand in a calm but calculated way, the floor next to the tree dropped down revealing a set of downward stairs.

    As soon as she entered, the entrance behind her closed leaving her in a dark tunnel with only small blue lights to lead her. This tunnel ran 6ft deep and at the end it opened into a huge room filled with computers and weapons.

    "Ying er!" Hearing her name, she glanced at the small mousey girl who called out to her. She was petite with glasses too big for her face but underneath them hid a calculative gaze. Ming Mingzhu her best friend and long-time accomplice in running her secret operation.

    "Ming Ming."

    "Hmph, don''t call me Ming Ming - you know I hate that name!" She childishly crossed her hands at the nickname. Her parents did her no favour and just named her Mingzhu when her last name was already Ming!! How could they do this to her!!

    "Haha, its cute. Let it go can''t change your name anyways." Smiling at her best friend''s antics she regained some warmth in her face. For people outside she was cold and aloof but here she was always a bit nicer.

    "Neo," she called out to the quiet man who was furiously typing away on a computer. His real name was Wang Fang but ever since he watched the Matrix, he refused to respond to anything other than Neo.

    The man in question glanced up at her keeping his fingers on the keyboard.

    "I need you to find the cctv on 4th and 9th street and delete it. Now."

    With that, the man went back to his work. Elegant fingers quickly pulling up the data she asked and deleted it within thirty seconds. To avoid suspicion he even added a filler to cover up for the portion he just deleted.

    "Done, but why did you want it deleted. Did you kill someone?"

    " Jiang Ying Yue! I told you, you just can''t keep killing people without me that''s not fair." Mingzhu whined, she wanted to join hmph hmph.

    "I didn''t kill anyone...yet."

    "Then why is it deleted?"

    Sighing she recounted the man she met that night. Leaving out the parts where she reacted to his to of course.

    "Ooh he sounds delicious. Could our Ying Yue finally be experiencing spring(1)."

    "Shut up. He was insane, I''m sure we''ll never meet again."

    "Doubt that, someone just hacked the cctv and the cctv''s surrounding the area. Think he''s determined to find you."

 Chapter 5 - Where are You Pt.2

    Rough fingers tapped against a wooden table. Xi Long was impatient. It has been twenty minutes since he first told Shufen to find his kitten but there was no updates as of yet.

    Picking up his phone he dialed his secretary "why is it taking so long."

    "Boss..." Shufen trembled. He kept on running programs but the cctv from that night had disappeared. He even hacked into the ones surrounding the area but he could not find even a glimpse of her. Someone had tampered with the records before he could get to it.

    Hearing Shufen''s voice Xi Long knew that he would not like what he was about to hear.

    "Hm."

    His boss barely uttered a sound and Shufen was ready to collapse. He knew that when his boss when silent, it was 300 times worse than him angry.

    "Boss...I cannot find her. Someone has tampered with the records and there is not even a single second where she was captured on video. I hacked the surrounding cctvs and there is still nothing, a filler video has been deposited in the time frame where you interacted with her."

    Ice blew through the phone almost freezing Shufen. ''Hu hu boss, I have been threatened by you so much tonight, please spare me. Sally juseyo (1).''

    Keep searching. With that, Xi Long hung up the phone. Raging with anger he clenched his phone in his tight grasp.

    ''Who could be supporting her? Li Shufen was a top class hacker, if someone managed to hide it from even him that meant there was someone strong behind her. An elite computer programmer who had the skills to hide her from him.''

    The idea that someone was keeping her hidden angered him but he was strangely delighted. He knew that the kitten he met tonight was no white lotus. She fought him like she was a trained fighter, anyone else less experienced than him would''ve been severely injured for messing with her.

    Amus.e.m.e.nt filled his eyes, ''Mhmm seems like my kitten is good at hiding. But she forgets, that no one can hide from me. I''ll find you and when I do - you''re never leaving my sight again.''

    ...

    Dressed in a maroon suit, roughly styled hair, and an ice cold face Xi Long looked like the devil himself. Ready to burn and freeze anyone who disturbed him today. It has been a night, a night since Xi Long had made a promise to find her and he was still unable to find out even her name. Memories of her black hair and piercing brown eyes haunted him in his dreams. He had dreamt of her and woke up just as he had reached over to pull her hood down. He was frustrated throughout the entire time he had her in his arms he memorized the feel of her body, her size, her eyes, etc but failed to take a full glance at her when he had the chance.

    Laying back in his car, he held his forehead as Shufen drove them towards the office. Feeling a mild headache, he rolled down the window. The view outside blurred as the car sped down the highway.

    ''Where are you Kitten.''

    Lazily glancing out the window he watched the blurry sights. As the car slowed down his eyes watched as a little girl begged her mother for ice cream. The mom adoringly looked back at the child and took her towards the ice cream stand. As he watched the child light up with joy his eyes locked onto a small body wearing a black hoodie walking past the family. His body turning on autopilot, he threw open the car door and nasty walked towards the figure. His gaze and body was locked, he could not even hear the sounds of his secretary calling out to him - his attention was focused on the hoodie.

    The crowd divided like the red river as his tall figure commanded them to move out of the way. Catching up to the black hoodie, he reached towards their shoulder turning them around.

    "Kitten?"

 Chapter 6 - Honey

    Turning the body around he was expecting to see his little kitten but a teenage boy confusedly looked back at him.

    "Kitten?" The boy looked at him confused, did he hear that right?

    "Kitten. Have you seen a small kitten around here? 3 ft, black, brown eyes?"

    "Sorry sir I haven''t."

    Turning around, Xi Long sped back to his parked car frustrated at his misunderstanding. He actually called a teenage boy kitten! If he had not quickly lied to avoid the situation then he would''ve sounded like a creep. Boarding the car once again, he signaled his secretary to speed to the office. Closing the window, he took out his laptop to send an email to his directors.

    "Shufen, call a meeting I want all the directors in my office in 10 minutes. I want all the reports on my desk ready to go, if not tell them they''re fired."

    The office was in chaos when receiving the orders. The directors could do nothing but cry, their boss was in a bad mood and everyone was in danger. Employees were scrambling around, putting finishing touches on files and powerpoints.

    "Move I need to print this!"

    "No I was here first."

    "Move before I push you!"

    "Wait, wait, I haven''t finished that yet. Wasn''t it due next week???"

    "Not my problem, finish it or get fired you''re choice."

    "What do you mean powerpoint???"

    The employees'' hearts burned at the situation

    Who offended our boss?!

    People were running, fights broke out, it was total chaos and then it was silent. Crisp leather shoes clacked against the floor. Wearing a maroon suit, a body emerged from the front of the front door.

    Xi Long strut passed his employees and went straight into his office. Four directors stood outside the office in fear as if they were awaiting judgement from Yama itself. Waving his hands he let them all into present their reports.

    As each director spoke, his expression became darker and darker. The temperature in the room was already - 40 degrees.

    Gazing over the men he spoke one word. "Where."

    The directors were puzzled - Where what? Where this report was completed, where the venue for this project was set?

    One director nervously answered "CEO Long, if you m-mean f-or th-is project, the-n the ven-ue is..."

    The temperature dropped lower.

    Seeing his boss losing patience, Li Shufen decrypted the question "Where is the final director, Zhuang Wei?"

    ''Aiyoo boss how are we supposed to understand that from one word??''

    The directors stomachs burned at the situation. They had no idea where Director Wei was, he had not reached the office this morning and refused to pick up their calls & emails.

    "CEO...he is not here. We were unable to contact him today."

    Sweat pooled on the floor, the four directors were scared of their boss''s reaction in front of this person, these usually confident leaders seemed like the three stooges (1).

    When they felt as if there was no escape, the office door was blown open, in skipped in was a tall man with brown hair and charming eyes. He was dressed in ripped blue jeans and a simple white dress shirt

    "Honey. I''m home."

    Xi Long: "..."

    Li Shufen: "???"

    The Directors: "!!!"

    Walking directly up to his desk, the man sat on the edge with reports in his hand.

    "Honey, sorry I''m late! I was working verryyy hard on these files just for you." With that he placed his work on desk and flashed a joyful smile at the stone faced man.

    Xi Long glanced at the man at his desk, ignored him, picked up the files and starting looking through them.

    The employees outside his office who saw this were astounded, even though this man obviously just flirted with their boss-the boss did not even blink!! For many of the older employees they were used to this scene and thought nothing of it but the new employees were stunned.

    Zhuang Wei was Xi Long''s long time childhood friend and was openly gay. Not that anyone cared, Director Wei was a little flirtatious with everyone but also was the director that brought in the most revenue to the company. When it came to work, he was efficient and no one could deny that. City E was progressive but there were some people that held onto stereotypes and anyone that dared to insult Zhuang Wei disappeared overnight. It wasn''t hard to deduce who had done it, but no one dared to question Xi Long in fear of suffering the wrath of the Han family. With a long history of military and being one of the founding families of the city their history ran long. Moreover under the reign of Han Xi Tang, Xi Long''s father, they now had underground connections establishing their own mafia power.

    "So honey, how did I do? Enough to give me what I want, "his voice progressively dropping to a seductive tone.

    "Mhm."

    Directors: "!!!!!!!"

    Shufen stood on the side laughing at the conversation. While he and Xi Long knew what it is they were discussing the directors had eyes popping out as they heard the conversation a different way. Unable to hold it in, he stepped in to once again translate his boss.

    "Director Wel, I have already made the order. The chef of General Mao''s has agreed to personally make your food, it will arrive shortly."

    "Omo yes! Thank you honey!!! You always know the way to my heart."

    "It''s also the way to the doctor, you should cut down on the oil and carbs", spoke Xi Long.

    "Are you telling me I''m FAT! screamed Wei. "What part of me is fat, look at my abs, hmm, look, look."

    "....everyone is dismissed. I want everyone to correct the reports and have it on my desk by the end of today. I expect everything to be in order."

    The four directors quickly escaped from the office, glad that they were let go but cried at the overtime they were going to have to pull today to finish the work.

    With the door shut behind them Xi Long flipped a switch to turn the once transparent office walls to a deep black effectively blacking out anyone who wanted to look inside his office.

    "What''s wrong, you don''t look so good. Who made you so mad this morning?"

    "No one."

    "Then why did you call this emergency meeting- don''t lie to me."

    "..I lost a kitten."

    "A kitten??"

    "...it was very cute."

    "Haha, I never thought I''d see the day when you got mad over a mere kitten!" Wei broke out in laughter, the idea of his stone cold friend getting this upset over a small animal is hilarious. It wasn''t even cause someone gave it to him but because it was cute!

    "Aiyyaa, need me to find you a girl? Maybe being single too long has damaged your brain."

    "Shufen, cancel the order."

    "No no, please take it back take it back! You are fine single, so smart, so handsome, don''t need a girl."

    Shufen knew that his boss would never cancel his order but did not expect his boss to mention the girl from last night to him.

    "Aiyyaa boss don''t you feel guilty lying to Zhuang Wei - it obviously isn''t a real kitten but a woman you call kitten!''

 Chapter 7 - Hu Bao Pt. 1

    18 + (Skip the next two chapters if you''re uncomfortable with violent scenes)

    Rubbing his eyes, Xi Long placed down his last file.

    It was always like this, no matter how quickly he tried to finish his work there was always something else to do. As the CEO he had to put in extra hours to make sure nothing was done incorrectly - hence the rule that everything must be run through him before it left the office.

    Grabbing his jacket and locking up his files, he quickly left his office. It was silent when he left the building, a cool breeze hitting him as he waited for his driver to bring the car around. Seeing the car pull up, he boarded the sleek black vehicle and signaled the driver to head towards his dungeon.

    His time had been filled with company affairs and finding his kitten but this did not mean he forgot about the chubby little man currently in his dungeon. Oh how could he forget? That man was one more hit on his way to completing his mission.

    He smirked, ''Guess I can let a little steam off today!

    Shufen who sat pressed against the other side of the car, shivered. He knew that whatever happened tonight would be nothing less than gruesome. His boss was already in a foul mood from his incompetence from not finding the woman and the pig locked up was the perfect outlet for his boss frustration.

    As the car pulled up to a slow stop, Xi Long alighted from the car and headed towards the house before him. It was a simple two-story building with a white paint coat, warm lights, and sounds of laughter coming from outside. The picture of a safe and warm house was all an illusion created by him. The house was inhabited with his assassins, anyone who stopped by would see a loving family but they were all cold blooded killers. They were the gatekeepers to the dungeon stopping anyone who wanted to enter and anyone who tried to leave.

    Entering the house, he nodded at the four people in the living room and made his way down to the bas.e.m.e.nt. In the corner for the room there was a small rope, once pulling the rope a staircase would be revealed. His foot harshly went against the wooden boards as he descended down. Screams and sounds of torture echoed in his ears, the smell of decaying flesh and blood mixing in the air.

    Pulling out black latex gloves from his pocket, he slipped them on and grabbed a small suitcase laying at the foot of the steps. With the small suitcase in his grasp he headed towards the end of the room. This portion of the dungeon was the upper floor, which was used for recent captures and to hold weaker individuals. The bottom floor filled with the highest level torture possible. Hu Bao, being the stumpy man he was, was thrown in a cell near the end of the room. It was easy access and would set a precedent for any other person on what would happen if they dare disobey Xi Long.

    His shoulders tensed as he walked further into the room in a small cage, a chubby man lay in the corner. Within the span of 48 hours he was unrecognizable. His body was torn, lash marks were welting, and dark bruises covered his body from being constantly beaten. Entering the cage Xi Long placed the suitcase on the floor and opened it up to reveal an array of weapons.

    An evil glint entered his eyes, these weapons were his personal favourite collection. It was not filled with guns or anything that could immediately kill you, but would make you regret every second you stay alive. There were sharp surgical knives designed to pierce past flesh, shackles laced with a flesh eating bacteria, a clamp to hold the victim down, and much more that would be too gruesome to describe. Although he by title, was the Young Master of the Han family and current CEO to the Xi Corporation, he had a darker side he contained. To run a household and business such as his, you needed to he cold blooded and the monster that raged inside of him was always on the brink of coming out. If that monster got out there was no one could stop his fury.

    Times such as this, the monster lazily viewed his prey in front of him. It was weakened and could do nothing to escape, so why kill him immediately when he could play?

    Hearing footsteps getting closer to him, Hu Bao in his disoriented state curled up and tried to move his body away from the unknown source. As he dragged his hagard body against the floor, a foot came raining down onto this ankle with harsh force. He screamed out in pain as the foot dug deeper until he felt his ankle snap. He could no longer control his screams as he was in agonizing pain. Ugly sobs escaped him, before he could even mourn for his ankle he felt a cold metal object against his body. Its sharp point was stabbed into his chest barely missing his heart. The object was quickily removed then dragged across his stomach, a white cut appearing as blood leaked out of the wound. At this point, the pain had reached a new high where he was unable to understand what part of his body was injured and what was not. He had tried to block the attacker and turn his body but he leaned his body onto a pile of spikes.

    Gazing from above Xi Long watched as the man pathetically tried to protect himself and impaled himself onto the spikes he left on the floor. Seeing his blood leaking out, a small smile appeared on his face. This man''s pain made him happy but the level of torture was nowhere near to his liking. True satisfaction would be when he had tortured and destroyed him so much he begged to die. How would it be revenge if it was not at least this much?

    Flashes of memories passed by his mind as he remembered the tragic incident from five years ago. This puny man before him was one of the people responsible for the tragedy. He swore he would get revenge and make every single person involved experience the pain of what they did.

    Crouching down, he flexed his latex clad fingers and pulled a small thumb sized tool from his suitcase. He grasped onto Hu Bao''s chubby fingers and held it tightly in his grasp. Putting the finger through the hole of the tool, he pressed against the lever. Feeling his finger go through a metal tool, his body tensed and he urgently screamed out.

    "Please, please spare me. Please let me go. What did I do to you? How much money would it take you to leave me? Please spare me, please beat me, whip me, but please leave my finger. Please..."

    "Spare you?" A dark chuckle echoed through the room. Hu Bao''s eyes widened and his body tensed. The cold voice rang in his ears as fear took over, he knew exactly who this was. No matter how he begged throughout the past two days his torturers would not tell him who had captured in him. He never imagined that he would end up in this man''s hands and it meant he had no way of escaping - his death was set.

 Chapter 8 - Hu Bao Pt. 2

    ** 18+ Skip chapter if uncomfortable with violent scenes. **

    "Why would I spare you?"

    "Money? Do you think I would need any money."

    "Leave your finger? Sure I''ll leave it...off your body."

    With that, he pressed down on the handle and swiftly cut a finger off Hu Bao''s hand. Wrapping the finger in gauze he stopped the blood from pouring onto the floor. The pain was unbearable causing Hu Bao clench his mouth and almost pass out. Feeling the same metal device on another finger he prayed for his end to come quicker.

    "So...Hu Bao I''m sure you know who l am by now."

    Shivers ran down his spine "yes yes of cour-se."

    "You know why I have brought you here."

    "..."

    "Not speaking? That''s fine I''m sure this will remind you." With that he applied pressure to the hand without fully clamping down.

    "Yes, Yes I Do!"

    "I want all the names."

    "I don''t know any names. I swear I don''t know anyth-."

    Xi Long pressed down and cut the finger off his hand.

    "Again."

    "I-I don''t have the names on me. My phone, my phone I-I recorded all the names as backup."

    Snap, the third finger was cut.

    "We have already checked your phone, seems like losing your fingers was not enough to make you tell the truth. I can do worse."

    "Nooo no I promise I am not lying...its in my other phone. The other phone is in a vault behind the painting in my attic. Please...please spare me."

    Glancing at Shufen who stood silently outside the cage, he signaled for some of his men to check out the alibi.

    The clock ticked, it had been twenty minutes and there was no news of if there was in fact another phone. Xi Long sat in a wooden chair bored as he view the tortured man laying at his feet. Hu Bao''s body was covered in cuts that slowly bled. Every mark was made strategically so that he would last for as long as possible. The shivering body lay against the stone cold floor awaiting his judgement. Hu Bao tried his best not to make a sound so that he would not draw unnecessary attention to himself.

    ''How could this be! How did Han Xi Long even find out I was part of it? Do we have a mole?!'' His mind was filled with questions as he tried to think of how he was found out. It had been five years since the incident so he thought he was safe. Who knew the monster was just bidding his time before he attacked. Regret filled him as he would have never done it if he knew this would happen.

    No matter what Hu Bao told himself it was just his pain and desperation speaking. He would have never regretted it if he did not get caught. His mind was filled with greed for money and power.

    The ring of a cellphone broke the silence. Shufen held the phone to his ear as the men reported back the results. Walking to his boss he bent down and whispered into his ear.

    "They have found the phone, six names have been found."

    Xi Long''s eyes turned dark at the amount of people involved, he knew that it had taken a team to skillfully plan this tragedy. He personally had already taken care of two people, now there were six more on his list.

    "Kill him."

    His expression was cold as he rose from his chair. Leaving the cage, Xi Long ripped his gloves off his hands into the trash as a sickening snap was heard behind him. Shufen quickly followed behind his boss as they headed back into his car. The horrors of what happened, left at the doorstep of the house. Shufen had long been accustomed to seeing his boss this ruthless and blood thirsty. He was still afraid but his respect and loyalty for him outweighed the fear.

    "I want the phone on my desk before I get home."

    "Of course, they have already set out to your house."

    "Mhm... any news on my kitten?"

    Shufen cried, he still had not found anything and thought that his boss had momentarily forgot but he was wrong. His boss would never forget and he was in danger until he did not find her. It surprised him that his boss had such an interest after only 5 minutes of meeting them but he did not question his orders.

    "I am looking into it boss. All tracks have been covered but I am sure we will find a way."

    "...sure?"

    "We will!"

    ''Looks like another sleepless night for me. Hu hu. Please god let me find this woman.''

 Chapter 9 - Late Night Call

    Arriving at his house, Xi Long took quick long strides into his office. A small mobile device was placed on the dark oak table. He grabbed the device and immediately searched it for the names. His eyes turned sinister at the six names blaring at him from the dim screen. It had names of people he both suspected and ones that he had not - all of which would slowly but surely meet their doom.

    Breaking the dangerous aura his personal cell rang. It was Zhuang Wei based on the obnoxious ringtone he set for himself.

    "Xi Long! Xi Long! Come out right now!"

    "..."

    "Xi Longgggg are you there? Honey??"

    "Mhm..."

    "Okay stop being so grumpy! Come out, you''ve been working so hard with no break."

    "...do you need money?"

    "!! I have money okay! Can I not call you out?!"

    "Just say you have no friends."

    "I have friends! You! Now come out - I''ll be waiting for you at our usual spot."

    Sighing in exhaustion, Xi Long headed upstairs to get a quick shower before heading out. He was tired but he could not say no to his childhood friend after so many years. He was never verbally expressive or physically even but he still hung out with Wei whenever he had some free time. He was similar to an annoying younger brother in his eyes.

    Dressed in casual clothes right from a steaming shower, Xi Long was perfection. His cold eyes were slightly hazy from the heat, a casual black dress shirt wrapped around his body paired with tight black jeans. His dark lips were soft and his hair was swept in a messy manner with drops of water still dripping down. Glancing at his watch, he quickly grabbed his keys and headed towards their meet up spot - Blue Moon Bar. The bar was a four story building, the fourth being their personal floor reserved for just Xi Long and his friends. He was the secret owner of the building so it was easy for them to meet up there and never have the information leak. It was a popular spot, the bottom floor was used as both a club and bars and with a little refining it had slowly become a top bar in City E.

    ***

    He was bored. Sitting in the dim lounge with his friend talking next to him did nothing to move him. had arrived an hour ago and had taken five sips of his whiskey till now. His body was relaxed at being a step closer to his revenge but his mind was a messy dreaming of the fiery eyes that would not let him rest. It was crazy to him, the past two days had been filled with thoughts of her and where she was hiding. There were countless women who threw themselves at him, he had long become numb to their advances and looks. But here he was, with a half a face to guide him, fully interested. Irritation bubbled in him as he realized that she was still far from his grasp. He was unfocused till he felt Zhuang Wei pull on his sleeve.

    "How are you going to come out and ignore me the entire time? I have been talking to you for the past hour and not a word in response!!"

    "You know what fine, let''s leave. Just because of this you are treating me to some fried chicken."

    "Okay."

    "...what are you waiting for? Let''s go now! I know a great little place that is still open and has some of the best chicken I have ever had. Let''s go!"

    Xi Long finished his drink and went along with Zhuang Wei as he childishly lead him to a small restaurant nearby. It was not bigger than a living room but was quaint and family styled. The smell of warm spicy meat floated out of the building as they approached. It had taken them 15 minutes to drive over but Zhuang Wei had spent every second whining about his hunger.

    As they walked in Zhuang Wei peaked at his best friend. Usually by now there would be some banter or an insult thrown his way but Xi Long was in a weird dazed state. It was unusual for him to act this way and it worried him. Although his friend was a man of little words, he was like an older brother and he would destroy anyone that dared to affect him like this. He would ask what had happened but he knew his friend would not give him an answer at the moment. Switching back to a happy persona, Zhuang Wei grabbed Xi Long and dragged him into the building straight to the counter to order.

    "So what do you want? They have spicy, medium, garlic, soy sauce flavoured...."

    Xi Long heard his friend list types of chicken but his mind was on red alert. He had walked into the small establishment lost in his thoughts when he was dragged to the counter and before him was a body he would never forget. Despite the figure in front of him wearing a different outfit, black ripped jeans and an oversized jacket instead of a hoodie he knew. To add to his certainty the petite body spoke her order in the same cold tone he remembered arguing with him. Ignoring his friend''s stares he bent down and whispered into her ear.

    "So kitten... you like things spicy?"

 Chapter 10 - Kitten likes Chicken

    Jiang Ying Yue had worked into the night and craved some fried chicken. Covering herself in an oversized jacket and ripped jeans she left her small apartment in the middle of the night to satisfy her craving. There was a small place nearby that always stayed open late and served great spicy chicken. The idea of the crisp chicken and savory spices making her mouth water. While she had little interest for thing appetite was huge and an evident foodie. As she stood at the counter making an order, she felt a presence behind her. Ignoring the danger she continued to finish her order and pay so that she could quickly leave. When she finished paying she felt a mouth next to her ear.

    "So kitten...you like things spicy?"

    Ying Yue shuddered as his minty breath blew into her ears. She immediately recognized the cold arrogant voice. It was him.

    It had been two days since she met him and while she tried to deny it - she had thought about him a lot. It was her first time meeting a man who dared to act like that in front of her, let alone a man who she hesitated to brutally beat. She was not the one to get swayed by looks but she knew that his face was sinful. While she struggled to get out of his hold he felt his muscular arms flexing as he caged her while his rock body pressed against her. She knew that he was looking for her but had assumed he gave up when she no longer saw any activity researching her background.

    Ignoring the man behind her, she stepped aside to wait for her order. She felt his stare burn into her back but maintained a cool front. Turning around and responding to him would only feed his insufferable ego.

    "What''s wrong kitten ... a big bad wolf''s got your tongue?"

    Her ears burned, ''this man! Who does he think he is! Always calling me kitten and bringing up this stupid wolf analogy. Ignore him Ying Yue, he''ll lose interest eventually.''

    Xi Long stood behind her as he watched her ignore him. Although she wore an oversized jacket, this one did not have a hood, he saw her ears tinge red as he continued to whisper into her ear.

    ''Cute, I wonder how the rest of her skin would look like red from my teasing...''

    Bending down he whispered into her ear again - "you can try to ignore me but trust me kitten, I am not a man that easily gives up.''

    Ying Yue grew angry after hearing his words. ''Why won''t he leave me alone! Did anyone even talk to him, why is he still talking?!''

    Seeing her order she grabbed the packed meat and stormed out of the restaurant. She made quick steps towards her apartment as she heard footsteps following her. Speeding up she attempted to outrun him but she could hear his steady steps following her at any pace she chose. Burning with irritation she turned around to glare at the man who dared to once again ruin her night.

    She was stunned. Fully intending to rip this man to shreds she turned around with her feet ready to kick him but her body stayed still as she saw his face. It had been two days but the man in front of her managed to become more attractive. The pale moon glow shined on his face, he was dressed casually today and she surprisingly preferred this look. His black hair was unruly, tempting her to run her hands through his locks and feel it between her fingers. His face was sharp with high cheekbones and a strong masculine jaw. His lips were a dark red that looked as though it tasted like dark wine. Those lips which were currently seductively smirking at her right now.

    Xi Long had followed her out of the building quickly abandoning his confused friend. Her small body moved fast as her dark black hair moved in tune with her. Her hair was the colour of a raven and his fingers itched with the need to run his hands through it. He inwardly chuckled as she changed her speed and tried to get rid of him but following her was child''s play. No matter what she did, he was not letting her go tonight.

    Suddenly the petite form in front of him turned around and his hearted beating erratically. As she turned he first saw her iconic fierce eyes glaring at him with irritation.

    She was gorgeous - a fallen angel.

    Her small face was bordered with raven hair, eyes fierce but sparkled, a small pointy nose and red lips that made his inner monster come out with the intention of tasting what promised him sweet nothings. Of all faces he could have imagined, it would not have compared to the view he saw now.

    "What do you want! Stop following me and leave me alone."

    "What I want? I want you." Xi Long chuckled.

    Ying Yue was in disbelief, ''did he just say that he wants me?''

    "Listen. I do not care who you are or what your game is but I am not in the mood of your games. Get the f.u.c.k away from me - I will never be yours."

    "Don''t make promises you can''t keep kitten." Xi Long was enjoying their banter, seeing her respond back with poison on her tongue was attractive. He could never be with a white lotus, he much preferred women who held their ground and were fierce. Watching her face burn with anger and her lips slightly ripped from the continuous bitting, he felt his control slip through.

    Stepping forward with each statement, he cornered her into the wall of the brick house beside where they stood. The woman who just a minute ago had been raging at him, ready to take his head off had turned quiet as he stalked towards her.

    "Not going to say anything? Well kitten, I told you a big bad wolf''s got your tongue."

    At this, Ying Yue came back to and coldly responded back "There is no big bad wolf, do you have no other analogies? Less stupid ones?"

    "Oh but there is. I said it before I''ll say it now, I am the big bad wolf." With that he leaned forward and bent his head to right in front of her face. Leaning his weight forward he caged her against the wall, leaving but a tight space for her to escape and did what he wanted to do since he met her.

    He kissed her.

 Chapter 11 - Troublesome Man

    It was deadly silent.

    She was against a brick wall facing the arrogant man she unfortunately met two days ago once again fighting him. It seemed to be a routine for them for him to capture her within his arms. She stubbornly glared at him and fought against his muscular body. He left only a small space for her to escape but it would force her to press herself very close to him and something tells her that getting closer was not going to help the situation.

    She was frustrated. All she wanted was to enjoy her fried chicken but here she was being held against her will.

    ''Hmph, you act very proud for someone I can throw easily away from me.''

    She internally grumbled, knowing fully well that this man was an exception to her brutal ways.

    ''Why am I always weak when I meet this man?? Jiang Ying Yue -- what is wrong with you???''

    His h.i.p.s jabbed into hers as he leaned forward.

    "I said if before and I''ll say it now - I am the big bad wolf."

    Before she could even process his words she saw his face lean forward and suddenly felt cold soft but slightly rough lips against hers. His masculine scent covered her and became the only thing she could smell as he took captive of her mouth. It took all of her willpower to keep her face blank but her ears flamed red. A warm feeling started bubbling in her stomach as his lips moved against her. His hand had slowly fallen to her waist, her skin slowly burning under his touch. He was gentle as he kissed her and her breathing slowly turned heavy.

    Xi Long was in heaven.

    He succ.u.mbed to his temptations and kissed her and oh how did he enjoy it. Her lips were soft as he lightly moved his mouth against her. Her natural scent of light flowers and linen only further enticed him to keep going. His cute kitten was fierce so the scent surprised him but it fit her perfectly - he could bottle it if he could. Her hands continued to pound against his chest but weaker than before. He chuckled inwardly, ''cute.'' Her body had given up but her mouth remained still against him. Slightly irritated at her lack of response he bit her lip. When she gasped he took the chance to plunge his tongue into her mouth and completely taste her. Her taste was intoxicating, she tasted like bittersweet berries.

    He wanted more.

    Pressing himself even closer to her, he tilted his head and moved his mouth deeper and harder against her. His self-control was slipping as he completely dominated her. His breathing turned harsh as he tightly gripped her small frame. When he felt her run out of air only then did he slowly pull back away from her. He was hesitant to stop, his desire to kiss her again clouding his mind. Glancing at the woman in front of him, his desire that he tried hard to calm came back like a volcano. Her eyes were dazed and bright while her lips were swollen and red from his attack. Closing his eyes he leaned in to her neck and breathed heavily. He tried his best to control the beast inside him ready to come out and claim this woman as his.

    The first time he met her he knew she was different but now meeting her again he knew that his interest was more than curiosity. A dark feeling grew inside him, he wanted to her to be his and only his. Possessiveness filled him but he kept it deep inside lest he scares her away. He was not going to let her escape from him time and time again, he will win her heart and mark her as his.

    Pulling away from her he released his tight hold on her but kept her within his embrace.

    "What''s your name?"

    Ying Yue was still dazed his burning touch keeping her from focusing. She was well trained in a lot of things and her self control was nothing less than a monk but this attraction was not something she could have prepared for. She could torture and man and make him beg in seven different languages but her physical interaction with men in a romantic sense was zero to nil. While she was slowly breaking out of her daze, she accidentally answered his question - "Ying..." but caught herself before she could completely reveal her name.

    ''Ying Yue! You''re acting like you''ve never seen a man before?? I cannot believe I almost gave him my real name.''

    "Ying...?"

    "Ying Ying is my name."

    Xi Long chucked, he was surprised that his kitten had such a cute name but knew that she probably wasn''t telling the truth, the hesitation in her voice being proof enough. She cleverly left her last name out but he would find out soon her true identity. He had a feeling she was hiding more than just her name.

    Jiang Ying Yue now fully conscious realized she was still being held against the wall and the fact that this man stole her kiss sunk in. Anger flared inside of her, bringing up her hand she quickly hit the side of his neck and a pressure point in his forehead. Creating some distance she lifted her leg up and hit in inner thigh. He grunted and moved back several steps, taking the chance she turned and ran down the street at her maximum speed. She took several sharp turns and made sure not to lead anyone towards her apartment. Only after she ran a far distance and made sure no one was following her did she return back to her apartment nearly two hours later. Making it inside she leaned against her front door and closed her eyes. She had lost her first kiss tonight but glancing at the white package gripped in her hand - "but at least I still have my fried chicken."

    A black car pulled up outside her apartment and a man sat in the front staring at the front door. A sinister smile took over his face as he gazed at the building his woman ran into moments before.

    "I got you now kitten."

 Chapter 12 - Ill always find you

    Xi Long did not expect to meet his kitten tonight but he was prepared. Generally, when he went out casually he always had a couple of gadgets he could just in case he needed it. One of which he used to follow his girl. Unbeknownst to Ying Yue, Xi Long had slipped a small bug into the pocket of her jeans. This small bug was essentially invisible to the eye but was extremely powerful, every step she took transmitted information back to him. He did not have to take one step out of his car to know where she was when she ran away.

    How could he let her escape? Even clouded with desire he did not forget the hours that he suffered not knowing where she was and how to track her. Not that he couldn''t find her but using his entire power to search for a woman whose name he did not even know could not be justified, He prided himself on his discipline and ability to make logical and ruthless decisions whenever needed - but with her his logic failed. He was determined to find out more about her and maybe then he would understand this strong attraction.

    Staring out at the door he fought against storming in and tasting those bittersweet berry lips again. Turning on his engine, he slowly pulled away from the building excitement slowly filling him.

    With a slight smile he said, "Sleep well Kitten, because tomorrow I will officially start making you mine."

    ***

    Filled with food, Jiang Ying Yue leaned against her kitchen counter in a daze. Since coming back she subconsciously kept eating till she finished all the chicken she was thinking to save for tomorrow. Licking her lips a dull soreness emerged. He had kissed her gently at first and then ravaged her mouth aggressively causing it to swell. Curiosity filled her - one he was attractive and two just when she thought that he had disappeared he showed up in front of her! Three was her reaction to him, she had never been swayed by a man before she met the arrogant man who like to call himself a wolf.

    ''Which is a still a stupid name hmph.''

    Her fingers itched as a familiar tingle swept through her. Briskly walking to her bookshelf she pushed it aside to reveal a plain black door locked by a single retina scanner. Entering the small room she grabbed the sole black laptop in the corner and turned it on. This hidden room was plain and only had three items in it, a dark brown wooden desk, a chair, and the laptop. But it was also a fully equipped room - soundproof and blocked any incoming transmissions that weren''t through a specific line. She would be able to do anything from this room and never be tracked.

    Pulling up a black screen her long slender fingers quickly typed a code. Inputting all necessary information and hacking into different cameras she clicked enter. Multiple tabs and articles started popping up.

    "Xi Long - Business Tycoon"

    "Xi Long - Brings down another company."

    "#1 Eligible Bachelor - Han Xi Long."

    There were no clear pictures but his cold aura could still be felt through the photos. No one had been able to capture his face, only blurry and back photos, In one of the photos, his broad back and muscles stretched against his clothes as he entered a car. This image alone had many fans following him and haters alike.

    @Oppa Marry Me: Omomo look at those muscles! His face must be so hot.

    @Sunshine Honey: Hubby show us your face once!!

    @RealMan 3: Hmph to the anon

    above, maybe the reason he doesn''t

    show his face is because he is ugly!

    @Sunshine Honey: @RealMan_3

    eat cow shit, you''re ugly!!

    Ying Yue slightly smirked - "Ugly? He''s far from it." Although she did not like this man, he was undeniably good looking. A slight thrill rose through her as she knew what his face and what he looked like which was kept a secret to the general public. The only people who really got to see him was his employees who were forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement worth 5 billion if breached and his business partners. His face was not a general secret but he refused to have any photos online via media, he wanted to maintain a low-profile life. However, the blurry/side photos were generally looked passed but even then he managed to win the hearts of so many just based of those and his reputation.

    Curiously glancing through the articles she searched for interesting information and to her disappointment nothing popped up. While there were articles highlighting his popularity and his business endeavours, there was nothing else. While she refrained from admitting it to herself, she was glad there was no other woman mentioned. Regardless of how much they knew each other, a man who dared to kiss her while having another woman would have died by her hands.

    A cheater deserved death.

    Controlling her slight agitation she read further. She could tell that he was a ruthless businessman, her eyes skimmed over multiple incidents of businesses collapsing and his connection behind them. Ying Yue was used to these mind games and could now spot them immediately.

    Cracking her fingers, she closed her open tabs and pulled open a black screen. Quickly typing a complicated code into the screen she began hacking into the darker information. The dark web was a common place for black market exchanges and usually valuable information could be bought there. She was long acquainted to this system and finding information was as simple as breathing for her.

    "Found it."

    Excited she began reading the information she found. She knew that he was a dangerous man but now she knew why. He was a business tycoon but a mafia overlord here in China. Various men worked under his command and he used his power to maintain his authority from the shadows. Gathering information she spent over an hour reading it all - the more she read the more amused she got. His vicious tactics were ones she agreed with and enjoyed the stories of terror.

    Suddenly, as she was browsing through another set of information she noticed a gap in the information. Cross-referencing all the information she had at hand she realized she could not find anything about his family or what happened several years back. It was not uncommon to hide information about family but the way the information was presented you could tell it was forcibly removed.

    ''Han Xi Long... what are you hiding."

 Chapter 13 - Morning Wakeup Call

    *Knock Knock*

    Groaning, Ying Yue opened her eyes and glanced at the clock.

    ''7:00 a.m.''

    Who the f.u.c.k is knocking on my door this early in the morning. ''I swear if its Ming Ming I am going to kill her.''

    Caught up in reading his information she only ended up falling asleep four hours ago. Refusing to get up she covered her head with a pillow and turned around.

    *Knock Knock*

    *Knock Knock*

    *Knock knock*

    *KNOCK KNOCK*

    "F.u.c.k."

    Irritated, Ying Yue rose from her bed and went towards the door. Ripping it open she furiously glared at the person who ruined her sleep determined to bite their head off. Her eyes widened at the person who stood before her - ''definitely not Ming Ming.''

    "Morning Kitten."

    Dressed in a tight navy dress pants and a white button up was the man she just spent hours researching.

    She was stunned, something that happened to her often when he was around her. Even so early in the morning he looked like he freshly stepped out of a runway pure seduction and all. Her eyes burned holes into him as she looked him up and down taking in his entire appearance. The way his hair was combed into a professional style unlike his usual wild look. His muscles flexing against his outfit highlighting his delectable body and his lips curved in a lazy smirk.

    "Mhm like what you see kitten."

    His heart was elated that his kitten had appreciatively looked him over from top to bottom. It took all his control not to step forward and reclaim her lips. The way her eyes glazed over him made his body hot and a certain part fight against his pants Battling his wicked mind he glanced over her. Even though he saw her yesterday night, seeing her again this morning he was stunned. She was gorgeous.

    The quick glimpses he saw of her face were both at night but right now when the bright sun rained down on her, he saw her in her full glory. Her messy raven hair and pale jade skin with piercing eyes spoke of a fallen goddess.

    "So kitten are you going to invite me in or shall I invite myself in?"

    Snapping Ying Yue back to focus she stepped back, slammed the door in his face, and quickly locked it.

    ''What is he doing here?? How did he find my apartment? Shit, she should have been more careful.''

    The knob of her door wiggled as her back pressed against it until a click sound could be heard. Force from behind her pushed her forward and her front door swung open.

    "Guess I''ll just invite myself in, it really isn''t safe for a little kitten like you to stay in a place that''s so easy to break into."

    "Who else is breaking in but you. I''m fine, now get out."

    "No can do, go get ready we''re going for breakfast."

    Ying Yue''s face stiffened, ''did he just order me?!''

    "No." Xi Long''s aura turned dark.

    "What do you mean-no." His haunting eyes glared at her, she could see why people considered him a demon with his intimidating aura but it was nothing to her. She grew up facing men such as him thinking they can intimidate her and force her into doing their bidding but they forgot who she was and him? He did not know who she was.

    Glaring right back at him, she held her stance firmly showing him that she could not be cajoled into this. To start, she did not understand his sudden arrival at her doorstep at bloody seven in the morning AND inviting her to breakfast. She could only believe that he grew curious about her which lead to this weird attachment to her. If he wanted something he would need to change the way he spoke to her, not that she would agree, but she was not backing down today!

    Xi Long''s mood was dark, he knew that she would not be willing but her irritation and quickness to say no still irked him. She stood before him, eyes blazing, unwillingness practically flowing out of her. His kitten had stubborn streak that''s for sure.

    "Listen --"

    "No you listen you noodle head. I am not going anywhere with you right now and I will not any day in the future. Get over this weird stalker thing you have and never appear in front of me again."

    "Now kitten I can''t do that you''d miss me." He said with a lazy smirk.

    Ying Yue scoffed - "as if."

    "The sooner you get over your denial, the quicker we eat. I''m a very busy man."

    Her glare darkened, he still continued to order her and acted like he was too busy to go on this breakfast thing he invited her on.

    "If you''re so busy just go to work, why bother me. I''m sure there are other woman who would love to dine with you."

    "Ah but you see the other woman are not you." With that he ended the conversation and quickly walked closer to her. Hesitant her glare shifted as she watched him get closer to her unsure of what he would do but moving back now would be a sign of weakness. To her horror, she felt his rough warm hands grip her waist and threw her over his shoulder. Fighting him she resisted his hold and tried to squirm away.

    "How DARE you! Put me down!!!"

    "Stop moving."

    She wrestled even stronger against him, her body stilled as she felt his hands move from their initial spot to lower on her h.i.p.s right above her butt.

    "Stop moving or I will spank you."

    "!!!!!" Her body froze, did he just threaten to ....spank her?

    "Now where''s your bedroom?"

 Chapter 14 - Not Until You Say Yes

    Blood rushed to her head. She did not calculate him to be such a brute. Did he deal with other woman like this as well? That feeling made her anger soar higher as she remained mum about the location of her bedroom. It wouldn''t be hard considering there were only two doors, aside from the secret rooms, so his guess would be a 50/50 chance. Even if he found her bedroom, he would not be able to enter Who did he think he was? The only reason he was able to enter her home so easily is because she had forgotten to turn on her security system last night after staying up late researching. If she had not even a fly could enter here without her agreement. The building was run down and looked as though it did not have much to offer, her apartment itself not different from that. She kept her possessions to a minimum, this was not her main residence anyways for her to have much. A comfortable couch, a clear glass table, a stocked kitchen and a bed.

    However, despite how minimalistic it seemed, she had high tech equipment embedded in almost every corner of her apartment. Xi Long may be walking around as he wished but if she hit her wall right now she could have a gun to his head in less than 5 seconds.

    "If you won''t tell me I''ll just chose."

    "Put me down."

    "Not until you agree to breakfast. I won''t leave you either."

    "Absolutely not, I refuse to go anywhere with you."

    "Then I''m not leaving."

    "...."

    Ignoring her protests, Xi Long went and opened a door. By his luck he had chosen the bedroom correctly.

    ''So this is what her room looks like.''

    Her room was average sized, sheets messy from just waking up but the room smelled like her. He glanced around searching for a sign of anyone else living with her. To his pleasure, there was no other clothes but hers, which meant there was no man currently in her life. If there was, he would make him disappear. The idea of her being with someone else or even laying in a bed with a man that was not him made his blood boil. He knew that his thoughts were just thoughts but it was hard to control his mind as they kept spinning story after story. In a fix of irritation, he took the soft body on his shoulder and dropped her onto the bed.

    "What are you doing!"

    Climbing on top of her he placed his arms next to her head. Leaning his body weight forward he pressed his body against her, trapping her into the bed. His firm muscles pressed against her soft but firm body.

    "Do you have kink for trapping people?" Everytime they met he has managed to pin her against something - whether it was the wall, bed, or him.

    Xi Long choked, out of all the things he expected her to say that was not one of them. He loved how unpredictable she was and did not hesitate to say anything she wanted. "No I don''t but I might develop one because of you."

    Her skin turned flush at her words while her faced remained neutral. "Wha..what a pervert. Get off of me!"

    "Not until you say yes to the breakfast. Unless you''re scared of me....kitten are you scared of me?"

    "Scared?! Me?! Never."

    "Then what''s the problem? Scared that you''ll fall in love with me after one meal? I know that I can be very....tempting." He said as he got closer to her, bringing his lips an inch away from her lips.

    Tempting was an understatement. This man was straight seducing her, with his body pressing against her and his lips so close to hers it was hard for her to resist his charm completely.

    "I will not fall in love with you, just watch. Get off I need to get ready."

    "Alright, I''ll wait in the living room but don''t take too long. Then I''ll have to break into the bathroom Kitten and who knows what state you''ll be in." Dipping next to her ear he whispered "But don''t worry I like you with clothes and without."

    With that he removed his body off of hers and silently retreated to the living room closing the door behind him. Ying Yue lay there for two more minutes till she could gather herself off the bed. His actions and words stunned her, while she''s had men flirt with her before none were as brazen as him. She quite liked his style, disregarding his annoying dictator attitude, she preferred the straight and clear way of speaking. She could tell that he did not lie to her and every word he spoke was true. Which meant the bit about him breaking into her bathroom was also true. Grabbing her towel and clothes she speed walked into the bathroom ignoring the imposing man who was currently texting on her couch.

    ***

    After a quick shower she put on tight blue jeans and a loose black top. Grabbing a long black jacket and a mask for her face she was ready to face him. Walking into the living room she could feel the tense energy. Xi Long was currently speaking into the phone in harsh words about a company trying to deceive him and to blacklist them immediately. It was not the first time that happened to him she bet. However, it amused her that there were companies who still tried knowing his reputation.

    Clearing her throat she walked towards him as he ended his call. As he turned around to look at her she had already went towards the front door to put her sneakers on.

    She turned back to face him, a smirk on her face at the idea of free food and proving this arrogant man wrong. "Ready to go?"

 Chapter 15 - Who is She

    As soon as he his kitten agreed to the date he felt his face twitch as a full blown smile threatened to come out. He did not want to immediately show off his excitement lest she found him uncool. Sitting down on her couch he took out his work phone and started working on some files and emails he had to complete. In the middle of reviewing some doc.u.ments his phone received a call from his secretary. Picking up the phone he knew that Lei Shufen would not call if he did not have important news. He had already told him that he would be off in the morning and to push his meetings to later, especially not to call unless it needed his immediate direct attention.

    "Speak."

    Lei Shufen was nervous, he knew his boss told him not to call but he had important news that he needed to know just in case anything happened.

    "Boss..."

    "Mhm"

    "Boss I have called to inform you that the Zhong Fu Company has attempted to cheat us. Through our intel, we were able to get information that the proposal they sent to us was fake and they have allied with different companies to trick us into accepting the proposal so they could later release a scandal targetting us and sue us in court for fraud.

    "Who gave them the confidence. I want them blacklisted immediately. Tell everyone that we will never do business with them and anyone who does so is directly going against me."

    "Yes of course." The anger in his boss''s voice could have killed a man by now but it was warranted. Who told them to try and deceive his boss - did they really think that they would not be caught. It was a shame but he knew that every single person involved will find themselves on the streets in less than an hour.

    "I want all the names and companies involved sent to me right now. Leave the proposal on my desk, even I would like to see how they planned to overthrow me."

    Without waiting for a response he hung up the phone. ''It seems like I have been too lenient recently, random little bugs think they can challenge me. Destroying them will be fun and an easy way to remind everyone who exactly he is.'' Texting instructions to Shufen he ordered the destruction of their companies plus any hidden scandals to be broadcasted by all the media channels. He wanted them killed to a point of no return. Finishing his message he noticed a presence behind him. ''How much did she hear? Does she dislike me more now that she has heard his ruthlessness?" Turning around to look at her he saw a small body walk past him before he could get a proper look. As she walked towards the door he saw her slim h.i.p.s and firm body in tight blue jeans and a loose black blouse. Her legs were long and her cute little behind tempted him as it swayed with every step.

    This was the first time she wore somewhat form fitting clothes, he knew she had a good body but today just reconfirmed it. She slipped on her shoes and turned around to face him with a smirk "Ready to go?"

    His heart hurt, with one smirk he felt like an arrow had wounded him. How was it possible for her to have such control over him with something as simple as a smirk. He was beginning to doubt his previous persona, was he even the cruel underworld king he saw himself as.

    Composing himself he made his way to her and grabbed his key.

    "After you kitten."

    Heading down he took her towards his parked car. Opening the door he let her get in first, his hand on her head protecting her from bumping it. Entering his car he pulled away from the curb and headed straight towards his favourite breakfast restaurant.

    Ying Yue was slightly impressed. He had come alone and the car was expensive but not flashy like other people with his amount of money.

    "Do you drive often?"

    Xi Long was happy that she herself had asked him a question. It was the first time she had asked about him, this meant she at least had a little bit of interest in him.

    "Mhm, I prefer driving myself. Outside of work hours its hard to find anyone driving me unless I have a meeting."

    "Okay." At that she turned her head to stare out the window and sat in the comfortable silence. She was still a little sleepy so she held her head in her hand and leaned against the window to rest her eyes.

    Looking over at her he was slightly surprised to see her nodding off. It was very cute. He could see her fight her sleepiness but eventually fall asleep again. He could see the bags under her eyes and could tell that she had probably not slept properly last night. ''Was it because of me?'' A small mark of joy lit inside, he would enjoy if she lost some sleep because of him as he already had lost many over her.

    Arriving at the destination he gently shook her awake. Ying Yue had woke up as soon as he touched her and on reflex gripped his wrist and bent it, her whole body on alert. She was slightly confused but woke up completely when she saw the body attached to the wrist she grabbed. It was Han Xi Long and they had apparently arrived at the food spot. It was shocking that she fell asleep in his presence. She was trained since young to be able to survive on the minimum which included sleeping. The concept of falling asleep in front of him meant that her defences were weakening. His existence is becoming dangerous for her - she could not let this continue.

    Xi Long on the other hand was pleasantly surprised by her quick reflexes. ''She''s definitely more complex than he had initially assumed. She was a trained fighter.'' He watched as her hazy eyes cleared with recognition as she held is wrist at a dangerous angle. It would have broken any other man but to him it felt like a soft pull. Her slightly rough hand gripped his and he couldn''t bare to rip her touch away from him.

    "You know, I''m more than willing to hold your hand. Grabbing my wrist works too."

    Releasing his hand she quickly got down from the car, her ears tinged red with slight embarrassment. Ignoring his deep chuckle she silently followed him into the small restaurant. She recognized the place it was Noir Blanche, a small fancy but down to earth french establishment. They were greeted by the manager and a couple of the staff, all bowing at a 90 degree angle. ''Wonder if he ever gets tired of the needless exchanges like this.''

    "Welcome to Noir Blanche. We have prepared a small secluded table at the corner of the restaurant for you. Please follow me." The old manager glanced at the fierce tycoon and his eyes widened by the female next to him. He was rumored to be a man who never had a woman by his side but here today he was. Unable to see her face because of the black face mask his curiosity rose. Idol? Model? Politician? Criminal? The possibilities were endless.

    Taking them to their prepared place he took one more quick glance and left the couple. Signaling the waitress he went to attend to other matters. The waitress walked over and handed them the menus. She took quick but frequent glances at the cold but handsome man in front of her. The woman seated across from him had half her face covered but was evidently a beauty. She couldn''t hide her jade skin and luscious black hair that paired with her clear eyes were stunning.

    "We''ll have water for now. Are you ready to order?"

    Ying Yue nodded. As she was opening her mouth to order a shrill voice interrupted her.

    "Omo Xi Long, fancy seeing you here! Haven''f seen you in so long, why haven''t you messaged me." A gorgeous woman with blonde hair and dressed in an expensive bodycon dress, makeup painted on walked towards them. On immediate glance you could tell what type of woman she was, narcissistic and believed she was a total package. The blonde woman glanced at the man she has been dreaming about since her dad mentioned him. Looking over she noticed another woman sitting at the same table. By the looks of it was beautiful but poor, not one branded item could be found on her. ''Hmph this will be easy.''

    "Who is she? Excuse me do you mind getting up, Xi Long and I haven''t met in a long time. Here''s $1000 for your trouble, now move along."

 Chapter 16 - Get Out

    ''This bitch.'' Irritation filled her as she turned her glare towards Xi Long. Was he just going to let her speak like that. Is she one of his past flings? I cannot believe he fell for a woman like her? If so, she may have judged him too quickly.

    Xi Long felt her eyes boring into him and her accusing eyes filled with judgement. He couldn''t even recognize this woman yet here she is using his name freely and making his little kitten upset! Turning to the waitress his aura turned dark. "Did I not say that we were not to be disturbed."

    The waitress'' knees trembled, she did not know how this woman had come so close. The area they were seated in was a far corner where people could not generally see it from first entrance. So how she got here was beyond her, she must have been tipped.

    "Sorry miss but this area is reserved. Please follow me and I will lead you to another seat."

    "EXCUSE ME! Who do you think you are! Xi Long are you going to let this worker speak to me like this!!! I''ll have you fired!"

    His mood darkened further as this unknown woman continued to use his name. If he did not fix this situation now, his kitten would misunderstand!

    "Who are you." His face was stone cold as anger came off him in waves. His eyes dared her to speak further.

    The blonde woman''s face froze, she was not willing to accept that he did not remember her at all. She was beautiful, a Chinese English mix and the precious daughter of her dad - who is one of Han Xi Long''s business partners. They had met recently at a charity function and since that she was infactuated with him. Her father had introduced her and while he did not give her much attention she did not mind as she knew he was not close to woman in general. But that obviously did not include her, who else was worthy of becoming the next matriarch of the Han family.

    "Xi Long, don''t joke around we met recently at the charity function. Daddy introduced us, remember? It''s been so long and I think we could really enjoy a meal together." Glancing again at the woman who had yet to move -"How about $2000? I think that''s more than fair? Now if you will, you''re wasting both of our precious time."

    Ying Yue was angry, while she now knew that he was not familiar with her she felt better. However, she was not about to take this insult from a random haughty heiress. ''$2000? Hmph.'' She had enough to buy out eight generations of this woman''s family. Looking at him she could see him seething anger, his fists clenched but hesitant to fully unleash his wrath in front of her. Or at least she is assuming she was the reason. Looking at the waitress she gave her order and calmly got up.

    "I''m going to the bathroom and clear this mess before I''m back or I will." As she made her stance, she walked towards the bathroom to distance herself from the annoying woman.

    Seeing her chance, the blonde woman shamelessly sat down in her seat. "Now that she is gone, we can peacefully talk. When can we meet up in a more....personal setting. I''m sure you''ll find that we have a lot in common."

    "First I do not know you. Two I do not wish to know you. Get out."

    "What...what do you mean. Listen I''m sure we can come to an understanding." She said as she attempted at a seductive smile and leaned forward attempting to show off her b.r.e.a.s.ts. His face turned into a sneer, these tricks would not faze him. Signaling the security guards he nodded his head towards her. They quickly stepped over to the table and picked the woman from the seat restraining her.

    "What are you doing! Let me go!!!"

    "Burn everything she touched. Change the sheets, cutlery, chair, everything. I want her out of the restaurant. And you. I don''t know who you are but you have been using my name since the beginning - which I have not given you permission for. Get out and disappear from my sight. I don''t want to see even your shadow near me, if I do I will ruin you and your family. Tell your daddy that I have sent my warning." His anger was fully unleashed, his kitten had left the table without even taking a sip of water. She was upset and threatened to take matters into her own hands - while he would love to see her get jealous it was too early. She clearly asked him to handle it and he would handle it.

    "Nooo! Forgive me please I won''t do it again. Let''s come to a compromise, I''ll offer myself to you but please spare my family."

    At this moment Ying Yue had walked back to the scene to see the table and all the items removed outside set on fire. The woman in question was held down by two security guards her hands tied behind her back, hair messy, and her makeup smeared all of her face.

    "You! Its all your fault!" Gaining a sudden strength, the blonde woman broke free from their hold and ran towards Ying Yue. She was deranged, it did not make sense to her. Why did he not like her! It must be because of that wretched woman!!

    As she ran towards her, Ying Yue was beyond ready. The woman had already annoyed her and now she had valid reason to hit this bitch.

    Once she had gotten closer to her, the deranged woman swung her body and her nails toward her face. Ying Yue stepped back, grabbed her by her wrists and bent them in a painful direction. Holding her hands and body hostage she lifted up her hand and slapped her hard across the face.

    "How dar-"

    *SLAP*

    "Who do you-"

    *SLAP*

    *SLAP*

    "Now where was I."

 Chapter 17 - Interruptions

    "Now where was I?"

    *SLAP*

    *SLAP*

    She had already slapped the woman enough but at the thought of what happened earlier she slapped her two more times. The feel of her soft but caked face against her rough hands was amusing. Hitting her didn''t get rid of all her irritation but it was satisfying. Finished with her she released her and pushed her away. Tripping from the sudden movement, the blonde woman fell onto the floor.

    "Aghhh!" She shrieked as she was thrown onto the cold floor.

    "Remove her." Xi Long was tired of the drama. His kitten had well taken care of her but for the audacity of attempting to attack her - she must suffer. Anyone who goes against her whether small or big will suffer the same two-fold.

    The woman was in a daze, she did not know how things had escalated to this point. She had been tipped off my one of the waiters that he was here as she knew that he frequented this restaurant a lot. In a rush, she put on the nicest outfit and ordered her chauffeur to rush over. Even between stepping out of the car and walking to the entrance she saw woman glaring at her with jealousy and men with attraction. Yet, the man she had done all this for did not even spare her a look! It must be that woman! Who is she to command his attention! Her face throbbed from getting aggressively slapped. As soon as she was born her parents had treated her like a princess and gave her everything she desired but not even once did they lay a hand on her. But this ''s.l.u.t'' did and was the main cause of her humiliation today.

    As she was dragged out of the restaurant and forced into her car, her heart with filled with vengence. Marking this moment with blood shot eyes she swore that one day she would return and would destroy that women until Xi Long himself killed her.

    ***

    Back inside the restaurant Ying Yue had sat back down at the newly prepared table. Xi Long had followed her suit and sat down after placing his order.

    "So does this type of thing happen often?"

    "Never. I have had women try to approach me but never got close."

    "Then how did this woman get close and speak your name out so personally."

    "Because today I gave my guards the morning off and I cannot answer why she had thought she could use my name. That is a privilege awarded to only a select amount of people."

    "Why aren''t your guards here. Isn''t it dangerous?"

    "Hmm kitten if I''m not wrong you sound a bit jealous and worried about me?" His face dipped into a sly smirk.

    "Worried about you? Not at all. But you see I''m worried about myself - what if someone decides to attack you and I get caught in the crossfire?"

    "I would never let you get hurt. That I promise." He spoke with such seriousness that Ying Yue''s heart clenched at his words. She had never had someone speak or attempt to protect her like this, it could just be sweet words but somewhere in her heart she knew he would fulfill them.

    "So...fallen in love with me yet? Don''t rush the food hasn''t even arrived yet." He chuckled.

    ''Annnndddd its ruined. To think I had a good impression of him for a second.''

    "Not happening."

    The waitress overheard her reply as she placed their food down. It shocked her as most socialites and women - men even would not dare to say such in front of the Yama incarnate. Both respect and fear filled her as she gazed at the mysterious lady who spoke those words without hesitation. If she spoke like that to him, how fierce of a woman could she be?

    Finally getting the chance to eat some food, Ying Yue immediately dug in. She could care less about the man in front of her as a plate of a steaming hot eggs benedict and popcorn mala chicken was literally seducing her. The combo of items were different, suppose a new fusion idea on their side but she wasn''t complaining. Fried chicken in the morning is always a good idea. As she placed the first bite into her mouth a small m.o.a.n escaped her at the creamy combo. She continued to joyfully eat fully forgetting that there was someone else at the table.

    Xi Long was amused, as soon as the food appeared his kitten had developed tunnel vision. She only saw the food and had started eating immediately. He was fine with it, she ate like she enjoyed food unlike other woman who saw it as a task. Not sure how the misconception started but eating like a bird was very unattractive in his books. He began eating until he heard a small m.o.a.n escape her causing him to choke on his food. Drinking water he attempted to calm himself down after that sudden seduction tactic. It did not help that she had removed the mask on her face to eat so he heard the m.o.a.n while seeing her full face that was tempting enough as it is.

    Clenching his hands he ignored his urge to grip her h.i.p.s and place her onto his lap to hear more of those delicious sounds. The image of her on his lap as he grinded her into him while her soft lips kissed him sent his blood on fire. He would bid his time until she was comfortable enough with him and then he carry out this dream. Ever since their first kiss he had felt that his urges and self control increased tremendously. Like a pre-teen boy he was imagining different scenarios and getting seduced by even the simplest sounds. As he was taking another bite his hands stilled and his body tensed. He could sense that something was off, years of working in the underground had made him sensitive to even the smallest hint of danger. His face turned cold, he had simply wanted a breakfast with his kitten but he was met with so many interruptions. Dark energy escaped him filling up the restaurant till the workers couldn''t breathe. Signaling the security guard again he quietly ordered that all staff hide in the safest spot possible immediately. A battle was about to start.

    Ying Yue had finished stuffing two pieces of popcorn chicken into her mouth when she felt their presence. Swallowing her food and chugging down some water her body began itching at the idea of fighting. She could feel that the building was surrounded, to her calculation around 35 people were outside. Glancing at Xi Long to see if he noticed she saw him sitting at the edge of his seat, eyes darting around. His face was stone cold while his aura was deadly. She could see why some people would call him the Yama King, his presence right now was no less than what she expected from an underworld boss.

    Sighing, she resigned herself to the battle that was about to begin. All she wanted was some free food but unknowingly she got involved in so many interesting situations. Looking at him once more she took a deep breath before turning towards the doors.

    "Bring it," and that''s when all hell broke loose.

 Chapter 18 - Unlocked Skills

    The doors slammed open and the windows crashed. From both sides men in black shirts flooded in, some holding guns and some with brass knuckles. Ying Yue quickly noticed the weapons and reached into her bag, quickly tucking in some items into her waistband. Flicking her hand, two daggers slipped into her hand and she calmly waited till they were surrounded.

    Her eyes grazed over the men calculating how long it would take to finish all of them. As she took a step further to test one of their skill levels she felt a warm palm push her back. In an instant she was pulled and pushed behind him protectively.

    "Stay back."

    Her heart was touched at his action of protecting her. His broad shoulders and tense muscles acted as a security blanket, he intended to be the wall between her and the danger. Yet at the same time she was slightly annoyed. Did he not think that she could handle herself? While she had not shown him her true skills, their previous altercations should have at least given an idea that she wasn''t weak. ''Hmph, I can take all of them down easily yet this man hides me behind him. I''ll show him just how brutual I can be." With that she slyly smiled, unbeknownst to Xi Long who''s focus was on protecting her failed to notice his kitten mischievously planning behind his back.

    When the last man had entered they were fully surrounded, their backs against the wall. Guns were pointed towards them and by their stances he could tell they were trained. Maybe slightly above average fighters, the guns were the latest model but lacked in efficiency at close range fighting. This meant that whoever hired them had money but were not well versed in fighting. Xi Long had many enemies but who hired these men - he did not know.

    "Who sent you." His deep and murderous voice echoed throughout the restaurant. The men in black shivered, they had been ordered to hurt their target until he begged for death but they did not tell them it was Han Xi Long. His reputation was known throughout their world as a ruthless businessman but a cold hearted monster who took lives at the drop of a hat. Their boss had ordered them so they could only follow the orders now no matter how much they wish they could leave. It was the honour of their business, no task is left unfinished.

    "Sorry sir but we are held by confidentiality. Our client has requested to stay anonymous but has left a message to pass onto you: You always think you are untouchable, now look as you die at my hands."

    ''Well that was dramatic.'' Ying Yue rolled her eyes, this all seems to be a big comedy show. When were they going to get to the fighting bit?!

    "Well tell your client, if your survive that is, that his death is near."

    With that he whipped his jacket open and pulled two guns from his waistband and started shooting. Guns started raining down, the men attempting to shoot but him evading. Flipping the table he used it as a shield from the bullets. He pulled Ying Yue down by her head and pushed her against the corner.

    "Stay here. I''ll be right back."

    "No I''ll come with you."

    "No. You will stay right here." His blood boiled, it was the middle of a fight there are guns laying around and she wanted to join?? He knew that she was trained but to what extent? That he was unsure of and refused to take any risks.

    His dominance and way of ordering her pissed her off. ''Fine let him have his fun, but I will join.'' She grumpily nodded and pretended to listen to him. Xi Long was suspicious of her behaviour but had no time to see if she was telling the truth or not. Leaving her behind the table, he suddenly jumped into the middle of the fighting shooting people and using his feet to attack the unarmed. Each shot he took was deadly, instead of killing them all right away he shot them in vital parts making them bleed out slowly.

    ''15 down, around 20 left to go.'' Running out of bullets Xi Long used the back of his gun to knock out two of them. Fighting the rest bare handed, he ripped out their guns and threw them across the room. The men were afraid, they continued to attack but he was a monster. In the span of five minutes he had taken down half their force. One man had sneaked past him and went towards the table in hopes of capturing the woman. If they could use her has bait they can change the tide of this battle and he would be forced to submit to them. Xi Long noticed the man step over but as he was ready to stop him the man''s body crumpled to the floor. From behind Ying Yue stepped out and looked directly at him.

    "You''ve had your fun, now its my turn."

    Ignoring his anger filled eyes she shut off her mind and threw herself into the battle. She used her daggers to quickly stab the enemies in vital points - just enough to crush their will to fight. Two men ran towards her in hopes of subduing her but before they could lay a hand on her she had already blocked them. Using that momentum she double kicked them each in the chest knocking the breath out of them. She smiled as she continued to fight, within two minutes of entering the fight she had already taken down ten of the men. The remaining men were in shock. Who was this woman? Was she a trained assassin? His bodyguard - but there conversation did not match? It was hard enough trying to kill Han Xi Long on his own but now they had to kill her too. She was too brutal for them, if he was the monster she was queen of monsters.

    Ying Yue could less about what those men were thinking at this point. Fully immersed in the fight her only thought was to take them down. In three more minutes she had successfully injured or knocked out the remaining men. Finding the leader she quickly tied his hands behind his back and pressed his face into the floor as she held a dagger against his neck.

    "Now let''s try this again, who sent you."

 Chapter 19 - Underestimated Her

    "You''ve had your fun, now its my turn."

    Her words did not register in his head until he saw her body move forward into the battle. By the time his body reacted she had already started fighting back. She had taken a small pause where he saw her close her eyes and in that quick second her entire aura changed. He felt her cold and murderous vibes even before she opened her eyes. It was weird for him to see her like this, Comparing his cute but ferocious kitten - this was a cold blooded killer. But it did nothing to kill his attraction for her, it in fact made his interest in her rise.

    He hated weak woman who depended on men for everything. But as soon as danger arose he pushed her behind him and refused to let her fight. He in a way became the men he mocked and made her play the role of a weak woman. Yet she ignored him was defending and attacking everyone without breaking a sweat. Being his woman, he knew that would put her in danger but knowing that she could handle herself gave him a sense of security. As the King of the Underworld, only a woman like his kitten would be a perfect match. His lips curved into a small smile as he watched his kitten tearing everyone to shreds.

    Watching her actions carefully he could tell that she did not waste any movement. Every strike, movement she made was efficient and contained the right amount of strength. This level of skill would take years to develop, his guess was that she was trained since childhood in the acts of warfare and battle. His mind spun as he tried to link all the information he had of her together but he did not know enough to reach any logical decision. It was frustrating.

    A wounded man on the floor saw Han Xi Long on the side as the woman jumped into the fight. His body shivered as he saw her skillfully take down 10 men in two minutes- she was a monster. But what was scarier was seeing the small smile on Han Xi Long''s face as he watched the blood and carnage of the battle. He had heard rumors about him and seeing this scene in front of him he knew every single one was true. Fear took over as he hoped the fight would end soon and he could escape from his clutches - that is if he could get out alive.

    Xi Long eyes never strayed from her as he watched her bend, move, and strike men down. She did it so easily that it was as if she was just playing around.

    ''Was this her true skill? Who is she?''

    Those two questions kept bothering him. His eyes glazed as he watched her take down the last man, then grabbed the stupid leader. Pressing his head into the floor she took her daggers and held it against his throat.

    "Now let''s try this again, who sent you?"

    The leader tried to fight her off but was unable to move her. Her knee was digging into the middle of his back while her other leg restrained his legs. She pressed the dagger harder against his neck till small red drops of blood rained down. The leader still remained silent as he tried his best to protect his client''s confidentiality. He did not feel like he had to answer her, this was because he felt that she would not actually kill him. However he was wrong. As soon as he refused to answer for the second time her aura turned darker. Taking the dagger she brought it up and changed her position to stab him directly.

    "One last chance." He still did not respond.

    Taking that as his answer, Ying Yue lifted the dagger high and brought the blade down in a quick and aggressive way. The blade aimed to his head as if she was going to pierce it through. The leader had remained calm until now but feeling her aura get colder and the speed at which she brought up the blade was enough to tell him she was serious. If he did not confess now he would die.

    Just before the dagger pierced through his skin he shouted out "I''ll confess! I''ll tell you!"

    Ying Yue smirked, she knew he would give up. A weak group like this could never hold secrets long if their life was at stake. She remained silent as she waited for him to speak the name.

    "It...it was Zhong Fu Corps'' CEO Zhong Fu. He had sent out the order to us this morning. We did not know it was you I promise! We were just told to raid the restaurant at this time and attack the man in the navy suit."

    Xi Long''s eyes became sharp, he had been lovingly watched his kitten fight but had an underlying sense of anger at the person who dared interrupt their first date. After the amount of time and coercion it took to bring her here and then there were multiple interruptions. ''Who knew how she thought of him now? And if she wanted to see him again?''

    Hearing the name of the man behind this attack. Gritting his teeth he muttered "I was too easy on him. Guess I have to get a bit more bloody." Men like Zhang Fu were dust to him, usually he would send his men out to deal with small preys like him but now that he had gained so much courage he didn''t mind playing with him to death. However how did Zhang Fu know where he was going to be ? And that he was going without security? A mole. There was a mole in his midst. Xi Long laughed, ''ah this is getting interesting.''

    Stepping forward to his kitten he gripped her wrist and pulled her off the man. "Well that took long enough. Now you weren''t dumb enough to believe that you were free, right?" He snapped his fingers and his men flooded in to capture and take away all the men there.

    "But you said you''d let us go!! We told you everything we know!!"

    "So? You chose to fight me and now face the consequences. You should''ve killed me when you had the chance."

    The men protested but they were quickly evacuated from the building. When it was finally silent Ying Yue realized the situation she was in. She lost control and started fighting and threatening men in front of him. Now she could feel his warm palm on her waist and his questioning gaze burning into her head. Turning around to finally face him and give a random excuse she was cut off.

    He kissed her. Hard.

 Chapter 20 - Shameless

    Her mind was in a confused state. She was ready to create an excuse, lie, ignore him but kissing him? Was kissing him even an option?

    She stood still for a couple of seconds as she tried to make sense of the situation. Xi Long has brought her closer and held one hand on her waist and one in her hair as he pressed his lips harder against her. He was ravishing her, aggressively kissing her as if he was staking his claim on her then and there. His rough hands contradicted against his soft lips. He tasted like her favourite flavour of ice cream - mint. During their first kiss she didn''t notice but now in this situation all her mind could do was capture details. She hated to admit it but she enjoyed the way he held her, fierce but gentle.

    Getting some strength back in her she fought against his hold but all it did was turn him on more. Her struggling against him caused her body to rub against him, her soft chest against his hard one. Annoyed at her lack of response he moved his hand down and gripped her behind. She gasped - ''th..this...brute! He actually just grabbed my butt!!''

    Taking her gasp as his invitation he dove his tongue into her mouth and tasted her. She tasted just like he remembered bitter sweet berries. Getting lost in the kiss he explored her mouth and slowly moved his hands against her body. He wanted her to respond and get comfortable with him so he was not going to go further than kissing but no one said he couldn''t touch?

    Ying Yue tried hard to fight against him but it was too much for someone as inexperienced as her. She had made the mistake of wearing thin clothes so every touch he made felt as if he was touching her bare skin. Her body was in flames, everywhere he touched set slow fire on her, building the heat further. She felt herself relax and awkwardly tried to respond to his kiss. As she felt herself surrender to his kiss, the door slammed open ending their moment.

    Xi Long felt his blood pressure rise again. ''Another interruption!! Why have they all happened today!'' Just a second ago he felt his kitten slowly relax her body, she even moved her lips slightly against his. Just as he was brimming in happiness from her accepting him, someone stopped her and now she was back to her reserved self. Pulling away from her he glanced at her face and his eyes darkened at the enticing scene in front of him. Her body was reserved but her face was aflame, eyes sparkling but dazed as she looked back at him. Her cheeks were rosy and her red lips were swollen from his attack. Refusing to let anyone see her like this he held her head and hid her face in his embrace.

    Turning to look at the intruder he let his anger show towards the man who dared to interrupt him.

    ***

    Lei Shufen was sweating. He had rushed as soon as his boss sent the message saying he was ambushed. Sending the men before him he closed off the surrounding area and ensured the cctvs would be ''randomly'' malfunction as they whisked the bodies away. They were to be sent to the dungeon and no one could trace them. After dealing with that, he ran inside to see if his boss was okay. ''Was he hurt? Oh no boss wait for me!! I''ll save you.''

    Now. He was standing in front of his boss who had not even a scratch on him but glared at him with anger of a thousand suns. He had rushed into see his boss in the embrace of a woman and was shocked. Was this not the lady he spent many sleepless nights trying to find? His boss had already found her? He was now convinced that the woman before her was the next lady boss. He had never seen his boss search so desperately for someone let alone kiss her with such abandon!

    It was a sight to see, both wore ripped clothing and had splatches of blood coating them. His boss had a gun in his waistband and two daggers lay at their feet which definitely belonged to the mystery woman. But worst of all his boss was angry! At him!

    ''Huhu boss why are you glaring at me. How was I supposed to know she was with you! And that you were ....kissing! This is not fair huhu, leave your poor servant...''

    "Um bo-boss...we ha...have sent the men outside to the dungeon. Are you okay? Are you hurt?? Is the lady boss hurt??"

    Just like that Xi Long''s anger calmed and Ying Yue''s confusion rose. Her face was still pressed against his chest. She was embarrassed that she let herself go and actually respond to the kiss! Then to top it off they were caught! ''Ying Yue how weak have you become that one man is able to affect you like this!'' She stood silently against him as she attempted to collect herself. A voice spoke out that sounded similar to the man she had heard in the alleyway. Was this his secretary?

    "Was the lady boss hurt?" Who was the lady boss? Did he already have a woman?? She did not hear another person walk in??

    "She is fine." Xi Long spoke in a soft voice that she never heard before. It sounded as if he cared for her a lot. Then why force her on this breakfast if he already had someone

    Pushing against him strongly her eyes blazed as she looked around for the ''lady boss.'' She wanted to see who had the capability of making him so soft but was surprised to see no one there. There was no one else but Xi Long, his secretary, and her. Who could be the lady boss and she was the only woman here...

    ''Wait. ME? Am I the lady boss???? What!''

 Chapter 21 - Lady Boss?

    "You made a mistake when you decided to target me, enjoy hell" Xi Long said as he spoke his last words to Zhong Fu who dared to attack him this morning. Despite his dark aura, he had a small smile on his lips as he thought about what happened earlier today.

    **2 hours ago**

    ''Wait! I''m the lady boss?!''

    Xi Long looked down when he felt his kitten struggle and push him out of their embrace. She glared around with fiery anger searching the room for someone and then held a look of confusion and surprise on her face. Watching her switch impressions so quickly was amusing to him, he had no idea what she was thinking about but was secretly enthralled that he could evoke so much emotions from her. Watching her turn to him with a look of questioning he could tell it was because of what Shufen just said. Why should he explain? She was his and the sooner she accepted that the better. He smirked back at her and pulled her soft body back against him.

    "What''s wrong kitten? Do you have something to ask me?"

    "No. Why would I have anything to ask you?" Ying Yue watched as he smirked at her before asking her the question. ''He was teasing me for sure! Hmph does he think I will ask him?! Who cares what he calls me? He already calls me kitten so what will lady boss do?!''

    "Hmm cause it seems to me that you wanted to ask me about the term - lady boss."

    "Lady boss? What lady boss? I didn''t hear anything like that."

    He bent down beside her ear and husikly spoke, "I think you did, lady boss."

    "Listen you pineapple head. I am NOT your lady boss, let alone your anything. I promised you breakfast and that is done. So now let me go!"

    Xi Long laughed at her response, ''Pineapple head? That''s the first time I''ve ever been called that - she''s adorable.''

    "See we barely even finished the meal so I have to say kitten - it doesn''t count. I propose we do dinner to make up for this."

    "Dinner?! That wasn''t part of the deal."

    "Neither was getting ambushed, but a little excitement doesn''t hurt."

    "Doesn''t hurt? You could''ve almost died!" Ying Yue shouted at him, ''this man, did he not realise the seriousness of the situation!''

    His heart turned warm at her words. She didn''t even realize that she was showing concern for him. Unable to hold back he dipped back down and stole one more kiss from her. Catching her mid-rant he immediately pushed his tongue in and pressed harshly against her lips. He passionately took control of her mouth and as quick as he stole her lips he just as quickly stopped. Looking directly into her eyes, "No one would hurt me or you, I promise you that."

    With that he dragged her outside by her arm and straight past his secretary he had thus ignored. Shufen stood their shocked as his mind raced to grasp what just happened. He had seen his boss... smile! His boss never smiled! Not only thought, he had almost fainted when he saw the lady boss yell at his boss. No one ever dared to yell at his boss and live but he kissed her in response? Did the attack ruin his boss'' brain? Was boss even using his brain anymore or was another body part thinking for him??

    ''Huhu boss, I raced here worried about you and here I am being force fed dog food.'' Sighing he went towards the back of the restaurant and lead the workers out of their hiding spot. His boss had left him to clean up this mess and he would need to silence all of them lest they talked about this to others.

    "It''s going to be a long day."

    ***

    Xi Long had dragged Ying Yue straight into his car and drove away back towards her apartment. Glancing over at her, he could see her sit silently pouting at him with a slight daze. He loved seeing her look at that because of him. Her plump red lips swollen from his attack kept edging him to kiss her again but he had to stay in control. Seeing her blood stained clothes his eyes darkened in anger. He would destroy the man who dared to against him and attack his kitten! Regardless if she could take care of herself or not, even thinking to hurt her was enough reason for death.

    As he pulled up to her apartment, Ying Yue came back to focus and quickly exited the car to run towards her apartment door. Pulling out her keys and opening the door she went inside and tried to close the door when she saw him follow her in.

    "Why are you here?"

    Looking down at his clothes she was reminded how stained and blood covered he was.

    "I need to borrow your bathroom, I can''t exactly go to work like this can I."

    "Fine you can use it but that''s it. You leave right after okay and I don''t have any clothes for you."

    "Don''t worry I have a spare in the car. Now if you''ll excuse me." He sauntered into the apartment and took of his clothes one by one. By the time he had entered her bathroom she could start to see the glimpse of his n.a.k.e.d back before the door closed on her.

    She went towards her kitchen and gulped down water. This man would be the death of her!!!

 Chapter 22 - Showering Together Saves Water

    Walking into her room Ying Yue leaned against her door and closed her eyes with a sigh. Memories of the day sped past her eyes while regret filled her inwardly.

    ''I shouldn''t have exposed myself like that.'' In the moment she felt like having fun and felt the need to join but it contradicted her current lifestyle. Her mission right now was to live a quiet life, the more she exposed her skills the closer people were to discovering the truth. Despite everything she was glad that she had least held back her skills. How she fought today was just her playing around, to the average person she could pass as a trained martial arts fighter.

    Thinking back to Xi Long, she remembered seeing him ruthlessly move and fight against the men. They were armed but he didn''t hesitate for a second and at the same time protected her. Her eyes were dazed as she watched him, being the woman she was and the history she has a skilled fighter was extremely attractive to her. Everything about him was dangerous but she couldn''t help but feel more and more drawn to him. Running her hands over her lips she blushed at letting him take advantage of her again.

    ''I cannot believe that he kissed me AGAIN! Is he a pervert or something?! Always kissing me and didn''t even ask for my permission first! Not that I would give my permission....he just caught me off guard that''s it. Jiang Ying Yue get it together!''

    Lost in her thoughts she failed to hear the bathroom door close until she felt the door open behind her pushing her forward. Caught by surprise she stumbled a bit and turned around to see Xi Long standing at her doorway shirtless. Small drops of water dripped down his body and trailed down his hard body. She gulped as she followed the water drops with her eyes until they disappeared into his pants. Her eyes engraved his body into her mind as she tried to capture all the details. His body was delicious. Rock hard abs, a sharp v-line, a small trail of hair and small scars sprinkled across his chest.

    "Like what you see? Don''t worry kitten its all yours...for looking and touching."

    "Who wants to see that? I''ve seen better!"

    His face dropped in anger, shortening the distance he went towards her in quick strides. "Who." His body was tense and black aura filled the room. The idea that she had seen another man shirtless and that she preferred that man filled him with jealousy. Glaring back at her he waited till she uttered that man''s name.

    "Speak his name kitten. Tell me who it is and I''ll end him!"

    Ying Yue wasn''t expecting this reaction. He was teasing her one second and the other he was angry. How was she to answer him now?! Other than her friends and her family she had never seen a man shirtless. Let alone find him attractive?! ''Think Ying Yue, think!! What should I say.'' It was hard enough thinking of how to calm him down but here he was seducing her with his damn body making it harder for her to think.

    "Hmph I have no reason to answer you. The question is why are you not getting a shower and instead spilling water all over my floors."

    "Escaping the question huh?" He chuckled darkly. "I promise kitten the only man''s body you''ll remember in future is mine - that I''ll make sure of and to answer your question...I need a towel."

    "Oh..oh I''ll grab you one." Slightly flushed from his possessive promise she went to grab him his extra towel. Handing it to him she averted her eyes and basically pushed it into his arms.

    "You know kitten, showering together would save us water and time. What do you say? Want to join me?" Xi Long smirked as he watched her flushed face get redder from his words. He was still a little angry at the mention of another man but watching her reactions he knew that he affected her. She could lie but her body couldn''t.

    Feeling her face heat up she glared at him. "You...you...shameless! Get out!" Pushing him out of her room she heard him laugh. Hearing the bathroom door close she could finally calm down. Tearing of her clothes she threw them into the laundry hamper. Before she could completely take everything off she remembered the man currently in the bathroom. She couldn''t walk out in just a towel with him around. Waiting around she sat on the floor scrolling through her phone till he was done. Without sparing him a look she entered the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She could smell the heat from the shower and his cologne fill the room. Quickly stripping of her remaining clothes she entered the shower and scrubbed off all the blood. The hot water eased the tension on her muscles and relaxed her. Finishing her shower she put on a shirt and shorts before exiting the washroom.

    ***

    Han Xi Long sat on the couch while he sent out orders to his men. He had his men gather intel and pinpoint who orchestrated the attack and where they currently were. While he knew the name already he had to make sure that no one else was connected. Finishing his business he heard the bathroom door open. Turning around to look at her he felt his mouth turn dry. She was fresh out of the shower, steam floating behind her. Her skin was flushed from the heat while her long jade legs were exposed. Out of all the outfits she could have chosen she decided on shorts. SHORTS! Does she want me to live? How many times will this woman seduce me today?!

    Seeing her casually walking towards him he gripped her wrist and pulled her onto his lap. Holding her on his lap he positioned her to sit on her side so he could hold her in his embrace and touch those dreamy legs of her. In a gruff voice he whispered in her ear, "Kitten, are you seducing me?"

    "Seducing you? These are just shorts! Who wants to seduce you?!"

    He laughed, "Lot''s of women but you are the only one who succeeded."

    Struggling in his lap she tried to escape him as she felt his hands stroke her bare thighs. Anger filled her from everything that happened today. He kept on touching her and playing with her however he liked and it had to stop. Now. She wasn''t that type of woman! Not thinking straight she yelled, "Han. Xi. Long. I''m warning you now. Let me go!!!"

    His strokes stopped as he heard her words.

    "How do you know my name."

 Chapter 23 - Names

    "What do you mean, how do I know you''re name?"

    "Well since I never mentioned my name yet, I find it a little interesting how you knew it."

    Ying Yue cursed in her head, ''Why am I so stupid recently?!'' She had accidentally revealed that she knew his name, which was fine, but it meant that she had researched him. Her body stayed relaxed against his body but her mind was tense and racing to cover all holes in her lies.

    "Google."

    "Google?" Xi Long chuckled at her answer. Sure google was an option but with what picture? What information? His kitten was lying to him but it was cute to watch her answer me with a look as if to say ''You think I''m lying?! How dare you question my honesty!'' He had to admit, her acting skills were natural and could almost fool him if he already did not know her. Every part of her screamed mysterious and skilled so his gut was telling him it was not as easy as google.

    "Yes Google. Did you really think that you were hiding yourself well?"

    "Tell me how you did it."

    "First of all you dress in custom made clothes that are high quality. The watch alone on your wrist is at least a million yen hence I could tell you were wealthy."

    "Yes but there are a lot of wealthy men out there, how-"

    "Now if you''ll stop interrupting me I can continue. Second, your insufferable attitude. You scream arrogance, danger, and the mindset of someone who always gets there way even if they have to get bloody. So there are a lot of rich men but how many are feared in Country E? Finally, your physical features. 6ft 2, pitch hair, brown eyes, etc. All of these together made you very easy to find, you''d be surprised how many fans created bios of you."

    "Still doesn''t answer how you could confirm it was me - there are no clear pictures of my face."

    Rolling her eyes, she got up from his lap and went towards the kitchen for a glass of water. "I''m not sure how you run an empire with that brain of yours. If you can remember two hours ago we went to a restaurant where the reservation was under a Mr.Han and let''s not forget one of your ex-girlfriends practically screaming your name. So does that answer your question?" Ying Yue smirked as she watched him from her couch. She was the queen of deception so her lies were perfect not that they were complete lies either. She indeed searched him on Google but she had cross-referenced his pictures from the cctv first. Running his picture through her database is what got her his name. Google was just a way to see how much information he let out to the public and how many scandals he was involved in. She knew he was questioning her but she did not care. Her answer was logical and she was not about to back down from her story.

    Xi Long watched as she walked away from him once again showing her jade legs and filled behind that his hands itched to touch again. He knew that he had taken his teasing to far today. But who could blame him? His kitten was the epitome of seduction. He couldn''t help but kiss her repeatedly which to his surprise she did not reject completely. He was determined to stop there but then she had come out in shorts and practically squashed his resolve. This was his woman but to her he was a man she just met three days ago and acting so physical with her was not the correct way to court her.

    Drawing his eyes away from her body he refocused on her words. What she said was logical, he did not think she would notice his name in the reservation book nor did he remember the trash that tried to ruin his date. He had long thrown the memories away as they were insignificant, before his kitten any other woman who approached him was simply trash. Getting up from his seat he walked towards her challenging eyes.

    "Mhm I''ll believe you for now...but one clarification kitten. That was not my girlfriend, nor did I ever have a girlfriend." Adding a cheeky smile he spoke, "The position is still open, why don''t you apply?"

    Ying Yue''s face flushed again at his direct comment. She wasn''t blind she knew he was courting her but she did not know what it is about her that made him do this. Her bet was because he found her interesting and was probably the first woman to reject his advances. But never having a girlfriend...was he lying? No, he wouldn''t lie. Somewhere in her heart she knew that he would be honest with her, arrogant and annoying but honest. So was he ....frigid? Without her knowing she had accidentally said it out loud.

    Xi Long choked when he heard her. Frigid? That was the conclusion she made?! He could not follow this woman''s train of thought. Leaning into her he said, "I''m far from frigid. Thought I proved myself to you earlier but I don''t mind going futher..." He wanted to tease her further but his phone rang breaking the moment. Glancing at the caller ID he saw that it was Shufen calling him from outside. He had to get to work soon, he wished he could take the day away but he had to take care of some pests. Grabbing his stuff he headed towards the door and glanced back her standing in the same spot watching him. "I have to get to work Kitten, don''t miss me too much. If you do, feel free to come straight to the company. I''ll be waiting."

    Leaving the apartment and heading towards his car he ordered the car to speed towards the office. His face turned stone cold and his concealed anger released into the air suffocating everyone in the car. He had been kind for too long and insects kept popping out of nowhere challenging him. It was time to remind them why he was the King of the Underworld.

 Chapter 24 - Itches Need to be Scratched

    After Xi Long''s car disappeared, Ying Yue quickly locked the door and turned on her security system. Walking around her once spotless apartment she saw messy pillows and spots of water - all things that reminded her of him. Tying her hair up she grabbed her cleaning supplies and quickly mopped up the water and fixed whatever fell on the floor. Walking into the bathroom to wash her hands she could smell the lingering scent of his cologne. Finding her air freshener she sprayed the artificial ''ocean breeze'' to the point of coughing.

    "Finally." Ying Yue was uncomfortable. She knew that Xi Long was affecting her slightly and being the stubborn man he was this probably wouldn''t be the last time he sought her out. Cleansing her apartment was her one way of keeping things in control...for now. Stretching her limbs, she relaxed her body and re-entered her secret room. Entering the study, she turned on the computer to search if news of today was released. Not that she doubted Xi Long but who knew the skills of his subordinates. Running a long code onto a panel she ran a preliminary search over the internet.

    ''Nothing, hmph okay.'' Combining the long code with another code she ran a secondary deeper search. This search would find all news, posts, etc within the last 24 hours and pull the ones that had any of the words describing today''s ambush. ''Got you!'' Her eyes twinkled as she found some suspicious weibo posts from an hour ago. Chuckling she traced the ID to their location and found three accounts linked to the location. "Interesting," she could tell that this was a pre-planned attack and probably wouldn''t be the last. Saving the information on an encrypted folder she then hacked into the cctv and deleted all footage of her from the streets, outside, and inside the restaurant. Since meeting Xi Long it seems that hacking and delete her footage from the country''s database became a regular task. Satisfied at her damage control she closed her laptop, exited and secured the study room.

    Lazing around her couch she was scrolling through the dark web on her disposable phone when something caught her attention. ''Ooh what''s this.'' Her eyes stilled upon reading a competition poster. An underground fighting organization was hosting a competition tonight, winner wins 50,000 yuan. A smirk grew on her face at the post. Her body was itching for a proper fight and it seemed like she had the perfect practice ground. She was a little unsatisfied at her fight this morning, other than numbers those men had no skills that made the fight enjoyable. These fights had no rules other than prohibiting people from killing their opponents, everything else was fair game. She could play around and test her skills on the market without worrying about consequences. Everyone there was involved in the underworld and used a fake name which also meant the added security of not having anything trace back to her. Ying Yue laughed out loud in excitement, "let''s go have fun."

    Walking back into her room she searched for her hidden suitcase. Although most of her outfits would fit this event perfectly fine she looked for the tougher material. Pulling out the hoodie, fitted black shirt, and black tights she flicked it a couple of times to get rid of the slight dust. Her mind stirred as she held the familiar clothing in her hands. It had almost been 4 years since she had to use these clothes. The memories of blood and bodies falling entered her mind as she tried to quickly dismiss them. ''Get it together Ying Yue, you are not the person you were before. No one knows who you are and no one will find out.''

    Putting the clothes on with determination she emptied her mind of the past and focused on her current reality. She had her moments where the memories took over but they couldn''t hurt her, she was stronger than that. Switching off her emotions she let the familiar cold energy take over. Her eyes switched as her soft brown eyes took on a lazy indifferent look. Covering her hands in a white wrap and putting on a face mask to protect her face she was finally ready to head out.

    ***

    Country E was cold that night as the wind blowed strongly with the temperature dropping by the minute. It was quiet as Ying Yue walked towards the venue, her body huddled together to keep the heat inside her. As she got closer she saw the number of people loitering around the building. She was in the sketchy part of the country, drug deals and gang wars usually happened here which meant it was the perfect breeding ground for someone who wanted to make the quick buck. Walking confidently through the streets her steps were light as people barely noticed her passing through. Her clothes blended into the night further helping her camouflage. Seeing the run down factory she entered the door and saw a small desk with two squeezy men collecting cash. Heading straight up to the desk she slammed 500 yuan onto the table breaking their conversation.

    "Who do we have here, seems a little small are you here to watch or fight."

    "Fight."

    The man was shocked when he heard her voice - a female?! His mouth turned into a perverted smile. "Hehe what''s a pretty little thing like you doing here, run a long baby or else you might get eaten up. I''m sure there''s a nail salon nearby, better suits a weak female like you." Him and his coworker next to him laughed at his joke. Before he could stop a pen was against his throat pressing hard against his skin.

    "Fight." The man started sweating, glancing at the woman again he saw her cold-blooded eyes and the speed at which she attacked him. She was not someone he could afford to offend!!!

    "Hehe sorry miss. Of course we will sign you up. Please forgive this servant, what name shall I place you as?"

    "Call me....Viper."

 Chapter 25 - Underground Competition Pt.1

    "Call me...Viper."

    "Yes, yes of course. I''ve entered your name into the battle, please wait for your name to be called." The man''s heart was pounding as he spoke to the mysterious woman in front of him. Her murderous cold aura from a minute ago was gone just leaving behind a reserved and isolated person. He was shocked at how quick and skilled she was but even more so at her ability to quickly reign in her energy. As she walked away he could finally breathe safely.

    "Man why did you act like that? She''s just a weak female we could''ve taken care of her easily." The man beside him spoke as he turned to face him.

    "Take her?! Are you the one who had a pen against your throat?!"

    "So? She''s just a harmless female, even if she had a pen against your throat you could''ve thrown her away. Never thought you would be so weak haha." His stumpy face gloated as he continued to taunt his friend. "Listen Zo, just admit you are afraid of the little girl."

    "Shut up Bo! You don''t know anything, you''re so stupid!! Did you not see how fast she moved?! I''m surprised you''ve survived this long with that dumb brain of yours." His face flushed as he yelled at the stupid man in front of him named Bo. These were not their real names of course but underground they went by Zo and Bo. It was their tenth time holding a competition like this but it was the first time he encountered a woman like this before.

    "So you''re just going to let her go?"

    "No. Why do I have to do anything, did you forget who''s competing tonight?" Zo smiled with malice, while he knew that he himself could not take her, who said someone else can''t? He was the organizer, all he had to do was set the schedule and let everything fall into place. She may have skills but let''s see if she makes it out of here alive!

    Ying Yue shivered as a slight chill went through her. She knew someone was talking about her and the likelihood of it being the stumpy man she just threatened was high. Forcing him to accept her submission with a pen to the throat was a risk but here in the underground it was normal. Ignoring the two men behind her she lightly walked towards the crowd and followed them through a passageway. This hallway lead to a huge abandoned factory floor where she could hear the sounds of the crowd grow louder. The space was big with dirty tools scattered around, high steel beams, and scraps from old factory equipment. The highlight however was the bright steel cage right in the center of the floor. A boxing ring was inside the cage to serve as the raised floor but the usual straps to keep someone inside were removed. Instead the four steel clamps surrounded the four edges meeting at the top like a closed flower bud. The four sides were surrounded by crowds of people who pushed to get to the front row before the matches started. In the corner she could see men yelling out prices and setting bids for the matches and their outcomes. She chuckled, ''guess things haven''t changed much.'' The smell of rusted tools, blood, and sweat mixed with the sounds of an excited crowd gave her a sense of nostalgia.

    She walked briskly passed the floods of people, expertly avoiding contact with any of them. With her black clothing and face mask she easily blended into the crowd making her presence as light as air. Finding a deserted spot she made her way over to it and leaned against the wall as she waited for the matches to start. She was at a good spot where she could see everyone but be easily missed over unless someone was looking.

    Bored she fiddled with her fingers as she left her phone at home. She had left with nothing but some cash and her fake ID if she ever needed to prove her identity. After a couple minutes she heard the crowd die down as a man walked to the middle of the boxing ring holding a mike.

    "Ladies and gentleman welcome to this amazing event we love your support....heh. So before I release the match lineup I have to go over the rules and ...that there are no rules! Everything is free game but no murder, the cleanup is a hassle and we''d rather just not deal with it. If you want to kill him outside, that''s fine but no murders tonight! Now for the fun part, the lineup for tonight will be:

    Match 1 : Hetong VS. Qi Jinguang

    Match 2 : Yue Fei VS. Li Feng

    Match 3 : Viper VS. Sun Bin

    Match 4 : Ze Mao VS. Scorpion

    Whoever wins will go on to challenge another and the remaining two will fight for the championship, a prize money of 50,000 yuan and title of Underworld Fight King for this year! Fighters step forward when your name is called, let the battle begin!!!"

    ''Alright I battle in the third match -'' before Ying Yue could finish her thought two people in front of her started shouting. What caught her attention was her name Viper, tuning into their conversation she heard them shouting about Sun Bin? ''Who is he?''

    "Bro I didn''t know Sun Bin was fighting again this year! Wasn''t he the man who crippled his opponent last year and took the crown?!"

    "Yeah he was, it was gruesome, I feel bad for this Viper. Whoever he is hope he''s good or it''ll be a repeat of last year."

    "Viper? Who even is Viper, have you ever of him before?"

    "No, I haven''t but I''m going to bet on him! Gotta trust the underdogs."

    "Hah, you''re stupid I''m gonna bet on Sun Bin. He''s definitely winning. Viper is good as dead."

    Ignoring the rest of their conversation Ying Yue leaned back and took in the new information. She had never heard of Sun Bin but based on what she heard he was a violent man. She bet the stumpy man had set this up thinking that she would be destroyed by him. Her blood hummed as the familiar rush of energy filled her, if he was good as they said she was excited to fight him.

    "Sun Bin...Sun Bin...where are you."

 Chapter 26 - Underground Competition Pt. 2

    The noise from the crowd grew louder as the first match started. "Now in the first corner we have an old contestant - Hetong!" A medium built man walked on to the stage clad in shorts and a white t-shirt. He flexed his muscles as he stood there with a c.o.c.ky smile.

    ''Weak.'' Ying Yue knew on first glance that he would be an easy opponent to defeat. He was tall and had a good amount of muscles but she could tell he was not trained. A street thug looking to make money and exert dominance. She bet that he had gotten c.o.c.ky dealing with low level gang matters and had the power go to his head. If Hetong was a repeat contender and still felt that he was a strong opponent, she worried that this competition would be too easy for her. She was hoping to find one good man to fight today or else it would''ve been a waste of her time to come and leave so unsatisfied.

    "In the left corner, we have a new contender - Qi Jinguang!" A slim built man dressed in a black shirt and tight black joggers slowly walked onto stage. He was tall and lean with short black hair. Jinguang was an attractive man but the large scar across his face and cold disposition made the man come off scary. The crowd started screaming and taunting Jinguang when they saw him.

    "Haha what a weak man!"

    "Ooh Hetong you''ve got an easy win."

    "Go home you girly boy!!!"

    Ignoring the taunts, Qi Jinguang stood silently as he waited for the bell to ring. The announcer walked off stage and the metal cage immmediately rose surrounding the ring. As soon as the bell rang Hetong ran towards Jinguang to grab him. Everyone watched in anticipation for the attack but were surprised when they saw Jinguang on the other side of the ring and Hetong against the cage wall. The crowd was shocked, were they seeing things? How did Jinguang get there?

    While everyone was confused the fight continued. Hetong pulled himself off the wall and glared at his opponent in anger. ''How did I miss him?!'' Fueled by anger Hetong once again ran towards Jinguang and swung his fist. Jinguang stayed still and then side stepped Hetong. Grabbing the swung hand by the wrist he pulled it behind Hetong and dislocated his shoulder in one fluid motion.

    "Ahh," Hetong screamed out in pain from the sudden attack. Before he could defend himself he felt a strong kick against his back forcing him to fall forward. Stars shone in his eyes as he tried to catch himself but to his surprise his opponent caught him before he could hit the floor. Spinning him around he stared at the face of his opponent, an uneasy feeling rose in his stomach when he realized that he was at a disadvantage. Determined to change the tide he wriggled himself out of Jinguang''s hold and threw another punch. As his fist was about to land a quick strike against his forehead shattered all his senses. In less than two seconds he saw black and a whisper in his ears "lights out."

    The crowd was silent at the unexpected turn of events but it only took a second before they started screaming out in excitement. No one had thought the small thin man had any skills but they had just beaten a strong competitor! Ying Yue eyes shifted as she watched Qi Jinguang. The crowd may have thought he was knocked out from the last hit to his forehead but she knew that the damage was worse than that. Qi Jinguang had secretly hit pressure points during the fight that slowly blocked his blood flow. It decreased his fighting power and made Hetong tire out faster. The hit to the forehead was only the final blow to make his body collapse. As the body was falling down Jinguang had made one last silent move which undid the blocked points so Hetong wouldn''t die but would wake up in a couple of hours with immense body pain.

    ''He''s dangerous.'' Ying Yue felt a sense of familiarity when she saw him. The way he fought, the skills he used, they all reminded her of the men she fought in the past. It was rare to see a man of his level entering a low level competition like this. ''Why did he join this match? Did he need the money? No it was more than that...was he looking for a challenge like her?'' Her blood hummed as her body twitched in excitement. She wanted to fight him, she had to fight him.

    ***

    The second match had already started while she was lost in her thoughts. The next two opponents were weak and were just dragging on a fight of pure strength and no skills. She wouldn''t waste her time to watch this stupid match, her mind was in a daze as she felt herself subconsciously think of Xi Long. This morning she caught a glimpse of his fighting skills and wondered how it would be if he had entered this fight or even knew that she had entered. She frowned at the thought, she had no doubt that he would be mad at her and forbid her to enter this competition. ''Wait why am I even thinking of him??? Jiang Ying Yue get your shit together, he doesn''t own you!!! You came out to have fun, forget about him.'' Caught in her thoughts she refocused on the ring to realize that the fight had already ended. The announcer was on stage calling out for the third match - her match.

    "In the left corner we have our reigning champion - Sun Bin!!!" A tall muscular man entered the ring shirtless with just red shorts covering him. He was the picture of a muscle head brute filled with unnecessary confidence. She laughed at the announcer''s plan, this was supposed to scare her?

    "In the right corner we have a new contestant - Viper!" Ying Yue stepped away from the corner and made her way to the stage. Her hands were clenched as her body prepared for the upcoming fight. She met the announcer''s arrogant look with a smirk.

    Her name was Viper for a reason and now she would show him why.

 Chapter 27 - Underground Competition Pt. 3

    Ying Yue slowly walked towards the stage, her fists tucked into her pockets with her head down. The crowd looked around trying to catch a glimpse of the new fighter but were surprised when they saw a small body approach the stage. Was this a joke? This small, frail looking body was Viper? What man even looked like this?

    Ignoring the stares she hopped onto the ring and secured her hoodie and mask preventing anyone from seeing her face clearly. No matter what her identity could not be revealed tonight hence so many precautions were taken. Her eyes lit up as she reveled in the attention and anticipation of the fight. Her competitor stood across the ring from her with a haughty grin adorning his face. Sun Bin had joined this competition again to maintain his title and who did not love the extra cash? Last year he had torn up the competition and crippled his weak opponent. A sinister laugh left him when he remembered the man''s screams begging to be released and the melodic crunch heard when his arm had snapped. It was fun hurting his opponents but they had no one to blame but themselves - who told them to be so weak? Glancing at the frail man in front of him joy bubbled within him. It was clear that this boy had overestimated himself and thrown himself in this competition for the cash rewards. He was small, had no defined muscles, and hid his face like he was afraid. ''Yes keep your head down, be more and more scared. Fear me!'' A smirk graced his face as he continued to look at this "Viper," he could not believe how lucky he was tonight, he was sure this would be the easiest match yet!

    Ying Yue fought to control her laughter, Sun Bin''s expressions revealed everything he was thinking and the idiotic confidence he had compelled her to laugh in his face. He wanted to hurt her? Thought that this was an easy win? ''Hmph, I''d like to see if you can even make my hood fall off!''

    The cage doors shut, a loud click and the signature bell were the only signs to indicate the fight had started. Drowning out the crowd and all the random noises she focused her energy on the man before her. She stood still and waited for him to make his first move, her eyes were sharp as she caught every small movement made. As soon as she saw his toes turn towards his left she had already turned her body towards the right slightly in preparation for his attack. The minute she finished turning she saw Sun Bin run towards her and lift his left leg up to complete a round house kick. A spurt of wind grazed her face as he missed her by a couple of inches. Sun Bin stepped back in confusion, he had calculated everything before striking so how did he miss? Taking it as a mistake he charged forward again to grab her. His hands were stretched out and as he wrapped them around her to cage her within, she disappeared from his clutches. Ying Yue had seen him running forward to grab her, at the moment he reached to put his arms around her she squatted to her knees and side stepped away. Sun Bin was lost again, not once but twice he had escaped him. He could not understand how this little boy kept escaping him - what was going on?!''

    Ying Yue was enjoying teasing him, after so long she finally had an opportunity to play around. Seeing Sun Bin stand and glare at her in agitation and confusion was amusing. Her eyes crinkled as her mouth curved into a smile behind her mask. The initial plan was to avoid his attacks and end the battle early with a couple of quick strikes. She had wanted to keep her skills hidden, that way anyone who saw the match would be only able to guage her defensive ability and nothing else. Now her mind changed, she wanted to drag this match till he exploded in anger. See him get red in the face, make aggressively stupid movements and ultimately become desperate to win. So till then she would keep avoiding his strikes, maybe pretend to let a couple of hits land. Then when he exploded she would end him quietly with a couple of bruises and some broken body parts. Even this way she would not reveal much, only how weak of an opponent Sun Bin was.

    Sun Bin was filled with anger as he saw his opponent smirk at him. He was the current champion and this newcomer dared to make a fool out of him! Despite not being able to see much of his opponent''s face he saw the twinkling eyes and curve of his face that meant he was smiling. It was his mistake to use such small moves in the beginning, he could not let this continue. He was determined to both destroy and cripple Viper. Laughing out loud he drew the attention of the crowd and spoke in a mocking voice.

    "Why do you keep escaping huh? Afraid of getting hurt? Boohoo why did you even join this competition if you''re such a coward huh. You''re such a weak little baby. Do you need your mommy to come save you or will you fight like a real man!"

    ''A real man? She wasn''t even a man!'' Ignoring his taunts, Ying Yue stood still as she waited for him to continue the match. Sun Bin stared at his opponent as he awaited a reaction but was surprised to only see disinterest. No! He would not believe that his words did not faze him, he must be so scared he couldn''t respond. ''Yes that''s it, he''s just scared!'' Filled again with confidence he went towards her again. His hands were clenched and placed near his face in a protective stance as his back lightly crouched to imitate a boxer. He got closer to her and aggressively started speed punching aiming for her face and body. Each strike was filled with power and speed guaranteed to hurt anyone who made contact but they never landed. He felt his hands hit air as he saw her slightly move away from the attack while pretending that she got hurt. The crowd went wild as they saw this attack, finally the match was getting interesting!

    Increasing the aggressiveness of his punches he tried to go faster and harder but could still only graze the ends of her clothing. Angered he moved his right foot forward in an attempt to trip her and then use the momentum to do a blitz attack. As he stretched his leg out to trip her a searing pain emerged from his leg as he felt his ankle shatter. Ying Yue had expected a petty move such as this. Pretending to stumble from his punches she striked her heel against his angle with just enough force to fracture it. Pressing against the cage she acted as though she was weak and haggard from his attack. It was clear that the match was coming to an end. Fake stumbling to the middle of the ring she hunched her body over as a show of "catching her breath." Sun Bin felt as though he was loosing his mind, the crowd edged him on as they screamed shouts of support and praise but for what? He had not hit him once!

    Leaning back on his good food he made one last ditch effort to win the match, he ran and threw his entire body onto her.

 Chapter 28 - Underground Competition Pt. 4

    The bright lights blarred on her face as she stood in the middle of the ring. Everything happened in slow motion when she saw Sun Bin run and throw his entire body at her. Considering his weight he would have easily crushed a person under him with that move but unfortunately for him it was a foolish mistake against her. While she had not attacked him she had shown enough skills for Sun Bin to realise she was not a weak, target he thought she was. His arrogance and stupidity is what led to his downfall today. Calculating the time and angle of her attack she decided to end the battle in one last move. As Sun Bin''s body approached her from slightly above she stepped aside and waited till he had dropped further down to execute her strike. Lifting up her leg, she jumped slightly and brought it down forcefully against his neck. Following the body she landed on her knees with his still body beneath her.

    The once loud crowd was quiet as they saw this unexpected change. Zo paled on the side as he saw what had happened. ''Did...did she just kill him? With one move?'' His heart strummed strongly against his chest as fear creeped up on him. He had pinned her against Sun Bin sure that he would be able to get his revenge while having front row seats to her beat down. Yet now everything was opposite! She had casually taken down their previous champion in such a swift action and possibly killed him. Nervously picking up the mic he cleared his throat multiple times before he could speak. "As...as spoken before...m-murder was not allowed. Viper you are disqualified."

    "Disqualified? Murder?," a deep hoarse voice responded. A cold laugh left her mouth as a shiver ran down everyones'' spines. "I did not kill him, check for yourself..." Standing aside from the unconcious body she waited for the cages to retreat and a stand-by doctor to check his pulse. The audience watched eagerly as the doctor approached the body. The old thin man reached down and held Sun Bin''s wrist. Feeling a pulse he took out his stethoscope to hear his heartbeat for double confirmation. Pulling away from the body the old doctor spoke "he is not dead, only unconscious." Hearing those words the constrained crowd let out a noise and cheers followed. People were shocked, he did it! He took down the fearful Sun Bin! Hopping off the ring, Ying Yue silently walked back to her corner as she heard them announce her win and the continuation of the competition. Several thug shaped men walked on stage and quickly removed the unconscious Sun Bin and placed him on the floor in a far part of the empty factory. He had lost shamefully and the weak were not respected here so the thugs just threw him in the first clear spot they saw.

    The crowd kept looking back and glancing at the stoic figure hidden in the shadows. The people in front of Ying Yue who had previously chatted about Sun Bin and her silently wept as they realised who they had spoken in front of. Was this not shooting oneself in the mouth? Walking away they distanced their self further into the crowd away from her in fear of retaliation. While the fights had continued the amount of people looking at her slowly decreased as they were once again draw into the competition. The fourth match had started between Ze Mao and Scorpion and was another disappointment. Their fight was filled with fancy moves and exaggerated emotions, it was obvious that they were here as a show or were complete idiots. She continued to ignore the match and surveyed the crowd. While lazily grazing over the rambunctious crowd her eyes met a pair of cold grey eyes. She was not shocked to see him staring at her like she had done to him. Qi Jinguang had stared at her with interest and curiosity as he tried to analyze her. Though she may have fooled everyone else in the building, Jinguang saw through her facade. An expert, at the level she assumed he was at, could clearly follow her movements and decipher that she had faked all her injuries in the ring. She was not worried however, she met his stare with an indifferent one of her own. He could look all he wanted but it was no use, 100 looks and it would not change the outcome of their fight.

    Tearing her eyes from him she noticed that the match had ended with Ze Mao as the winner. It was time for the semi finals as Qi Jinguang entered the ring to fight against Li Feng. As soon as the ring sounded Li Feng took an aggressive stance but kept his distance. Waiting for the other to take a move they circled each other. All of a sudden Jinguang moved forward towards his opponent and quickly struck him. Li Feng''s body crumbled like a doll and the old doctor was once again called to check someone''s pulse. "Well then..." Ying Yue was slightly surprised as she did not expect him to take such a drastic plan but it is not if she didn''t understand. He had probably exhausted his patience and wanted to speed the process up for they could only fight in the finals. His eyes stared at her as he exited the ring, eyes that were filled with promise and excitement to fight her. Seeing him rush through his match she now felt like doing the same. Walking back on stage she faced Ze Mao and bounced her leg impatiently for the ring to sound. As soon as she heard it she quickly advanced on her opponent and made a side palm strike to his neck. Ze Mao did not have even a second to prepare before everything went black. The match had finished within 30 seconds.

    Zo stood on the side, his mouth open staring at the ring and the woman''s retreating back as he tried to process the last two matches - ''what the hell was going on?!''

 Chapter 29 - Underground Competition Pt. 5

    Zo was beyond stressed, nothing was going the way he expected. Picking up his mic he announced the winners for the previous battles and indicated that there would be a ten minute break before the final match started. The crowd was confused as there usually was not a break between matches but before they could question it Zo was already gone.

    Storming into a small office Zo paced back and forth. Bo had followed Zo in when he saw the fear on his face from the recent matches. "What are we going to do Bo, we''re so screwed! She definitely knows we tried to set her up! What kind of monster is she...she just completely destroyed Sun Bin."

    Bo stood aside as he was also shocked at the outcome. Was she not just a weak little woman? "Or was she even a real woman? Zo do you think...think that maybe its a man disguising as a woman?"

    Zo''s anger rose, grabbing a small desk ornament he threw it at Bo. "Does it even matter?! Are you an idiot?! Who cares about her gender, she is going to kill us!"

    "Well I just don''t believe a woman can be that strong!"

    "I am literally going to kill you. Women are strong and she is one of them, seems like a trained killer to me. Besides, no matter how much you question her gender she is a woman. Her face was half covered but you could still see her face and jade skin - it was soft I tell you. She''s definitely a beauty too."

    "Ooh," a lecherous smile broke out on Bo''s face but before he could voice out his thoughts a paperweight was thrown at his head. Zo was furious, here he was stressing out on how to fix this issue and this idiot Bo was having dirty thoughts about the she-monster. Which god did he anger to be paired with someone like this?! Zo calmed down as he tried to think about the situation logically. There were only 8 more minutes left to the break before he had to go back out and officiate the final match and he needed to decide his next steps now. Even if Viper had known that he had set the matches up, was she so affected that she would seek revenge against them? It was a hard call to make since he knew from experience that people in the underground all had different temperaments. She was unfazed and took Sun Bin as a joke but that did not mean that she was not angry about their disrespect towards her. He had caught her cold eyes glare at him from time to time but other than a few looks she had stayed away from him. His bet was that she didn''t care much about him but his heart was still uneasy. If he was right and she didn''t care then his life was saved, of he was wrong he died.

    Though, despite his concern for his life, a familiar emotion bubbled up inside him again. It was his need for revenge! No matter how this night ended he was determined to seek his revenge for the humiliation and threat she made towards him. He had been in the underworld a long time but had never been disrespected by a woman this much! He failed to realize that his issue relied around the basis of her being a woman and not the rest, he was s.e.xist but refused to call himself that. Running through multiple plans in his head Zo struggled to find a suitable attack. With two minutes left he began to walk out of the office when it hit him. "Yes..yes this could work." An evil smirk graced his face as he turned back towards his partner. Quickly speaking he divulged his plan to Bo and explained everything they would need. Joy filled him at the idea of this succeeding and being able to watch as he single handley destroyed her. He would go back and finish the matches but regardless of what happened tonight she would not leave alive!!

    ***

    Ying Yue sneezed as she felt someone talk about her. Considering the panicked looks from the announcer and the sudden break she could easily sense that it was because of her. They had probably retreated to create a scheme to trap her tonight. She didn''t care much about them but it was unlikely that they would give up. Regardless if she wanted to do anything or not she was a threat in their eyes and needed to be eliminated. ''Sheesh these men and their egos. They act as though they weren''t birthed from a woman!'' If a man had down what she had done tonight they would have peacefully stayed away, sigh, it truly was a hard life for women.

    Hearing the crowd reanimate she refocused on stage as she saw the stumpy man once again enter the ring. Holding the mic towards his mouth he spoke, "Welcome back! This will be our final match and whoever wins shall get 50,000 yuan and the title of underworld fighting champion! Now to grace the stage we have our final two opponents both of which are newcomers to this battle. In the left corner we have Qi Jinguang and in the right we have Viper! Let the strongest man win!"

    With end of the announcement both her and Jinguang entered the ring. It was finally time for them to battle! Watching each other from the corners of the ring their muscles clenched as the cages slowly rose. Seconds counted down till the cages closed and the sound of the bell rang out echoing throughout the room.

    The final match had begun.

 Chapter 30 - Underground Competition Pt. 6

    Immediately after the bell had rung, Ying Yue could tell that this match was different. It was all observation before but now standing in the ring facing him her body had gone into its defensive state subconsciously Unlike the other fights neither made quick movements to attack the other. The crowd was cheering and urged them to get bloody but their shouts fell on deaf ears. While this was a competition, between the both of them this was a test of skill against an opponent near their level. The question was if their level was lower or higher!

    Ying Yue cautiously watched Jinguang and waited for him to make the first move. As she took a step to the side he made a dash towards her form. Jinguang made deliberate moves aiming at her meredien points, though his hands were fast they lacked full strength. He wanted to see how she would evade this, if she didn''t then she was weak and he overestimated her. If she did, then he could bring out more strength and fight her without holding back. Ying was amused again by the way Jinguang decided to attack.

    ''Haha test me? This student dares not fail!''

    Avoiding his hands, she countered his strikes with her palm. Hitting her palm against his wrists and hands she pushed him away from her. Using this momentum she attacked him. After making him step back one step, she closed the distance and quickly lifted up her knee and forcefully brought it towards his stomach. Jinguang saw this coming and placed his hands on her knee stoping this attack but this is just what she wanted! Expecting this reaction she had purposefully made a flashy move to distract him from her left hand. In the second that he had looked down, her left hand had struck his throat. Feeling a burst pain against his throat he retreated to the other side of the ring to catch his breath. His eyes twinkled when he glanced at his opponent. ''This Viper is very interesting...''

    Jinguang had joined this competition for fun and to earn some extra money. He thought that this would be easy competition, hold back a little and quick cash. It was his luck that he was able to find such a worthy opponent! When Viper had first entered the ring he had paid him no mind but the isolated aura of the man drew him in. Watching the way he fooled everyone and made them believe that he had won after being brutally beat down was hilarious. His eyes followed him the entire time and despite him being of small build he was definitely a man who had been through the carnage. The crafty glint in his eyes only serving to further prove to him that this was man of similar background. Energized by this realization Jinguang once again through himself into the battle. Releasing part of his restrained power he began executing high level moves. Throwing punches and kicks simultaneously he wanted to overpower her. Yet every attack he made was reflected back onto him! He was surprised at how easily this man had done this, how could this be?! Not even sparing a breath he continued his assault, switching the pattern and force of each strike to confuse him. However, who was he fighting against?

    Ying Yue saw through his plan and followed his movements to reverse every single strike. The white bandages wrapped around her hands were beginning to rip at her forceful movements. Ying Yue grimaced as she battled him with equal force. It was not her style to fight continiously with force, she preferred reserving her energy and killing her enemies in the least amount of moves. The only time she dragged on a match was to watch her opponent slowly tire out and revel in their desperation until they lose the will to live. However, it seemed that she would not be able to do so today. In terms of skill, she was better than him but his strength was one she could not take lightly.

    Focusing on the man before her she began looking for weaknesses. Her eyes glazed over him as she analyzed his movements and tried to find subconscious behaviours she could use to her advantage. After a minute she could still not see anything useful. Her eyebrows scrunched as she failed to find a weakness. Just as she was thinking to change her method she suddenly saw it! Pushing him away she jumped to the other side of the ring. Her eyes glinted with excitement as she planned out her next moves. The fight had entertained her so far, she felt good that she had chosen to come here tonight. Looking at his expression towards her, she knew that he had shared the same thoughts as her. Unfortunately she was done playing with him, he had revealed a small mistake and she would use it to put the final blow!

    Jinguang stared at Ying Yue in anticipation and interest. The look in her eyes and the space she set was enough to let him know that she had planned a larger move. The crafty glint in her eyes made him uneasy. ''What...what did this man have planned? Was it possible...no no. This Viper should not have been able to find out a way to defeat him so quickly!'' Shifting his stance he focused his energy and completely blocked out the sounds of the energetic crowd. All of his 5 senses focused on his opponent. Ying Yue saw him get serious and a small smile graced her lips ''ah a worthy opponent indeed, but alas this is the end.'' Pressing her heels onto the floor she tilted her body weight forward and dashed towards him. Jinguang prepared for the impact but was surprised when she ran straight passed him. Ying Yue intentionally ran closer but went passed him to the cage walls. Before he could turn she caught the back of his shirt and threw him against the cage. The spikes dug into his body as she immediately struck against his left back heel. His body filled with pain as she once again struck his heel before roughly pulling his body into the middle of the ring. Using one foot she tripped him and hit his back heel again causing him to fall to the floor. Before he could collect himself she threw herself onto his body and straddled him while using her palm to strike his forehead, neck, and chest. With the last strike he felt the air leave his chest and blood start to rise out of him.

    He had been defeated.

 Chapter 31 - Clich茅s

    Jinguang laid on the floor as he caught his breath. His mind raced as he tried to catch his thoughts. It had been only a minute or two ago that they had stared at each other from opposite sides of the ring. Now here he was laying on the floor with his opponent above him. Coughing, a bit of blood hit his hand as his body recuperated from the attack. He had not lost like this in so long that his respect for this childlike Viper grew. While the audience may have thought that this was a normal battle only he could see what was really going on. He knew she was analyzing his movements but the ability to figure out his weakness within two minutes was startling. His left back heel was injured a month ago from a recent mission and had been slowly healing. However, despite the small injury he could function the same and was sure that he did not give off any obvious signals showing that either. Viper had seen a small movement and was able to pinpoint immediately what had happened and had used it to his advantage. Without this tactic, the fight would have definitely lasted longer.

    His eyes gained focus as the loud cheers of the crowd woke him up from his stupor. Chuckling at the situation he put his hands on Viper''s waist to push him to the side and off his body. As soon as his hands touched the hoodie Viper had rose up and moved away immediately. Confusion filled him as he watched his powerful opponent evade him like this, did he think he was dirty?! ''This blood is your fault ah!'' Pulling himself off the ground he walked over to Viper and held his hand out.

    "Good match." He watched him as he placed his small hands in his and nodded his head in response. The rough but smooth hand was small in his and his heart stirred at the touch of it. ''This...how was his hand so small? So soft?'' More confusion filled him as he felt the need to touch the soft skin again but quickly shut down the idea. ''I cannot believe that I want to touch a man''s hand again, ah I must really get a girlfriend soon.'' He stepped back and waited for the cage walls to drop down before walking off the ring. He stood near the side as the stumpy announcer walked onto the stage with the celebratory belt and a cheque for the 50,000 yuan.

    "Announcing our current winner...Viper! He is the reigning champion for this year and will be awarded the grand prize money. The competition has officially ended, settle your betting debts and keep an eye out for our next event hehe. It''ll be...very...exciting..." With that the stumpy man walked off stage and towards his table. As he turned there a small smirk was on his face ''hehe Viper let''s see you get yourself out of this...''

    Jinguang eyes narrowed as he caught the small smirk and evil glint in his eyes when he turned. Looking around he tried to sense if there was anything out of the ordinary but with the large amounts of people moving and chattering it was hard for him to really tell. Inching towards the stage, he leaned against the ring from outside and stood silently waiting for something to happen. Just as he expected, a disturbance occured. The lights in the room shut down throwing the entire area into pitch darkness. Screams could be heard as people rushed to leave the room but what stood out to him was the amount of steps moving in the direction towards the ring. Sensing what was happening he quickly jumped out into the ring and called out for Viper. This ambush was clearly directed at Viper and he would not let him fight alone. They may have been opponents within the ring but they were comrades in battle due to the mutual respect they had for each other. Without missing a beat he felt Viper respond to his call and they quickly found each other. Standing back to back they prepped themselves for the incoming fight. As they waited for an attack a soft sweet scent floated in the air.

    Ying Yue was prepared for battle as soon as she saw the stupid man smirk and was disappointed to see that the plan they created was just... hiring a few men to kill her? I mean they had added darkness as an extra element but where was the excitement? The creativity? Her face scrunched up in irritation at having to fight this boring battle. Just when she had thought it could not have gotten more boring a soft smell filtered through the air. The familiar peony scent was weak but she could hear the drug take effect as the men surrounding the ring started shuffling in unnatural beats. ''An aphrodisiac? Really? Not even poison?!'' An exasperated sigh left her as she realized what actual idiots those short men were. If she knew this beforehand she would have just killed them and ended this earlier!

    Up until this moment she was ready to fight but with the barrage of cliches her irritation grew stronger than her desire to fight. Deciding to escape she bent down towards Jinguang and in a deepened voice whispered "let''s just hit everyone in our way and leave."

 Chapter 32 - Escaping

    Grabbing Jinguang''s hand, Ying Yue pulled him towards the end of the ring and jumped off. Releasing his hand she pushed through the men in front of her. Without saying a word they began to work in sync. The men affected by the aphrodisiac shuffled their feet and heard the commotion of them trying to leave. Fueled by the scent they aggressively charged towards the two, their faces were filled with l.u.s.t as they imagined the woman trapped within the room. They had been informed earlier that all they had to do was capture the woman within the ring and hurt her, after that they were free to do whatever they wanted with her. Who could pass up this offer? With the money and the promise of a woman to put in their arms, the deal was quickly taken up. When they entered they saw the black hooded figure and were slightly confused if that was the target or not but they followed their orders. The idea that the lone black figure in the ring was a weak woman under the clothes made parts of their body heat up. Sounds of fighting were heard in the dark room as people tried to hit the correct person. Angry shouts broke through as in a haze they had started fighting each other.

    "Hey let me go!"

    "You dumba**, why are you hitting me!"

    "Ugh who hurt me???"

    "Who the f.u.c.k said we should do this in the dark!!!"

    Ying Yue snickered as she heard their shouts. The stupid men had planned this but failed to realize that they were at a disadvantage. There were around 20 men and two of them but on top of it being dark, they brought no tools to see in the dark. Using this to her advantage she fought against the men harder and grabbed Jinguang behind her. Fighting and crouching to evade people they finally made it to the door. It had taken less than 10 minutes for them to make it through. She was used to fighting in the dark, her senses were heightened and she relied on sounds to guide her through. At the door a sliver of light emitted through giving them signal that no one was standing behind the door for a surprise ambush. Just as they were nearing the door someone shouted out, "turn the light on! They''re escaping. Some stand in front of the door!"

    Hearing the call, someone ran in front of the door to block them. Running forward she hit him in the neck, silently knocking him out. Opening the door they quickly closed the door and turned the key locking the door. Running to the entrance, Ying Yue slowed down as she remembered that the two stumpy men had probably not left. She didn''t really want to hurt them but now that they went through so much effort to take her down it would be rude if she didn''t return the favour, no? Turning towards Jinguang she spoke in a low voice "It was fun fighting with you, you can leave but I still have some work to do." With that she dashed down the hallway that she thought had people. The abandoned factory was huge and she had only a limited amount of time before the men inside broke free. Speed walking she looked through the window slots of the door. Every room she checked was empty, ''did they leave...?" Just as the thought they had left a small sound was heard down the hall. Creeping up to the last office she saw two men sitting there laughing. On first glance she could tell that it was them. Stepping back from the door she kicked it open in one strong move.

    "Ahh!!" Zo and Bo screamed as there was a loud bang. They turned to the side to see Viper standing there unharmed. ''What?! How could this happen! Where are the men we hired?!'' Zo was panicking inside as fear filled him. He had fully planned everything and was sure that she would not be able to escape 20 men. Especially since he used an aphrodisiac to weaken her! He had secretly put it through the main ventilation system as soon as the final match ended. It was the strongest aphrodisiac on the market yet here she was unaffected. Speaking up he tried to pass off the situation. "Haha what are you doing here, are you lost?"

    Ying Yue''s eyebrow raised as she heard his blatant lies. "Did you really think I would fall for that." Grabbing some broken glass off the floor she walked over to them and quickly cut his ear off and pressed pieces through their arms. "Well I guess since you can''t speak the truth, you don''t need your ears either. Let this be a warning, next time you mess with Viper the only escape is death."

    Turning around she went to leave when she saw Jinguang silently standing behind her watching what she was doing. Glancing at him she walked past him towards the entrance and out the building. She continued walking down the street and away from the factory.

    "Wait!"

    A hand grabbed her arm holding her still. She refrained from twisting his arm as she recognized his voice. Turning to look at him she waited for him to speak.

    "What''s...what''s your name?"

    "Viper."

    "No your real name."

    "Why."

    "I...I just wanted to know your name."

    "No. You were a great opponent but my name is private. Goodbye."

    Jinguang watched as her lonely figure went farther and farther away from him. His hands clenched as an uncomfortable feeling tickled his heart. He felt both irritated and confused with this new feeling, he wasn''t sure why him hiding his name made him feel so much.

    ''What is this feeling...''

 Chapter 33 - A Furious Xi Long

    Ying Yue stretched her limbs as she silently made her way home. The only sounds accompanying her, were the sound of her feet against the pavement. It was just past midnight when she left so it was dead silent in the area other than the occasional drug deals. Her pace was leisurely as if she was walking through her own backyard, the threat of potentially being attacked not phasing her at all. A small chuckle left her as she remembered the faces of the two stumpy men who dared to plan against her. Their idiocracy and blatant fear for her was both amusing and exhilarating. Tonight she had let herself slightly slip back to her old self, the power she felt from creating fear was something she couldn''t change. That were the rules, the strong survived and the weak either followed the strong or died. Fear proved you were strong and more fear gave you power.

    Making it out of the city bounds she followed an unusual path through the city taking shortcuts and random alleyways. While she was sure no one was following her, she could never be too safe. After an hour of wandering she finally made it back to her apartment. Unlocking her door she went inside and instantly turned on the security system locking her entire apartment down.

    Turning the lights on, she walked towards her bedroom as she stripped her hoodie and mask off. Pulling each article of clothing off she threw them into the corner of her room, the dirt and blood stained on them had to be cleaned but she was too tired to do them right now. Feeling dirt on her skin, she grabbed her towel and a long shirt with small shorts to bring with her into the bathroom. Turning her shower handle on high she stood under the steaming water as it lightly burned her skin. The familiar ache in her bones coupled with the heat from the shower made a smile grace her face. "It''s been so long..." she whispered to herself. Inwardly she knew that she should be grateful for her current peace but she couldn''t help but miss these moments. The fights, her sore body, it was her routine for the past 12 years of her life.

    Standing under the water she finally left the bathroom when her fingers started to shrivel. Grabbing her towel she quickly wiped herself down. As she dried herself of she felt spots of dull pain. Glancing at the bathroom mirror she saw small splatches of bruises on her back, her hip, and a small bruise on her wrist. "Damn." Despite her evading most of the attacks when she was fighting in the dark she had accidentally been pushed around and hit as she crept towards the door. It was too tedious to move around all of them so she willingy took some hits to get out faster. Her skin was easy to bruise so it was not a surprise that she had these marks. Draping herself in her shirt and shorts she ignored the bruises and threw herself on her bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow she entered the dreamworld.

    ***

    Ying Yue was curled up in her bed when she heard her doorbell ring. Her eyes twitched in annoyance as she heard the ring continue. Opening one eye she grabbed her phone and checked the time.

    ''2:00 p.m.'' Her eyes both closed as she tried to go back to bed. No sooner than she closed her eyes, her doorbell rang again.

    Ring! Ring! Ring! RING! RRRIIINNNGGG!

    Throwing the sheets off her bed she quickly went to freshen up before storming to her door. ''Hmph, they can wait if they want to see me!'' Normally Ying Yue would have already went to the door and screamed at the person disturbing her but subconsciously she redirected herself to the bathroom first. In her heart she knew that it had to be Han Xi Long who was bothering her this early in the day and she wanted to be at least presentable in front of him - not that she would admit it! Freshening up and double checking her appearance in the mirror she finally made her way to the door 5 minutes later. Ripping the door open she stared at the obnoxious man before her.

    "Miss me kitten?"

    Her face felt warm when she saw his lazy grin as he stared at her. His eyes trailed down her body and stopped at her exposed legs, darkening at the view. His hands twitched as the urge to touch them rose. Controlling himself he once again refocused on her face. He had held himself back from visiting her last night and he had rushed his meetings the morning so he could spend the rest of the day with her. It surprised him that no matter how much he prepared himself before seeing her he was always caught off guard by how stunning she was. Right now, in mid-day she stood before him in a long shirt that barely went past half her thighs, hair messy from sleep, and a face shining from natural beauty. Not to mention those dewy lips that begged him to taste and plunder. ''Was...was she n.a.k.e.d underneath?'' The question bothered him but after her anger yesterday he had to tone down the physical touching.

    "Why are you here." Ying Yue noticed the way he looked at her and a warm prideful feeling filled her at his reaction. This sinful man was attracted to her and it pleased her.

    "To see you of course, now kitten are you going to let me in or shall we continue ...here."

    "Continue what, hmph, come in but this doesn''t mean anything! I just don''t want my neighbours to misunderstand."

    "Misunderstand? Oh, I hope they would misunderstand. It''ll help me keep all the pesky little flies away."

    "Flies? Is there an infestation? How would that even help? Have you finally lost that insufferable brain of yours."

    Laughing, Xi Long saw her confused look as she questioned him. It was hard to imagine that this powerful little woman in front of him would be murderous but also this innocent about these matters. It pleased him that she had not much experience with other men, let alone any, she was his and only his.

    "What? Cat got your tongue? Why did you come over and not speak." Ying Yue pouted as she said this watching the man stand there in a daze.

    "A cat hasn''t got my tongue but I''d love it of a kitten did." He smirked and wrapped his hands around her bringing her close to his body. As he brought her closer, she struggled and accidentally hit one of her bruises.

    "Ouch." Xi Long frowned when he heard her comment. His face turned cold as he realized that she was hurt, pulling the sleeve of her shirt up he saw a dark bruise on her frail wrist. Anger filled him and the temperature dropped in the room.

    With his jaw clenched he asked her - "WHO...DID...THIS!"

 Chapter 34 - Ill Wait

    ''Damn.'' Once again she had thrown herself into this situation and this time he was really mad. A chill ran down her spine as she faced his dark glare head on. His anger was rolling off him in waves, with a clenched jaw he looked ready to murder the person she would name - if she would name someone. She could see how he had earned himself the name Yama as the reigning underworld king.

    "Well, who was it! Kitten tell me his name right now and I''ll DESTROY him."

    Ying Yue hesitated, she wanted to proudly say that she had defeated the men he was referring to and that if she didn''t allow it she would have never gotten bruised. However, that would make him ask more questions and she knew that telling him she went to an underground fighting competition would just make him more mad. Could...could she just lie and say that she bumped into something?

    "No one did it! I bumped my hand into something yesterday when I was cleaning. I bruise easily okay!"

    Xi Long''s face sank as he heard her words. She spoke in a self-righteous tone and he knew she was lying. Why would it take her so long to respond if it was a simple cleaning bruise? Not unless she was covering for someone else. The idea of her injured or even having someone think about hurting her set his blood on fire. He felt his pressure rise and it had definitely gone up since he had met her. The way this was going he would need BP bills to keep up with her. She was just so...unpredictable and he both loved and hated that about her. Watching her stubborn look he could tell that she wouldn''t admit the truth. He knew he could get it out of her if he continued to press forward but she would only admit it out of anger and not voluntarily. He hated it right now more than ever that he was not closer to her and that she had not let him in to her personal life. She was mysterious and filled with secrets that coud hurt her or him but he had no right to know what they were. What place did he have in her heart?

    Taking in a deep breath, he stared into her eyes one more time before pulling her into his arms. Nuzzling his face into her neck he held her close and tight in her arms. "I know that you are lying to me right now but I won''t force you to tell me. I will wait and hope that one day you will trust me enough to let me in."

    Ying Yue lifted her arms on impulse to hit him when she felt herself being thrown into his embrace. Right before her fist landed on him she was stunned by his words. Her heart was heavy and a feeling of guilt grew in her as she heard his light but hurt tone. She had immediately thought to lie to him but he had knew she had lied and respected her decision. Pulling her hand down she lightly put it against his back. His head nuzzled further into her hair breathing in her scent as he tried to calm down. The warm breath on her bare shoulder made her body heat up. His body held some weight against her and coupled with the warmth she fought her instinct to run away from him. It was obvious that she wasn''t used to such actions, how long was she supposed to let him hold her? Closing her eyes she rested against him and let him hold her till he was satisfied.

    Xi Long felt horrible and held her tighter in a way to squeeze out all the pain he felt through the soft body in front of him. His mind was dark as he imagined the many ways she had gotten hurt and how this probably wasn''t the first bruise she had gotten based on how lightly she took it. Her jade skin had marred by a dark bruise and she didn''t care. He could feel how little she valued herself and he promised to change that. Curling his fists into her shirt and hair he was about to pull away when he felt her soft hand against his back. His heart jumped when he realized that she had accepted his advance and did not fight back. This was the first time she hadn''t hit him or struggled against him. A small smile fought against his face as he nuzzled into her one last time. Pulling away from her he stared at her face as he saw her with her eyes closed leaning against him. Her small rosy face was littered with sleepiness that all his previous plans were thrown out the window. He wanted to take her out and finally have a meal with her but he doubted that would happen. But no one said he still couldn''t eat with her? It will be a home date and he would cook. Chuckling at her he spoke in a husky tone "didn''t get much sleep? I''d love to be your pillow but I think we should move to the bed..."

    Ying Yue''s eyes flashed open as soon as she heard his words. Her cheeks turned hot with his words, how did she think this man was great even for a second?! He had shown her vulnerability but immediately switched back to his shameless self. "You...you pineapple head!!! I refuse to sleep with you, what pillow?! So hard I don''t like!"

    "Haha well kitten, I''m glad you like my body and think its hard. I do work out 6 days a week but you know its not the only part of me -"

    "STOP. Stop! I don''t want to hear it, I know what you were going to say you- you brute!"

    "What was I going to say? I was just going to say that my legs were also hard. What were you thinking? Hmm Kitten?"

    "You-you!"

    "Come on tell me what you were thinking, unless..." Xi Long dipped his head down and whispered into her ear. "Unless what you were thinking was dirty Kitten? I didn''t know you had such thoughts about me."

    Ying Yue: ".....I hate you."

 Chapter 35 - Its a Date

    Ying Yue pushed herself away from him and walked over to her kitchen. ''Why did I say that out loud?! It was practically a chicken going to the butcher himself!'' She could feel him laughing at her from behind without having to look. There was no sound but his body was shaking from controlling it.

    "Come on Kitten, you know you don''t hate me." Xi Long followed her into the kitchen as he saw her try to escape him.

    "Oh yeah, how-how do you know that!"

    "Well Kitten, I doubt you would enjoy my hug if you hated me and wouldn''t have agreed to this date."

    "I did not enj- wait date? What date? I''m too tired to go out."

    "Exactly, therefore we''re doing a home date. I cook and we cuddle with a movie how does that sound?"

    "I don''t agree!"

    "Me too, let''s skip the movie and just do food and cuddling?" Xi Long''s face broke out into a huge smile as he saw her rosy face break out into a flaming pepper. Without waiting for her to respond, he took out his phone and cancelled his reservations and phoned his secretary to inform him of the change of plans. He also wanted to make sure that no matter what he wasn''t going to be disturbed tonight, it was his special time with his kitten! Shufen and him knew how much work he had put in to be able to take the night off work and how he would murder anyone that dared to interrupt his date. Hanging up his phone he walked past the confused Ying Yue towards her fridge. He had changed the plans so quickly that he didn''t have time to check what ingredients he had to work with. Pulling the handle open he looked into the fridge to see a completely barren fridge.

    "Kitten where''s the food?"

    "I...um I have noodles?"

    Black lines formed on his face as he heard her answer. ''What did she eat? Does she even eat?''

    Ying Yue looked down with a guilty look as she faced his accusing eyes. She barely could get her mind wrapped around him being here, in her house, and now they were going on a date? IN her house? He had done things so quickly that she barely had the time to protest before he had cancelled his reservations and opened her fridge. She had focused so much energy on him that she failed to notice that her face was still red and her eyes were slightly shining with joy. Her words denied him but her body always betrayed her true feelings towards him.

    Sighing he closed the fridge door and grabbed his keys. "Go get changed let''s go grocery shopping."

    "Grocery shop?" Ying Yue stared at him with confusion. Why did they have to go? She had noodles!

    "Yes, we need to get some food for me to cook with and you''re coming with me."

    "No, we have noodles let''s do that! Or let''s go order out."

    His face twisted into a frown, "No we''re getting some better food and you''re going to take that pretty little butt and get ready or so help me I will kiss you until you do."

    "You-you dare!"

    "Wanna bet?" Xi Long smirked and took steps towards her. The threat was real and his lips twitched at the promise of tasting her. Seeing that he was serious Ying Yue dashed into her room before he had managed to grab her. Switching into a pair of ripped dark blue jeans, a white tank top and a blue windbreaker she stepped back outside. Before she could place her mask on her face she felt herself being pulled into a warm embrace again. Looking up at him she saw that his eyes had grown darker with warmth as he looked back at her. She was stunned by the look in his eyes, what did she do to get him like this? What does this look mean? She could see the warmth but did not understand the feelings behind it. Waiting for a shameless comment to come out of his mouth she was surprised when he just smiled at her and kissed her forehead before pulling away.

    "Let''s go." Clearing his throat, he spoke in a soft but deep voice and headed towards the door. He did not notice her reaction but focused on pushing down the foreign emotions he was feeling. The moment she stepped out from her bedroom looking at him with a gentle smile he felt his breath leave him. This was a common reaction he had when he saw her but there was something about the normalcy that made today different. He could imagine himself waiting for her 20 years in the future just to go to the supermarket and run other small errands. Foreign feelings filled him at this little peace he managed to obtain, his life was constantly filled with blood and brutal battles so this moment was special. He wasn''t sure where the relationship was heading and even when he could officially call her ''his'' but he was sure she was someone he could imagine a future with. This was crazy to him, he had these foreign feelings and thoughts about her that were getting stronger by the day. It was less than a week since he met her and here he was imaging a future with her. He had long given up on having a family since the horror that happened to his but here she was changing his mind without knowing it.

    Chuckling at his foolishness he turned around to see her still in a daze touching the spot on her forehead he kissed. Raising his eyebrows she snapped out of her haze and slipped on her mask glaring at him. Walking over to him she pushed him out the door while she turned on her security system and locked the door behind her.

    Following him, they went over to his car and quickly entered the low-key vehicle. Pulling out of the parking lot they drove over to a local supermarket in harmonious silence.

    "Next time kitten we should go to a local farmer''s market, the produce is way better but today the grocery store would suffice."

    "Mhm." She had responded automatically to him but would it matter if she said no? It seemed that to this man everything she said was her ''hiding'' her affection to him and since she had embarrassed herself enough today she would just stay silent.

    Peaking at her from the corner of his eye he could see her determination to not answer him but it didn''t bother him. She still agreed to another date even if it was just a sound. Stepping out of the car he waited for her to get close enough to him before grabbing her hand and holding it in his grasp. He gave her hand a tight squeeze and pulled her inside the store.

 Chapter 36 - Worst Enemy

    "So where to first?" Xi Long glanced at the woman next to him as they stood in the front of the mall. He had some recipes in mind but wondered if there was something she wanted to eat.

    "Why ask me, you brought me here! You should know where to go." Ying Yue snuck a glance at him as she haughtily responded to his question. How was she supposed to lead him around when she herself did not know where to go?! She was too embarrassed to let him know that she had never been to this supermarket despite it being the closest one to her house. The food she ate was usually ordered or she made food at home on the rare occassions she was in the mood. Other times she would just choose to starve, she loved food and was a huge foodie but did not see food as something to be entirely dependent on. An individual who always had three meals a day would suffer if they missed one. However, a person who usually had one meal and sometimes more knows that they can survive on less.

    Xi Long took her hand and dragged her towards the shopping carts. Pulling one he placed her in front of him and between the cart before placing his hands on both sides of her. Trapping her within the small confines of his body while having the excuse of pushing the cart he tried his best to hide his happiness and act as though this was normal business. True to his thought Ying Yue wanted to protest but looking into his serious face the words died before they could come out. He was looking at the sections of produce on the hunt for some ingredients and this made her quiet down. Maybe this is how he shops? It was nothing indecent and she had slowly gotten used to his overly touchy ways. As she debated inwardly she felt a dull pressure on her back as his warm chest slightly pressed her forward. He had spotted his first ingredient and started leading her towards it silently. Following his steps they made their way over to the fresh produce where she saw her worst enemy. Cauliflower.

    Eyeing the man next to her she tried to figure out if that was the vegetable he wanted. Seeing him reach for it she grabbed his hand on reflex to stop him from taking it. Putting his hand back on the cart she tried to move away from the offender. "Kitten wait, I need to get some cauliflower." Xi Long was confused why she had stopped his hand, ''maybe she wanted his arms back around her?'' If Ying Yue knew that this one action would make him this way she would have exploded from his shamelessness.

    Once again he reached for the cauliflower and before he could touch it his hand was once against stopped. Ying Yue had grabbed his hand again and applied more pressure as she pulled it back to the cart handle. "No."

    "No?"

    "No," she said as nodded her head in agreement.

    Looking down at the small female between his arms he tried to look into her eyes as he saw her repeatedly evade him. Her face was facing straight as she refused to even look to the side.

    "....Kitten are you afraid of cauliflowers."

    "Afraid? Me? No! What kind of nonsense, how could I be afraid of a vegetable!"

    "Oh really, then why won''t you even look at the vegetable."

    "Why do I have to look at the vegetable? So is every vegetable I don''t look at something I''m afraid of?! I say you are losing your brain cells, how can someone be afraid of food?! When have you ever met someone like this?!"

    "You. Right now."

    "....."

    "Kitten you''re not helping your case. Now be a good girl and let me grab some cauliflower, I need it for the dish. Don''t worry I''ll definitely chop it all up so it can''t even think about hurting you okay."

    Ying Yue almost spilt blood as she heard his words. Was she a kid that he was pacifying to be spoken to like this? She just did not like the vegetable that simple. Must this man always tease her so, so annoyingly.

    "Listen, we are not including cauliflower and you can make the dish without it. I hate the taste of it and refuse to eat anything with it. Okay."

    "Okay." Ying Yue looked up in confusion as she saw him readily agree with her. Looking into his sparkling eyes she realized that she had been tricked into telling him she didn''t like it. It was not that it was a secret but she was a grown a.d.u.l.t who hated a vegetable like a kid. She did not want people to see her as childish but no matter how she tried to hide it this insufferable man had just made her confess from her own lips. Irritation bubbled inside her at her naivety and decided that if this was how it was going to be then she will just openly reject everything. ''Let''s see how he cooks anything if I say no. Hmph. Hmph."

    "Now Kitten, let''s go get the rest of the ingredients so we can quickly get everything and go home."

    Xi Long then moved himself away from her and speedily started checking and placing some other vegetables into a clear plastic bag. Before she could stop him he was leading her towards another section where she saw him grab some jasmine rice.

    Jumping at the chance she quickly rejected the item. "I don''t like Jasmine."

    "Okay." He put down the jasmine rice and picked up some sticky rice.

    "I don''t like this rice."

    "Okay. " He put it down and picked up basmati rice.

    "I don''t like this rice."

    "Then which rice would you prefer?"

    "I don''t like rice."

    "..."

    "Or pasta, or noodles, or sauce, or spices, or water. I don''t even like this shopping cart."

 Chapter 37 - Tantrum in the Supermarket

    Xi Long felt like laughing out loud when he saw her reject all of the food. The more she spoke the more adorable she became in front of him. When she had first started rejecting the rice he believed her but by the third one he could tell that she was just rejecting it for the sake of rejecting it. His heart was warm as he watched her rant to him. There was something about today and the way she was acting that made him believe that they had gotten closer. Only a little bit but closer. She had subconsciously started to lower her defenses and felt more comfortable expressing herself to him. Even now as she was throwing a little tantrum in the supermarket she was allowing him in closer to her. By acting childish and pouting her delicious lips at him what could he do other than indulge her?

    "Okay okay. So you don''t like anything? Anything at all?"

    "No. I want something without everything!"

    Xi Long''s eyebrows furrowed as he heard her answer. How was he to make her the dish without anything? Does he make it out of air? Did it look like he was the Avatar?

    "Oh...what a shame since I was planning on making a dish that needed those ingredients."

    "Well you better think of something else then."

    "You see I really needed them since it would match the fried chicken I was planning on making but sigh I guess I could think of something else."

    "...did you say fried chicken?" Ying Yue''s face slightly twitched as she spoke the words ''fried chicken.''

    "Mhmm yes. Unfortunately you don''t agree, don''t worry I''ll change the dish." With that he began pushing the cart away to head towards another section. As he was nearing the end he heard the sounds of quick rushed steps behind him before something was thrown into the shopping cart. Looking at the object he realized a bag of basmati rice had been thrown in unceremoniously.

    "Well since you put so much effort into thinking of this dish then I shall be kind enough to let you make it."

    Xi Long''s lips twitched as he watched her performance of acting as though she had not just rejected everything in the store. Biting his lip to control his laughter he continued looking at her adorable expression till the tips of her ears were red.

    "What? Why are we not going to get the next thing, I''m very hungry." Patting her head a warm smile graced his face as his eyes twinkled with indulgence.

    "Mhm, let''s go." With that they spent the next 30 minutes picking up the ingredients and spices he would need to make the dish. Ying Yue had silently tagged along and helped him place everything in the cart. As they cashed out she had tried to pay for the items but Xi Long had stole away her wallet and paid with his. It was her first time having someone pay for her without wanting anything in return. This didn''t mean that she would always let him pay, when he wasn''t looking she would slip the money back into his jacket. She was secretly excited as they neared her apartment. The image of a juicy fried chicken made her salivate and her tummy began rumbling in anticipation.

    Parking in front of her apartment, Xi Long and her grabbed the grocery bags and headed towards her room

    "Stay outside for a second." Slipping inside she quickly turned off the security system before opening the door and letting him. They started unloading the groceries and she watched as he began rolling his sleeves. The veins on his arms bulged as his shoulders clenched. Her eyes watched as he confidently strove around the kitchen, cleaning ingredients and skillfully cutting them. It was attractive to see him cook, he looked like someone who had a chef but he didn''t blink before doing anything. You could tell that he was used to this so much that he didn''t need the recipe anymore.

    As he started throwing stuff into a pan his phone rang from his suit jacket.

    "Kitten can you get that and put it on speaker?"

    "Sure." Picking it up and swiping the phone she put the call on speaker.

    Before he could ask who it was a loud voice screamed out from inside - "HONEEYYYYY."

    Ying Yue almost dropped when she heard the noise, honey???? Who the F.U.C.K is your honey?!

 Chapter 38 - No Honeys

    Xi Long''s face tensed as he heard the voice shouting through the phone. He felt eyes glaring at him from behind and knew that she had misunderstood him. Placing the pan on the side of the stove top, he turned around and tried to grab the phone from her hands. She evaded his hands and kept the phone out of his reach.

    "Honey?" Ying Yue glared at him as she saw him try to take the phone from her. Was he trying to hide something? Who was calling him honey on the phone? She wanted answers and the more he evaded her the angrier she got. She would not be played a fool, inwardly she knew that he had not lied to her since they met and this was most likely a misunderstanding but she had to hear it from his own mouth. Having his direct cell number met that they knew him and were fairly close since this was his personal cell. When she pulled the ringing phone out of his coat she felt that there were two phones in there, meaning that one was personal and one was business.

    "Kitten listen, pass me the phone and I''ll explain."

    "No, tell me from there. Why do you need the phone?"

    "Kitten, I can explain myself from here but it''ll help more if you pass me the phone."

    "No."

    "Then can you at least tilt the phone closer to me and increase the volume."

    "Fine." Tilting the phone towards him she stood there as she waited to see what he would do.

    "Have you had enough fun? Why are you calling me right now?" Silence followed on the phone. Irritation filled him as the caller remained silent, his kitten is misunderstanding him!

    "Zhuang Wei if you do not speak now, forget about ever getting food again!"

    "Wahh, honeyy. How could you be so mean to me?" A rich male voice sounded from the phone. Ying Yue was confused as she first heard him call out the caller''s name, Zhuang Wei? Was that not a man''s name? Plus when the caller finally responded to him he started whining again calling him honey but now that she had heard clearly it was indeed a deep male voice. Questions filled her mind, were they best friends? Collegaues? "Was he gay?"

    Xi Long choked as he heard her mumble to herself but accidentally say the last sentence out loud. Time and time again she had surprised him with how her mind processed things.

    "Kitten...I''m not gay."

    "Bis.e.x.u.a.l?"

    "...no. While there''s nothing wrong with that, I just happen to like women and in particular a fiesty little kitten."

    "That''s beastality." At that, a loud sound of laughter broke out from the phone. Her ears tinged red as she realized that she had spoken out loud and continuously responded with her subconscious thoughts. "Wow, I have never heard someone say that before or have such nerve in front of our Xi Long here. May I have the honour of knowing this lovely lady''s name?"

    "No-"

    "It''s Ying Ying."

    "Ohh Ying Ying, that''s a very cute name haha perfect for our little Long Long. Ying Ying and Long Long have a great couple sound to it, right?"

    "We are not a couple!"

    "Yet but you definitely will be. I have never heard of Xi Long spending personal time with any woman before and I should know since we''ve been friends since childhood. Adding onto the fact that he let you touch his phone, his personal one at that. Something about that sounds like you are my future brother''s girl."

    "I am not - "

    "Okay enough of that kitten, Zhuang Wei why did you call?"

    "I called to ask if you wanted to hang but I can see that you''re busy. I''ll stop being a third wheel and hang up now. Nice meeting you Ying Ying, hopefully we have the chance to meet in person soon." The phone was cut immediately after that and awkward silence filled the room as she was once again left with Xi Long. She had just gotten worked over his best friend and found out that she possibly was the first woman he''s ever spent personal time with? Just what does he see in her?

    Xi Long could see her embarrassment on her face and a small smile eased onto his face. "Now that everything is clear, I''ll get back to cooking." Turning back to the stove he turned the heat back on and began frying the onions and peppers. While that was cooking he quickly washed the rice and placed it in the rice cooker next to the sink. Flipping the pan he moved the items around it to get it slightly crispy but also enough to seal the heat into the oil. Opening the fridge and grabbing a small bowl he cracked four eggs into it and whisked them to the right consistency. Sprinkling a little salt and pepper into it he began pouring the mixture into the pan. He wanted to make an omelette to pair with the rice and meat. It was his taken on a japanese katsu dish. After placing the finished omelette on the side he took out the chicken b.r.e.a.s.t meat and washed it. Borrowing a small meat tenderizer he began hitting it. This was an important part of the recipe as it would make the chicken soft. Preparing three more bowls he filled them with egg, flour, and seasoned panko (1). Throwing a bit more oil into the pan he waited for it to become very hot before cooking the meat. He had to place the chicken in the flour, then dip it in the whisked eggs, and then roll it in the panko mixture before throwing it in the frying pan.

    The smell of fresh fried chicken began filling the air and Ying Yue was clenching her tummy to prevent it from making loud noises. She had watched him cook and it was making her so so hungry - everything was delicious.

    Xi Long had focused so hard on his food that he didn''t even notice that his kitten''s eyes had not left him for the past thirty minutes. As everything was coming together he let the meat rest on the side on top of some paper to let the oil out. Grabbing the vegetables he had left aside he quickly chopped them up and steamed them in a pot. Taking two plates, he began loading each plate with some rice, a side of vegetables, and a crisp fried chicken cutlet with a side of his secret spicy sauce. He wasn''t sure if she ate spicy food or not so he left it as a side option.

    Bringing it to the table he turned everything off and turned to call her but saw no one.

    "Kitten? Where are you?" Hearing clamoring behind him he turned back around to see her sitting at the table in front of the food with chopsticks in hand.

    "Well? What are you waiting for? Let''s eat!"

    "....."

 Chapter 39 - Netflix and Thrill

    Xi Long chuckled as he saw her ready to eat. She had snuck up behind him and sat at the table without him noticing. Sitting down at the table he picked up his utensils to eat but slowly moved his hands. He wanted to watch her take her first bite and was slightly nervous if she would like it or not. He had took some classes when he was younger and had been cooking for himself for the past 20 years so he had faith in his dish but you never knew people''s preferences.

    Digging into the dish, Ying Yue was excited to taste it. She mixed the omelette into the rice and veggies creating a mixed fried rice. She sliced up the chicken cutlet into strips so she could pick it up easier with her chopsticks. Picking up a strip and dipping into the hot sauce on the side she placed in her mouth. As soon as the food met her tongue she was instantly brimming with happiness. The food was beyond her expectations, she loved the seasoning of the chicken and the hot sauce gave her the small spice kick she was craving. Her taste buds were on fire enjoying the food. How did he create this amazing dish so quickly? Whether he guessed it or not, this dish matched her taste very well. She loved spicy food, chicken and rice.

    "So how does it taste? Do you like it?"

    "Mhmm its delicious." She didn''t want to compliment him but that was her being stubborn. He had took her out, bought the ingredients, and cooked just for her. She was touched by his actions and her heart was warming up to him. As she continued to eat, she saw him smile and finally start his food. She started focusing all her attention and started devouring the meal. There was no conversation, only sounds of chopsticks and a spoon hitting a plate. It was harmonious and a warm environment to anyone looking in.

    Once they finished the meal, she picked up the dishes and rushed to the sink before he could do anything. If he would cook the meal, she would clean up afterwords, that was only fair. Washing the dishes and all the pans and utensils she placed them on the rack to dry. To finish up she wiped down the counters and stove. During all of this, Xi Long had sat down at the counter watching her move around. It was peaceful and comfortable watching her like that. They were going to watch a movie next but he didn''t know how she wanted to watch it. On the computer or on the tv?

    "So what movie are we watching? Romantic? Crime? Sci-fi? Horror?"

    "Horror! Definitely horror, its my favourite genre."

    "Mhm, do you have netflix?" Xi Long was slightly shocked at her choice but it seemed to fit her well.

    "Yes. Turn the tv on and its linked to it." Following her instructions she went towards the tv and grabbed the remote. Sitting at the couch, he flipped through the titles available for them to watch. Many gruesome titles were listed from demonic to reality based murders, he had narrowed down the choices to a few that she could make the final pick from.

    "Come choose." Hearing his call, she plopped down next to him at the other side of the couch. Seeing the distance, Xi Long moved over closer to her and placed his arm behind her on the sofa.

    "....what are you doing?"

    "What am I doing?"

    "Move your hand from here."

    "I''m not even touching you, its fine. Unless you want me to wrap my arm around you instead versus the sofa."

    "Who would want that! You better keep your hand there or I''m cutting it off." Glaring at him for extra measure she turned her attention back to the tv to choose the movie. After some debate she finally settled on a western movie called - "The Conjuring." She had heard good reviews about the movie but didn''t have the time to sit down and watch it. The movie was a new horror movie that was released in America a couple years back and had quickly been labeled as a true scare. She had a small habit where she would watch these movies and call out all the weak plot points that happened. I mean, if the killer is coming for you why would you run upstairs?? For what reason would that ever make sense?? In those moments, she would immediately rip into the character. Turning on the movie she moved to get comfortable and realized that he had shifted even closer to her. Sighing, she gave up on rebutting him and just gave her attention to the movie.

    It took 10 minutes before she started seeing what the other reviewers were talking about. They had good suspenseful music and solid jump scares but the longer she watched the more she couldn''t hold back.

    "Why would you do that?"

    "So DUMB, why."

    "Yes, yes please go and get yourself killed. What even was your use?"

    "If I was in her position, I would have never done that."

    "I still never understand how in these Western movies people can tell that there is something with someone or the house but do nothing about it??? I would''ve left so quick."

    Turning to him in frustration she said "come on you agree with me? What would you do?"

    "Mhm yes I agree with you."

    "Right?! Ghosts can be so scary and you never know where they are. Do you believe in spirits/ghosts?"

    "Yes, I mean why not. If there is an after life then they definitely exist." All of a sudden he saw her face drop into a serious expression on her face as she looked past him in horror.

    "Kitten what''s wrong?"

    "You believe in ghosts right?"

    "Yes, I just said I did."

    "Will you believe me if I said there''s one behind you right now."

    "What."

    "Xi Long...there''s something...behind you."

 Chapter 40 - Hold me, Im Scared

    "Xi Long...there''s something...behind you."

    Ying Yue had a face of horror as she stared past him into the back of her apartment. She had forced herself to maintain her seriousness as she acted out seeing a ghost. The minute she had started asking him if he0

    believed in ghosts was the same minute she began her quick plans to tease him. She wasn''t sure if he would be scared or call her out on her lie but she would try nonetheless. Don''t take her wrong, she was truly afraid of ghosts and would have probably ran out the apartment if she had actually seen one, no questions asked. Though she was lucky enough to not see or encounter one until now her friends, especially Ming Ming, have and had tortured her with stories of what happened. Ming Ming had sworn that she had seen a couple of ghosts in her life, apparently she had a third sense for it that made her see it more than "regular people." Especially when they were younger, Ming Ming used this as an excuse to sneak into her room and have a forced sleepover because she was too scared to sleep alone.

    Reminiscing a little about her childhood friend she failed to notice the odd glint in Xi Long''s eyes. Refocusing on her act she continued to pretend that there was a ghost behind him.

    "Don''t...don''t look!" Xi Long had tried to turn his body and look behind when she stopped.

    "Why? Let me see the ghost, is it male or female?"

    "Does it make a difference?"

    "Women and child ghosts are definitely scarier." Looking at his face she saw a dead-pan expression, she could tell he really believed it.

    "No, you shouldn''t look, you start walking towards the door. I''ll keep my eye on the ghost and make sure it doesn''t move..." Before she could finish Xi Long had already whipped his head around to look at the ghost. ''Ah, he found out.'' Stopping her act she began pulling herself away from his body when she was suddenly thrown into his arms.

    "What''re you doing!"

    "I saw the ghost! Its just as scary as you said.''

    "Wait...what?!" Ying Yue got slightly scared at this, looking over his shoulder she only saw her empty hallway. ''What if he was like Ming Ming and could see ghosts??''

    "You...you can see them?"

    "I''ve seen them before, but it was the first time it was this close."

    Ying Yue began to slightly question her situation, he could easily be lying to her but what was she to do if on the off chance he was telling the truth? Steeling her nerves she started moving to get up from the chair. So what if there was a ghost? She would lose to no one, dead or not! As she tried to move, his arms tightened around her and pulled her closer. He pressed his face into her neck and refused to move. His shoulders trembled as he held her, "please don''t move, hold me, I''m scared."

    "...." Was she supposed to believe that? Even if this was an act, wasn''t this too much? For a good second she had actually believed him but there was no way this annoying man in front of her would say this even if he was scared. Wasn''t he just taking advantage of her???

    "Get off me you liar! Stop taking advantage of the situation you profiteer!" She started pushing herself out of his hold when she heard his deep laugh. He pulled away from her and laughed with a playful smile on his face. The mischievousness was obvious in his eyes and face.

    "Sorry kitten, I couldn''t help myself when I saw you acting so cutely."

    "Hmph, you''re just trying to take advantage of me."

    "Well, I did follow along and acted well, shouldn''t you reward me?"

    "....move, off the couch. You shameless man, tried to scare me and now ask for a reward!"

    "Haha, stop stop. I was just following your lead, how can you blame me? Now let''s continue the movie."

    "Okay...but no more funny business."

    "Mhm...no more funny business." Relaxing against him, she moved closer to the edge of the couch and continued the movie. They had only got through half the movie before she pulled her trick and paused the movie. Getting pulled back into the movie both of them sat silently watching the movie right to the end. Xi Long watched the movie with half-focus as he kept sneaking glances at his kitten. He loved seeing her expressions and how quickly she switched them. She was so adorable that he felt his heart slightly clench, she was both a badass fighter and the same innocent kitten in front of him. Seeing her slightly get stiff from a jump scare he edged his arm closer to her body and lightly placed his hand against her shoulder. He didn''t do anything else but wanted to provide her some reassurance that he was here. To his surprise, she didn''t shrug his hand off and let it stay there. ''Maybe she was too absorbed into the movie?'' Even then, it would be weird to assume she didn''t feel it all. Taking what he can get, he consoled himself believing the latter argument that she knew but didn''t feel like pushing him off.

    As the movie came to an end, Ying Yue leaned back and looked at the man next to her. He was looking at her and had a collected expression on his face.

    "Did you enjoy the movie?"

    "Mhmm."

    "Do you find ghosts scared, I didn''t feel you tense one time during the movie."

    "Kitten, I am afraid of ghosts but more than ghosts I find humans more scary. The dead are gone but the living can still hurt you." His face maintained his calm expression but his eyes betrayed him. They were black and spoke of many horrors that he did not verbally express. Hating the look in her eyes she changed the topic.

    "So...what do you want to do now?"

    "Finally accepting this date kitten? Hmm what do you want to do next?"

    "I don''t know, what do people usually do after the movies?" Tilting her head she looked at him in confusion, she honestly had no idea what people did.

    Chuckling, Xi Long''a voice dropped as he spoke again and with every word he got closer to her but kept a hair breath of distance away from touching her. "See kitten, usually after the date, people go back home together and do a.d.u.l.t things. Do you want to try?"

    "A.d.u.l.t...a.d.u.l.t things?" Ying Yue stuttered as she heard his voice and felt the warmth emitting from her body. His eyes had changed to a dark look of hunger that she all knew to well but she did not what he meant by "a.d.u.l.t things." How far was he speaking? Many things could count as a.d.u.l.t matters.

    Placing his palm against her face, Xi Long stared into her eyes. "Don''t worry kitten, I won''t do much I am a gentleman after all - but can I kiss you?"

    "You..."

    "Kitten listen, I won''t pressure you into this nor will I kiss you without you permission. Say yes or say no I will respect either."

    "I don''t kn..."

    "Kitten yes or no - that''s all I need."

 Chapter 41 - A.d.u.l.t Things

    "Kitten yes or no - that''s all I need." Ying Yue stared into his dark almond eyes as he said this. She believed his words but his eyes showed the sincerity and seriousness of his words. It was a hard question and she honestly didn''t know where she stood on the matter. Kissing him was....enjoyable, she could admit it but would she let him do it now? This was the first time that he had asked her beforehand, maybe it was because she had gotten angry at him before so he was trying to be more careful?

    They were going a lot faster than what she thought normal civilians did when doing whatever this even was. She had no name for this relationship they had and the ambiguity did not help her situation. Adding on that if she said yes would this not be directly admitting she wanted to kiss him? How could she be so shameless? The more she thought the more confused she was about her answer.

    Xi Long watched as her eyes glazed over and her face switched multiple expressions. He was happy that she had least had to think about her answer instead of outwardly rejecting him from the beginning. It was cute seeing her little nose shrivel up and and her bite her lip occassionally. Leaning back he continued to watch her but as the time went on his expression grew darker. Rubbing his face he sighed and began getting up.

    "I didn''t mean to cause you this much stress. Its fine kitten, no need to push yourself. I enjoyed the date but I should get goin-." His sentence was cut off as he felt her grab his sleeve stopping him. Looking down he saw her grip the edge of his sleeve holding him in place as she looked down.

    "Wa...wait..." Her voice was small and soft as she spoke.

    "Kitten its fine, I''m not upset or anything. You don''t have to push yourself."

    "I-I''m not pushing myself must you make me say everything!"

    Xi Long''s heart began beating erratically, was he hearing things or did she just agree? His eyes got even darker as a hungry glint entered them. "Kitten, what do you mean? I won''t understand unless you tell me clearly."

    Ying Yue''s cheeks puffed up as her already red face turned crimson at his words. She could tell that he would leave if she really did not say yes. Mustering up the courage she opened up her mouth.

    "Y...ye..yes."

    "What I can''t hear you?" Feigning ignorance he tried to make her repeat her self but louder.

    Frustrated she shouted out - "Yes!"

    With that Xi Long didn''t need any more words. He got back on the couch and drew her into his arms. Holding her tight within his arms he cradled her face and pressed his lips against her soft moist ones. Everything turned silent as he focused all his energy on the tempting woman in front of him. His grip tightened as he kissed her feverishly. No matter how hard he pressed himself against her it just wasn''t enough. He tried pushing his tongue against her lips but she seemed clueless with no reaction. Feeling frustrated he placed his hands on her h.i.p.s and placed her directly onto his lap.

    A small yelp escaped her in surprise as she was stunned by his sudden action. Placing her hands on his shoulder she tried to stabilize herself. She felt like protesting but before she could resist his tongue snuck into her mouth. His hot tongue started exploring hers and his fresh minty taste filled her. Without knowing she began loosing herself in his kiss. Her body was hot but every spot he touched her burned more. She didn''t want to stop but was slowly running out of air to breathe.

    Sensing her distress, Xi Long paused his lips for a second to lean slightly back. Her chest panted as she fought to catch air.

    "Kitten breathe through your nose." After telling her that he once again continued his attack on her. He dove his tongue into her mouth and tasted her again. The bitter berries were slowly becoming his favourite taste, inotixicating him. As he increased the aggressiveness of the kiss he felt her start to shift against him. A deep groan left him as he felt her accidentally move across the large bump in his pants. They were farther apart when they started making out but along the way she had gotten closer to him. Gripping her h.i.p.s he tried to hold her in place but she again accidentally moved over him. The dull sensation of her rubbing her lower regions over his ignited fire in his veins. It took all he could to contain himself and move against her.

    Grunting, he spoke through gritted teeth. "Kitten, stop..moving...or I can''t promise what will happen."

    Confused, Ying Yue paid no heed to him as she sought out his lips again. Pushing herself back against his body she began moving her hands across his body. His hard rock abs could be felt against his thin dress shirt and she loved how fit he was. His muscles tensed under her touch and feeling something pressing into her inner thigh she moved trying to get comfortable. Unknowingly this was the move that made him loose control. Feeling his control snap, he once again gripped her h.i.p.s and began grinding into her. He started off slow as he tried to find the right pace and the temperature raised to boiling heights as a small m.o.a.n escaped her edging him on. Taking her lips off her mouth, he began his descent down her neck and started biting her neck. In the haze of his passion he wanted to stake a small claim over her. His possessiveness flowed out as he felt the need to dominate fill him. He would not act on it but he swore that no other man would get to see her in this state. No one other than him.

    Feeling her follow his movements and match his thrusts he increased the pace and went harder and faster against her. Only the sounds of her m.o.a.ning and him groaning filled the air as they both moved towards a peak. Taking her face and kissing her again they worked in sync and he started seeing the signs of release on her face. Putting all his energy in and focusing on her he worked for her to reach their end.

    "Xi Long....I feel weird."

    "Its okay Kitten, let it go. Let your body relax and accept it."

    Holding onto his shoulders she gripped it as waves of new sensations hit her until she felt a knot in her stomach. It got tighter and tighter until she finally felt a burst and colours sparked in her eyes till she collapsed against him. Panting her thoughts were scrambled as she tried to make sense of what happened but her body was in hyperdrive. Feeling him chuckle above her she lazily opened an eye and looked at him.

    "So Kitten....how''d I do?"

 Chapter 42 - Can I stay?

    "Wha...what?" Ying Yue was confused by his words. She could barely comprehend what has just happened to her let alone his question. Her breaths came out in pants as she tried to regulate her breathing. She felt drained as though a huge amount of energy had left her. ''What just happened?'' It had started with them making out and as it progressed she had gotten lost in his ministrations. His minty taste matched her favourite flavour of ice cream and made her want to continue tasting him. Yet, all she had agreed to was kissing so what was this? She felt like they had progressed farther than she had expected.

    Turning her face into his neck she took a deep breath before facing him. "Han Xi Long, what did you do to me?" Her eyes were slightly blurred but as her eyes became focused her heart started beating quicker. The man she had turned to look at was panting himself. Each pant made his chest rise as it pushed against her. His shirt was sticking to his body defining his muscles as small drops of sweat rolled down from his forehead. She followed the drip with her eyes till it disappeared into his shirt. His face was slightly red and his lips bruised and swollen from their intense moment. Yet, if she ignored everything the thing that made her breath leave her was his eyes. They were still dark and held slight hunger but the affection in his eyes trumped all. His look held so many different emotions but his display of affection was unrestrained and overflowing. Unknown to her she had a similar look in her eyes that spoke straight to his heart. A smirk graced his face as he prepared to answer her.

    "I did nothing Kitten....just a little pleasure."

    "Pleasure? Han Xi Long, you just asked me for a kiss so what was all this?" She tried to speak in an angry tone but her innocent curious eyes betrayed her real intent. Her body had just experienced a multitude of emotions and had no clue what they had done. She wasn''t entirely stupid, she knew that she had accidentally rubbed herself against his "nether regions" and that somehow caused the escalation. Her face turned crimson again at the thought of how shameless she was, m.o.a.ning against him and following his movements. His rough hands holding her in place and controlling her body to move back against him and match his thrusts made her temperature rise. The wet sensation between her thighs was her constant reminder that they had crossed new boundaries and she was determined to get a proper answer from him.

    "Yes, you had only said yes to a kiss but Kitten I told you to stop moving or else I would not be able to control myself."

    "I didn''t do it on purpose! You should have still stopped and you did not give me an answer yet. What. did. you. do. to. me?"

    "Kitten I know you didn''t do it on purpose but I also did not do it with prior intentions, it just ended up like that. You don''t know what you do to me, one touch from you and mind turns hazy. In my defense I still have controlled myself a lot, a little slip up but my hands never strayed. Listen, its the first time I''ve ever felt like this, I''m new to this too. As for what we did, its a bit...crude to explain do you still want to hear it?"

    Her questioning faltered as she heard the soft and pleading tone in his voice. If she had really wanted to she could have escaped him but she hadn''t and that was proof she enjoyed it. So although he should have not taken it too far, she had let him do it and she would not blame him further. He did keep his hands at her side and didn''t touch her anywhere else other than her face and arms while she had brazenly felt up his body.

    "Yes I want to know and you...you don''t have to apologize. I allowed it to happen and am woman enough to recognize that I am partly to blame. But there is no next time or I''ll kick your pineapple butt!"

    Chuckling at her stubbornness he responded, "Kitten what we did would be considered making out with a dash of grinding and what I believe you felt is a female ''release.'' It happens during intimate actions between a man and a woman." He could have said everything in a more vivid form but he felt uncomfortable corrupting her when she had no previous knowledge. It was not if she would need to know it and any questions she had she could ask him.

    "But...-"

    "Kitten I know you have some questions and you can always ask them to me okay. You can trust me but remember, the only one you are allowed to ask is me!"

    "Why?"

    "Cause Kitten matters like this should be only discussed between the relevant parties hence you and I - no one else." Xi Long spoke softly as if he was trying to coax a child.

    She nodded in understanding, it made sense to only discuss it with the two people involved but why does she feel like she is being scammed? Having everything cleared she finally relaxed and began detangling herself off his lap. However, the more she tried to move the more he stopped her.

    "Xi Long why did you stop me? Let me go."

    "Why? Where are you going?" He pouted as his firm hands held her in place. Just now he was enjoying their moment and the feeling of having her relaxed in his hands like a sated feline. Yet, this woman used him and tried to leave so quickly? Only if he allowed her!

    "Shower, I need to clean up for bed and its getting late you should head home soon too."

    Clutching his heart in fake agony Xi Long acted as though her words injured him. "How could you be so heartless."

    "Heartless? Who? I have said nothing wrong, it is getting late and it''ll be more dangerous for you to drive."

    "Haha trying to cover your heartless actions with sweet words I see the game you are playing. Alas, I can only listen to my kitten''s wishes." Releasing her, he saw her scramble off his lap and move a couple steps away from him. Even running away from him he found her cute.

    Finally being released, Ying Yue moved towards her table and away from him to give her body some space. Glancing back at him her eyes caught onto the significantly large bump still in his pants. ''Why did it not go down? Did he not enjoy it?'' Frowning she pointed at it and asked him exactly what she had thought.

    Choking, Xi Long looked at her in bewilderment. Rising up from his chair he walked over to her and tilted up her chin to meet his eyes. "Kitten I did enjoy it but this something I''ll take care of when i get home, we''ve gone far enough today with the ''a.d.u.l.t things.''"

    She wanted to refute him but she knew that it was probably something she could not not handle at the moment. Walking towards the front of her apartment she unlocked the door for him, as he was making his way out he stopped and looked at her with a boyish smile before turning around again to leave. "Bye Kitt-" as he was saying his goodbyes a loud crash sounded out from the sky and rain came pouring down. He was instantly soaked as the rain continued to pour down in excessive amounts. Both of them stood in silence for a second before she grabbed him and pulled him back inside. Running into her room she grabbed him a towel and passed it to him. While he was drying off they both peaked outside to check if the rain had lessened but it was still raining down in heavy amounts. Even if he wanted to leave it was hard for him to see or drive in this weather.

    "So Kitten, can I stay over tonight?"

 Chapter 43 - Take a Picture

    She looked at him without responding. Exactly what was going on today? From the date to the movies it seemed as though nothing was going how she expected. Now it was raining, was this not just god working against her? Sighing in defeat she peeked out one more time to confirm the weather. The sound of the pouring rain slamming against the ground was enough to know that she had to let him stay here.

    Watching her expression, Xi Long''s heart dropped as he saw her struggle to answer. He had thought that they had gotten closer and she had started to care about him but he now knew it was the high of their "act" that was talking. Concealing his emotions, he interrupted her internal debate.

    "Look its fine, I was joking. I''m sure the rain will let up and its honestly not that bad. I''ll....see you later." Turning around he reached for the doorknob and began making his way out. Seeing that he was actually leaving, Ying Yue panicked and grabbed onto him. Unfortunately, she had grabbed onto the towel and not his shirt as she had placed her attention on his face.

    Xi Long laughed pitifully when he saw that she grabbed the towel. He saw that she had reached for him but when he saw that the target was the towel he felt as though he had truly fallen to an all time low. "Ah...the towel. Yes I had forgotten it was yours, here you go." Passing the towel to her he began his exit once more before dumbly watching as she threw the towel he gave her to the floor. ''Did she hate me so much that even a towel he used was detestable? Why is everything so confusing with her?'' Before he could continue to wallow in self-pity Ying Yue spoke up.

    "No I do not need your towel, I accidentally grabbed onto it instead of you. Why are you acting so stupid, did you think I would be so cruel to let you drive home in this weather. How do you even think you can drive? Do you think you are god?!"

    Ying Yue was fuming. She had been shocked by his initial stance to leave but even more so when he began to give off the depressed vibes of an abandoned pet. How had things progressed so far in his mind that he had become sad like this? What frustrated her the most and made her angry is that he did not wait for her to say anything and continued to speak as if he understood her intentions. Yes, she took a little bit of time to think but as would anyone else when faced with a man she did not know a week before, who''s relationship with her was romantically ambiguous, and now had to spend the night at her apartment! On top of this, they had just done...those things! How was she to act after so much had happened?! A little time in her mind to process was warranted but within two minutes he had written a movie, decided on the actors, and finalized the ending.

    "I...-" Xi Long was surprised when he heard her out burst. This was not the reaction he was expecting and it quickly raised his dropped spirits. Despite her being angry at him there was a tone of concern.

    "What you don''t have an answer? Then go gave you the courage to act like this? Forget the towel, try stepping out this house then I do not care what happens. Stupid man, always tensioning me." She grumbled at the end as she finished her rant. Walking away from him she picked up the towel and went towards her room. Hanging it on the side she grabbed an extra towel and came back to him still standing at the doorstep.

    "Take this and go get freshened up. You can stay here for the night but be warned, no funny business! Or I will kick you out hmph."

    "Okay thank you." A small smile emerged on his face as he took the towel from him. Going towards her bathroom he quickly took off his soaked clothes and placed it on the floor. Entering the shower he quickly raised the temperature and warmed his body. He had acted fine and ignored the chill but now that he was under warm water he relished the feeling. Looking down he glanced at....himself and sighed in defeat. The shock of the downpour and her supposed rejection helped him calm down a bit more but it had not gone away completely. Closing his eyes he raised the temperature hotter and tried to control his raging desires. He could easily take care of the problem but it did not feel right to do such things when they did not have an official title and that it was her bathroom on top of that. It was a little old fashioned but he was a man of virtue and he refused to do anything until she was completely his. He chuckled as he remembered the previous situations, it seemed as though he would be suffering for a long time. The heat of the water scalded his skin but did nothing to curb his desires. Switching the handle to extreme cold he shivered as he braced the sudden change in temperature. After standing under it for five minutes he could finally step out. Grabbing his towel he wiped himself down and his hair before wrapping it around his waist. He glanced down at the clothes on the floor and realized that he did not have any backup clothes. The only ones were in the back of his trunk where he couldn''t reach it. Rustling his hands through his hair he stepped out of the bathroom.

    "Kitten? Do you have any extra clothes, realized I had none to change into."

    Ying Yue was silently sitting on the couch as she took some time to think about how she would set up his impromptu bed. She wanted him to sleep on the couch but it might be too short for his frame. She was in the middle of measuring it when she heard his voice. Turning around to answer him she was stunned when she saw him. He had walked out with the towel hanging low on his waist as if it would fall at any moment, his chest bare. She had always knew that he had a nice body but seeing it in person in full unrestrained view her previous thoughts did him no justice. The last time she saw him like this, she did not analyze it well. She tried so hard to engrave it into her mind that she missed details. His muscles were packed, thick arms and an eight pack for his abs. She could tell that he worked out and kept his body fit. Every time he rustled his hair, his muscles would twitch and tighten. Colour graced her face as she followed the small trail of hair as it disappeared into his towel. She continued to take in everything as if it was her first time seeing him n.a.k.e.d. It was a view that looked new each time and you could not get tired of. She blushed as she remembered that that body was what she just shamelessly grinded against.

    Watching her reaction his chest filled with male pride. Previously she had taunted him that she had seen better bodies but seeing her reaction now he knew he still affected her. He did promise that his body was the only one he would let her remember. Feigning ignorance he continued to let her look before he interrupted her sneaking looks. Seeing her cheeks turn red he could not help but feel the need to tease her.

    "Kitten like the view? You can take a picture, it''ll last longer. Hmm...what do you say? Want me to model for you?" His mouth curved into his signature smirk as he saw her eyes turn from dazed back to the familiar fiery glare.

    "You! Yo...you!"

    "Don''t be ashamed kitten. Its fine, do you want me like this or shall I.... drop the towel too?"

 Chapter 44 - Spare Clothes

    "Yo...you brute! Shameless!" Ying Yue sputtered as she heard his comment. A picture with his towel off? She did not dare!

    "Come on Kitten, you don''t have to be ashamed. Photographing art is not a crime." He smirked as he spoke in a light tone. There was something about her that made him tease her constantly, as if his mouth would burn if he did not. What made it worse was that every time he teased her he was able to see her facial expressions change and her face scrunch up in adorable anger. Every change of emotion to him was fascinating and he wanted to see everything. Currently anger was the one he had the most practice evoking.

    "Art?! What is art! Let me tell you, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I see no art!"

    "Kitten its not good to lie, even children are taught this."

    Hearing his remark, black lines appeared on her forehead. How did he even think to say such words? To say that she was lying and that children were better, was this even fair? How did he decide she was lying!

    "You! I am not lying, who are you to judge this."

    "Me? I''m yours."

    Ying Yue had lifted her finger in anger, she knew that he would not let the argument die easily and had prepared to respond. Yet when he opened his mouth the words that came out were not what she expected. The words he spoke could be considered cheesy if another man had said it but the meaning was different with him. The way he spoke, the conviction in his voice, all together made him sound sincere. She kept her face neutral but her heart started beating loudly. These words affected her more than she cared to let on.

    Warmth flooded her body as she took in his words. Since young she was raised in a harsh environment with little to no love and moments like this were rare. Though he teased her and they were in an ambiguous relationship she had started to truly trust him. She knew in her heart that he would not hurt her and his words were true under the facade. It still surprised her everytime he acted like this because she could not understand what it is about her that made him act this way. In all her years of living, she has had many men approach her but his interest had started the minute they met. He knew absolutely nothing about her but still desired her. The men who usually approached her were always after something, her body, her money, wanting to use her but he till date has not asked for anything other than her time.

    Her emotions were turbulent inside her as she felt attacked by the onslaught of what she was feeling. It bothered her that she could not place her emotions into a defined term. She knew that she had a soft spot for him and was easily affected by him but that was not clear enough. She has had no romantic relationsh.i.p.s before to compare the data nor did she have anyone she could speak to this about. Ming Ming was one of her only female friends but she dared not bring this up with her. She would constantly badger her and ask her questions she was not ready to answer. Could what she was feeling be just from this being a new experience? Or was it because it was him pursuing her? Frustrated, she ignored him and plopped back onto her couch with a groan. Her brain hurt from trying to understand everything and control her emotions. If this was how she would be everytime she thought this deeply then she''d rather not think about it at all.

    Xi Long''s face scrunched up in confusion and slight humor. He knew he was being cheesy and expected her to blush or say something sarcastic but she had actually gone quiet. It seemed as though she was seriously listening to his words despite the neutral expression. The next couple of minutes she stood frozen in the same pose thinking and he remained quiet to let her think. He quite liked the idea of him being on her mind and that her mind was flooded with thoughts of him. The confusion came when all of a sudden she looked away from him and dropped onto the couch, her back flat against the seats. ''Was she tired? Why did she suddenly lay on the couch.'' He walked towards the couch when he felt a chill wind. Looking down he remembered he was n.a.k.e.d with only a towel keeping him warm. Feeling a sneeze coming he turned his head and let out a small noise. Even though he wanted to let her think, he would get sick standing here. He needed to see if she had spare clothes. If not, he would have to go to the car and just re-shower.

    "Kitten, do you have any spare clothes? Mine are in the trunk and I can''t reach them right now."

    Snapping out of her daze she quickly registered what he was saying. Irritation filled her as she realized that she had made him stand there the entire time she was thinking. Getting up she sped walked to her room and searched for large clothing. She liked wearing large shirts and mens sweaters so it would not be hard to find him something to wear. Pulling open a drawer she took out a pair of black sweatpants and a large black fitted sweater. Satisfied with her choice she walked back to him and pushed the items into his arms.

    "Here."

    His eyes darkened as he saw the items in his hands. They all seemed to be mens clothing and annoyance filled him as he thought of the man who left them behind. When he had asked for spare clothes he was assuming she would have a large shirt or sweatpants maybe that he could try fitting into but these were real mens clothes! Clearing his throat he decided it was better to ask her then seethe further. "Whose clothes are these?"

    ''Whose? What does he mean whose and why does he have that expression? Does he actually hate wearing my clothes?'' Ying Yue glared at him.and responsed. "What do you mean whose? You ask me for spare clothes then reject mine!"

    "No I''m not rejecting them, I just want to know who they belong to."

    "They belong to me! What stupid question is this."

    "Yours?!"

    "Yes, mine. Do you need to see a label?! Give it back if you are not going to wear it."

    "No, I''ll wear it." Slight shock entered his eyes. Looking back at the items he felt warm thinking he would be wearing her clothes that she had previously worn. His kitten really had interesting taste that she owned items like this. A small laugh left him as he realized that he had gotten jealous over an imaginary man that turned about to he his own kitten. Taking the clothes he went back into the bathroom and quickly put them on. They were a little tight but he could manage and enjoyed finally being able to put something on his body. Surprisingly his kitten''s fashion taste was similar to his, they both preferred the minimalistic designs.

    Seeing him finally go in and change, Ying You calmed down. This insufferable man actually dared to question where the clothes were from. When he stepped out she saw him dressed in her sweatpants and the sweater, which was a little too small on him. A weird feeling emerged as she enjoyed seeing him wear her clothes. It was a warm itchy kind of feeling that was no entirely unpleasant.

    ''Was this what people talked about a boyfriend shirt? Wait, this is mine so a girlfriend shirt?''

 Chapter 45 - Sleeping Arrangements

    Seeing her let out a small smile he was unsure if she was laughing at him or just enjoyed that he was wearing her clothes. It was hilarious for him since he thought she would be the first one to wear each other''s clothes but it was in fact him. Clearing his throat he began walking towards her bedroom.

    "Wait." Confusion laced her face. Did he need something from her room? "Why are you going there, do you need something?"

    "Need something? No, I''m going to sleep." Amus.e.m.e.nt filled him, his kitten was so confused and he waited for her to understand what he meant. Of course, as her man he should stay in the same bed as her. Especially after what they had just done! It would be cruel to let her sleep alone, no? Satisfied with his reasoning, he was prepared to face her questioning.

    "Who said you would sleep there! You will sleep here on this couch." Patting the seat for extra emphasis she directed him to sleep here. How could she sleep with him? He was really pushing his luck.

    "Kitten, you and I both know that I would not fit on that couch." His eyebrows scrunched, it was a small couch and it was hard sitting on it. Doubt if he laid down his legs would even fit.

    "Yes you will, how do you know if you haven''t tried. Come, Come, you will sleep here." Patting the spot once again, she tried to emphasize her point. She was already being nice enough letting him stay over but the bedroom was where she drew the lines. What if he took advantage of her!

    "But I don''t fit." He could see the gears in her mind move as she prepared every reason as to why she could not let him into her room. It was hilarious as he watched his little kitten fiercely advocate for the couch as if he would eat her up if he slept in her bed. Since they had just done such intimate actions, sleeping in bed together was an innocent comparison. Of course, he couldn''t wait till he slept in her bed as her official man but he could only slowly move for now.

    "Yes you will. How do you know if you do not try? There is no harm in trying." Ying Yue kept her face stern as she tried to convince him to test the couch. She knew that it was a hard bet, even she did not really think that he could fit on the couch but she would not stop till she knew for sure. He did have broad shoulders but the couch she had bought was slightly larger than average. She often fell asleep here so she had bought something that she could easily lay across of without her legs bending.

    Sighing in reluctance, he moved towards the couch as he saw the stubborn look in her eyes. Sitting down on it, he attempted to lay down flat against the seat as Ying Yue moved out of the way. Glancing at him struggling to get comfortable, Ying Yue left a small giggle escape her. It was a comical sight seeing a grown man try to fit on her couch. She had initially thought that he wouldn''t fit but the degree to how much he wouldn''t was something she did not expect. His broad shoulders were dangling half off the couch while his feet peaked over the edge of the arm rest. Even his arms had to grip the couch to stop him from falling over. Seeing the exasperated look in her eyes, her giggles turned into loud laughter.

    "How does the big bad wolf feel falling off this couch? Who would''ve ever thought you had a second job as Wild. E. Coyote? (1)"

    "Wild E. Coyote? Who''s that?" Sitting up he reached his hand towards her wrist and made a pulling notion towards him. Feeling her stand still he put his leg out and quickly trapped her ankles forcing her to fall into him. Continuing his sentence he trapped her within his arms and stared into her eyes "Cause you see kitten, you can call me whatever you want but I''ll always be the big bad wolf and you''ll be the prey I catch every night." His eyes twinkled as a lazy smirk graced his face. Every time he decided he would take things slow and stop teasing her she would set it up where he could not help himself but utter such lines towards her. Her reactions made him want to shamelessly tease her till her eyes were blazing and her cheeks rosy. Which was just the reaction he saw now, his kitten was one second from clawing his eyes out. Laughing out loud, he spoke again cutting her off before she could yell at him.

    "So now that we have decided I cannot fit on the couch, the only other option is to sleep in your room. You wouldn''t let such a weak and helpless man like me would you?"

    Ying Yue choked when she heard his words. How could he refer to himself as weak and helpless? Who would believe this! A tall and muscular man like himself who currently caged her body within his hands was someone who needed HER care?? This was so ridiculous that she was shocked he could say such things without blinking. However, the more and more time she spent with him she had started to notice that he would not hesitate to speak shameless sentences in front of her for his personal benefit. He was a through and through profiteer! Suffering no losses, he traps everyone with his words, well not today! She would trap him instead!

    "Okay, you can stay in my room but you have to promise to follow my rules." Keeping a straight face she forced herself to give off the feelings of someone forced into it.

    "Really?" Shock fluttered through his eyes, he could not believe that she had agreed so easily. Was this a trick?

    "Only if you promise to follow my rules! Or I will not let you in helpless or not!"

    "I promise!" He was so elated that she had agreed that he quickly promised before she could change her mind. Changing her position in his hands he lifted her up and sped walked towards her bedroom. Opening the door he took to steps towards the bed and placed her down.

    Seeing him fall so easily for her trap she smirked inwardly. Getting off the bed she grabbed her towel and a change of clothes before turning to him. "I''m getting a shower and will be back soon. Don''t touch anything and just sit there. Remember my rules!" Leaving her room she ran to her bathroom and took a quick shower. She had ignored while talking to him but the sticky feeling from her body grew stronger and she could not wait to rid herself of it. Changing into low sweatpants and a loose shirt she went back to her room to see him lay across her bed.

    "Hmm, why are you in my bed?" Her eyes danced as she felt excited at how everything was falling into her plan. He had chosen to lay on her bed and use the pillow as she had expected.

    "What do you mean? I''m just preparing for bed and didn''t touch anything else?"

    "That''s fine but why are you in my bed? You won''t be sleeping here."

    His eyebrows scrunched, "you''re the one who said I could sleep in your bed!"

    "I said you could sleep in my room and not my bed. Up up, you will be sleeping on the floor."

    "The floor? Absolutely not. I will be sleeping in this bed." Gripping her blanked he held it close to him as he snuggled deeper into her bed. Want him out of this bed? She would have to pull him off!!

    "Nuh uh. You promised that you''d follow my rules. Now you wouldn''t be a man who breaks his promises right?"

    (1) Wild E. Coyote is a character from Looney Toones, he''s a coyote who''s always trying to catch the road runner and fails. Very comical character.

 Chapter 46 - First Night Together

    Helplessness filled him as he watched his kitten command him to get off her bed. Yes, he had jumped the gun at promising her to follow her rules but he was also not expecting to be caught so carefully in her words! He usually could see through such petty tricks but there was something about her that made him trust her without doubt and for that, he had ended up in this situation. Glancing at her again he saw her stare at him with her chin lifted up and sparkling eyes filled with humor and pride of fooling him. "Alright, I will get off the bed but you cannot expect me to sleep on the bare floor. Its hard and cold, my back cannot take it." He spoke with grievance and an expression of someone being bullied.

    Black lines marked across her forehead ''this man never fails to tease me...'', but the way he spoke to her coupled with his facial expression actually made her feel a pang of guilt. Guilt for what though? All she was doing was protecting herself! She could not be made guilty for this! Satisfied with her reasoning she began thinking of how to make the floor more comfortable. While she could not let him sleep with her, she could also not let him sleep against the bare floor with no padding.

    Walking over to her closet she began rummaging through her stuff looking for anything she might have that could be used. She found lots of clothes and one set of alternative bedding but nothing thicker. ''Hmm i mean I could make something by stuffing clothing...? But it will be too lumpy.'' Finding nothing she sighed in defeat before seeing a small black bag peaking out of the bottom edge of her closet. Grasping onto it she began pulling it out and smiled with relief when she realized what it was. Earlier when she had moved in to her apartment she had used an inflatable bed before her actual bed had arrived. It was approximately a year ago but she had easily forgot that she even had it. When she had packed it away she had stuffed it into the corner of her closet and jammed a bunch of stuff around it blocking it from her view. Pulling harder she tried aggressively to get the bag out but other than moving a bit it was stuck tight in her closet.

    Seeing her struggle to grab something he began rising from the bed to help her but, before he could get out of bed he heard her stop him. "I can do this, just sit there! Hmph this is a small task I can do it by myself."

    Sitting down she placed her legs against the ends of the closet and gripped the bag tighter. Using a forceful pull she aggressively pulled the bag out. With that pull, the bag slipped out half way from the closet. Using one more pull she freed the bag from her closet however, she had overestimated the amount of force she would need. As the bag broke free she could feel that she was unstable causing her to fall on to her back with the small black bag slamming into her chest. "Oof." Before she could register what happened she heard a deep chuckle from the side.

    "Haha Hah," Xi Long could not control himself as he began laughing at the comical sight before him. When she had told him to sit still he was smiling at her stubborn pride and he had no doubt that she could do it by herself. She was a strong woman who could take care of herself but that made him want to take care of her even more. Then all of a sudden he saw her fall backward but what made it hilarious was the lost and dazed expression she had on her face added with the small sound she made.

    "You!!! You how dare you laugh at me." Dusting herself off she got up and threw the black bag at him. "You find it funny then you can inflate this. Hmph."

    Catching the bag in his hands he bit his lips to stop his chuckles from coming out. "I''m not laughing at you kitten, I''m laughing with you."

    Irritation filled her eyes, "Laughing WITH me? Do you see me laughing??"

    "Yes I do, internally. Now move lemme blow this bed up or we will be arguing all night." His eyes twinkled with humor as he got out of bed and opened the black bag up.

    "I am not arguing with you, as long as you listen to everything I say why will we argue?"

    "Mhmm, yes I will listen to you from now on." Xi Long smiled and spoke with indulgence as he said those words. Plugging the attached machine into the wall, he let the machine slowly pump air into the mattress. Ying Yue nodded her head before pausing, ''Why does it feel like I am missing something?'' The way he spoke made her feel as if she was a wife torturing her husband and he was giving into her. ''Wife?! Jiang Ying Yue you better stop thinking this nonsense, you know you could never be with him.'' Sadness filled her eyes for a second as she immediately pushed those thoughts out of her head and returned to her humor filled expression.

    Xi Long had his back turned and missed the slight change in her expression. As the mattress finished rising he put the machine away and secured the air within the bed. Then stepped aside as Ying Yue placed his covers,p pillow and blankets onto the bed. "There, done. You can sleep now, remember no sneaking into my bed or I will be kicking your pineapple butt out of this room." Glancing at him one more time she turned to her bed and climbed into her sheets with her back turned to him.

    Han Xi Long, climbed into his bed and lightly smiled at the mobility of it. His whole body sunk into it as he turned onto his side and stared at her back and her raven black hair strewn across her pillow. A warm feeling filled his heart as he continued to watch her sleep, while he knew logically that she probably was just faking sleep in front of him, he still enjoyed it. He and her had already progressed so quickly in their relationship and was more than willing to sleep on the floor if he could spend more time with her. Her trust in him was growing and he himself could not understand what it was that made him push and aggressively pursue her. As he began falling asleep, his phone lit up as a he received a text.

    Reading the message, his eyes darkened with anger and hate. Whispering to himself, he gripped the phone hard in his hand "tomorrow..."

 Chapter 47 - Morning After

    Opening her eyes, Ying Yue subconsciously stilled as she heard movement from her kitchen. Her mind went to alert as she got up from her bed with a jump. She was reaching for the wall to get a weapon just as she saw the inflatable bed and folded sheets on the floor. Staring at the items she took a deep breath before sitting back down on her bed.

    ''I completely forgot that I let him stay over last night.''

    Controlling her breathing she calmed herself down before rubbing her tired eyes. She was not used to hearing other sounds in her home so having this sort of incident scared her into action right out of bed. It took a couple of seconds before she was able to still her beating heart and she reached towards her phone that she had left to charge. Grabbing it, she placed it under her pillow before getting up to go to the bathroom. Opening the door, she quickly peaked outside to see where Xi Long was and just as he turned his back she ran into the bathroom. Turning the tap on she washed her face and did her normal morning routine. Pulling a small cabinet she applied her skin care before checking her face in the mirror. She was not sure if he had gotten a glimpse of her face in the morning, he probably had, but she herself knew how horrendous the sight was. Her hair had been strewn all over her pillow and had slightly frizzed up during the night from her shifting so much. Slapping her face, she tried to contain her thoughts as she imagined all the worst situations of how she looked at night. Ming Ming had told her before that she looks like a gremlin (1) or Chewbacca (2) in the morning, especially after a gruelling night of fighting.

    She was not like other girls and did not have much experience in dolling herself. Her "go-to" look was some lotion on her face and a tinted chapstick at most, jewellery was always at a minimum as she was never know when she would have to fight. Many people did not think about what they put on their body but every item she wore must be seriously considered. Small earnings can be used to pierce the enemy, big ones can be used to rip through ear lobe. A necklace can be used to choke someone while rings clutter the hands too much. Her current days allowed some relaxation but years of strict mindset makes her struggle to change now. This never bothered her and still doesn''t, but the days she spent with him made her second guess herself. She was not going to change to suit anybody''s needs but also could not handle being looked down upon. Xi Long definitely did make her feel beautiful, his attraction to her stroked her female ego but she had also had him never compliment her in a serious tone. If she went along with everty teasing statement she would be quickly ruined by that man.

    Lightly pressing her fingertips into her face, she stretched it in different directions. "Am I considered beautiful?" Confusion laced her eyes, her face seemed normal to her. Tired of debating this in her head she quickly finished everything and left the bathroom. Stepping into her living room she smelt a strong scent of toasted bread filling the air. Speeding up towards the man in her kitchen she snuck up behind him before trying to steal a slice from his plate. Right before she touched the bread her wrist was caught and she was spun around and pressed against the counter.

    "Good morning Kitten." A small grin was on his face as he stared at her. He knew she was awake as soon as she stepped out her bedroom and ran towards the bathroom. When she had left the bathroom and walked towards him he pretended as if he did not notice her because he was curious in what she would do. Low and behold the first thing she did was try and sneak some food from him. He thought she would at least try to play attack him but her target and focus was only on the food. He laughed inwardly as he knew she was such a glutton and would probably always put food at her highest priority throughout their future. Which is why, as little revenge, he quickly stopped her from grabbing the food. Neglecting him meant delayed food! Seeing her angry pout, a ripple of warmth flickered through his eyes. He took the short time he had to stare at her and take in her face. It was not the first time he saw her morning face but everytime he saw her she managed to look different. Her face today had a subtle glow and her skin was smooth like ice jade. Dipping his view his eyes followed her eyes to her mouth where he saw her berry lips plump and moisturized. Gulping he controlled his urges to eat the breakfast in front of him before letting her have the breakfast he cooked.

    "Don''t you get tired of always pulling people into your arms? Do you have a fetish for trapping people?"

    Hearing her question his s.e.x.u.a.l preferences again, the grin on his face twitched while he was snapped out of his trance. ''Why does this woman always jump to extremes?? And why are they always s.e.x.u.a.l? Who even taught her this??'' Xi Long felt that the more time he spent with her the more labels he got and the more apparent "fetishes" he discovered.

    "No I don''t. Kitten why are you always jumping to these conclusions? How do you even know about all these fetishes? Unless...," leaning in closer to her he whispered "they''re actually things you enjoy..."

    "Preposterous! Then can you explain why you keep trapping me? And there''s a fetish for everything, I don''t have to know specifics."

    "I just like hugging you and who told you to always sneak up on me? Kitten, if you''re so interested in fetishes I don''t mind telling you mine."

    "Oh really, what are they then!" Staring into his eyes she refused to back down.

    "Actually...kitten wouldn''t it be more fun if I just show you?"

 Chapter 48 - Dessert Before Breakfast

    "Well then show me, I''m not afraid." Ying Yue stared into his eyes as she felt him move closer. He always said sentences like this to tease her and never actually followed through. His aim was her reactions and this time she would not back down from his challenge. If he wanted to show her, he can show her! What was the worst that could happen? Focusing on him she tried to keep her expression neutral and the blush out of her cheeks. The closer he drew the more expectant she was. ''Will he do something? What will he do? Ying Yue I hope you didn''t shoot yourself in the mouth with this one.'' While she was not afraid of what he would do she could also not control her imagination. Taking in where they were and what was around her there were countless potential clues. He could have thing for utensils, counter tops, fridges, etc. It could also be something to do with the body directly.

    As he got closer, a subtle fresh scent floated towards her. Glancing quickly at his hair and his body she saw that it was slightly damp. He had woken up early and showered using her body soap and shampoo. Him smelling like her was a satisfying feeling as it felt like she had a stamp over him. The clothes he wore were still hers so his entire being radiated her mark. It was obvious that he had gone to his car and got his spare bag as his formerly stubbly face was freshly shaven. Unless he decided to use her cheap pink blades that were for her legs on his face - which was highly unlikely. There was absolutely no way to shave a face with that blade and not have one small nick.

    Xi Long stared hard at Ying Yue, he watched all of her expressions not daring to even miss one. When she stared back directly at him, challenging for him to show her his fetish a dark raw feeling clawed at him in his gut. He knew that she was only challenging him on the account of her believing he would not actually do something. Her blank face was proof that her statement was just a bold facade, she could control her face but her ears and dilated eyes could not be controlled. The closer he moved towards her the more her ears turned red. Yet that just made the feeling in his gut grow stronger. He had no idea what it was that triggered this reaction but he felt that her provocations just fed it further. If she truly wanted him to show her his s.e.x.u.a.l preferences he would have whisked her away into the bedroom and locked her up. He had no clue what his fetishes but he was open enough to try things out with her and discover them. Drawing his hand up to cup her face he let his other hand drop onto her waist. Squeezing her waist with pressure he brought his face closer till he stopped a whisper away from her lips. In a gruff controlled voice he spoke "Kitten....I don''t think you can handle me." Each movement of his mouth caused his lips to lightly brush against hers. Looking into her eyes he saw her dazed and out of focus as she watched him. His inner being screamed to close the last distance but he did not want to rush their intimacy. The voice of reasoning won out in his head as he glanced at her lips one more time before slowly pulling away from her. He looked down to control his inner desires but before he could take a step back he felt a hand grip his chin.

    "You don''t get to decide when to stop..." As he heard her speak her hand had already gripped his chin and brought it towards her face. With some force Ying Yue connected their lips together as she sighed internally. He had teased her and then seduced her only to leave her dry as he stopped a second before kissing her. It was his fault that her body was so warm and it was only right that he put out the fire he started within her. Allowing herself to enjoy the moment she grabbed his face and connected their lips. The second his cold soft lips touched hers a feeling of contentment filled her. Their lips moved slowly against each other, both were scared to breathe and end the kiss.

    Xi Long pulled away for one second before using his h.i.p.s to press her against the counter top. Grabbing her h.i.p.s he lifted her up onto the counter before reconnecting their lips. One hand was clenched within her hair drawing them closer together. Feeling desire blaze inside of him he increased the aggressiveness and moved his lips deeper against hers. Biting her bottom lip he opened her mouth and slipped his tongue inside her mouth. He slowed his pace and allowed her to copy his movements. Her clumsy tongue followed him and matched his intensity. Small jade hands travelled up his arms and wrapped around his neck. Inching to the edge of the granite counter top she brought herself closer to him. Entranced by the kiss she felt herself heat up more and more as he sped up his ministrations.

    "Breathe through your nose." Feeling her lose her breath he separated his lips to advice her before connecting them once again. As they continued a small mew escaped her as she tried to stop herself from making any noises. Hearing her make a small noise, Xi Long felt his blood rush lower. Her m.o.a.ns were music to his ears but those mew''s were equally dangerous. Grunting, he kissed her rougher and lost himself in the kiss. Her lips tasted like berries and the sole thought on his mind was to make her make more noises. As he was about to move his lips from her mouth and bite into her neck a burning noise permeated through the air.

    His l.u.s.t filled cleared as he realized that something was burning. Stepping away he turned around to see the small bits of meat he had left on the pan had burned into crisps. Quickly reaching over he turned off the stove before moving the pan over. The meat initially only need around eight minutes to fully cook but he had lost himself in the kiss and forgot to keep track of time. Making sure everything else was okay he turned around to see Ying Yue still dazed sitting in the spot he left her. Her brown eyes were misty and her hair was slightly messy from his hand gripping it. She had lazily followed all his actions and did not care about the burned breakfast. Xi Long''s eyes constricted as he saw her ruffled appearance and her swollen lips that he had caused. Her lips were red and glistening like honeydew, just begging him to come in for another taste. As he debated on whether to continue he saw the time from the corner of his eyes and decided to stop. If he continued now he would not be able to stop and neither of them could handle the consequences. Today was an important day for him, he had to leave soon no matter how much he wished he could delay it. Kissing her on her forehead he gently smiled at her, "thanks for the dessert Kitten. It was very delicious... now come eat your breakfast."

 Chapter 49 - Back to Business Pt.1

    "Breakfast?" Tilting her head she stared back at him confused by his words. He had just aggressively kissed her making her lose all train of thought and then suddenly stopped leaving her high and dry. She had tried to bite on her lips but stopped as soon as she felt a spark of pain. Her lips were wet and swollen from their kiss adding on to the fire she was feeling. The rest of her body was heated leaving an uncomfortable thirst inside her that she didn''t know how to satisfy.

    She had watched dazed as he moved to turn off the stove and his shoulders flexed as he reached his arms over. Small beads of sweat rolled formed on the back of his neck from how heated they had gotten making out. It was if everything he did was drawing her attention in. Even now, as he talked to her she couldn''t focus and process anything he said. At this moment she all that was on her mind was to take in every single detail of Xi Long. Trailing her eyes down she watched his chest rise and fall as he attempted to calm himself down. Her eyes went lower as she glanced at the waist band of his sweatpants and slowly went even lower. Before she could stare at her desired location she felt a hand grip her chin and raise her head.

    "Kitten, you''re playing a dangerous game." Xi Long felt a surge of possessiveness inside as he watched her trail her eyes lower. She was seductive enough sitting there dazed and at mercy from their intensive makeout. Then as he tried to calm himself down and control his painful lower half she trailed her eyes even lower to look at it. That lazy content look in her eyes immediately reignited the fire in him. The monster in him was possessive and wanted to mark her as his but the rational side of him held back.

    Clearing this throat, "Eat your breakfast I''ll get a shower."

    Stepping away from her, he sped walked into the bathroom. He had left his emergency bag in the bathroom and now he was thankful. It was not within his calculations that he would have to take another shower so soon. Stripping out of his clothes he went under her standing shower and turned the water nozzle to the left. The freezing cold water shocked his system as he tried to adjust to the temperature and lower his internal heat. He closed his eyes and leaned his hand against the wall. Sending images of disgusting and cold things into his head he tried to distract himself. Just as he was making progress a flash of Ying Yue''s face and body as his hands gripped her infiltrated his mind. Curling his hand into fist he sighed while lightly hitting the wall. ''Guess I will have to be in this shower longer.''

    ***

    Ying Yue slowly detached herself from the counter and jumped off. She stumbled a bit as her legs felt stiff. Gripping the side of the counter she held herself up as she moved her legs trying to regain feeling in them. Walking over to the sink she turned on the faucet and splashed her face with some cool water. Taking a paper towel she wiped her face and neck before throwing it into the garbage. Taking deep breaths she calmed down and gathered all the dirty dishes and pots. With the sponge she started cleaning everything and wiping down the counters. He had told her to eat before him but she would wait till he was done his shower. He had cooked it so it was only right if they ate together. Seeing the burnt meat a pout was on her face. ''I wanted to eat that.'' Checking the fridge she saw that there was some extra meat lying around so taking a clean pan she quickly cooked up some more with a bit of spice. Adding two peppers into the mix she let it sit on the stove before putting a small portion on both of their plates. Xi Long had made them a quick western breakfast with toasted bread and scrambled eggs. The fluffy eggs stared at her as her stomach grumbled. Glancing again at the bathroom and wondered when he would come out. It has been around 10 minutes already, shouldn''t he be done already...? Considering that he had already showered this morning. Grumbling she walked away from the tempting meal and laid down on her couch. Pressing her face into the pillow she tried to block out the smell of the food. After five more minutes she heard the door open and bobbed her head up off the couch in excitement.

    "You''re done?! Good good, come come I''m hungry." Running towards him she grabbed his wrist and brought him over to the kitchen. Placing a spoon and chopsticks in front of him she waited for him to sit down before eating her food. A small groan left her mouth as she happily munched on it.

    A small chuckle left Xi Long''s mouth as he watched her eat the food so quickly. He always called her Kitten but she looked like a bunny or a squirrel right now as she stuffed the food into her mouth. "If you were so hungry you should''ve ate before instead of waiting for me."

    Shaking her head, she swallowed her mouthful before responding. "No no, that''s not right. Why cook if we don''t eat together."

    "I see you made some more meat too haha."

    Placing down her utensils he looked at him seriously. "Han Xi Long let me tell you something, meat is very precious. It must be in most meals or life is not well lived." Finishing her message she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat again.

    Xi Long held a smile as he saw her so seriously try to educate him on the importance of meat. it seemed that he would have to work a lot harder to feed this glutton... Getting back to his meal they both ate in a comfortable silence. As they finished his phone rang from the side. Picking it up he heard his secretary''s voice on the other side.

    "Boss I''m outside."

    "Mhm." Getting up, he washed his dish before entering her room and quickly changing into his emergency dress shirt and pants. Grabbing his remaning stuff from her room and bathroom he packed "Kitten I have to go now..."

    "Okay...so go." Ying Yue had realized that he was about to leave when he got the call. She did feel a small uncomfortable emotion that he was leaving, not that she would admit it! ''Hmph, he can go what do I care.'' Unbeknownst to her she looked like she was sulking while she was trying to act indifferent.

    Walking him to the door, she opened it for him to let him out. He leaned towards her with his signature smirk "don''t miss me too much Kitten. One call and I''ll be back."

    "Hmph no one''s calling you. Go go, go do some work." Pushing him out the door, he held her back a little while he fought to leave one last kiss on her head before being tussled out by her. Laughing he went away from her apartment and down the stairs to the discreet black car waiting for him.

    Entering the car, the smile on his face dropped as a chill aura took control of the air.

    "Is everything ready." His voice was low and devoid of any emotion he had a moment ago.

    "Yes, sir."

    "Let''s go."

 Chapter 50 - Back to Business Pt.2

    As the car sped away, Xi Long laid back into his seat with his eyes closed. He had spent time with his kitten in a happy mood but it never lasted long. Reality had a way of bringing him back when things were too carefree, no matter how long or short that was. Lei Shufen had texted him last night alerting him of new underground activity that smelled a lot like a rat he was searching for. Anger filled his veins as he thought of the man who he was targetting. As soon as he had taken control of the family business and started building his own network and army he had kept his eyes on distinct people. One of which was a man who went by the name Tao.

    His real name was something else but he had built his reputation with this alias. He had maintained a loyal and subservient image to his parents but went behind their backs to sell information to competitors. That itself would be a criminal offence nothing more but what he had done after is what set Xi Long''s anger off. After being fired, he had snuck back into the company and planted a small bug which their enemies used to track them. By the time he had noticed it had been too late....

    Blocking the memories in his head, he reopened his eyes and checked outside to see where they were. The surroundings slowly turned into trees and the path got bumpier as they began driving onto rural roads. Opening his mouth, he spoke quietly breaking the silence "change." Shufen heard his boss''s orders and flipped open a small compartment next to the dial on the car. Small shakes could be felt as the car shifted and altered itself. The originally black discreet car became a run down old compact car in less than a minute. It was a modification that was added to the car when they purchased it. No matter how discreet or subtle looking their car was, to avoid further suspision the car itself could change its appearance. Even the license place switched to a random order matching a fake alias. His Boss usually used this function when he wanted to avoid people or when he carried out specific missions. Hearing the final click, he continued driving the car forward. Going deeper into the intense forest he took multiple turns before a small building appeared in a dark hidden corner. Stopping the car, Shufen quickly got out the car and opened the door for his boss. His spine straightened as he got a glimpse of his boss''s face before he walked past him. Taking a breath he wiped the small bead of sweat of his forehead before falling after him. "Huhu Boss, you''re already emitting death energy. Please save it for the target not your poor servant."

    ****

    Walking near the building, Han Xi Long reached out his slim fingers and pressed a series of codes on the bottom left side of the door before entering. The building was a small cottage size residence with worn down furniture. The feel of the residence was designed to be old and abandoned. Moving further into the house, he entered the last room before pulling the plant off the windowsill. This movement triggered the book case to swing open revealing another metal door. The thick silver door was an extra security feature that could only be opened by a retina scanner. Hearing the dull creak of the door opening he walked into the darkness as small lamps lit up the staircase leading downstairs. He waited a couple of seconds for Shufen to enter before closing the door behind them. Solid steps clicked against the floor as he made his way down. His face was blank throughout, resulting in a strong negative energy permeating through the air.

    The stairs opened into a larger room with two chairs and a wall of multiple computer and tv screens. This was his personal surveillance tower where he could hack and see anything that he wanted to without being noticed. Every single piece of technology in that room was equipped with an automatic widget that ran their ip address through millions of addresses leaving them completely untraceable. Switching on the systems the screens lit up to show different real time locations. Xi Long''s eyes curved into a glare as he watched them. Some of the screens showed his prisoners in other facilities and others of people he was keeping track off. What triggered his glare was one specific screen in the right corner showcasing a dingy casino. A thin mousey looking man sat in the corner hunched over a slot machine. A hat was on his head covering half his face but did nothing to escape from his view. The minute he stepped foot in the country there were 10 sets of eyes on him and a team of informers who gave relayed it to him.

    "Is everything ready?"

    "Yes."

    "Where are the men."

    "Boss, we have two men playing at the green poker table across the room, one at the slot machine two seats away from him, and 5 outside the premise of the building to capture him if he runs."

    "Mmm." Xi Long calmly leaned back in his seat as he listened to Shufen list the details. This plan was made quickly and efficiently with no room for errors. His fingers twitched as he adjusted the cameras with some simple clicks on the keyboard. He was very tempted to rush the mission and grab him immediately but time was imperative. It has been 5 long years waiting to capture this man and he was so close to achieving it. There had been a secret force behind Tao who helped him escape to country where the government was strict and where he could not commit murder easily.

    Reaching his hand out behind him he signalled for Shufen to place the transmitter in his grasp. Keeping it in his hands he watched the time pass by as he stared at the screen focused. Finally, the mousey man got up and headed towards the bathroom.

    Without missing a beat he clicked the transmitter in his hands, "get him." The second he spoke, his men on the other side of the device immediately went into action. A smirk graced Xi Long''s face as he heard the screams and shouts of the man as he was dragged out of the building. Bursts of energy filled inside him at the thought of what was to come, the torture that was to come.

    An evil laugh escaped him, "you should''ve just stayed away when you had the chance."

 Chapter 51 - Boss, how could you??

    Xi Long stared at the screen as he watched his men in action and waited for their confirmation that the mission has been successfully completed. Tapping his fingers on the table, his eyebrows furrowed as he his seemed to catch something on the screen. Pursing his lips, he kept his eyes on the monitor and spoke to Shufen. "...redirect them to the east prison, make sure no one is following."

    Shufen heard his orders and immediately sent out a message to the captains of both teams alerting them of the change of plans. It was weird that his Boss was to change their plans randomly, maybe he saw something...? Focusing on the live footage he tried to pinpoint what had made his Boss uneasy but couldn''t figure out what it was exactly. Just as he was about to ask his Boss reached forward and tapped the screen before them.

    "Investigate him."

    With that, Xi Long alighted from the chair and walked towards the stairs. He had already checked everything he needed to and now was only curious about the man he noticed in the corner. In the beginning it had seemed that the abduction was done smoothly, however, there was a man who sat calmly near the bar that bothered him. There had been so much noise and violence that any sane individual would have either left or hid from the group. This man leaned into the bar and continued drinking without moving from his seat. The calm demeanour as if he was completely detached from the situation was not one that belonged to a common civilian. His senses were rarely ever wrong therefore this man was definitely connected. Now he just needed to know who. His eyes constricted at the possibility of having more hidden enemies involved in the spider web. If this man was connected he would need to know how and why.

    Without waiting for Shufen he walked up the stairs quickly to exit the house. By the time Shufen had noted the man down and sent out orders to their intelligence team his Boss had long left the room. Shutting everything down he quickly turned and ran up the stairs. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead as he patted his chest to calm his breathing. He quickly walked outside the house and saw his boss standing silently in front of the door hidden behind the pillar. His eyes were filled with greivance as he looked at his boss.

    "Huhu Boss you know that I find that building creepy, how could you leave me there alone."

    In front of others he maintained a cool and stern version of a capable secretary but he could not do the same in front of his Boss. What was worse was that he knew how he felt about the building and left him to die alone!!!

    The abandoned cottage like building was small and is initially nothing to worry about. However, this part of the forest was famous for suicides and this house was found by his boss one day and modified to suit his needs. So they did not know if anything had happened in the house!! The rumors of what occured in these forests was always casually spoken about, through their efforts, the rumors became for vicious and rampant to keep people away. Though this did nothing to distill the fear in his heart, the one thing he could not handle was a vengeful ghost who died unsatisfied! Especially with the bas.e.m.e.nt and how cold and sterile it was. The aura paired with the slight creaks that sounded similar to someone walking stressed him out. He was always quick to leave the house and never stay longer than he had too. Yet today, his boss had left him alone!!! He had been focused on delegating tasks that he had noticed him leave and left up to his own devices. What if a ghost had gotten? What if he was forced to marry a ghost??? What if they were headless??? Just the mere thought of it made a chill run through his spine.

    Xi Long turned to look at Shufen who looked as if he was an abandoned puppy. A short smile crept on his face as he could imagine the thoughts running through this head. It was hilarious to him that his secretary who usually maintained a strong front was so easily scared by the paranormal. Shufen was his loyal secretary and was someone he practically considered a friend so he enjoyed teasing him from time to time. Yes, he knew that he was scared and still left the house. Why? Well, why not?

    "Haha I''ll let you have the 1873 ros�� for your grievances, now lets go."

    Shufen''s eyes lit up at the mention of the wine he was been coveting. His boss had had this wine for a while and he had subtly mentioned it in passing but to think his boss would know he wanted it! Warmth filled his insides as he was excited to finally taste the drink completely forgetting that a second ago he was left in the haunted house. ''The boss is so nice to me ah.'' If he had realized that Xi Long had purposely teased him and then redirected his emotions just by giving wine he would practically vomit blood at the realization. Blissfully unaware of what happened he entered the car and waited for his Boss to enter before speeding away to the office.

 Chapter 52 - Late Night Thoughts

    "Boss do you still want to head towards the office or the east prison? I''ve received word that they will he there within the next two hours."

    "Office." His fingers itched to go to east prison and violently torture the rat. However, there was also some work that he had to complete in the office. The quicker he finished that, the quicker he is able to leave. Closing his eyes a bit of exhaustion wore through him. He had initially thought that he could sleep peacefully last night, especially since he was drained from controlling his body but that was far from the truth. After tossing and turning, he could not fall asleep no matter what he did. It was only when he heard the sound of her light breathing from her bed did he give up on sleeping altogether. Propping himself onto his elbows he turned to face her. Her jade skin looked soft and supple under the faint moonlight. Her raven black hair was loose and spread out everywhere. Reaching forward he lightly moved a hair strand from her face. As soon as he touched her, her eyebrows scrunched in response to being disturbed. He quickly retracted his hand and waited with a baited breath for her to relax again. The second her face became calm he leaned away and sat upright against the wall.

    ''She''s really sensitive...'' Xi Long had only lightly touched her, a graze even but it was enough to wake her from her slumber. It seemed that she had subconsciously knew it was him lowering her defenses. He had no doubt that if it was any other situation, before the hand even touched her she would have woken up. His mind raced again fueled by the serenity of the night about who she was exactly. They had known and met each other for around a week but it was his first time meeting someone he was so interested in. What was it about her?? No matter how many times he asked himself this question he could never answer because it was all of her - even the parts he doesn''t know.

    His own network could not figure out her identity, looking at her face she was around twenty two years old but it was as if she never existed. No records, rarely caught on camera and if she was it always mysteriously disappeared. She wore dark clothing and a face mask whenever she left the apartment but did not act as if she was anything but a normal civilian. Her apartment even, it was simple and clean but in a mediocre area with no additional security measures. He had a sneaking suspiscion that the apartment had a lot more than he could see. The only thing he noticed was when he had knocked on her door the second time and tried to turn the knob there was a greater resistance. As if someone was holding it on the other side physically stopping him, but by the time she opened the door he could tell that she had just freshened up. Could there be a mechanical blocker that is tied to an internal security system? His hands itched to survey the apartment but he also could not risk the chance of setting something off. If he set it off, rain or no rain he would be thrown outside this apartment. A sigh escaped him as he looked back at her seemingly innocent face.

    ''When did I, the Han Xi Long, become someone who was so scared of a woman he could not even walk around an apartment??''

    Speaking quietly but outloud he reassured himself - "its okay...all men have done this at one point for a woman. I am nothing but a mortal...." His forehead rose as he felt like laughing at himself. If his friends ever heard him speak like this they would laugh stating that he had become a whipped man. Though truly he could not risk anything at the moment. It was enough for him with the current level of trust she gave him, one day, he had belief that she would voluntarily tell him the rest. His only fear was that the truth would be gruesome. No matter what, for a woman this young to become this trained and exude such bloodl.u.s.t....she had definitely seen many battles.

    Bloodl.u.s.t is not something you can fake, it comes with every battle you survive and with every life that''s stained your hands. Looking down at his own rough hands he clenched them while looking at the several scars covering them. There were small ones that were barely noticeable on first sight but were plentiful in numbers. He himself had seen many wars. To take control of the company and establish his current base there was barely anything he did not sacrifice. To earn respect in the underground you had to prove your worth and showcase your strength. He personally had to steel his heart and destroy every person who dared to test his authority. It was nothing he was proud of but it was necessary. That is why he was the man he was today, ruthless and vicious both in business and underground. Rubbing his eyes, he stopped the flashbacks from entering his mind. He had a date with his Kitten and was happy, he did not want to reminisce on anything nehatjve and bring his mood down.

    Glancing at his phone he saw the time glaring back at him. It was 5 a.m. and he still had not fallen asleep. Laying back down on the makeshift bed he turned back to face her and closed his eyes willing for sleep to take him. This was when he was actually able to fall asleep but he had woken up in a few hours to make breakfast. Seeing her still sleeping he did not have the heart to wake her but he also could not remain sleeping. So he had gotten up and gotten everything ready with the minuscule amount of sleep he had got.

    Hearing the car move through familiar turns he knew that they were nearing the office. Reopening his eyes and braced himself for the long day ahead of him but his eyes were fiery at the thought of later tonight. He was tired but never too tired for revenge.

 Chapter 53 - Clearing Mind

    Closing the door in front of her, she heard his laugh echo as he jogged down the steel steps. Her lips curved slightly as she held back a smile from hearing his laugh as warm feelings filled her. It had been less than a week since they met but they had spent so much time together that she had starting getting comfortable with his presence. Now with him gone, she felt a little uncomfortable inside and was not sure what to do with those feelings.

    Stepping away from the door, she looked around the room and was annoyed that there were memories of him filled in every part of her apartment. Walking over to the kitchen she cleared the dishes and everything left behind. Wiping down the counter she threw away the lysol wipes before washing her hands. Sighing, she went inside her room and put away the extra bedding and threw the sheets in the wash. As she moved them she could smell his musky wood scent wafting from them irritating her further. "Han Xi Long, you spend one night in my house and you leave behind so much. Hmph, shower twice but everything still smells like you." Throwing them out of her hands she dumped scent boosters to ensure that his scent did not last. It felt a bit excessive but she knew that the more she let him stay, even his smell, the more dangerous it was for her in the future. All attachments she made in this life were weaknesses and could be a mistake in the future. She knew he, himself was a dangerous man but what she had been through and what she was planning to do was equally as dangerous if not, more.

    Setting the machine on, she walked back to the room and switched out her clothes for a black workout bra and black highwaisted tights with ripped sides. She loved wearing ripped tights that made her legs look great while still giving her some air flow when she worked out. Placing a hoodie and a mask on, she grabbed her keys and her phone before putting on some maroon nike sneakers. Walking over to the kitchen she grabbed a chilled water bottle and left the apartment after locking up. Her washing machine would take approximately and hour to finish and she refused to sit at home wasting her time. There was no doubt in her mind that if she stayed at home she would be constantly thinking about Xi Long, therefore she would not give herself time to. Everytime she did not want to think she would throw herself into an intensive workout and it had been sometime since she fit in a proper gym session. Especially with all the good food she was eating, she was one fried chicken away from turning into a dumpling.

    Covering herself up, she jogged down her steps and started speed walking away from the apartment. Since she had moved into this area there was one gym that she liked to go to when she wanted somewhere quick. There was a fully equipped high-tech gym with Neo and Ming Ming but was 30 minutes away by foot versus the one she was heading to now that was only 15 minutes away. Taking the alleyways and sticking close to the walls she used the buildings as cover for her to walk out of sight. It was a habit for her to naturally avoid all CCTVs and general big crowds as she walked around the city. Every time she is captured on screen is a hint to enemies on her pattern.

    Spotting the low hanging sign of the gym, she made her way inside before taking her hood off. Walking towards the counter she signalled the guy before making her way inside. A few days in the city she made a deal with the owner that she would come in from time to time and would be left alone and had a separate rate to pay. He was an older gentleman who didn''t care much about who she was and slowly built a small friendship with her over time. The reason why she continued to use this gym was because of the owner and the fact that there were less people here so no one bothered anyone else. Setting down her water, she quickly stretched her body and warmed up before heading towards the boxing bag. Stripping off her hoodie she threw it on the floor before grabbing some extra white wrap from the side. Flexing her fingers she used her teeth to wrap her fingers and make it tight. Cracking her neck and shoulders she closed her eyes getting into a focused mindset. Once she opened her eyes her mind was clear and all she could do was fight.

    Using the bag she began raining punches into it with medium force. Switching feet she practiced both sides and let her body slowly slip into routine and remember the movements. She continued the punches without stop and lived for her small flashes of pain on her hands as she made contact with the bag. Every flash of pain urged her to keep going and kept her mind free. Stepping back, she took a deep breath before bringing her hands back up to be in front of her face. Maintaining her stance Ying Yue started kicking the back from the side. Turning her left foot to the side she used that the momentum to drive her leg into the bag with force. By pivoting her feet she could let her h.i.p.s move and let the kick move instead of driving at it from a straight kick. Just as she was getting into the kicks she heard feet shuffling towards her. She noticed the movement but chose to ignore it as if someone was walking past her. As she switched to her other foot she heard a deep annoying voice behind her.

    "Hey babe, you want some tips on your kicking, I can definitely help a s.e.xy little thing like you."

 Chapter 54 - Call me Grand Aunt

    ''S.e.xy LITTLE thing?'' Ying Yue felt a flash of irritation rush through her as she heard the words. Taking a deep breath she continued to kick the bag as she completely ignored the guy behind her. She could tell he was waiting for her to respond but if she did it would not end well. A minute into her ignoring him she heard a scoff from behind.

    "What babe, can''t hear me? I said does a s.e.xy little thing like yourself want some help, cause you definitely need some tips on that form."

    A smirk rose on her face as she rolled her eyes. Her need help on form? If she needed help it still would never be from some random bobo at this gym. Walking away from the current punching bag she went to the next farther one without responding. As soon as she reached the bag she slipped on her athletic face mask and continued practising. She always had a back-up mask that was specially altered to allow breathing during an aggressive workout. While she wanted him to leave she had a feeling that he was not about to stop bothering her. Continuing to practice she got to slip in thirty seconds before she heard footsteps behind her.

    Feeling him reach over to grab her shoulder she ducked and swung around to the other side of the bag before kicking it forward. The bag swung catching the guy off guard and hit the "bobo" in his stomach. Ying Yue glared at him as she took in the ass who kept disturbing her when all she wanted was a quiet workout. He was 5"11, medium build (more lean than anything) had short brown hair and sleezy eyes. ''Where does this guy get his confidence from???'' She could see that he was the typical athletic look that some women would like but so what? There was no lack of attractive adonis level men that she had seen in her life for one this medicore to phase her.

    A pair of rich brown eyes burned into her mind as thoughts of Xi Long renetered her head. ''Jiang. Ying. Yue! You just got him out of your mind and now he''s back. Do you have no control???!!'' Her brows furrowed when she realized that her mind was once again thinking about him. The whole point of this workout was to forget him and all it did was make her think of him more. Nothing about this ass could compare to Xi Long. Xi Long''s muscles were lean but tough and his shoulders were wide and dependable....''just thinking of it is making me drool.''

    "You b*tch! How dare you hit me!!"

    Hearing the cuss word Ying Yue came back to reality. Her eyes turned into slits as she glared at him. Controlling her breathing she held in her temper.

    "Yes I did, now get lost. A good dog doesn''t block the way." Pushing the bag against him again she walked away to grab a set of weights. Spotting a pair of 20lbs she grabbed them and sat down at the end of a free bench. She began doing curl ups with 30 rotations and with 3 sets. Every curl helped her build the burn in her arm and control her anger. Just for calling her a "bitch" she would''ve killed him but if she did she would lose this workout place. She could feel the guy glaring at her from a mile away and a sigh of exhuastion left her as she realized that he was not going to give up anytime soon. "Why is it so hard to workout nowadays???"

    Hearing the footsteps resume she continued her set as she ignored him again.

    "Did you not hear me?? Do you know who I am b*tch???"

    "No, do you not know who you are? That''s called amnesia get your ass checked in the hospital instead of annoying people at the gym."

    "What the F*CK did you just say to me! You should be grateful I even talked to an ugly b*tch like yourself."

    "If I''m so ugly why are you trying to talk to me? GTFO with your dumb ass." She didn''t even spare him a look as he continued to antagonize her. Part of her was seething with anger and the other half could not be bothered to fall for his pathetic attempts at insulting her.

    "You!!! You...!!!"

    Ying Yue paused her set as she heard the change of tone. Dropping the barbell on the floor she dodged as she felt an arm reach for her. Grabbing it by the wrist she bent it backward and snapped it.

    "You should''ve listened the first time I told you to get lost." Snapping her head towards him she held his wrist in her hand as she got up maintaining the pressure in her hand. Stepping forward she quickly launched a knee towards his groin. He bent over from the pain but couldn''t drop to the floor since she held his wrist in an uncomfortable position.

    "Let. go. of. me...!" He gritted his teeth in pain as he spoke.

    A smirk graced Ying Yue''s face behind her mask. After constantly annoying her for 10 minutes, now he wants her to leave him? "Hmm I can let you go....depending on if you agree to what I say.

    "W-hat dd-o yo-u want..."

    "An apology and a promise that you leave me the f.u.c.k alone and if you ever see me again you call me grandaunt."

    "F*ck....you...I -I refuse."

    "Oh really?" Taking his wrist she pivoted and took his arm behind his back. Placing a fist in the middle of his back she pulled his arm aggressively.

    "Let...g-o of me...!"

    "Call me grandaunt or else I don''t mind breaking every limb on your body till it clears your amnesia." Applying more force she yanked his arm harder almost pulling it out of the socket.

    "Grandaunt!!! Grandaunt!! I''m....sorry...let me go!!!"

    Hearing him admit defeat she let him go and pushed him to the floor.

    "Now scram, b*tch."

 Chapter 55 - Ill Catch You Outside, How Bout That?

    "Now Scram B*tch."

    Stepping back, Ying Yue stared the guy down as she waited him for to get up and leave. She could feel attention of the entire gym on them and irritation ran through her. A simple workout had been complicated by one doofus who had an ego bigger than what it should have been. It would be some time before she would be able to enter the gym again unnoticed. It was confusing to her why he even came up to her so persistently. Was there not any other women in this gym? Looking around quickly she saw that there were a few women but he had chosen to walk up to her. She knew that she was attractive to an extent because her body was toned and muscular while still feminine. It was obvious that her body would look different since she had earned hers through brutal training and struggling to survive but she was nothing special.

    Her hands were rough with calluses and her body was littered with tiny scars and marks from wounds that never healed. That enough is reason to find her body unattractive, a small pit formed in her stomach as her thought registered in her mind. Of course she was proud of her marks but it was not a surprise that most men preferred the petite, innocent sheep looking girls. They wanted women with jade like skin that had never seen the light but her body was worn down from the sun. This is why she was surprised that Xi Long was showing so much interest her and this random guy came up to her solely based on her body. He had probably not taken a good look before targetting her and then stuck around because she ignored him. In Xi Long''s case, she could not find a specific reason to why he would want her after properly seeing her. He''s held her rough hands on multiple occasions and has seen at least the small scars but still continued to pursue her. Their first meeting was her throwing a roundhouse kick at his face which could not be considered an amicable experience either. ''It was probably one of his fetishes....he denied them but I''m sure he has one.''

    She didn''t doubt that he liked her or had an ulterior motive to getting close to her - there was no way for him to know who she was. ''When was it? When I first started believing him...'' Her face scrunched up as she bit her lip in concentration. During their breakfast and him cooking her a meal she hadn''t really taken his words seriously. It felt like he was a player who had found a new toy but it changed the more they spent time together. When they had watched the horror movie together she had realized how comfortable she was with him and even let him...do things to her. A slight tinge of red formed on her cheeks as she recalled that ~ experience ~ with him. What really got her was the hurt look on his face when they stood at the doorstep and he had misunderstood her actions. The genuine look of hurt was clear as day through his eyes. It seemed that his eyes were especially expressive around her but she wasn''t foolish enough to think that, that was how he always was. He didn''t gain a reputation of being a ruthless CEO and have strong underworld affiliations without being stone cold and expressionless. That juxtaposition is what made her subconciously like him more and trust him. She in no way would open up about who she really was - they had only know each other for a week! It was debatable if he would ever find out but she trusted him enough to spend time with him and that was all she could give him.

    Refocusing she glanced down and saw that the bobo had already left and she had stood there day dreaming. Clearing her throat she took a quick glance around to see if anyone was watching. To her relief everyone was focusing on their own workout and didn''t notice her lost in her thoughts. Sitting back down at the bench she picked up the weights and continued her workout. Feeling the familiar ache in her body she pushed herself to do an extra set of reps per exercise. Annoyance filled her as she realized that she had spent a greater half of the gym thinking about Han Xi Long while her purpose of coming here was the exact opposite. No matter how she tried, somehow or someone would trigger her to think of that dreadful face. Why couldn''t he just be ugly??? Or be short??? Or just not be who he is in general??? It would make every part of this process a lot easier on her. ''Jiang Ying Yue, look how low you have fallen. Can''t even workout without having someone on your mind.'' Sighing, she dropped the weights and placed them back in their spot. Picking up a wipe and a spray she wiped down everything she touched. She had spent 30 minutes here to no avail, it would do nothing for her to continue this workout so she might as well just leave. Grabbing her hoodie and her stuff she signalled the guy by the counter before heading out the door.

    The minute she stepped outside the door she felt a change in the air. Slowing down she kept one foot inside the building and one foot out as she ''accidentally'' dropped her keys on the floor. Bending over to pick up her keys her eyes became alert as she prepared her body. Footsteps immediately started moving towards her, without looking up she counted the approximate amount of bodies around her. Judging by the different foot patterns, there was 10 men around her but why were they targetting her? Could they be the same men from the restaurant or possibly an enemy? "Alright hurry up and come out. I don''t have all day."

    Standing up she glared at all the men around her. There were a set of lowgrade thugs but none that she had seen before. "Who sent you?"

    "Little lady, don''t you know know there are people you shouldn''t mess with."

    "Sounds like you should learn how to take your own advice."

    "Listen you -"

    "Yadada are you done now? I''m so tired of these clich�� lines, let''s just get this over with."

    The sound of claps broke the conversation as she heard another set of footsteps making their way from behind the tallest guy. Her face dropped when she saw the man who was behind this attack.

    "What''s up babe, did you guess it was me? Guess I caught you outside huh."

    A sigh escaped her as she saw the bobo she had hit earlier appear. Was he dumb from her hitting him or what. "No, but not surprised. Dumb follows dumb and apparently it comes with shitty jokes as well."

    "B*tch you!!! I will -"

    "OKAY, as I said let''s get this over with. You owe me a workout after interrupting mine, this will do fine."

 Chapter 56 - Boring Fight

    Dropping her bag and keys on the floor and cracked her fingers. Stretching her arms she flexed her body and turned from side to side.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Can''t you see I''m stretching."

    The bobo sputtered and had a look of disbelief on his face as he took in how noncholant she was. "Do you think this is a joke? Do you think someone will save you??"

    Ying Yue stared at him blankly, ''....is this guy dumb?'' She had already asked to fight twice and this bobo kept talking. Obviously he wanted her to show fear but it clearly not happening, a fight this small is barely a workout as it is. The thugs around him were shuffling their feet and waiting for his orders. Seemed that he paid them a decent amount to fight her too. While they were low grade thugs they should be part of a gang since they all know each other, meaning their rates wouldn''t be cheap. ''I wonder what the black market rate is right now...hmm seems like the last time I checked was a year ago. I should probably get Neo to gather some intell on this.''

    "Ar...- Are you even listening to me???!!"

    Placing her eyes back on him she held an internal sigh. ''Ah there he goes again with the talking. How long have I been standing here...'' The previous excitment of fighting was slowly leaving her the longer this went on.

    "B*tch I''M TALKING TO YOU!"

    "And?"

    "And...and what!! You should be begging me right now."

    "Begging who? You? The loser who I just beat up in the gym?"

    "Yo-yo-you!!! I''m going to KILL YOU!"

    "Yes, yes you''ll kill me go ahead let''s see if you can. Now stop with all the talking and let''s get to the action. I''m tired of waiting, if you''re so lonely and need some to chat too I''m sure your nanny will be happy to. Does she know that you left the house without a parental guardian?" A smirk bloomed on her face as she taunted the bobo. It was enjoyable to watch someone get riled up from her words. There was nothing really to be afraid of, he was just a little boy in her eyes. It felt like the situation where a little boy gets pushed on the playground and brings in his parents crying demanding for retribution. His face was clear and his expressions changed everytime she insulted him. Judging by this he was just a spoiled brat who wanted to scare her a little bit or injure her for his ''humiliation.'' Therefore, she could rule out the possibility of it being a larger attack or that he was acting and using this opportunity to test her out. If it was like that, she could fight with no problem but considering their level it would probably be best to go easier on them so she doesn''t bring too much attention to herself. Shifting her feet she prepped to move as she felt the air go tense. It seemed like he finally was ready to start the fight.

    "FINE, if that''s what you want I have no problem sending you to the afterlife. GO! BEAT THIS B*TCH UP AND MAKE HER GROVEL IN FRONT OF ME."

    ''Oh how clich��, I wonder if there is a book for these dumbasses that make them reuse the same sentences all the time.'' Rolling her eyes, she closed off her mind once again as bodies came rushing towards her. Moving back she dodged two fists as they swung at her from opposite sides. Before they could restract she grabbed both their wrists in her hand and placed her fingers at their pressure point. Pressing hard she used their bodies to swing them protecting her from the other men. The pressure in their wrists made them weak and follow her lifelessly on their feet. Switching her feet she released one hand and kicked his body at the people behind him causing them to fall over. Releasing the other wrist she kicked his shin making him drop onto the floor before using his back to jump into the crowd. There were approximately 6 men on this side and the most they had was a small dagger.

    Using the boost from jumping off his back she swung her fist at someone''s face and knocked him out. Settling her feet on the floor she used her elbows to jab and create distance. With her palm she striked people in their chest and face before hitting the back of their neck to render them unconcious. Finishing up the 6 she glanced back at the remaining four. They ran at her and two of them slipped out their dagger. Two men begun swinging their dagger at her while the other two tried to grab her from behind. Dodging the strikes she grabbed both their wrists and bent them to make them drop their daggers. Feeling the two behind her grab her body she released their hands and turned around to punch both of them in the stomach. Turning back to the two that held the dagger, she grabbed their arms and locked them behind their back before kicking them onto the floor. While they lay on the floor she stepped on their ankles with force snapping them in half.

    "You should''ve stayed down when I gave you the chance." Holding back her bloodl.u.s.t she took the remaning two out with a hit to the neck. It was a shame, she wanted to be more aggressive but they were thugs who didn''t deserve to die right now nor did she want to clean up 10 bodies in the middle of the day.

    Dusting her hands off she took a quick survey to see where the bobo was. She would have thought that he would have run away by know but she was not surprised to see him standing their in shock. You would think that after seeing her easily take him down he would register that she was somewhat trained but he probably thought I couldn''t handle ten thugs.

    Picking up the disgarded dagger she walked towards him slowly. Seeing him turn around to run she dashed to stand in front of him. "Uh uh uh, now where do you think you''re going after causing this mess."

    "Le-let me go! Do you know who I am!!!"

    "Do you know who I am?" Ying Yue''s voice dropped into a sinister tone. Stepping closer to him she played with the dagger in her and hand and ran her finger down the blade slowly. Placing the dagger on his face she looked into his eyes, "I am not someone you should disturb, forget this incident or next I''ll wipe you out permanetly. Pressing the blade into his face she dragged it down piercing his skin. "This is the face that made you so arrogant huh, well guess I''ll just have to ruin it. This is my present to my precious grand nephew. Creating a gash down his face blood poured out of the wound. Satisfied with her work she removed the blade from his face before kneeing him in the groin. As he crumpled to the floor she punched him in his face dislocating his jaw. Passing out his body lay limp on the floor. Walking away she wiped the blade before placing it in the closest thug''s hands. If the police were to come by it could be ruled by a simple gang fight.

    Picking up her bag and keys she walked out from the alley leaving them behind. An odd disappointing filled her at how the fight played out and the lack of challenge she had in defeating them. Feeling her stomach grumble she decided to pick up some food on the way home. ''Ah such a boring fight, I''ll go to my favourite restaurant then. Of course fried chicken is the best healing potion.''

 Chapter 57 - Missing Item

    ''Fried Chickennnn, fRIed cHiCken, fried chmkin...'' Ying Yue sang these words in her head as she silently walked towards the restaurant. Her stomach rumbled reminding her how hungry she was. Speeding up her steps she went into a slight jog as she got closer to the familiar spot. Entering the restaurant the tasty scent of fried chicken filled the air. Taking in a deep breath she relished the smell before feeling her stomach grumble in protest. Standing in line Ying Yue quickly placed her order for a box of spicy fried chicken with cheese inside. As soon as she paid she sat down at the farthest table and took out her phone. While its only been eight minutes since she finished fighting and they probably weren''t awake, she should still do some damage control. Dialing a short code the phone rang until a piercing voice picked up.

    "WHAT''S UP?! Why did you call? Did you kill someone again?"

    Feeling a headache, Ying Yue sighed as she replied, "No and must you always scream into the mic. Give the phone to gege."

    "Gege? You must be outside then. Nope I won''t give it to him, call me Unnie (1) and I will."

    "First of all I''m older than you so if anything you''re my dosang (2). Give the phone to gege."

    "I said noooo -," she heard a cut and some rustling before Neo spoke into the phone. "What do you need?"

    "HEY! Give back the phone, I was talking to her!!" Ying Yue chucked as she heard the shouting and fights as Ming Ming tried to steal the phone back from Neo. It was funny that they always seemed to bicker so much, even though it was more of a one-sided battle. Neo was on the quieter end and Ming Ming became a chatterbox to fill the void. Even with that, they would easily get into a fight over god knows what and now was no better. Neo had several inches on Ming Ming and despite being silent was a terror himself when angry. They had all trained in the same skills but excelled in different areas, even she did not know if she would want to mess with Neo considering his ace.

    "What do you need Yi?" Hiding a smile from hearing his pet name for her she took a quick glance around ro see if anyone was paying attention to her before responding.

    "Nothing much, I just wanted to complain about my workout today. The gym I usually go to was packed so it smelled so bad, could barely stand it that I had to leave early." She spoke casually and in code so no one would be able to decipher her conversation to hear what she really meant. A gym conversation versus I beat up 10 men in alleyway conversation was definitely less conspicious.

    "Ahhh..., so someone bothered you at the gym and you fought so you want me to wipe all the CCTVs. Feel like I should just turn off all the CCTVs with how much I''m wiping them. Did you kill them as well?"

    "No I''ll probably go again this week if there is less people."

    "Not dead. Clear, erasing it now."

    "I wonder what made the gym so busy today, maybe there''s a membership discount I don''t know about."

    "...saved their photos and their personal information on our database. Most of them are low level thugs while one of the guys is a noveau rich boy. You really f.u.c.k.i.e.d up his face huh?" Neo chuckled as he watched the clip of her beating them down. It wasn''t a shocker for her to win but he enjoyed seeing their faces fill with fear and surprise when they lose. From the other side of the phone Ying Yue could feel the warmth in his tone as he spoke about the fight. She knew that the fight would be entertaining and would tickle the sadistic part of him. "It wasn''t my fault, been having bad luck lately. Came by the gym when it was busy then dropped my keys and I forgot to mention....there was this guy at the gym. Not sure who he is but he tried hitting on me and was very much not my type."

    "Got it. Done. Stop by soon."

    "Mhm." She could hear Neo slowly getting tired of speaking, it was probably time for her to cut the call. "Okay bye, I''ll talk to you ....-"

    "Order number 34, spicy fried chicken box with cheese."

    "...later."

    "B*tch are you eating fried chicken without me?!?!? Neo if you don''t give me back the phone I''ll -" Cutting the call, she went to pick up her order before exiting her building. Ming Ming was probably steaming right now about her eating without her and was going to lecture her so she cut the call.

    ''Neo, I''m sorry I''ll leave Ming Ming to you.''

    ***

    Xi Long placed his palm against his face and sighed in frustration. No matter how much he worked there was always more to do. Its not like the work was any more than usual but spending time with his Kitten made him more reluctant to work. With everything he had planned it would be a while before he would be able to see her again. Picking up the papers he began reviewing the files and marking the part which need a revision. His eyebrows scrunched as he noticed a numerical error. ''Why do I hire idiots, I should just fire them.''

    Putting the file to the side he reached into his jacket and opened a secret compartment in the sleeve to pull his chip. It was small and thin so was virtually undetectable unless you knew where to look and the jacket was modified to hide it. Reaching into the slit he tried to feel the chip but only felt the fabric against his fingers. A slight panic filled him at the prospect of losing this chip, it held important information that he kept secret and that is why it was always on his body. This week he had chosen to leave it in his jacket and it was there the last time he checked. Taking the jacket into his hands he pushed his fingers into the slit again to feel for the chip but felt nothing. Holding the jacket upside down he shook it to see if something would come out but still nothing.

    Xi Long''s blood turned cold. ''Where could I have dropped it???''

 Chapter 58 - New Number, Who is This?

    Xi Long''s face turned solemn as he tried to recollect his day. There weren''t many spots he had gone to and the faster he found out where he dropped it the better. Getting up from his chair he took a quick look around the office and used his flashlight to check under the furniture. Finding absolutely nothing he went back to his desk and sat on the edge of the table while picking up his work phone. Pressing down on the star symbol it started ringing as it automatically connected to Shufen.

    "Boss."

    "Come to my office."

    "Coming." Hanging up the phone he closed his eyes to control his irritation and waited for his secretary to come. Hearing a knock on the office door, he pressed the buzzer under the table to let him in.

    As soon as Lei Shufen entered the office he could already tell that something was wrong. It had seemed that his Boss''s mood kept switching quickly and he could not keep up. He was happy with his lady boss and then cold when he delivered the news of finding his enemy and was neutral at the office. Now it was freezing cold, the air in the office was stiffling and he knew something had happened. Standing near Xi Long he waited for him to reopen his eyes and speak to him. After years of working for him he was accustomed to his behaviour, it wasn''t him ignoring him but just him collecting his thoughts or controlling his anger. He was willing to stand here for hours if he did not have to face his boss'' anger.

    Oblivious to Shufen''s worries he reopened his eyes and addressed him. "I need you to call in and have everywhere I went to be secretly checked. I dropped my chip and I need to find it immediately. Keep it low key, we don''t want to alert anyone."

    "Yes. Will do immediately." After taking that order Shufen immediately left to contact their people to do a survey of the areas. They had only been to two spots before the office but it could have dropped in the car too. He could understand why his boss was so mad the chip was something that could not be replaced. Its usually secure but it must have not been transferred to the jacket correctly, either way it was his job to find it.

    After making some calls, Shufen went out to the car and personally checked the floors. Finding nothing he went back into the office to wait for a response. Each response he heard made his heart drop, none of the men he sent could find anything. After the last man phoned back he prepared to break the news to his boss. ''Huhu why must I do this, I need a vacation.''

    Knocking on the door he waited for the buzzer before entering. Avoiding Xi Long''s eyes he quickly informed him that there was no news of the chip before he could ask. Shufen''s heart started pounding as he glanced at his boss, his eyes were glaring at the desk.

    "Where the F.U.C.K do you think it could be?"

    Making a silent prayer he spoke up again, "Boss....boss we''ve checked everywhere. Do you think....by chance.... it may be at the lady boss''s house?"

    "Her house...?" Xi Long''s face lit up as he realized that he had not considered his kitten''s house. He felt irritated that he had taken so much time to think about where he could have dropped it and completely forgot staying over at her house in a moment of anger. ''Since meeting her seems like I''ve truly given up on a lot...including my brains.''

    "Yes Boss, I have a feeling it might be there. If not we can do a more extensive search. Would you like to go over there now?"

    "No. There''s too much work to leave right now, I''ll see if she has it another way. Thanks, you can go back to work."

    "Okay." Surprise quickly fleeted across Shufen''s face as he saw his boss''s expression change so quickly. By the look in his eyes it was nothing good, he hoped the lady boss would be okay with whatever he was planning. ''Good luck, Lady Boss you have my support!''

    As soon as Shufen left the room Xi Long leaned back into his chair with a glint in his eye. A smirk eased onto his face as he thought about his Kitten. ''Guess fate really can''t keep us apart for long huh.'' He knew he loved spending time with her but these opportunties kept arising for them to meet again so quickly. Slipping his hand into his pocket he took out his phone. Opening a new chat he typed "Kitten" into his contact list and created a new text.

    "Hey." Closing his phone his smirk deepened as he imagined her reaction, he wishes he could see her face but he could settle for text version. He wanted to make a more risky text but it would be no fun if she knew it was him from the getgo. There was no way she would not respond because he had sneaked into her phone and stole her number. He couldn''t just spend a night with someone and not have their number, now could he?

    ''Kitten...hurry up and respond.''

    ***

    Ying Yue was halfway through her wings when she heard a beep from her phone. Ignoring it she continued eating her food she smiled in joy at how good the food was. The crispy skin crackled as she bit into it with the juice of the spice dripped onto the plate. She took quick breaths as she bit too far into the chicken and burnt the tip of her tongue from the cheese. Finishing up the piece she kept the rest aside for later and put everything away before washing up. She began walking to the bathroom to get a shower but before she could enter she felt a nudging feeling.

    Walking back to the living room she picked up her phone and unlocked it. It was her burner phone and often got notifications but it was odd to get one now. Going to her main screen she saw a 1 at the top right corner of her messages icon. ''A text message...from who?''

    Opening it up she sees an unknown number with a messaging saying "hey." ''Hey? Hey who? Who has this number???'' Curiousity took over and she decided to respond. If it was a mistake or a wrong number then fine, if it was someone else she would have to break the sim and discard the phone immediately.

    Choosing a generic response she finally clicked send.

    "New number who''s this?"

 Chapter 59 - Flirty Texts

    Hearing his phone buzz, Han Xi Long''s eyes sparkled with excitment. He had been waiting a while for a response, either she had kept her phone or chose to ignore his text. Though if he thought about it carefully, judging by the time she could have easily been eating and knowing her that''s what kept her from responding. It was pure fact that his Kitten was a glutton, he had to ensure that he was business went well in order to be able to afford feeding her. He could imagine going on several dates and baiting her into coming purely based off the cuisine or restaurant. In this city alone he had 5 places he would love to take her that were his personal favourites. She enjoyed spicy food so he could have the chefs even cater to her taste. ''Ahh my mood''s lifting just thinking about it.'' The added bonus of watching her lips swell from the heat and using his mouth to cool it was too tempting.

    Picking up his phone he unlocked it to see a new message notification on his screen. Clicking the app he opened their conversation and saw her response - "new number, who''s this?" A deadpan expression dropped onto his face as he saw the message she sent. ''Of all things, what is this fake reply.'' It was obvious she was trying to suss out the other person and get them to volunteer their identity first. That phrase was often used by people to either ignore or inquire about a person. Now the only question was how he was going to respond. Should I just tell her it was him? Or tease her? But if he teased her she would know it was him either way? I mean, he should be the only one sending her flirty messages. A possessive anger fleeted through him quickly as he tried to stop his thoughts from going there. If another man dared to message his Kitten he would have to eliminate him. Focusing at his phone he stared at the the screen for 5 minutes trying to formulate a sentence.

    Putting his phone down he picked up his work line and direct called Shufen.

    "Boss, do you have any orders?"

    "If someone texted you << new number who''s this?>> what would you say?"

    "....what? Um sorry, to confirm you want a response to - new number who''s this?"

    "Yes."

    "Well Boss assuming it is the lady boss I would comment on the new number? As I''m assuming that you would not want to reveal your identity immediately."

    "Hmm...take an additional bonus this month." Hanging up the phone he laughed as he could hear the panic in Shufen''s voice when he asked for his advice. He didn''t even have to mention any details for him to know his recipient and intention. They had been together so long that it was not suprising that he knew so much about him. Even though he was his secretary he was his close friend that he loved teasing. It was hard to control himself when he saw him freak out inwardly. He kept a blank face but it was easy to reas him after the years like he could to do him. The rumors were true when they said the secretary''s were the gatekeepers to the their boss''s secrets, they knew everything.

    Picking up the phone again he settled on a vague and confusing answer and clicked send. ''Ahh Kitten this will be fun.''

    ***

    Hearing her phone vibrate Jiang Ying Yue picked up her phone and read the incoming text.

    ''New number? I haven''t changed your contact info since we last talked.'' Her face scrunched in confusion from the message. Last time we talked??? She had not talked to anyone through this phone that she did not know of their number by heart. Judging by the message it seemed that it was a mistake.

    Opening her keyboard she typed a response and clicked send. ''Sorry? I believe you have the wrong number.''

    She put her phone down and expected the conversation to end but almost immediately she heard a vibration from the table. Unlocking the phone she saw a new text under the unknown number. It read, "No, I don''t this is the right number." ''Aiyo why is this person being so annoying.''

    Typing a denial into her phone she wrote "No you don''t. Who are you looking for?" and sent it. Sitting down on her couch she kept her phone in her hand, she could feel that something was wrong with this unknown number. Could it be Ming Ming or Neo messaging her for fun? Or for revenge cause she had fried chicken without them? She wouldn''t put it past them completely if that was the truth. It was weird to her that someone was reading and responding so quickly to her, it meant that they were holding their phone and awaiting her reply. Her phone buzzed again with a response.

    "You."

    "Who is me?"

    "You is you. Did you perhaps lose your memory to not remember your name?"

    "I know my name but you do not know mine, you have the wrong number."

    "I have the right number and I know your name." At this point Ying Yue was starting to get annoyed and alert. They could just be a troll but if they knew her name then it was concerning. "What is my name and who are you??"

    "Your name? I didn''t know we were on a first name basis....who am I? I''m yours." ''This piece of shit.'' She could feel her blood pressure rise talking to this person, it was definitely a man because of the irritation she felt. She had her doubts but the final line of the message gave her clarity. When did this man even get her number??? It would not be hard to guess that he had taken the moment where she was outside and had left her phone in her room to steal her number. A pulse of anger went through her as she thought of him invading her privacy.

    "How dare you sneak into my phone and steal my number. Who the f.u.c.k do you think you are."

    "Aw Kitten you ruined it, I thought we could keep the mystery going and again you know who I am. I''m yours, feel free to add my number with that as my name or the big bad wolf whichever works for you."

    "I''m blocking you."

    "Ah Kitten you won''t and can''t block me."

    "And why won''t I?"

    "Because you''re mine Kitten and you can''t block what belongs to me."

 Chapter 60 - Found It

    ''I''m getting shivers from how cringe this is.'' Jiang Ying Yue''s eyes rolled as she read his incoming text. ''His? Yeah right.'' He was always good and dropping these flowery words on her and at some point they just feel a little cringe. Not to say that she didn''t like it....but why must he tease her so much?! Everytime they talk there is always some teasing or flirting going on from his side. For what reason he continiously did this, she did not know but he seemed to enjoy it and her reactions. If she were to keep a blank face he would probably take it as a challenge and increase his antics. Still, when considering how profficient he was at this he must have had a lot of experience. Feeling spiteful she quickly typed out a response and sent it.

    "Yours? Fat chance pineapple head. If I wanted you could never reach me, save your lines for the other women."

    "Other women? Kitten you sound jealous." She scoffed internally, it was easy to imagine him laughing at her while reading her text. She was not jealous!!! Just stating fact.

    "Jealous of what? They''d have to have something for me to jealous of it."

    "Glad you think the same Kitten. They don''t have me, you do, so no reason to get jealous." Reading his response she almost dropped the phone. No matter what she said he was skilled at dragging the conversation back to where he wanted.

    "I don''t HAVE you, you are free to do whatever."

    "So I am free to go to you, done deal."

    "Why are you so frustrating!"

    "Why are you so cute."

    "I''m blocking you." With a deadpan expression she prepared to block his number but before she could her phone started ringing. Glancing at the screen she had a feeling it was Xi Long but the callerid was blocked. She had software to bypass unknown and blocked numbers but didn''t install it into this phone. Since it was a burner phone she didn''t think she''d need it. If she were to go by timing it was probably him but she still cut the call. Opening up her messages she texted him instead.

    "Why are you calling me."

    "Pick up."

    "No."

    "Its important."

    "Text it instead."

    "No, I need to speak with you on phone."

    "Fine." She agreed and waited for him to call. Understanding him and the fact that he stopped flirting meant that it couldn''t be recorded through text. Phone wise he probably had his own software that blocked people from tapping into their phone or at least alerted him when it was compromised. Her phone buzzed again and she picked it up placing it to her ear.

    "Kitten?" His husky voice warmed her ear through the phone. She had heard him this morning but it was different to hear it through the phone. It was so intimate.....the voice was too close to her ear. It was his usual husky tone but it felt like his voice had gone deeper. He had a naturally inticing voice and she wasn''t going to deny that it was pleasant to hear. She preferred deep voices that had a rough tinge to it, through the voice she needed to hear that they had experienced life. People said eyes were the windows to the soul but voices were also a good indicator once you figured out how to read them.

    Clearing her throat she responded "mhm" a bit louder to his call. A chuckle came through the phone in response to her being stubborn.

    "Kitten? Are you on the phone?"

    She repeated "mhm" a bit louder in response.

    "Well Kitten, guess you don''t feel like speaking. That''s fine, I know it hurts to speak with swollen lips." Her cheeks tinged red from his provocation, he laughed at the end of his sentence making her face warm even more. He taunted her of their ...session in the morning where he kissed her. Touching her lips she felt a slight tinge from the pressure. The swelling had gone down but there was still a bit left of pain left, it didn''t help that she just had a spicy meal making her lips burn and get swollen again. Though she did not mind the pain....she was confused by their relationship but part of her enjoyed living in the moment. The way his hands gripped her and his eyes grew darker from kissing her....she liked it. They had made out a few times but this time he was a bit rougher with her and fiercly used his tongue to taste the inside of her mouth. Everytime he kissed her she would lose her thoughts and her body naturally gravitated towards him. If the food did not burn at that second she probably would have let him continue for a long time. ''Ying Yue you''re an absolute mess.'' Sighing at herself she got back to the conversation at hand.

    "Sorry to inform you that my lips aren''t swollen. Is this why you called, cut to the case. What is so important?"

    "It isn''t? I swear it was...I''ll just have to try harder next time."

    "You-you?! Brute!!!" She would not give him another chance!

    Suddenly his voice shifted and became more serious. "On a serious note, I seem to have misplaced something at your house. I have a feeling it dropped when we were play fighting, its a small black chip."

    "Aren''t you worried I steal it? Or sell it?"

    "You could but I know you won''t."

    "Such confidence. What if I betray you?"

    "Well I''ll cross that bridge when we get there. Could you look for it now? I need to confirm."

    "Okay, give me a second." Getting up from the couch Ying Yue kept the line on while checking around the living room. Heading to her room she scanned the floor and bedding for a small microchip. Finding nothing there she headed to the bathroom to check but even there she wasn''t able to find anything. Thinking back to where he was it seemed that she only had the kitchen and front doorstep left. The kitchen was swiped clean by her earlier so there was no chance it wss there. Stepping towards her door she checked the floor but still saw nothing. She was about to inform him that it wasn''t here when she saw a quick glint from the corner of her eye. Dropping down to all fours she focused at the side corner of her floor where there was a small wooden border. Tucked neatly in the border with most of it sticking out was the microchip. Picking it up with two fingers she placed it in her palm.

    Speaking back into the phone, "I found it, you''re lucky I have good eyes. It was tucked into my floor border near the door. So what do you want me to do with it? Are you sending someone to pick it up?"

    "Not exactly, I was wondering if you would be able to drop it off?"

    "Drop it off where?"

    "My office."

 Chapter 61 - Can You Drop It Off?

    "At your office? Absolutely not." Ying Yue''s eyebrows raised from shock at his request. The idea of her going to his office which was located in the heart of the city and at the top of a sky high building was ridiculous. She could understand the importance of the chip but he could easily send an underling to get it. It seemed like it was a ploy to see her again but they had just seen each other this morning so what was the need?

    "I really can''t come out to pick it up and I need it."

    "Send someone over and I can meet them halfway."

    "What if they steal it? That would be risky?"

    "And its not risky for me to have it?"

    "No." She sighed at the finality of his tone. On one hand it was understandable that he could not trust just anyone to pick it up. However, what was the point of owning a multi billion dollar company and not having a select loyal group he could call upon. Though picking up a chip may not be worth calling upon that group for something so simple. The chip is important but taking into consideration he also had underworld ties he must have spread his net deep into there. It was annoying that she completely understood his mentality while vehemently rejected following it. She grew up in the same trenches and one small mistake could ruin someone such as information falling into the wrong hands. There was a bit of curiosity on what the chip contained, if she wanted to she could hack into it and grab his secrets but she had no desire to. Whatever information he had she could probably find on her own with a bit of direction and she was not that dumb to assume the information was level S secretive. The lack of frantic pursual for the chip meant at maximum it was level B.

    In the underworld there was an established hiearchy of information and its secrecy. The lowest level worth labelling is level D, anything below is considered public knowledge or not worth protecting. Level C was for general personal information or a criminal past, Level B was extensive information that could ruin a person and were usually about the upper class. It would contain information from their daily routine to how long their hair was in decimals. Level A was higher protected information that revolved around powerful individuals like ministers and government officials. Level S was national secrets and foreign secrets. To have individual info was placed at that level the person must be extremely powerful and it was obvious Han Xi Long was one of them. That sort of information would be held in a secret area or safe where it would never see the day of light. Therefore this chip wouldn''t contain too much but even at this level it could still cause a mini storm.

    "What about your secretary?" Ying Yue had a faint recollection of a man who always followed him. If she were to really recollect he was there when they had first met and at the restaurant when he referred to her as the ''lady boss.'' He was probably the one who picked him up in the morning as well.

    "He''s busy and I''m swamped at work too."

    "I could hold onto it till later or tomorrow. You or your secretary can come by after."

    "I have...matters to get to after work and won''t be able to stop by your house for a week. That''s too long to leave the chip with you."

    "Why do I feel like you''re lying to me."

    "When have I ever?" She heard him chuckle through the phone in a husky tone. He spoke with a drawl so she could tell he was teasing her. Rolling her eyes at him she mentally scolded him for being so annoying. It was obvious he had lied to her or hid some truth but he also didn''t ''really'' lie to her. He was fairly truthful and she wasn''t exactly forthcoming on her end either.

    "I still don''t feel convinced, why should I come all the way to your office?"

    "Because you''re the only one I can ask at the moment and I''d like to think that its the least you could do for your lover."

    "LOVER?! WHO SAID YOU WERE MY LOVER?!!" Her face flushed from his words, yes she could admit they were in a strange relationship but it had only been around 5 days since they had met. She had not agreed to any titles and despite being physically intimate it did not mean they had become "lovers."

    She could hear a sigh through his voice before he answered. "Well Kitten even if you don''t agree that''s what we are and I''ll make you say it out of your mouth one day too. I''m much too much of a gentleman to lay my hand on you and not call you my lover. I could call you my girlfriend if you''d prefer it more?"

    "You-you! I am not your girlfriend nor your lover!!!"

    "...then what I am to you?"

    "You''re...you''re...-" She felt stumped at his question. These past few days she had stewed over the same question obsessively. It was hard to digest meeting someone so randomly and developing a strange attraction on sight. They had progressed aggressively and unconventionally but it was mostly because neither of them had anything to compare it to. Figuratively they knew how typical relationsh.i.p.s worked but they weren''t regular people and their lives couldn''t facilitate it. They probably would''ve hated it as well considering who they were, violence followed them and it made their relationship more exciting. She knew that despite all this they both had ''something'' what that something was, was the issue. Xi Long confused the hell out of her, she subconciously let him in and trusted him with nothing to base that trust off of. She also enjoyed his touch which surprised her even more. Men of all races and attractive levels grew up around her, she should be immune at this point and had gone through brutual training for it as well but he was tempting her. He felt sinful to look at and matched her type to the T but was that enough? Her past was heavy and letting a man take even a bit of room in her life would disrupt her plans. Could she call him her lover when they don''t know much about each other?? He didn''t even know her name! Putting a title would make whatever this was more serious and final.

    Breaking her train of thoughts she heard him speak to her again, "so what is it Kitten, what am I to you?"

    "You...."

 Chapter 62 - Delivery for CEO Han

    "You... you''re...a brute, a pineapple head, a profiteer, and a delusional wolf. I....can''t give you a definite answer right now., its too soon." Han Xi Long''s heart dropped hearing her answer. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. It was as he expected but it didn''t make the answer hurt any less. He made quick decisions and had decided from the beginning that she was his but he did not know what she had to consider. Her name and background was unclear and that could be what held her back in this. She was right in that it had only been 5 days since they had met so it was rushed to confirm a status but he was not going to let her escape him. Once he decided on someone he would not change his mind unless they betrayed him. Calling her his lover was the minimum he could do, being his girlfriend meant he had her mutual consent which was not there at the moment. He could have easily settled with their ambigious relationship without a title but that would be a disservice to himself.

    Her side was justified and so was his but he would just have to work harder to make her agree. To be fair, he did not completely understand his feelings either. He bulldozed forward with his current feelings but he did not know how he could classify them. Was it a crush? Infactuation? It wasn''t love that was certain but it was something. The only way for him to figure out what it was, was to keep her with him and spend more time with her. Xi Long''s plan was to ensare her so deep that by the time she realized what had happened she had no way out. Her lips, body, everything would belong to him. A possessive filled him in the bottom of his stomach as he envisioned it. The idea of her being officially his was satisfying and tempting. When she was his he would stake his claim on her and ensure no other man came near her. Clearing his throat he responded into the phone, if he let his thoughts progress he would have a hard-on in the middle of work.

    "Mhmm, I understand but its cute you have so many names for me Kitten. Let me know when you settle on one, I quite like these pet names."

    "These aren''t pet names hmph."

    "Really? I think they are Kitten haha. Don''t worry I won''t pressure you to decide on a title right now but until you can we are lovers. Don''t think I won''t make this easy for you either, sooner or later you''ll be admitting it yourself."

    "Hmph, someone sounds overconfident." Her voice sounded pouty through the phone and it made him happy to tease her. He wanted to move past their serious atmosphere and go back to their regular vibe.

    "You love it. Now when should I expect you here?"

    "Who said I was coming?!"

    "And you aren''t?"

    "....I am. I''m hanging up, I''ll come drop it off later." Hearing the dial tone a laugh escaped him at her childish antics. ''She''s cute.'' He wanted to let her know to contact him when she got here but she hung up before he could. As soon as she came here he would punish her for hanging up, she said her lips weren''t swollen right? A smirk formed on his face, ''get here quick Kitten, I''m waiting.''

    ***

    Putting her phone down Ying Yue closed her eyes and processed their conversation. She felt bad not giving him an answer even if it was the truth. It was obvious that her answer made him upset and he tried to joke around to cover it up. Since it had turned out this way she might as well go drop off the chip to him in exchange for the call. Making her way towards the bathroom she stripped off her gym clothes and placed it in the hamper. There was no way she would leave this house before showering.

    Stepping into the shower she turned the heat on high and quickly scrubbed herself down. The temperature of the water helped clear her mind, she had spent way too much time thinking about him today and needed at least 5 minutes of a break. Finishing up, she grabbed her towel and wiped herself down before heading towards her closet. Her hands naturally went towards her hoodie and jeans but she stopped herself. In a company like that her regular outfit would stand out more. Shuffling through her hangers she searched for a decent outfit and settled on a pair of dark blue jeans and a white dress shirt. It was a one of the few business outfits she kept by her side, the rest of what she owned was with Neo and Ming Ming. Even with that she refused to fully dress up, the white dress shirt and blue jeans was as formal as she would go.

    Slipping on the outfit, she headed towards the mirror and grabbed a thin black coat. Checking out her reflection in the mirror she was fairly satisfied with the result. It had been a long time since she wore lighter colours but it looked decent. Tying her hair into a high ponytail and putting on a tinted chapstick she was done. Placing a mask over her face she finished getting ready but paused before walking away.

    ''Am I too noticeable this way? Should I add a wig as well? No black hair is common, I should be fine but just in case....'' She slipped on a hat and grabbed her keys, phone, wallet and the chip before heading out the door. The office was too far from her place and it would take too long to walk from here so a taxi was the best option. Walking towards the main street she made sure to wave down a taxi far from her house and told him to drive towards the building. The closer they got the noisier the surroundings became, his place was located in the heart of downtown and was filled with people and vehicles. The trip took 30 minutes longer because of the traffic and made her slightly annoyed at how busy it was. She chose a place far away from this just so she could avoid the congestion.

    When they finally arrived she tipped the driver and quickly exited the taxi. Dusting herself off she glanced at the oppressive skyscr.a.p.er in front of her. As soon as she entered the doors she could see the high maintenance and standards of the place. All furniture looked clean and moder n and was busy with people in suits. It was a wide space with a security station that you''d have to go through to get to the elevators. Looking for the reception she saw the desk and headed towards them. There were three women behind the counter and before she could get close she already knew that they were proud of working there. Their outfits were modified to be shorter and their faces had a professional smile but it was filled with arrogance.

    Clearing her throat she kept her mask on while speaking to them. "I''m here to see Xi ...Ceo Han. He''s expecting me."

    The middle girl looked towards Ying Yue and scoffed. She was used to a variety of women coming here and using many excuses to sneak their way upstairs. Just by sight she could tell that the woman in front of her was one of them "I''m sure he is, you can leave your message and we''ll make sure to pass it along."

    Ying Yue felt irritation at her words. This secretary spoke down to her and ignored her words. ''What kind of people did they hire here?'' "As I said, I am see to see CEO Han. Let him know I''m here, he is expecting me. I''ll talk slower if that''s too much for your brain to comprehend."

    "How dare you?! I''ve seen many women like you come here, he does not want to see you! Get lost before I call security! Do you even have enough money to stand here? Look at your clothes, leave before you embarass yourself further."

 Chapter 63 - Running Her Mouth

    Finishing her speech, the secretary crossed her arms across her chest and glared at the woman in front of her. There were countless women who came to the office daily and said that the CEO wanted to see them. She had seen all varieties of people walk into the door and couple spot a fake a mile away. Looking at the woman in front of her, everything was casual and low brand. If she was really here to meet the CEO she would have at least dressed better. ''Hmph she thinks that she can just walk in and see our CEO. Not if she had anything to do with it! This bimbo can leave.'' Scrunching up her face she looked at the woman in distaste, she had already said so much but still didn''t move a bit. Speaking a bit louder, "do you not get the message? Leave while I''m still being nice, a bimbo like you can''t get close to our CEO."

    Jiang Ying Yue felt a wave of heat flow through her. The building was equipped with top notch air conditioning to the point of it being freezing. However, her body was filled with warmth with how annoyed she was. Since she had met Xi Long her seemingly peaceful life had turned so eventful. He had asked her to come here and drop off the chip but a mere secretary was stopping her at the entrance. To call her a bimbo was just outrageous, if anything she and the two sidekicks next to her were the bimbos. Regardless if a lot of women came here or not a professional should check before coming to a judgement. She had half a mind to leave right now and go home but the chip was important and a mere secretary wouldn''t and couldn''t stop her from delivering it. The bigger issue right now is to figure out how to deal with her. Subtly scanning the area there was a fair amount of people around them, approximately 5 guards and 20 people lingering around the floor. Her first reaction is to just reach over the counter and make the call herself but that would draw too much attention. Option 2 is to force the secretary to submit and call him herself but the guards would try to stop her. Option 3 is... -

    "Did you not hear me??! Why are you suddenly mute?"

    Hearing the same voice interrupt her thoughts another pang of irritation flowed through her. She was trained to put up with all forms of torture and disrespect in case she was ever captured by the enemy. In those situations she could keep her cool and kill all reactions easily but in daily situations like this it was not worth controlling herself. Why should she? The only time she has to control herself in the face of disrepect was when the opponent was stronger than her or it served her purpose - this situation was neither of them. A snicker left her mouth as her lips turned into a sneer.

    "Sorry I wasn''t listening, I don''t exactly speak animal...." Ying Yue leaned her weight onto one foot and held her hand by her mouth to emphasize her disdain. Now that she was here, teasing the secretary until her little head bursts in anger was an enjoyable outcome. ''A few more taunts could have her steaming in anger and scrambling over to me.'' Just as she expected the secretary shrieked in response to her words.

    "You-you how dare you talk to me like that?! Animal?! Who''s an animal?!"

    "Hmm, well I would say you shrieking and yelling at your place of employment like a bat defintely screams animalistic."

    "Bat?! You''re calling me a bat?! You''re the animal! Look at you no less than a dog from how your begging to see our CEO."

    Hearing that made Ying Yue laugh outloud. "Begging? Listen you third-rate village chicken. I don''t beg, if anything its your CEO who''s begging me."

    "Who do you think you are! Just leave!!! Our boss wouldn''t even spare a glance at a low class hoe like you!"

    "Oh really?" Stepping closer to the desk she stared the secretary in her eyes with a menacing look. "Listen, forget about me. What about you? Do you think your CEO will look at you?"

    A flash of fear crossed the secretary''s face at her words. ''Hmph, its too obvious.'' If this secretary had gone so far to a visitor of the company it was clear to see her reasons for joining. She probably idolized Xi Long and got the job in hopes of achieving her own little Cinderella story. A low worker turned Mrs of the whole company would be a quick jump into riches and power. To be so defensive over him meant that she truly thought she had a chance. The other two girls next to her supported whatever the bimbo said but made no attempt to speak out as well. ''So sad....she doesn''t even know that she is being used.'' It was likely that the others egged her on to make her act like this but clear themselves of any crime if there were consequences. It was unfortunate but Ying Yue did not pity her. To get so easily used for this type of dirty work was pathetic, if she did not realize it the only she can blame is herself. "Do you think I can''t tell? The reason you decided to work here? You''re no better than a beggar for how you dream of being noticed by him. That Cinderella story will never happen, if anything the only role you will get to play is the rat who helps Cinderella with her dress."

    "You....are lying! I have no such thoughts!"

    ''Ahh just a little bit more...'' Each rebuttle she had made the bimbo''s face flush with anger and pushed her closer to losing rationality. She purposely used a haughtier tone and used her words to poke her repeatedly. It was fun for her to watch people get their emotions all strung by and lose themselves in anger after a few taunts. With that being said, she could feel that she was close to achieving that, one more sentence and she''d probably blow.

    "Why would I need to lie when the evidence was in front of me? Your skirt is a stationary uniform but the skirt was taken in 2 inches. Your heels are brighter than the others and are in a flashy red colour. Your top buttons are open to show off your collar, a thin bracelet that looks like it could easily break. Probably intended to have it drop in front of the CEO and have him return it to you, no? To create your own chance encounter? Not to mention your makeup where you''ve decided to use a sultry pink colour and extra blush to add to your supposed "innocent" character but is another breach of your company dress code. Frankly you''ve done so much that I''m surprised your hair is even tied, don''t you think loose hair would do better to aid your facade?"

    As she finished her sentence she felt the energy change and the desperation take over the bimbo''s face. A fleeting thought entered her head as she saw the bimbo lunge towards her body in anger - ''what an exciting afternoon.''

 Chapter 64 - The Stage is Set

    Jiang Ying Yue prepped her body as she saw the secretary lunge towards her. Seeing her move in slow motion, she waited until the last second before taking a step to the side and evaded her attack. The secretary had stumbled when her arms were met with air and nothing to support the force of her movement. She had almost fell over but held her ground. Grinding her teeth in irritation she turned around to lunge at the women again. A series of thoughts raced in her head as panic started settling in. ''No no I must hit this woman. How could she talk to me like this?! Exposing me in public when she was no better than me! Who does not fancy our Boss, I am not alone, she is only trying to act above me. I will soon be his girlfriend, I cannot let this woman ruin it for me!!! Yes... I must hit her and protect the boss from this shameless woman. He will thank me....'' It all made sense to her, she had met many women that have come to see the CEO but only this one had acted in this way. She could handle arrogance and them trying to fight to get in but it gave her a sense of power to deny them entry. If she did not let them get in, they could not. Yet for some reason, every word this women said chipped away at her and irritated her to the core. She had no time to wonder why this women had affected her so much, she had to take her out. She was the future Mrs.Han, this woman had to go. A crazed look took over her eyes as she threw herself at the woman again.

    Ying Yue watched as the secretary paused for a couple of seconds before letting a deranged look take over her eyes. She could instantly tell that the secretary had become lost in delusions and had convinced herself of something - which was probably to attack her again. It was always these type of women, who held a superiority complex and dressed "innocent," that had the weakest mentalities. One push and their entire psyche would crumble. In their craze they had failed to notice how much attention they were drawing to themselves but it was setting up the perfect stage for her. Letting the secretary lunge towards her again she waited once again for the last second to move slightly away from the attack. However, this time she let the secretary graze her before dramatically falling to her knees. A harsh slam was heard at the time her knees touched the floor, partial sound was due to the secretary slamming her head against the reception desk after missing. A snicker threatened to emerge behind her mask but she steeled herself to maintain her forlorn image. Holding the smile in she faked her pain and let out a painful sound. "Ah," letting her hands fall to the side she let her jacket and cap fall to the floor in a dramatic way. The sounds of rushed steps were heard as two security guards and some of the spectators made their way towards them. Keeping her eyes on the floor she slightly adjusted her position to come off docile. Many people do not realize that even the way you hold your body and position it affects people''s perception about you. In this situation by changing the way her body laid and showing a bit more of her nape allowed her to give off a innocent and soft image that would make people take her side of the story. The secretary wanted to test her so it was only fair she destroyed her image right where she cared about it the most.

    Once the guards reached, one of them spoke up, "what happened? Are both of you okay?"

    Taking advantage of timing, Ying Yue spoke up before the secretary had the chance to answer. "Officer...I don''t know what happened. I was just trying to ask if they could call someone in the company for me. I have a package to deliver but was treated so harshly. I don''t even know what happened before that secretary rushed towards me screaming and pushed me towards the floor. Sorry if I''m rambling...I''m just so shocked at what happened." Finishing her comment, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear while she looked into the eyes of the officer. They could not see half her face but she used her eyes and voice to express her greivance. Her eyes were welled up with unshed tears and her voice sounded unsteady.

    A blush stained the officer''s face as he focused on her face. A satisfied feeling fleeted through her as she had successfully fooled him. A couple of seconds after she finished, a shrew like voice sounded behind her in protest. "NO! THAT''S NOT WHAT HAPPENED!! SHE''S LYING!!"

    Maintaining her image, Ying Yue pretended to recoil from the voice and gripped her arm to show that she was afraid. "Officer.... l''m not lying. If you want you can check the CCTV''s I was just standing here.... before I was attacked."

    "NO! You''re LYING! You came in here demanding to see the CEO, once I said no you began threatening me!!! It is not our fault you cannot see him but to be so shameless and lie!! I did not push you! You attacked me!! Look at my head its red from where I got hurt!!!"

    A part of her cringed at how pathetic her response was, it was almost as if she completely forgot that there were CCTVs to discredit her statement. It was one thing to position it as if she was a crazy fan after the CEO but to flip it and say she hurt her was just dumb. From beginning to finish she did not lay one hand on her and her acting like a shrew was perfectly recorded for later viewing. Sniffling a bit, she let a sole tear run down her face as she kept eye contact with the officers.

    "Officers...its true that I''m here to see the CEO but I''m just an employee trying to deliver my boss''s package, even the CEO is aware of this. It is something he ordered for his secretary. Instead I''m being treated as a criminal. This secretary told me a bunch of rude names and told me to get out without checking to see if I was right or not. After I said I couldn''t and begged her to call and at least check but she refused to. I''m not sure how I upset her to make her attack me but miss you have to check with your consience. I did not touch you, it was you that came towards me and pushed me. The redness on your head is from hitting the table after throwing me down. I was just trying to do my job huhu....." Trying to get up she lifted herself off the floor before harshly falling back down. "Ah," a sound of pain escaped her as she held her ankle tightly. "I think I sprained my anke from the fall, I don''t have the strength to get up."

    At this moment, a deep male voice interrupted the conversation - "what is this commotion?"

 Chapter 65 - Unexpected Assistance

    Ying Yue paused as she heard the deep male voice interrupt her stage. The voice was vaguely familiar but she could not place where she had heard it. She was usually good at remembering someone''s voice and physical patterns, it was a skill of the trade. However, this voice waa familiar but must have been something she heard in passing. Maintaing a grief stricken face she waited for the man to appear into her line of vision. The crowd apparently recognized him as they quickly made way for him to get through to where they were. Black leather shoes broke through the crowd with legs clad in a red dress pants attached to it. ''What an interesting fashion choice.'' Drawing her eyes upwards she saw an unfamiliar face come into view. He was fairly young and had an attractive face. The way he carried himself definitely meant that he held a higher authority within the company.

    "Director Wei!" ''Ah so definitely high position, a director. This complicates things...'' She was so close to completely turning things against the secretary before he had walked over. Depending on the type of person he is, he could just smooth the issue over and have the secretary get away with this.

    "What happened here, why is there such a commotion?" She saw his eyebrows furrow as he had one of the nearby spectators reiterate what had occured. A skeptical look entered his eyes as he glanced of both women on the floor. A hint of hestitation filled her, if he was his director then he must be able to see through her act, no? Before she could debate on what action to take she saw a large palm enter her sight. Looking back up she saw that he had bent over and extended his hand to help her up. Confused she waited a moment before placing her hand in his and taking his help to get up.

    "I apologize... I seemed to have sprained my ankle and can''t use much force to get up."

    "That''s fine, place more force on me I can definitely handle it." Reaching out he gave both of his hands and hoisted her upwards. Using force she imitated a struggle as she got up using his help. "Thank...thank you." Looking down she waited for him to say something as she stood in his grasp. His eyes lingered on her face before he turned his attention towards the secretary.

    "You. What are you doing in front of everyone and in the main reception hall. Is this the level of your professionalism?! In addition, you injured someone who came to visit. Explain yourself."

    A slight appreciation filled her as she watched him speak to the secretary. His tone was stern but not harsh nor did he raise his voice louder. Despite that you could feel the pressure behind his words. If she did not answer to his liking then there would be consequences.

    "No...no Director Wei...this is not what it seems like!! That woman threatened me and was fighting to see our CEO! I was just doing my job and was hurt in the process!!"

    Turning to the crowd he glanced around before questioning them, "can anyone act as a witness to her words?"

    Immediately two voices spoke up, "we can Director Wei. We were a witness to this lady''s outrageous actions." Turning her head to the voices she saw that it was the two other secretaries that decided to tesitfy. Ying Yue inwardly rolled her eyes. After using their scapegoat they didn''t take the smart route but decided to get futher involved. Anyone with common sense would have seperated their actions from the aggressor after viewing the situation. Looks like that they wanted to have her removed and assumed that their opinions would hold weight. ''Sigh this was supposed to be easy but a challenge is also fun.'' Preparing to act pitiful, she turned towards the man and opened her mouth. However, before she could speak he had already responded to the girls.

    "So you are saying that this woman was acting in an outrageous manner that warranted her spraining her ankle while the supposed victim only has only a slight redness on her head? If so, why were the guards not called immediately when the situation escalated? If she was indeed aggressive, why did the guards not come over on their own? Answer me." His words made her appreciate him even more, Xi Long had definitely made some mistakes in his hiring but this man was a good choice. He had clearly asked the important questions and placed them in a corner. This was why one should not involve themselves in a clearly losing situation.

    "Answer me, why are you waiting."

    "Director!! No please do not believe that bimbo''s words! It was my fault for not alerting the guards but everything happened so fast! They came over as soon as it happened!"

    Feeling the momentum switch, Ying Yue welled up her eyes with unshed tears she made eye contact with him. "Director, these women are lying. They are her friends so they will definitely support her words. I did nothing of the sort, I was only here to deliver a package to the CEO per my boss''s instructions. We are a very small business so we must deliver it to make our ends meet. Please check the CCTVs if you do not believe me." Letting a tear drop she gave off a pitful image as if they were torturing her. A quick glint flinted through his eyes as she surveyed his face for a reaction. ''Did he see through her...?''

    He turned his head back to the women before she could clearly analyze his reaction. "Since there are no other witnesses, I am forced to take this lady''s side. Head upstairs to HR and wait for further instructions. Leave this place immediately, I will find someone else to replace you three for today as your punishment is decided upon."

    "But Director you cannot -."

    "I cannot what?" An annoyed expression graced his face as he rebutted them. "I am the Director, it is clear who is lying. Do you think I am a fool? Now leave, lest you shame this company further with your actions. To everyone else, I do apologize for this shameful display, please take my apologies and return to your places." Dismissing them with his eyes he gripped Ying Yue''s hand before walking away. The spectators split up and walked back to their spots leaving just them together. She could feel their glares as the three women left towards the elevators.

    Turning towards the man she continued hobbling with him as he lead her towards a couch. "Thank you for -"

    "Now now, cut the act its just two of us. Now miss....may I have the honour of finding out why you are actually here?"

 Chapter 66 - Seeing Through Each Other

    A small laugh escaped Ying Yue''s mouth as she heard his words. It did not faze her in the slightest that he had seen through her act. She had not been entirely serious but it was enough to fool the general population. For someone of a Director caliber, they probably could have some suspicions but it was obvious that he was above that level. Continuing their walk towards the couch, she maintained her fake hobble as she responded to him, "and what part of that was an act? I have no idea what you are talking about sir!" Widening her eyes, she made her eyes look innocent as she stared into his amused ones.

    "If you continue with the act, I''ll have you know you''re doing a shitty job convincing me. Now tell me the truth before I remove you from the building."

    "Hmm, so you''re threatening me?"

    A playful smile graced his face as he observed her expression. "Not exactly a threat but if that''s what will make you answer me, sure." She gave him another appreciative glance, in a matter of minutes he had earned a fair bit of her praise. In general he came off very easy going but she could tell he had a very intense side. This facade of his was probably just easier to maintain and gain the trust of others. However, she enjoyed their little back and forth albeit it was only two lines so far. He gave off the energy of someone she could be friends with, sensing no danger from him made her naturally relax in his presence. Despite being caught in her act, she could tell that he was not going to harm her but was more interested in what she actually came here for. That itself made her more open to entertaining this conversation, if it turned south she would leave and find another way to enter the building.

    As they they reached the farthest couch she hobbled the last couple of steps towards it and sat down. This couch was the farthest in the corner and while it had a minimum amount of people near it she kept her voice quieter. "Well, I was telling the truth. It was not exactly a lie. I am here to see your CEO but I am not from a small business." She stared at him with a pointed look as she leaned back into the couch with one of her legs crossed over the other. While she can tell him some truth she could not reveal that she had something of importance to deliver. It would draw too much attention to her and who knew if this Director Wei or whatever was a trusted personnel? She could have lied saying that she had brought a package and had a fake one as a cover with the chip hidden somewhere else. That is an alternative option but if anyone realized that it was a fake delivery, it would cause unnecessary issues. Even highlighting that she was an important person to Xi Long would also give her problems. Depending on how he answered she could work her way around him and use him as her ticket to getting upstairs.

    "And I''m supposed to believe that? How about you tell me the full truth, I did just help you out you know."

    "You can do nothing but believe me since it is the truth and don''t lie, it is I who helped you out."

    "Oh really? How is that?"

    Enjoying their banter, she held in her laughter as she watched him try to suss her out. It was way too obvious that he was laying traps for her to fall into. If one was not careful they would answer his questions straight which would lead to further questions and eventually the truth. "If you''re asking me to be honest, I think its fair to expect the same thing from you, no? You barely listened to my side of the story and didn''t let those three defend themselves properly before sending them to Human Resources. Its clear that this was not the first time an incident has happened and you simply used me as a reason to get rid of them. Additionally, for you to actually care about me being the victim you would have arranged medical assistance or at minimum an ice pack by now."

    A laugh left his mouth as he took in the woman before him. She was mysterious and very intelligent and despite her being entirely suspicious he found himself enjoying her presence. It was hard to find many women who chose such a method to meet the CEO but also had the skills to make it through the act. There were multiple cases of women acting to make it upstairs with random reasons and they always claimed an intimiate relationship with Xi Long. Yet she chose to take a business delivery route which was more refereshing. Not to mention that before he had inserted himself into situation she had everyone dancing to her tune. To also see that he had used the situation for his own gain made him respect her more with the level of her observation. She was definitely dangerous but he could tell she meant no harm. "Okay, okay you got me, those women were extremely annoying but I could not fire them without a proper reason. Well at least, another reason to add to the list and close them off for good."

    "Haha, well they were kind of bitchy."

    He burst into laughter again, "yes, they were very er bitchy to say the least. Now how did you plan on making it to our CEO, I''m sure you had more planned."

    "I haven''t thought that far but maybe you could help..." She looked at him with confidence as she threw her request into playing field. He was still cautious of her but had relaxed significantly.

    "Why would the CEO want to meet you? And why should I take you?"

    "Trust me, he does. I can''t answer much but you will suffer no loss from taking me up to him. If not the CEO, take me to see his main secretary that amusing man who always follows him."

    "Hmm I''m not sure if I can believe you."

    "Well I guess you''ll just have to take the gamble then."

 Chapter 67 - Risk Accepted

    After saying her final pitch she held his eye contact whie he contemplated her words. She was fairly confident he would end up agreeing but there was always a sliver of error present in everything she did. He could easily say no, if so she would make him find other ways for her to get upstairs. Getting Xi Long''s secretary to come down was another option and probably faster but would, again, draw too much attention. Though she was fairly confident that it would not come to that. Her body was completely relaxed against the couch as she let him think in silence. From how confident she was and with the Director being able to read her eyes fairly well, he would soon settle on an affirmative answer. It made sense that he debated, however, she would be worried if he hadn''t. Considering that she was a stranger who came directly to see the CEO and acted out a three part performance because of that - she probably looked psychotic. Who knew what other tricks woman had done in order to make it pass security? What made her more curious was how many made it past and who had direct access to Xi Long? ''Hmm, when I see him I should probably bait out an answer for that. '' A slight irritation filled her thinking about it. It was not about her being special but with how aggressive he was towards her, she would need to understand as much as she could about it - including his previous women. ''Purely for knowledge....not like I care or anything! Hmph.''

    While she was jumping through different possibilities in her head she had partially forgotten about the man standing in front of her. If she had, she would have noticed that he had been observing her with a strange glint in his eyes. He had taken in how noncholant she was and confident about being able to see the CEO. For some reason he felt comfortable around her and felt like he could believe in her words. Though something about her made him feel confused, he was sure that he had never met her before but felt a strange familiarity. Like he should know her but could not pinpoint exactly how. He had a unusual way of remembering a lot of people so for all he knew he could have seen her in passing and her body or voice was stuck in his memories. Maybe if he had the chance to interact with her more the memory would be triggered and depending on if Xi Long knew her, he could get more information from him as well. Feeling confident, he decided to take her upstaira and see first-hand what would happen. ''If she lied then.....,'' a dark look quickly passed through his eyes.

    "Okay, you have a deal. Let''s go see the CEO." Snapping back to attention she smiled as she heard his words. Reaching out her hand she waited for him to offer his in return but was met with dead air.

    "What? Are you not going to offer your hand to this poor damsel in distress?"

    He held a confused look as he responded, "but why? You can drop the act now."

    Rolling her eyes she reached forward and grabbed his arm. Using his body as leverage she got up from the couch and maintained her fake injury. "For a Director you seem to be a bit naive. Yes, I technically do not HAVE to act but with so many eyes around you I SHOULD. I have to maintain the story to the end, so be a dear and lend your arm okay?"

    A burst of laughter left him as he heard her words. She was right of course but did not think she would mind these things. It showed that she was not a simple woman and was used to constantly hiding herself to notice the little things. "Very true, nice to see I''m around a woman of intellect." Holding on to her arm he started walking towards the elevators and let her place weight on him while she hobbled with him. Getting to the security he just bypassed it by walking through the accessibility gate as it automatically opened for him. For general employees they would have to scan their work ID before entering but he and Xi Long carried a fobkey that triggered the gates without having to scan anything. He could feel multiple eyes on them as he lead her further towards the elevator. It was not a common sight to see him so close to woman and there would sure be some rumors floating around after, he would save cleaning that up for later though. For now, he wanted to keep talking to this stranger and enjoy their friendly banter.

    "Hmph, well glad you know. It really is an honour for you to have me around."

    "Haha what a c.o.c.ky lady, do you feel that suits your damsel in distress image?"

    "Who says it did not? Consider it a remix of sorts and I''ll have you know its confidence not c.o.c.kiness. For you, however, I could say its more the latter." A snicker left her mouth as she teased him, entering the elevators she waited for him to press the floor button as she observed his reactions. She could tell that he enjoyed their conversation just as much as she did. It was nice to just have some friendly banter and have someone respond properly without them getting offended.

    Clutching his heart in fake agony he responded as if he was in pain from her words. "Oof you have wounded me my lady, I c.o.c.ky? This is blasphemy! I am quite a humble man you know?"

    "Yes and penguins fly. How much longer will you fool yourself? It is better to accept the truth."

    "I can only accept the truth that I am a humble man of many virtues and skills. Loved by all and desired by even more. If you don''t stay cautious you might end up falling for me as well!" Adding in a wink he had a hard time holding in his laughter. It was amusing to see her take in all his teasing without a care. He couldn''t see much because of her mask but her eyes crinkled when she laughed. It was hard to find many women around him that could take a joke as well as she did and not have any repercussions.

    "Ah dreaming is it? I feel that you''re delusions are a lot more serious than I had initially thought. As the elevator doors opened, they made their way out onto the floor. There were two secretary tables near the doors before a long hallway with a large oak door at the end. Figuring out that that was probably his office they made their way towards it.

    "But a man can hold a dream no? Haha I really do like you, its like meeting an old friend."

    "I like you too, you''re very entertaining but not sure if I would be friends with someone...-" Before she could finish her sentence she heard a door slam open from the side and familiar quick steps come towards her. Looking in the direction of the noise she saw Xi Long walk over with an angry look on his face. She was going to move towards him but saw the deadly look in his eyes that made her stop in her steps. He was glaring acid through his eyes at her and exuded dangerous energy that was directed at her. Seeing him react this way made anger fill her in return. Glaring back at him in the eyes she waited for him to get closer and speak to her.

    ''This man wants to glare at me! He''s got another one coming for him!!''

 Chapter 68 - Petty Arguments

    ''Irritating.'' Scoffing in her head, Ying Yue was annoyed by the situation and held in a barrage of comments. He was the one who asked her to come here after HE dropped something of importance in HER house. To bring it on such a short notice honestly made her a saint but to think that on first sight what she would see is him angry. She was not expecting him to welcome her or be overly happy but the least she could expect was him being cordial. To add on, the anger was directed at her! If he had been mad about work or another issue that is acceptable but she had not trudged here just to put up this behaviour. Yes, he had only glared at her so far but if he chose to say anything to her in the wrong tone she would set him straight! They were both children of violence, any sign of aggression is taken seriously, personal connections are no exception.

    For one, if he was merely angry and looking at her she would pay it much mind. However, right now he looked like a raging bull as he aggressively strided towards her. Tilting her chin a bit higher she glared at him with anger in her eyes and kept her stance firm. In a few quick strides he had reached her, waiting for him to say something she had kept herself alert. To her further surprise, instead of saying anything he just fiercly glared at her and the Director next to her before grabbing her arm. Tugging Ying Yue towards him, she was thrown into his arms.

    "Hey, what are you doing. Let me go!" Struggling in his arms she tried to get out of his embrace but he tightened his arms to stop her movements. ''What is he doing?! Does he not realize that we''re still in the lobby?! In front of his secretaries and the Director?!''

    "No and thank you Director Wei for bringing her here. You are excused." Ying Yue internally flinched from his cold tone. She was used to his softer tone when he spoke to her and had heard him speak coldly before when on the phone. However, this time his voice sounded like a caged animal. It was cold but you could tell he was bursting with anger. Feeling him turn to go to his office, he released his arms around her and gripped her hand in his before heading towards the oak door. Following his lead she stumbled and quickly tried to match his pace while hobbling. It was a bit tedious to maintain it once she had gotten to him but the amount of eyes on her from his spectacle was ridiculous.

    "Xi Long! Stop walking so fast, can''t you see that she''s injured!" Hearing Director Wei''s shout, Xi Long stopped in his steps. Turning around he glanced at her and scanned her for injuries. There were no apparent injuries on the surface but she was standing with her weight on one side. Letting go of her hand, he decisively lifted her up into his arms in a princess hold and continued in the direction of the office ignoring the stares. Several gasps were heard behind them as they entered the office, the large oak doors blocking the remaining sounds.

    As soon as the doors closed, he put her down on the couch on the side. Lifting up her injured leg he flexed it from side to side to check the injury. Holding in restrained fury, he opened his mouth "how did you get injured? You were fine this morning." He wanted to ask her much more but his injury caught him off guard. A pang of guilt hit him as he realized that he had got caught up in his emotions and pulled her a couple of steps. If Zhuang Wei did not let him know she was injured he would probably have continued without knowing.

    Annoyed at the entire show he just put on, she turned her head away from him and refused to look or answer at him. ''Hmph, thinks he can act like this, have mood swings and I''m supposed to just talk to him normally after? Absolutely not.''

    Not hearing an answer, he looked up at her and saw her pouting. "Sigh, Kitten why are you mad at me, can you let me know where you are injured."

    "You don''t know why I''m mad?! Why don''t you tell me why you were mad first?! Glaring at me like an agitated bull!" ''Well there goes my silence....''

    "Angry...I''m not angry." Trying to play off his emotions he shifted his eyes away from her.

    "Okay so you glaring at me with anger, speaking in a cold tone, and manhandling me is not you being angry?! Then what is it, you being happy?!"

    "Well...okay...I was a bit angry but its your fault." Refusing to take all the blame he glared at back. So what if he was angry?!

    "How is it my fault?!"

    "Its your fault for being so close to him. Why were you leaning on him and holding his hand! And telling him you like him! What part of him do you like better?!" Xi Long had been working hard in the morning to clear up time for when Ying Yue came over. He had been waiting for her to call but hadn''t received anything before he heard her voice in the hallway. He was in a meeting room at the time and opened the door to go out and greet her but as soon as he did he heard her saying she liked him! Even if it was irrational he immediately felt jealousy and anger rage through him. She was even holding his hand and stepped closer to him once she saw him come over. How was he not supposed to misunderstand?!

    "For that you got so mad! All I said was that I like him as a friend! Such a big reaction for something so small. How do you run a company when you get angry so easily!"

    Inching closer to her he held her hand in his and placed her palm against his face. "Kitten I think you forget, you are mine. Let alone something this small I never want to hear you say that you like another man in general."

    "You''re being so unreasonable right now."

    Letting out a dark chuckle, he closed the extra gap between their faces before whispering against her lips "Kitten don''t test me I can be even more unreasonable...."

 Chapter 69 - Dangerous Teasing

    "Are you into masks now?" Looking into his eyes, Ying Yue felt a twinkle of joy as she ruined the atmosphere. It was obvious that he was teasing her and by the look in his eyes she could feel that he was leading towards a kiss. However, since he had carried her in and had this argument she had not taken her mask off. It seemed that both of them had forgotten about it but she was hyper aware of it when she felt his warm breath against the fabric. His lips lightly brushed against the mask but she wasn''t able to feel much more. Was he not going to take the mask off her? ''Not that she''d want him too.....'' Though she had to admit that he was slightly attractive when he acted in a heated manner.

    Lost in her anger she had focused on his behaviour more than the rest of him. Finding out that he had acted that way because he was jealous made her feel a strange warmth inside. She did not like his cold attitude but could somewhat understand his reaction. If she had seen him in close contact with another woman she would have probably acted in a similar manner. It was hard for her to stay mad at someone she could easily understand - at least in situations like this. She didn''t know what his past was but she was sure it was was close to hers. Growing up in violent and dangerous situations as a children forced them to be very decisive and react quickly in certain moments. It was cute that in his quick moments he had still brought her along and asked about her "injured foot." His cold attitude couldn''t be helped, she could probably guess that it was already very downplayed from his full raw emotions. Not that she would always let that behaviour fly, but this time she could let it go with a little bit of revenge.

    As she spoke the words she saw his eyes lose their previous allure and a small chuckle escaped him. "You know Kitten, I''m starting to feel like you want me to have all these fetishes. Is it your fetish to fetishize everything?"

    Letting out a small smile, she responded "sounds like a pot calling the kettle black."

    "Deny, deny but you''re the one bringing it up." Reaching his hand over he reached for her ear and took the mask off her face. "Now, can you tell me how you injured yourself? and how? I have a first aid kit nearby if you need to wrap yiur leg."

    Pulling her leg away from him she pulled him up his shoulders and pushed him to the seat next to her. "First get up, I have no injury."

    "Then why did you hobble?" He followed her movements and had a confused look as he proccessed that her injury was fake. It made sense as on first sight he felt that she had no injury but she maintained a limp when walking.

    "There was an incident with the secretaries you have in reception. I came to see you but they wouldn''t let me in nor would call you to confirm. I wasn''t sure how to react since no one could know what that I had your chip on me. I also may have provoked one of them on purpose...."

    "And...?"

    "Well its your fault, they were completely unprofessional. I get that you have a lot of women trying to sneak in but in general everyone should be judged neutrally at first. I would revise your hiring process if I were you. Ooh what was quite amusing was the one girl who thought she would become the next Mrs.Han and the poor girl didn''t even realize that she was being used by the other two at the desk."

    "Still doesn''t explain how why you had to fake an injury and why didn''t you just call me?"

    "I was going to but was more annoyed at the girl that I forgot too. If I called you I would''ve missed out on a little fun. You know I managed to anger her so much her face turned burning red and she actually tried to attack me? I obviously avoided it and she ended up hitting her heard sharply against the desk. By this time a lot of people noticed the commotion and came over so I played the victim card and faked an injury! Aren''t I so smart? Honestly, I deserve an oscar for my performance but your Director Wei saw through me pretty well. Hey is he your friend? Quite smart too....."

    "Before I even get to the story, stop mentioning his name. He is my friend but I''d rather you keep other men''s names out of your mouth when you praise them." Xi Long reached over and pulled her closer towards him. Holding onto her legs and back he lifted her onto his lap. Leaning his head against her shoulder he relished the feel of her in his arms.

    Ying Yue let him lift her as she enjoyed his warmth. His office was a bit cold but his arms gave her a toasty feeling. Feeling the mood switch again she went back into her teasing mode. "And what if I don''t?"

    "Do you really want to test me Kitten?! Say his name one more time and I''ll have to punish you."

    "Punish me?" Her eyebrows raised as she lifted her leg and placed it on the other side of his lap. Straddling him she leaned even closer to him but kept her face out of reach. She knew she was playing a dangerous game but she was too far in to stop now. Right now he exuded a certain level of seduction with the lingering anger and his restrained aura. She liked seeing his eyes get darker and his voice get deeper as he spoke to her like this.

    Feeling him grip her h.i.p.s tightly his jaw clenched as he restrained himself. "Kitten...you''re playing a game you can''t win."

    "Oh yeah, what''re you going to do?" Looking him in the eyes she placed her hand on the side of his face and trailed a finger as she spoke. His hands gripped her harder as his lips met hers aggressively. She welcomed his mouth as she placed her hands in his hair. The taste of mint flooded her mouth as he tasted her with his tongue. Their lips moved against each other aggressively as he ran one hand into her hair. A small groan escaped him as she shifted her position on his lap. Pulling apart for a quick breath she saw his face in a raw seductive moment. The corner of his lips was turned up in a smirk as he gazed at her back.

    "Well how''s that for a punishment?"

 Chapter 70 - Further Teasing

    "Well how''s that for punishment?" A smirk graced Xi Long''s as his voice dropped into sultry tone. He stared at her with a teasing but dark gaze as he tried to embedded this sight into his memory. This was the fourth time they had kissed and every time felt like a new experience. He could never get tired of seeing her face when it was flushed from their intimate actions. They had just kissed this morning but he could not stop himself from tasting her again. He truly did not intend to take things in this direction so quickly after she arrived. However, it was obvious she was pushing him and teasing him in this direction. A woman with her intellect and skills knew which buttons to press to make him cave. Though frankly it was easy as pie for her to make him pursue her. He was practically falling into her trap but willingly. Who was he to say no? If his Kitten desired it, he was more than willing to oblige.

    Her brown eyes were dewy as she gazed into his eyes. Her soft pants as she tried to control her breathing and the rough hands tangled in his hair edged him to ravage her again. Taking deep breaths he tried to calm himself down but his concentration was destroyed by her next words. "Is that all you got? I thought you would be meaner.....Mr. Han." His eyes widened as he saw her teasing smile. In his haze he did not even process how she called him before aggressively pulling her back towards him. His lips roughly met hers as he fiercly kissed her. Her bittersweet berry taste filled him as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Her tongue fought against his as they both fought for dominance. Slightly shifting his legs he placed one hand on her back as he readjusted her position on his lap. The more they kissed the harder he became and he didn''t want to freak her out by coming into contact with it. Despite what happened at their movie night, he did not want to rush things again. Even if his mind was cloudy he still knew that he should not escalate things too far, especially in his office. His pants felt tight and painful as the mood continued to raise.

    Her slender hand gripped his hair tightly and slightly pulled it behind. Feeling a small spark of pain a groan escaped him. The sensation caught him off guard and added towards their kiss. The mix of pain and pleasure scratched at his heart. Focusing on her even more he rubbed his hands comfortingly down her back as his other hand kept her head against his with a tight grip.

    Letting him grip her head, Ying Yue opened her eyes hazily and glanced at the man in front of her. She did not know why she continued to tease him so and edge him on but she had to admit she enjoyed it. The sight of his hooded eyes and flushed face as he pressed his body against hers was sinful. Despite his fevor, she still felt him hold her gently, causing a slow warmth to be pitted in her stomach. As the minty taste of him mixed with his musky scent flooded her senses, she could feel herself lose more and more control. Gripping her hand tightly in his hair she slighly pulled it backwards as she fought to gain control. A deep guttaral goan left his mouth as his lips stopped their rhythm for a second before continuing. A strange heat took over her body as she heard his groan. Her eyes grew darker as she felt satisfaction and excitment from the sound. Moving her mouth faster against his she let one hand fall down to his shoulders before gripping them. She applied some force to his shoulders as she tried to elicit another sound from him. Hearing him groan made a switch flip inside of her, it was almost as if she was on autopilot trying to find out his triggers. Running her hand further down she lightly grazed his chest as she felt around his body. His muscles tensed under her touch and she could feel his heart pound from within. A sharp pain stopped her wandering hand as she felt a pressure from her lip. He had bit her bottom lip to reprimand her and placed a hand over hers to stop the movement. She could feel his frustration as he stopped her from feeling him further. Prying her hand out from his she continued to feel up his body before slightly shifting on his lap. Adjusting her position she brought her bottom closer to him as she tried to become comfortable. A warning grip on her hip stopped her movement as she felt his large palm hold her in place. Ignoring his grip, she continued to shift as she sought a comfortable position. Her inner thigh lightly grazed something hard before she was suddely flipped over. Her back hit the couch as he pinned his hands above her head. Pulling his lips from her mouth he shifted them to her ears before whispering in a deep guttaral voice, "you''re killing me Kitten."

    Bringing his lips back to her face he took it slower and turned the feverent kiss into a passionate kiss. His lips moved against hers deeply before pulling away. Leaning forward again he placed small kissess all over her face. Leaving light kisses his lips danced over her forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin before leaving one last one on her lips. Pulling away he placed his head in the crook of her neck as he took deep breaths to calm himself. Her clean scent wafted through his nose as fought to control his body. Letting his body partially collapse on top of her, they both laid in silence as they cleared their minds. Processing their makeout session, they took time to let their bodies naturally cool down before speaking. The air was filled with lingering tension as they tried to relax and control their breathing. Feeling calmer, he released her hands as he propped himself up above her.

    "Well I told guess they''re swollen now, huh."

 Chapter 71 - Nicknames

    "Well I guess they''re swollen now, huh." Ying Yue looked at him as he spoke those words with a cheeky smile. Feeling laughter bubble up inside she let out a short laugh at his reaction. He held a refreshing expression that was tied with a boyish charm seperate from his age. It was weird to think just a minute ago they were lost in a battle of passion but could easily make jokes after. Touching her lips she could feel them sting from his minstrations and slowly grow bigger from swelling. He had promised to make her lips swell and he did just that. She didn''t regret it but walking in she had no intention to lead things this way. However, a part of her could not help but be pushed in that direction after seeing him get jealous. It was not exactly right of her to get heated from his actions but watching Xi Long get mad and jealous for her sake was seductive. His cold tone irritated her but his jaw was stuck in a clenched fashion and his eyes had gotten darker in anger. To add on, his body was tense and let out an aura of heat that to put simply turned her on. There was something attractive about seeing a man get so bothered for her and gave her a sense of power. She knew that he would not hurt her and if he ever tried, she would not take it laying down. Yet, having the ability to get such a reaction out of a man like him was thrilling.

    Perhaps it was a learned trait of growing up in violence to see certain aspects of violence attractive but she could do nothing to change her taste. A weak man who let people walk over them or always tried to maintain a facade of being gentle was comparable to trash in her eyes. Individuals like Xi Long who were cold to others, could fight viciously, and be nice to those he trusted were more preferrable. She had a feeling that even if Xi Long came to her with bloody fists and a busted lip, it would push her in the same direction. Of course she would be worried that he had gotten hurt but being attracted to a slighly rugged version of him was not beneath her.

    "What are you thinking about?" Breaking her train of thoughts she looked back at Xi Long to see him staring at her with curiosity. He had shifted his body to lay next to her while laying a hand against her waist to hold himself next to her. Thankfully the couch he had placed in his office was of the larger kind so it had enough space for both of them. Propping up his head with his other hand he maintained his view of her.

    "Nothing much." She glanced away as she tried to hide her emerging blush. There was no way she was about to admit that she was thinking about him! Staring at his shirt button she refused to look into his eyes lest she gave anything away. Its not as if he could read minds but he was the type to tease her with something similar to the correct answer.

    "Well it doesn''t seem like nothing. Could you be thinking about me....?" ''And there it is!'' Just as she predicted he had teased her about him.

    Lightly pushing against his chest, she shifted her body to get up from her laying position. Opening some of the buttons she flapped her shirt to provide some air circulation. "And what of it if I was?" Staring him in the eyes, she responded with her own provaction. While she was slightly fl.u.s.tered and hazy from their makeout session, it did not take her long to jump back into her usual thinking. It was the perfect opportunity to tease him despite him being completely right.

    Seeing his eyebrows raise in shock, she could tell that she had gotten him by surprise. "It would be wrong for me to say I wasn''t thinking about you considering that you asked me to come here. Seems like you forgot that." Maintaing a neutral expression she hoped that he would accept her reasoning and not question it further.

    Letting out a chuckle, he followed her actions and got up from his position to sit next to her. Leaning his body weight against hers he lightly pushed her shoulders as he answered. "Sure sure, whatever you say kitten. At least you admitted you were thinking about me. Your lips will make sure you that you remember me for as long as they are swollen." Getting up from his position he walked towards his desk and grabbed a bottle of water from a cold storage drawer before returning to her. Handing her the water, he placed it next to her neck to offer futher ventillation. His airconditioner was very strong but with their bodies so close together it was hard to lower their temperatures quickly and naturally. He did not want to raise the aircon any futher in case that it made her sick from how cold it was.

    "Thanks for bringing it over, it was pretty important. Can I grab the chip?"

    Nodding, she reached into her jacket and slipped out a chip. Placing it in his hands she relaxed as she finally had gotten rid of his item. Leaning back into the couch she watched as he slipped it back into his own jacket. It was a thin slit that was not easily noticed and was something he had probably got sewed in.

    "You know I would suggest not keeping it there, its too much of a safety risk for a chip you deem that important." His fingers stilled as he looked back at her.

    "So where would you suggest I put it? The only reason it fell out was because I had been with you. You know Kitten, I don''t allow many people to get closer to me..."

    A smirk graced her face as she calmly glanced back at him. "Should I be thankful of that? Mr. Han I would counter to say that it is you who is quite lucky to be near me. My circle might be even smaller than yours...."

    His eyebrows furrowed from her response. "Why do you keep calling me Mr.Han? I noticed it earlier but again you are switching the title."

    Getting from her spot, she made her way towards him and sat on the edge of his desk. "Well I am in your office, so felt like calling you Mr.Han. Should I go with CEO Han, CEO, Sir, Loser Han, Pineapple Head Han? All seem pretty good...."

    Pinching her nose, he smiled at her response. It was childish of her but he enjoyed their harmelss banter like this. Even if she was trying to be mean be found her act to be cute and playful. It was hard to guess her emotions because she kept a neutral expression most of the time. However, the more time he spent with her he realized how easy it was for him to read her. They had similar auras and thinking that made it easier for him to understand her but he could admit that she caught him by surprise often. "I''d prefer you go with Xi Long, Xi, or any other cute nickname. Since you''re my Kitten, how about you come up with a something similar? A pet name exclusive to you."

    "Pet name....how about froggy? I feel like it fits your face very well..." Hiding a smile she edged him on with her rebuttal.

    "Froggy?! Well how does it feel to kiss a froggy Kitten? Have I become a prince in your eyes yet?" Unfazed by her comment he attacked back with a quick response. Adding in a wink at the end of his sentence he enjoyed seeing her eyes glare back him. He could feel her slight irritation at being caught in his words but he could not help but flirt with her like this.

    Making a tisk noise with her mouth she turned her face from him for a second before ignoring his sentence. "So as we were talking Mr.Han, I would not put the chip there. Its dangerous to leave it within clothing, it makes more sense to put in a closer material. I would suggest lining it in your boxers, if you add it in the waist band it won''t come out easily and is not touched by external forces. Though the negative would be remembering to switch it out everyday but is easier than keeping it in jacket pocket. Or at least, you can switch between those two spots."

    Maintaing a smile on his face he saw her quick switch of topic back to his initial question and found her to look even cuter cause of it, like a pouting kitten. "I''ll take your silence as acceptance, I''m more than willing to be your exclusive prince but I might need more kisses from the princess to maintain my form haha. However, to address your latter point that is a valid point, I''ll consider it after doing more research." He appreciated her advice on the matter, it was an interesting point. He had not considered as using his underwear as a tool and it showed an added benefit he had missed. It was refreshing to discuss things like this with woman as he had not met many well versed in deception and skills of the trade like this.

    "What prince?! I won''t kiss you again! For the latter, I''m just offering a suggestion but do which works better for you. It depends if your material can sustain the modification."

    "Kitten don''t make promises you can''t keep."

 Chapter 72 - Clearing Things Up

    "Who says I can''t keep my promise?!" She gave him a small glare in response to his question. If she wanted to she would make sure that they never kissed again! Not that she planned on doing anything of the sort but in hypotheticals she would never break something she swore to.

    There was a slight pause as she waited for him to comment back. Her body was relaxed while she sat on the edge of the desk but her body turned cautious from the look in his eyes. A strange glint passed through his eyes before he suddenly leaned closer to her. His face was next to hers, cheeks a hair distance away before he spoke flirtatiously in her ear. "Then I guess I''ll have to make sure you never make that promise...." With that sentence he pressed a quick kiss against her ear before returning to his original position. He settled back into a lazy stance as he gazed at her.

    Ying Yue''s ears burned from his touch as he snuck a kiss on her. She hadn''t expected him to kiss her. Intruding her personal space? Yes, but not a sweet kiss. Something about feeling his lips on her ear made her naturally heat up. Quickly pushing it to the back of her mind she calmly looked back at him without showing anything on her face. His face held an amused smile as if he could see through her but dropped to a more serious expression a couple seconds later. "Kitten, I appreciate you bringing over the chip but next time call or text me. No need to go through so much to see me, I''ll have Shufen pick you up from the reception or outside the building too."

    Sighing, she crossed her arms and responded back. "I told you I forgot, I did not expect to deal with such circ.u.mstances as soon as I requested to see you. As soon as they started showing attitude I was too far gone to leave before finishing my act. Well I did have some unexpected help from Director Wei, he helped me in the end. That reminds me...are you guys friends?"

    A cold look entered his eyes when he heard her take Zhuang Wei''s name. "Why do you need to know about him...singing praises of him so fast. Guess I did not punish you enough."

    She rolled her eyes at his childish behaviour, "stop being so childish. You know what I mean, just answer the question."

    "He''s my childhood friend and one of my closest confidants. You''ve heard him before, the "honey" who called me on my phone during our cooking date. We''re practically brothers."

    "Ah! That''s why his voice sounded so familiar! I knew I had heard it somewhere but it was only a vague feeling. He''s a good guy, quite smart too as soon I met him he had impressed me. Felt like he matched what I assumed would be a director of the famous ''Han Corporation.'' Sneaky though, used my scene to send those secretaries to HR."

    A slight frown was on his face as he heard her increase the amount of compliments towards his friend. It was obvious she was making them as a casual remark and he knew it was nothing more than a friend, but he still did not enjoy listening to it. Seemed that until he had her fully in his grasp then he would succ.u.mb to childish feelings such as this. "He is a sneaky man, a very good strategist. Even I have to stay cautious lest I get trapped in his pranks....but enough about him. What do you want to do about the secretaries?"

    Her eyebrow shot up as he heard his question. "What do you mean? They''ve been fired already."

    "We both know that''s barely enough to cover their disrespect towards you. The fact that they treated you like this means that I''ve blacklisted them in the industry. They''ll have a hard time finding a job after this but what punishment do you want to give?" He felt subtle anger flow through him at the idea of his Kitten getting disrespected in his territory. Yes she is able to handle it but he''d rather not have to put up with it within his area at least. He had noticed those secretaries extra looks and overly friendly attitude but he paid it no mind. To think that it made them become deluded and act rashly against a guest was unexpected. Who knew how many others have been subject to their unprofessional behaviour? He really should have a talk with the HR director and make our hiring procedures more strict.

    "You''ll let me hand out the punishment? I mean their delusioned girls I think black listing is suitable..." She could understand why they had been blacklisted. Such behaviour was extremely inapproriate and could affect his company''s reputation as a whole. Luckily it was just her but if another VIP or important client came that also happened to be female and was then subject to the same thing - could be detrimental. Especially since they had made physical attempts to harm people, that''s a law suit in itself. Firing them would probably be fine too but blacklisting them was also setting an example to the rest of the employees that this behaviour would not be tolerated.

    "Yes, but you are the victim. You truly have nothing else you want to do?"

    Mulling over it a fun idea came into her mind. "Actually....I think I have one small idea. Can you have them sent here?"

    "What do you want to do?" He reached towards his buzzer to pass on the orders to Shufen but he was curious of what she was going to do. She held a mischevious look in her eyes that meant she was up to no good but equally playful. Either way she would not tell him, he''ll just have to wait to see what she does when they arrive.

 Chapter 73 - Petty Revenge

    As soon as he put in the order he saw her move slowly across the room analyzing the sections. She would stop and stare at a corner or furniture for a couple of seconds before moving on. He wasn''t sure what she was looking for exactly but knew it had to do with her little plan. It seemed that she wasn''t really happy with anything but decided to settle with the couch. She cleaned up the table and pillows on the couch before dusting herself off. Their clothes had gotten a little messy from the previous session and needed to be cleaned up before they arrived. They had give or take 8 minutes before he could expect them outside his door.

    He watched as she straightened out her pants and shirt before wiping at her face. After a couple silent moments he reached inside his table to grab a hankerchief and a travel size of his cologne before walking over to her. "Here, use this to wipe your face with the water and some cologne."

    Ying Yue hesitantly took the items, "I understand the hankerchief but what about the cologne?"

    "You can use it to smell like me or for future use, you decide." Throwing in a wink he laughed as she left it on the couch. Rolling her eyes she ignored him and continued prepping for her stage. They didn''t smell and the aircon did more than enough work stabilizing the air in the room, so she didn''t need to use it despite his cheeky answer. She dabbed the cloth with water and freshned up her face slightly. Using her phone''s camera as a mirror she was able to touch up and check if her face showed any signs of what just happened. Her skin looked fine but her hair was slightly messy from Xi Long running his hands through it. She picked up her fallen hair tie and prepped to tie it up again before deciding against it. Smoothing out her hair she let it loose, to carry out her plan she would need to look as foxy as possible. It would help if she had put some eye makeup on or had worn shorter clothing but she could make do with what she had. Checking herself once more she slipped her mask back on and confirmed her reflection in the mirror before putting her phone aside.

    Her body was filled with a light excitment with what she was about to do. Looking up at Xi Long she saw him sit casually against the edge of his table watching her fix herself. "Take a picture it''ll last longer...you know I''m starting to think you need glasses with how long you stare in my direction."

    "First, you wouldn''t let me take a photo and if by glasses you mean binoculars....then yes I do need them. I love an up-close view." As he finished his sentence she heard a knock from outside the door. Before he could allow them to enter she signalled him with her eyes and mouthed the words "follow my lead." With that, she leaned back casually into the couch with her head slightly leaned against her hand and a magazine casually on her lap. She kept her gaze on the magazine and flipped through it as she heard people enter the office. The second they did the light atmosphere they previously had became cold and reserved. It was obvious that Xi Long had returned to his usual attitude and you could feel his disdain permeate the air. She had a feeling that he was mad for her so that added to the overal heavy atmosphere.

    As the footsteps stopped a couple feet away from Xi Long she could feel eyes quickly glance at her but she paid them no heed. Before she could enact her plan Xi Long had to speak to them and clarify their wrongdoings on a professional standpoint. "Do you know why you are here?" Xi Long''s cold but reserved voice spoke first breaking the silence.

    Sneaking a look she saw the three of them stand there with a mixture of fear and delusion. For some reason seeing their lovestruck expressions irritated her on the inside. She could understand liking him but to also maintain that in front of your superior while you are getting fired was just dumb. It was hard to even feel bad for these delusional women when they so willingly walked into this mess.

    "CEO Han...we were wronged! This is a complete misunderstanding!" Not to her surprise the one who spoke up was the same bimbo who tried to hit her. The other two seemed as though they accepted that their jobs were over while the third still thought she could be the next Mrs.Han. Hearing her response, she saw Xi Long''s eyes darken as he showed signs of anger. "So you are insinuating that Director Wei is lying, the cameras are lying, and the multiple other witnesses are lying. I''m finding it hard for it to believe that this is a misunderstanding."

    "No no it really is!!! I was attacked by a vicious woman and she -." Sensing her cue, Ying Yue let a smile grace her face behind her mask as she prepped her role. "Vicious woman? Oh you must mean me..." Getting up from her spot she slowly strutted towards Xi Long before stopping right beside him. Wrapping her arm with his she leaned her head against him as she gazed evily at the bimbo.

    "You-you!" A shriek left the bimbo''s mouth as she saw the same woman appear next to the CEO. Xi Long slightly stiffened as he shot a warning glare towards her. Shutting her mouth the bimbo glared at Ying Yue while biting her lip in anger.

    ''This is perfect.'' Ying Yue enjoyed seeing the bimbo bristle in anger like a pufferfish from her actions. When Xi Long had asked her if she wanted to punish them further she honestly did not care to. For something this minor what he was doing was sufficient enough but her mind sparked this idea at the last moment. A part of her loved seeing people get riled up by her manipulation and for a woman l.u.s.ting after her CEO, to then see his woman was the same one she attacked....ooh how enjoyable that would be! She couldn''t resist the temptation and told him to have them brought here. Plus it could be considered doing him a favour as she was elimiating pesky flies around him.

    "Did you hear that honey?? Apparently I''m vicious...she wouldn''t even tell you I was here. Oh I''m so sad." Slipping into her role she pretended to be a soft and spoiled girlfriend as she clung to his arm. Gazing into his eyes she feigned sadness from hearing the other''s words. The instant she did this she could see the layered amusment in Xi Long''s face but to his credit, he maintained his cold persona. Following her lead he placed his other hand on hers before glaring at them again. "You first lie, then make a fool our of yourselves in the reception shaming our company and then dare to speak more insults to my woman in front of me! Who do you take yourselves for?!!!"

 Chapter 74 - Teasing the Green Flames

    Xi Long spoke with a cold but heated tone as he berated the women. It was amusing for her to watch him follow her ploy and act out according to her wishes. If she did not know that he was acting then even she would have believed that he was angry because of how well he portrayed it. He did nothing out of the ordinary but by slightly shifting his standing position and turning up his oppressive aura there was a strong difference.

    Right after he finished his question she could see the slight shock in their eyes. To suddenly show up next to their boss they were probably super confused on her relation to him. At first glance she could easily just be a casual partner but to see their stone cold boss make affectionate gestures is shocking. Him placing his hand on hers and allowing her to act "spoiled" was another way to display their intimacy and importance. Tightening her arms around his she held in her laughter before speaking again.

    "Honey look, they aren''t saying anything. Aren''t they direspecting you by not answering?" Pouting her lips she looked to Xi Long and back to the women to see their faces pale from her words. She phrased her words in a way to bait them out and again the first one to speak was the same bimbo.

    "N...n-o sir, we mean no disrespect! We did not intend for the situation to turn out like that. This bim....lady is the one who attacked first. We were just following protocol, please have mercy." Ying Yue felt like applauding the idiot in her head, despite being in front of her boss she continued to act like an airhead. There was an infinite amount of evidence and witnesses to prove her statement wrong but she decided to feign innocence. She could no feel pity for a woman like her who chose to willingly self-destruct. Sure she was attracted to Xi Long, it was hard not to be but a good strategist would always leave a way out. If her goal was only to be the wife of a CEO there were many more to reach out to but if you got fired from here there is no coming back. I mean who would want to hire someone that was fired from here? She really was beyond saving and as soon as she finished her statement she tried to give him a pitful look.

    "Continue to lie and you will never survive in this city." He responded to her act with one sentence. The other two women were cowering at this point and looking frantically between Xi Long and the bimbo. It seemed that they had made their choice to stay silent but hoped that the other would still be able to change his mind. Though they had failed to understand that one bad teammate could easily ruin everyone.

    Hearing his words, the bimbo dropped to her knees on the floor and began to weep crocodile tears. The instant she started crying and looking up at Xi Long for reassurance was the same moment Ying Yue felt a strange irritation rise inside her. I mean, yes she was delusional but does she not notice her standing next to him?? What gave her such confidence that she even had a chance to seduce him?? When the bimbo slightly hunched over there was a noticeable amount of skin on display. The woman had opened a few buttons before entering the office but nothing could be seen till she had bended over in this position. Propping her cleavage forward she spoke to Xi Long with a meek, pleading voice. "Sir, no please forgive us. We really need this job and we have not lied to you! The witnesses had come late and the video did not record how she had antagonized us!! She had no information to prove that she was here to meet you sir, if we knew we would not have stopped her. We were only doing our job, please have mercy...I...could do anything..."

    ''Did this b*tch really just proposition herself right now??!" The irritation that Ying Yue felt only heightened with her words. Even if she had a mask, it was obvious that she was superior to the bimbo in most ways and that was not her being egotistical. The bimbo was beyond delusion at this point. Feeling a bit petty she reached her fingers over to grab a napkin off his desk before throwing it in her face. "Oh no, your clothes are malfunctioning...it seems that the shirt is a little too small for you...I would suggest choosing outfits that actually fit instead of embarassing yourself. Be a dear and use the napkin to cover yourself. No need to thank me." A smirk graced her face after taunting her.

    The bimbo''s face turned red with embarassment or anger before grabbing the napkin and crumpling it within her hand. She glared at Ying Yue before returning to her weak persona. "Sir....I...-"

    Cutting her off, Ying Yue turned towards Xi Long and pressed her chest against his arm. "Honeyyy, it seems like she doesn''t want my help and is ignoring me. Don''t you think she''s being to harsh to me? I would never lie to you but she keeps saying I was the one who started this. Look, I even twisted my ankle because of her huhu. I feel so wronged huhu." As she spoke her piece she could feel the bimbo glaring at her and could practically hear all the curses she wanted to throw at her. To add onto the dramatics she decided to add some fake tears and slightly stumble while holding onto him for support. Taking her cue he held onto her head and brought it into his chest. Taking his arms he left one on her head and the other around her waist to "console her." She could feel his steady heart beating as his familiar cologne entered her nostrils. His body was still but she knew that he was holding in his laughter like hers at her acting. It was fun acting this out but she knew that she would have to wrap things up soon.

 Chapter 75 - Green Flames Bursting

    Ying Yue felt him stroke her hair and pat it lightly. Controlling her smile she slowly moved her head away from him and pulled herself to the side. Dabbing under her eyes she pretended to wipe tears while looking off to the side. By this point she could feel three sets of eyes glaring into her. The two women kept their eyes in the floor but looked up to glare at her after Xi Long consoled her. Even though she was not directly look at them it was easy to pinpoint their expressions. It was part jealousy and part hatred and she relished it. She was usually not one to get caught up in pretences or ego but she could not deny that it was enjoyable to play with women like them. It reminded her of times when she was younger and had been thrown into situations like this often. She had to quickly adapt and learn how to play different roles - her favourite being the possessive girlfriend. Even when she went out with Neo she had to pretend to be his girlfriend to get women to leave him alone. Somewhere along the way it became enjoyable and almost second nature for her to switch into.

    Shifting on her foot she leaned against the table behind her while maintaining her hold on him. "Honeyy...so do you agree with me? Aren''t they being mean? Honestly I was just trying to be helpful but she continues to talk negatively about me."

    Before Xi Long could even react the bimbo decided to jump in and plead her case again. By this time she had already pushed the bimbo into a corner so her reacting this way was according to her expectation. "No no sir I...that was not the intention. Please don''t listen to her I did nothing of the sort!! We don''t deserve to be fired for this!!" Looking at the bimbo in the eyes she noticed that her eyes had turned more spiteful and were nearing a mental break. She had looked at Ying Yue with such vengence but changed to a soft expression when speaking to Xi Long. The bimbo dipped her head lower and let her hair cover her face partially to block Xi Long''s vision. Using that guise she glared at Ying Yue but it was all for waste. It was obvious that if she could see the looks then Xi Long could see them as well. It failed to surprise her that she could continue to act stupid and still believe that no one caught onto what she was doing.

    The arm she was holding flexed as he took in the bimbo''s words. Slightly patting her fingers on his arm she reminded him to keep his face neutral. She could tell he wasn''t annoyed or angry at her words, he was just trying to hold back from speaking her mind. He isn''t someone that has to hold in his words because he regularly has the upper hand. Though he did a great job of pretending he was calm she could admit that, the only signs of his true behaviour was slightly body or eye movements. Speaking up she decided to push her buttons more aggressively. "If that wasn''t your intention....then I think you owe me an apology, don''t you think so honey?" The instant she spoke she saw the bimbo''s eyes light up in shock and her mouth curled up in a sneer. Right on count she yelled back, "An apology?!!! FOR WHAT?! I OWE YOU NOTHING!"

    "Wuuu Honey look at her, she''s being so mean and yelling at me now. Wuu." Placing a hand over her face she feigned sadness and prepped herself for the events that would follow. She could feel that the bimbo was near her breaking point and it would just be a bit more pushing for her to complete collapse. "Apologize to her now and I can be lenient towards your punishment." Xi Long spoke short but with added pressure to his words to show how serious he was. Ying Yue inwardly appreciated him adding pressure without her having to give him a signal. He was the perfect partner to act out this play and naturally followed her lead.

    Turning to look at the bimbo she held eye contact as she mockingly glared back at her. Keeping her eyes dead she spoke as though she was wronged. "Honeyy I think she owes me an apology but its obvious she doesn''t want to. Just...send them away and ban her from ever coming back to the office. The conversation is going no where." Taking her cue he silently reached behind him towards his office phone. As he turned his head he placed the receiver next to his ear and pressed a number on the keypad to signal the security. ''And the finishing blow.....'' Counting in her head she prepped her body for the storm that was about to start. Seeing Xi Long make the final move to remove them, the bimbo was finally pushed into a deadend. The aura in the room shifted as she could sense that the final string had broken inside the bimbo.

    There was a rush of movement from the corner of her eye and she saw a body flying towards her. The bimbo held a crazed look in her eyes as she launched herself towards Ying Yue. It took only a moment for the bimbo to get herself off the floor and attempt to fight her. ''This is the moment I''ve been waiting for....'' She had teased her before but once again she pushed the girl into a state of craze to the point of violence. It was amusing that she would never know that her reactions and feelings were all a product of Ying Yue''s manipulation. Even this scene, right down to her attacking her was part of her calculation. She had held herself off before but had slightly regretted not being able to attack back because of the situation. Now, she was in Xi Long''s office and had only four eyes to be her witness, there was no need to keep holding pretences.

    Flexing her hand she waited for the bimbo to get close enough before stretching out her leg and stopping her with her foot. She placed her foot against her stomach and gave a little push to move her back. The bimbo stumbled back slightly but before she could stabilize herself Ying Yue had already made her way to stand in front of her. Using her left hand she gripped the bimbo''s hand and used her right hand to slap her harshly across the face. A crisp sound resounded in the air and the bimbo stood in shock from getting slapped. "How dare you sl-"

    *SLAP* Ying Yue landed another hit on her face as she tried to talk. Grabbing her left arm and swinging it behind their body, she used force behind her knees to have them buckle back onto the floor in a kneeling position. Having her in a bow position, Ying Yue leaned downward and whispered into her ear "did you really think you have a chance with him? You''re nothing but a low grade village chicken, you never had a chance even without me in the picture. But he''s mine so if I see you try me again it''ll end worse than a couple of slaps.

    Stepping back she gave the bimbo a threatning stare before landing another hit on her face. "and that one is for good luck." On cue, Xi Long clapped his hands behind her and in came a team of security guards. Grabbing their bodies they quickly dragged them out of the room, the only sounds left were of the door closing behind them.

 Chapter 76 - A Natural Role

    As soon as the door closed Ying Yue could not hold in her laughter. She immediately burst into a fit of laughter and was joined by Xi Long next to her. His deep chuckle accompanied her laugh as they could finally show their true emotions. It was hard to hold in their enjoyment near the end of the act but they managed to hold on. It was obvious that if it was a more serious situation both of them would be devoid of emotions and would have no problem controlling themselves. However, this was a fun trap set for delusional woman. It was done just to get some petty revenge so they didn''t really need to control themselves. It was probably obvious to the three bimbos that she was doing everything on purpose but they could do nothing about it. Ying Yue relished their faces as she slowly broke them down and flaunted her "honey" in front of them. What made it better was having a partner that is so in-sync with her that she could completely focus on her role rather than worry about it falling apart. Looking over at him, she held a slight fondness as she watched him laugh freely.

    "So what''d you think of my revenge? You seemed like quite the actor." She turned her lips up into a half smile as she spoke to him.

    His laughter naturally died down with only his smile remaining when he responded to her. "It was entertaining to say the least but I''d say you were much more of convincing actress. Its almost as if you were made for the role." A foxy glint entered his eyes as he threw in his bait.

    She noticed the look as soon as it happened but was suspicious of what he was leading up to. "You mean the spoiled naive girlfriend role? You prefer a white lotus?" Her eyebrow raised at the end daring him to agree with any of the statements.

    Noticing her glare he felt like a little joy inside. For some reason he loved their moments of banter and her questioning him on his taste meant that she was interested in her answer. Despite her being confused on their relationship it was clear that she held a fair bit of interest in him. Physically they had a clear connection and it stroked his inner beast every time he saw her succ.u.mb to his touch. On an emotional side they could take it at any pace, the end result would be them being together - that he was sure of. It was crazy to know that they have only known each other for a week but he was 100% certain about what his gut waa telling him. "Well no, I can''t stand those types but I don''t mind if you want to be spoiled. What do you say kitten? Want me to spoil you?"

    Her nose twitched a little as she heard him tease her again. "No, did I say that? You can spoil your girlfriend that has nothing to do with me. Hmph, I can spoil myself."

    "Oh really? So you''ll spoil yourself but what about your boyfriend? Will you spoil him too?"

    She slightly hesitated in her response, "....maybe. If he wants to be spoiled I can but that''s not a concern right now."

    "Ooh so I can expect to be spoiled in the future, I think I can get used to that." He held a small smile as he imagined what it would be like.

    "Wh...who said you''d be my boyfriend huh! Even if you were who said I''d spoil you!" She crossed her arms and stuck her chin up in defiance. There was a warm feeling in her stomach as she took in his words. Not that she would ever admit it, she did enjoy when he teased her like this. His behaviour was refreshing, everything he thought he would say straight to her face, no deception. It was clear as day that he was a possessive man but she was possessive in her own right as well. When those bimbos tried to seduce him in front of her she felt irritation internally, it made her want to be even more petty. Holding his hand and calling him pet names was just her way of marking her territory, if only for the moment. It was hard for her to accept the changes in her or acknowledge her new feelings because she was not used to these situations. From young she had trained in warfare and violence so something like true romance was beyond her. She hated how confused he made her, it was too soon for her to be sure of anything or even decide what they were. But she knew that they had an intense connection and attraction despite their short time. Regardless of everything, she would not be physical man who was physical with other women. Even if they did not have a title he still belonged to her, it was unsaid code between them. She didn''t even need to confirm it with him because they had a mutual understanding. He did not know who she really was but you could sense people with similar upbringings. They both were children of war and a relationship was new to them so this unsteady and fast dynamic was expected.

    "Ahaha kitten, no matter how much you deny it I''m sure it will happen and I know you can feel the same. Now tell me, can you find a better match than me? I''m quite the catch if you haven''t already picked up on that."

    "Shouldn''t other people be saying that?"

    "Well you can date me and leave a review after. The role is practically a natural fit considering how quick you slipped into it." Leaning into her face he held eye contact as he dropped his voice to a deeper tone. "Call me honey one more time and its yours."

    "I will - " Before she could finish her sentence, she was suddenly cut off by the doors slamming open.

    Zhuang Wei had entered the office in a hurry and smiled at them before shouting "Honeyyy, I came back for you!"

 Chapter 77 - Reintroduction

    As soon as Zhuang Wei had entered the room he could feel the daggers being glared into him. He knew he shouldn''t enter but he had already given them enough time together. An hour had passed since the lady was dragged away and he really couldn''t hold his curiosity much longer. It was obvious she held importance to Xi Long but he needed to confirm her identity. As his best friend it was rather interesting to see a usually cold man be so feverent over a woman. A mischevious smile grew on his face right before he spoke. "Honeyyy," doing his usual call he looked Xi Long in the eyes while he started walking over. However, when he got close he switched to the other woman and repeated his greeting. "Honeyy, I miss you. It was rude of him to take you away from me." Adding in a wink he flashed a playful smile at her before stopping right next to her. He was going to place his elbow on her shoulder too but could tell that would be pushing his buttons too far.

    At this point he could feel the daggers burn into him more aggressively but he just ignored him. Keeping eye contact with the lady he could see her vaguely smile behind her mask. Her eyes were twinkling with mischief and her cheeks were raised to her eyes proving there was a smile on her face. Following his lead she answered back ignoring Xi Long who grew more annoyed with every passing second. "Oh I did miss you, how could you let this mean man take me away and so roughly at that! I''m just a fragile little lady huhu...." Hearing her reply he almost burst out laughing just from theatrics of it all. He had a feeling that he liked her before and her seemlessly following his prank made him be sure of it.

    "Don''t worry my lady, your knight in shining armour has arrived, the bad man won''t be able to hurt you anymore!" Adding a bit of flair into his words, he kept his face phrase as he made his "promise."

    "Can I trust you? Though I feel so much safer already."

    "Scout''s honour." Holding two of his fingers up against his chest he signaled the movement. When he finished he heard a couple of claps from in front of him. Looking towards his friend he saw him give a deadpan expression before speaking. "Are you guys done with your acting? I really think you should switch professions Wei, your talents are going to waste."

    "Ahaha," not being able to hold in his laughter he finally broke character and let himself laugh. "See XiXi I would but you''d miss me too much. Now we can''t have that now can we? Don''t worry I''ll neeeeevvveeeerrr leave you."

    Ying Yue was enjoying their interaction from the side. She had her suspiscions before but by the looks of it they were very close friends. It wasn''t surprising that a man who caught her eye was more than a simple employee. He had probably gained the role of Director this young because of his skill but chose the company completely based on personal affiliation. It was refreshing to know he had close friends on his side that could irritate him this lovingly. He had confidentally entered without a knock and immediately jumped into teasing him meant that there was a strong bond between them. Even though she could feel Xi Long glare at him there was a fair bit of love in them since he made no moves to stop the act.

    She followed along on the banter when Director Wei had entered and laughed as soon as he childishly help up the motion for a boy scout. To interrupt them Xi Long started clapping and added in his sarcastic comments. She noticed that he spoke to Director Wei on a first name basis so she had bets on the fact that they were friends for years now, give or take since childhood. It was a stretch to guess how long they were friends but from what little she knew of Xi Long, he was not overtly sociable. What brought her back into the conversation was the nickname given to Xi Long.

    "Wait XiXi?? You call him XiXi? That''s quite a cute name for such a mean looking man. Very....oxymoron." She pinned a look at Xi Long while she made her comment. It was a bit suprisingly to know someone went around calling the big bad CEO by a cute pet name. I mean it was a very simple shortening of his name but isn''t really common past elementary school. She quite liked the sound of it as well, it wasn''t decided that she would call him that too but she could add it to a potential list. Right now she preferred calling him a pineapple head and other creative insults.

    Focusing on his reaction she watched to see if he would give away any hint that he liked the petname but other than a slight ripple in his eyes nothing was given away. That ripple could be either good or bad, though she couldn''t make much insinuations from it. In his response, he said "Oxymoron huh? Someone''s getting a little cheeky Ki-babe." He almost called her "Kitten" again but quickly changed it mid-sentence. Though he called her it often she wasn''t sure how she felt about others knowing the nickname he insisted on calling her. It was a very descriptive petname that easily gave away their relationship and honestly, she was just wary of others making fun of it. If Ming Ming or Neo knew that a man was going around calling her kitten, they would have her head. She could already imagine the amount of insults and jokes thrown her way by them.

    "Babe?" Zhuang Wei lifted an eyebrow and glanced between them. "So I think its time for me to reintroduce myself. My name is Zhuang Wei and I am a director here. You are?"

 Chapter 78 - Giving a Name

    Making a quick glance at Xi Long she maintained a calm expression. It was inevitable that this situation would come and she was prepared to answer it easily. The issue, however, would be what name to give. While Xi Long only knew her as Ying Ying, she was hesistant to repeat the title since it held part of her true name. She was also known as Viper in the underground fighting circle and they would have definitely heard of her by know. There was no doubts that Zhuang Wei was equally involved in the dark side of Xi Long''s affairs. To have a friend this close to him, they must be privy to both sides of his life. So Viper was not an option at this point, she didn''t want Xi Long linking her to the fight from that night. He would connect the dots and find out that her bruises were from that night, purely based on the timings working out. Adding on, if he investigated it would create a trail back to her which would cause unnecessary problems.

    ''Hmm what should I say?'' Running through names in her mind she felt herself fall back on ones she had used previously for her cover. She had gone undercover multiple times throughout her life and kept track of every name she had used. It was dangerous to reuse a name so even though it was easier she was still hesitant to use them. Even though her mind was racing it had only been around 10 seconds since Zhuang Wei had introduced himself. She had approximately another 10 seconds before it would look unnatural. Reaching out her hand she went to meet his handshake when she felt another hand grab her''s.

    Following the hand she looked up in confusion at Xi Long. He gave her a knowing look before talking to Zhuang Wei. "Why do you need to know her name? No need, you won''t see each other often."

    She could instantly tell that he was doing this to buy her more time. This situation was not much to faze her but it was nice to have him support her regardless. Him giving her time, even if she didn''t need it, made her feel warm on the inside. Immediately after Xi Long responded to Zhuang Wei, you could see the laughter in his face. It was as if he could not fanthom that his best friend was acting so childishly.

    "What do you mean?? Are you plan on hiding her away? Are you ashamed....." Zhuang Wei threw back a trap within his sentence. If Xi Long could be childish so could he!

    "You...! Don''t spout such lies! Who would be ashamed of my girlfriend, I just don''t think you need to know her name."

    "....I really think you need a vacation if your brain is deteriorating. I''m your best friend and childhood friend, I will be seeing her often. What am I supposed to call her then? XiXi''s girlfriend each time??" A flabbergasted expression was on his face as he questioned his friend. Each sentence of him shocked him further.

    "Yes...that is fine. You can cut the XiXi and use my full name but I agree with your suggestion." As soon as he said that both Ying Yue and Zhuang Wei stared at him in shock. A blank stare glazed through their eyes while they tried to process his words. On one hand Zhuang Wei could not believe how shameless would be, on the other Ying Yue was just shocked that he held pride in his statement. He looked at her after for confirmation with happiness in his eyes. It looked like a child looking at their mother once they had done something ''good.'' Not holding it any more she stepped away from him and turned her face away to laugh. Her burst of chuckles prompted Zhuang Wei to follow her in laughter. They really could do nothing else but laugh in this situation.

    She did not rebute him when he introduced her as a girlfriend because she did not want to be disrespectful in front of his best friend. Though they did not have a confirmed status there was no other way to clearly introduce her relation to people. As long they both had clarity on their situation it was fine with her. It would also be rude of her to immediately shut down his statement in front of someone he holds close and would make the situation awkward. However, she could respond to this sentence without considering him. "Stop stop, I can''t do this anymore." Laughing again she took a second to calm her breathing before tapping Xi Long on the side. She lightly hit the side of his body and turned back towards him. His eyes held a gentle care and amusment as he watched her laugh.

    "You can call me Valentina, Val for short." Reaching her hand back out she shook Zhuang Wei''s hand in a formal handshake. During the short break Xi Long gave her she decided on using Valentina as her answer. It was something she hadn''t used yet and if she had to continue introducing herself to other people she would prefer an "expensive" name. While she personally didn''t care, in the business world your name carried weight. Valentina was a classier name and gave off a foreign feel, it also incidentally shared the same first letter as a Viper. This made it easier to remember. The additional bonus of having an english name is that it steered away from Chinese completely and people would easily assume she was an international.

    "An english name? Are you a foreign born chinese?" His eyebrow raised in response to her name.

    Just as she expected, his first thought was to assume she was a foreigner, her features were Chinese but you couldn''t not tell much behind her mask. "What do you think?" She threw the question right back at him. Since he was close to Xi Long she wasn''t sure how much she should lie or how far to stretch her story so it was better to leave the onus on him. Then later she could deny ever lying since she had not confirmed nor denied anything.

 Chapter 79 - XiXi has a Girlfriend....

    "What do you think?"

    Zhuang Wei squinted his eyes as he tried to read her expression. Half of her face was covered by a mask so he only had her forehead, eyes, and body language to go off of. He usually felt like he had a good handle on judging people accurately but the lady in front of him was perplexing. On first look there was an intelligent witty woman of common origin. However, from the way she held herself it seemed that she was of higher class upbringing. It was just a gut feeling he had that made him believe there was more to the eye. Adding on, there was no way for him to believe that his best friend would like a woman who was normal. If he wanted a casual down-to-earth lady there were many in their circle or in the country that he could reach out to but he always steered clear of them. Considering their lives and how dangerous it was, a normal woman would only cause them trouble.

    He had always known that his friend worked hard not to implicate more people after what had happened to his family. Even now, without doing much he could walk out of the office building and have an assassin waiting to take his life. For someone who had no guarantee on their own life, how could he protect another''s? Hence, Xi Long made it rule to keep those relations far from his life. If Xi Long had chosen a normal woman, then he would try to stop him from getting too involved. The second someone realizes that they had a weakness then it would be used over them. So it shocked him that out of the blue a woman would appear and have such ''close'' relations with him. To think someone could ensnare him to the point of childishness then she must be quite powerful.

    From her acting he could already tell she was used to high stakes scenarios and was well-versed in character switching. This is why he knew that ''Valentina'' was another character, ''I bet Xi Long doesn''t even know her name either.'' He didn''t feel insulted that she had not given her real name, it was understandable. He had not done anything to earn her trust and they always had to be cautious. Even if she was XiXi''s girlfriend, until he really knew her he would not give his alternate names as well. In this office he was known aa Zhuang Wei or Director Wei. Outside of the office, he has many names that he used on the streets. Giving away one name could easily blow his entire cover and provide information to their enemies. Though it was slightly interesting that she chose Valentina as her name. ''I wonder if she thought of it on the spot or if she had it as an option previously.''

    However, even more than that he was interested on how she looked beyond the mask. Her eyes were crafty and were a dark brown. She had jade skin with a healthy tan and raven black hair. On a physical basis she looked fit so he had a feeling that she would be quite pretty but he couldn''t tell for sure. Half of her face could change the entire perspective. Even though he would think that a woman that has ensnared Xi Long would be gorgeous by any standards. He wondered how long before he could see her full face....being extremely curious was a part of him.

    Flashing a smile back at her, he responded to her comment. "I think...nothing haha. Maybe you are foreign born but I''d like to think a beauty like you is from around here." When he finished his comment he felt a slight sting against his forehead. Rubbing the spot he glared at Xi Long who had flicked him harshly against the forehead. "What was that for?!"

    "Cause I felt like it."

    "Cause you felt like it?! You''re such a child! You see...Valentina, what kind of man this is?!"

    Ying Yue laughed as she was brought back into their argument. It seemed that when they were together they would only act like children. Just a second ago she was speaking to an intelligent man who had tried to "test" her but he was now a 10 year old whining over a flick. She could tell that he didn''t believe her name but appreciated that he took it in stride. There was no obligation to give a name at all but she had given one to be polite. He understood her cautiousness and followed along, which was a preferrable situation.

    "Haha yes I see, I''m not surprised however. He has always been....childish I would say." As she ended her sentence she could see him give her a quick glare from the corner of her eyes. Holding her fingers lightly over her mask she held in her smile. Even if he could not see her mask, the twitches in her face were give aways.

    "See you recognize it! What do you say you date me instead?"

    "Ahh sorry you''re not my type...."

    Clutching his chest in fake pain, he held a heartbroken expression as he looked at her. "Oh my lady, you have wounded me so...! So cruel!"

    "Good job, break it some more." Xi Long interrupted his monologue with a teasing smile and his own comments.

    "How could you be so cruel to me!!! Just cause you found a lover your forget about ME?! Your best friend?! Your HONEY??!!!"

    "Yes."

    Stumbling, Zhuang Wei''s eyes watered with crocodile tears as he pretended to look shocked from Xi Long''s response. "My heart!!! Broken twice within two minutes!! I cannot....go...on....so much betrayal. How do I recover from this?!"

    "Are you done?" Xi Long watched his act with a bemused expression and held back his laughter. He could always depend on Zhuang Wei to be the most dramatic person in the room. He loved films from the older days and ending up adopting the "flamboyant" style of acting in his regular life. He could act more seriously but maintained a more obvious fake version in front of his friends.

    "You always were a party pooper XiXi."

 Chapter 80 - Considerations

    "Since he''s so boring, my offer is always available Valentina" Zhuang Wei winked at her and let out a teasing smile.

    "Haha I''ll keep that in mind Director Wei." Ying Yue let out a small chuckle behind her mask and held her arms against her body in a lazy stance.

    "Now now, you should call me Wei for short. We''re not strangers after all...."

    Turning to Xi Long she curiously gazed at him as she asked a question. "Is he always this fake flirtatious?" She could see him trying to anger Xi Long again but she felt like they should take a small break. No one said that Director Wei would not be at the receiving end of teasing after all. Plus, she''d rather stay away from dating jokes as much as she could. It was all fun and games for now but one wrong statement could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings. They were best friends and held a certain amount of trust between them. Though that did not mean she trusted Director Wei the same when she had just met him. He could easily be testing her right now in the guise of fake banter. Since she was pretending to be his girlfriend she wouldn''t risk any error in her role. Regardless of her lying or not a real girlfriend would not entertain those type of jokes past a certain point. It was best of her to move between the lines till for now.

    "Fake flirt?! How could you see me to be so shameless, my feelings are true!"

    Hearing his response Xi Long reached over and placed his hand around her waist drawing her closer. Tilting his head down towards her he ignored Zhuang Wei and responded to her. "You can just pretend he doesn''t exist. His words aren''t to be taken seriously, I''d like it if you just erase him entirely from your memory."

    "HAN XI LONG how could you be so CRUEL?!" Looking over at Zhuang Wei she could tell he wasn''t really fazed by his words. He did not take him seriously but held a distinct glint in his eyes as he watched them both. Maybe having Xi Long around other women was not common? She did not expect him to have many past relationsh.i.p.s due to the lack of news or intell surrounding it. Though she did expect him to have one or two considering his status and obvious good looks. It would be hard of her to imagine that a man like him had stayed single for so long but the way Zhuang Wei acted had her thinking differently. He viewed them as if the way he was acting was new for him.

    Looking back up to Xi Long she held felt slightly warmer at the idea. Everything was moving too fast and she was afraid of her small trust in him. Within the span of 10 days she had developed an understanding for his personality and felt a level of trust towards him. It was weird for her to trust someone so easily, though not completely, but even the little she had right now was alarming. It was as if she could believe him to do as he says and that he would not harm her. Which was a surprising trait in today''s time. In this country she had few allies and a plethora of connections, barely any of who she could trust in the same way. Naturally she had her reservations but analyzing his best friend''s actions soothed her. She enjoyed the idea that Xi Long treated her as someone special and had not treated another women in the same regard. If this was how he treated everyone she would have been disgusted.

    Men who try to please everyone were weak and were not worth a second of her attention. She could never assosciate with people who were willing to grovel and let go of their dignity on a regular basis. If it were a part of a plan or an temporady identity used to achieve a goal then that was fine. For it to be part of their normal behaviour or reporitore was revolting. She rather liked that Xi Long was a man who matched her values. They had never discussed any of it but it seemed they held mutual ideas regarding things. People also said that you can find out more about a man by looking at their friends. Analyzing Zhuang Wei and Xi Long together just reaffirmed that she wasn''t wrong in the way she judged him. Not to say he still wasn''t an aggressive profiteer pineapple head!!

    Looking down at Ying Yue Xi Long felt a smile forming on his face. He had noticed her get lost in her thoughts a couple of times since Zhuang Wei had came in but paid no heed to it. She kept her face and eyes neutral but he could sense when she was not focusing. Maybe it was because he was overanalyzing or it was due to the time they spent together but he was able to pick up on little things. He was getting better at reading her body language and right now he could tell she was thinking about him. It was a small hunch but her eyes calmly glancing at Zhuang Wei and him made him believe that she was. It seemed that she was analyzing their relationship and trying to decipher Zhuang Wei''s body language. Thankfully she had not strayed to any negative thoughts since could not feel any black aura from her. Truthfully everytime she thought like this he was always fearful of what she would say. She was intelligent but jumped to shocking conclusions out of nowhere.

    Glancing at his watch he realized they had spent a fair bit of time with the secretaries and Zhuang Wei. It had already been around two hours since she had arrived. Another hour and office hours would be over. "Have any plans for dinner? Want to go to a restaurant?"

    "Dinner? Isn''t it a bit early?"

    "If you wait one hour it would be dinner time. Might as well eat together since you''re here. Unless you want to miss out on the delicious food I have in mind....."

    Watching her nose crinkle up he watched her debate before she came to a decision. "I''ll go but .... it better be good!"

    "Me too I''m coming XiXi!"

    ".....don''t you have work to do?"

 Chapter 81 - Best Friend Duties

    "I''m done for the day! Meet you down in ten?"

    Xi Long glanced at his watch and tried to calculate how much time he needed. He could leave now but he hated leaving behind small tasks if he could. Since Ying Yue had come he had completely stopped working and hadn''t had time to finish it. He had seen her this morning and within a couple of hours be became greedy of her presence. Not that he intended on dropping the chip, it was a great reason for him to see her again. It was as if fate was working in his favour. "No I need to finish up some things and I know you have work to do. Go and we''ll meet downstairs in thirty minutes."

    "Ay Ay Captain." Adding in a mock salute, Zhuang Wei flashed a smile at the both of them before leaving.

    As the door closed behind him, Zhuang Wei''s face dropped back into a neutral expression. While he maintained a silly personality in front of Xi Long, he was 180�� degrees different in front of employees. Throughout the office he tried to be one of the kinder directors and fairly social but entirely strict at the same time. It was good for information collecting that he kept a "harmonius" relationship with the staff but it was important to keep a line. Walking towards the secretaries he kept a cold smile on his face as he glanced at the three women there.

    "I really hope details of this don''t go around the office.....I hope you all know what I mean." A shiver ran down their backs as he spoke with a darker tone. They all nodded their head quickly in agreement before the atmosphere went back to normal. Relaxing his face he put on a charming smile before stepping away. "Great! Enjoy your the rest of your day!" Waving his fingers he signalled his goodbye and entered the elevator. He knew the secretaries on the top floor were the leads in giving office gossip and he usually turned a blind eye to any miniscule gossip. There was an unspoken rule that no business details were spoken outside and to work here confidentiality is key. They had a warning system like many other companies but they only gave one warning before people were fired. A lot of people applied every year to secure a job at the company so it was a fierce standard to keep your job. Not to say everyone cared, there were mang who broke the rules and thought they would not be caught. Still, in the end they were found and subsequently fired with a black mark portfolio forever.

    The secretaries near Xi Long were chosen after intense vetting and held a higher status in the company social circle. They usually gave around small social gossip about the CEO like his outfits and if random indiviuals started trouble within the department. It was clear that they were shocked and curious about what happened. Xi Long''s behaviour was unnerving and he should have known the effect of his rash actions. Though as his best friend he has the responsibility to cover what he forgot. Slipping in a small warning was the least he could do to stop the information circulating. Until he knew how serious they were and found out more about her it should remain a secret.

    "Valentina....you sure are mysterious."

    ***

    "So what work do you have left?" Looking up at him she saw him let out a small smile as he sat back down.

    "Just a couple of papers and some emails, give me thirty minutes and I''ll be done."

    "Okay." Walking back to the sofa she took out her phone and opened up her news app. It was her routine to surf the daily news and keep note of what was happening. Even the small articles could mean something different and give valuable information. They both worked silently only the slight scratching of a pen against paper and his fingers typing against the keyboard could be heard. It was a comfortable silence and the time passed quickly. Hearing him pack up she lifted her head up from her phone and put it away.

    Slipping her mask back on she waited a couple seconds for him to grab his things before they left the office. As they were walking towards the elevator she noticed him double click a button in his hand. She instantly can tell he turned on his security for the office room, she was curious as to what it exactly did but ignored it for now. As they waited for the elevator to arrive she sneaked a glance at the secretaries around her. She could see them keep their heads down and eyes glued to their desk. It was as if they were scared of looking up but she could feel their eyes on her once she turned her back fully. The curiousity was expected, in their place she would be just as curious but it was funny to see them hide.

    It took a couple of seconds more for the elevator to arrive and they made their way down to the carpark. She followed him as he walked towards his car, just the soft taps of her shoes against the floor accompanying them. It was fairly empty to her surprise but it was a bit before work hours ended so it made sense. When they neared the car, both of them stilled as they stopped six feet away. She shifted her feet as Xi Long pushed her behind him and he slowly moved forward. A dark aura left Xi Long as his demenour changed. They could both feel that someone was near the car but hidden. Her fingers twitched as her eyes became hyper focused. For some reason as she neared the car she felt a strange tingling which was her cue that something was about to happen. She hesistated on bringing her weapons out but held herself back in case of it being a false alarm.

    When they got close enough Xi Long spoke with a dangerous tone, "come out, I know you''re there."

 Chapter 82 - Failed Prank

    There was a moment of pause after Xi Long spoke. He waited a couple of seconds but no one answered. A slight annoyance ran through him as he waited for the person to break the silence. It seemed that everytime he was with his kitten something untoward happened. They could never have a peaceful moment without getting interrupted. He wondered how much of this was a realistic expression of his life or just pure bad luck.

    It was really nice having her over in his office and his space for the first time. She showed no signs of a different behaviour after seeing his office and building. It was obvious she knew who he was but it delighted him that she paid no heed to his status. So many women threw themselves at him due to his power and money but she was exactly the opposite. His wealth or power did not faze her and she continued to treat him as if he was a regular person. There was a slight worry that after seeing his workplace in the flesh would have her change her opinions about him. Not that he wanted to have it this way but the building was grotesquely large to assert dominance. It could be jarring to the normal individual as it was a obvious flaunt of their wealth. He didn''t expect her to care about it but there was always a slight doubt with everything.

    Though he could tell she did not put any of it into her eyes. She walked in to the building casually with a basic outfit which showed how much she did not put any of this into her eyes. He had a sneaking suspicion that her confidence and comfortable actions were a thing of practice and not a natural ability. She would have to be used to entering buildings and seemed to carry herself at a Director/CEO level. ''She must come from wealth....'' All of her actions were added to his memory as they all added new information to his profile on her. He understood her on a basic level and he could recognize that she was someone who has seen blood and war. Her specific skill level was unclear but she was definitely trained. Past that however, there were too many different aspects that could easily lead to another potential identity.

    Even now, they had both sensed that someone was behind the car around the same time. It surprised him that she had the same level of ability to sense that something was off and pinpoint where. ''How many more surprises does she have for me.....'' Glancing at his watch he saw that a minute had gone by after he acknowledges someone was behind the car. He had a feeling that he knew who it was but he could never take the risk of being wrong. Reaching into the back of his pants he pulled a gun out from where it was tucked. Holding it with two hands he bent his arms and held it in position to shoot.

    "Step out now or I''ll shoot." His voice was tinged with annoyance as he spoke. Clicking the safety lock off he prepped the gun to shoot. Walking towards the car he got close and saw a body slowly raise their hands behind the car. The second he saw the familiar hands he felt relief and renewed annoyance. ''F*ckin Zhuang Wei.'' As more of the body started emerge behind the car he saw Zhuang Wei smiling mischeviously at him. Leaning against the car he placed his hands on the hood before opening his mouth. Before he could answer Xi Long fired a shot towards him.

    "Wait, Wait" Zhuang Wei immediately dogged as the bullet zoomed past him to hit the stone post. Jumping out from behind the car he looked at Xi Long with shock. "WHY DID YOU SHOOT AT ME?!"

    Slightly tilting his gun he shot again near Zhuang Wei. "HAN XI LONG WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

    "Oops, I didn''t see you." Putting the gun down he tucked back into his pants after flicking the safety lock on.

    "You didn''t SEE ME?! You did see me! You could have KILLED me?!"

    "Well you didn''t die did you? I was just defending myself against an attacker. Who told you to do such a stupid prank."

    "Okay those are lies but what about the second shot! That was after you saw me!"

    "My finger slipped...." Shrugging his shoulders he turned around to see Ying Yue holding a hand in front of her face. He could see her holding in her laughter at them.

    "Valentina!! Val!!! Do you see how he treats me?! So cruel?! Trying to kill his best friend?! Wahhh" Leaving his place near the car he went towards her and slipped behind her as a shield.

    "She won''t take your side, to be fair I did warn you to come out before I took a shot."

    "No no Valentina you have to get justice for me! Tell me wasn''t it wrong for him to shoot me!"

    "Ahaha, to be fair he DID warn you." Ying Yue could not hold in her laughter. She could sense when Xi Long had figured out who it was, his body had slightly relaxed as the hands emerged behind the car. I mean, even she had a small doubt that it was Zhuang Wei but with Xi Long''s status she couldn''t dismiss an assassination attempt. Her body relaxed when she realized there was no threat to them. When Xi Long fired at Zhuang Wei she found it really hilarious. It was obvious he did not actually aim to hit him. He had angled his shots to miss them but she did take note how quick Zhuang Wei reacted to the bullets. He skillfully evaded them and managed to hide his body behind the car. It added to her theory on him and made her believe more that he took part in the underground scene of their affairs. Despite this he maintained a comedic personality in front of her and even ran behind her for defense. She wouldn''t protect him though, for a stupid prank like that a few fake shots was a very light punishment.

    "Noooo not you too!! The betrayal, is there no one to defend me?!"

    "No. Now stop your whining, get in the car. We''ve wasted enough time." Xi Long unlocked the car and sat in the driver''s seat as she followed to the other side of the car. Reaching towards the handle she paused as she looked up at Zhuang Wei. She naturally went for the front passenger side but wasn''t sure if she should sit in the back.

    He flashed her a small smile before nodding his head towards the car. "Take that seat, I''ll sit in the back. He''ll definitely shoot me if I sit in the front for now aha." Nodding back she slipped inside the car and clicked her seat belt into place. A second later she could hear the sound of Zhuang Wei entering through the back.

    "So where are we going to eat? I''m starving."

 Chapter 83 - Little Yunnan

    "You can starve....Valentina what are you in the mood for?" Ignoring Zhuang Wei in the back Xi Long turned to Ying Yue for her answer. He felt weird calling her by another name but he had to follow what she had said. Not that he did not trust his best friend, it was not his place to offer that information. Especially since neither name he knew her by was her real name. They were all alias'' for her true identity so not giving one of them would make no difference. There was a balance of trust he had to maintain between them, he could feel Zhuang Wei slowly try to analyze them but it was unlikely he would discover much. When he had first tried looking for her they had gone through great lengths to discover her name and identity but everything was scrambled. It was as if she did not exist or was the combination of multiple people since each lead they had lead to another person. Her body language also didn''t give much. It was slightly funny to imagine that there was a problem his best friend could not solve.

    Zhuang Wei held a warm persona at work but was a cold and calculative person. He was also his right hand in the underworld. For one to be at that position it was natural that he possessed strong computer skills and was an entire information guild by himself. There was relatively no news that did not come back to him so having a person he does not know and be so close to them would drive him crazy. He was desperately reaching trying to chip away at his Kitten''s true form but she was skillfully evading him. Every drop of information she gave them he knew she deemed it either negligble or it was an intentional mislead. Though one thing he could believe to be true is he love for food. The minute he asked the question he could see the figurative gears rolling in her head as she debated what to eat.

    "I want something spicy but also...meat. Definitely should have meat!"

    "That''s quite vague you know, many restaurants have spicy dishes with good meat. What about cuisine?"

    "Hmm, Chinese maybe Mala spiced food?" He thought of all the good restaurants nearby and immediately crossed ones without private rooms. If they were going to eat he''d rather do it in a secluded area where he could mitigate having problems.

    "How about Little Yunnan?"

    "Okay." Nodding his head at Zhuang Wei''s suggestion he turned the car on and reversed out of his parking spot. Finally leaving the company grounds he drove towards the restaurant. He turned on the radio and let the soft sounds of classical music accompany them. "If you don''t like the music you''re free to change it. I have no strong preferences." He glanced at Ying Yue to confirm she heard him before focusing on the road.

    "Neither do I, classical is fine." His lips curved up in delight before turning the volume up higher. The music flowed creating a comfortable atmosphere during the drive. It wasn''t a long ride before they arrived to medium sized building. The exterior was simple but held elegance. Parking on the side he waited till everyone got out from his vehicle before locking it. He moved forward and towards the front door. As they entered, the smell of traditional chinese food entered their noses. To greet them an older man stood next to the podium.

    "Welcome to Little Yunnan, do you have a reservation?"

    "You know we never do Old Zhu." Xi Long laughed at the man as his voice held a warm tone.

    The old man broke into a chuckle as he spoke to them. "Yes yes but an old man can dream. Come your regular room is free, your lucky I haven''t given it out today." Ying Yue curiously watched their interaction before following them through the restaurant. The inside held a historical feel with brown and gold accents. There was a good amount of people dining on the floor that made the place look more welcoming. Going past everyone they went towards the stairs and headed to the upper level. This was less occupied and mainly compromised of private rooms. Old Zhu as what they called him opened the far back room and moved aside to let them enter. As she entered she was graced with a luxrious setting. The furniture was just a wood table and pillows on the floor. Adorning the side were ancient styled paintings on the walls with a window to gaze out of. Taking off her shoes in the corner she sat down at the table with a pillow as comfort. She quite liked the way everything was set up, it gave a calm vibe. Xi Long followed her suit and sat down at the head of the table while Zhuang Wei sat across from her.

    "So will you be having your regular meals? And a menu for the lady?"

    "Ah Old Zhu you know us well but a menu would be great thank you!" Zhuang Wei answered with a teasing smile. Stepping out from the room the man took less than three minutes to come back with the menu. Handing it to her he made a motion to leave again.

    "No sir, wait a second. No need to leave again I don''t want to trouble you this won''t take very long." Quickly reading through the menu she looked for the most appealing dishes. "Can I have the Ma La Xiang Guo extra spicy and a side of rice please and thank you."

    "Okay, drinks?"

    Turning to them she wanted to see what they would order but they shrugged in response. "A teapot of jasmine tea would be good." It was a basic choice so if they didn''t like it, it was their fault for letting her decide. The old man nodded his head before leaving to put in their orders.

    "Old Zhu is a family friend and has been with us for many years. We always frequent here so we are considered regulars." Xi Long calmly told her how they knew him as if he was expecting her to ask. ''The curiosity on my face must have been obvious through my eyes. Its quite weird that he can read me so well even though I''m wearing a mask.''

    "Mhmm, thanks... what do you guys usually eat?"

    "I usually get Taiwanese beef noodle soup and XiXi gets chili crap with egg fried rice."

    "You can try my food." Her lips tilted in a smirk as she heard his statement. He tried to act sauve but she knew exactly what he was doing when he offered her the food. Once she heard that there would be chili crab her mouth watered from the image of it. There was no way she would be able to control herself with it in front of her.

    A knock sounded outside the door interrupting her thoughts. They waited a couple seconds before speaking up "here to deliver the tea."

    Zhuang Wei answered her "come in."

    The door opened as a slender body entered the room. She had on a mid-sized skirt and a uniform standard top. In her hands she held a tray with the cups and steaming teapot. Placing it onto the table she carefully put everything in order before stepping away.

    "Would there be anything else?"

    "No thank you." She looked up to see who responded and her gaze quickly went over Xi Long as well. Ying Yue could see that her eyes had slightly widened before she controlled her expression and nodded her head in response. Exiting the room the woman went away with her tray but something felt off. She could not pinpoint her feeling but she could feel that there was something different to that waitress.

    ''Am I just imagining things.''

 Chapter 84 - Confusing Instincts

    "What are you looking at?" Xi Long noticed when Ying Yue had started gazing off. It was only for a short period but it caught his eye. He had always kept an eye on her since they had entered the restaurant. There was a bit of curiosity on how she would react to everything but he also just enjoyed looking at her. Despite having a mask on and a probable neutral expression under it, her body held slight signals. When the waitress had entered he had paid her no mind but when she looked up at them Ying Yue''s eyes changed. Her eyes narrowed for a couple seconds as she stared at the waitress before getting lost in her thoughts directly after. Though he wouldn''t be surprised that she did since it seemed to be a common occurance with her. Regardless, he was interested in what caught her eyes at this moment.

    "Hmm nothing...." She crinkled her eyebrows and responded to him.

    Raising an eyebrow he looked at her with an unconvinced expression. "It doesn''t look like nothing....did you notice something about the waitress?"

    When he mentioned the waitesss he could see her eyes light up and she turned her body to face him more. "So you noticed it too?"

    "Noticed what?" Xi Long looked at Zhuang Wei when he spoke to confirm if he knew what she was talking about, ''....no he doesn''t.'' He was leaned over and had a confused expression on his face so that meant his Kitten had seen something they didn''t. Running the waitress through his memory he could not remember any distinguishable feature that would indicate who she was. At least he could confirm she was not a part of any known criminal organization since he could recognize her but there is always a margin of error.

    "I didn''t but you should tell me what you saw. Do you know her?"

    "No I don''t but...."

    "But...?"

    "There''s something wrong, I just feel that something is off but maybe I''m just overthinking it. Forget what I said." Rubbing her forehead she looked at both of them in frustration. ''I probably sound crazy talking about energy and going off a random feeling.'' It was hard to articulate what she was feeling and only after seeing the waitress for a couple of minutes. Her gut instincts were something she used to survive dangerous situations and they were never wrong. The only issue is that she was unsure how to read her gut in this instant. If she felt something was wrong it could mean the food could be poisoned, the waitress herself was a hidden weapon or something bad in general was to happen during the dinner. Sighing, she leaned back against the wall and cracked her knuckles. She had initially been excited to have a peaceful dinner but her life since meeting Xi Long had been anything but peaceful. Not that she entirely hated it, a blade needed occasional use to prevent it becoming dull but can she have a dinner??!

    Making up her mind she decided to stay cautious and wait out to see what happens. It wasn''t if she was alone, she had Xi Long and Zhuang Wei on her side to fight if need be. While she hadn''t see the latter actually physical fight but she knew that he could. Looking back to both of them she could see that they were still looking at her with concern.

    "Just ignore what I said, let''s focus on dinner. I''m hungry, how long left before the food arrives?"

    "It''s been about fifteen minutes so far so I''d say another ten to fifteen more. They make everything fresh to order so it take a bit of time to cook them." She pouted at Xi Long as he responded to her. He was happily commenting that it would take xx longer for the food to arrive when he knew she was starving. ''I''m definitely stealing more of his crabs hmph.''

    "Don''t pout, I promise you the food is worth the wait. The chef has won many awards."

    "False! I''m not pouting! How can you tell I am pouting?! I''m wearing a mask."

    "Speaking of masks, when will you be removing yours? Surely you won''t be eating with the mask on." Hearing Zhuang Wei interject she turned to him and saw that he was wearing his signature flirty smile with a crafty look in his eyes.

    "And if I do?" She raised her eyebrow in a defiant manner. Did he think she would be phased by that? She had long understood that her mask would become a problem for eating but she hadn''t quite decided what to do. She trusted Xi Long and felt that Zhuang Wei would be okay to show her face too. If he wasn''t trust worthy Xi Long would have never allowed him to eat with them. However, she had a bit of hesitation increasing the amount of people within the area that have seen her face. She had stayed underground and very lowkey but now two of the major players within the city would know how she looked. On the other hand, eating chinese food with a mask on would be inconvenient and messy. If anything were to happen she would cross that bridge when she got there. It wasn''t as if she could not just disguise herself and change her identity within thirty minutes. When she needed to run, he wouldn''t be able to find her.

    "Oh come on, that''s not fair! He saw it why can''t I?!?"

    "I''m worried you won''t be able to handle it...."

    "I''ve seen many beautiful women in my day and I am easily the most attractive person in this room. I''m sure I''ll be fine but I would love to see the face of the woman who tamed our XiXi."

    "No I don''t think you understand me. I''m worried you won''t be able to handle losing."

    "Losing?! Are you calling me UGLIER THAN YOU?! XiXi do you hear this??"

    "She''s not wrong."

    "...."

 Chapter 85 - Lost in Many Thoughts

    "Why did I even come to this dinner???"

    "Never too late to change your mind. I''m open to stealing your dish "

    "You guys double teaming and bullying me is too much!!!"

    Ying Yue joked continued to joke around with Zhuang Wei while Xi Long sat silently on the side watching. She enjoyed egging him on even though they both knew he was faking his heartache. There was a part of her that was still annoyed about him scaring them earlier so it relieved a bit of her anger to speak verbal jabs. It was a mix of enjoyment and revenge hidden behind her words. She had no desire to actually address the prank or progress it any further. If she knew Xi Long they would have a discussion later about it when they were alone. Though it was not as if she could not guess why he had done it. The reasoning was not beyond her and it was a dumb way to achieve his intended purpose. If this were any other person she would have not spared them so easily but she knew he was just supiscious of her. The protectiveness over his best friend was understandable. If Ming Ming or Neo had suddenly bring a lover over she would have been wary as well. She would have done a lot of things to confirm they were good people. Though while she understood him, it doesn''t mean she liked it.

    Pouring herself a cup of jasmine tea she blowed before taking a small sip. The warm liquid flowed down and helped soothe out lingering frustration. The only positive that arose out of the situation is her being reminded of her shortcomings. Being underground and lowkey for the past couple of months she had become a little sloppy. Especially since she had come to visit Xi Long she had not packed anything properly. The only thing she had on her was a lower-tier blade that would only be good for casual combat. If this was a real situation today she would have gotten injured. Last time when they were dealing with guns during lunch she was able to take them down and steal one of their guns but luck would not always in her favour. She had her knives on her that day but stupidly forgot to bring them today.

    ''Sigh Ying Yue you need to go into training again....'' It was no good for her to get sloppy like this, it seemed that she would have to pay a visit to Ming Ming and Neo again for further training. It was also good for her to stay away from her regular gym for now since she had literally fought outside it this morning. Those people would probably try looking for her for the next couple of weeks too. Well it was great that they had set up extra measures and created the perfect training center for her to go back to. She had a strong feeling the more time she spent with Xi Long the more training she needed. Not that she already could not hold her own, she was confident in her current skills. However, it didn''t hurt to train more and practice new ways to use her weapons.

    The knocking on the door was an arrow to her heart, she looked up excitedly at the door. The smell of food was wafting through the door so she was sure that their order had arrived.

    "Come in." Zhuang Wei spoke telling her it was okay to come in.

    The door opened and in came the same waitress. She held a dolly with two layers of food resting on it. Wheeling it in the waitress bended over and placed the dishes on to the table. Ying Yue stared both at the food and at the women deeply. She noticed a stray button open showcasing her collarbone. ''Was that open before or...'' As the waitress placed the final dish on the table she stepped back and looked at them. "Please enjoy your meal and let me know if you require anything else." Her eyes were steady as the glazed over Xi Long and Zhuang Wei. However, when it got to her she saw a slight ripple in her eyes. It was as if she did not take in that Ying Yue was there and was now surprised a woman was eating with them.

    "No, we are good for now. You may leave." Zhuang Wei again answered the waitress.

    The waitress nodded and made motions to leave. As she was opening the door Ying Yue decided to speak up. "Wait....what''s your name?"

    Turning around the waitress bowed and said "my name is Wang Jinghua. Is there a problem miss?"

    "No, nothing at all! Just wanted to know your name, thank you for bringing the food."

    "It is my job miss, I will leave you to enjoy your food." Bowing once more she turned around and left closing the door behind her.

    Even after asking her a surprise question she reacted normally but she could not shake off her weird feeling. There was literally nothing to prove that she was anything but a regular waitress. Maybe she was just attracted to one of them and her senses were signalling that someone was aiming for Xi Long? Or maybe after their previous lunch she was just extra paranoid?

    "What''s wrong? Why did you ask her name? I don''t recognize from my end but it could be a fake name." Xi Long looked at her with concern as he spoke.

    "Nothing...I was just curious. Do the meals look normal?"

    "Mhm yeah why are you doubting if its been tampered with?"

    "I mean it wouldn''t hurt to check?"

    "We don''t have anything on us to check poison though."

    Ying Yue was slightly shocked at his answer. For someone to not have any poison testers on them and live in such a dangerous world, it was beyond stupid. Imagine a mighty mafia and CEO taken down by poison?? Reaching into her hat she pulled two small needles from the lining. While she was dumb enough to forget weapons at home she at least kept her needles on her. It was something Ming Ming had created years back that could sense if food had been tampered with. All known poisons would react to the needles and turn them black if there was any trace of it.

    "Well you''re lucky I came prepared. Let''s check if this food is safe."

 Chapter 86 - Finally Eating

    Ignoring their looks Ying Yue calmly placed the needles in one hand while dragging the dishes closer to her. She could see them be curious and slightly shocked that she had pulled two silver needles from her hat. It was something out of the ordinary but honestly they themselves should have been carrying a poison tester on them. If they had there was no reason for her to bring out her items but thankfully she never left without them. Even if this was a regular restaurant and they trusted the workers it was a rookie move to eat without checking. Enemies would take advantage of this being a reoccuring location and poison would be the easiest method.

    Sticking one needle into the noodles and one in her dish she waited a couple of seconds before pulling it out. If there was poison the tip of the needle would turn black. She waited to see the reaction and thankfully nothing changed colour. Still she couldn''t be sure so she stabbed the dishes a couple more times to see if it was compartmentalized poison. It was rare the poison was placed in a part of the food versus the entirety of the dish but it was better to be safe. Satisfied that the ones she checked were fine they were put aside. It took a couple of more minutes to check the remaining dishes, all of which came out clean.

    ''Thank god the food is fine, my heart would break if one of these dishes was poisoned.'' Her stomach rumbled from having to wait so long with the yummy dishes right in front of her. They were not kidding about the food the smell itself was appetizing. Adding on, the look of it matched the smell and had her practically salvating on sight.

    Wiping the needles she slipped them back into the hat before looking back at them. It was obvious that they had questions for her but she had no intention of answering them or letting them touch her needles. Who knew their skill level? If they would be able to understand the mechanics behind the needles just by having it in their hands it would be dangerous. Not that it was anything to hide but she preferred to keep Ming Ming''s equipment away from people. Things like this could easily fall into the wrong hands and change the playing field. It was best to keep advanced technology to yourself so you could get all the benefits while minimizing danger. If the needles sparked innovation in them they were free to run their own test and research but she would not give them any head starts.

    "Let''s eat I''m hungry." Breaking their stares she pulled over her dish and filled her bowl with rice. Taking one more sniff of the food she was happy that she chose what she did. It had a good amount of meat too. Tying up her hair into a high pony tail she made sure to keep it from falling into the food. Reaching up to her ears she paused for a second before taking off her mask. There was a part of her that still hesitated in removing it but there was no way to eat with it on. As she took it off and placed it by her side she used a napkin wipe where the mask covered. Just in case she had anything smudged the napkin would wipe it away.

    The second she removed her mask she could feel Zhuang Wei''s eyes glare into her. Picking up her chopsticks she looked up and met his stare. "What? Falling for me?" She teased him with a smile and tried to edge him on with her words.

    "In your dreams!" Zhuang Wei''s eyes widened from her remark.

    "Do you see that XiXi he hasn''t denied it?" She immediately turned to Xi Long to continue the joke. He had a black expression as he heard her remark and gave a glare to his friend.

    "What are you glaring at me for?! You know I wouldn''t like her like that! What happened to bros before women??" Zhuang Wei had an exasperated look on his face as he watched his best friend''s reaction. He wanted to cry from how many times he had been wrongfully accused in one day. It was not as if he was not aware that he was gay but Xi Long didn''t care. I mean a part of it was purely humerous and he knew he didn''t take the comments seriously. But, it didn''t stop him from throwing glares whenever he could. It was like he was a panther protecting his prey from others.

    "Haha well enough with the stares. Are you ready to admit defeat?"

    "....do you ever feel like you''re too arrogant."

    "Nope!" Adding in a convincing look she let him take over as she went back to her food. Picking up a piece of meat she placed it into her mouth and let herself enjoy the high quality taste. The slight crisp of the beef added texture while the spicy oil was deeply infused for taste. Though she held herself back from making noises, it would be too embarassing to do it in front of others. Taking more of the meat she put it into her rice bowl and used a spoon to place it into her mouth. The addition of the white jasmine rice helped the meat go down better and made the dish more fragrant. It was a good amount of spice but she felt like it could be even spicier. Taking some red chili oil she sprinkled a generous portion over her rice before she continued with her meal.

    "Is it good?" Xi Long watched her eat joyfully with her signature expression. Just by the way she ate he could tell that the food was done well.

    "Mhm. Really good but not spicy enough. I would''ve added more peppers into it."

    "I can literally smell the spice from here and you need more?? You''re crazy." Zhuang Wei was slightly repulsed from the amount of spice he could smell from the dish and was shocked to hear it wasn''t enough.

    "And you''re weak."

    ".....I am never going to eat with you guys again."

 Chapter 87 - Hints in the Bathroom

    Ignoring Zhuang Wei, Ying Yue happily continued eating her meal. Each bite of food was so satisying and truly showcased the quality of the food. The crab was soft and fell apart in her mouth. Her taste buds were singing everytime she placed a piece in her mouth. Pairing it with jasmine rice, a small pepper and the soup she made a delicious bite. She switched between the crab and her own dish. Each helped sate her hunger and added peppers for whenever she felt it was not spicy enough.

    "Is it that good?" Turning to look at Xi Long she noticed that he had stopped eating and was focusing his attention on her.

    "Why are you not eating?"

    "I''ll eat if you feed me..." He had a smirk on his face as he spoke. It was not as if he wasn''t hungry but the food did not excite him as much as it did to her. They were regulars at this restaurant and have had this same dish many times. Not that it wasn''t good, it just wasn''t spoon shoveling worthy for him. Watching her eat was satisfying him in a certain way. But now that she had asked him it was a perfect setup to tease her. He could care less than Zhuang Wei was watching him and just focused on messing with her.

    "You have two hands feed yourself!"

    "Ah but it doesn''t taste good when I feed myself."

    Scrunching her face she looked at him with a pouting expression. There wasn''t a problem with feeding him but the action itself was awkward. She hadn''t fed anyone else since she was a child. Even then it was only because the other person was crying for her to feed him. Looking down at their dishes she felt a tad bit guilty with how much of his crab she ate. While he offered her to eat and the dish was large, she had still ate a significant portion.

    She took a couple of seconds before picking up her spoon and loading it the way she would eat it. Balancing the large bite of crab, rice, and pepper she moved it towards his mouth. His eyebrows slightly raised in shock before returning to normal. She watched as he quickly ate the bite but didn''t look away. Feeling pretty full she let herself feed him more. Loading up her spoon she fed him food between both of their dishes.

    "Spicy enough or no?"

    "I can take it a bit more spicy." She liked that he enjoyed spicy food as much as her. Not that the guy needed to match her level he should be able to hold his own. Adding another pepper onto the spoon she fed him a spicier portion with the spicy crab base. Within ten minutes both of them finished both dishes. Tapping her stomach she poured hot tea into both of their glasses. She would have poured it for Zhuang Wei as well but his glass was still full. The hot tea helped the food digest and cut through the oil of the dishes.

    As they sat in silence finishing their meal Ying Yue picked up a napkin and wiped her face. Making sure nothing was on her face, she wiped her hands and used some santizer to clear any germs. Putting a mask back on her face she got up from the table.

    "Where is the bathroom?"

    "Down the hall and to the left." Zhuang Wei responded to her and even used his spoon to imitate the direction.

    Nodding her head she slipped on her shoes her hat before heading out. They were the last door so she had to walk in the opposite direction to get to the bathroom. Taking slow steps she walked past the other rooms, each letting out a different sound. She could tell that some of the rooms were occuppied with a family and some had couples or a singular person. Nothing seemed out of place, as she turned to the left she saw the sign for the women''s bathroom. As she entered she went into a free stall and locked it immediately. Before she could unzip her pants she heard someone shuffling in the stall next to her. Not that it wasn''t normal considering it was the woman''s bathroom but she could hear a different material movie as well. It almost sounded like a metal wire and a cardboard packaging breaking. Not a typical sound of a tampon or pad.

    Continuing about her business Ying Yue used the bathroom like normal. If the other person started to notice that she wasn''t movie they would quickly leave before she could find out what was happening. She had no clue who was in the other stall but her instinct told her to keep watch. Peeping through the slit she waited till the person stepped out into the open. Pulling some toilet paper she maintained her act as the body slowly emerged into her vision.

    "The waitress??" Judging by the shoes already she had a guess about who it was. With the uniform and the colour of her hair it was easy to confirm the identity. It was annoying that the slit was so small but it was enough for now.

    ''Wang Jinghua who are you...?'' Ying Yue kept watching as she washed her hands and had quickly left. Since there was nothing in her hands she could only assume that it was flushed down in the toilet. But what could be so important that she got rid of it in such a manner?

    Flushing the toilet with her heel she stepped out and washed her hands under the sink. Using a paper towel she went back to the other stall and pushed it open. Peering in there was nothing to see from a wide look but she had to look further. It was kind of disgusting to look so close to a toilet but the fact that it was a higher end restaurant meant that they took care of hygenie very well. In addition the waitress didn''t even use the bathroom. Bending down she saw something shiny on the floor, using the paper towel she picked up the small pierce of metal on the floor. Shifting around the metal seemed familiar as if she had seen it before.

    "Is this....?"

 Chapter 88 - Instincts Never Lie

    "Is this...?" Staring at it more she tried to determine if it was in fact what she thought it was. No matter how she looked at it though she was right. Throwing it into the trash she rewashed her hands under the sink and used a paper towel to dry off her hands. Pulling open the door she walked back to the room at a regular pace. She didn''t want to alarm anyone and everything was still under her control.

    Once she reached their room she stepped inside leaving her shoes at the door step. She immediately went back to her spot but sat a lot closer to Xi Long. Leaning towards him she signalled him to lean in as well before she whispered into his ear.

    "The waitress is taped." The second she said that she could feel his body tense up. She didn''t have to explain what ''taped'' meant, in the black market taping usually referred to visual more than auditory. His gaze was cold as he looked to her for more information. "I saw her in the bathroom taking something out of the box. Found a camera piece on the floor where she was."

    Leaning back she picked up her glass and took a sip of her cooled tea. It was obvious that they could not let this slide so she let him think about how he wanted to handle things.

    "What''s going on?" Sensing the different aura his face dropped into a serious expression. His previous joking exterior was gone and a caculative man was left behind. Hearing his question Xi Long leaned over and whispered into his ears. They had to remain quiet lest there was anything else in this room that was watching them. While the chances were low they had to make some precautions.

    "What''s going on? Just telling XiXi that we should come back here to eat again without you." Ying Yue added in a comedic comment to cover any of the seriousness in the room. They had to maintain the old vibe until the waitress entered the room. Once she did they would be able to capture her and extract more information. Or at least catch her in the act. It was a lot safer that she was here with them today lest they were caught up alone with her. Obviously she had ulterior motives but considering her gender it could become a scandal. They could spin a s.e.x.u.a.l assault story, though she had doubts it would make it to paper but words were powerful in itself. Not that Xi Long would care but her presence did make things a lot easier.

    Following her cue Zhuang Wei eased up his face and went back to his original joking exterior. "Waah again with the betrayal. I hope you guys go alone because I really cannot stand being around you both!"

    Laughing along his joke, Ying Yue reached her palm over and grabbed Xi Long''s without looking at him. She pulled it over and placed it onto her lap. Using her finger she started writing out characters into his palm. She had questions to ask him without alerting anybody else. If there was a camera in the room they would think that she was flirting or playing around.

    >> Do you have any weapons on you?<< She knew he had his gun but wanted to know if he hsd anything else of use. Her one small blade was okay depending on the severity of the situation.

    Using her idea, he lifted his hand to respond via his finger on her palm. >> gun only.<<

    Turning to glare at him she felt annoyance inside. ''This man really only went out with a gun, every moment I spend with him I wonder how he made it so far acting like this.'' Maybe she had different standards of safety but he was low on basics. >> what about Wei.<< She was too lazy to write his whole name out and just used a nickname. She felt a quick pinch on her hand before he signed back "gun."

    Both men were absolutely useless in her eyes. Reaching over to the food she grabbed the spare table knife and pretended to drop it on the floor. Using a napkin she wiped at her pants as if she had stained herself.

    "You''re so messy." Xi Long passed her his glass of water and left it by her legs. This was done as if it was to be the liquid to help wash out the "stain." But its true intentions were that she could easily break the glass and use the pieces as weapons. There had to be some improvisation considering their situation.

    As if on cue, not even a couple minutes later there was a knock on the door. Taking a quick but sharp glance at Zhuang Wei they all signalled to let her in.

    "Come in." There was a small pause as they all waited for the door to open. The waitress walked in and did a bow towards the group before looking up. She maintained a professional smile as the waitress looked at them.

    "Is the meal to your pleasure? Would you like to order anything else?"

    Zhuang Wei had taken the role of speaker for the group. "No the meal was great as always, send the chef our compliments."

    "Will do sir."

    "Before we get the bill, our female acquaintance has accidentally spilled her food. Do you by chance have something to take the stain out?"

    "Ah yes, if you don''t mind....I seemed to have drop some curry on my pants. You can see the stain here."

    The waitress seemed slightly taken aback but nodded regardless. As it was expected the waitress moved closer to take a look at the potential stain. Using this momentum, Ying Yue waited until the right moment before tripping her onto the floor. She let the waitress drop over her legs as she swiveled out from under her and sat on top of her. Pulling out the table knife she held it against her neck before speaking.

    "Don''t move or it will pierce your skin." Even though she did not know where the camera was she had a feeling it was tied to the front of her blouse. It would make sense as she had noticed that a button had opened earlier in the dinner that was closed prior. Which in hindsight, was the waitress prepping to install the hidden piece.

    Leaning down she stabilized her position before taking both the waitress'' arms behind her back into one hand while she kept the knife in her other. "Who do you work for?"

 Chapter 89 - Wang Jinghua

    "I....I don''t know what you are talking about..." The waitress stuttered as she tried to respond. She tried to struggle away from Ying Yue but was locked into the ground. Ying Yue didn''t respond but pressed the blade deeper into her skin just enough to draw some blood.

    "Oh sorry I must have pressed too hard....I just have a really hard time controlling my strength you know. So what were you saying again?" Her voice was light as if she was talking about the weather versus life and death. Judging by how she reacted, Ying Yue could tell that she was not a trained fighter. Therefore, she could eliminate assassin or anything similar of the sort. Even if the woman was good at hiding her skills her body would have been trained. However with having her arms behind her back and sitting on her back she could feel a lot of fat. The body wasn''t really flexible and genuinely felt like a civilian woman''s body with how soft it was. With that in consideration, she was probably someone who was paid off to do whatever tonight without knowing exactly what she was getting into.

    "I have no clue what you are talking about...please let me go." At this point Wang Jinghua was shaking and her eyes were filling up the tears. Looking towards the men she tried to give them an innocent look and beg with her eyes. "Please sir I didn''t do anything wrong. If I made a mistake I apologize but I really don''t know what you are talking about."

    Watching her act pathetically made Ying Yue laugh out loud. Turning to Xi Long she made eye contact with him as a smirk formed behind her mask. Keeping the knife against her throat but pressing a little bit harder on the waitress'' arms she spoke to him in a teasing tone. "Oh did you hear that, she doesn''t know anything. How pitful of her, maybe I did make a mistake." As soon as she said that she could feel the waitress below her get filled with hope. Her eyes were looking ernestly at both of them but it was hilarious to watch for Ying Yue because she knew how quick that hope was going to die.

    "So....do you think I made a mistake as well? Should I let her go...? The choice is yours babe." She knew that the camera was still on jinghua but she could care less. Judging by the level of skill involved in this, the model was likely one that records but does not have a live feed. On the off chance someone else could hear her she was determined to maintain a fake relationship with him. It was fun to tease the waitress and whoever watching that she had some sort of extra relationship with the infamous Xi Long. It was entirely against her entire belief and her desire to remain underground but she couldn''t help herself. The way the waitress opened her buttons and tried to use her eyes to pathetically gain sympathy from them made her want to restate their relationship. It didn''t make her mad or possessive but just feel a need to let the waitress know her place. ''You would think this woman would do more than just beg men when she has a knife against her throat.''

    Just as she expected, hearing Ying Yue say babe made the waitress'' eyes get wider and her body slightly limp. She still was looking at the men with hope but there was now more hesitation. Xi Long knew her intentions and silently let her do whatever she wanted. Following her lead he perfectly responded back, "Why should you stop? My baby is never wrong, do whatever you want to this ....thing." His eyes had gone cold, there was slight warmth to his tone when he spoke to Xi Long but his facial expression was the opposite. His teasing smile directed at Ying Yue felt like a death sentence to the waitress. She looked at Zhuang Wei but was met with the same cold expression.

    "Well then...if you still don''t know anything I have no more use for you do I. Pass me your gun babe, I''ll make this quick."

    "No no please don''t kill me!! I- I''ll tell y-ou everything please...don''t kill me!!!" Satisfied with her answer Ying Yue signalled Zhuang Wei over.

    "Come hold her down." Zhuang Wei just silently did as she asked and took her place holding the waitress down. Pulling her up he brought her to a sitting position with her hands behind her back but facing Ying Yue. He used her other hand to keep the blade against her throat making it drip further with blood.

    "One scream and I''ll slit your throat." Zhuang Wei spoke behind her to emphasize his position. If this waitress had any funny ideas he would end her. Ying Yue made eye contact with Zhuang Wei and nodded with understanding before staring at the waitress. She slowly looked over her body checking for any other suspicious items on her. Reaching over she ripped the couple buttons of her shirt open and as she expected, on the lower one a small camera was there. Taking it between her fingers she looked it over to take in the model information. Thankfully it was a recording device as she guessed. Placing it on the table she used her bowl to smash it into pieces. Once she felt satisfied that it was broken she turned back to the waitress.

    "Wang Jinghua....was it?"

    "...." The waitress didn''t respond immediately but quickly nodded once her arms were pulled more aggressively.

    "Now I don''t have much patience. I ask once and you answer me immediately. If you lie I''ll end you here regardless of what is the truth. Now who sent you?"

    "..It was a woman!! I don''t know who she is!!! She paid me 3,000 and said all I had to do was put the camera on when I served you."

 Chapter 90 - Getting Some Background

    ''A woman?'' Looking at Xi Long her eyes were deadpan. The instant Wang Jinghua said that she knew that it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with the men in the room. "Seems like its your problem....what women have it against you? Excluding me of course."

    Xi Long watched her eyes change and become accusatory against him. He inwardly winced at her sarcastic tone though he couldn''t blame her. Everytime they went out to eat together there was some sort of interference involving a woman. To think that he couldn''t even trust a female waitress made him want to hit himself let alone let her hit him. Sighing he gave back an exasperated look paired with half a smile before focusing on the problem at hand. He glanced at Zhuang Wei and was met with the same confused expression so he could confirm that there was no immediate suspect. He had lots of enemies, some of them were women of course but it was hard to pinpoint who wanted a recording of him and for what reason. It could also just be someone eyeing the position of Mrs.Han and wanted to blackmail him? So many reasons and potential explanations.

    Bending down he sat on the floor next to Ying Yue. He let her keep the knife but took out his gun and directed it at her. There was little doubt that the waitress would lie with a knife against her throat but adding a gun to mix was safer. She wasn''t trained so with a gun in her face he could trust her words more.

    "How did you know we would be here today?" That was the question he was most curious about, it was not as if they had made any prior plans to come here. For a spur of the moment decision the waitress had been too prepared to capture them on video.

    "I..I didn''t! She had paid me a couple days prior and said that when you visit to record you. She...she said that you come here often."

    "And how did she know to contact you?"

    "I don-don''t know....she must have seen me leaving work or something. I''m sorry!!" The waitress broke into tears as they flooded down her face. Her eyes screamed of desperation as the anxiety of the situation set in.

    "How did she contact you? I need details on the women." Xi Long could care less for her tears, the information she had was more important. He was used to seeing people break down in front of him and held little pity in these situations.

    "Through the phone, I got a call from my cell phone from a blocked number. When I picked up it was a strange women asking me to record you when you visit. She promised a lot of money and I don''t know anything else!! The camera was dropped off in front of my house in a blank envelope. Please let me go...!!!"

    "Hmm I have a feeling that you know more." Turning off the safety lock on his gun, he loaded it and pressed it against her head. "Speak quickly my patience is wearing."

    Jinghua''s eyes widened in panic. "I don''t know anything else!! I promise!! I don''t know who it is, she sounded young in her 20s but nothing else. Huuuu please let me go."

    "Where''s your phone."

    "In my pocket!! The left one!!!" The waitress bite her lip and tried to blink away the tears. Xi Long nodded at Ying Yue to grab the phone from her pocket. There was no way he was going to touch her. She stared at him a couple of seconds before reaching over into her pockets. After fiddling a bit she grabbed the phone and pulled it out. Turning it on the lock screen prompted a password. Ying Yue turned the screen towards her face and it automatically unlocked. Going in she changed the settings so it no longer needed a password before throwing it at Xi Long.

    Xi Long caught the throw and opened up the phone to check the call directory. Just as the waitress had said there was a blocked number in her history from a few days ago. He didn''t have any tools by his side to reverse track the number but he wanted to know who it was quicker.

    "How were you supposed to pass the camera on?"

    "She didn''t say anything about that and just said that she would be in contact. Please I''ve told you everything I know." Ignoring her pleas he signalled Zhuang Wei to keep her quiet. He stuffed paper in her mouth to muffle her noise. Xi Long had a light suspicion, he clicked the blocked number and pressed redial. The phone successfully started ringing, giving them both a pointed look he held the phone to his ear. It rang several times and he had less hope that someone would pick up. Right before he put the phone down the line clicked on.

    "Hello? Have you done it yet?" A woman''s voice spoke through the phone, she held a haughty and annoyed down as she spoke. Just by that he could tell that she was from a wealthy background. Nodding at Zhuang Wei, he put the phone on mute before bringing it towards the waitress.

    "When I take off mute you will speak accordingly into the phone got it? One wrong move and you die." The waitress responded by nodding her head furiously.

    "Well what is it? Why have you not spoken?" The voice rang out again for a second time. Pulling the paper out her mouth he took the phone off mute and put it on speaker.

    "Yes....yes I have recorded it. What do I do now?"

    "Good...I will tell you how to give the camera soon." Turning the phone back to mute he spoke to the waitress. Tell her that you won''t give it unless she comes tonight with more money. That if she does not come you will sell her out to me."

 Chapter 91 - Setting a Trap

    Following his direction Jinghua nodded and copied his words exactly into the phone. Her voice slightly shook from the fear she felt but tried her best to speak confidently into the phone. ''Why was I so stupid to get caught up in this.'' She had her initial doubts when she got the order to record him but the money was too tempting. Plus all she had to do was wear a camera and take it off after, nothing actually serious. He was somewhat of a celebrity and people try to sneak pictures of him all the time - practically harmless. Now, she''s on the floor with a blade against her throat as she is being threatened into following their orders. ''I swear on my life I''ll never do something like this again.'' Holding back more tears the warm pain in her throat reminded her not to test them anymore.

    "You dare to order me?! Do you think I can''t end you."

    Feeling Xi Long''s glare she quickly spoke back into the phone. "You can but I can go to Mr. Han faster. Give me more money and I won''t say anything."

    "You don''t even know who I am."

    "I may not but do you think Mr.Han can''t figure it out?"

    There was a pause before the woman responded. "Fine, I''ll have the money sent to you tonight in an hour."

    "No, you bring it yourself or the deal is off. No matter how you delay I can just hand over the details to Mr.Han before he leaves. You have to come, I''m not dumb enough to trust a random goon."

    "Outside parking lot, one hour." The woman cut the phone and the dial tone rang for a couple seconds before the call was cut. Taking a shaky breath Jinghua looked up at both the woman and Mr.Han. "C-can I...go now. I promise not to tell anyone about this but please let me go." She looked towards the masked woman with more hope, no matter how she looked at it the woman held the most power in the group. They had been following her orders from the beginning and was the first to hold a blade against her. Just based on the eyes she could tell that killing her was nothing to her.

    "You leave when we tell you too, you still have to appear in front of her in an hour." Ying Yue carefully watched Jinghua as she spoke on the phone and her behaviour while doing it. The more time passed the more she could tell that Jinghua was innocent. She wasn''t dumb and caught on quickly to their intentions but fell into a trap for quick money. If there were any other doubts, Ying Yue would have suggested finishing her off but she was sure that Jinghua would keep her mouth shut. So letting her ago was no problem but not until they had used her fully. Nodding at Zhuang Wei she signalled him to let her go and take the blade away from her. Picking up a clean napkin she held it towards the small cut on her neck to help with the bleeding.

    "You can sit in the corner silently till we tell you what to do, try to run and we''ll kill you. Follow our orders and everything can be finished peacefully. Understand....we don''t need to hurt this pretty little face anymore...right?" The fear in Jinghua''s eyes satisfied her and was all the confirmation she needed. Letting her sit in the back corner of the room they all resumed their seats around the table, keeping the weapons in front of them within reach. Looking at both of them they held a serious aura but she felt amused by the situation. Just based off the last couple of times she went out with Xi Long, it was 100% confirmed that situations like this would be a reoccuring issue. Unless he booked off the entire restaurant she had no intention to eat out with this man again. Part of her liked the thrill of fighting and facing the unexpected but it could easily become more trouble than she needed. Staring at Xi Long, she drank in his features again.

    ''Tall, handsome, rich.'' It was obvious why women worked so hard to catch his attention but was it really worth this much work? Not to mean that he wasn''t worth it but did they really think these petty tricks could make a man, any man, fall for them. It was pathetic in her eyes to stoop so low to win someone''s favour for romantic aspirations alone. Also, to assume he would fall for it meant that they really didn''t understand how cruel he could he. No matter how kind he was to her she would not forget that he was a rutheless business man who held ties with the mafia.

    "Why are you staring at me?"

    "Why? Prefer someone else''s eyes on you?" She teased back with an evil glint in her eyes. His taken aback expression was all she needed to make her bust out laughing. There was no response he could give to her statement that would let the argument end well. Enjoying the break in energy she kept laughing and was quickly joined by Zhuang Wei as he took in his friend''s face. As the laughter died down she cleared her throat before getting back to the issue.

    "Do you have any more suspects after hearing the voice more?"

    "No." Both of them answered at the same time with a hint of confusion. If they had not recognized the voice it meant the woman was not a known enemy or someone who did not hold much importance in their eyes. She sounded as if she was a spoiled woman in her early to mid 20s and was very arrogant. There was a huge chance it was a socialite trying to create an opportunity with Xi Long or a stalker. Though they could not eliminate the possibility entirely that there were more sinister intensions behind it. A simple camera recording was fine but it could somehow be used in a problem against him. Not much was impossible with the help of technology and graphics nowadays. Maybe why they need the recording is because there was too literal material on the internet to use. He was very strict on how much he was in the media so there was very little pictures and videos of him. She could verify that when she had done a background search on him.

    "So what do you want to do then?"

 Chapter 92 - Throwing a Net

    Xi Long tapped his fingers against the table as he debated on his actions. He had a strong feeling that the woman behind all this was just a misguided young socialite and didn''t think he had to do much against her. Though there was always the chance that she was part of someone else''s scheme which he would be able to figure out once he saw her. The faster this finished the quicker everything could go back to a normal. Glancing at his kitten he felt another wave of irritation flow through him. He kept dragging her into these situations but was surprised how well she adapated. A part of him could feel that in a way she was enjoying the thrill and adrenaline of these moments. Her face was blank but the glint in her eye was very telling. No matter how tense or quick things were he always kept an eye on her and her reactions. Every moment made his curiosity rise but with no answer in sight. For now, he had to push that into the back of his mind and focus on the problem ahead of him.

    Opening his mouth he spoke only two words, "watch, subdue." If someone were to overhear his words it would be easy to be confused and misunderstand the conversation but to Zhuang Wei and Ying Yue the direction was clear. They both nodded their head in response and relaxed against the walls. There wasn''t much things to be said, all they had to do now was wait. Looking back at the waitress in the corner he etcher her face into his mind.

    Turning to Zhuang Wei he reached his hand out, "phone." Zhuang Wei had a confused expression but obliged. Putting his phone in Xi Long''s hands he watched as he opened the camera feature. Directing it at the waitress he snapped a couple of pictures of her face before tossing back at him.

    "Wait why did you take my photo! Please I told you everything, what do you want to do!!!" Xi Long''s cold eyes passed over her quickly but ignored her words. When he offered no explanation the waitress began to look more distressed. Ying Yue cut in before they could speak again, "do as we say and forget tonight happened, you''ll live a long life. The second you open your mouth that picture will be added to the next hit list."

    With that the waitress went back to her normal stressed state and kept her eyes towards the floor. Rolling her eyes Ying Yue turned back to face Zhuang Wei and saw a weird look in his eyes. Raising her eyebrow she gave him a "what?" look. Seeing her question he turned to Xi Long and opened his mouth. "Why did you use my phone and not yours?" It didn''t initially bother him but the more he thought about it the stranger he felt. All day he had been attacked with a different version of his stone cold best friend and had been fed an extensive amount of dog food. This all made him doubt simple actions as using his phone that he would have not minded previously. He had a theory but wanted to hear it from him directly.

    "What do you think?" Zhuang Wei really wanted to throw a cup at his friend''s head after hearing his response. He threw a question back at him but made no move to deny his supicions. ''To use my phone to showcase your love??!! Have I not suffered enough?!'' Rolling his eyes at Zhuang Wei he took a sip of his tea to calm his heart. His best friend did it to say that no woman other than Valentina was worth being in his gallery. ''Must you go so far to show your love???'' If tonight was anything to go off of he doubted that the women in question would care about a photo. Xi Long had truly lost his marbles to care about the details this far. Though he wasn''t too surprised as it was in line with his personality, he knew how much he took care of those he liked. The protection Xi Long gave him was very telling in itself but was this Valentina worth it.....?

    Xi Long could see where Zhuang Wei''s mind was going but chose to ignore it. Glancing at his watch he noted the time, while they were talking an hour had almost passed. Getting up from his spot he signaled the waitress to stand up as well. They slipped on their shoes and silently made their way downstairs. It was around 10 minutes till the set meeting time so they had to be in place before then. The waitress was by their side so she wouldn''t be able to run away. Splitting up Zhuang Wei went to the other side of the building and stood beside the garbage bins. Xi Long stood by the edge of the other side hidden from the parking lot view. Ying Yue made motions to head towards the parking lot before she felt a hand on her elbow.

    "Where are you going?"

    "I''ll hide between the cars, I can reach them quicker."

    "No, you stay here."

    "Do you really think I can''t handle a spoiled rich girl? You''re the reason for this mess so let me have my fun." Feeling him let go she went towards the parking lot and hid behind some cars. Staying away from Xi Long''s which the woman would recognize there were a couple other bigger cars from the other patreons she could use as cover. Settling into her spot she let herself blend into the surroundings and made her breathing quiet. Even if someone were to walk by now they would not be able to notice her. Her blood was pumping with curiosity and energy, she was ready for a battle and hoped she would be able to fight a little. It was a bad habit of hers, to enjoy fighting and violence to the point of hoping it would happen when her current goal was to remain peaceful and undetected. Only she herself knew how hard of a challenge this was and by the looks of her life so far she was aggressively failing. Her body became still as she heard a car come rolling into the parking lot and headed towards the front of the restaurant.

    ''Was this it....?''

 Chapter 93 - All this for...her?

    Ying Yue wanted to peak her head out and check the car out for herself but held herself back. Considering the time of night it was fairly dark already but it didn''t mean she couldn''t be seen. Keeping still in her spot she waited as the car drew closer into the parking lot. To her dismay it parked on the outer edge far away from her. As the car turned off, the door opened and just by the sound of their feet she could tell it was a couple. The distinct noise of two shoes against the pavement echoed as they walked towards to the restaurant.

    Sighing Ying Yue relaxed against her hiding spot. Part of her was disappointed that the car wasn''t what they were looking for but it was unlikely the woman would appear on time. Socialities or the arrogant upper class always had a belief that others had to wait for them no matter what. As if people should be lucky that they had spared them any time and that waiting for them was a privilege of sorts. She hated people like that because they were usually the ones who had nothing valuable to offer. Confidence was always good to have but once you became arrogant there was an issue. That was because it implied that you were satisfied with your current status, people who worked to become rich always put effort in to keep growing. Who knew when they would be overthrown? Getting rich was easy, staying rich was hard. This was a lesson that she learned very young, money meant nothing and everything but hard work always paid off. Rich socalites who flaunted ''daddy''s money'' knew nothing about these concepts.

    As she was passing time she made started making bets with herself on the type of woman who would appear. Judging by the voice she was around her age but snotty, so for one they would come in a luxurious car. Probably has a slim body and would wear a dress with some expensive heels. The mysterious woman didn''t sound like she''d be one for casual wear or more formal attire. This was all just bets in her head of course, for all she knew the woman was the exact opposite. Breaking her thoughts was the sound of another car approaching. The sound of its engine was quieter but you could hear the crunch of the tires against the ground.

    ''Was this finally her...?''

    The car drove into the parking lot and towards the very front. She had intentionally hid herself a couple cars away from an open space. The car rolling in coincidentally went into this exact spot. There was a doubt again if this was the car or not but as the car remained on for a couple of minutes she was sure it was. Right on cue, Wang Jinghua stumbled out into the parking lot. Shifting to watch she went around the car to see Jinghua standing silently under the lampost. She made no effort to move forward and stood in the spot waiting for the other person to come towards her.

    The car door opened and a pale leg emerged out of it. The rest of the body slowly revealed itself and each part proved her assumptions right. Dressed in shiny heels and a tight dress the woman was the exact image of a socialite. When the woman walked into the light and towards Jinghua she could see that they had blonde hair. A suspicious feeling flooded inside of her as the behind of the woman looked very familiar.

    ''No.....it can''t be....this woman?!?!'' Ying Yue could feel her irritation rise as the woman''s voice and face was fully revealed. It was the blonde bimbo from a couple of days ago that had offered her money to leave Xi Long. She wanted to laugh at their current situation, all this stress and planning to capture this woman??? She was incapable of planning anything sinister. The expected fight scene she wanted or climax introduction of the mystery woman was disappointing.

    "Where''s the camera?" The blonde woman spoke first.

    "Where''s the money?" Wang Jinghua responded with a surprisingly confident tone. Ying Yue had to give props to this waitress for how calm she was acting know she had a blade against her throat a couple minutes back. She had even cleaned up her uniform and hair to look as everything was normal.

    "You!!! Do you know who I am?! I can destroy you!" The blonde woman spoke back with irritation in her voice.

    "Mr. Han is still inside, I can go inside right now and hand everything over to him."

    "What makes you think you''ll make it back in?"

    "Because my phone and all the other evidence is with a coworker who, if I do not come back inside within ten minutes, will deliver it to Mr.Han."

    "YOU!!!" There was clear anger as the blonde woman''s voice rose a couple octaves. Stuffing a padded envelope into Jinghua''s chest she aggressively gave the money. Seeing this Ying Yue knew it was her time. Crawling around the car she silently started making her way over to them. She used the other cars as cover and then silently walked up behind them. The blonde woman had her back to them which gave her an advantage. To cover any potential noises and to direct her attention Jinghua created an argument around the money.

    "How do I know this the correct amount?"

    "YOU DARE DOUBT ME?! Like this chump change is anything for me, you''re just a low class waitress. I gave you an opportunity to make money and you take advantage of me?! I''ll have you out of this city by morning!"

    "Oh really.... and how is that?" Ying Yue couldn''t help speak out and scare the woman. She had made it to right behind her when the woman had spoken the last sentence. Seeing the woman turn around in shock Ying Yue quickly grabbed on to her arms. Kicking a foot out from under her she made her fall onto the pavement. Holding her knee in the middle of her back she kept her stationary on the floor.

    "WHO ARE YOU?! HOW DARE YOU PUSH ME ONTO THE FLOOR?! LET GO OF ME?! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?!"

    At this point two other sets of footsteps were heard walking towards them. Looking up Ying Yue saw Xi Long make his way to stand next to her. His cold voice cut off her rants as the temperature dropped.

    "And who would that be?"

 Chapter 94 - Su Moxi

    Hearing his voice the blonde woman immediately froze in her spot. ''What is he doing here?! No...it can''t be....'' She tried to tilt her head to see who it was but her body was pressed against the floor with her hands bound. With the knee in her back she could only wiggle but not look upwards. The footsteps got closer and paused behind her before reappearing into her view. Two black leather shoes stopped right in front of her.

    A feeling of dread filled her as part of her came to terms with the man attached to the shoe.The pressure on her back was lessened and for a second she thought they would let her go but she was wrong. There was a pulling pressure from her arms that pushed her into a sitting position. Her legs were scr.a.p.ed and stinging from the ground. ''WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! LET ME GO! YOU''RE HURTING ME?!" From birth till now she had never been treated in such a fashion, despite being scared she felt anger flow through her.

    "So let''s try this again...who are you?"

    Looking up her suspicions were confirmed when she saw Xi Long in his full glory. Her face instantly dropped into a softer image as she looked at him with pity. "Xi Long please tell them to let me go, I''m not sure what I''m being held for. There must be a misunderstanding, you know I''m innocent right...."

    "And who are you for me to know?"

    "Xi Long please you know who I am! Come on...if you let me go I''ll make it up to you...I know you''re angry that I haven''t contacted you..."

    "You know I''ve been asking the same question from the beginning but it seems that you''re too slow to understand so let me say it clearly. Who. are. you?" His voice got colder as he pushed out every word. He could never understand how people thought he would fall for these acts. The change in her facial expression was clear as day but acted as if it was untraceable. It made him sick but in general hate woman that were like this. To add on, he hated when they acted overly friendly or close to him. In fact, he recognized this blonde woman on sight and he felt more irritation because of it. Not only was this woman not worth a second of his time but she had managed to destroy both meals he had with his kitten. If the person they caught today was someone else or something more dangerous, at least the interruption would have felt justified.

    He had sent a warning to her father the same day she had ruined his breakfast but apparently it was not strong enough. When he got back home he would deduct Shufen''s bonus, he was in charge of the type of warning given. If it was impactful this situation would not have happened.

    "Oh Xi Long you don''t have to pretend...my name is Su Moxi we''ve met a couple times. I can...reintroduce myself in....more private settings....."

    ''This woman is fu*king delusional.'' Xi Long stepped back from the woman and gave a look towards Zhuang Wei to take over.

    "I don''t interact with cheap and ugly women like you. It seems that the Su family head does not know how to control his children....its fine I''ll just have to send him a gentle reminder."

    "YOU!! YOU WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?! XI LONG LET ME GO! I''LL DO ANYTHING!" The woman started screaming and felt more fear inside of her as he walked away ignoring her cries.

    "Shut up will you, your screams are hurting my ears." Ying Yue had heard enough of her screams and leaned forward to speak into her ear. Hearing her voice the woman quieted for a couple of seconds before aggressively trying to break out of her hold. ''This is getting tiring....'' She saw Xi Long switch out with Zhuang Wei but making eye contact with him she nodded towards the bimbo in front of her. He nodded back and came over to take over the holding position. Honestly they could tie her up but nobody wanted to use their own clothes to touch this woman. If they were to use rope or similar material from the restaurant it would leave marks so they couldn''t do that either.

    "Let me go this is inhumane!!! What have I done to be treated like this?!"

    Walking to the front of the woman she crouched down to her height and titled her head in a teasing manner.

    "Hmm what did you do? Let''s start with the camera...hidden camera, paid some to watch us, bad intentions....sounds pretty illegal I''d say?"

    "Whoo...who are you?!" The woman screamed back at her.

    Ying Yue enjoyed the anger on the woman''s face. In a light teasing tone she responded. "Me? I thought you would remember me now....especially since you''e ruined my meal twice."

    "Your meal....what do you.....WAIT! YOU''RE THAT B*TCH FROM THE RESTAURANT?!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! YOU S.L.U.T STAY AWAY FROM XI LONG?!!"

    "I should stay away?" Turning to Xi Long she held a sharp glint in her eyes while the rest of her was relaxed. "What do you think Mr.Han should I stay away?"

    She could see the exasperated look on his face while his eyes held a warning. "Try if you dare." His words were short but she understood the meaning - run and I''ll lock you up. The possessive look on him was attractive to her, pleased by his answer she turned back the bimbo to see hatred spewing from her eyes. Which was a look that she seemed to be getting often after meeting him.

    "Looks like he doesn''t want me to leave...well then, maybe its time for you to start talking. What were you going to use the video for?"

    "Why do I have to answer you! A mere slu-"

    The woman''s words were cut short as a crisp sound echoed throughout the parking lot. There was warmth on Ying Yue''s hand as she pulled her hand back from the woman''s face.

    "Oops...were you saying something?"

 Chapter 95 - Different Meal, Same Slap

    "DID YOU JUST SLAP ME?! HOW DARE YOU?!"

    Ying Yue rolled her eyes at their reaction. "Why ask the obvious? I''m sure your stinging cheek is enough proof and its not the first time I slapped you." Chuckling she flexed her palm and looked back at Su Moxi provokingly.

    "YOU!!!"

    "Yes, me. Sigh, do you not have more vocabulary?"

    "SLU-" Before she could finish another slap rang across Moxi''s face on the other side. Her head whipped to the right and her cheeks turned red from the impact.

    "You really don''t learn huh..." Looking up at Zhuang Wei she signaled for him to hold her arms even tighter back so that she would feel a pain in her shoulder. They really couldn''t do this for too long in the parking lot before someone else would catch them. It really was a quick question Moxi needed to answer and they would let her go after. As much as she enjoyed egging her on, Ying Yue didn''t want to keep hearing their voice shrieking into her ear. "Just answer the question and we''ll let you go. Calling me names will take you no where, I''ll slap you everytime you try until this pretty little face of yours become disfigured." Gripping Moxi''s chin Ying Yue lifted up to maintain eye contact with her and show the seriousness of the matter.

    Ying Yue''s posture was relaxed but her eyes held a cold imposing glint as they stared into the woman''s. It was obvious that she was prepared to follow through on her words if they continued to ignore their question. She could see the bimbo look towards Xi Long one more time in desperation but all they got in return was a cold and noncholant stare. ''Did they really think that after all this he would somehow take pity on them??'' Women were too blinded by their greed or ego to see him for the ruthless man he was. Finally seeing the reality set into her eyes Ying Yue repeated her question.

    "Why did you plant a camera and for what reason?"

    "...I....just wanted some footage of him I could manipulate...."

    "You''re really bold huh, lying straight to our faces."

    "I''M NOT LYING!"

    "Tell the full truth before I take one of those guns and blow your brains out." Ying Yue really had no patience for liars or when they still tried to hide part of the truth as if she could not see through it. Though she had no intention of actually shooting her she wanted to put in the final nail to fully scare her.

    "...I took the video so I can create rumors with him in the media and....and if they recorded any secret information blackmail him."

    "Oh my....you''re so dumb I can''t even. This much work for an idiot like you is really beneath me."

    "YOU!!" The bimbo bit her tongue as another string of insults threatened to leave her mouth.

    "Did you really think you could become Mrs.Han doing all this dirty work? That he would accept you off a baseless rumor and some random blackmail? You''d be in a body bag before the sun set." Dusting her hands of she stood back up and stepped away from the women. There was nothing more to get out of her and she couldn''t bother to speak one more word to them. Walking away she headed back towards the restaurant but paused in front of the waitress.

    "You survived today, don''t mess it up." Giving the waitress one final look she went back into the restaurant and up into their room. It was irregular of her to advise someone she just met but she held nothing against Jinghua for trying to make a quick buck. She was a smart girl who was tempted by money and got herself in a dangerous situation by accident. As long as they learned from their mistake the rest of their life can be done smoothly. Maybe it was because Jinghua was a weaker woman or because Ying Yue saw how quickly she adapted to the role that she felt a bit of pity for her. It would be a waste for her to die now for something so minor though if it had anyone else the ''minor'' was more than enough reason. Sitting down she slipped off her mask partially and took another sip of water from the left over amount. Looking around for the service button she found it near Xi Long''s seat under the table. Pressing it she put her mask back on and waited for someone to knock on the door. Exactly two minutes after the expected knock arrived.

    "Who is it?"

    "Its me miss..." Hearing the familiar voice of the old man she quickly voiced for him to enter. As soon as he stepped in there was a slight shock in his face before it went back to its natural, gentle expression.

    "Xi Long will explain the details to you later but there was a bit of a scuffle. Can I trouble you for the bill please? And extra set of spicy crab to go? Thank you." The old man, to his credit, managed to not ask any questions and just silently followed through on her request. He quickly nodded and exited from the room leaving her alone again. Taking in the messy room part of her wanted to clean things up to lessen the burden on the staff but the other part felt that she had no need to.

    After a couple more minutes she heard some familiar sets of shoes walking towards the room. The door reopened to show Xi Long and Zhuang Wei as they took off their shoes and sat down in their respective spots. Neither of them made any movement to speak as they just sat their enjoying the silence. She could imagine the thoughts that were running through their head as it was probably similar to hers. The first one to break the balance was the Old man as he re-entered with the bill and a nicely wrapped dish in a takeout container.

    Taking it from the Old man she passed the bill to Xi Long while taking the takeout into her hands.

    "Thanks for the meal and I''m saying this in advance I''m not sharing."

    Zhuang Wei: "...."

    Xi Long: "...glutton."

 Chapter 96 - Ending the Night

    Ying Yue wrapped her arms around the food tightly and gave Xi Long a defiant look as if to say ''try and take my food, I dare you.'' She knew he wouldn''t fight her for a simple dish but she could also not take any chances with food. Hearing him call her a glutton she gave him a light glare. To enjoy food was a basic human need, to be called glutton for adding a dish was an exaggeration to her. ''He just doesn''t know how to appreciate food, hmph.'' She didn''t take his comment to heart and just enjoyed the fragrant smell of the dish in her hands. It wasn''t often she could eat such good quality crab so she took the chance to take some home with her. Just the thought of having the crab for a late night snack or lunch tomorrow made her mouth water.

    Xi Long watched as Ying Yue wrapped her arms tightly around the food as if protecting gold and held in his laughter. With a small smile slipping out he shook his head and took out his credit card. Placing it onto the bill he handed the book back to the Old Zhu. "You can add any of the extra expenses onto the card as well if you find anything damaged. Can you also do me a small favour and erase the last hour on the CCTVs?"

    Old Zhu nodded his head and left with the credit card to process it. Turning to Zhuang Wei he saw him sitting silently with a bored expression on his face. "I''ll deduct today''s meal from your bonus."

    Zhuang Wei immediately shot up with his eyes wide. "WHY???"

    "Cause I felt like it..." He didn''t have any intention to let him pay but he felt like teasing him. The sight of his relaxed and bored posture annoyed him.

    "Why doesn''t she have to pay then??" Zhuang Wei pointed his finger at Ying Yue with a look of greivance.

    "We discussed this....its because I''m hotter than you...." Ying Yue jumped in to add her two cents and rile him up further.

    Hearing her taunt Zhuang Wei''s face turned red as he couldn''t figure out what to say in response. Mumbling random words Zhuang Wei glared at the both of them before giving up. "I''m never going out with you guys again...bloody shameless the both of you."

    Interrupting their ''bullying'' session Old Zhu walked back in to hand over Xi Long''s credit card. Xi Long took it back from him and slipped it back into his wallet while thanking him. Getting up, Xi Long picked up his car keys before making his way out of the restaurant. Ying Yue and Zhuang Wei followed behind him quietly after making sure they didn''t leave anything behind.

    Slipping into the front seat Ying Yue put her seatbelt on and held onto the food on her lap. She could have placed it on the floor but it could easily fall over with a wrong turn. It was silent as Xi Long slowly turned out of the parking lot and started driving away. Only a quiet instrumental song was playing in the background as accompaniment. Taking in the direction of where they were going she could tell that it wasn''t heading to her house.

    "Where are we going?"

    "I''m dropping off Wei first." She held back a smile as she took in his answer. He had made things easier for her by dropping him off first even though it would make the ride longer. She didn''t know if he had anticipated her decision or it was coincidental but she appreciated it nonetheless. He earned one brownie point from her by keeping her location secret from Zhuang Wei. Regardless if it was his bestfriend, ZW was not her best friend and she didn''t trust him with any personal information yet.  Hence the name change to Valentina, she had initially thought she could be dropped off at a random location and then would go home by herself after.

    There was a warm feeling in her stomach as she thought about his caring actions. She wasn''t used to someone taking care of her to such an extent. Jewels, expensive gifts, flashy words weren''t her style. Small actions like this were more significant to her. It was constantly a surprise to her that a good man like him had stayed single so long. Even if she had not known him for long it was obvious that he was a catch. It was understandable that many women wanted to be Mrs. Han, though the demand was high now if they knew that he could be so caring..

    ...''that would be a storm for sure.''  Shaking her head she leaned against the window and cleared her mind. Thinking about these things did her no good. Focusing on the music she relaxed into her seat and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere.

    The car moved in peaceful atmosphere.

    It took approximately twenty-two minutes to arrive at Zhuang Wei''s house. The house was located inside a gated community for the upper class. For a very down to earth guy his house was on the flashier end but still matched his vibe.

    "I''d offer for you to come in for a drink but it is late tonight. Another time then." Zhuang Wei extended this offer on his way out the car.

    Ying Yue just nodded and said a lazy "sure" in response. With that they waited for him to enter his house before they pulled out of the driveway.

    The car was still silent after Zhuang Wei left. She debated for a couple of seconds before opening her mouth. "Thanks."

    There was a slight pause before she heard him speak. "For what?" His voice was low but calm as he answered her.

    "You know what..."

    A warm chuckle entered her ears as a flood of heat pooled through her. There was something about his laugh and rough voice that felt like honey to her.

    "I have no idea what you''re talking about Kitten."

    "....dork." Hiding her smile again, she pressed her palm against her mouth and turned her head to look out the car window.

 Chapter 97 - Reminiscing

    Looking out the window she leaned her head against it and watched the passing scenery. The car was silent after the her comment but it was a comfortable silence. Half the day had gone from when she first visited the office to when she was heading home. There was a dark overcast as the night slowly crept in reminding her how late it was. It sort of surprised her how quickly time had passed when she spent it with him. Though whatever time she had spent with him regardless of duration was never simple. Just counting on one finger she could list 3-4 incidents where they were caught up in drama.

    ''How many of them were women too????''

    She rolled her eyes as the various annoying faces floated through her mind. One was blondie and then there were three secretaries and for the cherry on top is his best friend pranking them. Granted Zhuang Wei wasn''t a woman but was part of their drama too. ''I wonder if his life is like this everyday?'' Just the idea of having to fend of women everyday drained her, she had always kept a low key profile because she hated the attention. From the beginning she had kept her background hidden but the few that did find out always treated her different. It disgusted her how quick people would change their attitude to kiss up to people of power.

    Which is why when she came to this city she made sure to stay hidden and had done well with it for the first couple of months. She had been slowly moving around and making her way towards this city before she settled in properly two months ago. These past two months her days were very quiet and peaceful as she set her roots here. It was not within her expectation that a normal walk in the alley would lead to meeting Xi Long. All she sensed was a man walking up behind her and thought it was one of the stragglers from the crew he fought a second prior. She immediately gave a round house kick and was surprised when her ankle was caught in someone''s hand. Out of all the people she could have met, she met with one of the most influential in this province - not that she knew it at the time. He definitely gave off the aura of an important man but also not someone you''d see walking in an alleyway by the harbour.

    ''I really should''ve kicked his ass then.....'' She didn''t regret meeting him but in hindsight, that was the best opportunity to fight him. For all the drama and cheesy lines he put her through, at least a punch should''ve landed. It wasn''t too late still, she may trust him a little bit but not enough to believe he''ll never screw up.

    Turning to look at him she watched him drive with her eyes half open. He was facing forward and calmly driving through traffic. Each action of his was burning into her mind, she had no clue what she was looking for but kept her eyes on him.

    "Switching the view huh?" His low voice broke her concentration as his words processed in her mind.

    "View?" Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

    "Its okay Kitten you''re my favourite view too."

    Finally understanding the joke she gave him deadpan look. "Have you been to the doctor recently?"

    His eyebrow raised in response as he gave a quick glance at her before he looked back at the road. "Mhmm for what?"

    "For you sugar levels, I think its starting to affect your brain."

    With that he burst out laughing with his rich voice surrounding her. His lips were upturned in a smile while his eyes held an amused glint. "You never fail to surprise me with these lines."

    "Like you''re any better..." This man had no shame when dropping cheesy lines like that to the point that she could feel her getting diabetes just from hearing it. She had to give him props for saying them so confidently despite how cringe they were. There was a tiny part of her that secretly enjoyed the lines but her favourite part was their banter. Her way of communicating was definitely in the aggressive teasing department.

    "I''m not, look how similar we are Kitten..."

    "....do you ever stop flirting?"

    "Not with you." Throwing a wink her way he let out a small chuckle as he saw her pouting. She was wearing a mask but he could tell by the way her cheeks were raised and her arms was crossed against her. These small actions of hers made him want to kiss her because of how cute it was. Kicking that thought out of his mind he tried to focus on the road without thinking of her like that. Ever since he had first tasted her bittersweet lips he had became a deranged man. His usual control was slipping as he grew addicted to her and the way she felt in his arms. He wasn''t sure if she felt the same but he took pride in the fact that she responded to his kisses now. Slowly but surely he was getting close to her despite how fast it was going.

    As the familar street appeared he knew that their car ride was coming to an end. He didn''t want to let go of her so soon, this car ride was the most uninterrupted time they had together but he had to go.

    Pulling up into her parking lot he parked the car and turned to her. Leaning forward he pulled her into his arms and gave a short hug. Leaving a kiss on the top of her head he whispered a soft "good night" next to her ear. She looked at him for a couple seconds before slipping off her mask from one ear. He didn''t sense anything odd before he felt a sudden pressure on his cheek and a quick whisper saying "good night." Shock filled him as he realized that she had given him a kiss back and leaned back into his seat as he watched her escape him. As soon as she kissed him she had taken her stuff and ran out the car back to her room. The sight of her small body scurring away in embarassment filled him with joy.

    ''Always with the surprises Kitten.''

 Chapter 98 - Tell Me Why

    Taking a couple of moments to enjoy the moment he leaned back into his seat and rested his eyes. There was a lingering smile on his face as he replayed the scene in his head. ''Cute,'' was the only word running through his mind when he thought of her actions. Yes, they have kissed before but this was the first time she initiated it herself. Adding on that she had kissed him on the cheek before running away in embarrassment. He couldn''t see her facial expression clearly but managed to catch the redness of her ears as she turned. It was a precious moment but he also couldn''t wait for the moment she kissed him on the lips first.

    A smirk took over his face as he imagined the scenario, his fingers twitched as he thought of the ways he could tease her. Hearing a beep from his phone he looked over to see an automated message prompting a software update. Dismissing it he glanced at the time and cleared his mind instantly. Shifting the gear to drive he reversed out of the parking lot and made his way back to the main road. As normal precaution he took several turns and random routes before he started making way to his actual destination. As it got later into the night the traffic slowly decreased making the trip quicker than he expected.

    Tapping his fingers against the steering wheel he had a cool expression as he drove into a familiar neighbourhood. Gone was the previous soft side of him as he reverted back to his natural cold exterior. The houses blurred before he pulled up in front of a black gate. It took only a couple of seconds before the gates opened for him and he was able to drive in towards the house. He had come over here so often that the guards recognized to always let him in no matter what car he drove. The guards were beyond run of the mill employees, they were former bodyguards and military that took on securing the outside of the house. Which is a level of skill only the rich could hire for such a minor job. Parking near the front he exited the vehicle and entered the house using the spare key.

    As he entered the house he could hear sounds of the television softly echoing through the halls. Taking off his shoes he followed the noise until he entered a larger living room. Sitting on the couch before him was a figure tucked into the side with a remote in his hand. The figure kept his face straight as he spoke "so you''re here."

    "Did you think I wouldn''t come." Sighing, Xi Long sat down on the other side of the couch as he stared at Zhuang Wei. It was obvious why he had come here and by the looks of Wei he knew as well. They hadn''t changed out of their suit as if waiting for Xi Long to arrive.

    "No, I was expecting this. Alright so you going to hit me first or can we grab a drink?" With that Zhuang Wei finally turned to look at him. A wry smile was on his face as he got up to grab glasses. Pulling a dark whiskey from the cabinet he brought a small table to the middle and placed everything on it. Unscrewing the cap he poured a small amount into two short glasses before handing one to Xi Long.

    "So what do you want to know?" He gazed at Xi Long as he asked the question. It was clear what they came to discuss but there was no fear in his heart. Zhuang Wei swirled the whiskey in his glass before taking a sip and leaning back into his seat. He never thought there would be a day his best friend would come seek "justice" for a girl. A girl he had just met on top of that. Not that he had anything against her...but he still couldn''t trust her completely.

    "Why''d you do it?"

    "You know why."

    "Do I? Why don''t you tell me and see if our answers match."

    ".....now you''re just f.u.c.k.i.n.g with me."

    "And? What''re you gonna do about it?" Feeling a sharp pain on his calf he looked in shock at Xi Long. ''Did..did he just kick me? What is he a preschooler????''

    "Bro...did you just kick me?"

    "You''re lucky that''s all I did." There was still warmth in Xi Long''s voice as he spoke but Zhuang Wei could sense the underlying irritation.

    "I..."

    ".....- what you did was stupid." Hearing Xi Long''s words he took another sip of his drink before putting it down. He took a deep breath before responding.

    "I know what I did was stupid but can you blame me? I...."

    "Yeah I''m blaming you. Right now."

    "Okay now if you''d stop cutting me off and let me continue..." He eyed Xi Long to see if they had an intention to interrupt again but only saw a patient stare in return.

    "So...I am to blame it was stupid I agree but how am I supposed to just accept a random woman in your life?? You have never shown much interest in other women but are practically obssessed with her. You haven''t even mentioned her to me and then bring her into the office as your girlfriend? I understand she''s different from others even I can tell that she''s intelligent and beautiful but what is her background? Just by the way she handled the secretaries in the morning was proof that acting is natural to her. Don''t you find her a bit suspicious? She could be acting aloof to get closer to you. I played that prank to test her nature in front of a gun and see what she would do in a dangerous situation. Even if she isn''t a spy you can''t have a weak woman around you. Yes it was dumb but it was the quickest way to test her at the moment."

    "So you felt the need to pretend to be an intruder or assassin and risk getting shot for the sake of a "test."?

 Chapter 99 - Liquid Punishment

    "Okay when you phrase it like that it sounds terrible...."

    "You know for someone I consider my right-hand man for analytical and information sourcing, you acted like a child. If I liked you any less I would''ve shot you out of spite."  Xi Long held his head in his hand as he gazed at Zhuang Wei. There was a wry smile on his face as he half-heartedly insulted him. He wasn''t even the least bit mad because he could understand his reasoning but it didn''t mean that it was okay. If the roles were switched he wouldn''t have chosen a fake attack as a means for information. The best way to see through someone''s disguise is to first analyze them and bait them out with time. Though that method was only used on individuals with high intelligence and had a blank history. Almost everyone who touched foot in this country had some past they could dredge up, those who didn''t were a danger to them. Zhuang Wei had probably tried looking up ''Valentina'' and became wary after finding nothing. Hence the prank earlier today.

    "So what....did she complain to you?"

    Taking a sip of his alcohol Xi Long looked back at Zhuang Wei with a blank stare. Opening his mouth he said a quick "no" before turning his attention to the television.

    "I mean she is pretty...but she''s not a simple woman. I mean you have to find it sketchy that she carries around a poison needle in her hat?!"

    Rolling his eyes he responded, "and what if the food was poisoned? She was prepared and we should be more prepared for that. Just cause its quiet now doesn''t mean we should let our guards slip."

    "But its Old Zhu''s place....but you''re right." Zhuang Wei''s face dropped as he realized that they had indeed been too lax on security. Their lives weren''t super in danger right now as they hid a lot of their influence but its better to be cautious.

    "I''m guessing you also don''t know her real name?"

    "I''ll find out one day, no rush."

    A shiver ran through Zhuang Wei''s body. "Ugh who are you?? Is this the ruthless CEO I know or a lovesick man??"

    Xi Long just sent a quick glare back as response. There was nothing shameless about being soft for someone, a man owned up to his feeling. It was only pathetic when they stooped to low extremes to either make the woman their''s or when they let it affect their entire life. Neither of which was happening to him.

    "So what is it about her?"

    There was a slight pause before Xi Long could formulate his thoughts. "Everything," was all he could say as his eyes turned stormy.

    "You do realize I''m not a mind reader XiXi, give me some details."

    "She''s nothing like the women I''ve met before, we met in a dark alley for one. I thought she was my target and before I could grab her I saw a roundhouse kick coming my way. The second her ankle was in my grasp and her face came to view I was struck. There was fire in her eyes and the skill she used to fight me off was intriguing. It started merely because she caught my interest but the more I spend time with her the more it becomes something more. I have no concreate answer on what I''m feeling, you know I''ve never loved anyone before but I''m determined to see it through."

    "Do you think she feels the same?"

    A smirk graced his face as flashes of their memories raced through his head. Even if she hadn''t said anything there was no way she didn''t feel anything. He could tell that something was holding back but that something was unknown to him. They''ve known each other for less than a month so it wasn''t surprising she kept him in the dark. "I''d like to think so.."

    There was a silent pause as they both let the words sink in. Zhuang Wei just stared at Xi Long''s face before downing the rest of his drink. The silence wasn''t awkward, it was a common occurance for Xi Long to sit silently while he chattered away. It never bothered him cause he knew that although Xi Long was more of the silent type he was always listening.

    "Alright....I just have one more question..." An evil smile adorned his face as he prepped to ask Xi Long the ''question.'' You could clearly see the gears turning in his head as his eyes held a gossipy glint. "How far have you gone with her?"

    The instant he said that he felt a pillow slam against his face. A warm heat flooded against his nose as the rest of him froze in shock.

    "Bro what the f.u.c.k was that for?!?!"

    "Stupid questions get stupid answers." Xi Long held in his laughter as he gazed at Wei. There was a red patch on their face and their hair had become ruffled. It was the perfect image of a disturbed bird.

    "Its a fair question!"

    "Its been less than 2 weeks since we''ve met relax, you know I don''t run like that."

    "You don''t ''run'' with women regularly either so I''m here for any anomolies."

    Xi Long put his glass back down and leaned forward putting a hand on Wei''s shoulder. With a completely serious face he said, "you need me to hook you up with someone? Sounds like someone needs to get laid, no worries it a natural urge anyways."

    "YOU?!"

    It didn''t take much time before he felt a pillow attack him in revenge. Letting out his laughter he let Wei hit him aggressively with a couch pillow.

    "Why are you getting so mad, is it cause I hit the truth on the nail??" Adding fuel to the fire his laughter increased as the redness in Zhuang Wei''s increased as well. The strength of the hits became stronger as Xi Long defended against them casually. They didn''t actually hurt him but it was definitely ther.a.p.eutic for Zhuang Wei.

    "Alright chill chill, I''ll stop....for now."

    "You''re such a d**k...I need a drink. You staying over tonight?"  Huffing Zhuang Wei opened some buttons on his shirt to let air in.

    "Mhm." Xi Long just let out a small noise for acknowledgement. Zhuang Wei''s face was turned so he did not see the crafty glint in his eyes. He got up and went into the spare bedroom he used and switched into more comfortable clothes. The suit was nice but he wanted some loungewear to relax in now. He left without saying anything but he knew Zhuang Wei would''ve went to do the same thing. It took only a couple minutes for him to change and freshen up before he made his way back to the living room. As he expected Wei was sitting there in sweats and a shirt refilling both of their glasses.

    "Here''s your drink....why does your face look like that?" At this point Zhuang Wei had started to feel something was wrong. When Xi Long had entered the room it was normal but he noticed a weird look in his eyes. There were practically horns on his head as he could feel that he was in danger.

    "No reason, let''s have a drinking contest."

    "What?? No you no I can''t beat you."

    Xi Long downed his drink before sitting down and refilling it. "No worries....I insist."

    "You said you didn''t mind?!?"

    "Did you really think I''d let you off with no revenge? I never let myself suffer any losses. Drink up, we have a long night ahead of us."

 Chapter 100 - Loose Ends

    "Alright but don''t you think we should do something before we drink all night?"

    Xi Long raised his eyebrow and looked at Zhuang Wei. "And what is that?"

    "About the Su Family? I doubt you''re kind enough to let them run free?"

    A tinge of disgust filled him as he thought of the crude woman who appeared tonight. He could understand being a bit foolish in love but when people went to such extremes as stalking or attempted blackmail it wasn''t love. If it reached that point it was more likely obsession or a desire to possess whatever the individual had. The majority of the women who approached him were like Su Moxi. They only saw his name or wealth but never him as a person. Not to say if they did he would still accept them, he had his own preferences after all. Even Zhuang Wei was not spared from these useless ploys. Wei was openly gay but there were many who sought him thinking they could "change" him or use Wei to get closer to get to him. There were even times that Wei was sent men as a trap, none of which were successful. Though none of them had ever lasted long in the city after and ''mysteriously'' disappeared overnight.

    "What do you mean....i''m a very kind man." He felt a light push against his shoulders as soon as he finished his sentence. It was obvious he was dragging it out and teasing Wei but he was never the type to give information immediately.

    "Shut up and just tell me. I was the one who had to hold that crazy woman too! She was struggling so much and her perfume reaked."

    Chuckling Xi Long imagined Wei holding in his disgust as he held a straight face. It was a well known fact that he had a sensitive nose so to say he suffered from holding down Su Moxi wasn''t too far of a stretch.

    "Don''t worry they won''t be able to get far, I just want to see what they''ll do if I leave them alone for one night." As soon as Su Moxi arrived, Xi Long had already sent some of his men to make their way to the restaurant. There was no need to send anyone to the Su family at that time because he was sure that she hadn''t informed anyone where she was going. They had arrived right after his kitten was done playing with the woman. In the beginning when she had tackled Su Moxi down he could see an excitment or joy in her eyes from the chaos of it all. It was obvious his kitten was someone who enjoyed getting involved in dangerous situations though he would prefer it if she would stay away from them. Though he doubt it would ever actually be that way. His kitten continued to investigate the woman and tease them in a sadistic manner, he was disappointed however when he realized that they had gone through so much trouble for such a dumb person. The instant the woman had decided to plot against him her fate was sealed but because she had insulted his kitten he would drag it out even longer. The Su family had not learned the first time he sent a warning but now he would just knock them down till they couldn''t do business in this city. He wasn''t too cruel though, he would let them live but just not anywhere near him.

    After his kitten had gone back inside he signalled for his men to quickly take her away and destroy any evidence of what happened, including any street cameras. Currently, there were a couple of men tracking the main members of the Su family just in case they had an extra tricks up their hand. The woman was bagged up and thrown back in front of their house with a small note pinned to it. It was something around the lines of "you should''ve listened the first time." Her car was taken by one of his men to be driven around and then impounded so they wouldn''t be traced back to the restaurant. There were a couple of plans he had in mind to destroy them further but they would only take full action in the morning.

    "So are we going for reputation or financial? Or violence?"

    "They''re aren''t worth any actual fighting but guess between the other two options." An evil smirk adorned his face as he reveled over their upcoming doom.

    "Judging by your face I''m assuming both? So what''s the plan for reputation? Women? Fraud? Murder? A different crime? Drugs?? There are so many possibilities." Zhuang Wei''s sparkled as he imagined the many ways Xi Long could ruin their reputation. Although he was his right hand man and best friend he rarely got involved in petty issues like this. Xi Long usually just sent out the orders to his men and he would get a weekly update on what he did. It wasn''t necessary for him to get involved but he didn''t mind hearing the details. The woman tonight had annoyed the hell out of him from her delusional behaviour to her cheap perfume so he was excited to see how they would be dealt with.

    "Fraud." Xi Long had initially thought of using something else but people would easily forgive a womanizer. Someone who commits fraud would be shunned from the business world cause after all people cared more about their money than another''s misfortune.

    "Hmmm...fraud. That won''t be enough....so you must''ve added a twist to this."

    "Orphanage."

    "That''s vile.....I love it." He knew the reason why Xi Long chose the orphanage was to hit the heart string''s of the general public. Even if someone decided to work with the Su family they would have to face public backlash and risk ruining their own reputation. It was unforgivable to lay a hand on those who had nothing but to cheat orphans who had no one to protect them was disgusting. There would be advocacy groups, media, and angry mothers at his throat once the news was revealed. Its not something people could easily forget for times to come. He even knew that Xi Long had not chosen it randomly. All of his attacks held truth in them so he was sure that the Su family had partook in actions similar or exactly of what their being accused of.

    "What about the woman? Are you leaving her alone?"

    "Is there a need to?" Xi Long held a endearing smile as he spoke.

    ".....what you mean to say is that ''Valentina'' took care of her so you don''t need to get involved."

    "Looks like you''re not too dumb after all."

    "I''m going to vomit, I''d rather take this drinking competition over being fed this dog food."

 Chapter 101 - Getting Ready for Bed

    There was still a bit of heat on her face as she closed the door behind her. When she ran out of the car she had expected the cool air to calm her down but it did nothing. She wasn''t against kissing him obviously nor was she overly embarrassed about it. What made her body heat up so much was just the rush of doing it so last minute. She held a small hesitation but was feeling pretty confident in the moment. There was no way she would stick around to see his reaction though, he would 100% tease her and the sweet atmosphere would be gone. Slapping her face a couple of times she took a controlled breath before slipping her shoes off.

    Her hand instictively reached towards the secret panel on her wall to activate her security system. It was part of her nightly routine and the only time she skipped it was when Xi Long was over. Walking over to the kitchen she took out the dishes and opened their tops slightly to let it breathe. The aroma of the dishes hit her instantly and made her want to dig into it again but it was only her mind speaking. If she dared to take another bite her stomach would definitely call it quits. ''Enough food Ying Yue, you''re turning into a pig.'' Giving a tearful goodbye she walked away from the tempting meal directly into her room. Dropping her stuff on the floor she immediately began stripping off her clothes. She hated keeping her ''outside'' clothes on for too long and any scents/dirt she picked up on them had to be washed. It was an occupational habit, no matter how clean you are there is always some sort of evidence that your fabrics will pick up. Silk and soft materials are the best but also have low functionality so cotton or stretchy polyester combos are worn more. Hence, the caution regarding what she wore. Washing it and removing it immediately meant that she could obliterate any subtle signs. If there was anything too stained or too messed up to remove she usually burned it discretly.

    Nowadays she had a peaceful life but a couple years ago it was hard for her not to come home with tears, rips, and blood splattered all over it. Throwing her clothes into the laundry basket she removed her needle from her hat before throwing it in as well. Taking out some lysol wipes she wiped down her bag and used some santizer on her phone before placing it on her nightstand. She took the laundry basket with her and threw it into the washing machine before going into her bathroom.

    She already took a shower this morning but already needed another one from what happened tonight. Disregarding the smell of the dishes in her hair, she also had some dirt smudged on her from hiding against cars and against the parking lot floor. Running herself under some warm water she took a quick shower as she let the tension from the night fade away. She had enjoyed herself but was annoyed that the blonde woman was the reason behind it all, it was very anticlimatic. At least if there was a greater mastermind behind her who was controlling everything that would have been better but it was a simple obssessed girl. She had met many women like her before all of which liked to throw around demeaning terms but they were wasted on her. The words only held value if you give them value. However, a part of her was curious on how Xi Long was going to handle everything. She didn''t ask any questions about her because she didn''t really care but it didn''t mean she wasn''t the slightest bit curious. So many possibilities for revenge but the question was what Xi Long would chose. As she slipped out of the shower and started getting red for bed she ran the likely options in her head. It was almost like a guessing game for her to place bets on the expected outcome. She didn''t have to wait long to see if she was right so that was nice. Knowing his personality the news of their family would be splattered across all newspaper outlets.

    ''What even was her name again? Xu...? Mu...? Su....I think her name was Su Mo...Su Moxi.'' The name made her laugh a bit because depending on how it was written the name was hilarious. It could be interperted as Moses or the ''end seat.'' Both of which were probably not the answer but it made her chuckle a little.

    After finishing up with her two minute skincare of a quick wash and some moisturiser she put on some sweats before curling up into bed. She laid silently as she pondered if she should just sleep or try to watch something before sleeping. It wasn''t long before both options were thrown away as she heard a ding from her phone. Reaching over she grabbed the phone and unlocked the many layers of security before seeing the notification. The ding she heard was a push notification for a systems update which to a normal person it would be just that. For her, it meant that she had a long night ahead of her. Getting up she softly padded over to her hidden room. Turning on the light she powered up her computers before clicking the ''update'' button of the notification. What that did was send a response back to the sender that she was ready to talk. Her computer was normal until it went black for a couple of moments and turned back on with a face on the screen.

    There were big brown eyes pushed up against the monitor before it was readjusted to fit the whole face.

    "What''s up hoe? Kill anyone yet?" The bubbly voice of her best friend resounded in the room as Ming Ming smiled at her devilishly.

    "No but I might if you don''t give me a good reason for bothering me so late." Ying Yue kept a straight face as she pretended to be annoyed with the other. The act would have been believable if her tone did not sound indulgent.

    "Late?? Its not even 12 am yet...are you turning into a grandmother....?"

    "You know I never compromise two things my sleep and food. So what''s up, tell me why you called?"

 Chapter 102 - Target Spotted

    "Why, I can''t call you to talk to my best friend??" Ming Ming widened his eyes and held a soft innocent look as she tried to convince Ying Yue.

    ".....Neo.....what''s going on." She rolled her eyes and directly ignored her. Tilting her head she waited for the familiar monotone voice to speak up. She could only see Ming Ming on the screen but she knew Neo was never far behind. When she had moved to this city they had all chosen seperate residences but had one base they would be able to operate out of. She didn''t go over too often but Ming Ming and Neo were there almost every couple of days. It was easier to do more technical tasks since they had made it into a military grade facility. Not that it was insanely large but the few things inside were well equipped. There was also a small gym for her to exercise and practice skills she needed to maintain.

    "A blue dot appeared on the map, its on the west cost." Neo spoke out as she had expected. His blank face appeared on the screen as he pushed Ming Ming away. He held a neutral expression but there was fondness in his eyes as he spoke to them.

    Hearing his words Ying Yue''s eyes lit up. She straightened up in her seat and moved closer to the screen. "Which one?" It was vague but they knew what she was referring to. There was a list only privy to their group of four and a personal target list. Each person was coded into three different colour codes red, blue, and white. Red was easy to figure out they were the most dangerous ones. A blue target were middle-men, people who went into hiding, or leads to red. White were part of the cleanup, once their plan was accomplished they would automatically be taken care of. After colour, they were placed in random numerical order so they could reference names and people without really saying anything. If a blue dot appeared then somebody on their list had finally made their presence known.

    Slim fingers quickly padded across the keyboard before answering the question. "Blue 47." It took Neo only a couple seconds to assosciate the identity and Ying Yue a couple of seconds to remember who it was. Propping up her feet onto the table she leaned back into the seat and started playing with a jade hairpin. She always kept one in the drawer so she could have something to fiddle with in her hands. As the hairpin moved between her fingers she held a mischevious smile on her face.

    "What other details do you have?" She kept her fingers moving as she kept her eyes on Neo. A plan was slowly forming in her mind but she would need all the information first. Tapping in a couple of keys Neo pulled CCTV footage and signal information on the target. "West coast, landed an hour ago and is....currrently with two other people in a room.....hotel room."

    "Did you face match the other people?"

    "No, didn''t grab a clear picture since its late at night but around the same height is all we can tell."

    "Mhmm...." This specific target wasn''t someone they had to take out immediately, rather use them to gain more ''insider'' information. She didn''t feel rushed to do anything right now but watch them patiently. "Neo, Ming Ming, keep an eye on them but we should look for any big underground events coming soon. There has to be a reason they reappeared now, if the reward isn''t big how dare the rat leave its cave?" There was a mocking tone in her voice as she imagined the greedy man in her mind.

    "OKAY OKAY OUT OF THE WAY." Huffing Ming Ming''s face reappeared on the screen as she pushed Neo out of the way. She had stayed silent while he gave the initial report but didn''t mean she would let him have all the fun. Leaning forward into the webcam she held a sneaky look on her face.

    "So....what else is new???" There was a teasing tone as if she knew that the other was hiding something.

    ".....If that''s all I''m heading to bed, let me know about the underground events even the ones that look irrelevant."

    "Yeah yeah we know what to do but stop changing the topic! You know what I''m talking about!! Spill the tea hoe."

    "I have nothing to say." Ying Yue kept her face straight as she looked at Ming Ming with a fake confused expression.

    "LIAR!! NEO LOOK HOW SHE''S LYING TO US!! We literally hunt for information all the time do you think we don''t know about you?"

    "Are you watching me again? I told you to stop stalking my coordinates." Her eyes turned into smaller slits as she glared at Ming Ming.

    "Oh stuff it, what''s going on with Mr.CEO over there?? Someone tried to look someone very similar to your specs from his company."

    "Mhm i''m aware but also know they couldn''t find anything I gave an alias."

    "So is he bothering you? Do we need to...''take care'' of him." The protective voice of Neo sounded behind Ming Ming as he directed his question at her. It warmed her heart to see her friends be so protective over her, she knew that if she were to say yes they would do their best to get rid of him regardless of how powerful he was.

    "Yeah tell us, I''ll give him a kick to the groin if he hurts my best friend!" Ming Ming waggled her fist in the air in fake anger.

    "He...hasn''t really done anything.....just ignore him."

    "So what is happening then?"

    She had gone through so many henious interrogations and never crumbled but a simple conversation with her friends had her stuttering.

    "We''re just casual friends, nothing too serious.....just a couple hang outs.....and he stayed over once....but it was raining! But...I think he likes me?" Her cheeks felt hot as she kept looking away from them. The temperature in the room shot up as she felt embarassed from the core.

    "HOLD UP HOLD UP, WHAT DO YOU MEAN SLEPT OVER?????"

 Chapter 103 - Friendly Interrogation

    There was a distinct rise in Ming Ming''s tone when she processed Ying Yue''s words. Even Neo had his eyes widened as he stared at her for more information. It wasn''t as if she had intended on hiding anything from them, they would find out eventually but never planned the ''when.'' It had only been a bit over a week since Xi Long and her had met so it was wild to think of everything that happened. Her body temperature was increased as her cheeks flushed. It was probably one of the first times she had to update them on some romantic news in her life. When she had something similar to tell them it was for a mission and there wasn''t many strong feelings attached to them. Other than pride and satisfaction of successfully of completing it. "Well it was raining so I couldn''t kick him out...?"

    A choking noise was heard from the other side as Ming Ming dramatically responded to her answer. "So you couldn''t kick him out??? YOU???? OKAY so we need you to start from the beginning because I need to know everything. You should have told us from the beginning!!"

    Rolling her eyes, she shifted her position in the chair as she stared back at them. "I wasn''t hiding anything didn''t I just give you an update? That''s basically it."

    "Absolutely not, start from the first night after you met him."

    "You already knew that part, I met him in alley but he caught me. We ended up fighting and he was a prick.....he held me in his arms and tried to get my name out of me. I escaped when he turned around to answer a call, then I came directly here. Hence, me asking Neo to delete the CCTVS."

    "Did he hack you after? Do I need to erase a trail?" Neo''s calm voice interrupted Ming Ming''s response. It seemed as if he wasn''t phased by what she was saying but held concern for her. He had always been the protective older brother type to her despite being a couple months younger.

    "How did he find you? You''re the best at stealth between us."

    A small sigh left her as she thought of the reason he did find her. "I was fine for around a day before we met again....at the chicken place nearby. There was such a low chance of a CEO being there and recognizing me fully covered on top of that. I slightly underestimated him so he followed me out from there....and we had a fight....again."

    "Is he that strong?? How is it that you never won or at least escape...." Ming Ming held a concerned look in her eyes "we should increase your training schedule again if so."

    A scoff left her, "me lose? He may be strong but if I wanted to I could''ve escaped!! I was just caught by surprise....he kissed me." There was a strong cringe as she forced the words out. Looking back she really let a random man kiss her and take advantage of her after barely a day. She doesn''t regret it but her actions were out of normal."

    "HE KISSED YOU?!?!? YOU LET THIS MAN KISS YOU??!?!?" Ming Ming shouted at her and her eyes were lit up with surprise.

    "Okay relax, you''re acting like he had taken my first kiss." Crossing her arms across her body she lifted up her chin in definance. Xi Long was not her first kiss, the memories of how it happened were a black stain in her life but there was nothing she could do to change it. The rest of her s.e.x.u.a.l knowledge came from textbooks, videos and some ''older sisters'' she met growing up. So in a way he hadn''t taken her first kiss but had taken other figurative ''firsts.'' It was weird how her body reacted to him, part of it made her afraid since she wasn''t used to letting other people control her. For someone who was only comfortable with pain she became a total dunce when it came to romance.

    "Your missions don''t count and he basically took your first kiss at this point. Whatever, continue the story."

    "....do I look like a storyteller? I''m just giving you updates...updates on my life okay. Anyways, I escaped him again but he thought he was very smart and planted a tracking chip on me. I was careless and didn''t notice anything wrong. It was only after he came pounding on my door in the morning that I realized something was wrong. I destroyed it so there''s nothing to worry about on that end."

    "He put a tracker on you....? That''s kind of creepy....stalkerish behaviour for sure and you still hang out with him?"

    "I mean yeah its creepy but also can''t see too much fault. I''d probably put a tracker on someone who caught my interest too and he knows I destroyed it and hasn''t said anything. If I wanted I also could''ve moved away so it doesn''t strike me as a huge issue. I will deck him if he tries to track me again though....Ming Ming do you think you can create a device that could nullify or track those type of devices?"

    "You mean one by just the transmitting waves or send false ones or destroy all together?" A notepad appeared out of nowhere in Ming Ming''s hand as she started to draw out a sketch. While she was the overly energetic one of the group she was equally a genius. Neo did most of the hacking and computer work but she was the mastermind behind all the new gadgets. From her poison needle to the configurations on her phone were all done by her.

    "Anything really."

    "Okay I''ll get back to you on that but probably. My price however....is that you finish the updates on him."

    Ying Yue chuckled as she saw the sly look on her best friend''s face. "You''re really not letting this go huh. Let me see...he took me out to breakfast. There was this annoying blonde woman who tried to pay me money to move away from him, was quite funny I''d say. He had her removed and I slapped her a couple of times because her mouth was loose. Then there was an ambush of like 50 people coming to kill him and we took them down together. All pretty normal stuff and then...."

    "And then.....are any of these things normal??? What is wrong with you????"

 Chapter 104 - Friendly Interrogation Pt.2

    "What?" She held a confused look in her eyes. The ambush was nothing to be surprised about, all three of them grew up around high stake missions. Being attacked by 50 or 100 men didn''t faze her entirely as much as it did when they were younger. There were faint scars all across her body as proof of those times. She tried her best to cover them up using old herbs and natural medicine but there were some that are too deep to fade.

    Ming Ming rolled her eyes as she took in her friend''s confused expression. It was obvious that she herself didn''t find these type of activities to be out of ordinary. She could understand why, they grew up in a brutal environment but sometimes her ability to adjust scared her. Things were so different when they were young and innocent. She could still remember the first time Ying Yue''s eyes went dull, it was the scariest moment for her. To protect them Ying Yue had taken a glass shard in her child sized hands and fought off a goon who tried to take them. Ying Yue was never the same after that, it was as if she had switched into a full protector role. There was nothing she could do to help then but swore that she would protect her too. It was why she threw herself into technology, she used to sneak into classes and libraries to steal books and teach herself to read. Playing with the scraps in the trash she tried to make and understand the devices. When they were a bit older things changed however...''no don''t think about it. It''s done.'' Whatever happened in the past made them how they were today and it was exciting to see Ying Yue show different emotions. It was the first time she saw her really blush and be attracted to a man. She wasn''t surprised to know that the man was equally if not more obssessed with her best friend. ''She''s gorgeous of course.''  Though it was slightly concerning that the man she had chosen was so high-profile. When they came to this city they had to keep a low profile but hanging around a CEO defeated that purpose. When she mentioned deleting CCTVs she had done in her research on this mystery man but wasn''t able to get too much information out. At least there was no rumors of him with many women and he had an unapproachable vibe which was better. An overly friendly man was detestable.

    "....okay moving past that what else happened? Is he suspiscious of your background?? You know we have to lay low."

    "Don''t worry he hasn''t asked me anything really and he couldn''t find anything on me if he tried. He doesn''t know my name after all just some aliases though he just usually calls me by a nickname."

    "Nickname?"

    "Yeah he has this weird thing where he likes to call himself a wolf and I''m somehow of the feline species. A kitten in specific, I tried to get him to change it but seems like he won''t. Pineapple head looking man."

    "Kitten?? You let him call you kitten??" Ming Ming looked to Neo for confirmation as if to say ''tell me I heard that wrong.'' Neo just gave a perplexed expression back as a response.

    "Moving on.....we fought them off and it was just a business enemy. I had my mask on for everytine we were out so no worries of having my face or body on camera. He kissed me after the fight, not sure what his switch was because he always just randomly does it. But we went to the groccery store and he made me dinner. A donkatsu!! It was good I''ll give him that, didn''t expect such a rich man to know how to cook well since they probably have a chef. After that we watched a movie - a horror movie, did some things....then when he was leaving it was raining so I let him stay over. Now don''t look at me like that I knowww I knowww but he cooked me food what can I say!! Don''t bite the hand that feeds you right?"

    "You do realize you''re just convincing yourself at this point???? Keep going, I''ll need a detailed breakdown in person."

    "To give a quick breakdown, stayed over but slept on the floor. Made me breakfast then left, I wasn''t going to see him again so soon but he dropped something in my apartment. Went to his company to give it back, dealt with some stupid secretaries, met his best friend who''s impressive in his own right but also can be an idiot. Then went to dinner, waitress had a camera on her caught her then caught the bimbo behind it all. Guess what? It was the same blonde woman who tried to pay me from the lunch thing. I slapped her a couple more times then brought some yummy crabs on his bill. Very anticlimatic I''m home now and you called. That''s it, nothing exciting but can''t say I didn''t tell you anything."

    "I will literally slap the shit out of you, this is so much information. You better tell us in real time so we can be prepared for anything."

    "Yeah yeah I will, I just got a little delayed this time...."

    "When are we meeting him then? You met his best friend only right we verify him too."

    "Meeting him? Absolutely not. He would know too much then, even if we have something going on the mission takes precedence. All those years of hard work can''t be ruined now. Its only been a week let''s see how it goes. I have a bad feeling that things might get more messy with him in the future."

    "As long as he knows you have people to support you. I can destroy him if need be." Neo''s soft voice spoke up again to add his warning. He didn''t ask one question but made sure to add his two-cents backing up her decision. In other words, ''do what you want but I''ll mess him up if he tries you.''

    "So now you''ve told us everything I have one more question...is he a good kisser?" Ming Ming had a smirk on her face as she spoke.

    "...goodnight," and with that she ended the video call. Getting up from her spot she locked everything up before getting back into bed. It took only a couple of minutes before sleep took her over - this time with no interruptions.

 Chapter 105 - A Warm Morning....

    A dull beeping sound echoed throughout the room and slowly intruded into Xi Long''s ears. He hated the sound of it but it did its job to wake up every morning. Sticking his hand out he felt around till his mobile entered his palm. He swiped the screen until the sound stopped. Turning around he tucked his face deep into the pillow and let himself sleep a bit longer. He kept his eyes closed in silence for another 10 minutes before lifting himself off the bed. Running his hands through his hair he felt his body groan in protest. It was clear that he had drank a bit too much last night when trying to compete with Zhuang Wei. Normally, he could take around twenty shots or 15 glasses and be okay. However, he had lost count after a while and just enjoyed the taste of the liquor.

    Opening his eyes he slowly walled towards the bathroom to freshen up. Since he came over a lot there his toilteres were kept available for him to use. Splashing cold water on his face a couple of times he finally woke up fully. Finishing up with the rest of the morning routine he made his way back to the closet and threw on some joggers and a sweatshirt. According to his alarm it was around 6:45 a.m. so it was enough time for him to sneak in a workout and still be on time for the rest of the day.

    As he expected the house was silent when he made his way down. Only the sound of a couple of servants could be heard from the kitchen. Looking inside he saw the familiar figure of an older woman running around the kitchen. Her steps were quick and light as she managed many things at once.

    "You know you''re getting too old to be running like this." There was a hint of warmth in his regular cold demeanor.

    "And you''re a little too young to be drinking yourself drunk every night." There was an immediate sharp reply as the older lady responded.

    "Ouch you wound me, how could you say that to your favourite grandson."

    "I have no favourites."

    "And yet hear I am." A small chuckle left his mouth as he stepped closer to the fiery old woman. Dropping his arms on her shoulders he leaned in closer with the smell of osmanthus enveloping him. Even with his casual actions the old lady never stopped working on the food in front of her. There was a hot porridge on the stove while she chopped away at various vegetables.

    "Get your stinky hands off me and drink some soup. Drinking so much last night, just give away your liver then! Hmph."

    "Okay, I''ll give it away know any buyers?" He teased next to her.

    "You!!!" On cue the old woman turned around with a sharp look in her eyes and the knife still in her hand. The sight of her irritated face made his grin grow bigger. For a man of few words he could never stop himself from teasing the people he loved. There weren''t many people he loved either way but in that small circle was the stubborn old woman in front of him. She was the head maid/housekeeper at Wei''s house but has long become family. If not for the salary they paid her they would forget there being any other relation. The old woman was called "Old Fu" out of endearment. She was brought in to help take care of the kids and had pratically raised the both of them. Now ten years had passed and she still took care of them as if they were her real children. There wasn''t enough they could do to repay her kindness and love but her real children were guaranteed jobs at the Xi Corporation. He didn''t get to see her too often with how busy he''s gotten but never forgot to ruffle some feathers when he did.

    Moving out of the danger zone he grabbed himself a bowl and filled it with a steaming porridge. Each spoon of the dish brought back nostalgia and the familiar taste of home cooked food. There was no greasy feeling and the small portions of shredded chicken went down smoothly. It was the perfect dish to have after a night of drinking, adding in "thank you" he went back to eating his food without disturbing her. He watched her as she worked without stopping, the sounds of dishes clanking and knives chopping forming a pleasant tune. It was a fair bit of work for Old Fu to do by herself but she would always chase them off that she didn''t need anyone else to help her. Though they could guess that it was her fear to have an enemy slip into the house under the guise of working. Despite her worries they were finally able to added in two more helpers for lunch and dinner who they had trained to be trusted staff. Even if they tried to betray them.....the walls had eyes and ears after all. While they were fairly decent to their staff there were no second chances given. The minute they decided to betray them their fate was sealed and they were eliminated.

    A dark shadow fleeted through his eyes as he was reminded of the bodies they were needed to reach their current peace. He was forced to take his first life when he was eight years old and lost count after that. Life is a reward given to those who survive....that was how it was and how it continued to be. No times for morals or false ideas of justice. ''Haah why waste my morning thinking of useless things, what''s done is done.'' With a wry smile he quickly banished the unnecessary thoughts from his head and kept a blank mind. With the alochol and familiar taste his mind had weakened for a second and reminised about his younger days. He had no regret however, while those memories were dark and impactful there was not a bone in his body that held guilt. If he had a chance to do it again he would still take the path he did to protect what he loved.

    Either he died or they did and he would never die without getting his revenge.

 Chapter 106 - Watching Things Unfold Pt. 1

    Clearing those thoughts he continued eating his porridge. It didn''t take long to finish since it wasn''t good to eat too much in the morning. Taking the bowl and his spoon he went towards the sink to clean everything. "Old Fu if Wei comes around please tell him I''m doing a morning workout. Thank you." He grabbed a chilled water bottle and slipped his phone into his jacket before heading outside. A plus point to Zhuang Wei''s house was that there was a fully functional home gym and a huge backyard to jog around.

    Taking a quick glance around the yard he saw the stationary guards silently keeping watch over the area. There was always 24/7 protection around house. With a quick nod at the ones nearby Xi Long began a light jog around the backyard. After one simple jog he started adding in stretches and knee lifts to loosen up his body. He did them in rotations for 10 laps before taking a short break. There was sweat starting to seep through his clothes. Pulling his water bottle out from the sleeve attachment he took short sips to quell this thirst. There was part of him that wanted to chug but he knew that would only make someone vomit with more exercise.  He was about to head inside to the home gym when he felt his phone vibrate. Pulling out his phone he saw a short text message from Shufen.

    "Ready, waiting for command." A slight thrill went through him. It was really good having such a capable secretary. After this was all over he should give him a bonus. Sending a quick acknowledgement he slipped his phone back into his pocket. There was no rush, he would wait for the perfect time for his plans to start. The longer they waited the more c.o.c.ky the prey will become and the more mistakes they will do. It really was beneath him to get involved with such a petty family but it would serve as a warning for the others who plotted with women. When he had first started establishing his roots a lot of the higher ups tried to ''control'' him and send women into his bed. After he had rejected them and had them thrown out they tried drugging him. It never worked since he never touched a drink that he or someone he trusted didn''t pour. Then when they saw his reaction they even tried sending men! If they had to send men it would have been better if they tried to put into Wei''s bed, at least it was the right s.e.x.u.a.lity. Not that people from both genders didn''t try to get into Wei''s bed.....but it was hilarious that they immediately thought he was gay. It didn''t take long before they all just realized that he kept everyone at a distance and rarely made such cheap moves. Now that the Su family had dared to scheme this way he could only match their energy and give a fitting reply.

    "What are you smirking about?" Hearing Wei''s voice behind him he turned around to see him in similar workout wear.

    "You know what they say speak of evil and it will appear. Such great timing."

    "You....you are bent on raising my blood pressure aren''t you?!! So unlovable."

    "Well you appeared just as I thought of you so you''ll live for 100 years might as well raise your blood pressure with that guarantee."

    ".....I really have no idea why I hang around you."

    "Its a two way question really, now shut up and stretch. I want to continue my workout."

    "Only if you tell me why you were smirking."

    "And only if you hurry with your warm up." There was a short glare between them before Zhuang Wei left to do his runs. These workouts were their normal routine so even if he hadn''t pushed him Wei would have done it. He had skipped recently on the days he spent with his kitten but the several ambushes they had kept him active. Still, his body that was used to certain workouts was aching for one now. It took 10 minutes for Wei to finish his runs and make his way back to him. Throwing his water bottle at him he let him drink as he gave the update.

    "I was smirking at the Su family. As soon as their daughter was dropped at the door they immediately took her inside. It was quiet for a bit before some people sneaked out to meet others. Its a pity that all their efforts will be for naught." A cool gleam was in his eyes as he headed towards the home gym. Glancing at the time he realized it had been 35 minutes since he had woke up. If they followed through on weight training it would be just enough time before he lets the storm go. Taking out his phone he texted two words to Shufen "go 30" and put his phone back away. He didn''t like to use too many words when he texted since they were so easy to intercept. Even if he had extra protective measures on the phone he could never be too sure. There was never anything saved on his phone past basic contacts and his text messages were deleted after 48 hours.

    Clearing his mind he spent the next 30 minutes going through the motions. It went by quickly aa both of them worked out in a comfortable silence. There was a tacit agreement to spot each other and their coordination was easy after years of practice. The dull ache in his body was reassuring and right on cue as he finished his last set there was a vibration from his phone. Picking it up he saw a short "G" which stood for "everything was good" in response. At the same time there was a Weibo post made on a small account "some family''s truly don''t have shame. Bah so disgusted!" There was little impact but they made another follow up post "I really don''t know how the XX family continues to act like this, black heart. I wish I could spill their secrets." This post slowly started gaining traction when people commented under asking questions.

    "And so it starts..." Xi Long whispered.

 Chapter 107 - Watching Things Unfold Pt.2

    It was a small wave but interest in the post rose slowly and steadly - which is how he wanted it. An attack they did not expect or one they could have stopped gave a certain satisfaction to the orchestrator. People naturally were attracted to bad news and gossip about the upper class. For families that strive so hard to maintain a pefect image there were always countless people waiting to bring them down several levels. It was because they had things that the general public could not have and for those who worked manual labour jobs that type of wealth was beyond imagination. After a while you could not help but feel bitter for the cards you were dealt at birth and detest those who got such an easy life without doing anything special.

    Xi Long watched as many people began to comment under the post.

    DingDing: "Who is it tell us quick??"

    Zxx98: "OP you must not leave us hanging!!!"

    ThunderousMountain: "ah stop lying if you know then tell! What is the point in covering their name."

    With these sort of comments if the person never responded then it would quickly fade away. However, he would never let it be that way. The original poster made another follow up to respond to the comments.

    OP: "I want to give the name but I fear that something will happen to me. All I can say the family name starts with an S...."

    With that people could understand two main points, the person insinuated had a family name starting with an S and they were powerful enough to get rid of someone. This helped narrow down the search from the slightly upper class to the rich and powerful families. However, that didn''t make it entirely easy. S was a common letter for family names and there were many possibilities. The comments were filled with guesses and potential ideas about which specific member it was. The search #mysterysfamily slowly gained more traction and went up in the trending coloumn. This was more than enough to alert their target what was happening but no matter how much they paid he would not let them get rid of it now. It was premetive to get remove the trend when the family hasn''t been found out. The Su family could think it was them due to timing and try to remove the search because of that. However, until the crime of what happened no one could be sure. There was a disgusted look in his eyes as he pictured the family head. For a fairly stable family they had made a lot of low class decisions to keep the wealth. Getting a general investigation report about them there were many crimes they had committed some of which were just a harsh reality to doing business in the city.

    However, the crime they would be pinning on them was for harming an orphanage. While he himself was ruthless he had a soft spot for orphanages and little children. The pain of not having their parents to protect them was one he was all too familiar with.

    Especially the orphanage they had harmed was in the outskirts and was barely surviving on its own. They had gone in to absorb the land by lying that they were remolding the place to create a better home. They then kicked them out and even forced some of them into child labour. Right now the orphanage has been harrassed for them to move out under the guise that the land is under the Su family''s name. The land in specific was included in an upcoming business plan to create a factory so all the links to the family were clear. They were sloppy this time since no one has caught them thus far but that didn''t mean people weren''t aware of what was happening. Its just that people who knew didn''t care to get involved. This small mistake was enough for him to destroy their reputation till their faces were painted in mud.

    At this time a famous gossip weibo account LuoLuo commented under the post. Shufen used another small weibo account to contact this account before hand. It wasn''t hard to have them believe the orphanage story. They were a good account that always tried their best to post the truth and developed a strong following due to that. Once they had given them the information and some doc.u.ments as proof they were more than ready to help them. Of course they weren''t a humanitarian entirely, they passed off some money to keep their loyalty and as a bribe to make them follow their instructions. So this current interaction was within their control.

    LuoLuo: "Little sister do not be afraid, those disgusting monsters will not hurt you. Shameless pah, how could they do that is beyond me."

    Duck78: "They?? Does that mean Luo Luo jie you know what happened??"

    LuoLuo: @Duck78 yes I do, I myself have only just found out from a very reliable source. I wish to spill everything now but I must double check the facts before I speak futher. I am always accountable, please wait for me to confirm everything."

    JLmango: "@LuoLuo we will wait for you jiejie!"

    KuroLover: "@LuoLuo Thank you for checking! We will wait for you!"

    ThunderousMountain: "@LuoLuo wait so this is real?? Ahh my curiosity is killing me. What happened?"

    MinyMo: "@ThunderousMountain I am curious as well! What could be so big that even LuoLuo is commenting on??"

    JLMango: "@ThunderousMountain @MinyMo idk but I know it will be big. Luo Luo jiejie always speaks the truth, let''s wait for her response."

    Ken78: "@LuoLuo what will you do if it is fake?? Will we still find out what the rumor was?? I''m too curious, demanding answer!!"

    LuoLuo: "@everyone thank you for waiting I will release everything in one hour on my weibo page."

    With that the all the pieces were put in place. In one hour Xi Long would love to see how they tried to save themselves. It was good to use this weibo account, she really helped in pushing the traction further. After her last response many other hashtags were pushed to trending based on waiting for.

    #WaitingForLuoLuo

    #WhoIsSFamily

    #DemandingAnswerS

 Chapter 108 - S Family Who?

    At this point, the interest in the issue had grown to a higher level. There were some flucuations but the comments just continued to rise. Even if somebody were to have some deleted within minutes there would be a set of new ones to replace them. 80% of them were people guessing who it was and the other 20%  were people defending their idols. There were storms under certain individual''s weibos as their fans fought to protect them. Around fifteen minutes had gone by before each person mentioned on the list came out to make a general statement. Usually, they would leave it alone but with the amount of chaos online it was best for them to try and clear their name. The fifteen minutes were most likely their PR team discussing on how to handle things. It was a very quick decision to go forward on the statement after the first one was released.

    KingSun: "Hello, please do not connect me to the #MysterySFamily my heart is pure!"

    Some even made jokes about it to indirectly claim their innocence.

    SongOverBloom: "Please don''t tag me, even I am curious ah!"

    ShenShen: @LuoLuo my curiosity is killing me! How much time is left??"

    Xi Long started walking back to his room to shower and change out of his workout clothes. He left Zhuang Wei behind as he wanted to put in a bit extra at the gym. His eyes were focused on his phone as he surfed through the comments. It wasn''t necessary for him to watch this extensively but he enjoyed watching things unfold per his plan.

    From his quick glance the Su Family had not made a statement, they were probably scrambling to fix things. ''Ah I should''ve placed a camera inside to film their despair....next time." At this point it was the 30 minute mark till the news was released and about 60% of the people mentioned on the list had a comment of somesort. They would be forced to make one soon to blend in but that statement would also reinforce their shamelessness when the time came.

    There was a twinkle in his eyes, revenge no matter how small or big was satisfying to him. He could imagine his kitten''s expression as she saw how he made the family crumble. She probably wouldn''t be surprised but tease him around it. After spending some time with her he was sure that she was familiar and supportive of such methods. It would be a bit of a problem if she were the type to advocate for such families because he found that trait detestable. Many women tried to use that method of showing how magnanimous they were and establish a ''pure'' image. Which frankly made him want to vomit, that pure ideology was just illogical and stupid. Between a pure loved by all woman he would always chose the loyal but villainous type woman.

    Throwing his phone aside he quickly went into the bathroom to shower and freshen up. It didn''t take long before he was back outside in his towel and rummaging through the closet for clothes to wear. Pulling out a cotton grey dress shirt and blue slacks he changed into them. He didn''t feel like wearing a full suit today so he skipped the tie but took kept his jacket in his hand. Drying out his hair with one hand he picked his phone back up the other. Checking the time he saw that it was five minutes to the one hour mark. Opening up weibo he was able to see that at least one person from each family had spoken. He was curious as to which person they had sacrificed for the Su family. It would be nice if they had chosen Su Moxi but unfortunately he knew it wouldn''t be so. As a woman, she held a lot of use in the future for a marraige deal or something more sinister. For someone they raised so spoiled and lavishly was like a long term investment that hasn''t bore any fruit only bringing harm. After all most of this revenge was her fault but the sealed deal was the work the Su family was doing against him. He would let most of it go but to bring their daughter into the mix meant that they had gotten c.o.c.ky. When people forget their place its his responsibility to remind them, no? There was an unread text message from Shufen on his phone with a weibo share link. Clicking on it the screen opened up to a lower level family member''s weibo. It was some man named Su Feng, most likely from a branch family and the current scapegoat.

    Su Feng: "The Su family is not linked to this matter any comments made to slander will be addressed by our lawyers."

    It was a fairly standered response but having lawyers in the mix made it feel like ''silencing'' rather than ''protecting.'' The clock ticked down and exactly at 00 an article was released on LuoLuo''s page. There was only a short accompanying statement "I''m shocked and can only ask are you human?"

    Within seconds there were hundreds and thousands of likes and people opening the article. It was a clear and concise breakdown of the exchanges between the Su family and the orphanage. Attached were some screenshots with blurred out info of the contract and some images of the poor children against thugs. It also had some quotes and screenshots of the direct message Shufen sent - of course with the handle blanked out. Not all of the available evidence was given to LuoLuo because it would seem fake if so. Whatever she had and detailed were items people could believe were given to her. The video and voice recordings were their final weapon to nail in the coffin. It wasn''t surprising that people were shocked and outraged.

    ThunderousMountain: "I am DISGUSTED. Those poor children, @SuFeng is this what you call no connection???"

    JFMango: "I am beyond words....some people deserve death."

 Chapter 109 - Quick Publicity

    Negative comments came flodding in as more and more people read her article. Even the gossip blogs were sharing it and adding in their two cents which helped widen the reach. Xi Long would bet $100 that every major publicity firm was scrambling to release their own article first. With the news being so hot there were many opportunities to capitalize on them. There were probably many reporters standing outside their company and house just waiting to capture their response. Even if they denied responding they would have a camera pushed into their face and their shameful escape would be captured.

    On weibo the storm continued to grow and within the five minutes the Su family was named their stocks had dropped 15%. Such publicity really saved them money, no need to hire water armies to tear them down or pay for the news to circulate. There were thousands of people rushing to flood various members pages and scold them for their injustice. It didn''t matter to them if the specific individual was involved or not, what mattered was getting their anger out. To ask any of those angry people what they would do if they got it wrong, they would just turn their cheek in ignorance. Or say "who told them to stay silent?" The only true victim was Su Feng the scapegoat of the entire situation. He was a fairly decent and lower level member of their family. To protect Su Moxi they dragged another person into the mix which was not surprising. It was funny that they thought that Su Feng would be enough damage control.

    ''Did they really think it would be that easy?''

    There was a look of mockery in his eyes as he remembered meeting the Su family head. He had seemed like a sneaky old man back then but was apparently an idiot too. Checking his clothes in the mirror one more time he slipped his phone into his pocket and left the room. By the time he made it back towards the living room Zhuang Wei was layed across the couch in a starfish position. There was a layer of tiredness on him that Xi Long knew was from the long alcoholic night. Wei had a strong tolerance but never lasted longer than him so he was completely wasted.

    "Get up, too much sleep makes the body weak."

    Without a second of pausing Wei responded with "I would''ve had to sleep last night for it to be too much now."

    Plopping down next to him his eyebrow raised as he heard their comment. "You didn''t sleep? Why do I seem to remember carrying an unconscious man to his room last night?"

    Groaning Wei rubbed his forehead as he took in his friend''s taunt. He believed himself to be quite good at alochol but he has yet to beat the prick in front of him. To make matters worse the ass always looked peachy fresh the next day. He could count on one hand the amount of times he had seen him ruffed up the next day and zero of them had ties to beverages. It was only him who had to deal with a bulldozer pounding through his brain. Not to say Xi Long was indestructible, there were many things that would break that "cool man male protagonist" aura he has but it was annoying regardless. Especially since alochol was so common to have in business meetings and events, he''d rather a less frequent vice. Though he rarely drank this much there was always the fear that he would meet someone at the same level as Xi Long. His liver would bleed trying to match the two of them. "Well I didn''t know you switched sides, were you the pitcher or the catcher?"

    Xi Long had been friends with Wei for so many years that comments like this couldn''t phase him. He was secure enough in his s.e.x.u.a.lity that comments like this were just added commentary versus something that lesser men would find offensive. "Wouldn''t you like to know? So this is what has been roaming through your mind huh, guess I''ve given you too much free time."

    Wei propped up inmediately and rested on his weight on his elbows. "Can''t hurt a man for being curious, how am I to know if you are actually an alpha or this is all a facade?"

    There was a hint of warning in Xi Long''s eyes as he gave a lazy glare. "Care to find out? I have no problem re-educating you."

    Wei''s face crumbled as he felt a gagging in his throat. "Literally stop, I will vomit if you continue. Save that energy for your girl....Valentina or whatever her real name is."

    "And you can save that energy for your boyfriend....oh wait." There was a humorus glint in his eyes as he spoke. He knew it wasn''t the fairest of comments but who told him to bring his kitten into the mix? As if he wasn''t already annoyed at their confusing relationship and himself for caring.

    "That was a LOW BLOW. Its not like there''s a list of attractive gay men in this city especially ones who can match our lifestyles. Whatever, let''s move past the topic you stinky man but I swear you better not add on more work for me! I''m swamped as it is, hire more people I''m tired."

    "Sure and I''ll pay them out of your bonus."

    ".....you''re literally a demon do you know that?" Lifting himself into a sitting position he rubbed his face a couple of times before opening his eyes properly. Judging by the look in his best friend''s eyes the plan was working smoothly.

    "When are you nailing the coffin? I''m assuming it won''t be anytime soon."

    "A couple of hours or so, let the newspapers and gossip coloumns do our dirty work now. If the Su family is in hiding doesn''t mean their other sketchy deals aren''t being found. Years worth if dirt is being pulled and investigated to add drama to their reports. The Su family will probably try to do some more damage control and send their daughter abroad. Let them think they have escaped before we drag them back down again."

    "You''re sadistic but I guess they deserve it haha."

    "Enough with the praises, get up we still have work to do."

 Chapter 110 - A Sightless Morning

    Rolling around in her bed Ying Yue fought to fall back asleep. The house was silent and there was nothing to do this morning so she had intended to sleep in as much as she could but her body refused to listen. Opening one eye she glanced at the clock and saw that it read "8:04 a.m." For someone who had only fallen asleep a couple of hours ago she was irritated to see how early it was. Closing her eyes again she let them rest for a couple more minutes before lifting herself up off the bed. Taking a deep breath she started slowing her breathing and taking control of her other senses. It was easy to be disoriented in the morning but who knew if she would have the ability to see when she woke up?

    From about 7 years back to even now she would spend a couple moments trying to develop the skills and hone her other senses in the case her sight was taken. It would seem weird to others if they were to watch her in this state but for her it was a way to live. Her peaceful life right now was only a small period before the threat of having her sight taken was very real.

    With each breath her mind became more and more focused and the dull silence around her became more defeaning. Concentrating further, past her own surroundings there was the slight noise from her neighbours clanging around their house. Getting up she kept her eyes closed and her hands by her side as she walked towards the door. Counting the approximate steps she made she stopped a couple inches from the door, reaching her hand forward she lightly grazed the knob. Feeling that it had touched the back of her hand she moved her hand to the left and held it within her grip. Twisting it to the side, she pulled open the door while simutaenously taking a step back to allow for it to open completely. Letting go of the handle she took a couple of steps forward before taking a left towards her bathroom. Repeating the same steps she managed to wash her face and freshen up for the morning. It took her a couple minutes longer since she dropped a couple of things but it was manageable. Each time she made a mistake she would make a mental note to improve upon it later. At this point, fifteen minutes had passed from when she got up from her bed.

    Leaving the bathroom, she headed towards the kitchen and lightly hit her leg against the counter. Patting the table she tried to imagine the space in her head and reach towards the right cabinets. Pulling out a glass she placed it onto the counter and picked up her kettle. Jostling it a little bit she could hear and feel that there was barely any water in there. Turning on the sink she fumbled to fill her kettle and had to place her finger on the nozzle to get it in. Placing the kettle back in its spot she turned it on and waited for the water to boil. She could have easily opened her eyes by now but part of her wanted to see how far she could go this morning. It took less than two minutes before the familiar whistle sounded to alert her the water was done. Reaching out she grabbed the glass she had left and then grabbed the kettle in her other hand. She put the nozzle directly into the tilted glass and poured the boiling water into the glass. Her fingers heated up quickly and it was only when she felt a sharp burn on the side of her palm before she stopped pouring. She took a couple of deep breaths before placing everything down softly and finally opened her eyes. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/fatal-attraction-the-ceo-his-mischievous-wife_13715752406998805/a-sightless-morning_50819839584947908">/book/fatal-attraction-the-ceo-his-mischievous-wife_13715752406998805/a-sightless-morning_50819839584947908</a> for visiting.

    ''Ah shit....its definitely going to scab." Looking down at her hand to see the damage there was an ugly red blotch on her hand. Her eyes took a couple seconds to adjust to the light before she could turn the tap on. Running her hand under warm water she kept it there till the pain dulled. Pulling it out she went towards a small drawer and pulled out burn cream and some gauze. Such a small injury was easy for her to take care of but it did sting. After it was nicely wrapped she had a momentary pause trying to figure out her next steps.

    ''Hmm...am I forgetting something....? I feel like there was something I wanted to do today....'' Her eyes widened when she remembered what that ''something'' was. Speed walking to her secret room she quickly did the motions to enter it and access her internet. Typing in weibo into her search browser there was a small excitment in her as she waited to see what happened.

    Xi Long had never explicitly told her it would be on Weibo but any scandal that came out eventually made its way onto this site. She had read articles on how ruthless he was but never had time to watch him in real-time. Of course physical fighting aside, this was the first "online war" of his she knew was coming. Su Moxi was annoying and delusional but 90% was because of her family. Personally, she had no right to judge Xi Long for destroying a family over this because she agreed with his logic. It was better to destroy those who disobeyed them before letting them become dangerous enemies. Even the smallest bug could cause a ripple when they teamed with other animals.

    There was a lag on her browser as Weibo finally loaded, heading towards the hot search she saw the top news. All of the spots had to do with the Su Family and some famous gossip account. When she started looking into the top posts and the articles that were being released a small map was being drawn in her head. In general, it all just seemed random and centered around one gossip account. However, anyone who looked at it closer could tell that there was someone pulling the strings. The timing was just to perfect to be coincidental and was designed to tear the Su family down. A second hand was extremely visible, particularly to the upper class. It was a direct warning to them on what would happen if they continued to oppose Xi Long. It was a c.o.c.ky and bold statement but he had the family history to do it. Just from the small research she did on his family she knew he had many ties in the military and underground. A founding family in the city with established routes was not one to be messed with. But she herself knew that it wouldn''t be impossible to overthrow a family that powerful, especially when there were snakes involved. Dark memories flooded through her brain as she thought through the warning being given.

    "Well warning or not, can only leave it to time to see if they will listen."

 Chapter 111 - Coffee with a Dash of Reality

    Glancing at the time it was obvious that there was still much left for the "warning" to end. She had no clue about his timings but she had a sense of where it was leading to. Reading a couple more articles and weibo posts the amount of additional reports kept rising and rising. None of them had more information but pretended to offer ''exclusive'' news in the guise of increasing their TRP ratings. Some of them even created their own theories about the Su family and their intentions behind stealing the property. Closing everything down she stepped away from her computer, she enjoyed the gossip for a short while but her interest was fleeting. It would be a waste of her time to just wait for everything to happen, when it did she could check back in at that time.

    Twiddling her fingers she leaned against the wall as she debated on what she should do next. It felt like her days were going by quickly and she wasn''t actually accomplishing anything. Since the underground fight competition she hadn''t properly worked out her body. She couldn''t go back to her local gym since it was just yesterday when she beat that guy up. He was 300% looking for her and going there would be like offering herself on a platter. The only other place she could get in a proper workout would be at their base. Sighing, she exited the room and let it close behind her before turning back on the secondary security. Going back to her phone she opened it to see if she had any notifications - there were none. Her eyebrow raised as she saw her empty screen, it was outside of her calculation that Xi Long had not messaged her yet. It felt like an opportunity he would not leave behind to bother her. She didn''t pay it much mind though, as soon as thought entered her head it left just as quickly. While he was a ''pineapple head'' to her and a tyrant, he was still a CEO with multiple things to do. Jobs that high in power felt easy but she knew first hand the amount of details and tasks you had to be ahead of. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/fatal-attraction-the-ceo-his-mischievous-wife_13715752406998805/coffee-with-a-dash-of-reality_51029052525435354">/book/fatal-attraction-the-ceo-his-mischievous-wife_13715752406998805/coffee-with-a-dash-of-reality_51029052525435354</a> for visiting.

    Managing an organization meant that you were responsible for people''s livelihoods and families. So him not messaging her was both understandable and expected. Typing in a quick  code she accessed the hidden part of her phone. The screen went black and reloaded to show a different display, clicking a small button in the corner the dark web appeared before her. The button was designed to open on a page where different targets were offered up as a job. Hitmans usually surfed through these hidden postings to earn their cash, assassins were both secretive so they had an organization behind them that dealt with the front end. So if you wanted an assassin to "take out" your target or whatever you had in mind, you had to put forth a request to the middle man. It was hard to know who to contact so many people would make posts on there in a way that specified they wanted an assassin. Either way, it was a breeding ground for monsters and the purest exchange of life for money. Ying Yue often went through these posts just to keep a track of the environment and if anyone she knew was on it. Not to say there wasn''t a time where she looked for the postings to earn money but she never ended up taking one officially. The minute you got involved as a hitman professionally it was hard to increase or lower your visibility. Seeing nothing of interest she was speed reading through the pages until one caught her eye.

    The post was harmless if you read it at face value but the wording is what made her look closer.

    ''Selling Qin Dynasty glassware, please message for more details."

    ''How suspicious.....'' Usually posts on here followed a certain formula of requesting someone''s assistance and would mention a certain location. For example:

    Looking to rent a boat = Need someone to help them escape abroad

    Requesting help fishing by the lake = Disposing of body in water

    The wording was important, as if someone had just wrote "looking for someone to fish with" you could tell that it meant they had multiple targets or it was a job that needed you to act as a shadow. But it was rare for people to make posts of them selling something, it was the wrong part of the web for it. You could view it as a noob making an easy error but the experienced would view it as an intentional misplacement.

    The clues in the post were "Qin Dynasty" and "Selling." It would mean that whatever deal was happening, there was a historical element to it. She was unsure if it was related to a human or item but the specificity of the time period was important. The selling portion of the post meant that they had what they wanted or maybe it was their way of offering their price? The way these minds think was hard to determine through a screen and the higher the opponent''s IQ the harder for her to see through it. Her curiosity in the post kept rising as a couple of theories went through her mind but sadly there would be no answer. The person behind the post and what they wanted had nothing to do with her so the chances of finding out what it meant was nil. There were never updates on posting just deleted posts once they have been completed and only after months after the task happened. It was what they did to dissolve the connection between the request and the completion. The police were vigilant and tried their best to watch the dark web but the access to it was always changing. However, they had to do their due diligence to absolve all traces. A small laugh left her as she thought about the craziness of it all, the general public slept peacefully while there were people planning their deaths behind their back.

    Exiting out of the web she returned her phone back to its original state and threw back onto her bed. "Enough of that, let''s get this day started."

 Chapter 112 - Training at the Base Pt. 1

    Slapping her face a couple of times she reminded herself to focus. Walking back into her room she switched into disposable gym wear while grabbing her hoodie and mask. She was thankful for living in a country where masks were regular additions to outfits when leaving the house. There was a societal culture that allowed for people to wear masks when they felt sick or were sick and had to go out. Even for non-medical reasons, women often wore masks when they felt their face was "unpresentable" or not "polite." In other words, any time they did not wear makeup or felt that their faces were inferior the mask came on. So for someone like her who cared less about both reasons and solely wanted to remain inconspicuous, it was perfect. She knew from experience that wearing a mask in America and Europe provoked stares and was more harmful. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#.-1_51197969294219723">#.-1_51197969294219723</a> for visiting.

    Slipping her phone into the side of her tights and an extra blade into the other she was ready to leave. There was a slight pause in her steps as she felt her forgetting something but had no clue what that was. Engaging her security system she headed out and towards their base. It was early in the morning so she had to be more cautious with her movements, switching up her normal route she took a ''confused'' path to the location. Her head was bent down with a hoodie pulled up, the sunlight partially burned her eyes but she had nothing to cover her eyes at the moment. The base was approximately thirty minutes away on a regular path, it would take her an hour to get there today including all of her diversions. Thankfully, half way through her journey she could still not feel anyone following her. Increasing her speed she tried to get there faster and before she knew it she was near by. Following the crooked streets her body automatically lead her to a broken home. Giving it a quick once over she checked to see if there had been any changes down to it. While it looked broken and abandoned it did have a couple of traps set up within to let them know if anyone had entered. This part of town was more barren but never without danger, if someone decided to inhabit it their plans would become complicated. Checking her surroundings once more she confirmed she was alone before walking to the corner of the house where a tree was perched.

    Pulling on one of the leaves she triggered the security system and stood in place as she let it scan her eyes. Seeing that it recognized her, a small bark of the wood was pushed out slightly where she would need to scan her fingerprint next. Successfully getting past the first two steps she quickly completed the five movement sequence triggering the secret passageway to appear. Moving her hand away and stepping back, the ground next to the tree dropped down revealing the steps. Giving one last glance around her she began walking down the dimly lit steps. There was only a soft light to accompany her as the door closed behind her It was a long set of stairs and was 6ft deep before she made it to the steel door. Using her finger she again unlocked the security and entered into the main portion of the base. The familiar scent of the room calmed her as she looked at the open space. In front of her were some weapons and computers, the only thing missing from her view was her two friends.

    ''Were they not here?'' She could not hear the sounds of anyone working on the computer nor the sounds of someone talking. A confused look entered her eyes as she ventured deeper into the room. The way the base was set up was that this area would be their main room of operations. having something further in would be dangerous when they had limited time. However, this did not mean the base was small. It was the same size as an underground bungalow with a couple of rooms, a state of the art training facility, a bathroom and of course, a kitchen. It was designed so that they could stay within the base for days but still be comfortable and protected. The place was extremely expensive to build but she was thankful that Ming Ming convinced her to make it so big. There was little worry that someone would look underground for her considering that it was unconventional and most people would think that if such a structure existed, it would be unstable. Which was true to an extent but with Neo designing everything the structure was completely secure, even if this place were to crumble there was an exit back into the abandoned house next to them.

    Remaining silent, she debated on which room to check next and decided on the kitchen as her first stop. The small rumble of hunger in her belly was the driving point reminding her that she had not ate anything this morning. After scalding herself with hot water and checking Weibo for updates she completely forgot to eat. Pushing on one of the walls the revolving door moved in to show a small black kitchen and a dining table with three chairs surrounding it. To her surprise no one was there, ''maybe they haven''t woke up yet, I''ll check on their rooms after.'' Entering in fully, she busied herself with removing ingredients from the fridge while simultaneously thinking of what to make with them. Since she had a long training ahead of her it was good to have something filling and with protein. Grabbing their sack of rice she took a couple of cups and placed it into the cooking bowl. After rinsing it a couple of times she put it back into the cooker and turned it on. While that was cooking, she took out some chicken and vegetables with the intention of making a quick spicy stir fry. She was cutting up the onions when she felt a presence creeping up behind her. Pretending not to notice she kept her motions stable and continued cutting. When she felt that they were close enough she quickly turned around and flipped the knife in her hand around with the sharp part facing outwards.

    The person behind her quickly reacted evading the strike and moving back a couple of steps.

    "MUST YOU BE SO VIOLENT?! YOU KNEW IT WAS ME!"

    "Did I?" There was a held back smile on her face as she teased her further.

    ".....I hate you so much."

 Chapter 113 - Training at the Base Pt. 2

    "You knew it was me you b*tch."

    Holding in a smile she stared at the aggrieved expression on Ming Ming''s face. "Well how was I to know you weren''t some intruder who snuck into our base."

    "Oh shut up, you knew it was me just based on my steps. What if the knife actually touched my neck?" Neither of them had any doubt that the knife would harm her because she had controlled the move from the beginning. In their group of three, Ming Ming was the only one who liked to do sneak attacks and play pranks, therefore fighting between them were a constant event. As they grew older, they introduced weapons into it - nothing too dangerous of course. Those weapons were reserved for their preys and any pawn that fell into their hands. Even if she had messed up with the knife it would never touch her because when it came to weaponry Ming Ming was the queen herself. On sight she could figure out the mechanics of the weapon and find a way to evade it by understanding its trajectory. However, all that knowledge did not stop her from being dramatic when possible.

    "You know it wouldn''t have, now step aside and let me finish cutting these onion."

    "Ooh what''s for lunch, I''m hungry!" Turning back to the food she let out a small smile at Ming Ming''s antics. No matter how matter how "mad" she was, when food arrived her attention was drawn away. It was no question that they were best friends merely on the basis that they both loved food and were huge gourmets. So much so that they watched hundreds of videos learning how to cook dishes themselves when they could not find their desired taste elsewhere. They rarely had time or resources to showcase these dishes but when they did cook it was always Michelin star standard. Prepping the other vegetables, she enjoyed the white noise from her friend while she was cooking. It was only two weeks since she had last physically seen her friends but the time felt longer. There was a certain peace she felt in moments like this, just doing normal tasks the general public would do but took for granted. Having a full meal or time to cook a meal was a luxury. Throwing everything into the wok she layered it with oil while stir frying it. There were bitter memories trying to resurface in her mind with every movement of her hand, it was annoying that the little things could remind her of the past. At least she had gotten to a place where these memories didn''t hurt but they came back easily.

    "Mhmm it smells so good, thanks bb." Ming Ming stuck her head on her shoulder and watched Ying Yue skillfully flip the food.

    "Move back or else the oil might land on you." Ying Yue tried to shift her head of her body without pausing her movements. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=13715752406998805)/training-at-the-base-pt.-2_%!d(string=51358430077703706)">#%!d(string=13715752406998805)/training-at-the-base-pt.-2_%!d(string=51358430077703706)</a> for visiting.

    "What''s another scar going to do?" There was a teasing tone in her voice as Ming Ming responded.

    She didn''t miss a beat before Ying Yue responded with, "how am I going to marry you off if you scar your face? Frankly its the only thing you have going for you."

    "YOU A**, TAKE THAT BACK!!" Feeling light punches on her back she chuckled out loud.

    "What? I only speak the truth."

    "Hmph, truth my butt. You know I just like to watch you cook, remembered when you burnt an apple?"

    "You''re lucky I even got an apple that day, I had to search for 30 minutes for one." Rolling her eyes she let her friend lean on her while they both went back into their memories. It seemed that both of them were easily triggered, Neo did as well but he rarely spoke up about it.

    "Yeah...those were some times. Can''t believe we''re even alive right now and I''m eating stir fried chicken. Meat?! Can you imagine that?! That used to be a bloody dream if we got some when we were younger." Her hands stilled for a second before she continued stirring, she had nothing to say in response to her. There was a reason she loved meat so much after all, it was rare for them growing up. When they found each other they were just beggars on the street scrambling for food, trash people got rid of were their lunch and whatever they could steal was dinner. It was brutal on the streets, the government never took into consideration the abandoned kids. There were no welfare programs, no funding, and no homes people could go to for warmth or at least a roof over their heads. Nowadays, all those services they lacked were offered to the public. Often, at the expense of a rich family trying to look generous or ''noble'' when donating to charities. That didn''t mean people had it easier, it was just another way for people to make money and capitalize on the less fortunate. There was no lack of evil people trying to make a quick buck, any option to capitalize was taken.

    There was a dark glint in her eyes as she remembered meeting those people when she was younger. Their grubby hands grabbing at them and forcing them too....''forget it Ying Yue, they are dead and you are alive. No need to give them your time or effort in remembering them.''

    "Stop I know that look, don''t think about it." There was a gentle grip on her shoulders as Ming Ming leaned back into her. Ying Yue never stopped moving but just by the way her body became stiff and the look in her eyes changed, she could tell what was going through in her mind. The horrors they faced together as children was fresh in their minds, its not as if it was an experience they went through once. It was years of them struggling together, to even be alive till the age of 25 was ridiculous. She held in a sigh as her heart hurt from the memories, even with their struggles she knew her best friend had suffered more than her. They had only met each other years after they had been living on the streets.

    "... remember how we met?"

 Chapter 114 - Training at the Base Pt. 3

    "No, I don''t. To be completely honest I don''t even know who you are." Ying Yue spoke with a dead pan expression that almost proved that she was serious. However, the slight twinkle in her eye gave her away immediately.

    "You''re an asshat! You don''t know me? Then how come you knew me two minutes ago huh." Ming Ming was easily riled up by her best friend, she knew it was a joke but loved arguing in general.

    "Its temporary amnesia, it deletes memories I find useless."

    "Useless? Move, you''re not getting any of this food." Feeling a slight push, Ying Yue let go of the wok and let herself move away from the stove.

    "After I just made it?"Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=13715752406998805)/training-at-the-base-pt.-3_%!d(string=51566158318461128)">#%!d(string=13715752406998805)/training-at-the-base-pt.-3_%!d(string=51566158318461128)</a> for visiting.

    "Sorry I have temporary amnesia as well, it deletes information I find irrelevant."

    "Guess you can do the rest, I haven''t done the meat so that''s on you. Thank you for the meal then Minnggg Mingggg." She let out a chuckle as she saw her best friend immediately step away from the stove. While both of them could cook, Ming Ming had always preferred eating what others cooked. Though she could understand the sentiment, once you cooked your own food you usually lose hunger in the process. Who didn''t enjoy a free meal after all? Walking back over to the stove she reduced the heat and threw in the lightly seasoned chicken into the mix. Adding a dash of soy sauce and some extra pepper she tossed the food around the wok.

    "Where''s Neo? I almost done with the food, won''t take more than 10 or so minutes for this to cook." She kept her eyes on the flame as she spoke to Ming Ming who went back to learning on her shoulder.

    "He''s asleep, he had a late night. I think he only went to bed around two hours after we hung up with you."

    "What was he up so late working on?" Her eyebrows ruffled as she thought about what could have had him working that much longer. It was important to note that Neo was genius when it came to computers, so it never took too long for him to complete tasks. Only those with a time constraint where an alarm would trigger after a certain amount of time or highly complicated defence walls would slow him.

    "I don''t know exactly, he sent me off to bed before he went on with it. I don''t think it was anything urgent or we would have already been notified. I only know he went to sleep two hours after me because he accidentally dropped something on the floor when he walked by. Probably his rubix cube if I had to guess too. That man always has one on hand, you have to go into his room he''s bought even more versions! I swear there''s at least 50 of them."

    "Leave him alone, it helps him think. I could also say the same about all those junk parts in your room."

    "Its not junk! Don''t you dare touch my babies!!" There was a protective tone to her voice as Ming Ming defended the spare parts she had been collecting. They looked like junk when seen individually but to her, they were useful pieces for her next invention. Just the other day, she picked up a couple of scrap pieces from the junk yard and broke them to create a suctioning device. It was just an old hose used inside a house but was perfect material to lessen the strength on her device. Though even she knew that there was a lot of pieces in her room, she could not deny that but how could she bare to throw any of them out?? What if she needed it later??

    "I know you keep them because you think you will need them later but in the outside world do you know what they call that behaviour?"

    "I''m not listening to you, go away." She knew immediately that she would not like the response but before she could step away Ying Yue spoke.

    "Its called being a HOARDER. There''s even American shows on it, if you aren''t careful I''ll submit you as a participant."

    "YOU DARE!"

    "Yes I do, now move your butt and set up the table I''m done and hungry. We can leave the rest for Neo to have when he wakes up, let him sleep more. There''s white rice in the cooker so just move it to the table." Stirring around the dish a couple of times she threw a splash of chili oil on top just to add some spice before turning off the stove. She transferred the chicken and vegetables into a bigger bowl and set the rest aside. Since she had completed the cooking then Ming Ming could do the dishes. Her stomach rumbled as she smelt the food in front of her, quickly picking up her bowl and utensils she filled it to the brim. Taking the first bite her taste buds were overflowing with satisfaction and flavour. She could not help the small m.o.a.n that left her, it was a quick meal but extremely suited for her preferences. After the initial couple of bites her speed of eating slowed down and she ate with more consideration. There was no need to look at Ming Ming as she knew that they were equally enjoying the food.

    Getting up she left her food aside for a couple of seconds as she filled the electric kettle up with cold water and turned it on. For the oily food they were consuming hot water would be best for digestion after. After setting that up she returned back to her seat to continue eating. Eyeing the dish, she glared at Ming Ming when she realized it had decreased drastically. There was a guilty glint in her eyes as she tried to avoid eye contact back.

    "What....don''t look at me! I haven''t had your food in so long, hmph."

    "Yes yes, just eat but if there''s nothing left you have to make more for Neo. There''s over 3 pounds of chicken here, it should be enough for all of us. Also we''re training later today so better not upset your stomach."

    "Training...can I just skip it?? I''m tired today."

    "Nope, I need you for this one."

    "You don''t mean..." Ming Ming''s previous aggrieved expression became one of excitement when she realized what Ying Yue was insinuating.

    "Yes... that one."

 Chapter 115 - Training at the Base Pt. 4

    "Yes that one...." It had been a long time since they had both went under ''that'' training. Not that they overly hated it, on the contrary they looked at it as if it was a game. A dangerous one albeit but it tested their overall skills and quick thinking. They always alluded to it as ''that'' but the training itself was called "C Zip" for short. C Zip stood for control, zip just referenced the way a zip file could unlock multiple files. It was a nerdy name but Neo had come up with it and it stuck. The training method still suited the name as to make it through you had to have a lot of knowledge about weapons and be prepared to use your hands quickly. It was also more difficult in the sense that it would never be exactly the same no matter how many times you went through the process.

    The first time they had run through "C Zip" Ying Yue had been throughly recked, they had gone through a trivia modulation where Ming Ming would quickly a show a portion of a weapon and she had to list its name. On top of that, within the time given to her she had to mention its specifications then assemble it with the pieces provided. It was a race against the clock but the main point was to make it through accurately. If you got a wrong answer wrong or did not complete the entire process within 5 minutes there was a punishment. It was never anything too brutal since they punished each other but the outcome was never less than a bruise.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#.-4_51634070894990699">#.-4_51634070894990699</a> for visiting.

    In the beginning, this training was forced upon them by someone else and they had no way to survive other than getting better at it. Only after that, did this brutal training become something they can enjoy and actively repeat. When the three of them were beaten and deprived of food because of failing their ''training,'' it forced them to spend nights memorizing and practicing with tears and aching limbs. After a while, they made it into a game to make practising easier and to make the knowledgable more palatable. That practice paid off and they ''made it through'' more often resulting in better treatment where they were. Just thinking about how the training started and that time of their lives Ying Yue always held a cold and detached view. It hurt but there was a part of her that could confidently say that it had bettered her life. What they went through was child abuse and child labour but they had food, water, and a roof. In addition, they were forced to learn these brutal skills but those skills were the same that protected them now. Just imagining herself without that experience....she would be powerless and probably would have died alone on the streets. Even the reason she had come to this city could not have happened without those dark years, giving her a second chance to get revenge.

    Finishing up the rest of the meal in silence, they quickly cleaned up before exiting the kitchen. The food was fairly light so they didn''t need to let their stomachs digest for too long before it was time for training. Ying Yue debated on wearing her current clothes before switching into her spare workout gear. Since she planned on doing more training after this one it would be best to wear sweat resistant clothing. Switching into a different pair of tights, a sports bra, and cropped shirt she grabbed a water bottle before heading back to the main room. Ming Ming was waiting for her after she had changed her clothing too, they both made their way over to their tactile room. It was down the hall from the kitchen and had a thick metal door as the entrance. There was an additional password needed to enter the room since there was weapons stored inside but the security was limited to a number password. Once you entered the room expanded into a dome like structure, it was wide and no specific corners. This room was specifically used for this training since it was bullet proof and designed to defend against most attacks. The room itself could keep 30 men comfortably within it and was perfect for tactile practice. It never failed to surprise her how spacious their base was but had given up long ago trying to understand it in detail. They easily took up a couple of acres under ground but less than four hundred square feet above ground. It took under ten minutes for them both to set up the area, Ying Yue pulled out the weaponry and Ming Ming prepared the questions. After she had finished testing Ying Yue, they would switch positions and test the other.

    The weaponry was in a large toolbox styled container and separated by function. As in, short range guns and long range guns were kept separately despite being both guns. While laser beams that could burn through glass, blades, and smoke bombs were all kept differently. Taking them out one by one Ying Yue laid them flat onto a table. It would be from there that she would have to chose the right gun based off of name and then list its details. After which, Ming Ming would dismantle the weapon behind her back and Ying Yue would put it back together. Or even dismantling and putting it back together all by herself. The way this game continued on being interesting is that they could always switch the rules or requests to keep the participator on their toes.

    After she was done, she stepped back and took her spot in the middle of the room. Closing her eyes she let her body relax into a concentrated state and cleared her mind completely. Once she had slipped into that state she reopened her eyes and faced Ming Ming with an unusual focus.

    "Ready."

    ******

    Author''s Corner:

    *Sometime in the future*

    HXL: Its fate Kitten. You came to this city to meet me.

    YY: I came to this city for revenge, you were just a creep in an alley.

 Chapter 116 - C Zip Pt.1

    "Ready" As soon Ying Yue finished her words, the atmosphere changed and became tense. If anyone were to walk in on them they would feel as if they were interrupting a dangerous stand off. Ming Ming had equally switched from her happy persona into one of a cold hearted drill master. It was always interesting to see the switch in her personality considering that it was so drastic but it was natural to their group to do so. The better you hid your aura, the safer you would be. Even if you kept a low profile, killing intent and danger levels could be sensed by the experienced individuals. Ones that had their hands doused in blood could easily find people who shared the same scent. Hence their duality, however, there wasn''t much time for her to appreciate the ''switch'' when it only came out in times of training or battle. Thankfully, she had seen the switch so many times that it did not faze her.

    She kept her eyes trained on Ming Ming afraid that she would miss any of her movements. It only took a couple seconds before the first weapon was chosen, a mid-sized, long range gun was picked up. She caught the left side view of the gun and immediately could tell what it was.

    "AEK-971"

    "Go on."

    She paused while she ran through everything she knew on the gun. While the model was familiar she didn''t have an abundant amount of information on it. "Russian made, weighs around 0.5kg, assault rifle, 900 rounds per minute (RPM)."

    "Correct." With that Ming Ming turned around and dismantled the rifle quickly. Once finished, she placed it onto the blank table and stepped back allowing Ying Yue to step forward. The rifle was dismantled into its major components consisting of four main parts. It didn''t take long for Ying Yue to put it back together, it seemed that Ming Ming had gone easy on her with the first weapon. Successfully getting past the first weapon, she went back to her spot and stood in a military alert position.

    It took another minute, which felt both long and short, for Ming Ming to chose the next weapon. This time she did not pick up a weapon but directly called out its name for her to find.

    "Vektor SP1."

    Hearing the name she quickly scanned the weapons in front of her, she knew that it was a pistol and small on size. However, the issue was that there were two models of this gun on the table with slight variations but very similar. The SP1 and SP2 had different calibre and magazines. There was a bit of hesitation but with the time counting down she narrowed down her choice to one. Choosing with her instinct she went for the pistol on the far left. Picking it up in her hand she released its trigger and removed the bullets to check her guess. Seeing that she had gotten it correct a satisfied emotion passed through her.

    Turning back to her position, she immediately went into what she knew about the pistol. "Vektor SP1 is broadly based on the Italian Beretta 92 design. The Vektor SP1 and SP2 pistols are similar on the outside but have minor differences. This model features a single action operation, large adjustable sights, straight trigger design, a different trigger guard a compensating weight with longer barrel. Currently used in South Africa by their defence and police force."

    "Correct. K5/DP51, load it." This time Ming Ming did not head towards the table or complete any actions in relation to the weapon she called out. For this request, she had stated "load it" which directly told Ying Yue that she would have to find the gun and then find the bullet for it. For her to pass this round successfully she would have to chose the correct bullet and shoot to prove that it worked. This was one of the challenges she disliked as it made her use her eyesight and estimation abilities to a heightened degree. The millimeter difference between bullets was not something a normal layman could notice, the shape was easy but the sizing was where individuals struggled. Especially since she was within a time limit, 40 seconds had already elapsed since the order was called out so she had less than five minutes to figure it out.

    Keeping calm, she went towards the table and quickly scoured out the pistol. Dismantling it, she prepared to load the gun and glanced at the barrel quickly to estimate what bullet would fit inside. She had a couple of guessed in her mind and head towards another table that had different bullets and amo littered across it. Glancing over it, her eyes went between the bullets immediately rejecting any that looked too big. At this point she had her choices stuck between three separate sets of bullets, according to shape it should work but she wasn''t sure. Calculating the time left in her head she had around a minute and a half to complete this task. An additional risk to this training is that time was never outwardly listed, you had to self manage so it was easy to go over if not careful. Especially in situations like this, time would be felt different either fast or slow and rarely accurate.

    Feeling the time escape her she quickly chose her second choice and loaded it into the gun. With only a couple of seconds she released the trigger and shot at a random target away from them. Only the click of the gun had sounded and a bullet never left. There was an awkward silence when both her and Ming Ming stared at the clean target. There was a feeling of disappointment inside where she felt that she should have chosen a different bullet but had become muddle headed. However, she wasn''t too harsh on herself because that would only crush her mentality. It was obvious that she could not remember every single weapon but she was competitive in her bones and hated to lose. The training was far from over though, putting down the gun she went back to her position and awaited the ''punishment.''Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#.1_51888208656527756">#.1_51888208656527756</a> for visiting.

    Since it was the first mistake the ''punishment'' was usually a bit lighter but would still hurt. Through years of doing this training their pain endurance and their body''s defence increased. Her eyes were blank and clear as Ming Ming went towards the side and picked up two boxing gloves.

    "2 minutes, you will take each hit without evading it and then we will immediately continue."

 Chapter 117 - C Zip Pt. 2

    That was the only comfort Ming Ming offered her before starting. The hits would not touch her face since she needed it for their mission but her body below the neck was free game. It felt weird in the beginning but they would rather take hits from someone they knew versus an enemy. Of course, when they were children it was just a bit of tussling and hot sauce on the mouth - things children found terrible. As they got older the naivety of it disappeared and punishments became things that would help them in the long run. Even this punishment, helped them get used to pain and strengthen their body to take those attacks. Once you understood your own physical limit you knew how to surpass it. On the battlefield there wasn''t any room for weakness or a lack of understanding about yourself. She always found it stupid when people overestimated themselves because of urgency, one fatal move could destroy the whole operation.

    Keeping her eyes open, she chose a spot on the wall behind Ming Ming and let her punch her. Ming Ming rotated around her body, evenly spreading each hit so that it looked more sporadic and one side was not overly injured. However, most of her attacks landed on her stomach area, since the ribs were more of a pain to heal. Though in general, during a fight people usually aimed for three areas - the cheek, the stomach, and the legs. Each hit against her body left a wave of heat and a sting that kept her senses awake. She fought to keep her adrenaline low but her heart was pounding. No matter how many times you were beat there was always a rush you got from the physical pain. Keeping her body still she let the attacks continue until the pounding faded away into a rhythmic beat in her mind. It wasn''t a long time but felt slower in the moment. Once the two minutes were up Ming Ming immediately stopped and removed the boxing gloves. She went back to her initial position and continued the training.

    Ying Yue stretched out her body and shook out the previous stiffness before returning to a solider stance.

    Ming Ming went back to the table and let her eyes graze over the remaining weapons before she picked up one. Placing it on to the middle table she stepped back for Ying Yue to do both the dismantling and putting it together portion.

    Seeing what the choice was there was a bit of relief for Ying Yue. She knew as soon as the weapon was chosen it was one that she was very familiar with.

    "Barrett Model 98B. Bolt-action sniper rifle, medium heavy, maximum firing range 1,500m." Pausing she went towards the table on her right and immediately picked up the correct ammunition for it. "0.388 Lapua Magnum cartridge, recalled because it had a default that would make it accidentally discharge." Finishing her speech, she went through the dismantling process and let her body take over naturally. There was a bit of fondness and experience in her movements as she did it with ease. This specific weapon had spent three days with her in the trenches. She could almost smell the wet ground and death that lingered around her during this mission. This weapon was held against her body in the cold for hours, baring all the elements, just waiting for her target to appear. Those memories came and faded quickly as she put the final piece in place.

    She knew that she had successfully gone through that round and again, there was no hesitation before the next round started. She didn''t keep track of time but they kept the training going for many more rounds. Thankfully, she had only messed up one more time so the punishments for the day weren''t too bad. The second punishment was for her to continuously attack their punching bag for 5 minutes straight. Which sounded easy but it put pressure in the lungs and body. Each hit had to be stable and match the previous intensity, trying to maintain that in max pressure for five minutes would stretch a person thing. She felt a little dizzy when she finished and grabbed a sip of water to collect herself. Though she was happily eating her lunch earlier in the day, there was a strong regret about the amount she ate. The stomach attacks made her feel weird but it was okay, the intense punching bag session made her feel like the food might come back up. With great strength she kept everything inside her, ''I''m definitely eating less next time.''

    The rounds continued once again and eventually all of them blurred together. After a couple more rounds they switched roles so that Ying Yue was now the tester and Ming Ming the tested. It was not a surprise that Ming Ming flowed through the training easily with only one hiccup. That woman spent her time researching and creating weapons, this was her domain after all. Though even with all that knowledge, this training was important so that she would keep that knowledge active. If you learn something and don''t engage with it after you will never remember it when you need it. With the one mistake, it was because she had damaged the weapon while putting it back together hence ending in the same punishment - taking two minutes of punches. Ming Ming''s body shook a couple of times as she took the hits and there was a knowing glance between them regarding it. Since they had come to this city, Ying Yue had been constantly involved in fights and been training in the gym. While both Neo and Ming Ming had more peaceful lives with only each other. Training in their gym helped but with no outside source to fight them their body experienced a slight shock now. No words had to be said for Ming Ming to know that it was a problem, it was only sad that they were in the middle of training and that she could not defend herself verbally.

    They both went through the motions a couple more times before a knock on the door interrupted them. Snapping their heads towards the source of the sound, Ying Yue spoke up first.

    "Who is it?" She knew it was Neo but it was best to ask just in case, especially with all the dangerous items surrounding them.

    As she expected, Neo''s voice responded to her call. "It''s me, I have something you need to look at. Right now."

    ***

    Author''s Corner:

    *Sometime soon*

    HXL: Why are you walking like that?

    YY: Why does it matter how I walk? How do you even know its not how I normally walk? Is it your hobby to watch women walk?  Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#.-2_51960375398165090">#.-2_51960375398165090</a> for visiting.

    HXL: .......this is a trap.

 Chapter 118 - Normal Movements

    Hearing his voice both of them paused and thought about what it was that would need their immediate attention. There were many things that would of course but the question was what was this one specifically. Taking a sip of her water, she answered back calmly. "We''ll be out in a moment!"

    Looking around the room she debated on putting things away before stepping out but if Ming Ming and Neo wanted to do this training later, leaving it out would be more convenient. There was no urgency in her steps as she went towards the door and unlocked it. When Neo had first spoke she did not hear any fear or modulations that would make her believe they were in danger or that the ''news'' was unfortunate. After the door was opened and she saw his calm face, her assumptions were confirmed. He had stood in front of the door waiting for them to come out since he could not come in. It was a known fact between the three that if there was training in this room, one had to knock and could not just enter. Especially, with the weapons and shooting they were doing, what would happen if you accidentally shot your own teammate? Or got caught in the crossfire of a fight? So in general, they made this a rule to keep out since it was better to be safe than sorry.

    After exiting the room she could feel her body''s condition a bit more as she started to relax. It was a conditional reflex that made her body tense in the training room and calm outside it. As soon as Neo had finished showing her what he needed to, a long and hot shower was awaiting her. "What is it?"

    Neo as usual did not say much but gave a quick glance over at the both of them to see their state before just walking away. Rolling her eyes she followed him back into the main room. In front of them there were several computers running, each with different processes on it and purposes. He lead her towards the one in the far right corner and began typing a series of commands onto the black screen. It only took a minute or so before information began to flood the screen.

    "Blue 47?"

    "Mhm." Hearing his confirmation she began to read the information more seriously. Just last night she had discussed the topic with them that they had landed in the West Coast. They had their tracker on them and were waiting it out to see what their motive was. However, within the span of that one night the target had made some unusual movements. Even for that person, it was out of character so much so that it seemed like a deliberate way to attract their attention. Blue 47 stood for a man called Wu Gang, aged 47 ironically but they had coded him before finding out that fact. He was short statured with a slim body and a range of obscene tattoos from his gang affiliations. The character of this man was that he was a complete rat, sneaking in between different gangs and pretending to be loyal to each. It was no surprise that he had a lot of people after him but still managed to stay alive each time. The main reason behind his survival could probably be attributed to his black market value, he was a cheat but was the man to go to if you needed something rare. This was also one of the reasons that they needed him in their grasp and was a target on their list.

    Starting out a year back they had kept track of him and his actions all ranged within a certain range. This man in general was hard to track but was still possible for Neo who could connect transactions to him. He would usually meet a client, exchange information and then meet them once again once he had secured the product. This would be the last time they met and he would disappear after getting his cut from the deal. All other communication was from disposable phones and online underground channels.  However, this morning he had openly went around the city and let himself be captured on CCTVs. They weren''t in over suspicious places but they were, in a way, too normal. He had let himself be caught on a Starbucks CCTV, random mini stores, and even a grocery store.

    "What''s he doing....?" Her voice trailed off as she tried to imagine the reasoning behind it all. She was sure that he had not caught onto them tracking him so this deliberate expose was for who? Had he just relaxed since his life has been peaceful for a while? Yet, a man who lived in darkness would not leave it so quickly if he had nothing to gain. Hearing her question neither Neo nor Ming Ming responded, each in their own thoughts.

    Turning back to look at Ming Ming, she saw a calculative look in her eyes as she glared at the information. There was a haze in her glare that slowly disappeared as she caught onto one word.

    "Tell me." Ying Yue knew her best friend enough to know that the look in her eyes meant something good. Looking back at the information she did not see something satisfactory but she was apparently missing something in front of her. It was to be expected though, since Ming Ming helped Neo run through information she was on top of a lot of information guilds. While, for the duration of their stay in this city Ming Ming was tasked with updating her on the information.

    Ming Ming moved forward and lightly pushed Neo to the side before typing in her own set of codes. Minimizing the information Neo pulled she began to pull out a string of articles from a couple months ago. The articles were from local newspapers and were only small snippets from the job posting and advice page. All of them individually did not seem to have an obvious connection to Wu Gang. Neo and her let Ming Ming pull things together before speaking up. Once the key movements stilled Ying Yue again spoke with a bit of confusion laced in her voice.

    "Tell me, what did you see?"

    ***

    Author''s Corner:

    *Sometime soon*

    HXL: Kitten I missed you, did you miss me?

    YY: Didn''t we see each other a couple days ago...?

    HXL: You counted the days? Damn, I didn''t realize you were this obsessed with me.

    YY: ?????

 Chapter 119 - Normal Movements Pt. 2

    Hearing her question, Ming Ming kept silent while continuing to alter the screen.  When she had paused her typing it was not because she was done but to let her mind catch up with her body. Seeing a clue her mind began racing with different possibilities but needed to see it on screen for it to make sense. As each option became more solid she started coding in the next one but mixed up two in head mid-thought. That''s when Ying Yue had asked the question again but speaking now would only disrupt her. Speeding up her typing she finally finished up the final possibility and there was a satisfying click in her mind as everything came together.  Moving her seat back she turned towards Ying Yue and responded.

    "Now, you know I can''t speak and type at the same time. Wait till I''m done, oookkaaayyyy." There was a stern expression on her face but a teasing glint in her eyes that dispelled the aura.

    Ying Yue rolled her eyes at her friend''s comment, it was no surprise that even in a situation like this she felt the need to put in a cheeky comment. Not to say she was any better, "well who told you to pause, maybe you need to work faster oookkaaayyy?"

    "YOU-"

    "Can we get to the point, thanks." Neo interrupted Ming Ming mid shout as he brought them both back to the main issue. Here he was dragging them over to check out Blue 47 and they were just joking around in front of the information. Looking at the various windows they were all stopped at different time stamps. Wu Gang also never went to these stores at the same time and never ordered the same dish or drink. His mind was tired from staying up last night that even if the clue was obvious he was missing it.

    "Okay, so before I start I''m not sure if I''m overthinking this or this is really what is happening but do you notice something odd about Wu Gang? Look here." She zoomed into the Starbucks CCTV and pointed at his body. "See his gait seems to be off when he comes in but as he walks out it goes to normal. I''m starting to believe that he dropped something in these stores or he''s injured because there has to be something wrong with his body. But, that''s not what I wanted to talk about."

    She again began typing and switched between screens and had all the screen captures lined up in two rows. "Now look, if we look at all these separately it makes no sense. Even the dishes he was ordering have no relation - a mocha caramel frappe? Does this look like a man who would drink that? Especially for a sewer rat who lives in the darkness, there must be an important reason for him to show himself like this. So I think he''s risking this for a message right now, the point isn''t the restaurants but the their name."

    Quickly picking out the first letter of the restaurants into order Ying Yue pieced together one word. "S-C-O-R-P-I-A-N, what is this supposed to mean...."

    Ming Ming had a curious look in her eyes as she responded. "Its a code word for sure but the meaning behind it is unclear. The animal itself is something that''s more common in desert regions, usually having poison in its tail to attack their prey."

    "Yes but don''t you think its also an analogy for being on two sides? Like a double agent? Is he trying to prove his loyalty to someone....but who would be that great for him to risk himself like this?" Ying Yue looked to Neo for some confirmation or input on what was going on because she was fairly confused. They had watched this man for over 6 months and knew his personality in and out. He was someone who never strayed from his regular pattern, that was how he lived and how he survived but these actions were out of the blue. All this drama simply to spell out the word scorpion in a secretive manner? There had to be something more since that message could have easily been sent in other ways. So why this method and who does he think is watching him? Her brain hurt a little from all the theories she had and the unnecessary problems it brought to their mission.  Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#.-2_52277413777823794">#.-2_52277413777823794</a> for visiting.

    "I don''t think its only about being a double agent, I think this is....a project."

    "A project?" The look in both Ming Ming and Ying Yue''s eyes changed quickly from confused to alert.

    "The Scorpion project." He lightly pulled Ming Ming out of his seat and sat back in front of the keyboard. Minimizing her tabs he triggered the command screen before typing in a new set of codes. "Back in the day many organizations like to put a codename as the title of their mission, they were referred to as XX projects. It was used so that people outside the involved parties would not know what they were referring to. The name itself never had a connection to the actual mission, so the use of this scorpion may just be a random placeholder. However, its rare for the mafia to use these codenames its not their style." Clicking enter, a couple of different confidential doc.u.ments appeared on the screen. There were various different projects all from government bodies like the military and within the distance of the west coast.

    "If you look at these, they all follow the same pattern. A code name was issued, the relevant parties disappeared for a couple of months on a ''work trip'' and their background became top level clearance. Only to each other would the code name be brought up and they were bound not to speak of it once they came back...if they came back. So if we are going based off of this and this was indeed a project, the important party he''s trying to contact might be the -"

    Ying Yue cut him off with a bit of shock in her voice, "the military."

 Chapter 120 - Hard Decisions

    "The military..." there was a solemn tone to Ying Yue''s voice as she cut Neo off.

    "THE MILITARY?? WHICH IDIOT WOULD HIRE HIM???" It didn''t take even a minute before Ming Ming had shouted in shock.  Her reaction however, was what everyone else was thinking. There was logic when creating the relationship between Scorpion and the military. Again, if that theory was correct then it was clear to see that there was a bigger scheme at play. Yet the main issue was Wu Gang and his supposed role within this. Due to his nature of work he was always on the run from the government, if he was ever caught there were many upper level criminals that could be at risk. Therefore, being caught was equivalent to a death sentence. The only reason he made it this far is due to the protection of others, him never staying in one place, and maintaining value to keep alive. His position was difficult to be in for a normal person but he was a rat who was well experienced in surviving in those grounds. The high risk he faced had high rewards, money came in high amounts that any man would be satisfied to continue that path. However, it was precisely because of that it was hard to believe he had dealings with the military. Even if the connection had not been established, there were now signs that he was reaching out to them in hopes of a connection.

    His method of reaching out to them was also very unique, she doubted many people would care enough to check the CCTVs to figure out their meaning like them. The movements were suspicious so many would start watching his next steps or be more vigilant against any schemes. Only those who knew the meaning of the actions would look further to see the hidden message left behind.

    "I can''t believe that the military would reach out to him or vis versa. That would end his whole career.....we can''t even be sure its the military. This is just a strong theory but we can''t focus on this."

    Hearing her words, Ming Ming immediately jumped in with a rebuttal. "Okay but what if this was right? How can we not focus on it considering its implications?? Do you know what will happen if the military is actually involved?! You know we can''t fight them! If he gains their protection we can''t touch him. Neither can we get close to him lest we disrupt the military''s plans and land on their radar."

    Ying Yue could feel a headache coming from just the prospect of it being real. Sighing she rubbed her eyes in irritation. "You think I don''t know that?? But there''s always a possibility we are wrong and I''d rather not even entertain that idea right now. You know just as much as me, if this theory is real our six months of tracking can go to waste."

    All three of them sat in silence as they processed the possibility. There was nothing they could do to research if scorpion was a legitimate plan right now. It would draw way too much attention to them and they needed to keep their presence to a minimum. Obviously hacking into the government website to search doc.u.ments was the first thing they wanted to do. Yet the government had taken great pains to hiring hackers and developing their security to another level. While they could still hack it, the response time and tracking ability to the IP address of the hacker could be found. They could chose to attack the firewall and defeat it from the root but it would still alert them regardless. The happiness they had a moment ago in cracking the message just set a coal in their stomach weighing them down entirely. Learning that six months of information and tracking was about to go to waste would put anyone in a shitty mood. Especially since Wu Gang was a key player in their mission and ensuring its success. They could survive without him but it was easier to have him.

    At this point Neo began typing on the screen again and created more notifications relating to Wu Gang. His fingers glided over the keyboard as multiple keys were pressed at a rapid speed. "Let''s keep our eyes open and for now, assume our theory is correct. I''ve added more trackers on him and edited our notification system to receive exclusive messages if there was anything out of the ordinary. This way we can judge things in real time but...."

    "But...what just say it, we''re all thinking it." There was a depressed tone to her voice as she edged Neo on. She knew what he wanted to say but had no energy to repeat it herself. Things were perfectly normal yesterday and within a couple of hours their situation had been three hundred times more complicated.

    "But...this is only short term solution. If he does have connection to the military or they take him up on his offer they would be highly protected. For a rat like him, the payout must be worth offending the underworld and being confident he will survive. So we cannot take the risk of waiting."

    "But can we even do this? Speed up our timeline....we can''t screw up now. Not when things were falling into place." Ming Ming''s voice was laced with worry that she could not hide, it offset a small panic inside her as she imagined what would happen. By Neo''s words she understood that he wanted them to do their plan earlier, which would be fine but it had a strong possibility for ruining their goal.

    Ying Yue could feel the stress emit off her best friend''s as they both slipped into a confused state. She knew the final decision was in her hands and it made her less inclined to make one. Since Neo and Ming Ming were background workers, she had become the face of their group. This eventually became a leader type role but all three were equal. It was a weird dynamic to understand if they have not been exposed to it or understood their characters completely. There was no competition or hard feelings involved since this mission was mainly for her purpose. So it made even more sense that the decision was left up to her.

    "I....."

 Chapter 121 - Speeding up Plans

    "I....I think we should cut our timeline down by two-thirds, we can''t let this go longer than the end of this month."

    "Two-thirds??? You do realize the end of month is in two weeks, that''s way out of our calculations." Ming Ming threw her hands up in frustration as she roughly ran her hand through her hair. The previous tense atmosphere became charged with frustration with the change of events. Ying Yue didn''t even want to respond because inwardly she agreed with Ming Ming''s words but all she could was speak on what was logical.

    "You think I don''t know that?! But we need to get to him as soon as possible, once the military gets him its over for us. There is no way they will trust him enough to run without protection or leave the base in general. We have to avoid the military as much as possible, you know nothing that we are doing is legal." Her voice was filled with irritation and a resentful emotion towards Wu Gang.

    "That prick?! I''m so mad, I can''t wait till we get our hands on that rat. For all the work he''s putting us through he deserves to get stabbed at the very least!" Ming Ming was quick to jump on their new line of thinking, there was no point in refuting any longer when that was the only option they had left. She was sure to complain 300 more times but would at the end, follow whatever what Ying Yue said.

    Giving Ming Ming a deadpan look she felt her emotions become lighter from her comment. "Well.....no stabbing...-"

    "BUT -"

    "BUT! We can definitely rough him up a lot, a rat like that can''t die too easily. We''ll use him for everything he is worth....and have some fun along the way. Don''t forget we have to give him back to the military so they don''t suspect anything."

    Her subtle implication was clear to both Ming Ming and Neo. Even at their own frustration they knew that Ying Yue was the one who held the most grievances against him. For her to remain so calm did not mean she would let him go easily. All they had to do was torture him in ways that the regular eye or even the military would not suspect. Wu Gang was from the underworld after all, a couple of small bruises and scars would not stand out nor did they think the military would care too much if there was a fresh wound. They had a use for him so he couldn''t die, his level of importance to them was still to be determined but they would not let him leave peacefully.

    "Neo, you''re quiet. What are you thinking?" Ying Yue glanced at her silent friend who had kept his eyes trained on the computer. He didn''t move but his gaze never wandered making her believe that he was seriously considering something.

    "I think we are underestimating this scenario...I don''t think we can even wait the two weeks. The military won''t wait that long." His words were quiet but sent a wave of panic into their hearts. They had initially banked on two weeks because Wu Gang had just started making movements. It would take time for the military to notice his message and then set up a safe way to come into contact with him. In their previous tracking of him he had always maintained the same routine so it was hard for them to believe the military had a special eye on him. Even if it was a small one it was towards his actions in dealing, not related to his general movements like buying a drink. Yet, if he already knew the military was looking at him extra carefully his move this morning was a direct agreement to them. That would push the timeline ever earlier to a couple of days at max.

    "F*ck me." Ying Yue felt the need to hit something just from the annoyance she felt about the situation. She was initially confident with the two weeks but had forgotten such a blatant point. Neo did not even to say anything for her to understand her error. It seemed that after using her brain excessively during training that she was in a state to miss such an important point or at least consider it further. She couldn''t say that it did not pass her mind briefly but she immediately dismissed it as the chances were low. However, that was the wrong decision. Even if the chances were low if it was indeed right, their two weeks of planning would be a mess and would throw them directly into the tiger''s mouth.

    "You''re right, I made the wrong calculations. Based on this assumption we have three to four days maximum. Right now it is Wednesday, we have to execute our mission on Sunday. If there''s any indication that they will come sooner we have to do this on Saturday. This also means we can only hold him for a day or so before things start getting suspicious, at that point our surveillance has to be at its strongest point. No matter what, our lives are the most important."

    There was another wave of silence between them as they individually began calculating what they needed. The situation was far from what they wanted and six months of planning had practically crumbled from the rushed timeline. In their original timeline they were going to draw him out into their net and carefully capture him. Now, they could only brazenly capture him at the risk of the military catching them too.

    "I''m definitely beating his ass when we get him." Ming Ming muttered.

    ***

    Author''s Corner:

    *In three days*

    HXL: "What''s wrong Kitten, your face is looking a little dull? Having trouble sleeping without me?" *smirk*

    YY: "What''s dull is your eyesight, you''ve only slept over once why would you matter? I sleep fine."

    HXL: "Don''t worry Kitten I understand.....I guess I just have to sleep over more. Let''s start tonight..?"

    YY: ".....I''m moving."

 Chapter 122 - Avoiding Work

    "What work do we have to do?" There was a glint in Zhuang Wei''s eyes as he lifted his tired head from the couch. His hangover did not get better with the workout Xi Long put him through. Granted that this was part of his daily routine but it was not so strict that he could not skip a day or two. It was always Xi Long who forced him to get up regardless of condition, his reasoning was understandable but some ''give way'' should be allowed. He had laid down finally after two hours and wanted to catch a breath, yet he was not even given that before being interrupted. Hearings the call to work his eyes reopened with interest, the energy in him jumped at that statement and was excited about the potential gossip. ''Work'' to them could mean many things, underground work, intelligence work, physical work, etcetera. With some of the new movements around them he had passively kept his eye on some individuals but no direct instructions were given. In his opinion, they could be more direct with their attacks but Xi Long always preferred the waiting game. He could admit that the latter was more cruel, waiting for the prey to walk into his grasp then see the light leave their eyes when there was no escape. His hands stretched as if they were physically itching to do something substantial yet Xi Long''s response immediately ended his aspirations.

    "Clear that look from your eyes, work as in WORK. You do remember that you have a job right...Director Wei?"

    "Oh how could I forget?! Are you going to fire me oh big CEO XI LONG....I literally hate you. From alcohol to working out to boring corporate work, I AM TIRED. Give me the day off or else I''m filing a human rights complaint." Pouting Zhuang Wei turned his body to face the insides of the couch and closed his eyes in protest.

    A soft chuckle emerged resounded in the room as Xi Long plopped down next to where he lay curled up on the couch. "File the complaint, I''ll see who dares to take action against me."

    "You''re quite smug as if I won''t actually do it. Imagine the press when they find out, they''ll have a field day with the notorious CEO Han was providing inhumane work conditions."

    "The public relations team can handle it, I don''t pay them for nothing. Plus, where is the proof? I can just claim that you are a workaholic and call it a day."

    "Inhumane and a liar, I would like to give up my position of your best friend thanks. I resign." There was a grumpy tone to his voice but Xi Long knew it was only full of warmth for him. There was not a day between them that did not include arguing or snarky banter - at this point it was their main love language. Lifting up his legs he placed them on top of Zhuang Wei''s and leaned back into the couch. It was not a lie that they had work to do in the office, he had delegated a lot of the tasks but there were always certain aspects that he had to watch over. He had not planned to see his kitten yesterday or the whole fiasco with Su Moxi. With that, there was plentiful of stuff he now needed to do in the office though the desire for a break was strong. Zhuang Wei''s complaints were fair and he had the same intentions but he could not bring himself to actually relax.

    "Well you''d be in charge of your replacement and the handoff details. Find someone just like you and maybe then I''ll consider your request. Until then you are stuck with me Wei Wei."

    "First of all you know that there is no other man like me so that''s a wild goose chase for naught and Wei Wei?!?! I''m going to barf stop this hangover is already making me sick. What do you want from me?" While they had been together for years, the nickname ''Wei Wei'' was only used to antagonize him or get something out of him. He personally enjoyed calling him XiXi out of endearment but when the roles were reversed he could not bring himself to hear it.

    "Haha, come on Wei Wei... didn''t you enjoy call me XiXi in front of Valentina yesterday?"

    Zhuang Wei popped his head out of his position and glared at Xi Long. "So as revenge for using it you''re calling me Wei Wei?? You''re so down bad I can''t even begin to explain how tragic you look."

    "Yeah yeah at least I''m down for someone, when will you be? My offer of setting you up still stands."

    "LOW BLOW. How many times must you bring up my single status as if you were not single until a week ago?? Let''s not forget that she hasn''t called you her boyfriend yet so who is really worse off?"

    Xi Long laughed even harder at Zhuang Wei''s response, the sentence would have been harsher if his tone wasn''t so whiny. It also wasn''t something that bothered him in general, he himself could not imagine a straightforward relationship right now. All he knew is that he wanted his kitten to be his exclusively, in the sense that the rights given to partners were only given to him. It was a weird possessiveness but also respect in her that kept drawing him back to her. They were both individuals tainted with the blood of others, he could sense as much blood thirst on her that he held himself. For people like them a conventional relationship would not work nor did it make sense for them. He knew he did not have the formal title right now but they were both in a ''relationship.'' His kitten even confirmed it yesterday, she didn''t need to explain much but he understood her direction on the matter. For a woman like her even he knew that some of his flirtatious comments were a bit out there. Since she had not completely rejected him he could understand that she was not entirely against him and being with him. Not to mention their activities.....that was enough for him to be quite confident in whatever they had going on.

 Chapter 123 - Getting a Day Off

    "Okay but for real, get up we need to get to work. The faster we finish the boring the quicker we get to the fun stuff." Xi Long''s voice remained calm but it was obvious he was trying to coax Zhuang Wei into getting up. If he truly decided to not come in he could not stop him of course but it was worth a shot. There was never a free amount when it came to both side of their lives. While he currently insisted on the corporate, he had a feeling Zhuang Wei would not get up for that. He could delegate some of his tasks to another Director if needed since he did pay them fairly well.

    He stared at the limp body on the couch that held no signs of moving and before resigning himself to the fact Zhuang Wei was not coming. There was a 99% chance he would not get up unless he forced him so it was fine if he took the day off. He did his part of asking but would not ask further than this. In addition, it was not if they each did not have days off or could not take time off but there was always too much to do. The only people he could trust was himself and Zhuang Wei so they took on more work than they needed to. Of course they could delegate and they could but there was always this lingering fear that something would go wrong. He knew he it was irrational, everyone in the company signed a contract stating that they would owe them XX million if they were ever found betraying the company. Not to mention the eyes they kept on their entire business so there was always information going in and out. Even if someone had teh galls to double cross them they knew in advance. Everything was fairly secure but remaining cautious was important - overconfidence can cause earthquakes he didn''t want.

    When they were younger all they did was work and there wasn''t much time to focus on anything else. With what happened to his family....there was too much going on for their young minds to breathe. Defending against both outsiders and enemies within the family it had taken them everything to protect the company. It was only Zhuang Wei who stood by his side during those dark times and helped him remove all the pests from inside. While they both enjoyed corporate work to an extent Zhuang Wei preferred things with more excitement. No one that had gone through what they had gone through was normal, so it was expected that Wei turned out as such. He always got a strange look in his eyes that almost desired chaos and loved situations where things had to become physical. It was always hilarious watching men and women fawn over Wei thinking he was the gentle type but was exactly opposite. A tsundre in his own right but was man who craved violence.

    There were a couple of people in the past who had looked down on him and considered that he was easy to fool. They used petty seduction tactics and thought they could use a honey trap on Wei. That man was also a bit sadistic in his thinking as he let them continue until he stripped them of their masks and threw them into the Nile. There was a rumour going around that it was him that protected Zhuang Wei when half of the missing people were at the hands of the victim himself. Of course, this is not to say he did not remove people but Zhuang Wei was equally as guilty. They never felt like clearing up the rumour since it could be and is used to their advantage. As long as people continue to think that he was weaker or easier to get along then they open themselves up to holes Zhuang Wei would catch.Of course, there was less and less people that chose to mess with Wei because of him but there were always people who would still try. It also helped having a friendly face to the corporation so he could attain more gossip. Information gathering was never an easy task, you had to present yourself as defenceless in order to gain people''s trust.

    "Fine get up I won''t make you go in to work." Xi Long spoke in a teasing tone to the potato on the couch.

    "...are you serious?" Zhuang Wei turned his head slightly and narrowed his eyes at Xi Long. He refused to move completely off the couch since he was still suspicious. What if he told him to come along for a ride and trick him into a full day of work? Xi Long wouldn''t force him, he knew that, but it was also hard to trust your friend when they spoke nicely to you. No matter how strong or close a relationship was, thinking your best friend was kind? There was no person on this earth who can say they will take their best friend''s words at face value.

    "Yes, yes get up no corporation work for today."

    Seeing that Xi Long looked serious he finally stretched out from his position from cradle to dead fish. "Am I to assume I can do whatever then? A full day of relaxation with no hidden terms."

    "You act like I''m your mother, who am I to stop you from doing anything? If you want a day off just take it."

    "What''s the catch?"

    Xi Long felt like hitting his stupid friend, was he so bad that he could not trust a simple answer?? "The catch is that if you keep asking me I will beat you up. I can use other people in the office or the salary we pay them is for waste." As he finished up his sentence he landed two extra hits on Zhuang Wei''s leg before getting up. He readjusted his clothes and started mentally ticking off the things he needed before leaving. "I''m going to head to work now, don''t call me complaining your bored or I''m shipping you to Siberia."

 Chapter 124 - Personal Project

    Xi Long left right after his Siberia threat leaving only him at the house. It took a couple of minutes for Zhuang Wei to lift himself off the couch and sit up in a raised position. There was an aggrieved expression in his eyes that quickly faded away to a dull, calculative look. While part of his teasing and fighting against work was because he was tired, the other half was for ulterior motives. He wasn''t sure if Xi Long believed him completely but it was not out of the ordinary for him to act this way. Even if he did doubt him, he knew there was enough trust between them to not question it further. After all, no matter what he did it had a reason and would be relayed back to Xi Long if anything came out of it. With the past couple of days there have been a lot of changes and he could not wait much longer to start his plans.

    Having Xi Long leave was only to have him out of the way and to do things in peace. Of course there was no way he could explain at this point, that he wanted to put a tracker on his so-called girlfriend. Not a physical tracker because he knew that was too obvious but a virtual one on her. While Xi Long did trust her, he could not feel secure in letting her be around them without knowing more about her. Granted, she had not done anything against them and did not seem like she had malicious intentions but her skills was too above a normal person. He had noticed how calm she was when there was a potential gun attack, again he knew how stupid the action was but it gave him the results he wanted. To add on, she had a needle hidden in her hat that could test all sorts of poisons. He doubted that it was attuned for only one specific type of poison since that would be useless. So the rational answer was that the needle could detect an array of harmful substances and that she lived a life where she must test her food constantly.

    Part of him wanted to steal the needle for himself so that he could conduct research on the item. He knew however that there was no way "Valentina" would let him get that close. Even going past those basic questions there were even more follow up concerns like where did she get the needle from? Who designed such a needle? And who else was a part of her background? While he did not know much about this woman, it was hard to confirm that she was the mastermind behind the research and development of the product. This was something that had to have gone through multiple trials and errors, there should be a team behind this or someone else supplying her with it. None of these were questions he could ask Xi Long because it was obvious XiXi was being wilfully blind. He never thought he would see a day where his best friend had become so....attached to a woman, especially such a dangerous woman like "Valentina."

    The contents of their relationship he did not care much about, he was happy to have his best friend finally experience his first spring. If they spent nights together, got serious, broke up, all of this was fine but only after he verified her identity. Or at least knew more about to her to feel secure. This confirmation he was looking for could come from only two methods, trying to dig for her information himself or spend more time with her and confirm in person. The latter was harder since there was no reason to call her out with only him nor did he think a lunch or dinner would work due to what happened last night.

    There were just so many questions racing though his mind that he felt like this was the biggest problem he had faced in a while. The way she reacted to the gun, the poison needle, the fake name, her fighting skills, etcetera. All of these things made him both wary and extremely curious about her background. There weren''t many people that could hide from his information guild and escape from their eyes for so long. He wasn''t sure at what point she had entered this country but he could confirm that she was from abroad. Her face was Chinese ethnicity but she gave off the image of a well traveled person. It was as if she had only recently come back from her studies in America but he did not think the foreign background was so simple as that. He was also a bit upset that someone so dangerous could sneak onto their territory without alerting anyone.

    He had no doubt that she went to great lengths to keep everything hidden and clean. Yet, how was it that someone similar to her attributes or personality had not made waves before today? She could have used multiple aliases but each incident involved with the underground was noted by him. He took great pride in being someone that kept track of all small and big events no matter its relevance towards them. The tracker he set up kept track of all nearby countries and popular countries as well so it was not as if he was sloppy or narrow in his work. Despite all of this, there were absolutely no records he could connect her to from a preliminary search. That is why he was determined to do a deeper research on her today and put a virtual tracker personalized towards her. This had to be a personal project and not something he could delegate either due to the sensitivity of the matter.

    If everything did check out he did not want to burn any bridges with her. From their dinner he could tell that despite her being polite there were no other feelings she had towards him. She was nice because he was Xi Long''s best friend but would not hesitate to separate ties if the situation arose.

 Chapter 125 - Memories Pt.1

    A shudder ran down his spine as he imagined Xi Long''s anger if he did manage to burn bridges. For one he could not understand why Xi Long was secure in not knowing anything further or what it is about her that swayed him so. Last night when they were drinking, he did straightforwardly ask Xi Long both as a brother and as an investigator. Yet, the answers gave him vague depictions on how they met to who she was. It seemed that XiXi was aware of every single danger this could bring them but held confidence it would be fine.

    It was rudimentary that Zhuang Wei worried about Xi Long''s state of mind. For a man who lived on revenge for years to suddenly be side tracked it was because of woman for sure. When he had initially met "Valentina" he thought she was a very interesting woman but was not aware of her connection to Xi Long. It didn''t bother him that Xi Long had not told him in advance either, he knew that once things were confirmed he would be the first to know. It was also a bit hilarious for men in their late 20s to be fanning over romantic situations like this.

    However, his choice of woman was indeed interesting. She sparked his curiosity immediately and almost wondered if she were just an extremely intelligent woman or a spy sent into to steal company secrets. When he had been first notified of the altercation it had been several minutes into it and even then no bothered to inform higher management. Usually matters of people trying to break in was common and there were often scenes where security had to step in. However, the second things escalated to that degree it was procedure to let someone know. He would probably have not found out if not for the whispers of gossip from other employees. There was a wry smile on his face as he considered the amount of staff they paid for and their ability to gossip more than actually work. He wasn''t expecting much when he took the elevator down to the ground floor and he could judge too much for hearsay alone. Though if things turned out wrong on their side he would use this chance to have some of those secretaries fired.

    It was not like he and Xi Long did not notice their ulterior motives but kept silent as long as they stayed in their place. One of them was especially blatant about her advances even though neither of them had given her the time of day. Just the level of adoration and greed in her eyes grossed them out. It was similar to the eyes of someone seeing their idol or seeing a tasty piece of meat they wanted to grab. Again, bearable feelings, yet it was her confidence on top of those imageries that truly disgusted them. Their corporation is in more than five industries, had multiple branches, and hundreds of thousands of employees. With those numbers and the fact that Xi Long and him had zero scandals with anyone was enough to showcase their chances at succeeding. There were days that he was quite happy to have come out as gay openly since it reduced the amount of delusional people that came his way. Not to say men and some women did not still try to get in contact with him or seduce him, ''I mean it is quite the crime for me to be this handsome, I understand their struggle. I would hit on me too damn.''

    However knowing that he was attractive wasn''t enough to deter him from ruining anyone who tried. It was actually ridiculous that some of them even thought they had a chance. Being openly gay in this country wasn''t necessarily advisable nor was the society extremely accepting but he would not have it any other way. The issue lied in the fact that because he was gay some individuals assumed just any man would do. Or that he was confused and a woman could ''change him.'' Which was all toxic and very invalidating for the LGBTQ+ community, for him especially it was more insulting than anything. Even he wanted to find a man for himself but could not bare to trust anyone enough to do it. When he had realized he was gay he was only four to five years old. It then became painfully obvious in his early teenager years, when he was in school and the male physique attracted his eyes. He started to imagine being with a man more and more but never acted on it thankfully. At that age if he had tried anything he would have been bullied or had a hate crime committed against him.

    Everything seemed natural to him and the concept of homos.e.x.u.a.lity was not a foreign concept. Due to his family''s status they often took international trips and sent him on an international camp to Europe when he was around fourteen. The books hidden in China and concepts not outwardly talked about where on constant display there. He read as many books secretly and searched as much information he could to educate himself. Once he was secure that what he read was how he felt there was this peace inside of him for finally having a name for it. He was not ashamed but only a little bit scared of how his friends and family would react. By playing random movies with his parents he tried to probe at their thoughts towards it but also laughed it off before he could be hurt too much. Even telling Xi Long was hard but the moment he did was a day he could never forget.

    It was a cloudy day when he had gone over to his house to do homework, this was their usual schedule back then. He didn''t even plan on saying anything but apparently his listless nature and "ugly eye bags that resembled a raccoon" were quite the debby downer.

 Chapter 126 - Memories Pt.2

    For younger him being called a "debby downer" was quite the shock since he thought he was hiding it well. Since young they were both trained on how to hide their emotions and went through a lot of brutal training to get this far in life. Yet within a couple of glances his best friend had managed to see that was something wrong. Either he felt too comfortable and let down his defences or Xi Long was better at reading him than he thought. It didn''t help that he continued speaking and said "what happened tell me, don''t act like I haven''t noticed your sneak glances or the way you''ve been stressed about something for a while now. Your face looks like a raccoon are you waiting to look like a panda before speaking. Tell me what is it." Hearing those words sent him into a spiral. At the time he had just dropped his jaw in response and stared at him with bewilderment.

    He even remembered the thoughts running through his mind at the time despite it being over ten years ago. He had sat on one of their couches stretched out on his back when Xi Long dropped the comment on him. His body immediately went into a sitting position and his face just froze. It was one of the longest debates he had mentally when he considered telling Xi Long or not. Of course it was in his plan to tell him at some point but not so soon when he was unprepared. Current him chuckled at young him''s panic, in retrospect he could have lied about what it is that bothered him. He could have said school, family, training, literally anything and Xi Long would have probably believed him. Yet for a teenager who had been agonizing over something it was as if he had become exposed. The question, although harmless, was directly targeting something he wanted to hide. So him laying there shocked was his first mistake and instant defeat. When you want to hide something the guiltier you look. Part of him was interested to know Xi Long''s version of the events and how he looked to him at the time. In his mind he was a like a child with his hand caught in a cookie jar.

    He wasn''t sure how long it took before he spoke."What....make you think anything is wrong? I''m fine." Which may have been convincing if not for the disturbed look in his eyes, even he knew he was not doing a good job of pushing it off. What made it worse was that Xi Long did not even directly admonish him or say that he was lying. He just sat there silently looking at him with concern, just waiting for him to answer. Though he knew that Xi Long cared for him it was one of the first moments he could directly see it in his eyes. They grew up together ever since their fathers had become best friends who then insisted their children be the same. Little Xi Long was a cutie but as soon as they started training his emotions were more restrained. In their teens it was the peak of Xi Long trying to be a good son so his expressions had almost become nil. Therefore him dropping that act and showing concern visibly was a huge step and sent warmth into his small body.

    "I...I am...was thinking about something but I am not sure if you are ready to hear it."

    "I can take whatever you want to say." Was Xi Long''s response, stupidly calm while he himself was in the middle of an panic attack.

    Now at this point since he had come so far he was determined to say it but the choice of words was an issue. What if after saying it Xi Long stopped wanting to be friends? Or if he became worried that he was attracted to him? While he loved Xi Long it was as a brother and he saw online what happened to other people when they came out. Some were accepting but some said that they felt a distance between his friends. As if they could not be too close anymore in fear that that something would happen to them. That was one of his biggest hesitations in telling Xi Long, to lose a best friend would be too much for him. He knew instinctively that even if he was kicked out of the house and they never saw each other again that Xi Long would not "out" him to others. That basic decency he understood but everything else was up to variables. They never discussed these things before and no matter how much he thought he knew him, everything could be for naught. He wasn''t sure how many minutes passed before he got tired of thinking further, the stress he felt in his belly was enough to feel a burn.

    Taking a deep breath he kept his eyes trained on Xi Long and straightened his back before speaking. "I''m gay." There was an odd pause after his words as he waited to gauge his reaction and to his annoyance there was no change. He gave it a couple more seconds but there was still no response. "What do you see me differently now, if you hate me just come out with it!" The random fire of righteousness he felt at the moment came out of nowhere. He was at the end of his rope and now that he has said it what could he do. If Xi Long truly hated him he would hit him once before he left for revenge!

    "I don''t hate you, thank you for telling me. I can see that it was hard, do you want to talk about it." There was a childlike hesitance and stumbling over the words as Xi Long tried to be as nice as possible. It seemed that it was his attempt at comforting him but came out of an inexperienced and awkward teenager. He felt like crying from the stress but with those words he managed to do both at the same time. It was a hilarious sight with tears streaming down his face and laughter leaving his mouth he probably looked crazy. He could not explain the relief he felt when Xi Long said that, he could sense that there was no hidden meanings or disgust coming from him. It was his honest reaction and he did not see anything wrong with what he spent days agonizing over. No matter what they were from City A and there was no guarantee of the opinions they held on this type of stuff.

    He was in the middle of his tears and laughter when he felt a tissue being pressed against his face and a warm head patting his head. The only issue was that the tissue was roughly wiping his tears and the force of the hand patting his head a little too strong. Yet they were the most comforting touches he had ever felt.

    "You know I know you are comforting me but if I wasn''t sure about that I would think you were trying to kill my brain cells."

    "Shut up, you don''t have any to begin with." Was their snarky response but the touches on his head became lighter.

 Chapter 127 - Dressing Down

    The warmth of that head pat was something he could feel even now. He was pretty glad that Xi Long was the first person he had come out to since it gave him the strength to do the others. The positive reaction from him and feeling secure that his friend would not leave him was all the encouragement a teenager needed. Though not everyone else took it as easily...a bitter chuckle left his mouth. It really did him no good to reminisce over the darker parts of his life but with the good came the bad.

    Snapping out of his day dream he looked at the grandfather clock nearby. It was an antique piece his mother had purchased years ago and was close enough for him to read the time. He could check his phone or watch but moving eyes was less work than moving his arms. Judging by what the clock said ten minutes had passed since Xi Long had left and for him to leave memory land. Getting up from his space on the couch he made his way back to his room and changed his clothes. His current outfit was branded pants and a casual home wear shirt, both of which did not suit his purpose. Pulling out some black clothing he switched into roughed up black jeans and a no name hoodie.

    The part of town their intelligence base was in was a rougher part of the city and was how they preferred it. They had created a small business of sorts where people would be able to buy information from them but not everyone could reach them. The exclusivity and mystery behind their service is what kept it running. If they were to cater to every joe on the street then they would have been destroyed very early on by anyone who wanted them silenced. When Xi Long and him had created this business it was just a small means of gathering their own intel. Only after a couple of months did they realize there was money potential involved. Not to mention, that gathering information became even easier with this "guild" of sorts. Since they had become a location to gather information, people who wanted information against both of them or had ill intent in the area were easily found out. After that they would either quickly eliminate the enemy or provide false information on purpose. Now, they were at a state where they can hire more people to manage the front and backend of the business while they oversaw it from a distance. Compared to their other businesses this was the one he was the most involved in and kept a tight leash on them.

    The reason he had to change was so that he could blend in with the crowd when he visited. No one knew that he was the owner of the guild and he had no intention of letting anyone find out. There were many people who tried to buy that information through their staff but none of them had folded yet. It wasn''t as if they did this out of loyalty but knew that their families would be destroyed if they did. Some of them were orphans and in those cases whatever they held dearest to them would be held in their possession. Those were the terms of employment to ensure the highest loyalty and people who usually agreed needed the money. Or had lived their lives too long in the dark to qualify for anything else.

    Therefore he had to make sure he was dressed down and looked like a rouge before going anywhere. Anything branded or colourful would catch unwanted eyes that he could do without, especially today. Checking himself out in the mirror he confirmed his clothing choice before messing up his hair in a flattening motion. ''Ah it truly is a sin to be this good looking.'' He did not consider himself arrogant but he was no blind to the gazes of others, aesthetically he had an above average face. Not the most handsome man in the world but had strong features he was proud of. Which was the hardest part for him to cover when he went to their base, at some point he had just taken to using a mask. It started off as a convenience factor but became part of his reputation with time. There were rumours circulating that the head of the information guild always wore a mask because he was gruesome beneath it and it would reveal his violent nature. It added to the elusive vibe reading the business and helped to deter some people from connecting this persona back to him.

    Grabbing the facial mask and his keys he finally set out to leave his house. It was his preference to drive closer to other side of town then make the remaining part of the trip on foot. That was also the moment where he would slip on a normal black facial mask that slowly became the signature guild master''s one. It was a mask that covered 3/4''s of his face leaving only his left eye visible. Personally he liked to call it his "Phantom of the Opera" mask to the way it fit on him. It was a black coloured mask with rough markings and splashes of dried blood on it. The blood wasn''t real of course but served its purpose by looking real. There were even rumours that amount of blood on the mask differed on his emotions and how blood thirsty he was at the moment. He had been working on creating a mechanical one that he could trigger to changes masks by button but hadn''t been able to make a successful version. Due to that he was stuck between switching physical versions.

    Checking the time again he confirmed that it was still early before getting into a civilian car and driving out of his driveway. The trip thankfully only took thirty minutes in total so it was the perfect distance for him to make. It was close enough for him to be there quickly for emergencies and far enough that no one expected him to be there. While Xi Long had given him the day off he was not sure how long his search would go and he was anxious to get the information as soon as possible.

    "Valentina..." was the only name repeating in his mind as his eyes turned cold.

 Chapter 128 - Liberte

    The drive over there was easier than he had expected. It was still early in the morning and just after rush hour, so the roads were practically clear. The scenery slowly changed from lush greenery into an industrial setting. An emphasis on buildings and asphalt were the theme of this area versus the nature wealthy individuals could afford to maintain. The area he was travelling was considered a "dingy" part or an area where the financially struggling lived. He saw nothing wrong with it however, it was just the skewed perception of the port from people who had not experienced hardship. Not everyone could be born wealthy and while that did not guarantee a peaceful life it was better than having no food or roof over your head.

    His eyes were dark as he remembered the times that he had struggled to get a meal and the comparison to the wealth he had now. None of it felt concrete to him, as if it would disappear if he was not careful. Thats what drew him into intelligence work in the beginning. They had the need of course, but he excelled in it for his own personal reasons. The anxiety of not knowing was not an emotion he cared to let fester. If he could - he would find out the answer.

    That desire is also what drove him crazier about the Valentina situation. He cared for his friend but there were too many illogical points about her he had to clear up. Even while driving his mind wandered on the ways he could begin his search or what parameters he should look into. Physically, she was an ethnic Chinese woman, athletic build, and had pale jade like skin. Her height was fairly tall at five feet seven or eight to his estimations. Yet, hair, height, and eye colour can easily be changed depending on the identity to cover you chose to have. Her skin colour now was light but it would only take a little bit of sun to make it darker. He felt like her current shade had everything to do with her reclusive lifestyle than her desire to maintain a beauty standard. Therefore, there were very little parameters he could search on that were stagnant on her. Even with a little bit of makeup she may be able to change her ethnicity. He had seen items that change your eye shape and different techniques that help alter appearances to a racially ambiguous stage.

    His intention was to do some initial background search on her and then use certain factors to lay a tracker online. Though he had done a search on her when she was in the office, there was a limit to what he could do from his work laptop. The equipment was limited and so was the security breaches he was willing to engage in. Imagine he tried to do an extensive search from the corporation''s IP address, it would be a complete mess. They did build a strong security system and paid millions to ensure that their IP address and systems were hidden. Yet, higher level things should be kept separate from the business grounds. If there was an emergency his phone would have been alerted and they can decide their next steps after seeing what it was.

    His car slowed down into a garage and parked inside as if he was dropping it off for maintenance. There wasn''t anyone around the vehicle when he did but he knew that there would be no issue. The staff there knew what to do after seeing his license plate, though it was a fake one that connected to another alias. Slipping out of the vehicle he kept his head tilted down with his mask being pushed into his pocket and his keys in the empty hand. The plain black mask was already placed on his face for extra measure, he had put it on at a stop light as he was nearing the location.

    Just as he had done many times before he made his way down the familiar streets. He walked in an aimless pattern pretending to be a local, taking lefts and rights until he approached a bar. It was boarded up on outside with a closed sign hanging on its door. The building was covered in red bricks with randoms black ash scrawled against it. There was even a small graffiti sign on the left side of the building with the words "Liberate". The bar itself was a small place named "Liberte" it was French but they forgot the accent on the letter. So it easily became something people misread as lib-berte or liberate.

    Knocking on the door twice he pretended to be a customer searching for alcohol mid-day. "Helloooo anyone there, open up. I need some beer."

    There was an immediate answer from inside that said "go away, we''re not open yet."

    "Pleeasseeeee. I''ll pay extra." He changed the tone of his voice to a more whiny tone and slurred his words as if he had ingested some alcohol already. This was all a ruse to speak his second sentence which was his key to enter the building. It took a couple of seconds before the door in front of him clicked and was opened to let him in.

    The figurative ''show'' did not end there, "took you long enough. Rum with ice right noww."

    "Yeah yeah, remember you said you would pay extra." The individual that opened the door ushered him in like they were consoling a drunkard before closing the door behind them. The second the door was cleared the atmosphere between them shifted. Taking a step back he slipped on his secondary mask to cover his face more before acknowledging the other.

    "How has everything been?"

    "Stable sir." The voice that responded was paired with a monotone voice and expression.

    "Good, I will be in the back room. If there are any emergencies or items that must be brought to my attention then you can enter. Otherwise, I hope to be undisturbed for the period of time I am here."

    "Of course sir."

    "Alright, I''ll see myself to the back."

 Chapter 129 - AnAn Pt. 1

    "And you can be a little less stiff AnAn." There was a small smile as he spoke before he headed towards the back. It had been years of working with each other but she still maintained a stiff personality with him. If he did not know her better he would have assumed she hated him but she was hard at expressing emotions. They had met years ago in when he was still in his early twenties and it was an unexpected encounter. Of all places he had met her it was behind a restaurant near the dumpsters. He was heading out of the building when he heard some loud noises from behind. It was only chance that he had taken the employee exit that time to evade some troublesome people and was immediately drawn into trouble.

    Usually he would just ignore the noise and` leave or at maximum watch from a distance in case of there being information. However, even if he did not want to he had to get involved in the situation. Following the noise he took a quick walk over to the source where he saw a tall sumo build of a man face against what was then the younger Anran. Obviously at the time he didn''t know it was and barely realized it was a female till she spoke. Her buzz cut hairstyle with the dim lighting gave off a young boy look rather than young female. He had assumed it was a regular stick up for money but listening into the conversation it was very different.

    "Come on, move."

    "You STAY AWAY from us." It was only after this line did he hear the feminine tone of her voice and had the realization that there were people behind her. It wasn''t easy to discern under the streetlights but he saw two little kids holding onto the back of her shirt. They were in rags and scrawny as if the wind could blow them away but their grip was ripping into her shirt. He had to commend the girl for staying strong in front of someone that much larger than her but it made sense if she had someone to protect.

    "I told you, I''ll pay you $50 thats more than you have ever seen right? Move while I''m asking nicely and give me the kids behind you."

    "MOVE AWAY FROM US YOU PEDOPHILE, WE DON''T NEED YOUR MONEY." Just hearing the frightened tone in her voice he could tell it was not the first time he had approached them. It was actually a lot more common to see these type of predators on the street. They saw children as barters or tools they could use in a free labour or s.e.x.u.a.l sense. Judging by his price and the sleazy voice he felt like it was the latter.

    He was still debating on interrupting since he''d rather not involve himself in business he didn''t have to and it wasn''t at a point where it needed his intervention. Maybe someone nicer than him would have already jumped in but he knew first hand what a double edged sword it was. What you consider kindness could be the nail in the coffin for them. Say you help them today and the aggressor comes back to them for revenge and it escalates. Or, you help them and create a hope that someone will save them every time. On these streets its best to learn how to adapt versus waiting for some hero or God to save you. No matter how much you pray no one will come and you''ll bleed out before you can cry in regret. He hated when his mind became this bitter but this was the reality of things no matter how much he wished it wasn''t.

    "Come to me nicely while I''m speaking little girl, I can take you too if I want."

    "I''ll scream."

    "You''re testing my patience, move."

    "Over our dead bodies." There was a silent pause after her words before the sumo man lunged at her. Out of no where he saw her jab a glass shard into his stomach but unfortunately it wasn''t enough to stop him. The kids behind her were pushed against the wall with her body as shield between them and the sumo man. He was still debating on stepping out of the shadows when he saw her claw his face and stab him again. Her hand was easily torn up from gripping the glass shard so tightly but the pain couldn''t be seen on her face. Fighting aggressively the kids behind her were screaming and crying but couldn''t move outside her protection circle. The sumo man was fighting on pure anger as his moves became more sloppy and deranged. At this point the man lifted her up off the ground with his hands wrapped around her throat.

    "You should have listened when I spoke nicely, you b*tch! Actually dared to stab me! I will KILL YOU!!" His meaty hands were crushing on her wind pipe while the girl''s body was flailing in the air in protest. ''Okay maybe its time...'' as he was stepping forward he was shocked in his place by the look in her eyes. Despite being on the verge of death her eyes were that of a cornered beast. The look was so raw and murderous that he even suspected she was older than he had expected. The idea of a teen girl exuding such an aura in the face of death was astounding.

    Checking his surroundings he made sure no one was there before running out to them and attacking the man from behind. He kicked his leg out and knocked his knees bringing the man down to the ground. With a sudden fall his grip on the girl also loosened enough for her to move away. She scooted back quickly coughing but keeping herself in front of the children.

    Disregarding her for that moment he focused on the sumo man in front of him. Kicking him again in the back he pressed his foot on his neck pressing it into the floor. Taking out a gun he kept it ready on the side if he made any sudden movements.

    "Now what''s a big old fart like you have to do with these children?"

 Chapter 130 - AnAn Pt.2

    "What who are you, GET OFF." The sumo man underneath his foot aggressively struggled trying to get out of the hold. Pressing a little harder into his throat he gave a warning to the man forcing him to stop his needless flailing.

    "I wouldn''t move if I were you." Tapping his gun against the back of his head he gave a silent indication that he was armed. One move and the man''s head would get blasted if he was not careful. Easing up on his foot he relaxed the pressure on the man''s neck so he could speak easier.

    "Now that we have come to an understanding, I asked you very kindly why a sack of spoiled potatoes like you has business with these children."

    "I''m their uncle, you have it wrong!! Let go of me..."

    "YOU''RE NOT OUR UNCLE."

    The fierce child he had saw was quick to shut down his statement. Her voice was loud and filled with disgust at the idea of the sumo being their uncle. He was obviously no fool, this man was not their uncle just based on their interactions. However, he would not be overly surprised if there were people in similar situations with their actual uncle. Blood ties did nothing to deter the evil in people and sometimes was the key to letting them fulfill it too. Casting a glance at the little girl that he had begun to fondly call "little wolf" in his head was struggling to stand but kept her body still positioned in front of the others. Again there was a bit of awe in him at her ability to remain strong, only god knew what she had seen to be this way. Feeling a bit of irritation rise in him again he flipped his gun and slammed it against his back.

    The man groaned out in pain and he cut him off after a couple of seconds. "Shut your whining, you deserve a lot more for lying. I can''t understand if you''re just dumb or c.o.c.ky that you can get out of this situation. I''m one bullet away from ending you if I''m nice and feeding you to my dogs while you''re paralyzed if I''m mad. Your choice...." The sumo man could not see his expression but he had filled his voice with evil intent. Even if the man was confident, a man who could joke about such violent things was never someone to take lightly. He knew that from experience and from the fact that he meant every single word.

    If he could speak like this and be secure, what stopped the next person from being just as sure? There was definitely crazier b*stards than him out there and he had the unfortunate luck of meeting some of them. It was also this sumo man''s shitty luck to meet him today, feeling the body shiver under his feet it seemed that his threat finally came through.

    "Haha I don''t believe you, kill me! Do you KNOW WHO I AM?"

    ''Okay maybe not....'' Feeling tired, he wasted no other words before taking the lock of his gun and shooting at the man''s leg. He could have aimed at the head but the fun would end too quickly and he didn''t feel like scarring the children much more. Hearing the gun shot he saw from the corner of his eyes that the little ones had closed their eyes and little wolf had kept her eyes straight on the body. It seemed that even if he had killed him this girl would just watch with a neutral expression.

    "Tell me what business you had and if there are others involved before I run out of patience. Don''t. Test. Me." With each pause he kicked the shot leg with sixty percent of his power, anything more than that was not necessary.

    He wasn''t sure what answer he was looking for from the man, it was technically obvious what he had been planning. Yet there was a need for him to hear it in plain words and the kids to hear it too, if there was anything bigger involved it was information he needed. Xi Long and him always kept an eye out for child trafficking, at least in this city they wanted to stop kids from entering that lifestyle. They couldn''t do much but a couple of tips toward the police was easy for them. The police got the glory and they got the satisfaction.

    "I...was just offering a deal for the children....they have been on the street a while. I was going to pay them and let them go after...."

    "Let them go? Or sell them to someone else?"

    "NO NO I was not going to sell them, just keep them for myse-"

    *BANG* The sentence was never finished as he slammed his fist into the back of his skull knocking him out. ''Trash of a man, why are so many people pedophiles. With this ugly build and unnatural desires, there was no reason for him to live.'' His eyes were dark as he imagined finishing off the man for good. Now that the man had confessed it was only him, he had ease in getting rid of him. His finger was on trigger but the children again held him back.

    He actively tried telling himself that he was this strong man who was heartless and could care less about kids on the street. Yet, here he was going against his thoughts and doing above and beyond for them. There was curiosity in the children, the little wolf girl specifically but there was a soft spot in situations like this. If it was just robbery he would probably leave it and go, or just stay silently in the background. As long as they weren''t dead that was fine but these type of creep situations was hard for him to ignore. So what he chose to do instead was ignore how foolish he was and leave after pretending nothing happened.

 Chapter 131 - AnAn Pt. 3

    ''Okay, don''t look at these kids. Just ignore them and drag the body away, you can call someone to help you pick it up later.'' Those were his thoughts as he realized how awkward the exit situation would be. He was a strategist who liked to have things in control but there were often times he did things without thinking first. This was one of them and the reality of everything was quickly calming him down. There was confidence that this man could be taken care of and disposed easily - that was no problem.

    Tucking his gun back into the back of his pants he bent down to pick up one of the sumo''s legs. Testing his strength he tried pulling one of the legs and seeing if it would move. ''This man is heavy dang.'' He pulled with a fair bit of strength but the body laid flat against ground without moving. Partially he felt that cause the man was unconscious the body was completely relaxed adding even more weight. The man easily weighed above two hundred pounds that was all unhealthy weight just by the look of his skin and body. It wasn''t a complete lie when people said you are what you eat, the food you put in your body definitely showed on the outside.

    Picking up the other leg he pulled again and felt the body move slightly this time. It was definitely too heavy for him to go far but he could make it to the side door of the restaurant. They had ties with the business so there would be no issue doing something sketchy or illegal next to it. The CCTVs were under his command so he had to remind himself to clear it later. Keeping silent the entire time he was thinking and planning his next step and refrained from giving the kids any of his attention. He hoped that they would just leave and take the opportunity but they stayed vigilant and just bore nails into his side.

    ''Maybe they want some money?''

    The kid definitely needed a bit of medical attention and probably couldn''t even afford an ointment at this moment. Dropping the legs for a second he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Thankfully he did carry some smaller change on him, anything too big would look like these kids stole even if they earned it themselves. Pulling out all the small bills he had on hand, there was approximately a hundred dollars. Placing it gently on the floor a bit of distance away, he put the wallet back in his pocket and went back to the man.

    There was no guarantee that this sumo man would stay unconscious for very long so he wanted to get things cleaned up fast. Picking up the two legs again he started dragging the body away towards the side door of the restaurant. So essentially dragged the body back to where he was standing before as an observer. He was around half way there before he saw a small hand in front of him with the money in their hand.

    "We don''t need your money, take it." Ignoring little wolf''s words he kept moving without acknowledging her words. Despite this, she did not take the hint and ran up again to stick out the money.

    Stopping his movements, he dropped the body again harshly onto the floor. The blood from the shot wound was still bleeding and he knew by dropping it there were a bunch of new bruises. Dusting of his hands a little bit, he kept his face neutral as he looked at the little girl. She held no fear while looking at him and kept her hand out stubbornly.

    "Being arrogant is only for those who can afford it, its a privilege."

    "We''re not beggars." She pushed her chin up further and kept her hand stretched out. If not for the slight waver in her eyes he would have thought she ignored his words completely.

    "And you''re not rich either." He raised his right eyebrow as he responded to her. There was obvious pride coming from the child and he knew it was part of her defence mechanism. If it was any other man than him, the money would have had their own conditions. The more naive children would take the money and not realize that a relationship has just formed.

    The relationship created is coated in debt towards the other and depending on what was given the higher the cost. There were different names for an example of it was a loan shark. Lots of people when they were down on their luck would go to these businesses for money. The money would be given but the contract signed was essentially a slave contract. There was always ''fire interest'' which meant that compared to banks the rate was around 10% higher and the amount due would increase daily. So if someone were to get a loan of a $100 it would easily become $1000 by the next month.

    Makes you wonder why people chose to still sign but desperation is desperation. When you''ve been pushed hard enough any sort of help can be your salvation. It starts of with reasoning like "I just need this to tide over but I''ll pay it back next month" or "xx will die if I don''t get the money" but rarely ever ends off positively. Death, harassment to get money back, mental pressure, etcetera.

    Even if you were to forget that example there were countless more to mention. Being in the film industry and being given a role that you maybe had to sleep with a director for. Or having a rich individual help you out for mutual benefits. Even Zhuang Wei could not deny that he himself expected returns on a lot of his decisions. Whether that be personal satisfaction or something materialistic.

    Him helping out this girl was the former and since he had already gotten so deep it wouldn''t hurt to expend a little more energy.

 Chapter 132 - AnAn Pt.4

    Once he made his decision to get more involved he started looking around with a pensive expression. He was feeling a older brother moment and debated on where they should stand for the conversation. Knowing this little wolf''s personality it would not be that short and he didn''t want to stand for that long either. Bending down to look at her for an extended period of time would hurt his neck and back. He wasn''t the tallest person but was a solid 5"10 whereas the little wolf was at 5"1 - 5"3 maximum. The distance of five plus inches put a strain on him and whatever he wanted to say was best at eye level.

    Yet that would mean he would have to sit on the dirty floor, which was all fine and dandy if it was just concrete. The specific area they were in had bits of trash littered around, some still had food on them from the restaurant. One side were the children and on the other were the dumpsters, neither were a good choice. He could squat but was not a good position if he were to get attacked since his balance was compromised.

    Debating for a couple more seconds his eyes lingered on the unconscious body flat against the floor. The body was large enough and had lots of fat pockets so it slowly became a makeshift pillow in his eyes. His clothes were a little ruffed up and there was some dirt but not the worst he has ever seen. If anything, he could always burn his clothes or chemical wash them if necessary.

    Zhuang Wei was a bit of a germaphobe, it was a lot worse when he was younger but he still held cleanliness as a top priority. It was a weird issue to have because the things that he considered dirty and not dirty were personal to him. As in, the blood of the sumo man was not gross but the trash with food spread over it was. Though he did hope that none of the blood that got on him carried any negative diseases that were transmissible.

    In fights you never know where you could get blood on you but he liked to avoid getting blood in his eyes and mouth. Bending down he dusted off the man''s back before casually plopping onto it. It only took a couple seconds before he found a comfortable position and he looked back at the little girl. Her hand was by her side and the money was loosely clutched within her palm. There was a bit of confusion on her face from watching his actions.

    He knew that he probably looked a little insane sitting on the man who was just strangling her and using him as a seat. It was truly a ''carpe diem'' type moment.

    "Either sit or keep standing, let''s have a conversation." He rested his hands on his legs and sat with his knees slightly propped up. His body language was completely relaxed so that the little wolf would put down a bit of her guard. It was a subtle change but his entire demeanour and vibe emitting from his body had changed with those movements. It was a trick you learned on the streets to remain as unthreatening as possible and to surprise your enemy. There was humour in the fact that he learned this skill to defend himself and here he was using it against a little girl half his height. All so that he could give her a little advice from his current "older brother" position.

    She took several steps backwards and then sat cross legged on the floor. Putting the money on the ground in front of her she pushed it towards his direction. "What is your motive."

    "Motive? That''s quite a big word for such a little wolf like you."

    "Wolf? You''re weird."

    "Well I don''t know your name, little wolf is what I''ll call you and before you ask why its your eyes. You looked like a little wolf club when you were fighting off the trash man under me." The first couple of sentences between them was just back and forth of banter.

    "What do you want, we are not beggars. I don''t need your money."

    "Oh but you do, listen kid. I''m going to talk to you straight, no bullshit. Okay?"

    There was a silent pause as she just stared at him.

    "You don''t have to speak but nod your head to tell me that you understand what I''m saying. Okay?" His words were quite gentle but his eyes held a serious undertone. Thankfully he didn''t need to speak more words to convince her, her response was from a slow nod.

    "Good. Now I''m not going to tell you who I am nor do I need to know who you are. Identity is irrelevant and you can just forget this incident even happened. This man beneath me won''t trouble you again, that I can promise but there will be other men like him out there." He paused again after his words to see if she would nod, it was best that he spoke in portions so that she could understand him clearly and take it in.

    Another slow nod came from the girl.

    "I don''t know your story but I know that these are the streets and they have some rules you need to listen to for survival. Those kids over in the corner are easy to use against you and are your weak point, how long do you think you can defend them? And with your size?"

    "I can protect them!"

    "Or really? What do you think was going to happen if I did not interrupt. I''m not saying you did not fight well, you did but that is not enough."

    "I would have got awa-"

    "You would have died."

    ***

    <Small Addition to the A/N below> If you''re looking for a new novel please check out my new novel - The Male Lead is my Stalker Ex? Its my submission for the Spirity Awards 2021 and could really use the support!

 Chapter 133 - AnAn Pt. 5

    He hated that he had to tell a little girl this and shut down her heroic behaviour but now that he was here he had to tell her. Repeating his words again he paused after every word to drive it in even more.

    "You. Would. Have. Died. Don''t argue with me, you''re lying to yourself if you think otherwise. This man is easily two hundred pounds and you''re barely over a hundred, there was no chance as soon as your legs were off the floor."

    She glared at him in defiance but he could see that she believed him. Her small body deflated a bit and she looked down to the floor while gripping her pants tightly in her hands. Giving her a couple minutes to collect her thoughts he stopped his speech. It was until she looked back up with red eyes did he get the nod to continue.

    "Drop these kids at the orphanage, they are young enough to be accepted and adopted if lucky. Before you reject me, I am well aware of what happens there but not all of them are bad. If anything, you will have a roof over your head and food. On these streets none of those are certain and you have no defence against weather. If you think that you can handle it, look back at the kids behind you. How long do you think their body will last? A couple of months? A year max if lucky?" There was another pause after his words and he kept silent until she remembered to nod.

    "Good. Now you are also young enough for an orphanage but you are also old enough to start working somewhere. You look thirteen/fourteen to me and there are many places that will offer you in accommodations with the job. Or you can work at the orphanage for free for food and home. The reason why I''m telling you to work is that these streets are not a place for you. Trying to survive here means that you have to give up your soul and maybe even your body. Its no place for someone your age and I can tell you haven''t been here for long. Earning a living and saving up is your best ticket out of here. Build experience while you are young, they don''t expect much from you now. In a couple of years you won''t even be able to get a sweeping job without some experience."

    ''Another nod, looks like I''m not wasting my time.''

    Seeing how focused the little girl was made him want to educate her even more. He was not aware how preach-y he could be until right now. Every time he wanted to end his sermon there was more knowledge he wanted to impart.

    "You could ask me why don''t I offer you a job? Wrong expectation. Don''t expect anyone to help you or care, the reality is everyone does something for their benefit. My reward was blowing some steam on this creep, I had pedophiles that''s my own prerogative but who''s to say everyone is like me? You''re a child on the streets, no one is coming to save you. You have to work on yourself and survive no matter what."

    Leaning forward, he picked up the money she pushed towards him and pushed it back towards her.

    "You may not think you are a beggar but its not a bad term. You are not rich nor do you have any resources to protect you. Society calls those individuals beggars but being one doesn''t take away your dignity as a human. What it does, is lower your standards and expectations on what you will accept. The statement ''beggars can''t be choosers'' is valid. Your pride that''s stopping you from taking my money is a privilege you can''t afford to keep right now. If I had asked for something in return then sure, reject my money. However, I don''t know you, you don''t know me. I can''t find you even if I was going to hold you in debt. I had not spoken a word to you since I came and left the money silently - that is okay to accept. Your injuries will not heal without medication, especially the bruising on your throat. So will you still reject it?"

    There was a nod before she froze and quickly corrected it with a "no I will....take it..."

    "Hide the money, use the smaller bills and never everything at once. With your appearance someone will think you stole so you have to be careful. Don''t let anyone know you have money, you''ll be robbed in a second. There is a pharmacy near by, you can grab your medication there and then stay hidden for the night. Go to a social service building, Star Home is a good choice. They can help you get into an orphanage and find a job, make sure you say that you are orphans. Family or no family, you have no one now other than those two kids behind you."

    Looking past the little girl he signalled the other two to come forward. They flinched in fear until the little wolf waved her hand in support. Once they had her approval they ran over and stood behind her again.

    "Your sister here almost died protecting you tonight do you know that?"

    "HEY TH-"

    "Shut it, coddling them is the worst thing you can do."

    There was a guilty look in her eyes as she struggled to stay silent. No one wanted to hear their younger siblings being talked down to or being blamed for such an event but that was the truth. The sumo man had initially eyed the little kids not her, without them she could have escaped his sight.

    Resuming where he left off he gave both of them a serious look as he spoke. "You may depend on your sister now but she can''t do everything by herself. Both of you need to get stronger if you want to protect each other and to stay off the streets. If you ever find yourself back here remember what I''ve taught you and these rules:

    One - Stay Hidden.

    Two- Never trust anyone.

    Three- There are no morals when you have to survive.

    Four - Pride is a privilege, accept what you can.

    Five - Always be ready to leave.

    Six - Keep your belongings on you at all times

    Seven - No one will save you, you have to learn how to fight.

    Eight - Never lose yourself.

    Nine - Never forget your exit plan - the streets are a place not your end goal.

    For the tenth one he made direct eye contact with the little wolf and repeated the same thing he said minutes ago.

    Ten - There are no heroes, only fools.

    There''s much more I could say but experience is the best teacher. I''ve preached you guys enough, I''m leaving to take care of this man." He could feel some movements slowly coming from the man and it would not be too long before he woke up. Using his left hand he whacked the back of the man''s neck to knock him out again.

    Dusting off again, he looked at the three of them one more time before preparing to leave. Pulling out his phone he sent a quick text to one of his men for the ''body cleanup.'' It had been twenty minutes since he had jumped in and it would be another five before his men would arrive. Getting up he picked up the legs again and began to drag the body away, it easily one of his top ten dramatic exits.

    "Wait....." Turning back he looked at her as she looked down at the floor with shifty feet.

    "Yes.."

    "Thank you...."

    "Haha you''re welcome." There was a short burst of laughter as he heard her thank you. From a little wolf cub to a little puppy, her switch up was quite entertaining and reminded him how young she was.

    ''Either way not its over now, I won''t be seeing them again anyways.''

 Chapter 134 - Open Sesame

    ''I''m never seeing them again anyways.''

    Though that was what he thought at the time fate had a funny way of playing with him.  He had left that night after and disposed of the body, the kids were far from his mind. Meeting them was by chance and the probability of seeing them again was almost nil. The country and city were so big that he barely even saw his own friends more than once every couple of months.

    Yet, despite those statistics it took only a week before he saw the little wolf again and under the wildest circ.u.mstances. However, that was a whole other memory he would rather reminisce another time. Who knew what side of the bed he woke up on but his entire morning was filled with memories. He was just wasting time thinking about the past for no reason. AnAn and his relationship became one of weird coincidences till it developed to what it was today. She was his right hand at the bar and someone he could fondly call AnAn. He still preferred the title "little wolf" a bit more but it wasn''t as socially accepted.

    Walking down the corridor he opened the supply closet and closed it behind him. It was an inconspicuous room and was filled with cleaning supplies so people would not suspect it otherwise. He waited a couple of seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before taking a couple steps forward. They had a security system that could not be detected normally and required them to be in complete darkness to complete it. That way, if anyone were to watch via camera they would see nothing and no would suspect that the room had an alternate purpose.

    There were motion sensors set up around the room and sensory boards placed under the floor to catch his movements. It was an advanced security system they were able to develop a couple of years back. There was still room to grow but for now it was 99% effective to protect their insider business. The only three people who knew the password was Xi Long, AnAn, and himself. No one else in the organization was provided the same clearance since it was the code to his office specifically.

    There was another entrance in the bar to lead to the information guild itself. The first thing you saw when you went inside was the front desk or receptionist. The receptionist usually switched between two people one boy, one girl - both of who looked welcoming and weak. It was part of the strategy to come off less threatening. The potential customer would then fill out a form and would get vetted before their task was accepted. Considering the information resources they had on hand it was extremely easy to weed the bad requests out immediately.

    There were people who got angry after being rejected and tried to take it out on the establishment or receptionists. However that was one of their worst mistakes since both of them were well trained in fighting. The girl liked to practice Krav Maga1 while the guy had learned to box. It was always a hilarious scene to watch when those people flaunt their wealth and power as if weren''t at the guild''s mercy. The CCTVs captured perfect moments such as the one where his female receptionist finished work then proceeded to beat the living daylights out of the customer.

    Granted it was an arrogant uncle from a ''new money'' family and he had made a bunch of unwanted s.e.x.u.a.l comments. So at the end where he tried to sic his guards on her, her patience with him had already reached her peak. It didn''t take long before she had jumped the table and started doing punch after punch. The guards were held back by the other security they had around. Thereby giving her enough time to get her revenge and put him in his place.

    As the boss, he never supported people fighting for no reason but was also someone that believed the theory - they started the war, we end it. His employees were the base of this service so they all was awarded certain allowances. Fighting potential customers was frowned upon but in certain situations it he could allow it. Especially with how many people come through the door and the high percentage of them being s.e.xist.

    Thankfully there were many ways to mitigate interaction and stop ''lesser'' people from coming. For older and more valuable customers were able to book appointments to come in and submit their request. The regular public had to know a password to reach the reception, this password changed every month in order to stay low-key. People mainly came to put in their requests and the information was delivered in other methods. This was also done to protect their customer''s privacy, having both pick up and delivery at the same place would have too much foot traffic. They received hundreds of requests a week and fulfilled a good portion of them as well, so it was easy to imagine the mess if not managed properly.

    Making sure he was in the correct position he started completing the steps towards unlocking the security. After moving exactly four steps forward he reversed his steps by two, then tapped his foot against the floor lightly three times. That was part of the first sequence he had to complete for their security. Pivoting on the same spot towards his left, he went three steps backward then tapped the floor lightly another three times. This time there was a slight pause between each taps with the middle tap being more forceful. Those movements cleared the second level of their security and the final one was the most complicated set.

    Doing a two step motion hitting his heel twice and then the front once was the first part. Then his left foot simultaneously had to do the opposite motion with two taps in front and one on the back heel. The tricky part was that they both had to be done at the same time and it was not a motion people could replicate easily. He himself had practiced multiple times to perfect the password. Finally to finish of the set, he had to bend down and pull the detergent forward from its spot on the shelf.

    This short movement actually finished the security password and triggered the retina scanner hiding in the cap. There was a red scanner light boring into his eyeballs before a click sounded in the corner.

    "Enter." Israeli self defence

 Chapter 135 - Sesame Opened

    The "enter" sound he heard was not heard verbally but through morse code. He had heard the sounds so often that it directly translated to the word in his head. What it actually sounded like was a series of short and long knocks. Morse code was mainly used during the war and it was less common in this city to be used as communication. Of course the spies and assassins who trained to kill knew it but an untrained ear could not catch the nuances.

    That is why, for their security system it made the most sense for communication. It was essentially their version of "siri"but without words. On the other hand, if someone were to try and break through their security but make a mistake, the warnings would also be communicated through code. Currently it was set up to engage an alarm but also communicate a word for level of danger. The semantics were debatable but it worked well for them thus far.

    Xi Long had mentioned upgrading the system recently and he had the same intentions. Though, how to make this place more secure was a difficult problem to solve. There had been no attacks on the location recently for them to even know what to defend against. It came down to a point that they just invested into a couple of cyber security and defence research organizations. They could get access and inquire about products ahead of time with their stakeholder position.

    If there were outstanding workers in those businesses then they would try and poach them to their side. It didn''t happen often but the promising minds they had successfully got had helped them build the current security system. Just casually thinking about it reminded him that he would need to follow up on that venture and see if there has been any interesting progress.

    Pushing that to the back of his mind, he walked forward and moved towards the corner of the room where there was a trick wall. It would not move till he had completed the previous steps, with the "enter" command he was good to proceed. Leaning against the wall it quickly spun him around to face a set up stairs. Usually stairs lead upwards but these led down to an underground office. There wasn''t any way for him to set an office upstairs without it showing on the outside of the building. That''s why one was built underground1 and it served as an emergency bunker in situations of disaster.

    Walking down the steel steps, there was a small draft of wind as ventilation before he reached a bolted door. It was reinforced with thick metal and had a simple fingerprint scanner as the lock. He wiped his fingers on his pants before attempting to scan his fingerprint. The systems were so finicky that a bit of oil could smudge your print and subsequently lock you out. Thankfully, his entry this time was quick and easy.

    The door unlocked and finally he was inside his office, from the morning till now it took a lot longer for him to reach than he expected. Relaxing his body he took off his jacket and threw it aside at the maroon armoire. The theme of the office was very warm and gave off an older european style. When he was a child he enjoyed one too many french movies and developed a taste in european furniture. There were red and black furniture to decorate the room with hints of gold and brown accents.

    The office1 itself was around the size of his bedroom, not too small and not too big. It could comfortably hold ten people with space between them and the ceiling was around 8ft higher. So no one had to worry about knocking their head on top, you did not need much space for his duties but he personally felt this was the most efficient dimensions.

    In one corner, there was a small bookshelf with a couple of fiction novels and textbooks of interest. Right next to it was a small table with a chair next to it, you could eat or read there comfortably. Moving past that on the adjacent wall was his set up of computers and work table. It was a thick mahogany table with three monitors placed on it. Two were connected to each other while the third was a stand alone computer. In order to prevent overheating or complications he had two separate systems prepared. It was beneficial in times when he wanted to run a search and needed to work on other things while that system was engaged.

    Other than these items, there were a couple of different chairs and furniture laying around to make the environment more cozy. He added items like a coat hanger for convenience but never really used it. There was also a small sofa that could be pulled out into a bed if he ever had to sleep over. The desk was the main piece of the room and others were just complimentary in his opinion.

    He really loved the choice he made for the table since it had many hidden mechanisms embedded into it. There was the stereotypical red button hidden underneath that would signal AnAn and Zhuang Wei a red alert. It would only be used when he was in extreme danger, other warnings he would just communicate with them via encrypted messages.

    In addition, there were a couple of secret ports and triggers that held weapons. A fully loaded gun with extra ammunition in one, a small blade in another, and a poison vile in the last one. Of course there were a lot more modifications he added to store usb''s and miscellaneous items held a completely different importance. Reaching up to his face he slipped off his masks and rubbed his face to clear off any moisture or dirt.

    Heading towards the table he set the masks aside on the corner and sat down in the recliner office chair. Since he had told AnAn to leave him alone, he doubted anyone would be visiting him tonight. Which meant that he could keep his mask off and relax while he was working. Of course, AnAn knew what he looked like and no one would actually visit his office but there were times he would have to come out and meet others. In those situations they had a fake office set up and he was required to keep his mask on the entire time. It was a pain for him to keep removing and putting it on so he usually just left it on the entire time.

    Only in situations like today was he able to remove it and keep it off. Powering up his computers he cracked his knuckles in preparation.

    "Let''s do this."

    **

    Additional A/N note to below: I added in "explanation" comments in this chapter and its a new function available to authors on WN. Not sure what you guys would see, but let me know if you like these or not! Huhu both our leads have underground bases, what a trend huh? (???)Just wanted to add a link to what the furniture looks like for reference. But there are no windows and its a darker vibe in Zhuang Wei''s office.

    cdn.decoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Stunning-ceiling-and-classic-European-flavor-set-the-mood-in-the-home-office.jpg

 Chapter 136 - Creating a Profile Pt.1

    "What the hell am I supposed to start with..."

    Zhuang Wei had thought about it passively for the past day or so and had yet to come up with a concrete plan. There was a lot of confidence prior to coming but when sitting in front of the computer his mind was blank. Three screens were staring at him with blue light casting a shadow on his face as it waited for a command and he had none to give.

    His fingers hovered over the keyboard as he typed in a couple of codes than quickly deleted them before cl.i.c.k.i.n.g enter. He had a couple of beginner level ideas but none that he wanted to jump into immediately. Thinking about it for a couple of minutes he retracted his hands and pulled out a notepad and pen from the right drawer.

    ''Okay let''s start from the beginning and write it down.'' He always had a yellow notepad and a black ink ballpoint pen on the side for him to write things down. Technology had its benefits but physically writing things down helped organize his thoughts better. There was no worry of it being evidence since he always burned the pages after he was done. If he still needed it then he kept it on his body or locked it up in a vault.

    Tapping the paper a couple times, he paused before titling the note "Valentina" with question marks next to it. He knew that wasn''t her real name and he vaguely remembered speaking to her on the phone prior to meeting her. It was around a week ago where he called Xi Long and interrupted a so called ''dinner date.'' The phone call would have probably been cut if he had not used the term "darling" on him and subsequently confused his date. At that time, she had introduced herself as VV and he automatically assumed that was her nickname.

    She was thorough in her actions since the name she gave now still matched those initials or nickname - whatever it was. He wasn''t aware at the time it was a date till he badgered Xi Long for info the next day. Though he did not get much details from him then either but he trusted that he''d get all the info at some point. Even their conversation while they were drinking was a preliminary talk and he knew that Xi Long could not say much for. Majority of the reason being that he himself didn''t know much more.

    To a certain extent he trusted that she was not an evil woman nor a spy sent to target them. No matter what, Xi Long did have the skills to judge a person''s character and was accurate in his observations. The issue however, was that Xi Long had turned into a doting lover way too quickly for him to adjust.

    He muttered "f*cking simp" under his breath as he jotted down occasional notes. It was the first time he had seen his friend genuinely become interested in a woman and so obsessively. How long had they known each other...a week? Two weeks maximum? For that time period the relationship should have been on the weaker side. Just from a realistic perspective, two weeks was barely past the talking stage of someone''s budding relationship.

    However, both Xi Long and him were not normal people and it was hard to compare the thought process to the general public. Since they had grown up together and knew practically everything that happened in their lives, it was easier for him to understand his mentality. When it came to childhood trauma they had an abundant amount of it. It was not a surprise that their love languages and way of getting closer to someone was more aggressive than others.

    It was rare that Xi Long could find someone he liked so it was the right choice for him to look a bit further. Thankfully, it seemed to be going well with this mystery woman and she matched his interest back. While Xi Long was more open with his affection, it didn''t take a mind reader to see her subtle actions towards the other.

    Take the dinner for example, he had made jokes towards her and she entertained them for Xi Long. His personality was extra teasing that night to see how she would take his energy and if she didn''t that would draw a red flag for him. If they became a long term couple it was inevitable that they would spend lots of time together, so it was important that they vibed well together. Not to mention how protective she was when it came to checking their dinner. Partially for her benefit but she could have easily kept quiet and ate after seeing their reactions. Pulling out her poison tester was her way of showcasing her trust in Xi Long and in turn her. Even the basic action of showing her face was a display of her trust and affection towards his best friend.

    There were lots of good signs and positive feelings he held towards her. Yet, there was an equal level of uneasiness he felt regarding it all. If Xi Long had chosen a normal woman, which he knew they wouldn''t have done, but IF he had, this search was exponentially easier. From the woman''s current life to 5 sets of her ancestors, he would have had that info on his table ready to read by the next business day. ''But noooo chose the mystery woman XiXi. Chose the woman who has a complicated past and random weapons on her. Chose the woman who gives out fake names and pummels people into the gravel.''

    He almost felt like a father having to give away his child and was stuck doing a background check on potential partner. The analogy was not far from the truth since it was exactly what he was doing from a best friend role.

    "Ah its not easy raising a child, XiXi owes me a vacation for this much thinking."

 Chapter 137 - Creating a Profile Pt.2

    The mini pity party he threw for himself started and ended just as quickly. There was no doubt he would be spending several nights on this and could only get so far within the next couple of hours. He would have to develop a special code to track the specific parameters related to Valentina and have it notify him directly whenever something pulled.

    Of course, the parameters were his biggest issue. The yellow notepad had only a few random scribbles with the major expanse of the paper mocking him. It was just irritating that there were pros and cons to each potential parameter. He could include Valentina to see if she has used that name elsewhere but would be limiting the identity to only one name. The name itself was good enough for a general search versus a customized tracker.

    Deciding to categorize the characteristics, he separated the sheet into physical, skills, and assumptions. The first category being the most easiest to think of, the skills would be very preliminary but depending on their interactions and the information Xi Long gave he could refine it quickly. The last category was the most random and held his own assumptions on her, things he thought could be linked back to her.

    Starting with physical, he tried to imagine her full face from when they had gone to dinner. If he had a weaker memory this portion would have been the hardest out of the three sections. No matter where she was, she wore a mask to cover her face. He had no comment on her use of the mask, he himself wore one just to come here. Whether her reasoning was for comfort or protection, they were both very valid. Yet, without the dinner to go off of he could easily make a mistake on what he thinks she looks like.

    He had to give credit to Xi Long, the woman he chose was quite the looker. It didn''t matter that his attraction was towards men, he knew an attractive woman when he saw one. Face alone, she could probably enter the entertainment field or use it as the base of her career. A small smile crept on his face as he remembered when their first meeting, ''judging on the acting she did then....yeah she would definitely be successful in entertainment.''

    Going off memory, his current ''physical'' list looked like this:

    PHYSICAL

    - Dark brown eyes

    - Black hair, medium length, slightly wavy

    - 5"8 ish with flats *note (debatable with heels)

    - Slim athletic build

    - Pale skin *note (for now)

    - Shoe size - average 7.5 or 8

    He wasn''t too sure about her shoe size specifically, just based on woman''s average and her build he guessed the number. Even if he wasn''t accurate, he wouldn''t be too far from the correct answer. There were a couple other features he remembered but none that he thought were useful. Things like lip shape, her three sizes, and so on, did not matter since no crime report would show those.

    Finishing up the physical portion, he set it aside and started on the skills. For one he knew she could handle a gun and was quite proficient at it. There was no doubt in his mind about it and he didn''t need to see her use one to be sure. A woman who walked around with a poison needle tester in her hat was definitely not one who hesitated in shooting.  Her entire being exuded a neutral aura but when she fought every part of her was bloodthirsty.

    The switch up in personality was quite amusing to him, she came off cold and reserved to everyone but Xi Long. Even with Xi Long, it was still cold and reserved but filled with affectionate banter. So those few sentences would break her former aura and present another side to her. However, that was not enough to be a deviation from her normal state. The real switch up happened when she entered a combat situation. Anyone looking in could tell that she enjoyed frightening Su Moxi.

    She practically looked like a street thug with the way she was acting. There were no weapons on her at that time yet she easily took down the other woman. That could only mean she was skilled in hand combat as well and was his second point to jot down.

    His final point for this category was simply her observation skills. She could easily read the waitresses body language and noticed something as minuscule as a hidden camera based on a missing piece. Just being familiar with that piece was not enough to verify her technological capabilities but was enough for observation. This specific trait would not be expressed clearly in a crime report or sighting. He could guess that it would show up in the more complex crimes like a heist. So it would not be something he included in his code but would help narrow down the searches. Noting down her skills also helped him develop her profile for his own personal interest.

    Occupational habit is what he called it, always hard to control his thirst for information when it was in front of him. Sighing, he thought about the section for a couple more minutes before deciding to leave it. Other than these three, he couldn''t think of any immediate skills she had and didn''t want to waste more time on it.

    With that his ''skills'' list, looked like this:

    SKILLS

    - Skilled with weapons:

    --> Guns (YES)

    --> Needles (YES)

    --> Blade (??)

    --> Cross Bow (??)

    --> Sword (??)

    --> Other (TBD1).

    - Hand Combat:

    --> Street Fighting (Most Likely) *note she enjoys fighting, high probability that she had fought often

    --> Professional Fighter (??)

    --> Military Trained/Secret Force (??)

    --> Foreign training (??) *note strong suspicion of being an international citizen. Details TBC1.....

    - Observation:

    --> Good at reading body language

    --> Good instincts, others TBD.....

    Looking at his list and back his watch he realized twenty minutes had passed. Though it was longer than he had expected, it was not entirely out of his calculations. Staring down he debated on adding more notes but worried that it would crowd the paper. Adding too much now would limit the space he had later. Since this sheet would never become digital it was his only piece for now. He could of course rewrite his findings but he''d rather not create more work for himself.

    Picking up his pen, he went to write his third section when his phone vibrated with a text message.

    ''Who is this...?'' To Be Determined To Be Confirmed

 Chapter 138 - Shortest Interruption

    ''Who is this...''

    His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he picked up his phone. He usually liked to put his phone on silent when he came here and only kept notifications on for a select few. This time he had forgot to do it and the vibration from his phone broke his concentration. The first guess for the mystery sender was Xi Long to check up on him, he didn''t have many personal contacts and this was his private phone. He had a work one as well but had left it at home on his bedside table.

    However, to his surprise it was an unknown number. Just a string of numbers he did not recognize, the text message was even more unclear as it read -"the pigs are flying." Just from a first look he felt like they had gotten the wrong number or were on drugs. However, neither answer was confirmed and it made him uncomfortable to receive this out of the blue. He knew that there was an old saying "when pigs fly" and it was usually used in a sarcastic manner. It was synonymous with the saying "when a fat lady sings" to joke about the impossible.

    Yet, this message was an edited version implying a "possible" to the impossible. He had a feeling it was a code but what that code meant was the question. Staring at the phone for a couple of more seconds, he placed it down on his table and moved towards his free computer. Plugging in a couple of codes he quickly logged into his interface and pulled up his black registry.

    It was a system that he had personally created years ago that was linked to their municipal government. The tracking of it was unique in that every time a registry was created or a person gained citizenship their information would be directly added to his database. With their names, came their address, phone number, and any other information they provided. This helped their searches and any time they needed to look up anything in general.

    In the dialogue box he inputted the number he saw on his phone. ''1-908-757-9009....now let me see who you are.''

    The frown on his face only deepened when he saw the identity that appeared in front of him. It was the image of an eighty year old man who lived 140 meters away from their base. Not including his distance, nothing about this man screamed danger or relation to them. He owned a flower shop, no kids but a wife that had passed on two years back. Makes a decent salary and has been residing there for years with no criminal history. It calmed his mind when the profile was boring as this, it wasn''t often that weird texts end up this positive. Regardless, he placed a bookmark on the profile just in case. Even if there was nothing to worry about, being cautious was always a good habit.

    Going back to his phone he clicked the new conversation and deleted the message from his inbox. It was the shortest interruption and he was thankful to get back to his work. Remembering to put the phone on silent, he tested it a couple of times to be sure there would be no further distractions. With that settled, he went back to his computer and exited out of the database.

    With the basic notes he had written he could start coding in the simple parameters and build from there. This was the tedious part of his search that he disliked doing, with coding even a comma could ruin the entire operation. Especially since he was coding this from scratch, there was a lot of work to do and at minimum forty minutes of his time.

    ''Let''s do this Zhuang Wei, one code and we''re closer to unveiling her mystery.''

    Cracking his knuckles he stretched out his fingers before beginning his code. His fingers began typing quickly onto the keyboard, each line appearing on the black screen in blue script. He started with inputting the basic structure with the tracking system in the forefront. The tracking portion was the easiest part to code, the redirection of information and gathering of the information was the harder.

    He had to code in that all information that matches his parameters would be automatically placed in a folder. It would be at different degrees where if one or two of the parameters matched they would be low level. When half of the parameters were found then it would be placed in medium level and placed in the folder accordingly. Anything that matched all of his parameters, which he doubted would happen often, would immediately notify him.

    This system was a long term security to ensure that any future news involving ''Valentina'' would be known to them. Hopefully when he ran the code, any past information would also be analyzed by the system. He wouldn''t depend on this system completely, after coding this he planned on researching her personally.

    Maybe if he played with variations of her name and physical characteristics he would be able to find something of substance. While he was typing in these codes his mind slightly wandered as he tried to remember the last time he had done such a thing. Things have been peaceful for a while and he knew there was trouble brewing under the covers. They had done a lot of work to cover their bases and establish a position that could not be easily shook. Though enemies never took a rest, a vacation or a weekend at minimum was preferable.

    Focusing back on the code, he spent the next thirty minutes creating and finishing up his code. When he reached his final line there was a wave of happiness and satisfaction at completing it. All he had to do was click enter and everything would run as he had expected, his finger pressed lightly against the key. It triggered the code and it started to run successfully.

    Just as the information was about to be collected he saw a change on his screen. The codes started to self-delete and move in an erratic patter. His eyes widened and his fingers immediately jumped back onto the keys to combat the attack his computer was facing.

    ''What the f*ck is going on?!?''

 Chapter 139 - Battle of Speed

    ''What the f*ck is going on?!?''

    The surprise from the attack only lasted a couple seconds before it became curiosity and wariness. His fingers slammed aggressively against the keyboard as he fought to match the other''s speed. This type of cyber attack was something he had not dealt with in years- especially on this computer. He had taken great lengths to protect the computer from lower to high level hackers. There were hours spent slaving over the computer programming code after code, sourcing hackers to the test the security just so that he could feel secure using it.

    ''All of that work for someone to easily sneak in....I''ve been slacking on so many areas.''

    Despite the security and defences he put up, there was a fair confidence that no one would want to hack the computer as well. The system physically sat at the bar but it was rerouted through multiple IP addresses and countries so it would not appear to be from here. If someone was aiming for the intelligence guild they would not register this system as theirs. On top of that, there was a fake personality and history created just to safeguard this computer. He had purchase receipts and falsified household records to cover all bases.

    So even if a hacker got farther and researched the owner of the computer they would be mislead to another person. That other person was fake but anyone looking in would be able to find the records from birth to now. There were even fake CCTV records to prove that he goes to work everyday and to legitimize this ''identity''s'' existence. It was obvious how far he went to protect his computer and technology in general.

    Yet, out of the blue someone had infiltrated his system without him even knowing. That type of skill meant that the person on other side was a high level hacker and not just any hacker either. He would personally rate himself at an expert level, it was hard to find anyone that he deemed his match. Not that he didn''t know there were people better than him, he was realistic about his level and the reality of others. That being said, it was rare for a situation like this to appear. A hacker breaking down his defences and being at a level he considered an equal if not superior level.

    What stimulated his curiosity even more is the speed at which the hacker was working. Every time he finished typing in a response, the hacker would have sent another attack. It was a close call with each back to back and there was a burn in his hand from pushing himself. If his fingers stilled for a couple of seconds there was no doubt that the computer would be taken over completely.

    Though part of him was also wary about their purpose, he started noticing a weird pattern with the mystery hacker. They would send an attack but also focused energy deleting the code he had just worked on.

    It was confusing since there was no way to get an explanation on which one of his theories was correct. The first answer being that they just wanted to destroy the most recent code and it was the first thing they saw after getting past half the defences. Which made them go back to it occasionally when they had time, just to corrupt it piece by piece.

    The second answer being that they had hacked his computer in hopes that they gained valuable information.  It would be a rookie mistake if he had his information saved here. They had their own online space where information could be dropped and stored. To place them as doc.u.ments and pdf''s in folders titled ''people I am watching'' would be the dumbest thing he heard all year. Their online space was also not connected to wifi for extra measures and ran through a different operating system.

    The third answer being that they had come for Valentina specifically. It did not escape his mind that this could easily be a targeted attack for the sole reason he was trying to find her. His parameters were vague but anyone who knew her would understand that it was her. Though the speed at which they caught onto him was suspicious, he had just ran the code when it was interrupted.

    If the third answer was true then there was even more of a need for a tracker on her. This hidden identity of hers was too large for them to remain in the dark about, especially if she had this level of a hacker on her side. One teammate was a hacker, the main was a mysterious fighter woman, and who knew how many others were involved in this operation.

    It was important to note that if someone was stopping any searches on her, then it meant she had to remain hidden. A young girl in her twenties needing to remain hidden was very suspicious and the speed at which the other interrupted equated to the level of danger. To immediately catch on, this hacker must be always on the watch for her. Or they were actively making movements underground that they made this a necessary precaution. His bets were on that they had a code themselves to track when others tried searches on her. That is the only way to explain how he had been found out so quickly.

    ''Who are you mystery hacker....''

    He wouldn''t pin this on her until he was at least 90% sure but mentally made a note about this. It seemed that he would have to go through so much more trouble to get a crumb of information. His senses were on high alert as he cleared his mind from thinking other things and just focused on the screen in front of him.

    Judging by the attacks, the hacker already broke through several layers of the security. There was only a few more defences still up to protect the rest of the computer. Thankfully this was not his main operating system, so he would not lose much by having it completely taken over. The only loss would be having to build and protect a computer from scratch.

    He was about to type in his next attack when the movements on the other side paused. The black screen began to change and a typewriter print message began to appear on the screen.

    "What are they writing? U....S....U...."

 Chapter 140 - Feeling Emotions

    "I''m definitely beating his a.s.s when we get him" Ming Ming muttered.

    "Not if I get to him first." Ying Yue was just as bitter when she responded to Ming Ming. She was a fool to have believed today would be a good day, the second she felt like so this situation occurred. Over six months of preparation to have been destroyed and restructured within a matter of minutes.

    Grabbing a random table she got on top and laid flat against it in a starfish position. Closing her eyes she controlled her breathing and channelled the anger out of her body. While she could force herself to become cold and shut down her emotions easily, around her friends she felt no need to. Feeling emotions was a privilege and learning how to control anger was important, leaving aside other emotions she felt anger was the most volatile. It could make you lose rationality and logic in unfavourable situations.

    It was a common misconception that people who shut down their emotions were the stronger kind. Sure, there was a certain strength needed to be like that whether it was from trauma or they were born like that. The latter of which who usually turned out to be sociopaths or psychopaths because of their lack of feeling. Since they could not feel, they could not feel empathy and the basic care for humans. Which made murder and other heinous acts that much easier to commit.

    The former people who learnt through trauma could easily hurt themselves if not careful. There was a stark difference between those who pushed it down to survive and never let themselves breathe versus those who properly navigated their emotions. When she was younger, she was three hundred times more reckless and was just trying to survive. Pushing down emotions, making herself feel cold was the only thing she knew how to do. It backfired on her one day and those memories still haunt her till this day.

    Now, while she could still push her emotions down and do it when needed. It was not her first reaction nor did she force herself when she did not need to. Letting herself feel certain emotions no matter what they were, to her, was a privilege and something she planned on using while she had the chance. Being next to Neo and Ming Ming was the safest location for her to be and knew that she could ''feel in peace.''

    Navigating her anger was through a 1-24-7 system depending on how angry she was. One hour maximum to feel and let the emotions run its course for minor issues, then after that she is back to normal. The "24" were the hours she gave herself to grieve or deal with set emotion for medium issues. If after that she still was not okay, she gave herself seven days to get over major issues and become normal after that.

    Of course, if she was on a mission this system was not feasible but worked well for her during peaceful times. It also had to be said that there were little things that she could not get over within the first 24 hours. For it to reck her and need a seven day healing period, the situation must be completely earth shattering. She had already lost enough in this life so there were only a handful of things that she cared about to that extent.

    Breathing in and out she let the anger flow through her while trying keep her mind clear. Her body was warm from the workout and the irritation she felt so staying still helped calm her down. There was only a little noise in the background as Ming Ming grumbled insults under her breath while tinkering with her new invention.

    Neo knowing she was angry was fairly silent and pushed his rage onto the keyboard with aggressive typing. He was probably doing more background research for them and in his way, planning Wu Gang alias Blue 47''s demise. They had to keep him alive but no one said they could not hurt him, humans could still function without a finger or two. She didn''t even want to think about her to do list and how much of their plans they had to restructure.

    Using the sounds around her she relaxed and within five minutes most of her anger had disappeared. It went from a strong frustration and anger to a more settled acceptance of what had to happen. Even if she hated to do it, there was no other way to achieve their goal without adjusting and taking the situation as it was. The military could not have him until they got what they wanted from him.

    After another ten minutes her body had entered a serene state and she was starting to feel sleepy from how relaxed she was. Slapping her face she tried to get rid of the haze and wake herself up completely. Getting up from the table she rubbed her eyes before opening them and looking around the room.

    Both Ming Ming and Neo were exactly where she had expected, immersed in whatever task they had in front of them. She felt a bit of hunger and wanted to get some fruit to tide her over till dinner. Just as she was getting up to head to the kitchen she felt Neo''s mood shift.

    His fingers stilled against the keyboard as a red alert appeared on his screen. It didn''t take long before he started typing again but the pace and focus was completely different from before. He switched the screen and pulled up another portal he used to hack other computers while hiding his own location. Just based on these signs she knew that something had happened and there was a bit of shock that another problem had appeared.

    It seemed that no matter how much she tried today would not end peacefully. Changing her direction she went towards Neo and tried to read the codes he was inputting into the system. The speed kept increasing but she could tell that there was some sort of back and forth attack happening.

    She didn''t want to interrupt Neo''s focus but she could also not sit still without knowing what''s happening. "Neo, what happened?"

    It took him a couple of seconds to respond but when he did, she felt another shock wave through her.

    "Someone''s trying to look you up."

 Chapter 141 - Misunderstandings Pt.1

    "You''ve got to be f*cking kidding me....how??"

    Her mind was running through the list of people who she suspected and there were too many to recollect. She had created so many enemies in her life that there really was no telling who was after her right now. People putting searches out on her or wanting to find her were more common in her younger years.

    With how low key she has been there was no reason to look her up, her enemies had more people to worry about than her. She was a threat but they had more immediate threats they had to deal with first. At most, they would keep an eye out for her but actively searching for her was another matter.

    "Neo what do you mean searching for me?? Which version of me??"

    Leaning in closer she tried to read the codes and see what triggered Neo''s alarm. She knew that he had set up some sort of program to help protect their group''s identity. It included their basic characteristics and any of their old identities as well. Between the three of them they had at least ten different identities they used in the past and all of them were programmed into his code. It helped cover all their bases and alerted them if there was a specific search for them.

    There were also a lot of people that naturally could match their fake identity so the alerts will coloured in a tiered system. If only one or two characteristics matched it would become a note and at most be a blue colour. When it was red, that was the highest level you could reach and the chances of it being a different person was slim.

    In situations like this, Neo or Ming Ming usually jumped in to track down the signal and would determine if the threat was legitimate or not. She could track them down as well but out of the three she was the weakest in technology. That''s why with high alerts she let them tackle it directly and just waited to hear their response on what was going on.

    However, waiting for each response in situations where she was the target was emotionally painful. She was impatient to find out the perpetrator as soon as possible and what characteristics they used to search her. If it was one of her older identities then she can narrow down the list of suspects. None of her enemies, that are still alive, had seen her current natural face.

    There was always some aspect of herself that was altered to make people remember her differently. The list of things she changed were extensive from her height to her face and body structure.  She was thankful that prosthetics were publicly available so it was easy to buy items that changed her structure. Adding several pounds onto her figure or making her oval face become more square was as easy as putting on makeup. It was annoying to have to wear them continuously but they were very helpful in creating another persona different from her original face. She rarely reused a character and felt that it was safer to just create another one for each mission. Thus, making it that much easier to narrow down the suspects and their intentions just based on what mission she was on then.

    "Which identity are they searching? I know you''re busy but a quick answer is all I need."

    There was another long pause as she watched Neo launch an additional set of attacks at the mystery man. He finished up another line before finally answering her question, "its your original identity ying ying."

    "My original....?"

    "Yes, your original. The way you look right now is what they are searching for."

    "But no one else has seen this face other than.....is it Xi Long again?" She felt annoyed at the prospect of it being him, she thought they had reached an understanding regarding keeping things hidden. That man was no open book either, she didn''t care to ask about his hidden past nor did he ask her either.

    She could tell he wanted to know but the fact that he respected her enough not to ask was something she liked. Other than when he was first looking for, she did not see him do any searches on her. While she had started a confusing relationship with him, he was not above her goal or keeping her identity hidden. She didn''t want to completely blame him without the confirmation but it didn''t stop her from being irritated at the notion. ''If I find out its him....'' Her eyes became dark and her aura became colder as she waited for Neo''s confirmation.

    "I don''t know, give me a couple minutes. They created a code with very accurate parameters that matched your general physical characteristics, even included some of your skills so news that looks like it might be connected involve you will be pulled. It definitely takes a good understanding of you and your face to create this. Thankfully, its looks like a preliminary search and I was able to catch it seconds after they tried to run it."

    "I have been very careful with my face for the past couple of months and only Xi Long has seen my face - he is also very recent. Its only been two weeks of knowing him. If its not him...then it has to be someone from way long ago, in our early years which would make things more complicated. Do we have a general location at least?"

    "Its this city for sure, they set up their computer to run through many ip addresses and is technically very well protected. Anyone with less experience than me would have really struggled to get into this system, just based on that I can tell its a skilled individual. I doubt anyone in our past would search with these terms, it would be more specific and controlled. I think...."

    "You don''t have to say it I know...."

 Chapter 142 - Misunderstandings Pt.2

    "Its this city for sure, they set up their computer to run through many ip addresses and is technically very well protected. Anyone with less experience than me would have really struggled to get into this system, just based on that I can tell its a skilled individual. I doubt anyone in our past would search with these terms, it would be more specific and controlled. I think...."

    "You don''t have to say it I know...."

    The reasonings and hidden meaning in his words were not lost on her. She knew what he meant and had somewhat accepted the answer.

    While she did trust XI Long to an extent, it was not completely bulletproof. For someone she knew for only two weeks the mutual understanding and trust was high for sure. There was a lot of his character she understood and from the countless crooks she meant in her life, a good man was easy to spot.

    Of course, her perception of what a ''good man'' is very different from normal people. His ruthlessness and violence when dealing with enemies didn''t matter, she appreciated his level-headed thinking. To be soft to your victims is just stupidity and allowed them to come back stronger. No sort of healing or method could eliminate poison from a person''s mind once they have seen you as an enemy. She was also not above those crimes, her hands were stained with blood just as much as his.

    However, what she did count as being a good man was his honesty and respectfulness in dealing with her and others. He treated his staff fairly and other than a few articles, the reports on him were very clean. A man who had committed evil acts with disgusting intentions would not be able to completely hide it. Just by looking at them she could smell those who were rotten on the inside. If not the body, the eyes were the biggest tell tale.

    There was a phrase "the eyes are the window to the soul" and it wasn''t an entire lie. Most people could control their facial expressions, body language, but the eyes? That was near physically impossible to completely control them. For those who did not know how to read eyes, they would be easily mislead or in general, have a hard time discerning what was going on.

    For her, she had spent years studying people in both textbooks and real life experiences. Reading someone''s eyes were easy for her and Xi Long had very clear eyes. Ones that did not falter when question nor held any fear for people commenting on what he had done. Those eyes were that of a good man''s and she trusted her ability to read people the most.

    Even excluding her own judgment, as soon as she had mentioned him to Ming Ming and Neo they would have done their research. Albeit, a lot of his information was hidden but if they felt like he was a horrible choice she would have known by now. Above her own opinion she treasured theirs, so to get an unofficial okay on whatever Xi Long and her were was a lot.

    Despite all of that, she was not completely blind.

    There will always be things that she missed and while he treasured her now, who was to say how long that will last? She was new and someone that triggered his curiosity. While their was this weird connection between them she kept reminding herself to be careful. Letting herself feel and let whatever this was happen was one side. The other part of her was quick to protect her heart and kept her logical.

    She didn''t come to this city randomly, she had a goal to achieve that was above everything else. Right now, someone looking her up was a breach of her trust but also a threatening her security. Xi Long did a preliminary search when they first met, which was fine. She had done one as well, however, to go as far as creating a code with her specific parameters was way out of line.

    She walked over to another table and picked up her cell phone that she had tossed aside earlier. Unlocking the screen she pulled up her directory to find one number saved on the list. Ming Ming''s and Neo''s number was not there because she had it memorized by heart. They also contacted her through a complicated method that normal phone companies would not catch.

    Ever since he had randomly messaged her she had saved his number on impulse. The name wasn''t anything special, just his plain legal name - Han Xi Long. Yet it stood out more when it was the only number on her directory. Taking a couple of breaths she tried to keep herself calm before she called him. If she went in guns a'' blazing then the conversation would not go on well nor would she get her answers.

    The best form of revenge for this sort of situation was to be cold, be devoid of emotion. She played with the phone for a couple more minutes as she didn''t want to rush into it. Looking back at Neo, she saw him still continue with the back and forth attacks. Though the other person looked good she could tell they were not a match for him. The mystery attacker was only defending and attacking while Neo was doing both on top of deleting their code.

    "Neo...any other information you can tell about the person? I just want to be clear on my facts before I make this call."

    He sent two more attacks before he responded, "well other than what I''ve already said no. The person is skilled in coding and hiding their tracks, if not for me being their opponent they would be successful. Though...."

    "Though?"

    "Though I don''t want to pin this on him immediately all the signs are pointing to the fact that he is involved somehow. You know I wouldn''t want to ruin anything if there wasn''t such strong evidence against him. I can at least guarantee you that the signal isn''t from the corporation, so if he''s at work then its someone near to him. I would track him if I wasn''t caught up on tracking this location down. I''m just...warning you before you make this call."

    "Do you want me to be mad at him or not? It seems like you''re stressing out for this more than me." She gave a pointed look to Neo after hearing his response, it was obvious that he was being overly careful with his words.

    It was not as if she had not considered his best friend or secretary but both were still his men ultimately. If they had not been warned beforehand to leave her alone that was a mistake on his part. Or he should have kept track of his subordinates and friend to prevent this from happening. Excluding these two, there was also the possibility that he had ordered it himself.

    She was not going to pretend or fool herself into assuming the best. Regardless, his involvement directly or indirectly was disappointing. Clearing up the last bit of confusion she had, she directly called him and put the phone to her ear.

    The sound of the dial tone as it rang echoed in her ear before the call was picked up quickly. Her eyes shifted back to Neo''s screen to see if the typing had paused on the other side. If it did she could confirm her suspicions without having to ask him but thankfully for him, the attacks had not let up.

    It didn''t take long before the familiar husky voice sounded from the phone.

    "Kitten...miss me already?"

    The phone was at max in-call volume and her ears were pressed against the receiver in an effort to catch all the background sounds. Due to this, his voice went directly into ear as if he was next to her. There was a slight pause as ignored how nice the voice sounded before noticing that his surroundings were silent. There were no typing noises or loud typical office noises for her to determine where he was.

    "Where are you?" She jumped directly into her questioning, even though she wanted to be more subtle she switched up her position immediately.

    He immediately responded with another teasing comment. "At work, why? Are you going to pay me a visit?"

    Even if she didn''t see him physically she could tell that he was smirking. On a usual day that would slightly annoy her but in this one it was reassuring. His tone of voice was flirtatious like normal and there wasn''t any obvious changes to his enunciation. Adding onto how quickly he responded she became sixty percent sure he was not the one writing the code.

    Her voice remained neutral as she spoke to him, hiding the calculations and overthinking she was doing behind the phone.

    "Han Xi Long, are you testing me?"

 Chapter 143 - Misunderstandings Pt. 3

    "Testing you? No I think is a very clear invitation, though I can test you in other ways...."

    His voice became huskier with every word and was full of innuendo. Which was completely how she expected him to respond, he liked to tease her any chance he got. It was not a bad quality in general, she was the type to enjoy banter and consensual flirting. Of course, if it was another man she would have ignored him or found some way for him to leave her alone. These comments were just a package deal with Xi Long and because it was him. she didn''t have much problem accepting it.

    If this was a normal conversation she would feel pleasant hearing such words and respond with some sort of counter. Unfortunately she was in no mood to entertain him and while she didn''t want to be mean about it, her voice was oozing the coldness she felt.

    "Stop, enough joking. I will ask again are you testing me?"

    Even as she spoke she could not hold back her enunciation, it was controlled and stern. With how many times they spoke it would not take a genius to figure out she was not happy.

    There was a pause in their conversation and silence filled in the gap.  At this moment she knew that he had figured it out and was probably trying to guess why she was acting differently. There weren''t any direct clues from the words she said but the biggest hint was how instigative her words were. When she questioned him saying "are you testing me," that was a huge giveaway to indicate he was responsible for her terrible mood.

    "No, I am not. What''s wrong?"

    His voice had dropped all previous playfulness and adopted the same reserved tone as hers. From how he was acting she was inclined to believe that he really did not know what was going on but that wasn''t anything better. One would absolve him from him from direct blame while the other would mean he was ignorant while such things were occurring.

    Looking at Neo''s screen while she spoke, she made sure to follow the timing of the attacks and correlate them with his speaking. If at any point they stopped during this conversation then the suspicion would be back on Xi Long. Since that would mean he was in the room or able to communicate with the mystery attacker to pause their actions.

    "When we first met, I believe there was a certain understanding between us no?"

    "Understanding? Kitten you''re going to have be more clear, there are many ''understandings'' between us."

    "Understandings as in unspoken agreements between us. Since the beginning, I didn''t even bother to hide how I am. Even if I wanted to, the situations we were in did not allow me to lest I risked dying over some breakfast. However, it was plainly obvious to both of us that I was - am not a regular white collar worker."

    "Yes and that is fine but why are you talking about that right now?"

    "I know that whatever we have, this ''relationship'' has been built very quickly. However, I only allowed this to happen thinking that we had an understanding and -"

    "We do."

    "...let me finish. I appreciated that you did not question my origins nor ask me any questions when I would show something different. Whether that be my fighting skills or my habits of checking food for poison. All you needed to know is that we aren''t enemies and I am no risk to you. If I was, none of what happened between us would have happened. However, that trust I had in you is wavering right now."

    "What do you mean..? Stop speaking in vague terms, if its a past grievance you should bring it up now. I thought things were fine between us last night and we had some developments. What happened over night that I have suddenly ''broke your trust?'' What exactly is it that''s making you doubt me right now."

    His voice became harsher as she could hear the emotion in his voice. Putting him in this position and having this conversation did not bring her any sort of joy. If she had gotten an accusation like this after having a pleasant night, even she would be as upset as him. Especially if it came from someone he seemingly cared about. However, this situation was too serious for her to be lenient.

    Her mind although calm in this moment, teetered back and forth debating on how to proceed. Part of her wanted to be nicer and part of her told her to remain cold. It was never easy to be harsh against someone you liked and at this time, she really enjoyed what they have. Their relationship was also not so stable that it could not crumble after this call nor was she confident in it surviving.

    She would not keep contact with anyone who threatened the successfulness of her mission and he had no reason to be with someone he did not know. However, just because of that it did not mean he was allowed to research her. That elusiveness being the deal breaker for him or his close aids meant that they had no future.  If the relationship were to break at this moment, she knew in her heart that it was the right decision.

    "In this city, the amount of times I have shown my face in publicly can be counted on one hand. I live a very boring life and I also don''t meet up with people every other day. So you can imagine my surprise when a code was created in this city with my exact parameters to track my movements. This is constitutes as a grievance no? Hence why I asked are you testing me."

    "....you think I did this."

    There wasn''t a questioning tone in his voice, rather it was affirmative. He knew that that was exactly how she thought and was the reasoning behind her call. There was a short pause before he answered again.

    "I did not do this, I can prove to you I have not left this office. I admit, I did a preliminary search on you in the beginning but I am pretty sure you know that. There was no way my men would not have found out anything if you did not block it. Since then, I can swear to you I have not done another search on you. To go as far as creating a code too, that is not my style."

    Judging by his reaction he was not offended but only upset that he was facing this accusation. With that sentence and feeling his sincerity though the phone, her emotions calmed down immensely. If he did not do it then it and did not order it, the only other responsible person for this would be his best friend.

    "I believe you.....but that doesn''t change the situation. Even if it wasn''t you, it was someone around you. I have only shown my face to two people and I don''t have to spell it out for you who that other person is. When we went for dinner, I only removed my mask trusting you. Do you know how big of a sacrifice that is for me? Now because of that, I have a code written up the next day with all my parameters embedded into it. Maybe if they were just doing a search on the internet to find a glimpse of me but creating a tracker is way out of line. Especially since it includes my facial features and random skills that make it obviously me."

    "Kitten...if I wanted to know something about you I would ask you directly. I have my own secrets to hide and I appreciate that you do not ask me to explain any of them. Whatever respect you have given me I have given you equally. Coding something, secretly doing some research out of the blue is not my style. In fact....I hope that one day we can trust each other enough to share the stories openly - I''m in no rush though. We can go at our own pace and I know that trust takes time to build."

    This was probably the first time he had been so clear with her regarding his views on the relationship. He usually said a line or two but mainly spoke through his actions. The actions being a possessive lover who had a sweet tongue. She did not expect him to think that far and attach such deep emotions to her already, it was both comforting and alarming. They had only met for two weeks so where would these emotions come from?

    ''Unless I''m reading too far into this....'' Her spiralling thoughts stopped as soon as he started speaking again.

    "With being said, I obviously had no clue that Xi Long was doing this. We had a talk yesterday but it seems I was not clear enough. I apologize on his behalf and this won''t happen again. I promise."

 Chapter 144 - Misunderstandings Pt. 4

    "...I promise."

    His voice was filled with more emotion as he stressed the last two words. She could almost imagine him sitting at this desk and staring at the wall while trying to show his sincerity to her. This was no easy to position to be on, especially when the one at fault was his best friend. It was nice to note that he was quick to state his apologies and did not jump into defending his best friend without considering her perspective.

    She did not expect him to curse or punish his best friend, Zhuang Wei''s reaction was expected. If she was in his place maybe she would have done something similar. However, after receiving confirmation from the involved party they should respect their wishes not to investigate further. Of course, she did not know if that conversation ever happened or if Xi Long told him he was fine with her vagueness. Her point of reference were her own friends, who had trusted her enough not to research Xi Long or create a code to track him.

    Not that they didn''t have the capabilities too - they definitely did. Even as she watched Neo and Zhuang Wei attack each other, she could see that Neo was playing with him as revenge. Warmth filled her heart at the thought of her best friend getting revenge for her no matter how minor.

    A sigh left her mouth as she accepted his words, his promise had took out all the remaining anger she had left towards him.

    "Alright, I believe you," and she really did. There was enough trust and understanding for her to know that he did not make promises lightly. So when he did, it was something you could depend on.

    There were many people who liked to put out false promises or promise in the moment just to make the other calm down. Some of them did not even realize it was a promise, those were just words that came out on a flow or were strategically used to convince the other. These sort of promises were usually selfish and would be dropped at their earliest convenience. It was so common that people at a lower status or disadvantage would just have to swallow their anger and act normally.

    It was at that point where she believed that without contracts you could not depend on anyone. She was not so naive to believe that everyone will follow a contract even if it was notarized. There were many times in the past where she saw contracts being disregarded or ''mysteriously disappearing.'' So it was saying a lot when she took his words at face value and believed them.

    After her comment, saying she believed him there was an audible release of tension. He let out a deep breath that he was probably holding in while waiting for her response. Now that they had reached an agreement it was a lot less tensed and the coldness in her voice decreased.

    She couldn''t drop the coldness in her voice completely, the situation was still serious but the change was obvious. It was an additional way to let Xi Long know where she stood and the change in her voice was definitely noted by him.

    "Okay, let me call him right now and -"

    "No that''s fine." She quickly cut him off, while she wanted him to have a deep talk with him now was not the time. Neo definitely had his own plans right now and she did not want those to be interrupted.

    "What do you mean?"

    There was a bit of confusion in his voice as he responded to her. For her to emphasize how wrong it was then to stop him from doing anything about it was contradictory.

    "What I mean is that you don''t have to worry about it now, I''ve taken care of the situation." There was a twinge of evilness in her voice as she spoke.

    "Haha, what do you have planned? I hope not too mean, I do still need him."

    His voice was playful but was also testing the waters, no matter what that was his best friend. He may take her side in this situation to a certain level, harming his best friend was beyond his limits.

    "What? Do you think I''m going to hurt him?? If I wanted to, you know I would have done so already. I believed you when you said you didn''t do it, now look how much you trust me??"

    "Well I know he deserves a least a punch or two, you''re privy to that in person. Other than that, I still have to defend him knowing how skilled you are. Can I know how are we getting revenge just for reference purposes? I can adjust my talk with him accordingly."

    "Now you''re just playing around with your words, I''m not telling you. To be honest, I think he deserves more than a punch or two if we include the gun prank from yesterday. I''m not sure I understand Zhuang Wei''s line of thinking."

    "....."

    There was an awkward pause as Xi Long became silent from her words. She would be surprised if he had a proper explanation for that incident, it was stupid on so many accounts. If she had been in any other location and he was not by her side, Zhuang Wei could have died. He was lucky to test her while having a limiter by her side.

    Even if she tried to understand the reasoning, none of them were equivalent to the risk if things had gone wrong.

    After a couple of more seconds, there was finally a sound from the receiver as Xi Long gathered his words. "Well....he just cares a lot and may have chosen stupid ways to go about it. His heart is in the right place. For the gun incident, I have already punished him last night."

    "Oh yeah? What type of punishment was it, a stern talking to and a time-out?" The sarcasm was dripping from her voice as she responded. There was no way his punishment was anything harsh and she did not expect it to be. Yet, he intentionally spoke with a tone of voice as if it had been something big.

    "You tell me what you''re about to do and I''ll tell you what I''ve done. Sounds like a fair deal no?"

    "Absolutely not."

    "What if I throw in a lunch, say on friday?"

    "That depends on my mood and my schedule, I''m not exactly free as you."

    "Free as me? Yes yes running a multi-billion dollar corporation is quite the easy job."

    "Glad you can understand then," she let herself fall into their regular banter for a moment. It was nice to know they were able to jump back so quickly. Their banter only lasted a couple of sentences yet it was seemingly enough for them.

    With her last comment she had a small smile on her face and it dropped as she spoke the next one.

    "On a serious note, I understand he''s your best friend. I don''t think I have to say this but because he is your close friend and I know that he cares about you, I''m not planning anything too mean.    However, I am not a forgiving person to let things slide one after the other. I understand his perspective and his reasoning for at least the tracker but it is a major violation of privacy. Anything that threatens me cannot be let go so easily, if this was anyone else they would not have gotten a call before karma had come their way."

    "I..-"

    "Let me finish. I may have a lot of things hidden but I think it is obvious I am not one to speak lightly nor am I someone to be taken lightly. While we were at dinner, I thought that that was showcased enough but apparently not. I can understand him to an extent but out of respect for you he should have left it alone. A significant portion of this is also your fault for not making this even more clear if he did not naturally understand. I have friends as well, just as you have and I know that they would trust my judgement enough to not do anything past a preliminary search. So how I take care of this situation is what is due to him, no harm will come physically and it won''t be anything detrimental. Past that, I have no guarantee and no further explanation. Trust me if you want, if you don''t I can''t help that. Do we have an understanding?"

    She made a long speech and knew that he would need some time to process the words. Her righteous and serious tone was on the tyrant side of things. Yet, if you really thought about what she said nothing was outrightly wrong.

    It was just the issue of one of the parties being his childhood best friend who did it for his benefit. On the other side, was a female that he had started to build a romantic relationship with and had been wronged. Her side was more understandable since they came from similar walks of life, no matter what he knew that threatening someone''s identity and safety was bottom line. Especially when they held identities that needed to remain hidden.

    With no response on the line even after a long period of time, she repeated it into the mic.

    "Do we have an understanding?"

 Chapter 145 - Post Call Interrogation Pt.1

    "....Yeah I do."

    "Good. I''ll talk to you later then."

    With that, they both said their greetings and ended the phone call. The mobile in her hand felt hot from how volatile that conversation was, she wasn''t sure if it was her imagination or not but she still dropped the phone onto the table as if it was a hot potato. Looking down at her palms they were a bit red from either the phone or how hard she was clenching them. Regardless, she placed her palms against her cheeks to let them cool down.

    It didn''t take long for her hands to become normal and in that period of time she was well aware of the looks being glared into her. Excluding Neo who''s attention was still on the screen before him, Ming Ming had been burning holes into her the second she made the call. She never bothered to leave the room so they could hear everything that was being said on her side. Personally, she felt like she had nothing to hide and this conversation wasn''t one she needed to keep secret either. The actions she was grilling him about affected them too so they had all the rights to listen in.

    Despite all this, she made sure not to look at anyone during the call lest she lost her composure mid-sentence. That meant that for the entire call and up to now, Ming Ming had been glaring at her and she had to ignore it like it was air. The task sounded easier to do in theory but not in practice.

    Over the years Ming Ming had developed a strong talent in glaring and the recipient always felt chills from the looks she give. Since it was her best friend, the reaction stopped at ''hard to ignore'' and ''please leave me alone.''

    "Do you have something to say?"

    After a couple of minutes, noticing that the glare did not lessen in intensity she finally decided to break the silence. Turning her head to look at Ming Ming her eyes widened at the other''s expression. This entire time she thought there was an unhappy or ''stern'' look on her face. In actuality, there was not one bit of dissatisfaction or rejection on her face. If anything she looked like a Cheshire cat, her eyes and smile mimicked were a copy of the cat from Alice in Wonderland.

    "If you don''t stop smiling like that you''re face might get stuck and your face right now could not afford more negative points."

    "..." The mischievous expression on Ming Ming''s face dropped to an aggrieved one. Which was comedic against her deadpan expression, from Neo''s point of view they looked like the perfect drama. One overly dramatic person and her best friend who looked like her soul was missing half the time. The amount of sitcoms that held this character base was proof of how popular it was and how easy to detect it was. Neo''s attention was still on the screen but he had seen them interact so many times that she did not even need to check with him on if he agreed.

    "Now that you''re back to normal, mind telling me why you were staring at me this entire time? Especially with such a .....fervent expression."

    "Can you not live on moment without being sarcastic or including a thinly veiled insult?"

    "Thinly veiled? I think I was quite obvious with my insult, no?"

    ".....I want a refund on this expression, full return. Let''s break up."

    "Okay, with our friendship ending. For old time''s sake can you let me know why you were staring? If not, I do have things to do or if its just an eye problem we can get a doctor over. I would suggest magnesium pills just in case."

    "One of these days I''m going to bite you for all the sarcastic comments you make. I shall have my revenge!" Ming Ming shook her fist in a mock courageous way for extra emphasis. "But why I was staring was to see how you were talking with him."

    Bringing up that topic made Ming Ming''s eyes light up in excitement. It was as if she could see the brewing gossip and wanted all the ''tea'' on it. Thinking back on their lives, this was the first time she had started a somewhat romantic relationship. Her interest in a man, especially to the degree she was showing it now, was very unnatural for her.

    If questioned on it, she would be very quick to respond that "if there were men like him before, I would have tried this relationship nonsense out earlier." There were good looking men, she had seen many of them that they became average to her. Just none of them had caught her eye or held such an intense connection with her from day one. Maybe it was because they had met and fought immediately? The excitement from such a first meeting would definitely leave a lasting impression.

    Everything was also contingent on the basis that she had time for it too, in her entire life these past couple of months were the most relaxed she has ever been. There was no guarantee she had the time to entertain anything, her main goal back then was to survive and that''s what''s she''s done for the past 25 years of her life.

    "So were you satisfied with what you saw or heard? I don''t think the conversation was anything exciting, I was warning him remember."

    "Yeah yeah...warning him sure but are we going to gloss over the middle part?? Where you guys were flirting about where to go out and he invited you for a meal???"

    "I do not recollect flirting of any sort happening in that conversation, at most it was banter."

    "Banter my a.s.s, stop lying. Even if you were cold I can read between the lines, especially with how many lines you were speaking. What happened to our notorious quiet and cold beauty?? The image is completely shattered! What will the fans say?? How will I explain this to our ancestors??"

    "So? They see us being friends so they are probably friends too in the afterlife for us. Don''t question the details, the point is you being affectionate with another man." There was a smug smile on Ming Ming''s face and a satisfaction of brining up what she considered ''the cruz of the matter.''

    Thinking about what conversation Ming Ming wanted to have almost gave her a headache, they trusted her enough not to research Xi Long. However, asking details and having those romance talks was not outside of their limits. Without looking at Neo, she knew that he was listening very careful to them. He was always the first one to look nonchalant like he did not care but never left the room during these talks. His ears were faced in their direction and listened intently the entire time.

    "Don''t say it like that, you''re acting as if you caught me in the middle of a crush - which its not. Its only been two weeks so its somewhat of a romantic relationship but nothing to blow out of proportion. I''ve also kept you guys updated, we literally had a talk the other day about everything so nothing should be new."

    "Ah but you see my little Ying Ying, I know you are novice so let this elder teach you." While speaking she walked closer and closer to her, the final words were said as she dropped an arm around her shoulder.

    Shrugging of the arm, Ying Yue responded dryly. "Elder? With what right? Your relationship history is bleak and slim and shall I remind you that everyone in this room is technically single for the past 5 years."

    "TECHNICALLY you are not single, just say you''re off the market. I get that you''re uncomfortable to use any official terms right now, especially considering our mission but you''re definitely better off than us. You think Neo and I don''t want to grab ourselves a partner?! Watch as soon as we''re done I''m bedding the next 5 men!!!!"

    "You can still do it now, I appreciate everything you guys are doing. You know that right? I don''t want you to feel confined to this base, I get to stay outside so you should as well. I''ve said this many times and I can stay in the base for long periods too and do the same tasks. Albeit I''m a little weaker on the computer science but I guarantee I''m better than most of our opponents. I even bought you guys separate apartments but none of you have really used them." There was a rare softness to her voice as she spoke and her eyes were filled with concern.

 Chapter 146 - Post Call Interrogation Pt. 2

    When they had first come to this city, the roles were divided with what they thought was best for them. She was in charge of designing the base but Neo and Ming Ming were the backbone of the development. Ming Ming had done the heavy installations alongside Neo and built it up to where it was now. Not to say she had done nothing at all but it did not lessen the guilt that she had.

    It was only a year ago that they decided on coming to this unknown city and made it theirs. However, there was a lot of work put into the move. Just the overhead and operation costs were astronomical, the weaponry, the technology, finding people who would create their base and keep their mouth shut, etcetera. Money was the least of their problems but she remembered the stress of making sure everything was perfect. Even sneaking in the weaponry into this community and having their base built under a house without anyone knowing involved a lot of planning. Yet in her opinion, what she did was just setting the roots.

    Without the extra work they did, their base would not be as all encompassing or successful as it was today. They put in hours and put a lot of effort into keeping track of the surrounding news. She was the most skilled in fighting so it was decided she would be outside for most of the time. There were a lot of underhanded things that they could not assign others and only depend on themselves for. So she became the face that carried out those things and had a couple of other duties that kept her outside.

    That was the reason her apartment was more lived in and she could have a bit more of a relaxed time. She knew they were intentionally staying at the base more and more, so hearing Ming Ming''s statement made her feel upset for them.

    She stared at Ming Ming with concern in her eyes and from the corner she could see that Neo''s shoulder''s had become stiffer. His typing became mechanical on a off beat so she knew that he had heard her as well.

    "Ying Ying, stop. You know I actually don''t want to sleep with 5 men, I''m okay with this setting. Its also too annoying to go to the apartment when everything I want is here."

    "But still, you guys should go out more. Eat the food, see some sights, get some air."

    "...why are you acting like we never leave here? You do know we go out for food and air and all of that right? How else is that fridge stocked??" There was a comedic expression of disbelief on Ming Ming''s face.

    Despite the expression and light hearted words of her friend, she did not feel better. Sure, they went out a lot but the majority of their time was in the base. It had to get stuffy and depressing at times, especially to stare at the numbers and codes they did. Half of what they tracked was almost like a sitting goose situation. Planting seeds and waiting to see when the egg would hatch.

    "Okay but stop dismissing my point. You could easily stay in the apartment and I could be here, take more turns. I know in the beginning it was more uneven as we were stabilizing but now it should be fine. I''m not doing anything anyways."

    Even as she spoke the last line she knew that they would call her out on it immediately.

    "YOU are not doing anything? Well you could be doing something or SOMEONE...huehue."

    ''Okay that was not the answer I was expecting but...'' A small smile threatened to come out after hearing the comment. She kept trying to make the conversation serious but Ming Ming put equal amount of effort to make it casual. Pushing her smile down she continued to push her original topic.

    "First of all, no. Second of all, NO. I am not doing anyone or will be for the foreseeable future. Be serious, I''m worried about you guys, I just don''t want you guys to have to suffer more than necessary."

    Seeing the genuine look in her eyes, Ming Ming finally responded with a serious expression.

    "Okay but that does mean you have to -"

    "Can you shut up for one second please. Listen carefully, I know you feel guilty but its stupid to feel guilty for things we chose to do. No one is forcing us, no is holding a gun to our head and no we are not doing it to repay you. Our mission, what we are trying to do is the main reason. There is no way we would let you guys do this by yourselves. Until we bring every single one of them down I cannot be peaceful outside. Adding onto all of that, we love you. You are our best friend and our only family. Neo a little assistance is helpful."

    "I agree with what she said." A familiar monotonous voice spoke out and were his first words in the past ten minutes. Though it was short she could still feel the warmth behind his words, he truly meant it and did not say it to pacify her.

    "Neo....I''m leaving you I can''t do this anymore. Please I''m begging for you to add more words." Ming Ming put her hands in a prayer position and shook them dramatically. She made the moment so s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e and touching, just by a couple of his words the atmosphere went back to the lighthearted one from before.

    "Leave him, he''s doing more important things right now like cyber fighting Zhuang Wei, XI Long''s best friend. I believe you guys and I love you too but you know I still don''t agree."

    As she finished there was a subsequent knock on her head as Ming Ming hit her.

    "You''re so dumb, do I have to knock it into you??! WHY DO YOU ACT SO SELFLESS?! Maybe we should write a diary out recording everything if old age is affecting you. You can''t just be like ''yeah yeah I saved your lives and all but bohoo you guys are restricted cause of me, I''m so sad.'' As if any of that is comparable to being alive. I can count on one hand the amount of times you''ve let yourself relax in the past ten years. Straight up, tell me right now what was the last time you got to sleep without worrying about an assassin sneaking in the middle of the night? Better yet, just answer me when was the last time you slept properly?"

    "For your information sake, I slept well all these years."

    "Oh yeah, what is sleeping well. Having a blade in your pillow and only get four to max six hours a night? Don''t even think about mentioning our child years, for the past 4 years that was your routine and I know. We were bloody roommates."

    Her eyebrow raised as she took in Ming Ming''s words. Yes, she did sleep a little less than eight hours but not everyone needed that many. She did sleep well, it was just that she was a light sleeper so she was disturbed easier. Of course, the situations Ming Ming mentioned happened as well. There were a lot of assassins and different hitmen sent to them but it was not that stressful as it sounded. It came with the title she had then, there were a lot of perks and those were part of the negatives. These situations also helped her build her reputation and her status there to become an unshakeable existence.  If not for what happened last year, she would still be there instead of suffering in this city to be so low-key.

    "Hyperbole my a.s.s. You rarely got to do something normal as buying take out in person. Now that you''re able to enjoy a little bit in life why reject it. You even found a romantic relationship AND the man seems fairly good, why bring unnecessary thoughts into it. Just enjoy it! Neo and I have no d.e.s.i.r.e for other things right now and even if we did, we would just do it. You see my looks, I don''t lose out to the high-society girls here either. If I wanted their man I could take them! I just chose not to out of the kindness in my heart and I''m really happy here anyways. Neo is always by my side, I''m not alone. If I wanted to be alone there are separate rooms here I can go and isolate myself in."

    Neo cleared his throat before speaking "... please isolate yourself more."

    "....Neo I''m ending this friendship."

 Chapter 147 - The Birth of a Trio

    Neo''s line is what finally made Ying Ying''s serious aura break, she could not hold back the little chuckle that escaped her. Something about the combination of neutral and dramatic was very comedic to her. They had always been like that since they were younger, the banter may have been a coping mechanism but it was almost second nature now.

    When they had first met, the three of them were abandoned children roaming the streets. She had been there for a lot longer period of time before she met them. They were not related but walked around with their hand in each other grasps. It didn''t take much of a genius to see that they were very dependent on each other, probably finding themselves as their only support in the situation.

    They were two cute little children, at most six years old innocent little babies. She never understood how people could be so cruel to leave children like that, their own flesh and blood to their own resources. The least they could do was drop them off at an orphanage instead of the streets where they would have to face all the elements. They weren''t so young that they did not remember their parents or the scene where they were tossed aside. At least for her, her memory was distorted and did not have to relive the horrible memories of what brought her there.

    Her best guess was that her mind had blocked those memories off to protect her. For the absolute life of her she could not remember her life before the streets. Every time she tried to remember there was this black haze and her head started pounding. When she had the chance to go to the doctor later on her life, she had some tests done. Her body was completely healthy but they diagnosed the mental block as a psychological issue. Something she would have to take therapy for and work on slowly, she never followed up with that treatment. To her, knowing the past wasn''t as important as surviving nor would she have the time to attend such.

    Adding on to the question of how would she fund them?? There was no solid amount of money in her hands till several years later. At that point, she could not leave any weaknesses for people to attack her on. Letting someone know that she suffered a small psychological issue would be easily utilized against her, to demean her of her title as if she was not worthy to keep it.

    That aside, when she had met those two they were scrambling for food. Staring at her with two beady eyes begging for food. She only had three buns in her hand that she had managed to steal for her meal. With those two looking at her like that, the food went down a little tougher than normal. It wasn''t as if she did not meet people like them often, she never gave them a second look when she did. If she were to be nice, then how would she eat? To be kind when you have nothing is foolishness.

    However, there was something about these two that tugged at her heart strings. She blamed it on their innocent and pure eyes looking at her with such desperation. They did not even ask for the food but stared at her in silence which made the situation more awkward. If they had asked her she could have rejected, without asking her how was she to just reject them?

    The staring had gone on for a total of eight minutes before she caved. Rolling two of her buns their way she did not look at them but there was a short silence before someone scrambled to grab it. After that the only sound echoing in the alley was them snarfing down the bun as they ate. It was not a large bun either but for someone who had starved for days it was as big as a large pizza and tasted as good as a Michelin star steak.

    She still paid them no attention and considered her sacrifice her good deed for the day. When she had finished her bun she had gotten up to leave to another location. It was getting later into the evening and she had to find a new spot to sleep safely that night. On the streets there were a couple of cardinal rules and some of the nicer a.d.u.l.ts had been kind enough to warn her in the beginning. One of the most important ones was to always change your location at night, if she were to stay in one place people would be able to find her easier. Those ''people'' being bad men or women who had only the intentions of hurting them and nothing else.

    Especially since she was a little girl with no one to protect her, she was the easiest target. Who would notice if someone on the streets went missing? No one so they were the perfect victims and she did not want to become a statistic. So it became her habit of changing her location every night, sometimes she found another one easily and sometimes she had to search for a couple of hours to find a suitable place. She did reuse locations but sporadically so there was no routine to track.

    Dusting her hands off she started walking away and towards a different direction. Yet, when she took two steps forward, she heard a followup of four moving behind her. A suspicious feeling grew in her heart but she decided to ignore it and move forward. It did not take long for her to notice that the two little kids were following behind her. When she turned back to look at them they were standing there holding hands and looking up at her with dependence.

    She didn''t want to be too mean but tried to educate them.

    "Look just cause I gave you food doesn''t mean you should follow me. Didn''t anyone teach you to not follow strangers? Even if they offer you something? Now leave me alone, don''t follow me!"

    Her tone was neutral but stern, she wanted to drive the point in. They showed zero signs of understanding but she knew they heard her. Nodding her head she started walking way again but the sound of them following her continued again. This time, the steps behind her were quieter yet still present. How quiet could children be anyways? What they thought was quiet was still a loud pounding to others since they did not have control of their bodies just yet.

    "I said LEAVE ME ALONE." Her voice raised several degrees in volume and she remembered the headache she felt looking at them. Taking on two kids were not easy and she had no d.e.s.i.r.e to become someone''s guide then. Or ''take them under her wing'' as the saying goes.

    The two kids flinched but still kept following her no matter how many times she told them to stop. After the fourth try she gave up on trying to make them understand verbally, her guess was that they did not speak English. She even tried using physical signs and gestures to say "no" and "stop" but nothing worked. If nothing worked then she just stuck to ignoring them, she would see if they keep following her tonight.

    Her confidence in that plan was strong and slowly weaned away every hour they were still behind her. There was a gross underestimation of what these kids could b.a.r.e and how determined they were to not leave her. Even as they stumbled a bit or felt pain in their legs they still followed her silently. Not a word of complaint left their mouths and that made her have a better impression of them. She never liked a lot of noise and if they were two whiny children she would have forcefully cut them away faster. Two well behaved children were always more liked than ones who gave trouble.

    Especially with the dark and dingy places they were walking through, normal kids would have been scared or at least make some noises of disgust. These children were so silent that she even suspected they were mute at some point. She felt like a mother bird with two little chicks behind her as they walked and three hours into the whole ordeal she came to terms with their presence. Taking them in was still out of the question but she could help them out for tonight and try talking to them tomorrow morning.

    No one could have predicted what was going to happen later that night that would bound them together forever....

 Chapter 148 - A Painful Teaching Pt.1

    Realistically, she was in no place to support two other little children when it was already hard for her. She herself was a child and could no more than grab a couple of things for her to sustain herself. The amount of food and water she was able to collect at that age was barely enough for her. Age wise she was around seven but her body resembled someone younger due to the harsh climate of the streets.

    Her personality was also very jaded at the time, even if these kids looked innocent who was to stay they would not stab her in the back when her usefulness was done? One of her first memories of being on the streets included someone dying in front of her. The memory was always a dark mark in her life, it felt ominous and almost as if it was a god given warning to her about what was to come.

    It was late winter and she was in a corner trying to grab as much heat from the restaurant behind her as possible. There was a bin with a small flame on it that an older man sat in front of. She did not get closer to him because she was afraid but they both knew of each other''s presence. The flame set up was a common set up during winter for the homeless, at the time shelters weren''t really developed so people had to find creative ways to make it past.

    She did not know who threw her onto these streets but one thing she was grateful was them leaving her in slightly thicker clothes. So while her body was very cold it was not to the point of her dying immediately. The coat while run down looked like a winter coat and did its best at protecting her frail body. Her stomach grumbled but she ignored the pang of hunger and focused on moving her feet. Keeping the body active was her only way to prevent her body from clamping up and succ.u.mbing to the weather.

    In the middle of her repeating a leg lift she heard a gruff voice speak out to her.

    "How old are you kid?"

    Her eyes widened in alarm from the sudden conversation, she was not expecting him to say anything. Matter of fact, the silence is what kept her comforted and she felt safe knowing an a.d.u.l.t was nearby. As a child she unconsciously looked for places where there were other a.d.u.l.ts around because of this internal dependence she had. They were always at a distance but seeing them within her range was enough for her.

    The more months she spent there, that dependence slowly whittled down after meeting the ''evil'' type of a.d.u.l.ts. Those who had sinister intentions against children and those who wanted to use her as a pity scheme to get money for others. No matter what happened in her life, she never begged for food and that was something she stood by. She may have nothing but there was a still basic dignity she felt like she had to maintain.

    However, at this time with the old man she was still the more naive version of herself. It was her first memory and of course, anything previous to that was blacked out. She wouldn''t know if her previous self was any different but she knew at that moment, she was as innocent as possible.

    Her body was still and she looked over at the old man to see if he was looking at her - he wasn''t. That calmed her down and she thought he would leave her alone, at least there was no outward harm.

    She was wrong however in assuming this man would leave her alone completely.

    "Where are you parents kid? Did they leave you here?"

    Again he was met with silence from her, in this case she did not know the answer so even if she wanted to she couldn''t answer. The only things she remembered clearly was her first name and age, nothing else past that.

    There was another period of silence before she saw something being thrown at her from the corner of her eye. She flinched in response and waited for the item to hit her. Her eyes closed naturally from fear but the impact she expected never happened. There was a thud from a couple inches in front of her where the item landed.

    When she opened her eyes she saw a black plastic bag with random lumps inside. She did not move closer to it and just stared at it in both curiosity and fear.

    "Don''t be scared, this old man can''t do anything. My old limbs barely work as is. Ah what am I doing saying this to a child. Do you even know what words these are? EAT FOOD BAG SAFE."

    She did understand the words he said but what she really took in were the last four. Processing what he said and looking back at the bag in front of her, her eyes lit up in understanding. Scrambling forward she hesitantly reached out to touch the bag. When she felt warmth under little palm and nothing dangerous happened to her, she grabbed it and scrambled back to her original spot.

    Holding the bag in her grasp she stared at the old man to see if he was going to say anything or move any closer. Seeing that he stood stably in front of the fire bin she let her defences down and opened the bag quickly. Inside there were a couple of buns and random bread items. The pain in her stomach intensified as she saw food and the d.e.s.i.r.e to eat rose.

    She munched down the bun as fast as she could, within a blink the bun in her hand disappeared. There was child-like confusion on her face because she could not understand where the bun had gone. Her hand reached out to grab another bun when she hesitated again. When the bag was given to her she did not know how many they wanted her to have.

    Looking back at the old man and the bag, she repeated this motion multiple times. After reaching a decision she picked the bag up and walked over to him. As close as she could possibly be she threw the bag back at him. Her strength was quite weak then so the bag did not go very far, only a couple steps in front of her. There was no difference between throwing or dropping it.

    This action is what finally made the old man turn to look at her properly. With the light from the flame she could see his full face and his voice truly matched his face. He looked mean but for some reason she could that he was a nice old man. Her opinion was probably skewed from the bun she just ate so her favourability for him increased unintentionally.

    "What are you giving me this back for. I already ate, you have the rest. I gave you food to eat, YOU EAT FOOD ME NO WANT."

    She was used to his way of speaking now and since she felt more comfortable, she directly pushed the food towards him. This caused her to be within arms reach of him and also feel the warmth of the fire on her body. There was a shudder that ran through her as her body adjusted to the change in temperature. It was so comforting she did not want to move away from it but still forced herself too after passing off the food.

    "STOP, YOU STAY HERE FINE. TAKE FOOD ME NO WANT. Aiya its so hard to speak to children, I don''t even know what language you speak. If you don''t speak English I probably sound like gibberish to you."

    She didn''t know the name of the language they were speaking but she understood most of what he was saying. Staying silent she looked at him again before plopping down in her spot. If he let her stay here then she would not reject it. Reaching out for the bag she stole one bun and ran to the other side of the bin and ate it slowly.

    "So you do understand English, eat eat, this old man is fine. Stay next to the warmth, sigh I have been here so many years and have seen so many children. Why do people have children if they do not want them, poor child. Having to deal with this harsh life when you should be protected and celebrated."

 Chapter 149 - A Painful Teaching Pt.2

    There were many words that she did not necessarily understand at the end but she could feel the warmth from them. She was sure that whatever he was saying was indeed for her benefit or at least was affectionate. Without her knowing she began to really like the gruff voice and try to follow along to each word. Her mind although young, was good at remembering what he said but missed the meaning on some.

    Once he had told her to eat half of her attention had fallen onto the bun and she was only partially listening to him. She was mid chew when she caught onto the word "children."

    When he had spoken about seeing many children she felt herself nod in agreement, there were many children there. Even today she had seen several other little children like her roaming around the streets, they looked too mean so she did not approach them. Instead, she looked at them from afar with a bit of sadness. Seeing other people her age would obviously excite her but the reminder that she could not get close was equally as depressing. She reminded herself that it was okay and that it was just the way things were but her mind still could not completely understand ''why.''

    The old man finished his speech before looking at her and taking a deep sigh. He reached around to the other side of him and there was the sound of rustling echoing through the alley. It didn''t take long for him to pull out a bottle of water that was half the size of her. Placing it in front of her he made sure to point at it while saying "drink."

    She didn''t need to be told twice, from the two buns she had there was a dryness in her throat but she had nothing to wash it down. Especially after being given so much she was hesitant to ask for more and ruin the peaceful balance between them. Reaching for it she tried to open the drink but her hands kept slipping. Though she was next to the fire her hands had long become stiff and a bit cramped, she did not have enough strength to open it.

    It was a normal plastic water bottle but paired with the weather and how tight the cap was, it was impossible for a little girl to open. There was a short chuckle from above her as the old man noticed her struggles. Picking the water bottle back up, he twisted it open before placing it back in front of her.

    "Silly me, it was too tight for you huh. Hear drink drink, its cold so take small sips. Don''t put near the fire okay, fire bad water no like fire. I know you speak English but I think small commands are still the easiest to understand no matter what. Hah at least someone taught you English before abandoning you, would''ve been harder to learn a language from here. That means interacting with a lot of people but its not safe for a little girl like you. Look at me rambling to you, I guess it comes with age huh. Can''t help but speak more when I see children like you here. Don''t trust everyone, especially people who give you food. This old man is a rare nice one and I have barely enough strength in me to harm anyone. Do you understand what I''m saying?"

    She could tell that the end of his sentence was calling out to her, she tilted her head and looked up at him in response. There was a small nod that came from her as she agreed to what he was saying. She knew that his question wanted a yes or no answer from her, someone taught her to nod for yes and shake for no so she did just that.

    Her eyebrows furrowed as she was confused where that teaching came from. When she tried to remember there was a pang of pain in her head. It made her face scrunch up and her eyes water in pain. She immediately became distracted by the pain and subsequently pushed the thought out of her mind. By not thinking about it the pain slowly lessened.

    The change in expression was caught by the old man as he looked at her in concern.

    "Aiya what happened to you? What hurts?? Was it the water??" He kept watching her and seeing no further reactions he became to calm down. It seems that with no follow up answers or expressions he automatically formed his own answer for the trigger. Thus, the water was pulled away from her and picked up back into his hands.

    The bottle was in his left hand while the right hand pointed at it sternly. "Water cold, drink lot bad. No drink lot, one sip one sip, okay?" For each action he imitated what it would look like since he feared that she would not understand again. His first warning had fallen on deaf ears and by her reaction he assumed she did not listen properly the first time.

    After repeating himself a couple of times and was sure she understood he handed the bottle back to her. That did not mean he trusted her completely, every time she went to take a sip his eyes followed her to check. The stare was so obvious that she could feel it above her head but neither spoke on it. The stare felt warm and was the only ways she knew how to describe it.

    At later years she would re-label it as a look of protection and care from an a.d.u.l.t. It was something parents or elders would do to children as they watched over them.  However,until then it was just called ''warm.''

    "Make sure you save some, I know you are hungry but on the streets its better to ration everything. How do I say this for children, You hungry yes, leave this many bun, you hungry later, eat later. Food hard to find. I probably look crazy speaking to you like this right, its been one-sided since you got here but for some reason I feel like you understand me. Ah forgive an old man''s rambles but your eyes shine to bright for a dumb child. I wonder if you understand everything or only part? Its not like you will answer me but I can ask. Say are you mute?"

    "Hmm, are you telling me you don''t understand the word? Okay, mute means you can''t speak, voice no come. Understand? Nod if yes."

    He had started to figure out that without speaking he could at least get non-verbal answers from her.

    She nodded after hearing his explanation, ''so he means I cannot speak? But Ying Yue can speak!" There was a slight fear he would not believe her so she nodded her head again a couple more times.

    "Ahaha yes yes I know. So you do understand. Are you mute then? Nod if yes."

    This time she shook her head many times from side to side. She did it so quickly that she felt dizzy for a second when she stopped. Her body''s balance was fragile so the motion made her fall to the side and her little face became red with embarrassment. Plopping back onto her b.u.t.t, she kept her face towards the bin while peaking at the old man from the corner of her eyes.

    Last time she had fell, there were people who laughed at her. She still remembered the laughter, it made her feel bad. There were smiles on their faces but they felt evil to her more than joyful. There was almost an expectation for the old man to react the same way. she thought that everyone laughed at people who fell.

    To her surprise, the old man kept a blank face and there was no change in expression. It was as if he understood her reaction and had kept silence knowing she was embarrassed. The red cheeks were a dead giveaway that he was correct about his guess. They sat in silence till the warmth in her cheeks faded and she felt okay to look at him after confirming he wasn''t going to laugh.

    "So you''re not mute, that''s good. If you were, it would be much harder hear. Aiya I thought that was the reason you were left behind, you look like a perfectly good little girl. Why do people do these things? If I had the money I used to, I would never let kids like you roam the street. My bones are too old to do anything now and no one would take this old man seriously. It sounds funny to say this to a child but one day I hope there are homes for people like you. Where there are a.d.u.l.ts to look you over and give you the b.a.r.e necessities. Food, water, and education - if those happened none of you would have to suffer on these streets. Maybe then parents would stop leave their children so recklessly."

 Chapter 150 - A Painful Teaching Pt.3

    What the old man said were considered just passing words he spoke to a child. He would never know that those exact words had imprinted onto her mind and become a reality sometime in the future. However, that was another memory for another time. In that moment, all she remembered was how those words were etched into her heart carefully. To have a home and warm bed with a little food was a heaven she could not imagine.

    Her little feet were stretched out in front of her in an attempt to get closer to the heat. She tried pressing her feet against the bin but quickly took her feat back from the slight sting. It was too hot for her to touch and she was too short to be close to the flame itself, she just had to settle for the distance she was sitting in.

    Looking back up at the old man she debated on speaking to him, she felt fairly relaxed but still hesitated regardless. This did not deter the other from speaking to her but it was currently a one-sided conversation. It did not seem to bother him however, she could still feel that he liked talking to her. There was no irritation or change in his voice, the same gruff voice spoke at his normal pace. He never rose his voice nor got mad her for not speaking, instead he offered her food and water while working off her yes or no''s.

    "Are you listening to me child? Listen to this old man''s dream, at least somebody has heard this wish of mine. Even if it is a wish, I hope the best for you. I''m not sure where you stay at night but come back here often okay? If you see this old man come over, I can give you food and water if I have any on me. I may not have much but I can spare a couple rations for someone your size. Haha, maybe I can make this my final good deed. You know I''m very old?"

    She nodded in agreement, thinking that he had asked her another question -''yes old.''

    Her innocent reaction made the old man burst into laughter. It was not as if she purposely agreed to hurt the man or wound his ego but answered as truthfully as possible. The old man had been in a reminiscent mood but this scene is what made his aura become joyous.

    "Yes, yes this man is old. Compared to you I''m probably a dinosaur. Sigh, how time has gone so quickly. Look at your skin and look at mine." He pushed his hand out and showed the harsh lines that were against his skin. There were parts that sagged and wrinkles covering it all as if it was a mountainous range. This was just the one side of his hand too, once he flipped it she could see a more rougher scene. Partly to age but mainly due to the harsh conditions of the streets, there were large scars and burn marks etched into his skin. The palm was supposedly the soft part of a human but this man''s palm could be compared to sandpaper.

    She looked on at the hand with curiosity, it did not scare her nor disgust her. Pulling out her hand she pushed it forward to him to show what her''s looked like. Her small hand was a little dirty from the ground and buns she ate but looked fine. Only issue was that you can see her bones stick out, opposite of what her hand should have looked like at that age. She did not see it as so but the old man''s eyes dimmed while looking at her malnourished state.

    His mood did not last long when he saw the look in her eyes. It was pure childlike curiosity and when he stayed silent, she pushed her hand again in front of him to look.

    "You want me to look at your hand? Oh what a beautiful hand, you see this old man''s its bad. I''ve been here too long but you, can still save yours. This bad, your''s good."

    She may have been young but could understand the depreciating tone he used when referring to his. Her curious eyes become angry and she shook her head from left to right.

    "Hmm why are you shaking your head, what has got this child so mad. Don''t think I don''t see you glaring at me...oh haha are you trying to tell me that my hand is good? Alright don''t be mad, my hand is good okay? Your hand is good and so is mine."

    Seeing that his response was what she wanted, her angry demeanour was satisfied quickly. A little smile creeped out on her face as she passively nodded her head. The old man smiled back to her and she felt an emotion well up inside of her. The warmth was comforting and the noises from the streets near them faded away. What was left between them was just the sound of the flame crackling and their bodies shifting around.

    This was a peace she treasured in her heart but it did not last long. Breaking the silence between them there was a loud clang from down the alleyway. The old man quickly dropped his smile and there was a coldness around him. Picking up her water and closing the bottle lightly, he pushed it inside the bun bag and handed it to her. Speaking quietly he pulled her up and pushed her in the other direction.

    "Go, go hide behind that bin now. Remember do not come out, no matter what do not come out till I tell you okay?!"

    "No stop go, hurry!" With one final push she finally followed his orders and went back to her original spot. There were a couple of boxes so she dropped the heavy items there and hid behind a larger bin. She crouched down on her feet and held her knees inside her arms. Her heart was pumping and she took small breaths to control the pacing.

    She did not understand what was going on, her mind was in a haze but knew to listen to him. For such a change to happen to the old man it must be serious, she was always good at reading moods and could tell he meant it. The clatter from the end of the alleyway was just the beginning to the horror of what was about to happen, something she wish she could erase from her mind entirely.

    A dull set of footsteps resounded throughout the space and got louder as someone drew closer to them. The old man had kept his position in front of the bin but his position was stiff. He did not look at the person drawing towards them and pretended as if he had not seen him. This would be believable if not for the body language and cold look in his eyes.

    After a couple of minutes the footsteps stopped as a younger man stopped in front of the old man. By the looks of the mysterious person, he was in his early thirties but had a crazed look in his eyes. A shiver ran down her spine as she caught the look, even from her distance she could feel that this person was very evil.

    "Why have you come here?" The gruff voice spoke out and unlike its previous gentleness, held a cold and hatred filled tone.

    "You know why old man." Ignoring the obvious hatred, the young man spoke in a weird leering kind of way. It was as if he was watching a funny act because there was an unmovable smile positioned on his face.

    "I have nothing for you, get lost."

    "Ohhh, but you do. Don''t lie to me, I''ve spent many years with you after all."

    "And because of those years I have left you alone for this many years. It was truly by horrible luck to help a vile man like you. If I could go back in time I would not do it even if I had a gun to my head. Now leave, there is nothing for you here."

    "What do you...-" The old man''s words were cut off when the sound of a knife stabbing his stomach was made. "What HOW COULD YOU. YOU YOU."

    The old man yelled and tried to fight off the other but in vain. The other was too strong for him to fight off at his age. Ying Yue''s eyes were filled with tears and she held a hand over her mouth to stop her scream. For the next five minutes she watched as the younger man repeatedly stabbed the old man and the grunts of pain coming from him with each stab. ''

    ''Nooo, NOOOO''

 Chapter 151 - A Painful Teaching Pt.4

    It was one of the most horrific sights a young child could see at her age. From suddenly meeting a good a.d.u.l.t and feeling warmth, it was all ripped from her hands just as quickly. A second ago she was enjoying the warm flame with food and water while having conversation with the old man. All it took was the appearance of this one man to have ruined the atmosphere. It was as if fate was mocking her to be alone forever.

    Her body shook as the tears continued to flow down her face like a waterfall. The tears made her eyes blur but she quickly wiped it away. She did not even dare to blink afraid that she would miss a second of what was going on. There was no way to look away either when you saw someone you like being brutally murdered. The concept of murder was never taught to her but directly shown as a practical example.

    Due to her height and being hidden behind the bin, she did not see the specifics of the attack. Only that every time the young man pushed something at the old man, the other would make a grunt of pain in response. There was a weird smell filling the air and it felt like there was metal burning, it was only later in her life she knew it was the smell of blood.

    "Now before you''re completely dead, give me the food and water you have. I could take it off a dead body but it would be nicer to get it when you''re alive. What do you say?"

    The angry appearance the younger man held faded back into his playful one. It was probably from the elation of having murdered someone and the adrenaline pumping in his veins that prompted him to be like this. Even ignoring those reasons, the man could have easily just enjoyed killing and it calmed him down to return to his normal psychotic state.

    The switch in personality made her tears still with fear again. This man kept switching between personalities and moods that it was hard for her to keep up. All of his expressions were evil but when he spoke to the old man she at minimum felt the other was alive.

    She could not see his face but the sounds of his pain faded out slowly. Without his voice to reassure her she was not able to determine his status. She did not expect him to speak to a dead body after all. The key words she caught onto were "food" and she glanced at the bag she had stashed away in the boxes. If that was what he was after, would he come after her as well?

    Her little mind was not so clear that she could make such a decision herself in such a situation. She came to an assumption that the old man had been murdered for food and it was by someone that he knew personally. There was a part of her that debated giving the food directly.

    ''Will he leave him if I give the food? I have food, I don''t need, old man is in pain...''

    Those were the repeating thoughts in her head but above them all was the old man''s voice telling her to hide. He warned her not to come out till he called her, the child in her naturally trusted that sentence more. That is what made her stay in her place and wait with bated breath for the call.

    The younger man tossed something heavy in his hand to the floor and gave a kick towards the old man. The motion look light but the result was the old man being slammed into the wall.

    "Aiya so boring, is that how you treat an old friend? Look at you hiding your food, come on tell me where it is and I''ll let you go."

    There was a pause as the younger man stared at the other.

    "Oh come on, staying silent? What use is that, I know you have food laying around. You want me to search for it? Or have you given it to some other lost child? Like you had done for me...haha if so, you really haven''t changed old man. Let me look around then..."

    The younger man started walking around the alleyway, casually kicking items aside and trying to check for this food. He had completed his search on one side and was now walking over to hers. There was no way to explain her feeling in that moment except for impending doom. She could not run nor could she move at risk of being caught, there was no other option than being a sitting duck waiting for slaughter.

    The closer he got the more helpless she felt, when he had gotten close enough she had shut her eyes in fear while holding her hand tightly over her mouth to silence her breaths. Just as he was to walk over and discover her, there was a weird sound coming out from the man.

    The sound continued for a couple of seconds before stopping, then it started again with the same ringtone. She watched as the younger man pulled out a clunky option out of his pocket. It was small and grey but had a lit up screen. The sound also came out of this device, only when the younger man clicked some buttons did it stop.

    While she did not recognize the device but she knew that many of the richer people had one. She had seen people walk around with things that looked like that, they would always stare at it and talk to it as if it was a human. It was something that she could only see from afar but it was also the one thing that had saved her life today.

    She  knew that without that device making noise, he would have found her within the next five minutes. There was silence as the younger man continued to push buttons and then raised it to his ear.

    "Hello, what are you calling me for?" The voice was still in its leering tone as he spoke into it.

    She could not hear the other person speak but she knew that he was hearing something. He made occasional nods and a couple of grunts as a response.

    "Okay, when do you need it?"

    He looked down at the old man against the wall, "I''m kind of busy right now."

    There was a random shout coming from the other side as the young man held the device away from his ear. "Okay okay I''ll be there right away then, bye."

    He said his ending greetings to whoever was on the device with anger before pushing it back into his pocket. There was an irritated look on his face, as if he was denied his meal. The expression was fine if he was not looking at the old man on the floor.

    After that statement, he started walking away out of the alleyway. It was still in her direction but he completely by passed her this time as he left. She stood in place for a couple of minutes since she was afraid he would come back. The second she realized he was really gone, she ran out of her hiding spot towards the old man. Her body had been so stiff that her limbs had froze, she fell a couple of times before she was able to make it to him.

    The tears resumed on her face when she saw the state he was in. There was a striking red colour pooling out of his stomach and staining the floor, the old man did not move as his eyes remained closed. She forgot her hesitancy to speak and immediately started trying to shake him while speaking.

    "Hey hey old man old man, wake up." Her voice was hoarse from the amount of crying she did and it sounded painful to hear. That did not stop her from continuing, the longer he did not respond the more her urgency rose.

    "Please wake up, I promise Ying Ying won''t take your food. I won''t take water either, please wake up. Wake up....W..ake.....up....wa...wahhh." At the end she could not take it and she just completely went into tears. Getting up she ran towards the boxes and pulled out the bag he had given her.

    Holding it up with all her strength she ran back towards him and placed it next to him. Pulling out the water she opened the lid and tried to feed him.

    "Here water, drink. Drink" Her hand could not hold it up stably and dropped a couple drops on his face. He still did not respond to that and her heart started to accept something her mind didn''t. It was only when she placed her hand on his c.h.e.s.t and there was no feeling did she break completely. She did not know how much time had passed but she stayed behind his body and cried until she felt faint.

    That was the very moment she became determined to not trust others or help them, only she could help herself. It was the most painful lesson she learned in her life and set up her expectations for the future. She also promised to keep people away from her, if she cared for them God would only take them away as they did today. Feeling the cold wind and remembering that the younger man said he would come back, she finally found the energy to get up.

    Looking at the old man one more time she felt herself want to cry again but she held it back. Picking up the bag she started to leave the area but every couple of steps she would look back at the other man. She was reluctant to leave but she knew she had to, it was not safe and he had kept her safe while dying.

    Her only regret was that she never had the opportunity to thank him.

 Chapter 152 - Lesson Learned Pt.1

    While her memories of that incident was clear the follow up to where she stayed that night were not. It was as if her body was on autopilot just trying to stay awake and get to a seemingly safe spot. As soon as she was able to find an empty area that had boxes her body crashed underneath one with the bag tightly gripped in her hands.

    The event was obviously a shocker for any child let alone one who had become attached to the dead party. If she had a support system and knew how to channel the grief, maybe she would have turned out less jaded. At that stage, the only lessons she learned was how to stay away from people, how not to trust people, how trusting people was equivalent to death, etcetera.

    That ideology was deeply engrained in her mind and was reinforced by the multiple other scenes she saw in the coming months. Stabbings and people committing violent acts weren''t as uncommon as she had first thought. Yes, the old man was a direct target by someone he used to care for but she quickly learned that there didn''t even have to be reason to murder someone. The term ''senseless violence'' and ''just cause'' entered her personal dictionary.

    These only made her feel colder and more numb as time passed. Thankfully, the lessons she learned from the old man and the lingering warmth from the memories kept her going.

    At first, she was hesitant to finish the food and water he gave, it felt wrong at the time. Every time she looked at the bun she felt like there was blood on it since the man had died for those very rations. However, hunger outweighed her mind after being hungry for so long. She consumed each bun at a slower pace with a bit of tears but managed to hold it down in her tummy successfully without throwing it up. Those items only lasted her a couple of days since she ate them at a slow pace and it was back to her to find her resources.

    The weather was still cold and wrapped her jacket as tightly as possible around her as she walked looking for food. She was going to bring the water bottle with her but she was afraid someone would steal it. Finding a nearby tree she scratched up the bottom of the trunk and dug a hole near it with her hands. The digging took around thirty minutes before she was able to get deep enough to put the water bottle inside, stuff it inside she covered it up with dirt and patted the top to make it look normal.

    There was a little water inside and the bottle was bigger than the normal store ones, so she knew that it would be taken from her. If not taken, it would bring her unwanted trouble since the others might ask her where she got it from. To carry around something like that at her age there must be a secret. To say an old man gave it to her and then died, no one would believe her. Instead they would think she did not want to share her secrets and beat her up because of it.

    This happened to her a couple of months before she met the old man, she had managed to get food scraps from a random passerby. While it was left overs for them, it was a luxury meal for the poor. When the other kids saw her walk around with something so luxurious as that they quickly targeted her and tried to make her speak. What was she supposed to say other than the truth?

    However they did not believe her and she suffered injuries from it, only when she ran away did they stop. Since then she had stayed silent and didn''t want to speak, if people did not believe her words or think she was telling the truth then why speak at all? It was childish logic but she stopped speaking because of it. It was also the reason why the old man assumed she was mute and why she refused to bring the bottle out. There was also sentimental attachment to the bottle that she refused to give it up then.

    There was a bit of snow falling down from the sky and it melted after touching her b.a.r.e skin. Feeling that it was water she tried to cup her hands to get enough to take a drink. Yet even after standing for five minutes there was barely a couple drops in her hands. She was confused why her hands could not hold it all and why the snowflakes did not fall into her grasp easily. Opening up her mouth she tilted upwards and tried to catch them that way. A couple of them managed to land in her mouth but was not enough water to sate her.

    Giving up on the snow, she kept walking forward and tried to look around restaurants for anything left outside. It was fairly early in the day so there was nothing for her to grab making her search for naught. After walking for around two hours her feet felt a little numb and tired, plopping down onto the floor she gave herself a break while trying to stay warm.

    That was when she saw another way to live. The spot where she had stopped was near a bakery, you could see it from the distance but she was not close enough to touch it. As she was watching the smoke exit from the building she saw a little kid run out of there and past her direction into the alley. The movement was so sudden that it attracted her attention completely, the little boy running was followed by screams coming from the bakery.

    When he moved past her she saw a bun in his hand and someone ran out of the bakery after the other. The person spoke as they tried to follow the boy, "you get back here! Thief!! Stealing my buns, let me catch you one more time!!! Get back here!!!!"

    She realized then that the bun had been stolen or in simpler terms, taken without permission from the a.d.u.l.t. The a.d.u.l.t was very angry and tried their best to chase the little boy but was no match for the other. For someone like the boy who was used to these acts and had more knowledge of the alleyways, it was easy to escape someone who had not run like this in a while. The healthy skin tone and extra pounds on the baker''s body was enough evidence to support that notion.

    After a couple of minutes the baker had given up and walked back slowly to his bakery. All this time she had kept their eyes on them so when the baker was close they saw her looking at him with intensity. Since she looked similar to the little boy, a child from the streets, his look in return was filled with disgust and hatred. The look slightly shocked her since she did not know why he gave her it, all she did was sit in this corner and rest. However, to the baker she was the exact same as the thief who took one bun.

    Honestly speaking, the reaction of the baker was exaggerated for the loss of one bun. It was because the bun was taken by a poor child that made him mad. There was no secondary feelings in the man like sympathy or care for a child that was forced to that situation. It was only anger at his bun being taken and it being taken by someone from the streets. People like him looked down on people like her naturally, some of them going as far as to hate their existence entirely.

    It was not as if they asked for this life, they only had to make do with what they had. Yet privileged people could not understand that and just looked down on them as if they were superior. That mindset was engrained into the baker and made him feel justified when he took out his anger on her.

    "Huh look at you, staring at me for what. I tell you and your little friends, if I see any of you around here and any of you stealing my food.....watch what I do to you!!! Damn poor children, if you are hungry go somewhere else how dare you put eyes on my food! You dirty mutts."

    Those words were common but due to her unstable mental state, it made her more mad than usual. She could give a deaf ear when it happened but now she only felt a bitter hatred fill up in her. All she did was sit here and try her best to live, these a.d.u.l.ts just come around and keep bothering her unprovoked.

    No one but her would know that this baker was her final trigger into the darker part of life...

 Chapter 153 - Lesson Learned Pt.2

    What the baker had done in his eyes were vent his anger on another ''deserving'' poor child. However, what he was truly doing was finding an innocent target he could abuse. He knew and she knew that no one would come after him later to question his actions. With that logic, his rationale became - ''since no one cared about these children, doing these sort of things was fine no?''

    He did not know that at this time, what he had done was push a child into darkness and sealed his fate till the end. For Ying Yue, she was already physically tired and was just resting before she began her search again. Her method of finding resources was idealistic and although long, never brought harm to others. She never begged nor did she ever rob another child''s food, she did her own thing and ate what she could.

    The idea of stealing would not have even crossed her mine if it was not for this situation. Yes, she had seen it before there were many kids who did the same thing on the streets. She wasn''t completely naive about the act but just never felt like doing it herself. Or more so to say, she did not have the resolve to do so.

    However, within these past couple of days she had a first-hand experience with death, seeing someone she cared about brutally murdered and her on bring of joining him. After that she had run away and found a place to sleep at night, purely surviving off the bag of items the old man gave. Time went by in a weird pace, she knew that it was days but in her mind only one night has passed since the incident. Every time she tried to close her eyes she would see the same scene again and hear the old man''s grunts of pain in her ears.

    Yet, the sound she heard the most was the younger man''s taunting the other and she started to view him as the harbringer of doom. The voice became distorted in her memory as she replayed it more and more. Nothing could make it go away no matter how much she tried to shut out the voice. It wasn''t till she felt her hunger reach a certain level that she was able to break free of the thoughts and focus on the current situation.

    She had to give herself a mini pep talk and steel her heart before she was able to leave her spot. No one knew how much strength it took for her to do that, to not give up and put energy into surviving. Her coming out here looking for food was her first step back onto the streets and its life.

    Staying by herself she walked for hours looking for scraps of food or water just so she can fill her stomach. Yet, the man in front of her automatically assumed she was an evil child because of where she came from. The accusation came at a moment when she was not able to brush it aside and take it as easily as before. The baker continued to act this way because he felt like he was right and held a superiority complex. Then the child continued to steal just so they would not starve but held no ulterior motives past that.

    The moral lines started blurring in her head, who was in the right? The child or the baker?

    Her little head looked down but her eyes became cloudy as she started to think seriously about the issue. There was a change in her look from a couple days prior, at that point she still had retained a childlike innocence. Now, if you were to look at her there was this dull expression on her face and eyes that looked m.a.t.u.r.e beyond her years.

    She considered both sides and her conclusion each time was that the child was in the right. They did not ask to be here nor did they ask for much from others. All they asked was for food, water, and a place to stay. Those wishes slowly reducing into just food and water while they sourced their own ''place'' on the streets. The wishes were not extravagant nor different from other humans needed to survive. Just because they had no family did not mean they were not privy to the same rights as others.

    Why should those people eat good food and go home to a warm bed at night with no worries?? Why should they continue to suffer for no reason?? If they have a surplus why can''t they help them??

    Each question she thought of had no reasonable answer. It was because those wealthier people were selfish and looked down on them. It was not as if she did not see the way they looked at her, excluding the baker there were many people who acted like him. The behaviour was engrained in them, the least they could do is leave them alone or offer a helping hand if they were able to. But no, they chose to mock and push down them whenever they had a chance and often did so unprovoked, purely running on their own biases against them.

    With that logic, what was wrong with stealing from them? If they did not care about their life or death, should they just give up and agree? Should they succ.u.mb to the elements and just give up on their one chance with life? The only difference between them was wealth and position, she did not believe that they would always be in such favourable conditions. Just like she had seen both heaven and hell in twenty four hours, the other ''upper class'' would not escape such days either.

    These thoughts of hers were more advanced for her age but her logic was not wrong. She had stared at the ground while debating and did so till she felt like she reached an agreement internally. The thinking process only lasted approximately ten minutes, however, after those ten minutes she was a different person with a new resolve.

    Her little heart was filled with hatred and annoyance at other people, the hunger in her stomach only adding to the fuel of it. She rubbed her eyes and dusted off any snow that had fallen onto her while she was thinking. The cold temperature of the snow matching the chill she felt in her heart.

    Looking up at the bakery, she saw the building in a different light. At first she saw it as a warm building with tasty items inside. Now, she saw it as one of her first targets to steal and her eyes were filled with revenge as she glared at the figure of the baker. For her size, she could go to another place and scope out an easier location to rob. The bakery was well lit and a bit more on the medium danger level to take items. There was also a steady flow of customers going in and out of the establishment, showcasing that the man made more than enough money.

    The boy who had stolen from him had probably used the tide of customers to sneak in and rob it during a busy time period. She had began to consciously strategize and theorize her way to get in. This skill of hers had started developing on that day without her even knowing the name of it or how much she would have to use it in the future. For now, her intelligence was all focused on robbing a bakery for revenge.

    She kept moving her limbs to gather warmth but her eyes never strayed far from the bakery. She watched the amount of people that went in and out from the store and gauged the amount they bought. The food in the window only started to significantly decrease an hour into it and the baker had never left his spot at the front. Just when she thought he had moved, he had reappeared less than a minute earlier his shadow on the wall being her best guide.

    She knew her strength and how fast she could run, so all of these things had to be taken into consideration before she attacked. If the baker caught her she knew he would not let her go so she had to be perfect with her timing. She had to either steal it without him knowing or steal with him knowing and escape like the little boy.

    Other than those items, there wasn''t really anything else that looked dangerous to her. A key point she noticed was that the door had no bell, there was no noise when someone opened and entered the bakery. A sly smile went on her face as she felt more confident.

    ''Just you wait....''

 Chapter 154 - Lesson Learned Pt.3

    The minute she decided on stealing and felt like there was nothing wrong with it, her entire mind was thinking about how to do it successfully. She was young but not without smarts entirely. For some reason, there were these little actions and thoughts engrained in her naturally that made her feel more confident. It could have been education taught to her before she was abandoned on these streets.

    She could not recollect the past but whatever she had learned was still locked inside her. Since she did not speak to others nor did she herself doubt the knowledge, no one could tell that she was years ahead of someone her age. Stalking her prey, observing different actions and putting it into her brain were hard concepts for young children. They usually were able to see A to B but questioning how A to B would happen was beyond them.

    Would they even know to look for a bell? Probably not, so it was an example of where she was above others. This did not mean there were not other children like her, however, those who matched their skills in such a way were definitely not better off than her. Education could only do so much, real life experience is what set street kids apart. While most of them may not be able to pass a official test, they were the ones that picked up the skills to survive in this world. That could not be said for the ''richer'' children, they could pass the test but would not make it through a couple days on the streets.

    There were so many unspoken rules here that you would only learn through breaking them or someone being kind enough to be their guide. Though who would willingly take on a dependent and show them around if they did not have to? The old man who took care of her was well into his years and was comfortable enough to do so but a regular child would not have that capacity. If they did, often enough there were ulterior motives behind their actions.

    Just because someone looked your age or kind, did not mean that they would not offer you up to die in place of them. Usually, other children would initiate younger ones into a life of crime. There were many little ringleaders on the streets that used children as their money source. From begging to mini crimes, all of it was committed. The older the child got the more dangerous their act would be up to something like murder. Many people knew the law and took the lenience given to children as a loop hole. People did not outwardly suspect children to be evil so they let their guard down around them.

    That proves to be a fatal mistake when that same ''innocent'' child murders them in cold blood. The reasoning could be as simple as the money for the act or being promised a higher position in the gang. Your position increased by your value and the amount of blood you had on your hands. Even going to jail was considered a good thing, it validated you almost like adding stripes on a uniform. Since children were punished lighter than a.d.u.l.ts, it was a perfect force to utilize. For this to work, you would need more people and there were children who worked as those ''initiators.'' At the end of the day, everyone was dispensable and their presence in your life always has a time limit.

    Ying Yue tried her best to stay away from everyone lest she got caught in something like that. She did know such things were happening at that age but made the connection that it was bad. There were other kids that she used to watch regularly come by her spot, she watched them as if it was her television. However, one day an older kid had come up them and was all smiles. They all hung out as a group for a couple of days but after that none of them came back.

    This pattern repeated one more time with another children before she made the connection. It put fear in her heart immediately and made her walls go up higher. Coupled with the fact that she was already reclusive from being bullied and teased, it just pushed her further away. That vigilance kept her safe so far and was the reason no one was able to teach her how to steal.

    She had to depend on herself and the brain she already had in order to complete the act. Thankfully, whoever had abandoned her gave some education before they did. The observations she made such as the bell and the flow of customers helped her build a good plan on when to sneak in. The sky was getting darker and she knew that it would help her to have that coverage. If she ran away into the alley like the other child, the darkness would help shroud her body and make it harder for the baker to track her.

    With a vague plan in her head, her eyes became more focused as they stared at the bakery. She had spent a bit over an hour watching and stalking the bakery. Only now did she feel settled enough to sneak in, she knew her chances were not one hundred percent. Yet, there was a high probability in her favour so it did not matter that there was chance for error. Everything had risk and this was one she was determined to make.

    Her face held a little smile as she imagined the baker''s anger when he realized another item had been stolen. She was not kind and her entire motive was revenge. It did not matter that she was hungry, she could go to another easier store and steal. However, she wanted this bakery to be her first.

    She quickly covered her mouth, the giggle was light but could have been loud in such an empty street. In front of the bakery it was active but where she was positioned only she was there. Looking down at herself, she check her body over to make sure she was ready. When she touched her cheek she realized that her face was out in the open.

    The cold had made her forget that there was nothing covering her face. The baker had taken a good long look at her while hurling abuses, if she were to run in now he would know her. Which technically would not be a problem. However, if the baker tried to look for her and placed her picture everywhere that would not fare well for her.

    It was important she lived low-key and had less people who knew her face as a thief.

    ''I have to cover face.....''

    With that thought, she started looking around on the floor to cover her face with something. There were no clothing items around here, no scarf she could use to cover. If there was, she would have long used it to cover her body for some warmth. Finding those items discarded and still in good condition was a luxury item and came purely on luck.

    She did not have the chances of seeing something like that and could only give up using that as a cover. Walking further into the alley away from her spot, she kept her eyes trained for something that could help. There was only random piles of food waste that was littered around and discarded packaging. None of these she could put on and frankly, looked gross to touch. They were wet from the snow as well which made the items even grosser.

    A puff of irritation left her the longer she looked, she was ready to go in but was stopped at the last second by this problem. Finding a spot under an arched roof, she plopped down onto the floor in a sad mood. It was the only dry spot where she sat so it was comfortable to sit down and stopped most of the snow from hitting her.

    Kicking her feet in irritation she stretched her limbs to keep them warm. As she did this, she noticed little specks of brown fly off the ground. The sudden movement made her surprised and subsequently still her movements. The brown flew up and landed on her clothes staining it. Slowly she did it again and the brown stained her clothes once again.

    It was a lightbulb moment, she scrambled onto her knees and started digging with her hands. She had no considered it earlier but using dirt was an easy option. Usually you would need some water to make it like paint but the snow had done it for her. Digging under for some new dirt she gathered a little bit of snow and mixed it into a liquid texture.

 Chapter 155 - Infiltrating the Bakery

    The dirt on her face felt wet and because it had become complete liquid, parts of it were dripping down her face. She kept having to wipe the ones near her eyebrow to avoid it getting into her eyes. Texture wise, it made sense as paint to wipe it on but she had put a bit too much causing it to leak.

    Her body leaned back on the wall and she tilted her head upwards to stop any drops. With how cold the temperature it would not take to long for the mud to become more caked on her face. She would still be covered but the mud won''t get in the way when she was running about. Closing her eyes she let her body fall into a relaxed state as her face dried.

    There were a lot of thoughts in her brain and now that she was so close, she knew her brain was too chaotic to start. With removing one of her senses the others were heightened and her hearing calmed her. By listening to the white noise around her like the casual chatter of pedestrians and the sound of traffic flowing into her ears like a lullaby.

    These sounds were so peaceful to her, no matter what happened or what day it was she could always depend on them. It did not change even by the slightest, there were always people on the move and people driving to get somewhere. Regardless of weather, even in a snow storm, there would be at least one person who was determined to get where they were going.

    When she had tuned out the other children, her attention had to be focused somewhere else. It was one night when she was trying to fall asleep that she found the peacefulness of those sounds. It was specifically just those ones that started to lull her to sleep and give a fake sense of security.

    If a garbage truck were to pass by or there were any loud crashes, they would wake her up in fear. It wasn''t as if all cars and all white noise would work for her, it was just the daily nuance ones that was almost a part of the city itself. The thing that scared her the most was silence, silence meant danger and consequently meant the end to something.

    Wherever that silence went she knew that death followed, because you could always create noise but to make something silent speak again? She did not know how, just the premise of it scared her. No matter what she was a child, there were a couple of things that made her feel uncomfortable like silence, snakes and ghosts.

    Some of the were natural fears she gained after living on the streets and others were instigated by others. There was this one night a couple months back where she had sat in the corner away from the other children like usual. Her eyes were trained on them and she was not so far away that she could not hear them. It was around a couple feet of distance at max that gave her security in both being far and being close to others.

    On this night, one of the older kids decided to tell ghost stories and have a communal horror night around the fire. It was a mockup of a campfire setting but their version around a bin set on fire. She did not know what a ghost was at that time but hearing their description she could almost imagine how they looked. From clown babysitters that broke into houses and ghosts that would try to steal your soul, she could not tell what was more terrifying. How was she supposed to know a ghost was following her if she could not see them? Nothing was scarier than an enemy you could not see.

    It also gave her the realization that her life was not so bad, it was comforting to know that although she was struggling to survive there were no supernatural fights involved. People who were better off than her financially would face these ghosts and serial killers in the safety of their own home, so was it really any better to live there? The dangers to be on the streets were real and dangerous but it came with the area. If you knew how to escape those scenes and stay safe, you were okay and could survive long here. Hearing that story was the first time she felt comforted by where she lived.

    However, the stories did not stop there, they continued on and on scaring the others until their limbs shook. She was no exception to this reaction, holding her knees she kept the tremors to a minimum. When they had finally finished and dispersed to go to bed, some of the younger children huddled together to sleep. They were to scared to sleep alone and relied on the others body warmth to calm their mind.

    She was the only one alone with no one to lean on, she kept her eyes trained on them and ended up staying up for several hours worried something might grab her. Coupled by the uncomfortable silence the fear for ghosts had grown larger. Since then, her three main fears were silence, ghosts, and snakes. The latter being purely out of the venom and scary eyes they had. There were one or two snakes she''s seen from afar and every time people ran away.

    Other than those three, she had a heightened sense of courage when put in those situations. Just like now, even though she was calm and felt a bit of adrenaline at robbing the bakery there wasn''t any significant fear. Maybe a couple days ago she could have had fear, with the state that she was in mentally the chances at dropped to negative eight.

    A bit of wind moved across her face and when she tried to move her mouth there was this tight resistance. The mud mask had hardened enough to stop from dropping but not so tight it would crack at the slightest touch. Reopening her eyes, she went towards the bakery in a slow pace as if she was creeping up on someone.

    Her steps were fairly light and she was able to make her presence fairly hidden for someone inexperienced as her. A couple hours had passed since she had first ventured out and an hour since she had set her eyes on the bakery. There was a shadow of darkness layering the sky as the night was trickling in. She did not know what time it was but based on the people walking outside, it was the end of a work day.

    Seeing a bunch of people enter the bakery, she took her chance and ran up behind them as quietly as possible. Due to her height the others did not see her and there was one child like her walking next to an a.d.u.l.t. Taking advantage of the timing she was able to slip into the bakery using them as coverage.

    After they went in, they let the door casually close behind them almost hitting her. Yet, she was able to catch it with her small hands and open it up enough for her to sneak in. No one noticed that there was a slight pause before the door closed as they were focused on the items in front of them. Regardless of how shitty the baker was she had to admit the food looked good. There was also warmth radiating in the store with everything being done fresh in the back.

    There were obviously ones that she was enticed to steal by how delicious it looked but she could not do it. Stealing from him had to be strategic not by impulse for it to be successful. Controlling her inner thoughts, she looked at the items with a different eye that the other customers.

    What was nice for her, is that the food was opened and not placed in cases. That meant she could grab it easily, like the little boy had done before. Following the motion of the crowd, she went behind one specific a.d.u.l.t who had stopped near the door. There were mini croissants there that the woman was looking at intensely.

    Making a quick decision, she settled on those croissants as her target. Waiting for her chance she saw the woman lean forward and take some, the second she turned away Ying Yue attacked. Reaching forward she grabbed a couple in her small hands, only two could fit but pushed them into her jacket pockets hiding evidence. After that she moved behind the a.d.u.l.t again to shroud her presence.

    Slowly moving back, she crept towards the door as her hands were on it and about to push she heard a voice speak out.

    "Wait!"

 Chapter 156 - A Hitch in the Plan

    Her heart started pounding against her c.h.e.s.t as she stilled her body. Her hand was against the door and was one hard push from freedom when she heard that interruption. It could have easily been a random call out to another person but with her back turned she did not know what was actually happening.

    She was also in a rush to complete this task so there was stress throughout the entire operation. From the second she entered, her eyes had been constantly moving around and she forced her body to be as light and quiet as possible. When she had snuck into the bakery that was only half of the battle, it was not enemy territory. The smells of the bakery and warmth was strong enough to distract her if she was not careful.

    It was a physical warmth that she had not felt in a while and in this winter, was an oasis for her. The few minutes she was in there she could already feel the chill in her bones recede. She always tried to keep her body moving to prevent a frostbite. The movement she did could at minimum only prevent a frostbite, the cold and chill she felt in her bones was not something she could solve with movement,

    As a child, her body temperature was also more volatile and s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to the changes. That was why parents usually bundled their children up before leaving the house. They were more susceptible to the cold and had to be cared for more carefully lest they get a cold. Thankfully for her, the coat she had been abandoned with was warmer than a spring jacket and helped her significantly. That paired by pure luck is what kept her from being sick all this time. You would think a child her age would have succ.u.mbed to the elements early on, she had no solid food, water, or residence to keep her energy constant. None of the items children were fed to grow up healthy and safe were given to her. So it was a surprise that her or any of the other children were able to make into a.d.u.l.thood or at least young a.d.u.l.thood.

    Not to say the percentage was anything commendable, it was a less than 1/3 chance of a child surviving. If you put it in numbers, if ten children were on the streets maximum two would make it out into a.d.u.l.thood. Adding on that those who make it probably had succ.u.mbed to a life a crime or their quality of life was reduced. It is hard to grow up on the streets and not be jaded, the hate against those who are wealthy came naturally to them.

    They never wanted them to lose their wealth but to share the excess that could help people like them. There was hope in the beginning but as they grew older that hope became a bitter understanding. After being shut down time after time, they could only grow hatred in their hearts. Especially, when you are constantly barraged with scenes of blissful happiness or grotesque spending on items they did not need. The forgotten children, no one ever cared about them.

    That is the main reason none of them held remorse when taking from the more privileged. Right now, as Ying Yue stood against the door with fear of being caught there was no remanent feelings of guilt. Usually, when people were caught they would suddenly regret their actions or beg for forgiveness. However, there was not one word of apology that was going to come out of her mouth.

    Keeping her body still she slightly turned her head back around to look at the scene behind her. It had been approximately thirty seconds since someone had said "wait" out loud. There were no rush movements nor any hands flying at her just yet. With a quick peak she tried to see what was going on and felt a wave of relaxation flow through her at the sight of it. Everyone had their back turned to her and were still focusing on the food.

    She assumed the "wait" came from the one a.d.u.l.t who was holding the other one''s hands.  It seemed like they were stopping them from grabbing an item and had accidentally spoke louder than normal. That tone was what made her fear so much that it was for her - thankfully it was not.

    Feeling confident again, she turned around and tried to push the door open when she was met with resistance. ''Maybe I no push hard....''

    Trying again, she pushed a bit stronger in order to open the door but again was met with resistance. Confused, she looked up at the door and tried to see what was wrong. The colour paled from her body when she saw the weird latch on the door. It was not something she noticed from outside since it was so small but from this close it was clear as day. The way the latch worked is that it grabbed onto the door and kept it from opening with a light push.

    It worked with weight balance and only someone at an a.d.u.l.t''s strength could push it. This stopped it from the door opening for wind or snow. With a bakery, it was a vital asset to keeping the food warm and the heat inside. A small business trick was now the block between her and freedom.

    Her calm heart started pounding again when she realized that she would have to wait to leave. The initial plan was to sneak in behind them, steal, and then run out the door as fast as she can. That was now moot with the change in circ.u.mstances. Her mind raced trying to figure out how to leave, she had to remain quiet and could not move too much.

    Turning back around fully, her head quickly went from side to side as she analyzed the layout again. There weren''t many spots that she could hide in but she had to find one immediately. Sneaking behind them was easy, she was barely four feet and they would not look behind. However, to leave the bakery they would turn around to her direction and would subsequently see her immediately.

    If she were just a well dressed child then it would be fine but here she was dirty from outside and mud caked on her face. She screamed suspicious and would not be able to evade the questions. Making a quick decision she left her post at the door and snuck behind a counter.

    It was the only empty station where no one was looking at the items, using that chance she slipped in behind. This was still dangerous though, she could hear the baker walk around as he helped the customers. If any of them were to walk here, the baker would follow and she did not know how to hide from him then.

    She kept a hand on her mouth as she tried to control her breathing and to remain under the radar. There was a slight noise from the heating tables but they were not too loud. The main sounds covering her were the a.d.u.l.ts and baker speaking to each other, if they went silent and she made a noise that was another red flag. There were so many potential threats that her brain was working in overdrive to keep track of everything.

    Her eyes raced around as she strained her ears to follow the conversation. She could not understand all the words but was trying to listen for any signs of leaving. The time kept ticking and the stress in her only heightened as it dragged on. Feeling something wet on her hand she looked down at it to see a bit of mud on it.

    Her eyes widened as she saw the mud on her hands, putting her hands back to her face she tapped it lightly. Her fingers were met with a mushy substance rather than the crusted mask she had on before.

    ''No no no no no.''

    Feeling another ball of stress rise up, she tapped her face again a couple more times at different places. Each spot she touched felt mushy and there were was only a slight hardness left. She had felt so smart when she had made the mask outside and now that mask was crumbling in her hands. The change in temperature was not something she accounted for, she did not expect to be here so long nor did she expect the bakery to be so warm. Combined with the stress, the nearby hot plates next to her, and probably sweat she was exuding the mud was melting faster.

    The amount of time she had left before this mask completely melted was probably five minutes. She looked up at the ceiling and was hoping for a chance to escape before she got caught. If she did, there was nothing else she could, she would face it as it came. Just as she started wishing for this, she heard the ''ching'' of the machine.

    Her eyes lit up at the sound, she knew it was the machine the baker used to put money inside. That opening meant that the people had chosen their food, paid, and were about to leave. Getting up from her spot she peaked around the corner and saw them making movements towards the exit.

    ''5.....4....3....2.....1...GO''

 Chapter 157 - A Successful Exit

    As soon as the countdown hit one, her body was already moving forward as fast as she could. The a.d.u.l.ts and children were now congregated at the door, with one in specific opening the door. Getting through that door was her goal and she had only this chance to do it.

    Her mind was blank as her whole focus was on that door and the people in front of her. She could hear the surprise gasps from the people around her and a vague sound coming from her right. However, she disregarded all of that as she grew closer to the family.

    "Who''s child is this?!"

    "What is this?!?"

    "What''s on her face?!"

    "....dirty," the last comment being made by a younger sounding voice. Those comments did not bother her, even she felt a bit dirty with the mud dripping down her face. It was fine caked but now it was getting all over her and the floor. There was a bit of wetness on the floor from the melted snow and mud coming from her. This made it slippery for her to run, she tried her best to evade the wet spots but could not help stumbling a bit.

    Just as she was five steps away from the family, her legs gave out and collapsed beneath her. Using the momentum of the fall she closed her eyes out of instinct and threw herself forward. She looked like a loose cannonball that had been launched into a crowd. The a.d.u.l.ts quickly tried to evade her in fear of getting hurt or getting her mud on them.

    Despite that, she still managed to knock herself on one of them. The bones of a.d.u.l.ts were a lot stronger and she directly knocked her stomach into a calve. Thankfully it was not her head or legs but the stomach hurt just as much. However, it was one she could b.a.r.e through for the moment. Reopening her eyes quickly she looked up at the door and saw that it was still open.

    Her sudden fall must''ve shocked the one holding the door so they had not moved. The door was even pushed a little wider from the excitement of it all. Regardless it helped her purpose, the chaos of it all was perfect for her escape.

    Getting up she ignored the pain in her stomach and dashed towards the open door.

    "STOP CLOSE THE DOOR, DON''T LET THE THEIF ESCAPE!!!!"

    Right then she could hear the angry shouts of the baker scream out behind her. He was still behind the counter but had noticed what she was doing. The scream also helped clear the a.d.u.l.ts'' minds from the confusion they had before. Seeing a young child run out of nowhere with mud all of her face and torn clothes would stun anyone.

    They could not understand where the child came from and her sudden actions stopped them from thinking further. Questions like:

    Why were they here?

    Why were they running?

    What did they come here for & did they steal?

    None of those questions came to their mind nor were they given any time to process them logically. The baker''s accusation of her stealing was enough clarity they needed for their minds to become normal again. From dazed expressions to stern expressions, the a.d.u.l.ts all became angry at her.

    She could feel the change in atmosphere, the previous loving family had become the gatekeepers to her exit. It felt like she had been transported back into olden times or at minimum, a football game where there were so many opponents against her. They all had ideas of taking her down and grabbing what she had in her possession. Her role in this was to evade them and successful make it to the goal post a.k.a. the door.

    Pushing her head further down and her shoulders forward, she sped up even faster. The door was closing quickly as the a.d.u.l.t pulled it inwards. Maybe it was God helping her or some natural coincidence but there was a strong wind blowing against the bakery. With that wind, it was harder for the a.d.u.l.t to close the door and had to use two hands to pull it. That change in environment was more than enough for her to escape.

    Running through she braced herself for the impact and bashed in her shoulder on her way out. There was a clang behind her as the door closed and the wind reminding her she was on the other side of it. She wanted to feel happy but there was not enough time for her it. The clang behind her resounded again as people rushed out from inside it.

    She could not understand why normal customers would involve themselves so much for a mere child like her. It was one thing when she was inside the store, she had already left so why keep chasing her. The baker was the only one who had the right and reason to be mad at her, what loss did the customer suffer? Or did they feel indignant on the baker''s behalf because she was from a lower status than them?

    The answers didn''t matter much as she forced herself to clear her mind again. Turning around the corner her body moved on autopilot as she raced down the alleyway. There was a set of steps racing behind her that were slowly increasing upon her. They kept following her even after five minutes had passed and after many turns were taken. The people behind her were so determined they did not care how many zigzags she made, every action was followed. It was at this moment she saw a small gap in a fence into a residential property. She took her chances again and barrelled herself through the hole.

    It was a tight fit but she was able to slip through, that did not stop her from trying. Pausing to catch her breath she debated on continuing running but her legs were beyond tired. Taking deep breaths she tried to control her breathing while keeping a fearful look above the tall fence. She wondered if they would jump over or chase her to the other side to grab her.

    Just as she expected, they followed her right up to the fence. Since she was still there she could catch the bits of their conversation.

    "She got away!"

    "Damn, should we go the other way..?"

    Those two voices were from the men in the family, she remembered hearing it in the bakery. There was another set of rushed steps that sounded behind the fence. She assumed that another person had caught up to the group.

    "THIEF THIEF DID YOU CATCH HER?"

    ''The baker....'' The angry and spiteful voice resounded and she knew that the baker had arrived. It was not as if he would sit by idly, she was just surprised he could make it this far. He only made it half the distance when the little boy had run. Maybe it was fueled by anger and her being the second one to steal from him today that made him come this far.

    "Sorry we could not, we tried our best but she escaped through this hole. Its only big enough for a child to go through and the other side is residential property. Sorry mister, we tried to help but we can''t do anything more."

    "No no thank you for your help, should not have had a customer help me in this. I just wish I caught a glimpse of her face, it was covered with mud so I didn''t get a clear image."

    "Ah I think its best you go back and count your losses. After all how much could a child take?"

    "There was another child today, aiya what is happening to me."

    "Another child you say? Sir, don''t mind my superstitious comments but maybe someone has put bad luck on your bakery. That is truly unfortunate but I''m still sure by her size they could not have taken a lot. There was nothing in her hands that I was sure of, maybe she snuck in for warmth? Either way best to come back and check. Sorry I could not help further, these street kids have been unruly for a while."

    "No no you have been more than enough help. Come back to the bakery, let me thank you with a warm hot chocolate and some free pastries on the house."

    "I could not accept that just after this incident."

    "Its okay, its okay. I could not let you guys leave empty handed."

    Those were the final comments before she heard the steps of them walking away. There was a mocking smirk on her face as she heard the conversation. For a little girl like her they had chased down streets in this cold just for a couple of croissants. However, here the baker was offering more free items to them for their ''help.'' If he had that liberty why could he not give her or any of the other children any? It was obvious he could afford.

    ''Selfish they are all selfish.''

    Touching the colder croissants in her pockets, the mocking smirk became a genuine smile at her success. Her body hurt, she put herself in danger and narrowly escaped but had successfully completed her revenge. This was a new feeling for her, she usually kept to herself and for the first time she did something against her character. A new gleam emerged in her eyes at the thought, a subtle sign of the irreversible change inside her.

 Chapter 158 - The Forced Trio

    Walking away from that spot she escaped out of the residential area and went back to grab her hidden water bottle. That night was the first time her body felt so sore, she knew her stomach probably had a bruise on it from the level of pain she felt. However, that did nothing to deter the smile and satisfaction on her face. Each step she took was filled with joy from getting her revenge, with her own two hands she was able to fight back against that nasty baker.

    The croissants became her meal from the day and she drank some water out of the river after filling her bottle. A mental pressure was released off of her as she slept that night. From then on, instead of scoping for natural pushed aside food she was on a lookout for places to rob. She usually tried to look for ones that were easy to exit and she would be able to take it undetected. The mistake she made in the bakery with the small latch was fresh in her mind as the biggest hurdle to success.

    Now, she made sure to look at the door carefully and see if they had something that could trip her up. Sometimes the people inside would catch sight of her staring, to her surprise there were some who actually offered her food. It was mainly out of pity or a rouse to get her to leave, either way it worked fairly well. If she was considering or planning to rob the store when she was offered food, she automatically gave up on her plan.

    Taking the food given she would go to find the next ''target'' peacefully. If they were mean to her or yelled rude things, she engraved their name in her heart. There were many people who acted in the latter category so there was never a lack of ''targets.'' After her first couple, her confidence kept increasing and the locations became riskier. Her success rate was at a high percentage, not to say she didn''t fail but it was a rare occurrence.

    This method of survival was how she lasted the year and kept her body well fed. It was back from one of these trips did she meet those two - Ming Ming and Neo. Thankfully she had stolen a bit more that day and was able to share but that amount was not a dependable subject. Some days her loot was only enough for her. She truly could not support them and frankly, did not want to.

    They kept following her for hours so she took pity on them for the night and let them stay with her. That one night relationship she expected had become a ten year long friendship. If it were not for what happened later that night, things would not have progressed this far. Yet, she could not find one regret from that time.

    Her eyes looked fondly at the two in front of her, Ming Ming being pouty on her left and in front was Neo working hard on the computer.

    "I know what that look is for, you''re reminiscing over how we met huh?"

    The peaceful atmosphere was immediately broken by Ming Ming''s comment. Even if she agreed with her statement, it physically pained Ying Yue to agree on sentimental issues. Her mouth responded before her mind processed the statement.

    "No why would I want to remember that? When two snot nosed kids latched on to me." She rolled her eyes in addition to her response. Despite her words the hidden message was seen through by them.

    "Awe don''t worry, I''ll never leave you." With that, she felt a body jump onto her body and held her in a strong hold. Looking slightly down at Ming Ming she saw her clinging like a koala to her body. Her arms wrapped around her shoulders and legs around her waist.

    "Get off, you are so heavy! Do you want me to tip over??"

    Her voice raised slightly as she quickly readjusted her body. The weight on her left was causing her to tilt. Grabbing onto Ming Ming''s body she had to hold on to stabilize herself. With one hand wrapped around the other''s waist, she tried to push Ming Ming''s face away with the other.

    "Oh come on you know you love this."

    Pressing the face again she responded, "no I actually don''t, now can you please get off you''re too heavy for me. If you were going to get on, get on my back why my side like a koala."

    "Don''t have to tell me twice."

    The weight on her left immediately released and was met by a jump onto her back.

    "Ouf." A grunt came out of her as she had to adjust the weight on her again. The jumps were not light, they were full force since the other did not hold back any strength. Any other untrained person might have fallen flat from the action but because of her training she was able to manage. It was also not the first time they had given each other piggy backs.

    It had been approximately five minutes since she had ended her call with Xi Long. So from the five minutes before to now, it was around fifteen minutes so far. During this time Neo had not stopped his action on the keyboard and she was curious about what was taking him so long.

    Usually Neo was able to finish his tasks fairly easily and it did not take him over ten minutes. Considering that it took only a minute for him to hack into Zhuang Wei''s computer, then the defences itself must not be difficult for him. Zhuang Wei directly coding against him held him up only slightly, since he was able to simultaneously break his code while defending.

    So for such an extended fight she could not understand the reasoning. His fingers had also not slowed in speed either, they continued just as aggressively as they did in the beginning. If not for the fact that Neo did this often, she worried that his fingers would cramp up. Such aggression and speed did not bode well for the health of his hand.

    "Neo, what''s going on? Is there some sort of trouble with Zhuang Wei?"

    His eyes never strayed from the screen, there was an unnatural focus on his face. When she stared at his face long enough she was able to see something a hint of anger?

    ''Is he angry?'' She knew he was defensive over her but did not expect such a situation to make him so angry. A warm feeling flowed through her again from his actions. To have someone defend you and get angry over things like this was something she was extremely grateful for.

    She herself was not as angry, more so irritated and upset with Xi Long and Zhuang Wei. On the side, she knew that Ming Ming and Neo were irritated on her account. However, anger was a deeper emotion than that and meant a lot more. Out of the three, Neo was more on the quieter level but was fiercely loyal and protective. The amount of things that could make him angry could be counted on one hand.

    So for him to react like this, made her feel s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e and thankful.

    "Neo, don''t be angry we can take care of it. I''ll even hit him a couple times in person if that will make you feel better." Her voice was softer as if she was pacifying him.

    "Don''t make any jokes do you think this is funny Ying Yue?"

    "He used your full name, oooh he''s really angry." Was what she heard over her shoulder from Ming Ming.

    "Thank you, I think I got that without your help. The commentary is unneeded but if you get off my back I''ll take that as your apology or enough help in general."

    Other than a tightening grasp on her body, there was no other sounds that came from Ming Ming. She was probably afraid that Ying Yue would push her off so she pretended like she couldn''t hear the ending.

    "Listen Neo, I know that you are upset and rightfully so. I don''t take this situation lightly, you saw me yell at Xi Long. However, there is no point if you are pushing yourself to punish him. Give your hands a rest, its been fifteen minutes already."

    "No, its fine. I''ve just started my revenge against him. I don''t care if he''s Xi Long''s best friend or the president''s, he put you in too much danger today. Just cause he''s a good coder I''ve been a bit slower but watch ruin his day. Let''s see him try this type of shit again, this is my first warning."

 Chapter 159 - Neos Revenge Pt.1

    When he had woken up this morning, none of the things he expected to happen went accordingly. His usual routine was to grab a meal and then head back to the computer to look over some files or leads he had. It wasn''t the most entertaining job but he did not feel comfortable not watching either. The behaviour, over the years, naturally developed to a controlling level where he would not be able to sleep peacefully if he had not checked things over.

    There was just this fear inside him that if he missed something important, it would be too late to fix things. Checking everything over himself, ensured that he was able to prepare ahead of time for planned attacks and react quickly when something went wrong. The difference between life and death lasted in the seconds you had after an attack. In terms of cyber information, hacking into someone''s computer was a very intimate way of learning about the other.

    Often people failed to lock their computer from hackers and left multiple important doc.u.ments lying around. The doc.u.ments would also not be in any secret or encrypted folder, just laid b.a.r.e with a descriptive name. So items such as their passport, health card, court doc.u.ments, revenge videos, would be sitting on their desktop ripe for the picking. Just by surveying those folders, you could get a good image of how the person conducted themselves in real life.

    For example, if they had a sporadic layout and a bunch of doc.u.ments listed with no folder, he easily deduced that they had a hard time letting things go. Those individuals were the time to be more laissez faire and keep loose papers. How that would translate for them, was that they were an easy target and a little bit of snooping was all he needed to gather the information.

    On the other hand, someone could have a completely clean desktop with only a few folders on the side. Each folder would be correctly named and placed exactly xx spaces between each other. While it was visually nice and clean to see, you immediately could tell that they had control issues. These were people who often had deep rooted anger issues and were easy to trigger. That is contingent on the fact that they use their computer often and actively keep it in this layout. If the computer looked like that purely because it was not used often, the analysis immediately became nil.

    There wasn''t information you could gather from those type since they are mainly shells of who they used to be. Obviously some idiosyncrasies in their personality would stay with them as the grew but would be technically inaccurate as a whole. In order to understand the person correctly and strategize around them, the information would have to be more up to date and close to their current personality. Not to say they did not look at older information, however, that was for data.

    There was no time requirement on data, all data had a purpose and reason to be dated such. The older it was, the more chances to find something to use against the other as barter or blackmail. A lot of people tended to commit crimes in their younger years and use the age restrictions to their advantage. Knowing that they could get them expunged or sealed made a lot of the bolder in their actions. It was because they were so confident no one could access those files and subsequently, trace it back to them.

    Throughout his years of hacking, he realized that the people who looked the ''holiest'' on the outside, were actual demons on the inside. It was crazy how many people held in carnal d.e.s.i.r.es and pretended to be a normal functioning member of society. There was one individual in specific he remembered that had given him a major shock. It was several years back when he was still naive and he had been forced to search up a local social worker. The individual had entered their radar for their mission and he had researched him through association. It was a routine check and he had not expected much from his investigation.

    All the publicly available information about the man praised him for being kind and charitable. No matter how many articles he read, they all held a similar rhetoric. There were even live comments from people who had been helped by him as additional testimony. However, the minute he started searching deeper and hacked into his personal computer things took a dark change. Gone was the social servitude image that he held and it was replaced by a vile man.

    He was actually fairly surprised that he had managed to survive so long without being called out his hidden skeletons. It only took one person to pull up the same information as him and immediately ruin the others'' life. The truth was they enjoyed torturing animals and humans alike. There was no part of his mind that was sane, it was all a well crafted mirage. His computer held image after image of all the horrific things he had committed. It was a memento of sorts and it was disgusting how many times those videos had been revisited.

    That was the first time he felt sick to his stomach and had to physically throw up in the middle of a job. It was also the moment where he decided that he would no longer trust public image''s blindly. He always distrustful and vigilant against strangers. However, there was still this naiveness left in him supported by his young age. He was probably fifteen around the time he had to complete this investigation and it scarred him.

    This was also the beginning of his hacking career, he had no base to look back on and understand what to expect from it all. What he had experienced in his life was confined to the environment around him. As in if he lived in hot country, the struggles of snow were not things he could understand. Murderers who carved and tortured their victims were obviously not situations that could be met easily. Even if you did, the chances of living to tell the tale were rare.

    Who would even expect a social worker to be like this? One that was revered to such a high degree? It was only after looking deeper into him did he understand the whole concept he was selling. When all these murders started coming into light, he would automatically be at the end of the suspect list purely due to his image. A cover almost, to make people trust him and lower their guard. Just by cross referencing some of the images and victims, he could tell that they were people that the man had helped before. They were people who came in search of social welfare and some assistance yet were met with a gruesome ending. Since then, he had been extra careful with people and double checked all corners before coming to a conclusion.

    It also made him extra vigilant about the security on their computers. They as a group, tried their best to stay on the low radar but there were several identities they held that could not do the same. Adding on that, they had access to a lot of information that they had gathered over the years some of which could be considered state level. With that much data on them, it was important their computers were well protected and hidden from hackers. From how easy he could break into others, he knew theirs would be just as easy if there was not constant development. So while he continued checking his leads, he kept adding different security measures and tried his best to develop new ways.

    Through this he was able to advance his skills exponentially as well since the best way to hack is to build. If you know how to create a security system and different firewalls, it was just that easy to understand how to break them. However, that information did not come very easily. He slaved many hours over the computer and textbooks scrambling against time and himself to improve faster.

    Due to this change in him, he was required to be on the computer more and expend so much energy to make sure it was done correctly. The things that he would want would take much more time to explain rather than doing it himself. He could not trust others to do it for him nor would they look for the same things as him. Both Ming Ming and Ying Yue had hacking skills, however, he was the most experienced out of the three. It was the main reason that these duties had been passed to him in the group. He enjoyed doing it as well so it felt well suited but in times like this he appreciated having it.

    Being the first man to find out that there was a code being made on Ying Yue, also gave him the right to exact his revenge first.

    ''You try to mark my best friend, just watch what I do to you...''

 Chapter 160 - Neos Revenge Pt.2

    He also had the easiest access to revenge since he was in live time competing with Zhuang Wei. Ying Yue definitely do something to soothe her heart as well but that would require her to physically go to him. Which he doubted would be anytime soon considering their schedule. Just focusing on Blue47 alone, they were extremely pressed for time until a plan was made. That alone would take up several hours and leaving the base right now was inconvenient.

    Based on the phone call she had made to XI Long, there would be a conversation later in the day between them. At that time, no one on their side could probably get to them. So in his perspective, these moments on the computer were the perfect opportunity to exact his revenge. Ying Yue could forgive him more since she was interested in his best friend. However, he did not have the same reservations. Xi Long, Zhuang Wei, none of them could control his anger at this moment.

    Logically, he understood why Zhuang Wei did so. His best friend appeared out of nowhere and managed to gain such a special place in Xi Long''s heart. She also had a obscure past that she would not speak on anytime soon. All of those would be major warning signs for a normal individual but none of them were from a good background. They all had secrets and have dabbled in the underground, with that considered, people like them should not be uncommon. In fact, there should be a greater understanding of the secrets because of that shared experience.

    The first night when Ying Yue came back and reported that she met such a wild man he did not place it in his heart. However, the second he tried to search for her and hack back into the CCTV''s he was on alert. From that point on, he conducted his own general research nothing that Ying Yue herself had not done. The main things he looked for was to see if he was a threat or not for them. Judging by the little to no scandals he had, it was an easy pass. Things such as his power or influence in this city did not matter much to him. They themselves were not too far off from their level in their original city.

    On the contrary, he actually preferred that Xi Long was in the upper rankings of power and influence. It was a reassuring factor and made both Ming Mng and him feel like he was more suitable for her. A weak man would never be able to survive in their worlds nor did he think Ying Yue would fancy a man like that regardless. That was just an extra liability they did not need with everything going on as it is. However, a man with power and influence was not automatically a ''strong'' man. They had to have the spine and brains to support that position, which, he think Xi Long had.

    Adding on that Ying Yue had given her own stamp of approval to them, after that, they both did not bother researching him more or tried to dig into his history. He trusted her opinion enough not to doubt it. There''s one thing to care for your best friend but there were also times where you had to trust them enough. Adding on, the Ying Yue had met him in person and showcased clearly where she stood. If he had not met her, this situation would have been more permissible. However, to meet her, be awarded the minimal trust she gave and then go around and do this?

    There was no way he did not understand the significance of her removing the mask in front of him. Nor, could he downplay the skills she outwardly showed him with regards to the needle, her observation, and her basic fighting skills. All of these things, were only awarded to him because of his best friend. It was also a silent peace offering from their side and they all knew that.

    Xi Long obviously understood the message since he had yet to hear a question or see another search against her identity from him. With the juxtaposition of his best friend, Xi Long looked slightly better. However, there was still fault with him for not properly communicating that and making sure the other understood the limits.

    If Ming Ming and him had ever breeched the limits of Xi Long, he knew that Ying Yue would have taken responsibility for that error. Since she was the connector between them and the main involved party, regardless of who did it the blame would fall on her. Yet, in this case she didn''t even need to do it because all of them understood the subliminal messages. Did they think that we were not capable of the same act?

    What he could not forgive, was that those moments shown to him was utilized in such a way.

    To create a code based on her facial features and her skills, just to research her and her past was beyond the limits. Not to say that people haven''t tried to look for her and create a code in relation to her in the past. Yet, the difference in that was those were enemies and it was assumed Zhuang Wei was not. Those people also did not really know how she really looked to be able to do so. Her ethnicity, stature, facial features were all modified per mission.

    The ones who knew her that deeply and could be more specific in their search, would not waste time creating a code. Based on a news article or a simple blurb could tell that she had a hand in it. Right now, there was a mutual understanding to leave each other alone so he did not worry about them so much.

    The issue with this code is, that although Zhuang Wei had created it on his computer and for the purpose of aiding his friend, it did more harm than use. Since, with the code he had created an existent system focused on gathering intel against her. It was dangerous if someone tried connecting her name to multiple incidents using her true identity, it risks the chances of exposing her. There were a lot of things they could not hide in their earlier years and he had forced down now but there was a limit to his skills. He could not completely conceal things that have been living on the dark web for a while.

    Plus, in the minds of their enemies she did not look like her current image. This was a starter code but included her ethnicity and correct measurements. What would they do if someone found out that it was not a blonde Russian woman they were looking for but in fact a Chinese woman?? That would alert so many people and cause an unnecessary amount of drama.

    In his mind, the biggest point of contention was him even thinking to create the code with those skills.  There was a bitter feeling in him as he mocked the name, "Zhuang Wei? What a trash name, thinking you can do whatever just because you have been unchecked for so long."

    Zhuang Wei''s skills were definitely above average and at a stage of an expert but there would always be people better than him. The seconds it took for him to infiltrate the computer was enough proof of that. If he wanted to go down such a path, he should have ensured his system was capable of withstanding the consequences. Considering that security system, anyone would be able to track the code back to him and subsequently this city.

    The code does not just exist on his computer, when it starts trying to pull information from the dark web and real web, it gets noticed by other higher level hackers. If you just imagined a wave of electricity floating through a cyber space, it would look like a tree with multiple branches. Just as the branch and the stump are visible, so is the trajectory of the code. Yes, you could create multiple "drop-offs" to funnel through different VPNs and countries, but it was not a full proof plan. The connection existing was the biggest issue in itself.

    They had spent months sneaking into this territory, forced themselves to give up so many p.l.e.a.s.u.r.es just to remain low-key. It was so they could escape the eyes of their enemies and complete this mission successfully. They had just had six months of planning ruined and this man waltzed in trying to ruin years of work altogether. His frustration from the former had not even settled before another target had arrived for his outlet.

    Personally, he was the quieter one between the three and he acknowledged that. Yet, in terms of anger he was at the top of the hierarchy for it, he always had a nasty temper when it came to protecting family or friends.

 Chapter 161 - Neos Revenge Pt.3

    Both Ying Yue and Ming Ming were a testament to what type of person he used to be. Short outbursts, constantly angry, steaming silently, etcetera. They were all aspects of him that existed but had become more controlled over time. That did not mean he was incapable of bringing back such a side.

    There was always a point where someone will burst because of how much they endured. He used to be the type that burst whenever the slightest thing affected him. This was him around seven years back and he could attribute most of it to a ''rebel phase.'' Where they used to live did not allow them to be children and enjoy their youth. They have been on back to back missions since they were ''taken'' in and m.a.t.u.r.ed a lot quicker than regular children. The phase where children rebelled or teenagers threw a tantrum was not a luxury for them.

    His only sign of going through that phase was his anger. Ever since it had come in the way of one of his missions, he had focused very hard in controlling it outwardly. Inwardly. he felt like he was still the same man but his reasons for anger were more serious. Touching his friends or family could set him - as it should.

    The instant he had gotten the warning that such a code was created, he had focused on mitigating the risk. Being that it was hard to track the exact location, he had to use this own thinking to deduce the perpetrator. Since the timing matched Xi Long and the descriptions used were her natural image, he immediately thought it was him. That again, he still gave the other out just in case it was not him though all the signs were pointing there.

    He could leave the addressing of that mess to Ying Yue, cyber wise he could had his own to care about. Zhuang Wei was a good hacker in the sense that he could defend against him fairly well. However, he was a little more inexperienced than him. It was easy for him to attack and slowly destroy the code on the side. With that action too, the other could determine what his purpose of the hacking was.

    That was only the first part of his ''revenge,'' in fact his revenge had not even started yet. This was the preliminary set up before he could start being creative with his punishments. His fingers worked aggressively and at a heightened pace to complete things as soon as possible. As each couple of minutes past, another portion of the code was erased. There was enough resistance from the other that he could not do it one go.

    That is what extended the time of this so long and his fingers had slightly slowed when Ying Yue was on the call. It was natural that he listened in to what was said and what responses were being given. That call also confirmed who his target was and who sat on the other side of the screen. HIs fingers were moving on autopilot and his eyes were focused on the screen. However, his full attention and ears were focused on the two people behind them.

    The only time they slightly stuttered is when Ying Yue brought up where they lived. The guilt in her voice was clear as day and he hated when she acted like that. After so many years together, shifts in a person''s emotions or their general views towards the other were very accurate. He knew that she threw a lot of blame on herself naturally. Heck, even as children Ying Yue was also the same. She liked to run straight into fire to protect them but sat here mulling over even the slightest inconvenience for them.

    A warmth seeped into his heart at the idea, they all had deep love for each other and it never failed to amaze him how they were able to make it this far. There was little to nothing he would not for either of them and that was the same vice versa. Yet, no matter how many years you spend with someone you can''t b.a.r.e to short change them in any way. Ying Yue was like the "mother" or "older sister" of the group, ever since she handed them a bun that was their roles.

    She could not help but worry more for them and they had to reassure her each time. Sometimes, it made him feel bad since he could not successfully convince her. Hence, he was more passionate about protecting her peace and happiness. The fear of her almost being ''outed'' to the world lit a fire directly under his a.s.s. He was already three hundred more times s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e when it came to them and people provoked him in such a way.

    In the past couple of weeks, he had not done any private searches on Xi Long so the image or information on the best friend wasn''t known to him. He just knew that someone like that existed and held a position in the Xi Corporations. The specifics of what made him tick or his back story were all vague so he could not use it to his advantage right now. That lack of personal knowledge made him fall back onto what he ''thought'' would work.

    His general plan at this moment was to piss the other off so much his day or week was ruined. He could not destroy the computer or plant a virus while Ying Yue was still with Xi Long. So that idea was pushed to the back burner waiting to be used if needed. Whatever he did today had to be to the point and minimal damage. It could also not be long lasting so the only thing he could viably attack was his psyche.

    It was frustrating that he could not attack his psyche in a more twisted way, make him squirm as he layered attack upon attack. However, he still had to be restrained for their peace offerings and made a mental note of his transgressions instead.

    ''Watch me catch you in real life, one hit or one more mistake and I''m getting revenge for everything in one go.''

    His eyes became hooded as he glared holes into his screen. Just the mental promise of it made him exude a murderous aura and change his composure. You could tell just by looking at him how serious the situation was and he was about it. Reigning in most of his anger, he used that to push his fingers even faster on the keyboard.

    With most of the code destroyed he began to take complete control of the computer. There were at least four to five security layers he had to break through to gain that. It was a bit confusing at first but he enjoyed challenges. Seeing it as a game instead of a life or death opportunity, made it easier for him to infiltrate it. He knew putting too much pressure on his mind would only weaken it and this was too important to screw up in such a way.

    Pressing in two more keys, he clicked enter and turned the other''s screen entirely black. That way the other could not see what he had to defend against and he could focus on attacking. A smirk rose onto his face as he typed out a specific line of command.

    From the other person''s perspective, he was slowly typing things out by letter.

    "U....S...U.....C.....K....."

    He paused a little to let the other process his sentence. A laugh would have exited him if not for his anger. Of course that was not the end of what he would write but he timed it in such, that the other was literally waiting to see what the other letter would be. Baiting them with each step until they saw the full sentence mocking them. The best insult for a hacker was to point fingers at their skills. Most of the experienced ones were c.o.c.ky or overly confident in Zhuang Wei''s case, therefore it was a confirmed statement to trigger him.

    After enough time has passed, he continued writing sentences in the same manner.

    "D...O...N....T.....C....R....Y.....C..A....U...S....E...Y...O...U...S...U...C...K....N...O...T......E...V...E..R...Y...O...N...E...C...A...N......B..E....G...O....O...D...B....U....T....I....T....T.....A.....K....E...S.....S...K....I...L...L...S....T..O....S..U..C..K....T...H...I...S...M...U...C...H..."

 Chapter 162 - Neos Revenge Pt.4

    According to his estimations, Zhuang Wei had only two options right now. Walk away from the desk and risk him breaking further into the system. Or he could sit there and read all of his comments until he was able to regain control. The more likely answer was the latter and so he could continue to attack with taunts, since the other could not leave.

    He did not know much about the other''s personality but he could feel that they would not take the comments lightly. The taunts he was making were not for their physical appearance nor something else they could overlook. Comments against the skills are the most volatile ones and the most poisonous ones. Zhuang Wei would also not be able to ignore the comments, the curiosity of what was being continued to appear on his screen would not let him.

    If he could completely trace the location back and pinpoint the coordinates, he would have tried to hack into some security cameras. The additional joy of seeing his target lose their cool would be the cherry on top. Unfortunately, he did not have the liberty at this moment and had to settle for what he could do reasonably.

    Giving a couple of minutes for the words to sink in, he inputted a couple other codes so he was able to see the keystrokes being made. It appeared on his second screen with a keyboard outline displayed and the keys clicked being lit up. They were slightly delayed behind Zhuang Wei but the timing was close enough.

    On a third screen, he used a couple more codes to generate a mirror of the other''s screen. So whatever he was typing and sending there, the final form would be visible to him. Just so if he made an error or to see if there were any modifications to be made. Adding on, that with those screens it became visible to Ying Yue and Ming Ming what he was doing.

    It would be easier for him to just show them, rather then have them ask questions. Plus, he did not have the ability to keep answering them while maintaining his typing speed. He knew he could not keep them waiting the entire time and their curiosity would run out of patience in a couple more minutes. Which was understandable, he was typing on this keyboard for close to fifteen minutes and they had no clue what he was doing from start to finish. The only crumb of information they had was that it was against Zhuang Wei, that he was mad, and that he was deleting the code created against them.

    Those factors automatically gave a broad answer for what he could do. They expected some restraint from him but what his limits are, were unknown. It had been a couple months since he had been this angry, so he even he could not guess how he would exact his revenge completely. His reasonable side and Ying Yue''s feelings were the only things keeping him grounded.

    Even if she was not explicit in her words nor did she really define her relationship with Xi Long, he could tell that she held positive sentiments. It did not take a genius to see that there was this deep attraction with that man. When he first found out she had him sleep over in her apartment, that was both a shocker and a confirmation of her feelings.

    Anyone who grew up in a dangerous environment knew that the period when you sleep was the most vulnerable. At that time, you were very vulnerable and practically open for a lot of attacks that could kill you. Yes, Ying Yue was used to waking up in the middle of the night and fighting assassins but being used to something and allowing that something to happen were two different notions.

    Allowing Xi Long into her apartment meant that she trusted him to a strong degree and that he at minimum, was not a threat against her life. Today''s mistake aside, that lack of danger feeling still persisted. Then to let him into her room, albeit the floor it was still another big jump. She did not sleep with a knife or a gun by her side either, he knew that for a fact. It would cause to many suspicions and in general, would cause unnecessary questions. They did have a plethora of weapons layered into apartment and the walls but had kept her room fairly empty.

    That was done on purpose with the assumption that she would have something on her. There were also a lot of security defences put in place before someone could reach her room. The walls had been reinforced with steel and her door had bars inside that once triggered, would become like a pillar holding it closed.

    There were just so many subtle signs to showcase her proof of affection. He knew it was not so deep that she could not leave him if need be, she always put herself last on priorities. What came first, was the mission and her friends. Anything harming that would have to be eliminated no matter the price, thankfully such a step did not need to be taken now. She would probably have mourned the relationship and what could have been between them for a long time after, so he was a little pleased to have avoided such a scenario.

    He hated seeing her upset, so that feeling of protection he felt is what kept him rational. If it were any other man who had tried this foolish act, he would have destroyed the computer as his first step. Second, was to pinpoint the address no matter how long it took he would have ensured that he found it. Using that address, he would go in person and physically teach them a lesson. If he could not find them or they were not easily accessible, he would find others to destroy them.

    From physical to psychological, he would slowly rip them apart piece by piece. No one''s lives were considered above theirs in his perspective, especially for what they were trying to do. It would be a different story if they were an innocent but that was never a consideration for people in their line of work. Once you had dirtied your hands there was no way to wipe yourself clean. So whoever he found on the other side of the screen would get the punishment and he would feel no guilt.

    If they were just a lackey for someone bigger then he would destroy the roots. It didn''t matter how many different scenarios were presented, he was clear on what he could have done. Zhuang Wei was probably irritated at most from his taunts but had lucked out entirely from what could have happened. The man had been protected by his relationship with Xi Long and suffered maybe a 10% damage in total.

    "No way Neo, did you really write that?!"

    "BAHAHA. This is so funny. Ying Yue do you think he''s mad or just ignoring that?"

    "I promise you this man gets angry easily, I can tell that it will affect him. Ah I wish I could see his face right now,  it would give me so much joy."

    "I wish we could see it together, Neo can you hack into the cameras? Is there any cameras?? I want to seeeeee!"

    "No, there probably isn''t any where Zhuang Wei is. I''m not too sure about their situation but I know there is probably a lot of underground bases available to them. No way he built that much influence without an information source or a good area to hide away intel. There are no cameras in ours so I bet there are none in his either. So unfortunately, we can only imagine for today."

    You could hear the regret dripping from her tone as if she had missed a good sale. It was funny to process since it meant that she equated his suffering to a good market sale. As if, watching someone get irritated or tortured was a premier film movie. Ming Ming was no better, you could hear her grumblings from behind as she lamented on the lack of cameras. More than anyone else, Ming Ming was a top class popcorn eater. She loved to watch drama and sometimes, instigate it for a good show. It was a great skill when used against enemies and to trip them up. However, was just comedic for them since they were never on the receiving end of it.

    They saw it as a ''cute'' side to her personality and a little flare into their daily lives. Though if anyone of their enemies were to hear this, they would probably cry tears of blood. She was equivalent to Helen of Troy, capable of bringing down two empires with just her existence or words in this case.

 Chapter 163 - Neos Revenge Pt.5

    The Helen of Troy analogy was not even far off from the truth either, it was not an exaggeration in the slightest. They and other people had sent Ming Ming into missions were she was positioned like a sleeper cell. She did a good job at letting people bring down their walls and become more comfortable around her. It mainly had to do with her personality and how bubbly it was.

    However, her face also played a part into it. She was the stereotypical cutesy type with the rounded eyes, young face, and full figure. Naturally that was the image she gave off and she would deliberately act a certain way to emphasize it. It was only when her aura changed were you able to see the ''core'' of her which was a dangerous woman. The amount of supposed ''empires'' she had crushed could not be counted on one hand and many did not even know she was the cause.

    There are mini ''snowballs'' where they would cause cracks in the foundation or people''s loyalty. After that, through twisting some words and faking some incidents everything comes tumbling down. Big mafias and gangs were destroyed using these tricks or layout, it was that dependable. Who was the instigator of these snowballs? It was Ming Ming in the flesh or in the cyber flesh.

    So for someone like her who had been involved in high level acts, seeing people get tortured was like a walk in the park for her. In fact, it was a memorable pass time that she would quite literally sit with popcorn and watch. There was a sadistic element in all three of them, you had to be this way after their past but it wasn''t out of the ordinary. Compared to them, there were crazier and more sadistic people out there that they had the unfortunate luck in meeting.

    There was once a man they had met who would carry their enemies eyes around like a bloody show and tell. The thing that made it more unnerving was that there were so many and he would remember each and every person behind the eye. He would always wear such a sadistic smile as he reminisced over the incidents. It wasn''t like he killed blindly, each and every person he killed had deserved it in some capacity. Which made being around him a bit more bearable but they all thought he was out of his mind.

    It was understandable the more you knew about him and what he had gone through. There were two categories of psychos, the ones that were born like that or the one who were turned into that. It was the age old nurture versus nature debate, this guy falling into the former category. They could also be considered to be the same, their lack of regard for certain lives and situations came from their upbringing. Caring for someone else was a luxury you cannot afford when trying to survive.

    The concept of ''surviving'' was repetitive but it was truly the answer for a lot of things. Considering the things they were forced to do, if you did not shut down some part of yourself then you would break. Especially with the age that they were at, complete children being lead around by a.d.u.l.ts. It was also the perfect age for someone to be introduced into crime, they were the most malleable. After a while that forceful action of pushing down their feelings and ideas of morals had become a natural action. Not to say they cannot and do not feel for others. It was just that they were used to more bloody scenes and being more utilitarian than the rest of the population.

    That said, watching a grown man get mad over his words and lose his cool would be an enjoyable sight for them. They still all felt some semblance of anger in their hearts against them and a visual would be helpful right now. Unfortunately they had to deal with what they had and imagine. It was a regretful idea and even he wanted to jump in with his comments of how sad it was.

    "Wait, wait wait Neo listen I think I have an idea."

    "....." He didn''t respond and just waited for her to continue her thought.

    "Ming Ming he''s listening, just speak. He''s too busy with the computer to respond to you, just finish your thought. What''s the idea?" Ying Yue cut in to answer for the both of them and to tell the other to continue.

    "Yes yes I forgot that you''re busy. Okay so listen, I know that he won''t have security systems right and probably not a computer with a webcam either since that would be stupid. Adding on to what Ying Yue said, its probably at some hidden or underground location we can''t access right now. We can''t pinpoint the location so we can''t run over nor plant our own cameras. However, every computer has a sound system right? Why can''t we hack into his computer to pull the feed from his stereo??? Or is this too obvious??"

    She spoke in a curious tone as if it was a random thought but one that might be correct. Hearing her words a lightbulb went off in his mind.

    ''Yes...why did I not think of this before??'' He was so caught up in setting up his visuals and gaining control, that he had neglected other factors. There was too much for his brain to process so he did not have the liberty to think any further than what was in front of him. It was commendable to get as far as he did but he was not without fault. Her words gave him a bit more excitement at the prospect of this being successful.

    Right now, Zhuang Wei''s screen was black and was typing in his own commands to break that. However, there was no toolbar or desktop for him to see the sound was changing. If he could break into a certain part of the mainframe, he could reroute the sound feed to be churned out here. Computers all naturally listened to the outside noise and what they did with that info was another thing. Since there was output, there was also input hence the speaker or microphones added on top to a system.

    It was a trick hackers used often to listen in on their targets and to watch them. Those sounds or conversations were then recorded by the other party and used as an advantage or as blackmail material.

    Pausing on his taunting words, he started coding in a way to hack the sound system. With him being so deep into the system, it wouldn''t take too long for him to gain control of that aspect as well.  He was fairly confident that he could keep Zhuang Wei at bay while continuing his attacks. The second screen where he was to see those keystrokes helped him immensely in timing as well.

    "Okay so does that work?? Give me an answer!!" Ming Ming spoke out and he could feel that her hands were headed for his direction. He wanted to stop her but that would mean breaking his flow on the keyboard. Opening his mouth he was about to speak when he heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh behind him. Judging by the sound of the smack he could tell that Ying Yue had smacked Ming Ming''s hand away.

    "Stop, why are you distracting him? Didn''t we just agree that he can''t speak and now you''re asking him to speak. See how energetic his hands are? It means that you my dear are correct and he''s trying to hack into the sound system as we speak. I didn''t even think of that, good job. Personally I''d be happy with any crumbs we can get in seeing how our revenge hits him."

    ".....how energetic his hands are?? Are we just brushing past that statement as if it was normal?? How the hell am I supposed to notice something like that??? You''re literally crazy and so are you Neo! Coding away for close to twenty minutes non-stop, if you need a break then let me know I can take over."

    "...." He kept silent at that comment and it was painful for him to hold back his insult. She had opened a trap for him and he had to resist the temptation of falling into it. The edge of his mouth went up as he fought to bring it down.

    "NEO YOU THINK I DON''T SEE YOUR SMILE? WHAT YOU''RE LAUGHING AT ME?! YOU JERK!! TO THINK I COULD HELP YOU AND THIS IS MY RESPONSE. Ying Yue you see how this man is playing with me, he''s so rude."

    "....Ming Ming he wasn''t even speaking. Where did you even get this impression?"

    "Don''t you see how his face is twitching, that must be what he is thinking I''m not dumb."

    "His face twitching?? Who sounds psycho now, huh?"

 Chapter 164 - Neos Revenge Pt.7

    "...do you know how much I hate you? Why do both of you like to tease me like this?" Ming Ming''s huffed around with her hands wrapped around her c.h.e.s.t.

    "Why don''t you say that again without a smile...if I didn''t know you personally you would look like a m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic person."

    Ying Yue kept her face neutral but her eyes were practically dripping with amus.e.m.e.nt. If given the opportunity she would never stop teasing Ming Ming, it was one of her favourite pastimes. The reaction was always within her expectations too, so she knew what she would get from riling them up. At this point, Ming Ming also knew her strategy so she was willingly entertaining it.

    "YOU DARE SLANDER ME!"

    "and do you dare call it slander?"

    "....Neo I think I like you better....." Ming Ming turned to Neo with a pout on her face. The commentary between Ying Yue and her, almost made him crack the focus he had going. He could not tune them out nor could he stop himself from listening intently.

    "..."

    "...Do you think I don''t see you smiling?? Am I just blind to both of you?? THAT''S IT, I''M FINDING NEW FRIENDS."

    "Go ahead."

    Ying Yue''s eyebrow raised in a challenging manner. The threat was full of talk and no action. Its not like they did not have casual friends in different cities but none were as close to them. Or privy to the knowledge about each other like they did. So not matter how times she threatened such, there would be no care about it.

    "Waah why are you so quick to abandon me?? I''m going to drink away my sorrows."

    "Okay okay don''t give me that look. I''m just grabbing colder water, if I talk to you guys one more time I will become a hot head or my blood pressure will continue to rise. Hence the cold water, so stop looking at me. I''m going and Neo let me know when the sound thing starts to work. I need to see someone else getting bullied like you guys bullied me, shared camaraderie or whatever they call it...."

    Using that as her ending sentence, Ming Ming walked away and headed towards the kitchen. With her exit, a natural silence emerged and allowed him to be more focused. It was easier with less distractions and he knew that Ying Yue would not intentionally distract him. Though his facial expressions rarely changed as aggressively as Ming Ming''s, Ying Yue was able to read him like a book. He equated that to her observation skills in general and her years spent with him. On his side, he felt like he could read her fairly well but her understanding of other people was top tier in comparison.

    She stood behind him casually leaning against the desk with her eyes trained on the screens. He could tell that she was not watching him at the moment, there was no feeling of eyes baring into his back like usual. Thankfully, his three screens were very self explanatory and she could understand what they represented without further commentary.

    At this moment, Zhuang Wei was trying to input a series of codes all trying to break the black screen state of his computer. Looking up at the defences he put in place, there were still a couple minutes before he would be successful. That gave him the same amount of time to hack into the sound system. He had already started putting in his codes but had a bit of trouble determining what sound system he was attacking. If he did not do it carefully, he risked just gaining control of one versus both the speaker sets. There was visual aid for him to know what speaker system was installed, if there was a third party plug in or just the internal mechanism given in the computer. Depending on the answer, the codes would need to be altered to accurately attack the right one. If he got it wrong, it was like trying to combat air since there was nothing receiving the codes.

    Typing in another series of codes, he began to pull the computer''s parameters and tried to get a picture of the device he was working with. It seemed to be a normal computer from his perspective with just a few modifications made to it. Like he had bought an Intel or Toshiba computer from the store and just upgraded it slightly. Though, he doubted that type of computer was enough to hold down the fort of such a big empire. The ones he worked with were all created and processed by them, Ming Ming handled the physical mechanics while he completed the software portion of it. Which made it a completely modified system and infinitely harder for someone else to grasp an understanding of their computers.

    It was not like others and ran smoother since it had been tuned towards their preference. This change could also be the reason Zhuang Wei was struggling against him so much. Not to say skills did not have a place in the battle but the computer you used could also negatively affect your performance. He still personally believed that the other s.u.c.k.e.d just out of anger.

    Glancing back at the second screen, he watched the keystrokes for a couple more seconds and determined that he only had two minutes left to hack the sound system. Zhuang Wei had made it past the first four of his defence lines and there were only three more left standing. Clearing his mind, he forced himself to type faster and input the codes at a quicker pace. The past couple of minutes helped him gain an understanding of the computer but he was still not completely sure. With the time left, he could only make his best guess and put all his energy into one assumption. The success was at 50/50, so the odds were just equal and not in his favour, yet there was nothing else he could do at the moment than take the chance.

    His heart started pounding as he started to be cognizant of the adrenaline running through his veins. Timing was always a problem in hacking but there was always this rush he felt when he was against a clock. The stress from it could wipe him out emotionally for the rest of the day but in the moment he felt like he could fight four bears.

    Looking back at keystrokes, the estimated time left had dropped down to just thirty seconds. Keeping his eyes wide open, he tried to stop himself from blinking as he put in the last couple of codes.

    ''5...4....3....2....1....and -'' He slammed the last key with extra force as he entered it at the last second. Immediately his system started rendering it and a new sound came out of his speakers. It wasn''t loud but he was able to hear murmurs and the sound of someone else typing a keyboard.

    "Neo you did it!!" There was an elated voice behind him and even he could not stop his smile at this time. He had made a last minute assumption and ran with it so he was not sure if he would be successful. Hearing the noises now made him feel happy that his guess was not wrong. Using those emotions, he went back to his keyboard and put out the same commands as before to force the black screen.

    The only reason Zhuang Wei was able to get this far is because he had let him. If he had added his own commands with each attack, there was no way he would have made it to the final line of defence. He could see that Zhuang Wei was only a couple lines from breaking through, an evil smile formed on his face.

    Putting in his codes he immediately kicked the other out and forced them back to the starting line. To have the prize ripped from him at the last second was the best mental attack Neo could give. Just as he actioned it, the noises from their speakers became louder.

    "F*ck, you''ve got to be kidding me." There was a deep voice speaking and it was filled with frustration. Following those words, there was the sound of something crashing into the floor. By the sounds alone they could not determine what it was but he assumed it was something light.

    The sounds gave him a wave of satisfaction as the smile on his face grew. ''Yes be angry, get angrier!''

 Chapter 165 - Neos Revenge Pt. 8

    The crash echoed into their room and it was followed by a period of silence. He could imagine that Zhuang Wei had thrown something in a fit of anger and was now just trying to control the anger. Scenes like breathing heavily or him standing in one place would not be caught by the computer.

    Those sounds were too light to be taken in by a computer and were not as significant to them either. He could easily use his imagination to fill in the gaps of the sound and the keystrokes. It did not lessen the satisfaction he felt since there was still some semblance of accuracy. There was a crinkle of plastic and the sound of someone coughing after.

    From the sound of everything, where Zhuang Wei was only had one person there. It was only him in that underground base of theirs and had not gotten help from anyone else. He could not hear anything that would indicate that there was a second individual there. When there was a crash, if there had been another person there should have been a followup comment or gasp from them. It would be weird if there was a secondary person and they made no attempt to calm the other down. Which would slightly make sense if the second person was a subordinate and was used to Zhuang Wei''s angry out bursts. However, he knew that wasn''t the case with them.

    Adding on, that Zhuang Wei was stupid to create a code but was smart enough to do it alone. If he had introduced Ying Yue''s identity and features to other people, it would make the risky scenario insanely worse. Zhuang Wei had a connection and loyalty to Xi Long, he would subsequently try to keep Ying Yue''s relationship going for now. There were no hard facts to dissuade him from letting them be together and he would not want to ruin it before that information is gathered.

    It took no genius to know that Ying Yue wanted to stay low-key and hidden. She rarely took her mask off and rarely appeared on CCTVs. The life she lived was someone who didn''t leave a trace, other than the times she had been with Xi Long you could not find even the shadow of her. Times of her beating up other people were not included in this since she never revealed her identity. When they tried to look for her to get revenge, they were stuck describing a vague image of her that could not match up to her toe. Only information they had was that she was a woman and was fit, her wearing black also fit in with the ''shadow'' concept they were going for. If she had not met Xi Long, that image would have been maintained up until they needed it too.

    ''The more I think of him, the more I see him as the root of issues....''

    Even for those moments with Xi Long, Ying Yue had always kept him updated and he was able to remove it for her. His routine was to always hack into the systems, pull anything he found useful for them into their own data. Then, delete everything else and replace it with still videos of the scene. It worked fairly well since he was just able to grab the video from another day, alter the timestamp and pass it off as normal. He was quite confident that other than people finding out that it was tampered with, they would not know who had done it or would not be able to recover the lost images. To even recognize it, they would need a skilled hacker to notice the slight variation. No matter how seamless his work was, a hacker could notice the presence of another hacker. Though, he doubted a hacker would just be working at these small establishments or bother to check their timestamps for her. They had not made any enemies in this city worth of such a feat.

    Focusing his energy back onto the screen in front of him, he paused his fingers and flexed them slightly. There was a dull pain in his hands and he could feel the heat emitting from it. The second he stopped typing, he could feel the after effects of pushing himself. He wanted to keep attacking but seeing that Zhuang Wei had gotten up and stopped typing on his side, it would useless to maintain that speed. He had no need to defend or attack when the other party had given up for the moment.

    It probably would not be the end of their interaction just yet but it was enough time for him to relax himself. His fingers shook a little as he tried to massage them and regain control. It did not hurt enough for him to make verbal sounds of it but his fingers felt very dull and desensitized. As he was midway through a massage he saw a slim pair of fingers reach towards his and wrap and ice bag around them. The chill of the ice put his brain on momentary pause and he immediately tried to move his hands away.

    Looking up, he could see Ying Yue holding onto his hands with force and pushing them inside the ice bag further.

    "Stop its cold, I don''t need this." The chill was too different from the heat in his hands and he was compelled to voice his complaints now. Her face was still neutral like always but he could see the bit of irritation and sternness in her eyes. No matter how much time passed, he could still see her treating him like the little boy she had picked up from the streets. She was the "mother" figure and once she had decided on something, it was hard to change her mind.

    Sighing, he let her keep his hands in the ice bag and kept his ears listening for any noises on Zhuang Wei''s side. Once he heard anything substantial or saw the keystrokes again, then he would need to jump back in.

    "Stop looking, you''ve done enough."

    "Enough? Its not even close enough for me to be done now." He narrowed his eyes at her when he heard her remark.

    ''Was she trying to get him to stop now? Absolutely not. A few taunting comments were barely sufficient for what he had planned.''

    "Its enough when your body tells you its enough. Why push yourself this hard, you ended up typing aggressively for twenty minutes and a heightened pace as well. Did you even take a break in that period? No, so you pushed through a cramp and forced yourself to act different too suddenly. Maybe if you had stretched your fingers it would be fine but truthfully, such behaviour is detrimental to the health of your hands. Do you understand me?"

    "Yes I do but you''re over exaggerating the issue. Its not that serious..."

    The only response he got back from her was a glare and a quick press down of his slightly swollen fingers. He had to bite down on his lips to stop himself from making the noise. She was using a fair bit of her strength as well so she could prove her point. It made him grimace in his pain since she was not gentle with him. Just casually pressing on his fingers was fine but to squish them as she had was plain mean.

    There was a knowing look in her eyes when she did it as well, observing his face for any sign of discomfort. Him biting his lip was already a sign of defeat in her eyes and she had already begun to nag at him in her mind. Most of what she was about to say he could hear in his mind and through the look in her eyes but he knew he would not be able to escape the lecture later. Another sigh left his mouth at the prospect of it and still felt restless at the incomplete revenge.

    He had plans to mock him further and then mentally play games with him, with a grande finale featuring a warning from him. None of this could happen if his fingers were held captive by her. Thankfully, Zhuang Wei had yet to sit down or type so he had some leeway. However, if that were to continue that was also no fun. If this went on for too long, he would need to send a taunt to bring him back and reignite his irritation. It would also be a mood killer if Zhuang Wei were to come back with a calmer mind and control himself better.

    The whole reason he hacked into the sound system was to give themselves a verbal show, Ying Yue could not stop him from getting the scene he wanted. Especially with how excited she was before.

    "Stop looking at me, do you think I''ve been speaking fluff this entire time??"

    "Come on...I''ll ice my hands and let them rest after okay? Just let me finish, its not even that serious. I know my limits."

    "Come on Ying Yue time is running out, let go of my hands...."

    "...."

 Chapter 166 - Finishing Blows Pt.1

    "Ying Yue...."

    He dragged on her name while looking at the screen with urgency. Technically speaking, he could pull his hands out of her hold and go back to the keyboard but that was his last resort. The ice bag she had wrapped around his hands was tight and jagged, so if he were to force it there would be a lot of pain for himself. It would also offend Ying Yue if he did so, then there would be two negative consequences from forcing it.

    He could tell that she was wavering as the pressure on his hand had lessened slightly. However, when she would completely agree was under a time stressor. Looking back and forth, he felt a neck cramp from moving that way.

    "Ying Yue....come on. I''ll ice my hand properly after let me just finish this. I won''t drag it on for much longer."

    She glared at him as the words coming out of his mouth increased. "Why don''t I do it? I can still feel that your hands are swollen."

    "They are probably more swollen from you squeezing them than...." His sentence got cut off when her glare became more intense. "Alright they came from my typing we can agree but you definitely cannot do this right now. Its too time s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e and personally, I want to get my anger out. So you can''t stop me from defending you, that''s my right."

    There was a long pause where Ying Yue looked down at his hands again. She slowly removed the ice bag from his hands and looked at them again to confirm they were okay. The hands were slightly red but other than that, they were fine. Its just that now that he has paused typing it was more s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e.

    Taking his hands back, he pressed down on certain acupuncture points and tried to prepare his hands again. Thankfully, Zhuang Wei was not going too fast and seemed a little hesitant on his next steps. Based on the keystrokes, he felt like he was attacking the black screen part of his computer again. It was the most logical answer since it was the biggest problem in front of him.

    Once he took down that, he could do other things and try to attack him again. Not to say he can''t attack him right now but he was more embedded into the computer than the other. Zhuang Wei also did not know who he was and his danger level. From his side, he could be an enemy with a twisted personality or someone who truly hated him and was going to destroy the computer completely. Of course, he knew his revenge did not go farther than some mental torture, all these facts were unknown to him.

    He also had no intention of telling him his identity either. By the end, it would be obvious the attack was to protect Ying Yue and it was someone from her side. However, he still doubted Ying Yue and her background. Adding him into the mix would confuse him further.

    Questions such as - "Is she the hacker?"

    Or

    "Does she have a team behind her? Where did she get this hacker? How did they track onto me so quickly? What were they here for?"

    The questions were endless and he liked that mystery, for someone like Zhuang Wei who he believed needed control and information to stay calm. The unknowns would drive him crazy and Xi Long was no source for him to find out more either. Both of them knew the smallest crumb of information about her, that lack of knowledge was processed by both of them differently.

    When he stated he would get revenge, it did not end with just the computer. He entered this battle and spent some time observing the other''s typing patterns. What they decided to do or were capable of doing were all noted down by him. He still did not know much about the other but he could tell that control was part of his personality. It was just a core personality trait that you could not hide easily, especially under such stress.

    That theory of his was only furthered when he heard him slam something into the floor and then try again. Someone who was just mad, would have continued on to say curse words or do more things in an outburst of anger. He just threw one thing and then tried to control his anger quickly. Within five minutes, he regained the energy to tackle the computer again as it sat in front of him in a taunting manner. He knew what he was getting into, but his keystrokes were still the same controlled and precise.

    Feeling like enough time was given and that his hands were okay to go, he began typing again at a slightly slower pace. He didn''t kick out Zhuang Wei but began typing out his taunts again to begin with.

    "T...R....Y...I...N...G...A....G...A....I...N....H...U....H.....W....E....L....O....V....E.....T....O...S...E...E.....S.....O...M...E...O....N...E...W...H...O.....K....E....E...P....S...T...E..S....T..I...N...G.....T....H....E...I...R.....O...D....D..S.....B..U...T....U...H...A...V...E....T...O....H...A...V...E.....T...H...E.....S...K...I...L....L...S.....T....O....S...U...P....P....O...R....T....T....H...A...T......I...T...S...E..M..B....A...R....A..S....S...I...N...G....T...O....W.....A.....T...C....H...."

    When he had finished inputting that, he could hear a couple of curse words come from the other side. The sound of which made him feel a lot better and put a smile on his face.

    "F*ck, who is this. Complete psycho, toying with me so early in the morning. You can''t get a rise out of me you a*shole."

    Hearing that statement his eyebrow rose in amus.e.m.e.nt. Zhuang Wei was saying that he would not be able to get a rise out of him but that''s exactly what was happening. A ''rise'' did not need to be an extreme or large outburst of anger. Seeing someone get heated or even reacting in a negative manner was sufficient. So hearing Zhuang Wei grumble to himself was still a rise he was expecting. They typed more codes before continuing on with their grumbling.

    "Let me find you, I will not forget to settle this revenge. I don''t understand what I did to get such a sick person this early in the morning. The taunts feel so elementary too, not like they could insult anything else. Maybe they don''t know me?"

    With that question, he decided to input his next sentence as a subtle response.

    "Z....W.....Y.....O....U...R...E..A....L...L...Y....D...O...N...T...G...I...V...E.....U.....P...."

    "ZW.... those are my initials. F*ck so they do know me, then this was an intentional attack knowing I was the person behind the screen. Not sure if this was for Valentina or it was simply what they saw first when attacking me. It was definitely pre-planned but which a*s has the guts to go against me. I dare them to say this to my face, talking shit behind the screen like its something."

    ''Aren''t you talking shit behind the screen too....'' He almost wanted to laugh at the stupid commentary being transmitted through the computer. Everything he spoke was also going back to himself since he exhibited the same behaviour. Adding the sound infiltration was truly the cherry on top of the cake, it added a whole other element to his attacks. It made the situation more ''funny'' for lack of better words.

    "S....O....W...H....E...N...A...R....E.....Y....O...U...G...O....I....N...G...T....O.....C....R...A...C....K....T....H....I...S...I...M...G..E...T....T...I...N...G....T....I....R...E....D...O...F...W..A....I...T...I...N....G........I...R...E...A.....L....L...Y....E....X.....P....E....C...T....E..D...B...E...T....T...E...R...F...R....O....M...U........ZW...."

    These weren''t even empty comments, he truly did expect more from him initially. It was only met with disappointment and anger after knowing that he did big things with no skills to back it up. For him, it didn''t matter how good the other was but to mark his best friend....they had better be more skilled than him. Glancing at the lone clock they had, almost thirty minutes had passed since he had first broke into the computer.

    He wanted to cap this interaction soon and gave himself another ten minutes to finish it up entirely. Even if he wanted to go longer, the glare behind his head was a reminder that he shouldn''t. Once the last sentence had sent he paused to see if there would be commentary on this as well, and as expected it came immediately.

    "You''re getting tired?! F*cking d*ck what do you mean. Let me in then, who told you to do all this then come w.h.i.n.e about how long its taking me. Leave then, f*cking sadistic a*shole. I want one good look at who this is, I''m not going to forget this."

    "D....O...N...T....F....O...R...G...E..T...T...H...I..S.....I....W....O...N...T...F...O...R...G..E....T....T...H..I...S...E...I..T...H...E...R...."

 Chapter 167 - Finishing Blows Pt.2

    His last sentence easily gave away that he could hear the other''s comments. Since he didn''t plan for this to go on much longer he wanted to lay out all of his cards before time ran out. He had considered just staying silent on that fact and using it to his advantage later on. Technically, with the way things are going with Ying Yue and Xi Long, there was a strong chance they would all meet in the future. It would not be any time soon, the possibility of meeting was strong so he could save this information to do a verbal attack in person.

    However, saving something for a ''potential'' meeting also seemed useless to him when he could just use it right now. After the sentence fully formed on the other side, there was a dead silence from his speakers. Even Zhuang Wei''s keystrokes have paused as the other was processing the words in front of him.

    "Wait...you can hear me....? You can hear me. So you''ve hacked into my sound system, for how long have you been listening? Does it give you joy to hear me?"

    In the beginning, Zhuang Wei''s tone still had a questioning aspect to it. Yet, the more he spoke the more serious it sounded. The last sentence held the most ''dangerous'' tone he had heard so far with there being a slight edge to his voice. It did not scare him in the slightest even though he could hear the threat in his voice. There were scarier people than Zhuang Wei in the world and if he wanted to, they would never meet.

    It also was hard to be scared of someone you were taunting and toying with, since it automatically put them in a lower position. He knew that Zhuang Wei was not as big of a pushover as he was thinking of him. There were strong rumours that Zhuang Wei was the strategist behind Xi Long and was quite intelligent. He did not disprove any of those but the weaknesses that Zhuang Wei did have he could see them right now. It could be due to his anger and his irritation against him, but every mistake stood out more than normal. The logical side of him is what kept him from decreasing his opinion on the other that much. If he were to underestimate someone because of anger and apparent skill just through the computer, then he would be quite stupid. That was the quickest way to get in trouble and lose your life.

    Some of the strongest people that he had met all liked to keep a low-profile. There were people who did not look outwardly smart or scary from their general disposition. The second someone antagonized them or made them change that image they had, they then became their true selves. That ''true self'' being a dangerous criminal or leader in the army, the shocked faces and storm that left after they were done was always intense to watch.

    Even if you looked at their group, Ying Yue had an athletic build but still could come off as an easy person to bully. She definitely did not match the strong fighter that she was, her stone like face and prickly personality were extra reasons to misjudge her too. No part of her general image gave away what she had been through and how dangerous she could be.

    Same thing with Ming Ming, she again had that bubbly exterior and cute visage. The only reason she was able to be the Helen of Troy was due to her face and how much people underestimated her. Yet, she was still equally dangerous and a powerhouse of an individual when you got to know her. Being an expert infiltrator was only one of her skills, she was a genius when it came to mechanics and technology. There were always spare parts littered around their base as she tried to make something and often succeeded in her goal. Most of the tools and special items they had were made by Ming Ming.

    Those items were also were their hidden aces that helped them finish as many missions as they had. For example, Ying Yue''s poison needle or the contraptions inside her apartment for security, all were created by her. So if someone were to just judge by her exterior they were missing so much potential behind her.

    Finally there was him, he was not one to be arrogant about himself or be overly unrealistic of what he can do. However, he knew image was he also was someone people took lightly. He had a gloomy exterior and didn''t like to speak too much. When he did speak, his voice was quite monotonous. All of these factors solidified the image of a ''nerd'' or your regular depressed ''joe.'' The image he gave off was at least similar to his skills, calling him a nerd was not technically wrong. Yet, they would not think his computer skills went as far as he did. If they were to look at the hackers on this side of the hemisphere, he was in the top ten easily.

    That was his best strength but was also not the limit to what he could. There was so much in general the three of them could do, their training when young was tough and inhumane. Only after surviving those years were they able to be the people they are now. Each of them looked ''weak'' and were exactly the opposite of the image they gave off. However, as a unit they could take down a city with a good plan and their current resources.

    With them being the way they are, he was self-aware and knew to pass that observation onto others as well. If he could be different from his image, then Zhuang Wei could be more than his weaknesses. His skills could also just easily just not be with the computer so while he could not downplay the other completely, it was also not enough to warrant fear against the other. His response was following the same tone as the others.

    "N.....O....Y....O...U....R.....V...O...I....C...E...S....O....U...N...D...S...A...N...N..O..Y...I..N..G....B..U..T.....D...O.....Y...O....U.....S..E..E.....H...O...W...D...E...F..E..N..S..E...L..E..S..S.....Y...O...U....A...R...E...Y....O...U....B.....E..T...T...E..R....T...H....I...N..K.....B..E..F..O..R..E....Y..O.U.....D..O........S..O...M..E..T...H..I...N...G....Y..O...U.....C...A..N...N...O..T...H..A....N...D....L...E...."

    "Insulting my voice sounds a bit childish no and what do you mean something I can''t handle? You? Don''t be too arrogant just because of our current situation."

    "T....H....I...S.....I...S...J..U...S..T...A.....W..A..R...N..I..N..G....."

    "Warning? What an interesting warning, what are you warning me about. You''ve made all taunts and comments, since you obviously have the upper hand tell me straight. Or better yet, tell me your name if you''re not scared to sit behind the screen. Make it an equal playing field what do you say?"

    At this point, Zhuang Wei had completely abandoned the keyboard and just responded verbally to whatever was on screen.

    "T...H..E.....W...A...R...N....I...N..G....I...S...C...L...E..A..R.....S..T..A...Y...O...U...T.....O...F.....T...H..I...N..G...S....Y...O..U.....C...A...N...N..O..T...H....A...N...D...L...E.....O..R...E..L....S..E.....I....W...O...N...T...B...E....S...O....N...I...C...E.....N...E...X..T.....T..I..M....E"

    "Okay you think you''re being clear but I still do not know what you are talking about. Be more specific and stop talking cryptic."

    "V...A...L...E....N...T....I...N....A..." He just added in her code name as his sole response.

    "Valentina huh? So this is because of her...I knew she wasn''t as simple of a person. Is this her or does she have a hacker on her team at this caliber? To find out my code and cause this much damage for her, she must hold an important role. Is she your team leader or what? What are you guys terrorists? Small time gang members? Foreign espionage? What is it? I keep asking questions but obviously you won''t answer. All you''re doing is making me more curious of her. What if I don''t stop?"

    "I.....W...I....L...L...S...E...T.....T...H...I...S....C...I...T...Y.....I....N.....F....L....A...M...E...S...T...R...Y.....I...F...Y...O...U....D...A...R...E.....O...N...L...Y...O...N...E...W..A...R...N...I...N...G....G...O...O...D...B..Y...E..."

 Chapter 168 - Finishing Blows Pt. 3

    Inputting the last sentence he waited till it fully formed on Zhuang Wei''s side before completing his exit procedure. What this meant is that he had started to pull out of the other''s computer and recede all of his current attacks. While it sounded easy, it was a very important aspect of hacking. To enter in one computer without being noticed is one portion, to exit a computer without being followed was another portion. If he was not careful, he could leave a trace when he tried to cut the connection between them.

    In addition, the only reason he was able to catch on was because of the code he created. That code directly linked to Zhuang Wei''s computer as it matched the parameters. However, with that code he was not able to locate the computer exactly other than narrowing it down to the city. If he tried to do this freehand, there were too many computers for him to know which one to hack. The amount of countries the computer funnelled through was too annoying for him to follow too. So he had to be careful with how he broke the connection, especially knowing trying to grab on at another time was difficult.

    It was nearing the end of the ten minutes he allotted to himself and estimated it would take another five for his exit strategy. His pace was more casual and relaxed as he typed. The timing wasn''t as stressful anymore since he wasn''t competing against anyone. He first cut the connection with the sound system so if Zhuang Wei had said anything else, he did not catch it. Though he expected that Zhuang Wei did try to speak to him and get more information. Him cutting the connection and leaving it on his own terms, was to add insult to injury.

    Using a blank black screen, he kept putting line after line of code into the screen. All of them were related to Zhuang Wei''s computer and he was dismantling the hidden traps he left on the computer. He hesitated to remove every single one of them but also knew that if they were triggered, it would cause a lot of damage. That would only backfire on Ying Yue and he''d rather avoid such a situation for now. Though, if Zhuang Wei were to try Ying Yue again he wouldn''t be so kind. The warning he gave was not performative, he meant every word.

    "Touch her again and I will set this city on fire" - was exactly how he felt. At that point, no one could convince him to be kind or to not attack in a ''gloves off'' manner. Not to say that the perpetrator would not be Xi Long, he was also an option. Just anyone from that close circle of theirs held a danger potential that he would willingly attack if provoked.

    Feeling the resolve to just attack them later, he followed through on removing all of the hidden traps he laid. There were only three or four but each of them were really potent. Thankfully, he used these traps a lot so he didn''t even have to exert much energy to replicate the code and place the ''ticking time bombs.''

    Once those were dealt with, he focused his energy into slowly giving back Zhuang Wei''s computer piece by piece. If he were to give it back in one go, he knew that the other would try to track him given the chance. He still had the mirror screens up on his side so he would see if anything were to happen. However, he had cut completely cut the connection soon which would make those disappear and narrow his vision.

    Taking a deep breath, he increased his pace by a little bit then started on his ''exit.'' He couldn''t pause even for a second during the process, after giving the final portion back that needed his own interference, he ripped their connection apart. It was a clean cut and he wiped the digital signatures off the other''s computer as well. Just for good measure he started rerouting his own signal and pushing the VPN through a couple of more countries.

    He was fairly confident that no one was able to track them with their current set up. However, it could never hurt to be extra sure and wire it through a couple more countries. That process only took him an extra two minutes and he was officially done with his ''revenge'' after a whopping thirty-five minutes.

    The pain in his hand came back stronger than ever and they shook a little when he finally stopped. Without him having to say anything, Ying Yue''s hands grabbed his again but this time with a cream. It was a classic herbal medicine they used to relax the muscles and would simultaneously warm up his hand as well.

    It didn''t do much for actually healing an injury but gave a lot of relief. The smell itself was a mix of multiple herbs and was very comforting for him. Just on the scent alone he always felt 20% better. He was docile and let Ying Yue rub in the herbal medicine. Last time he spoke against it all was because he had to finish what he started. Now that was done, he had no reason to refuse her good will. He also knew that he pushed himself a bit too hard and that having this cream would help his healing time.

    His hands probably had to be iced again and needed to rest for at least three hours before coding again. That was a tight timeline since they had to started planning for their next attack, yet he was confident it wouldn''t be too much work today. The real trouble would happen in two days when they had to kidnap Wu Gang.

    He felt a pang in his brain just from thinking about the logistics of it all and what they had to do. They had to rework their initial plan and force it for two days later. It wasn''t even two full days since they planned on attacking in the early hours of the day when Saturday had just started. Just to even start planning, they had to confirm his location or where he is expected to be at that time. Which was a whole other problem that mainly fell on his head right now. From the pattern he was exhibiting, there was an expectation that he would continue on the same trajectory. It was still undecided if he had achieved his purpose or not, it was to contact the military but how far the connection had gone is the issue. If he had not heard back, he would continue to go to the public spots and act ''weirdly'' leaving several signals for people to track. If he had, then.....he would be in for a long, long night. There was faith that he could still track him since he had been less subtle nowadays but it would still take a fair bit of time.

    Once you get the military involved, moving around would be that much more difficult and they would unnecessarily fall into their radar. It wasn''t the first time the military had caught whiffs of them but they had narrowly escaped each time. That military in question was thankfully not in this country but the lesson was learned. They at this moment just did not have the power to combat a state funded team. Skills wise they felt confident and better than at least their low rank soldiers. The real trouble came in when the high rank officers or the secret corps got involved. Those people were trained in stealth and taking down people like them, so the best choice was to avoid everyone to do with the state.

    The closest you could get was politicians and that was because you could bribe most of them. Emphasis on the word "most," there were definitely upright people but the system itself was a scam. How long could a good person last there before succ.u.mbing to their d.e.s.i.r.es? Everyone had a price, just depends on what that price was. Money, services, favours, murders, etc. All of these things were barter material to get a politician on their side, even blackmail worked. However, that was the last resort when speaking to a politician.

    A willing party was always better than one who was forced. The former would retain some loyalty, while the latter would be waiting at every second to attack. As long as the blackmail disappeared or the person holding it disappeared, they would be at ease. So it was like taking in a rabid dog as a team mate, a leash was there but it was on the edge of breaking at all times.

 Chapter 169 - Heavy Considerations Pt.1

    "What are you thinking about?"

    As Ying Yue was massaging Neo''s hands she could tell that he was lost in his thoughts. While his face was fairly neutral, the scrunched eyebrows on his face gave it away. Now that his revenge had been done on Zhuang Wei, he should be fairly relaxed. She knew that if he was given more liberty, he would have been three hundred times more "mean" to him. Seeing him struggle so hard to get revenge and also hold himself back for her sake, it gave birth to a weird feeling inside of her.

    For one, she was grateful and appreciative that he had gotten revenge for her. There were only so many people in the world who would ensure that you never suffered a loss. Those were Ming Ming and Neo for her and she for them. Yet, just cause they had the understanding and love for it, does not mean that she would not be extremely thankful each time. Being treated so well was not something she could used to so easily.

    The second emotion that kept her from being completely warm, is the self-guilt she felt. No matter if it was Zhuang Wei or Xi Long who had initiated the incident today, the root cause was still her. She had not intended to go as far as she did with Xi Long but it was also a weird idea of wanting to enjoy themselves in the moment. In the years she had been alive, she had never met someone like him and she enjoyed their interactions so far. However, that ''p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e'' was at the lowest of her priorities. The reason she came to this city and the missions she had to accomplish, all of that should take precedent over her personal life.

    It was hard to let yourself get so involved with someone when they proved to be dangerous for you and your team. If she got outed, so would Ming Ming and Neo and that scared the absolute shit out of her. Today they were so close to putting all her operations and core identity into risk. That feeling of approaching death could not be shook off easily. They avoided it today but how many times would they have this positive ending?

    She had so many things to consider and the start of it involved distancing herself from Xi Long. The idea of that made her feel stuffy but her mind was leaning towards it aggressively. It didn''t help that she had a fair bit of anger left inside of her regarding it all.

    Of course she would be angry about it, its just that the amount of anger kept teetering. She could be ''out of her mind furious'' but how angry could she be when she was the root cause?

    "What am I thinking about? What are you thinking about, you know its not your fault."

    Neo''s voice broke through her thoughts but she kept her eyes focused on his hands. Applying more pressure into the massage she responded after a pause.

    "You know it is, I shouldn''t have gotten involved in the first place. Look how close we were to losing it all...."

    "Can you stop on the self-guilt train? You''re not at fault, its Zhuang Wei and Xi Long. The same way we are not responsible for the changes in weather just cause we live on this earth. Are you going to take everything onto your shoulders and just live oppressed? First of all what did you do so wrong? Liking a guy who seems like a nice match and who equally is interested in you?? First of all, the way you got this far without romance is quite surprising in itself so why push away a blessing when its at your door."

    "...first of all the weather analogy makes no sense and second of all, is it a blessing if we get in danger??" Her voice became more solemn at the end of her words.

    "Danger? What is danger? Because our entire lives can technically be classified as danger, when did we even get to sleep peacefully until the last couple of months. We were never afraid to jump into suicide projects because we felt confident that we would make it out fine. Those missions you know our lives were hanging on a thread each time, so where did that confidence go? Plus, any man you get involved with has to be comfortable with danger. Xi Long is a solid choice so far, he doesn''t have my stamp of approval but I''m willing to let him be near you."

    She could hear the comedic tone at the end of his lecture and a smile threatened to peak out.

    "Oh ho, so how does one get your stamp of approval? Didn''t know I was rebelling against you for so long."

    "....its literally been a month tomorrow since you have met, the stamp of approval can only be given after six months of observation. Plus a one-time payment for processing fees."

    "One time payment, how much does that cost? Can I get a discount for knowing you?"

    "No discount and only Xi Long can pay, don''t worry I will be reasonable. Considering that he''s a multi-millionaire I will ask him for something in line with a status. If we go too low, you know it demeans our worth. So don''t worry about it, I''ll talk to him when the time comes. You just have to sit there and look pretty."

    "...so you think I''m pretty?"

    That only got a deadpan look from Neo as he glared into the side of her face.

    ".....as much as you can be, we can''t be too harsh on ourselves when it comes to beauty standards okay." He spoke in a pacifying voice as if he was trying to calm a child.

    Her response was instant as she pressed aggressively into his hand. She was near the end of rubbing in the medicine but intentionally made it painful. If he wanted to tease her she was no push over. Of course, she was not too harsh about it but pressed hard enough for Neo to feel slight pain.

    "Ow ow, give me back my hands. Where did you get this temper from? Ah only our ancestors will know...."

    Looking back up at him, she saw him faking a dramatic expression unlike his normal one. It was even more comedic to see than it was for her to hear. Laughing out loud, she let go of his hands and threw them back onto his l.a.p. She flexed her fingers as well and rubbed the left over cream on her hand into her skin. The scent of it was enjoyable and though she was not in pain, there were no side-effects to using it on herself.

    "I think you spend too much time with Ming Ming, her dramatic behaviour is rubbing off on you. I almost thought her spirit had slipped into your body for a second."

    "I HEARD THAT." There was a shout from afar as Ming Ming jumped into the conversation.

    "I SAID IT FOR YOU TO HEAR." Ying Yue shouted back with an amused tone. She knew that everything they were talking about was being overheard by Ming Ming. That girl had run away to the kitchen and stayed there the entire time. It wasn''t so far that she could not listen nor was it so far that she could not interrupt either.

    "...."

    A chuckle left both Ying Yue and Neo from the silence they heard after. They could both imagine her grumbling in the kitchen doing lord know''s what. Her not responding back in an aggrieved tone was already a growth on her side.

    Neo took back his hands and was massaging it himself in front of her. Looking back at his hands, then to his face, and the screen behind him her usual serious behaviour came back.

    "I''m really re-considering it, you know what I hold the most important. Yes, it is a blessing let me agree with you there. However, technically I am not a place to enjoy a relationship and one so early at that. Our missions take precedent and the goal I need to achieve....you know I need to complete it even if I die trying. There is too much blood on their hands for me to let them be free nor do I live a good enough life to live free myself."

    "The romance doesn''t need to be at the top but you don''t have to cut it out exclusively."

    "I....can''t let this happen again."

 Chapter 170 - Heavy Considerations Pt.2

    Her voice got quieter at the end as she spoke, the words were hard to say but she had to say them.

    "I can''t let this happen again, seriously. Just the prospect of Zhuang Wei being successful was enough to throw us all into danger and if you had not noticed it, he would have. Imagine we did not have that code set up to track information on us, would we have been able to catch on so quickly? It would have been too late when we actually did and then we would be scrambling to salvage whatever we had less. You and I both know how many people are looking for me and us out there. We can''t give them a reason to find us again."

    "Okay, but these what if''s don''t count. What if we didn''t find it? What if he was successful? None of these are real scenarios because I ensure they can''t be. You can''t trust Zhuang Wei fine, but trust me and trust the programs I developed okay. There is nowhere on the internet can someone to code information about you or find you out, as long as I am here. That''s also how we got Zhuang Wei, it had been two seconds since he had tried to run it when I was altered. That''s how quick the response time is on the program, I don''t have fear that I can''t catch it."

    "You say this now, but what if you were not at your desk?? It was just convenient and lucky today. What about next time?"

    "Well, I do have it set up to notify my phone, my bedroom, my bathroom, etcetera. There is no place where I would not be able to receive a notification for this level of alert. Plus, stop jinxing yourself it won''t happen again. You''ve spoke to Xi Long and he seemed quite apologetic right?"

    "Yeah..."

    "AND you trust that he will follow through on his words right? Zhuang Wei was an idiot for doing what he did but we understood the reasoning. Albeit, I don''t agree but the intention was good in nature. For someone who values his best friend so much, he would not do this again unless he wanted a death warrant."

    She released a deep sigh and started rubbing her head.

    "You say this but is he dependable? Is his words dependable? Literally five minutes ago he was asking ''oh what if I don''t'' when you warned him to leave me alone. Does that sound like someone who will give up??"

    The frustration was pooling off of her and she felt like her brain would burst from all the thinking. There were so many serious considerations to make that she really needed to think about. When she had first found out Xi Long was involved, she had steeled her heart to cut him off. That was an in moment courage she gathered and it disappeared the second she knew it wasn''t him. Which didn''t mean that she completely forgave him or believed that everything would be okay. It was just that her resolve to draw the line at that moment had been paused.

    Now that there wasn''t any pressure of time and they had a second to relax, everything came back to her. She was spiralling in her mind and you could tell by her face that she was. Each thought she had would start with her and then start going deeper and deeper till she thought of the root cause. She was part of the root but the main problem was her relationship with Xi Long.

    Everything was fine and dandy the day before, if this would not have happened she would have enjoyed their relationship a lot more. Now, there were negative feelings mixed in and significant worry that it would endanger her. If not Zhuang Wei, it could be another person around him. Yes, she was careful with her face and staying hidden.

    However, he himself was a high profile figure. No matter how ''low key'' he tries to come off there is always one or two people keeping an eye on him. What was she to do when they noticed a woman around him? A woman that seemingly had a good relationship with him, in the romantic category?

    Then the eyes on her would triple from them two, to several and she didn''t need that.

    "Stop. Ying Yue look at me."

    She felt a hand grip her face from both sides and pull her to face Neo. He looked at her with a serious expression as he spoke.

    "Stop, I know that look anywhere. You''re spiralling and you''re overthinking this. I don''t know exactly what you are thinking about but I know none of it is good. Stop for one, putting his heavy pressure on yourself. I''ve told you this multiple times but you could afford to live a little."

    She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off off by him.

    "Shush, I don''t want to hear whatever sob story you are going to say to me. I know whatever it is you''re about to say will go along the lines of -

    ''I can''t do this....''

    ''What if...''

    ''But its my fault....''

    Boohooo. You sound like a broken record with how you''ve been reiterating the same points over and over again. Frankly I am tired of listening to it."

    "Just cause you''re tired of hearing it does not make it any less true!"

    There was a quick ''bong'' on her head as Neo hit it lightly with his fist. It was his form of  trying to shut her up and simultaneously punish her for being like this. They had spent the last five minutes repeating the same things and even she knew that it was redundant.

    However, she still didn''t feel satisfied inside with her thoughts. There was no conclusion or solution that they both could agree on. She was already hesitant to interact with Xi Long since it was her first real romantic relationship. In the beginning, it was just curiosity and her feeling adventurous with her actions. Life had been quiet for so long she may have willed that sort of excitement into her life unknowingly.

    No one expected her to like him as much as she did, especially for how they met.

    Their first meeting was her trying to roundhouse kick him into the ground. Both of them had entered the alley for different reasons and by pure chance came in contact. At first, she only considered him a weird guy on the street who called people animal names. It was quite creepy at the time but his handsome face kept the disgust at bay. She was not blind, the man was very gorgeous and matched her type to the T.

    Call her selfish, but to see an attractive man that looked sinful from every angle....it was a hard not to look.

    If he had a different face, she probably would not have given him the time of day. Even as he searched for her she did not put him within her eyes. Its just that the more they hung out and the more they met, she subconsciously started to enjoy it. There was a mix of dominance and respectfulness from him that she liked.

    Of course, to her a ''normal woman'' was also a different definition. She was just used to being in positions where she had to help others or lead men. So when it came down to seeing someone in a romantic manner, none of the men she met were suitable options. Not including that their character would be too twisted for her to like them.

    Xi Long compared to all of them was like a breath of fresh air.

    There were times that their interactions could have come off forceful or he was ''attacking'' her. Yet, in all those situations she let it happen to a certain degree. She was not someone who liked to pretend to be weak, she was truly inexperienced in relationship matters. However, when faced with someone she found attractive and they were offering her things she hadn''t experienced, it was a hard offer to decline.

    She was twenty-five and had never been in a romantic relationship. Kissing, dating, doing normal couple stuff was never something she had experienced unless it was for a undercover operation. Those experiences she did not put into her eyes since they were for an ulterior motive or a gain for their team. That did not mean, she did not hold hope of experiencing it naturally in her own personal life. No mission, no ulterior motive, just a natural progression and that was Xi Long to her.

 Chapter 171 - Heavy Considerations Pt.3

    Adding on that it did bother her on some level that she was so inexperienced in romantic matters or other aspects she considered "normal" for a woman. From a young age she had to sacrifice many things and focus on surviving. Once surviving became easier, the goal switched to escaping and making a better life for herself. In the middle of that journey her goal became revenge and that''s all she''s focused on for the past three years. No where in that period of time was she functioning on a quiet or normal schedule befitting of a woman her age.

    The more things were deprived from someone, the more idealistic it became in their mind. Due to the amount of time she had to think about it, time meaning years, the expectations naturally grew along with it. When it came to being ''normal'' she put it on a high pedestal, romance also went on its own pedestal, and any other thing she could not attain because of her background.

    Sure, she had studied ''romance'' on a textbook level but that was all for the means of a mission. It was only to be utilized in situations where she was trying to extract information or let the other put their guard down enough for her to attack. That involved learning things like seduction tactics and how to come off a certain way to attract the other party.

    Her training never discriminated against men and women, she learned all the general tactics for a personality type not a gender. The gender came into play later on but the romance she learned was all for an secondary reason. Who would try and connect that to real life? She kept that separate in her mind and dreamed that actual romance was the opposite of what she was taught.

    The core of her dreams was the feelings it would evoke in her as well. She wanted to feel protected or at least feminine with her romantic interactions. It was only natural she would want to feel this way considering her past. If you were to just look at her childhood, there was no sense of security or protection offered to her. Every single day she had to be the one who protected herself and make sure she was okay. That was the only way to live but it wasn''t as if it was easy or something she enjoyed doing. She did it because she had to but was very much overworked.

    At some point, you could connect this to childhood trauma. A lot of her thinking and actions were connected to a past incident. They either fuelled her to act some way or to stop acting a certain way. She was also overly harsh on herself with anything that was a personal issue. If she let herself relax a little bit, there was this ever lasting fear she would not be able to bounce back.

    Then what was her strength then? Just a figment of her imagination? If she never let it go, it could never leave her and she would never have to work for it again. Her theory was to act strong until she truly became like that. However, the longer it went on she felt like part of it was just an act or a shield she used to defend herself. Physically she was stronger than most people but mentally she couldn''t help but focus on her shortcomings.

    Ming Ming and Neo helped lessen some of her burden but it was not enough.

    They could protect her as a family but she also felt responsible for them. She would jump in front of a bullet for them without thinking and that was the problem. There was this obligation and this responsibility she felt that was unequal. Having a romantic partner or a relationship with someone in her mind meant that they were on equal standing. Yes, they would protect each other but the feeling it would give was completely different.

    With that being one of her main requirements, any man that she worked or trained with was automatically rejected. There were barely any people in her vicinity that could beat her or if they did, treat her like a woman and not a rival they wanted to eliminate. Call her crazy but even she would not fall for a man that had it out for her neck.

    Not to say that there weren''t any outliers in the mix but they never fit her type. Either too short, too ugly, too ''something'' that they were lacking and she couldn''t feel the d.e.s.i.r.e to be with them in that facet. So while she didn''t want to overhype Xi Long and he wasn''t everyone''s cup of tea for face alone, she quite liked him. The way he carried himself also came into play, he held himself in a dominant way that did not feel like he was challenging her. He also teased her and interacted with her in a way that never made her believe he wanted her to die. Which albeit was a low standard to maintain but wasn''t as hard to meet as you think.

    Even if he was being ''over'' there would be this weird tension born out of it and would only seek to excite her more. She rose up to the challenge and it felt like an electrically charged tango. Like the saying "it takes two to tango" and they were definitely doing some sort of dance with their actions. Each move was a dance between predator and prey between them, the roles switching seamlessly.

    Therefore, when the opportunity arose she was trying to fight her way out but also not using her full force. It was a thought process of "if it happened, it happened" while also giving her mental out if she didn''t like it. She was so desperate to cross it off her list and seeing a suitable party, was enough for her to allow it. Letting him give her a kiss happened with her consent and her post-reaction would determine if her attraction to him was real or not. It did not come within her expectation to enjoy it as much as she did and see him that many times after either.

    Now it has been around a month since they had just met and they had met only a handful of times. Each meeting varied in time but was sufficient to create more memories. He helped cross more things off her list and she enjoyed normal couple moments.

    However, the biggest lesson she learned was that she probably could not and would not enjoy a completely normal relationship. Many years ago she had considered giving up everything and just pretending to be a normal girl. Creating a new identity and leaving to a new country wouldn''t be too hard. That option in her mind had been pushed aside but never completely rejected.

    It was also perfect that he understood her easily without her explaining much. That sort of understanding was hard to find from someone outside their line of work. Only someone who had dabbled in the underground and muddy part of wars knew what she meant. With how much blood she had on her hands, it was a hard aura to hide nor did she want to suppress it all the time.

    Just thinking about that aspect of a normal relationship with a common man, was enough for her to cry. The list of complaints she had regarding it kept pilling up: too boring, had to control herself, always explain why she knew things, could never be herself, had to suppress her aura, keep hiding her true self the entire time, etcetera. If she were to write it down, maybe one full page would not be enough to cover the grievances she would experience.

    ''Why did I ever think I wanted this in the first place??''

    Adding on, the biggest issue was Xi Long himself.

    The biggest consideration she was making was not to how she felt about him but how he would feel. Maybe if he had been more relaxed or less straight forward with his feelings, she could still ignore him. Only because he was being so open and she knew his personality, that she was so hesitant to be mean or cut him off out of the blue. She had also shared that same vulnerability with him to a certain degree and just thinking about finding someone else to build that with was difficult.

    ***

    ADDITIONAL A/N PLEASE READ: I know in this book lots of people have gotten annoyed with how Ying Yue acts around Xi Long and finding it against her personality. There have been a fair bit of reviews and negative comments made about it and I''m sad to see people stop reading because of that. Hopefully these chapters help you understand her psychology a bit more. Most of her reasoning to be so "innocent" is childhood trauma. Her acting "weaker" is from her own choice and hope you can see the duality of her character. Not everyone wants to be strong all the time and I promise there are women like her out there. She will still be strong in tough predicaments but let our FL be free in romance!!!

 Chapter 172 - Heavy Considerations Pt.4

    ''He doesn''t love me isn''t this a perfect timing?''

    Her thoughts quickly became more and more depressing. It was clear that there wasn''t love between them and even the feelings they were experiencing weren''t well classified. You could call it ''like'' or ''infatuation.'' She knew as much as she was inexperienced, Xi Long wasn''t a complete love guru either. His statements about being single this entire time was believable, for her to be the first girl he''s ever liked? Not so much.

    Regardless of either option, he treated her quite well. She was just unsure if those feelings he had would develop in to something serious or stay at the weird stage they were at. Surely if they continued on their current trajectory it would get more complicated between them. Cutting it now seemed like the perfect timing, they ended on fairly positive memories. Albeit, there would be some regret and dissatisfaction for the way it ended. Though she estimated with their lives it would be easier to forget and move on after some time. Ending it later would be significantly harder and she would risk their security for that period of time.

    She felt another pang in her head, it was the seventh one from today. At this point she felt a huge migraine coming from the mini-headaches she was feeling. Massaging her temples harder she forced herself to stay on track.

    ''The timing is both great and bloody awkward...I can''t do it today but when is too soon or too late...?"

    There were a lot of vague feelings between them that made it hard for her to call a clean cut. Especially since yesterday was when she gave her verbal confirmation to their confirmation. At that point she felt pretty secure in her choice and had decided to give it a go. Without her coming to an agreement mentally with herself, she would not have taken her mask off at dinner in front of Zhuang Wei. All parties there knew it was her form of putting her guard down and extending her trust to them. That extended to her tools and her full personality, she didn''t intentionally hide her personality in front of them. All of this was an act of courage on her part.

    That courage is also what made her take the first move last night in saying goodnight. Considering how sweet they left off, it was annoying to be placed in this situation. The rage she felt towards Zhuang Wei that had settled from Neo''s attack was reignited again.

    "I can see the look in your eyes, you''re thinking about Zhuang Wei aren''t you?"

    Neo had left her to think this entire time, he knew it was a struggle for her and she would overthink every portion. However, the instant anger graced her face he added in his commentary. It didn''t distract her from her current feeling and just nodded in response to him. He was not wrong after all, it was Zhuang Wei she was angry with.

    "You know if you were going to be angry you should''ve let me be more mean? I still had quite a couple tricks up my hand. I could''ve wiped information off the computer or planted a virus to blackout half the screen, auto-type, etcetera. Anything to make his life harder than it is. All you had to do was give me the go ahead."

    "No, nothing good would have came out of that. Its just that I wish he was in front of me so I could beat."

    Just thinking about how many problems could have been avoided and what could have happened if he tried this nonsense later. Logically, the later he was with this betrayal the more benefits she could have reaped from this relationship. At the very least, she could have enjoyed their sweet moment a bit longer before reality hit her like this.

    Yet, just as quick as that came in she dismissed it. This attack was technically at a perfect timing and they were able to catch it early. A later time had no guarantee of them catching it again, despite Neo''s feverous assurance.

    "Okay stop stop stop. You''ve been grumbling over here for twenty minutes and have made no conclusions. Right."

    His tone wasn''t even questioning, he spoke knowing that she hadn''t come to a clear answer. Her brain was in disarray and had been jumping back and forth while thinking. Usually, she was good at thinking under stress but it was the first time to think so deeply about her personal matters. Strategy meetings, espionage missions, all of these things were easy for her to focus on and she wouldn''t take more than the necessary time to decide key matters. So if she had spent this much time and achieved nothing but a headache, there wasn''t any merit to keep thinking about it.

    "I''m stopping okay, why don''t you just tell me what to do?" She spoke back with an exasperated tone.

    "I told you what to do fifteen minutes ago, did you listen to me? No, then you spent another fifteen on your own just to waste your time. You seriously have a problem with overthinking and relaxing. Just go with the flow on this matter and let Ming Ming and I cover the rest. We''re not so weak that we can''t support you in a romantic relationship."

    "But..."

    "No buts, if you keep insisting that means you''re doubting Ming Ming and I''s skills. You hear that Ming Ming? She''s calling us WEAK and UNRELIABLE."

    Her eyes narrowed when she heard his sentences, it was an obvious trap for her to fall into. Instigating Ming Ming and calling her over like this was just a way to get back at her. There was no way she could or would agree to that statement. She obviously knew how capable they were and how strong they were. Despite all this, she was still unsure and that was her own insecurity.

    Neo speaking like this spun her words negatively to give another meaning to her words. She didn''t want them to think that that was her true meaning. It was all about her and nothing to do with them but she now that he brought it up, she could see what he meant. Trying to convince a friend for this long and they still don''t believe you? It was a bit hard not to get offended even if they were life long friends.

    She could tell that Neo himself knew that it was because she doubted herself and was self-blaming. However, opening it up to Ming Ming was sure to give rise to the other meaning. Especially since he worded it as such, he was just forcing her into a corner. A small chuckle escaped her as she heard the footsteps running behind her.

    She knew the words would trigger Ming Ming and as expected she came immediately.

    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WEAK AND UNRELIABLE!!!!!"

    The words were shouted out and grew louder as the distance closed between them. The impact of her jumping onto her was not felt but instead Ming Ming''s run stopped dead in front of her.

    "Now explain to me why you think such, if its not a good enough reasoning I''m going to drag you back into training and beat you up for sure. Don''t think I''m joking!! I can be angry too!! There''s no right answer so hurry up!!!"

    "You''ve listened to everything so far, why are you acting like you don''t know what Neo is doing? And if there is no right answer how can I respond peacefully??"

    "Just because Neo said it purposefully does not mean there isn''t any truth in his words. I know you don''t mean it, that much we can understand. Doesn''t mean that we like to hear such words, you have to have a little faith in us and yourself. Its a bloody relationship for gods sake, not a terminal disease or marriage. Its nothing that you can''t change or end later, there are no final terms here. You''re stressing out way toooooooo much for this. There is a fine a.s.s man waiting for you outside, trying to treat you right and let you experience knew things. Things that both you and I know you want to do! So if you don''t just shut your brain up for one second and let it happen. So help me god I will beat you up and take him for myself!!!!"

    "He''s not even your type Ming Ming, please trying to make your threats more ''threatening.''"

    "YOU."

    Ying Yue''s comment warranted another hit onto her head, this time hard enough for the pain to last. It also was enough for her to finally start listening to them, she only added her own joke to tease Ming Ming. There was no way that she would like Xi Long, her type was completely different and they never eyed each others things like that.

    The threat was a joke but comedic, ''I really would be dumb to let go of him huh?''

 Chapter 173 - More Questions, No Answers

    "G....O...O...D.....B....Y....E...."

    With that final message his whole screen went black and he was left looking at his normal screen again. The ending was abrupt and it annoyed him that he did not get to ask more questions from the mystery person. He was stuck between wanting to smash his computers and also reinforce his systems against future attacks.

    "F*ck me."

    The cuss words kept flowing out of his mouth and felt like the best descriptors of his irritation. It felt like he had said the same sentence four times already but kept using it regardless. When the attack first happened he was too caught up in defending against the cyber attacks. The mystery hacker was definitely someone more experienced than him.

    To be able to break into his system that quickly and launch this many attacks, it was obvious that they were on a professional to dangerous level. He didn''t even manage to catch all the different attacks launched and would never have found out till they brought it up themselves. It made him extremely uncomfortable that there was someone listening in to everything he was saying. Without his knowledge, every single sound made was being transmitted back to the other party. That was too vulnerable and ''n.a.k.e.d'' for him to be okay with.

    He didn''t even know what he had said during that time, he felt secure that no ''secrets'' came out. However, if they recorded his voice and what little words he did say they could be used against him in the future. A lot of cyber crimes or crimes in general, had developed to using actual voice clips in their schemes. They would take cuts of the words and make random sentences they never actually said. Or they would use them to unlock any voice-activated passwords they had.

    Personally, there were none that he could think of right now that were voice-activated in his life. Still didn''t calm him though, words could be used in multiple ways crime being only one. Not to mention, at its core listening in on him was embarrassing. He was aware of his position and that he was above a lot of people but not everyone in coding. Yet, to be insulted on skills and then be heard while he had anger outbursts was humiliating.

    Every response he sent back to the other gave off a feeling of nonchalance. It was his way of maintaining his ''image'' and to show the other he was not angered by the words. Him slamming his pencil holder onto the floor was just opposite of that, no? He rolled his eyes at himself and gave himself a slap on the forehead.

    "Literally nothing has been going my way recently."

    Considering his humiliation and him taking back to back losses, at least there should be some meaning to this suffering. The meaning would have come in the form of Valentina''s information and not a crumb of knowledge was gained. Near the end, the mystery hacker had openly admitted that he was attacking for her and because of her.

    Based on the wording, he''s assuming that it wasn''t her but someone working alongside her. She could have hired a freelance worker to keep track of her searches or it was a team member. Both of those options insinuated a larger background that he wanted to find out. His whole point was to check if she was good enough and safe enough to be near his friend. What was he to do now?

    The suspicions he had against her grew larger and made him worry for the future. If she could have someone at that caliber on her team willingly, what else can she do? Its a hard thing to gauge from a couple of interactions but he was sure that she was a mid to high level power. Not in this city of course but definitely held power somewhere else. A lot of those hackers could not be bought for a price or the price was very large. She has to have powerful connections that are beneficial to the hacker or a heavy bank account to appease them. However, hiring a hacker to constantly track things related to you would be a long-term job and might be beneath a hacker.

    There was no thrill and he felt like bleeding at the estimated amount it would take in monthly payments. So he automatically just cut that option out of his mind, leaving only power as the answer. Which then the question became, with that much power what was your business in this city? What was your business with Xi Long? Would that business intersect with what they are doing?

    His questions just came pilling up and no answers were in the vicinity. Xi Long knew as much as him so there was another moot resource lying next to him. He considered for a very brief moment, editing his computer system and then trying again. That idea was cut down immediately as the warning resounded in his head again.

    "I will set this city in flames huh....."

    He whispered the words out loud to himself as he went over the final words. The warning was quick and straight to the point. Maybe a little cinematic or dramatic in his eyes, didn''t mean that it was completely accurate either. The hacker could have literally meant that the city would be in flames, many people put themselves over other lives. There were many many psychos who would set up a gas leak and watch the place fall into chaos. He had no understanding of their personality or identity to take the risk.

    If a random person or a known person had made this threat, he would just arrange for them to be removed or disregarded them. They were quite settled within this city and country, so petty threats could not stop them. He was only extra cautious because he was able to see their cyber skills and the rest of them was unknown. Too many uncertainties for someone who likes things to be in his control. The ask they made of him wasn''t too hard either, stop looking into Valentina and everything would be fine. While that pained him mentally, physically would be no problem for now.

    The game automatically became a long term observation process. No matter what, he would not trust her completely till her cards were on the table. He was Xi Long''s best friend and only had to keep their best interest in mind. Even if she didn''t tell them much, there had to be more given than her elusive persona.

    It was kind of stupid that Xi Long was so readily accepting of her and her fake names. He doubted if he knew her real name or not, his bets were heavily on the latter option. This man had a pet name for her, he had heard it accidentally one time and that''s probably the only referral he heard. In front of him, Xi Long maintained the "Valentina" name and went with the flow. The personal nickname was a little gross to imagine his friend saying but it definitely solved the name problem within the relationship.

    Who knew if that was the reason the nickname was created? To cover for the lack of not knowing her real name he just opted to call her something else. There was also something to be said for her allowing him to call her that. The title was a little ''cringe'' in his opinion and she didn''t look like someone who would accept such a title. However, if she was bent on not using another name it seemed like something she had to settle for. It was a package deal to dating his best friend, an overbearing and possessive man plus a pet name.

    He tried to probe last night but Xi Long had put up his iron defences. Anything to do with Valentina now was completely not up for debate. Don''t get him wrong, he was happy to see him happy and so passionate for a woman. It just caused problems on his side, he had no emotional connection to the lady and was able to think more level headed.

    Xi Long was fully aware of how s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e the next couple months were going to be for them. They had a list of things they were waiting years on and were finally coming into fruition. Bringing a girl in with an unknown background, was just to risky for him.

    What was the payoff? Momentary happiness over the risk of ruining their entire operations??

 Chapter 174 - Interrupted Again

    Just the amount of work and planning that went into these couple of months and the following months, was equivalent to years worth for them. He was just stressed thinking amount of interconnected plans and all the time s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e ones they had in the works. Just two weeks ago they successfully took out one of their targets, with this streak going a woman might complicate things.

    Part of his feelings emerged from just how different it was having a woman in the mix. Both of them had been single for years, anything that did happen was casual. That meant that there were no extra considerations for the people in their lives, they could just do what they wanted. He was no uncomfortable with Xi Long having a woman and their friendship potentially breaking. There was no fear like that which was common for other best friends in this situation. It was just that he was in hyperdrive trying to make everything ''fit.''

    Especially considering that Xi Long added no security into the matter nor made any comments on how this was supposed to go. It was to vague for his comfort and for someone who''s neurotically a control freak, it was a complete nightmare. Logically he understood that they were going with the flow but it was painfully obvious that Xi Long was head over heels for her. It wasn''t love yet but would quickly become that if they went on the same path.

    If she was someone dangerous for them or not well suited, then the pain of having to let go later was worse. He didn''t want his friend to be in that position, Xi Long had already lost too many people for him to lose someone else he held close. For that, being a villain or doing the dirty work on his side was no problem.

    It was just the worst timing with finding a romantic partner and one that was so elusive. Right now, she looked amazing and looked like she cared about him. He didn''t necessarily doubt her feeling towards Xi Long based on her actions she was truthful. However, that wasn''t enough guarantee when considering your best friend''s life partner.

    Yes, they weren''t at the marraige stage and there was no reason for him to consider that far ahead but he had to. Imagine your friend was single his entire life, no specific attention towards women nor did he go through that awkward puberty stage. That stage was when adolescent boys became more interested in other people''s bodies and looked for material that sated the curiosity. Videos, explicit magazines, anything like that and none of that could be found in Xi Long''s room. They have been childhood friends so going in and out of his bedroom was normal.

    He had even personally looked for those items a couple of times and could never find anything. Not even a hair of a woman could be found in his life and he was the gay one between them!! At one point he even thought Xi Long was As.e.x.u.a.l, which was fine, but it would explain a fair bit of his behaviour. For someone to attract his attention to this degree, it wasn''t something to take lightly. He was also aggressively possessive about her, his attraction and affection for her was practically dripping from his eyes. It made him laugh when he remembered the amount of glares he got for just teasing or being near to Valentina. Both of them were so in their world that they didn''t care about the dog food being fed to others.

    When that position is given to someone and at that degree, it made sense he was on the edge. It was also too sudden, she came out of practically nowhere. Xi Long didn''t even openly tell him about her till he questioned him post-chicken restaurant. The only comments given then were vague too and have been vague since.

    The irritation and frustration was running through his veins but he couldn''t do anything about. His hands were completely tied at the moment and for the foreseeable future.

    When the hacker warned him about Valentina and knowing everything, it was 300% possible that Valentina had already been informed of what he did. There was no regret or shame from what he did, it was only natural that he did something. That something being a code to track down her information and piece her identity together. Adding on that he didn''t get any information from his attempt, other than being offended he wasn''t sure how much she would take personally.

    What he was thinking about now was if she would be so offended to inform Xi Long. There was a reason he did it so secretly and behind his back, it was obvious he wouldn''t have approved. A long sigh left his mouth as he slapped a hand over his face then dragged it down. His situation right now was almost pathetically comedic to him.

    No answers, more questions, and now a potentially angry best-friend waiting for him outside this door. Glancing at his clock, it had only been around three hours maximum of him being here and so much had already happened. There was no limit to how long he could stay here and it was technically a defence against Xi Long.

    This base of his, was more so a place he comes and controls. Of course, Xi Long was aware of it and had been here many times throughout the years. What that did not mean was he liked to come here frequently - which he didn''t. Having both of them appear here would be too dangerous and would let anyone track him find their way here. Usually, people stayed away from tracking him after the years of him doing boring stuff. It was also easier for him to sneak out since his identity was less prominent.

    So all of that was to say, that for as long as he was here the chances of Xi Long coming to get him were slim. He felt like a school boy hiding away from his teacher because of the potential punishment. The length of his hiding was indeterminate, another hour or a couple more hours? Or does he leave now and escape back to his home? Which would technically work considering that Xi Long was still at work and would be for a while.

    In the middle of his deliberations he felt his phone vibrate again from within his drawer. He thought he had put it on silent but from the vibration it was clear he had didn''t.

    ''Interruption after interruption, a man can''t even day dream without being interrupted nowadays.''

    Reaching into the drawer he pulled out his phone and saw a familiar string of numbers on his phone.

    ''F*ck well staying here is not up for debate anymore huh."

    He felt himself laugh out loud, it was the final trigger for him to mock himself. The laugh was self-depreciating in tone and short as he picked up the phone.

    "So what do I owe this call?"

    His voice lazily spoke into the mic and waited for the response to come in. In his opinion, there was no point in stressing out or giving up his jig before the other brought it up. He had nothing to be ashamed or scared about nor anything to be guilty about. The storm had arrived on his door step, how can he run away now? Might as well take it and see how bad it gets.

    The other line of his phone was very silent and he didn''t urge them to speak up faster.

    "Zhuang Wei.....what did you do?"

    Xi Long''s voice emerged out of his phone, it was the same serious and calm tone he always used. However, he could sense a strange atmosphere coming from the call. It was either him overthinking or his conscious that made him feel like such but a weird vibe was coming from the call at the get-go.

    "You''re calling cause you know so what happened. What''s the point of asking now?"

    His voice was calm in return and was stable. He had no intention of listing out his crimes or doing a roundabout with him. It was obvious what the call was about but Xi Long was trying to give him an out right now. An out that he didn''t need, they both were aware of what happened. When he first decided to do the code and start everything behind his back, he was well aware of the consequences if it went bad. Now it did, he would not shy away from the lecture and guilt-tripping he was about to receive.

    A long sigh came out of the phone, "I know why you did it but why now? Why did you feel like the timing was now?"

    Xi Long''s voice dropped from his serious tone to a more tired one. That change in voice made an unpleasant feeling grow inside of him. He would rather take anger or disappointment over ''tired'' since that was just equivalent to a draining feeling. Then to be the cause of your best friend''s draining was a heavy feeling to have.

 Chapter 175 - The Call Pt.1

    "If not now, when? There is no right timing for this type of work."

    Which it was, no one could tell him he was wrong for this type of statement. The earlier the better in general but there is no better time to research someone. ''Better time'' was the time you did it and when it was convenient for you. Even if Xi Long was mad at him, this was an undeniable fact.

    "There is no right timing but there could be better timing. The day after meeting her seems like a slap in the face, no?" His voice was gruff but remained calm.

    Every second that Xi Long spoke to him in this calm tone, the more stressful it was. His face had a relaxed expression on it but his heart was pounding. It was weird since he knew that other than a lecture a small "get-even" on the account of Valentina, nothing else could happen. Nothing he had done was irreversible or ''so bad'' that it would ruin their friendship.

    "Did she complain to you? Well she had to since you''re calling me now. Why be so evasive? Its clear what I did and I would do it again if placed in the situation. So instead of walking around a bush, just straight up tell me how you feel."

    Five minutes had passed since they got on the call and half of it was spent in silence. Between them going back and forth with the random commentary, it would take another thirty minutes for them to get to the crux of the matter. Not to say that each sentence wasn''t important but he was trying to hear the ''consequences'' first. The long lecture and disappointment can come later after his mind was settled. Putting him through the entire conversation while sitting on pines and needles was a torture in itself.

    "What walk around am I doing? I''m speaking to you calmly and trying to get your side of the story. Why do you rush me, do you feel guilty about what you did? Or at least guilty for the position you put me in??"

    To speak with so many hidden messages and little inflections in tone was unsettling. Xi Long first spoke calmly naturally but the more he spoke, the more he felt like it was on purpose. To tease him and make him slip up with his words.

    "Is this an interrogation from you? Trying to make me feel guilty for something I don''t. If you''re mad just say it, you know I don''t regret anything. She''s a random girl that came into our lives, I am happy for you but doesn''t mean I can''t be cautious. What her background is, what her name is, all of that information is important. You would look into someone for me and I just did the same, especially when the person in question was romantic."

    "I get that it''s all new but we''ve been through this last night. Or at least I thought we did, I understand your concern and I promise I am being cautious as well. Its the way you are doing these things that are making things harder for me. We just barely got through the fake gun incident which already made you look stupid. That was dangerous and filled with faulty logic, in what world is using a gun logical as a test? A test for her skills just out of the blue, especially when I carry one on me? I could''ve accidentally shot you yesterday, then immediately after pretending to be tired this morning. You went behind my back, out of care fine. But still went behind my back, went to the base, then created an entire code to find her history? Doesn''t it look like the timing is horrible, you''re my best friend and I can''t say anything against you looking out for me. All I''m asking is that you look out for me in a way that doesn''t cause such a huge backlash or scene. Or give me a heads up before I get pinpointed as the culprit out of the blue."

    Xi Long managed to say everything in two breaths and got it out as fast as he could. The calmness in his voice finally broke to carry a bit of aggression. His voice sounded gruff at the end and he could feel the anger radiating from the mic. The only question was if the anger was directed at him or the situation itself. Or if it was both of them and if it was an equal division.

    "So what I''m hearing from this is that you received a call this morning accusing you of being the perpetrator. You were caught of guard and obviously, don''t agree with me searching her up. Plus it caused problems in your relationship with her, did she get extremely angry? Are you guys ....you know...?"

    The meaning behind his words was clear and he hoped the answer was "no." No matter the consequences he was ready to face them as long as they did with me. He did not expect it to be so sever that they would break up. It wasn''t even something he considered would happen since the situation was so small. The only reason it got big was due to the hacker''s interference, they should cut him and Xi Long some slack knowing they didn''t achieve anything. No gain and pure intentions should lessen the blow.

    When he first planned on the code and inputted her parameters, he wasn''t expecting much information. They were vague in itself and he didn''t know her background. How much of that information they would leave online on for other people to access was up in the air. Depending on who she was, every single thing about her could have been wiped from online. It was hard to do but considering their hacker, it wasn''t as impossible as estimated. There would be some traces but they could distort what it said or the lead backs towards it.

    In general, his parameters were so vague that it was hard to see if anything would be caught or not. He didn''t know what identity she used to do other things or if her current identity was her real one. Her face and build were standard to other ethnically Chinese woman, the combination of the features is what made her stand out. From the dinner they had, he could tell that there weren''t any prosthetics or extra misleading makeup on her face. However, that was not enough to give him any guarantee about her.

    Her actions and gestures could also be a product of intention and of her current identity. He knew that showing her face was an act of peace between them. but how much could he read into it?

    The first time they met was when she did that little drama scene at the office. Without knowing who she was, he appreciated her acting skills and her whit. If he did not see the slight glint in her eyes and had not been an expert at observation, he would have been fooled by her act. It was at such a performance level that it looked seamless and showed experience. So she had done this multiple times and was good with thinking on her feet. Her words twisted the situation perfectly to her favour, that was commendable as long as it wasn''t directed at him. This is an aspect that made him subconsciously doubt her more.

    In person, their interactions were light and distant. Even their teasing was him testing to her to see if they could get along. He intentionally made himself more clingy and more affectionate to see how she would respond. To his delight, she responded back in the best way and her words protected Xi Long as well. Those actions won over his heart a little bit and he noted down mentally her good points. So at that moment, he had both negative and positive things about her floating in his head. None were strong enough to give him a conclusion and his d.e.s.i.r.e for control made him search for more.

    That was the reason for the code and it was the solution he thought would be best for him. With nothing really to go off of other than his own remarks, a vague code that pulled information was ideal. He could then search through what he did get and narrow done to things that he felt suited her. Just some crumbs or pieces of information that would send him in the right direction.

    Having someone catch on so quickly after he tried to run the code and then compete against them for close to forty-five minutes was outside of his calculations. That sort of skill or presence of a hacker was not something anyone, let alone him would have expected.

    Just thinking about it time wise, it was literally seconds after he ran the code when he was caught. He didn''t realize he could be caught so soon, it was almost embarrassing to him.

 Chapter 176 - The Call Pt.2

    With such an intense failure, he didn''t really think there would be major consequences. By the tone of the messaging from the hacker he was given a warning, so he did not expect any ''punishment'' if he listened to their words. Just the way they kept riling him up and edging him with the code, it seemed like that was their punishment if there was one.

    There were people with sadistic personalities that naturally spoke in that way but for some reason he felt that this wasn''t the case right now. In the moment, he had a lot of speculations and assumptions about what was going on. However, for the few minutes of peace he had after everything ended he automatically started analyzing it all. It was like a game replay in his head where he went over each section play by play. His memory was biased and he had definitely missed things in the moment, so with what he did remember he tried to analyze it.

    When doing that, he was able to deduce the hacker''s personality more. It was just more in line with logic and the circ.u.mstance for them to tease him and insult him out of anger. For someone that hacked into his sound system and his computer so easily some of their actions were beneath them. They didn''t have to type out each message letter by letter, surely that was annoying and tedious for them to do as well. Yet, they chose to do that to annoy him and drag on the conversation more.

    He wasn''t sure if they knew his personality but it was a sure-fire way of keeping him glued to the screen. Each letter made him so mad and yet he sat there the entire time until the sentence was complete. What if the sentence was revealing important information or something he had to react to quickly? Adding on that controlling side of himself needed to see it through, the curiosity of what could be written would have destroyed him further. Especially since this wasn''t a chat room or a social media platform where the conversation would be saved. Each letter came one by one, till a full sentence was formed but after a couple of seconds it would be deleted from the screen.

    Thankfully he was a fast reader and could read the sentences before it disappeared. What that did mean though was that if he got up or walked away, he held the risk of missing another sentence or attack. He did consider walking around his table and releasing the irritation he had that way. That idea was quickly shut down because of all the obvious reasons but it also made him build up more feelings inside. Which was probably their goal, to have him sit their out of force and take in everything they had to give.

    In general, the words were annoying and how it was dragged on. He disliked being close to cracking their codes on his computer and then forced back to the starting line. All of these things were common annoyances that when came together had a more significant impact. He didn''t lose his mind nor would the world end from what happened today but he definitely need a cold drink after.

    Despite all that, he knew that the situation could have been a lot worse. If the hacker was capable of so much why did they stop where they did? Leave only a warning and not directly take action? They could have easily just destroyed the hardware on the computer or planted their own virus onto it. There were just a list of actions that could have occurred and didn''t. Not to say that he would let it happen or that he had no way of stopping some of them. The point was that the opportunity existed and the actions were not taken.

    For someone to threaten him at the end saying they will "set the city on fire" with that much power, imagine what their limit actually is. Are they referencing government? Is it a state level matter or direct fire attack? He pondered over this portion of the conversation and most and tried to theorize what that meant for Valentina. It was unfortunate that his hands were tied and that he could not do anything more cyber searching, so all he was left with were the crumbs left behind.

    He was not entirely ignorant, he knew their leniency was due to Xi Long and their way of maintaining the relationship between both sides. Since no matter what they did to him it would effect Xi Long or would be an attack towards him. That confidence paired with whatever crumbs of information he learned, them breaking up was also not within his expectations. What was the point of them being so ''gentle,'' for lack of better words, then going around to do that.

    He waited with bated breath to hear Xi Long''s rejection or confirmation. If what he did had caused that reaction....then he didn''t know how to atone for his ways. He did not feel guilty as a whole but if they broke up, that was the only emotion he would be feeling. Being the cause of your best friend''s happiness cut short isn''t an easy situation to bear nor emotion. No matter what, Xi Long didn''t deserve a complete cut off and he would fight Valentina if that was what happened.

    "No but it easily could have."

    A wave of relief went through him as he heard those words. It felt like he had dodged a bullet and it calmed most of his anxiety.

    "Again, I understand where you''re coming from but you risked a lot more things than my relationship today. We barely came to an understanding and only yesterday did we have a mutual agreement. She was finally warming up to me more and being more open. Her taking of her mask and going to dinner with you was a sign of peace. Adding on that she left you alone for that gun incident on account of me. Just imagine if someone else did that to us or if I did that to your future partner and you? Just tell me how someone is supposed to react calmly in that situation. Then directly after that peace offering you try to pull up their biodata the morning after, its a complete slap to the face. Ignoring my relationship for a second, it makes you look bad. You are my best friend and to someone I consider important your image has fallen so low. That''s not a position I want to see you in today nor tomorrow, however you just went and did it to yourself."

    Xi Long''s voice maintained his gruff texture and held a fair bit of anger in it. Hearing those words, Zhuang Wei''s reaction was to immediately respond but he paused before speaking. A lot of the anger he expected from Xi Long was there but he failed to understand the depth of his thinking. Naturally he thought he was upset about causing a rift in their relationship. However, Xi Long right now was yelling at him purely for ruining his own image.

    "Why are you silent now? Is it finally going in your head what you did? I''m trying very hard to keep my words nice but straight up, what the f.u.c.k are you doing? I keep saying this, I understand your intentions but why this method and why this timing?? For someone who is our lead strategist how is this your way of navigating the situation? If I had to search your partner up I would do so in low profile way and would try my best to avoid being caught. Creating a whole code that once released onto the web could trigger others is extremely high profile. Did you expect a woman walking around with a poison needle in her hat to not have these defences up? I''m not sure the full story of what happened on your end but I''m sure that they caught onto you quickly. Considering the timing, its only been an hour since I left work and it would take around that for you to go there. Then as soon as you tried to use it, they must of caught on a couple minutes after leading to this whole debacle. I got the call from her only a couple of minutes ago and I don''t think I deserved such a morning greeting."

    "Its not your fault, I did it all and may have used a different method...-"

    "Are you really trying to defend yourself right now? Have I wasted words these past couple of minutes speaking to you? Zhuang Wei, I''m just asking you to be straight with me and not do this bullshit. Can you understand my feelings right now and what this looks like? I just don''t understand your logic and the timing. I keep repeating it because it keeps irritating me."

 Chapter 177 - The Call Pt.3

    He felt another wave of anger flow through him as he spoke to Zhuang Wei. His intention of this call was not to be angry or yell but just have a straight-forward conversation. Once he heard from Ying Ying1 he was filled with a multitude of emotions. His first reaction was to apologize, it was his best friend after all and any error he did was partly his responsibility. Directly after that he had fear that their relationship was over, he was running on a high from yesterday and today''s events felt like the storm after.

    He almost felt like laughing from how life continued to turn out, no matter when or why, if there was something happy in his life it would go away just like that. There was a portion of his mind that was prepared for that again and sheltered his heart from the incoming pain. However, there was always a time period where he knew for sure it was going to happen. If a situation were to blow up in his face like now, that was not something he would usually expect. It would catch him off guard to a certain degree with surprise events. You can always try and prepare but once faced with it, everything flows naturally.

    She had made the first move yesterday, kissed him and they verbally confirmed their relationship. He knew and she knew that both of them were speaking in vague terms and couldn''t completely commit. However, what they could do was be exclusive and just see how it goes together. Their connection was hard to find so there was no reason to give up before trying. He couldn''t deny that he was the one leading so far and to an extent did bother him but he knew that was just how she was. Her affection was one that could be seen through her actions even when her words were sharp. A total tsundre of a kitten that he picked up and entered his life like a hurricane.

    There were too many things going on her life and her past was too heavy for her to be free. The scent of blood on her hands was strong, he could smell it a mile away. Anyone who came off like that would never be an easy person to integrate into your life. They would always be at your fingertips, ready to escape until they revealed themselves to you. That way you can gauge the distance correctly and follow them if needed.

    He didn''t really have a problem with her hidden identity, it was obvious enough that she came here for some reason. If someone of her caliber was just laying low in the city, you would be blind not to see the pre-planned sketch in place. She had a reason to chose this city and there were definitely targets she wanted around these parts. As long as those targets wasn''t him, she could murder the governor for all he cares.

    Realistically speaking, anyone she did kill wouldn''t be someone he cared about. His circle of close friends and family was so small and known to everyone. That was his way of expressing his protection and warning enemies on who they absolutely could not touch. They could try, but everyone who did had been destroyed in the cruelest way to serve as a warning to others. Outside of that circle, there were only one or two people in his life he held dear but were hidden away. Those people could not be found unless he himself let them. So there was no fear that she would target someone in his protection, with a little bit of research she would know who was who.

    Also based on his observations, she didn''t seem like someone who killed without a reason. Who knows what she was like in the past, that he could not confirm. Yet, the woman in front of him did not match the image and felt too controlled to do so. She wasn''t a serial killer at the very least or a hitman. Her operations were too large for it to be a job that small, he could just sense it. This was all his assumptions that he felt confident in but if it was wrong...well that was something he had to face in the future. He would cross that bridge when it appeared in front of him.

    Knowing all of this, he was very excited last night to see their developments. It was just nice to immerse himself in the relationship peacefully despite almost every single meal together being ruined. Romance was new to him but he was happy to explore it with her. This was the first woman that made him so curious and interested in finding out more. The way she was stubborn, could hold her own in a fight, held a multitude of skills, was smart, etcetera - was extremely desirable.

    They had known each other for less than a month but each day was exciting as the last. New memories formed and different experiences each time.

    With that said, the experience he was going through right now was one he could live without.

    His brain cells were practically dying when analyzing Zhuang Wei''s recent actions. Right after the fear emerged in his heart of losing their relationship, it went away by the end of the call. She, for now had let it go but he could hear the anger in her voice. That meant she was doing something to Zhuang Wei right now and had gone lightly on him for his sake. There was no way she would be able to sniff out their base this quickly so other than some cyber warfare, he could not imagine another torture method. Frankly, whatever cyber warfare was happening he could not manage to care about the effects.

    Irritation was the sole habitant of his body now and the recipient was Zhuang Wei. He had half a mind to leave work and drive over to the base but they both know he couldn''t. It would be a disadvantage in the long run to make such an obvious run. Which left a verbal lecture till Zhuang Wei left the base and returned home. He had no intention of letting it stop at just a lecture today but that wasn''t something he planned on mentioning beforehand.

    He took a couple of minutes to calm down and even more for Ying Ying to complete her ''revenge.'' It was approximately fourty-five minutes later when he picked up the phone to call him. Each second the ringing continued in his ear felt infinitely longer. The sounds matched the background noise of a thriller movie for him. Just suspense building up and hundreds of explanations flowing in his mind.

    He knew logically what Zhuang Wei''s reasoning was but it didn''t justify the actions. He wanted to hear it from his mouth, word for word what the expected conclusion was. What did he intend to achieve with doing what he did? Did he think he would get good results? If he himself had not researched her, why would he do it himself?? Does he not think there was a reason behind him not doing it??

    For a long time he had assumed that they could read each other''s minds. They worked seamlessly together and there wasn''t really a need to overly explain things to each other. However, in the case of dating his friend had completely lost his brain cells. He had gotten too comfortable maybe or just shut off their normal compatibility. What he was left with was a best friend who was great at digging holes for him. There was nothing worse than having a pig team member. Even worse was having a smart pig who had graduated from a famous university who was digging a hole for you.

    There were so so many ways to go about this situation. If he wanted to research her, why not just go the normal way? Observation added with your good ''ol computer searching. That was fine and quite low-key in manner. If he had done it, he doubted that Ying Ying would have called with such anger. He had done it before when he was first searching for her, albeit he had less information about her then, but it had no repercussions. Other than not letting him get any information there were no literal or figurative ''consequences.''

    Creating a code was very high profile in nature, it had to be done very precisely in order to be successful. She must have had a team member or she herself, was above those skills and caught on quickly. If she was not already looking out for her information then he maybe could have succeeded. Yet, it was bad luck that she was and Zhuang Wei got caught immediately.

    He did not know what code or how Zhuang Wei did this exactly, but she informed him that it included her parameters. With that considered, he could see why she was so angry especially if the parameters included her true identity.  Remember he doesn''t know her real name! So its Ying Ying when he directly thinks of her, not Ying Yue. In the book they''ve been used interchangeably for reader ease but he does not know her real name!!! Only Kitten, Valentina, & Ying Ying are the names he knows.

 Chapter 178 - The Call Pt.4

    "Do you understand what''s going on? I feel like 90% of this conversation is me yelling at you and you not offering any signs of remorse or understanding. If I could break into your mind and just clarify how it works it would explain a lot things right now. All I''m asking is to have a conversation instead of this one-sided thing we have going on."

    Adding on to all of the thoughts going on his mind, Zhuang Wei just kept silent adding to the fuel. He had no way to go about this unless the other offered some commentary. It wasn''t a conversation as much as it was him yelling at him or "aggressively" getting his point across. The last time he trusted his best friend after a so-called conversation, he had gone behind his back and tried searching up Ying Ying.

    Last night he truly thought that he had understood, they had a couple open-talks about her before. Last night was a mix of him admonishing him and trying to explain his perspective. The alcohol was just the ''punishment'' for the stupid prank or test as he called it was. No matter what. he could not let the gun thing go completely. Especially, after Zhuang Wei has provided another reason for him to doubt him so soon.

    The gun thing could have gone wrong purely from the danger of it. There were weapons involved and with how fast guns could shoot, Zhuang Wei could have been easily hurt. Their guns were even modified to shoot faster. The time period between cl.i.c.k.i.n.g the gun and it shooting out the bullet was reduced in comparison to average market versions. They had it down to science and on their last test the numbers were shooting at a 5 sec average. That was the amount of time between Zhuang Wei and a fatal injury if he took it seriously.

    In addition, just having that stressful situation and knowing their history it was poor choice in all aspects. It made no sense that this was an trick to showcase her skills or test her when there were so many other variables. Now with this code thing, he was again pushed into a place of doubting his friend. Intentions aside, it was clear that everything was done for him and his benefit. He didn''t doubt that one bit and understood the core reasoning. That reasoning is what kept him from lashing out completely against Zhuang Wei.

    How angry could you get at someone who was doing it for you? However, every man had a limit. Zhuang Wei had managed to get two strikes against Ying Ying within a span of twenty-four hours. As his best friend, he offered no benefits and only dug pits for him to fall into. At least, if he had gained some information and gotten some results from it the situation wouldn''t be as pitiful. To do all this, create such a scene and end up with nothing in the end was both embarrassing and frustrating.

    He really didn''t want to take sides between Zhuang Wei and Ying Ying but his feelings were wavering. From a purely neutral perspective, setting aside personal ties, he sided more with Ying Ying. The extent of what could have happened to her each time, if Zhuang Wei was successful, was quite dangerous. It was easier for him to understand and imagine since they came from similar walks of life. Not to say that no one has tried this on her before or him, it was just a very sticky situation to be in.

    From his memory, no one had tried the code option on him because there was nothing to gain from it. Yes, he had things to hide and things he wanted to keep away from other people''s eyes. However, identity wise who he was, is and was clear. Most events could be linked back to him if someone looked hard enough. There was no point in hiding that since it served as a warning as well to people.

    He was very low-key in nature and preferred it that way both professionally and personally. That did not mean he maintained a low-key image in all aspects of his life. It was very beneficial to have his name linked to things as it displayed his power. Which to an extent, kept the bottom feeders and weaker forces from looking for him. So in general, his identity was quite known.

    Other than a couple smaller aliases, his original identity was loud and displayed everywhere. That sort of presence was directly opposite of what Ying Ying was trying to accomplish. The way the code would not affect him, was not the same for her. From his estimations, she had multiple identities and they were kept hidden for a reason.

    The instant she had given out her name to him and Zhuang Wei, he knew she was good at switching identities. Her face didn''t glitch at all nor did she stutter before answering them. Which could be easy to regular people, just lie and let it go. Yet, with her there was a high chance the name was not used lightly. The name once given, came with a backstory and was eliminated from future use. At least, that''s how he would have done it and he expected that of her as well.

    Her real name was something that could not be given out easily and he respected that boundary. A name was just a title and she could give it to him when comfortable. He was quite confident that she would open up to him as time went along. With how things went in the last hour, that belief was a little shaky.

    "Zhuang Wei, I''m speaking to you. Are you going to say anything or are you going to leave that base any time soon? Because I''m stuck talking to you on this phone and it isn''t really a conversation if you let me speak alone."

    "Are you giving me any space to talk? You''re going on and on, where was I supposed to interject?"

    There was a slight raise in voice near the end and inadvertently exposed how Zhuang Wei was feeling. He had maintained a calm voice this entire time but finally had responded with some emotion

    ".....are you yelling at me now? Go ahead and yell. I''d love to see you yell if that meant you would be speaking back to me. Where did I not give you space to talk? This entire time I have been asking you repeatedly to respond and tried to urge a response out of you. So where is it that you didn''t get ample time, you are always very quick to respond. Then why in this situation are you staying mum and being so slow on the uptake. The best friend I know would have shot back at me already if he thought I was misjudging him. Which you didn''t so can I take this as acceptance?"

    "Well the best friend I know, would have understood my reasoning. It was for the good of both of us, we can''t risk anything right now. Why can''t you just accept that what I did was the best for in the moment?! How is doing this code so wrong?! We know nothing about her, name, number, address, is that even her real face?? She''s a good choice otherwise yes, I like seeing you happy yes, she can be good for you, yes. But what is the pay off?? Am I not supposed to be concerned and look into more. Just a little bit of information would calm me down so we can prepare for later. The code was the most efficient way of doing this, gather as much as I can within the time period. Then search further within what was pulled and see what actually belonged to her. Its not like it had her name attached to it, it was just a vague search regardless of her parameters. How many people fit the bill of her?"

    "How MANY PEOPLE FIT THE BILL??? Are you kidding me right now, are you speaking so lightly knowing how dangerous that is. Parameters are very very dangerous and you know that. The parts were vague yes, I don''t have the details of what you did in front of me. What you were doing was laying a trap or a time bomb for her later. If she''s giving us another alias, do you think she wants you to connect her other ones? They are separate for a reason."

    "Are you saying there aren''t many woman with her skill set?? The only thing specific to her, is her build and ethnicity. We still don''t know if that is all true, what prosthetics or whatever changes have been done to her face. Is she Chinese? We are assuming she is but she could be another minority, another mix of ethnicities. I understand the dangers of this but the parameters were so vague, she only knew it was about her cause she was looking for it. How do you expect her enemies to find it?? And what life is she living that this is such a big stressor."

 Chapter 179 - The Call Pt.5

    "...you know that last point isn''t even the slightest bit fair. We are peak examples of people living ''stressful lives.'' We have more blood on our hands than other people and its fair to assume there are other people like us. So what if she does have a stressful past? That she''s here for another reason? What has that to do with us? I''m not judging whatever past she does have but at the b.a.r.e minimum, I won''t cause her danger. She hasn''t posed any threat to us and has openly claimed that she would bring us no harm. These are things I would say even if there were no feelings attached to her. Adding onto the fact that this is the first female in years I have been so attracted to, do you see how her presence gets a little bit more importance? Why are you so obstinate on acting like this today??"

    "How am I being obstinate?! That''s you! I''m just explaining myself, it isn''t as big as you are saying it is. IF she was in such a danger, then what does she have to hide??? All the more reason not to believe that there isn''t a threat with her. Can''t you just see that what I''m doing was the best for us, albeit I could''ve chosen another method. However, it was the most efficient for our circ.u.mstance."??

    Xi Long''s eyebrows furrowed in anger the more he spoke, his face was starting to get warm from his internal turmoil. Everything that Xi Long said held some truth but continued to evade the main point of the matter. It wasn''t as if he was pushing for him to grovel or admit he was an ''idiot.'' But he wanted a clear sign that what he was saying was understood clearly. At some point, he even started to wonder if it was because Xi Long did not like Ying Ying and that''s why he continued to defend his point.

    "Do you just not like her? Give me more background on because I truly cannot see the logic in your words."

    "It has nothing to do with me liking her or not. I''ve already explained myself enough." Zhuang Wei''s voice dropped into a plain tone.

    "I''m not sure you have, you know what. We can just deal with this in person because obviously talking on the phone isn''t doing much. No matter what you say, we both know who is right and who is wrong in this situation. I''ll see you when you get home. Goodbye."

    He paused a little to let him respond before cutting the call. Their friendship wasn''t going to end just because of this conversation so he didn''t want to be more rude than necessary. They often had tiffs when they were younger, it had been too smooth sailing recently hence this situation. Rubbing his face, he suddenly felt a lot more tired both emotionally and physically.

    The day had started with his revenge on the Su family and up till now was going according to plan. Just once he felt like things were okay, this situation appeared out of the blue. Fate had a funny way of playing in his life, letting him be peaceful before starting a storm. The past couple days have been back to back incidents, half of which could have been avoided. It didn''t help that there was a nagging feeling in the back of his gut telling him that the worst had yet to come.

    Last night he had chosen the alcohol method of ''punishment'' and thought it had worked at the time. However, that obviously did not work so he was stuck thinking of another one. Its not like he wanted to ''hurt'' or literally ''punish'' Xi Long but he needed to shove the information into that stubborn man''s head. Shoving could be done literally if that would give him a higher success rate.

    There was a 80% chance their conversation tonight would end in another argument, one he could really do without. He didn''t know what Ying Ying had done to Wei so he wanted to pass off half of the attitude from their phone call on that. She did say that he would not be harmed so that only left a mental torture trick. Which easily could have left him in a bad mood and be the main reason he was so irritated on the call. He had chosen to wait a while before calling because of that, yet, maybe a couple more hours would have done him good. His hope was that by the evening and with more food in his system, the Wei he spoke to would be more receptive to the criticism he had to dish out.

    At this moment, he heard a buzz from his phone. It was a signal from his secretaries, it was a procedure put in place before they were allowed to approach his door. Usually companies would be fine with them knocking but he wanted to be extra sure that it was the secretary at the door. So he made them buzz him, wait for his confirmation verbally, then come over to his door.

    Despite everything that happened, he made his face back into its neutral state before speaking into the intercom. "Enter."

    His voice was curt and to the point, the voice and behaviour he used with Ying Ying was separate from how he treated other women. He knew how many of them joined this job in hopes of snagging someone rich or snagging the CEO - him, himself. It wasn''t just women, both women and men came with the same ulterior motives. Especially when they knew that Wei was openly gay, those with the same s.e.x.u.a.l orientation suddenly thought they had a chance. The way the company was set up, their hopes or misconceptions were quickly shut down early on in their job. Anyone who did try past the warnings, were quickly removed and black listed. It was an effective warning but he could never be too sure.

    Everyone who worked for him, regardless of branch, he treated fairly but with distance. There was no idea that all women or all men thought the same way. Until they showed behaviours acting like such, he would not take action. All he asked was for them to do their job and stay in their given position.

    With how he fired three secretaries the other day, another lesson was made. They were not allowed to stay after being disrespectful to their clients and unprofessional in general. Choosing to be this way to his Kitten made their crimes even more severe.

    ''They really chose the wrong person and the wrong day...''

 Chapter 180 - Rumours

    It had been days but he could still hear bits of gossip floating through the company regarding it. His staff knew better than to talk about things that happened on his floor, however, there was still talk internally. The secretaries spoke within themselves and gathered their own theories on what was happening. He had no intention of being too harsh or ''denial'' this time, purely because he wanted them to believe it was true. His lack of reaction would be enough signal for them to keep it going but he would have Shufen1  threaten them to keep it within themselves.

    That way Shufen could both confirm the rumours and threaten the secretaries in lieu of him. It would at least mitigate them screwing up again in front of his Kitten. That would be best for them and for keeping their job. An added benefit as well would be crushing any lingering hopes in them. He had no idea which one of them felt like they had a chance but this rumor should kill that feeling quickly.

    It was a bit frustrating since he wanted the rumour to go company wide but he could not o that yet. They weren''t stable and that would attract too much attention towards Ying Ying. He had already caused an issue with her privacy, tagging her with him publicly would only make it worse. He had an expectation that one day they would be public, but that was no where in sight. Not even considering her problems, it would also be more difficult for him logically to be this open. That would add the extra stress of worrying about her safety and her being trapped in any extra schemes on account of him. There was no way his enemies would let this ''golden egg'' go so easily, it was too good of an opportunity.

    Regardless of what the relationship was, people usually saw women as a weakness to a man. A lot of the higher officials in this city had mistresses and they weren''t the ''strong'' type. No research would be done before they captured whatever figurative women he had. Ying Ying was strong and he knew she could take care of herself to a limit. Yet, he didn''t know her limit or in general, wanted to be the cause of any potential danger.

    So his mind and heart were at loggerheads, one wants to be open the other closed until further notice. It was also quite early in their relationship for him to ''tag'' her too him, he was just in a rush to stake some sort of claim. It was interesting to note how much he changed internally after meeting her and the possessiveness that emerged. There wasn''t too much time to ponder over it extensively, but he did catch himself a few times just noticing his behaviour. It felt both unnatural and natural at the same time.

    The knock came at his door signalling that someone was outside. It was also the cue for him to stop his trail of thoughts and focus on work again. He had to finish up whatever they had quickly so he could get home to Zhuang Wei. There was an extra amount of work with taking on some of Wei''s tasks that he left behind, just some finishing touches to contracts. However, that itself warranted another hour of his time because of how careful he had to be. It would of course go through their team of lawyers before being sent to the external party. That being said, it was more efficient for him to be certain of the contents before hand, it ensured that he was aware of everything being given out. There was always this suspicion he had that made him doubt their contracts and what an employee could slip in without his notice. Especially, if they had the power of a lawyer on their side, it would be easier to screw him over.

    Logically, he should delegate more work but there was still parts of him who d?s?r?d to be in control. Building up Xi Corporation was not easy at all and their enemies were starting to stir again. Hence he was a bit more one edge than usual. Wei had mentioned a couple of things were circulating and he saw some targets move in sketchy ways. He had a feeling that they would need to take action by this weekend, there were only two days left if that were so.

    That triggered another sigh to flow through his body and he rubbed his eyes for the 300th time today. The knock resounded on the door again and he spoke out loud to let them in.

    "Come in."

    After his call, a woman promptly entered his office with a stack of documents in her hand. Looking up briefly he verified that it was one of his secretaries, her name was Jenny in the workplace. She was one of their foreign intakes so she had spent a lot of time using her english name around the office. Her image was the typical secretary visual, crisp business shirt and a pencil skirt. Her outfits were usually paired with her signature glasses and black heels, she was the most competent one of out of the three he had on this floor.

    She walked over quickly and dropped the files onto his desk in a quiet manner.

    "Hello sir, here are some documents Secretary Shufen had asked me to pass over. It was remnants of last week that apparently need a second look. I am not aware of what the contents are but from the general outlook, I believe these are the requested Director''s proposals."

    "Alright, did he pass another message with that? Or do you know where he is?"

    Li Shufen was his most trusted aide and the head of the secretaries. Due to this, there was always something he needed to do and he himself, did not always know where he was headed. He would appear when needed and disappear like a shadow for other things.  Li Shufen - Our favourite secretary, he''s been out of the scenes for a while but is still a cutie

 Chapter 181 - The Package Pt.1

    "Sorry sir, he did not inform me. However, on the schedule there is a site inspection listed that he may have gone out to confirm. There has been some issues with the supplier so he had to come in person sometime this week, he may have gone today. I can call him and verify his location if you need?"

    "No, that''s fine. I will speak to him later. Is that it?"

    "Yes, one second." She paused and he saw her pull out a small package from behind her clipboard. It wasn''t larger than a standard 8"11 printer paper but was wrapped in a thin yellow material. There was a slight crinkly noise as she moved it around, almost like bubble wrap inside. The noise ended as soon as she eased her grip on the package and placed it onto the desk.

    "You received this package, I was not able to verify who the sender was. We ran it through security and there seems to be no unusual substances or dangerous items inside. Thought I should hand it to you directly for further investigation. If you have any further orders please let me know."

    "No, that''s fine. I''ll call you if there are any further actions, thank you. You may leave." She did a curt nod before exiting the office. Her leaving was b?r?ly noticed by him as he stared at the mystery package on his desk. For the sender to be unknown was of course suspicious but that could not be the only reason for him to doubt the integrity of a simple package.

    At the company, they had a bunch of security measures in place with regards to packages. The smallest consequence would be that they tore up a document. An extreme consequence would be that there was a bomb or something explosive inside of it. Hence, early on he implemented a system where packages had to be put through multiple screens before reaching him. They were accepted outside the main building and then went through the formal procedure. He spent a fair bit of money collecting different softwares and technology that could help ''beef'' up his security system.

    Currently, they had technology similar to those at airports. They could scan the packages with x-ray vision and check if there was anything hidden within it. Just by looking at the edges or the consistency of the contents, one could determine what was hidden beneath it. A lot of people have developed their hiding skills to another level that without these machines, you would not be able to catch on to what is inside. They mainly were techniques used in smuggling of illegal substances like drugs and weapons. It had gotten so creative that border officials had to quickly advance their technology to match everything and be more careful with what they let through.

    A quick payment was all it took for him to gather their training information and buy a couple of the machines for himself as well. Everyone who joined their security department was trained to be at an elite level and did fairly well at protecting the headquarters from danger. The package in front of him had gone through an x-ray, immigration officer level analysis, and been tested for any poison or radioactive substance. The fact that it was allowed upstairs to him meant that it was seemingly ''safe'' for now.

    So far, the ones he had received had rarely been dangerous. Some of them were propositions from random people or general seasons greetings. That being said, he should feel calmer about the one in front of him but his gut instinct was telling him a different story. Just by going off of the last twenty-four hours or even the last two, there was no way he had something good coming for him.

    Picking up an envelope cutter he moved the package around his desk trying to see if anything would move. It was slight pushes from different sides but no other noise could be heard from inside. There was just the scrape of the package against his desk, it was a thin material but rough in texture.

    Deciding to bite the bullet, he reached forward to the package and flipped it over in his hands. Jenny had placed it upside down so he wasn''t able to see the front of the envelope and what was written.

    Mr. Han - CEO

    Xi Corporations HQ

    XXXXX Street XXX, City B

    XXX XXXX

    It was hand written in block style letters, as if it was typed out. He did not recognize the handwriting so it wasn''t that striking to him. Other than those words, there was nothing on the package left to indicate who it was from. It was a bit weird that someone sent a package for him in the regular mail and just directed it with his full legal name and title next to it. The way it was written gave a distant feeling so it definitely wasn''t someone he was close to.

    Flipping the envelope cutter in his hands, he slipped the sharp edge under the fold and dragged it to the right. There was a clean line from the blade as it ripped through the package. Just as he had expected there was a thin layer of bubble wrap inside. Holding it at a distance from his body, he gently opened up the slit he created.

    ''What is this....?''

 Chapter 182 - The Package Pt.2

    There was a smaller envelope inside that seemed to be holding a letter. He couldn''t be too sure of what was inside but the width of it was very thin. It was a beige envelope that, again, did not have any addresses written upon it. Putting the package back down, he reached into a drawer to pull out a plastic bag. He spread it out and placed it on his table, this was a preventative measure. Yes, the package had been cleared by security but there could still be some tampered items.

    With that ready, he reached down to pull out latex gloves. He was doubtful that someone would send this package and not try to poison him via dusting powder. That''s why he covered his hands before pulling out the envelope. He placed it into the plastic bag and stared at the extra item inside the package with confusion.

    The item was small enough to fit behind the envelope and be completely hidden. It was, at most, the size of his thumb. The exterior looked cheap and clunky, similar to a plastic material. Shaking the package, he listened to the sound of it before dropping into the plastic bag. He wanted to see if there would be anything inside it or if it was hollow inside. There were just a million and one questions running through his head on what could be inside.

    He shook it quite aggressively but there wasn''t any particular sound coming from it. There wasn''t much else he could do, so he just dropped the item like normal. Once the item hit the bag, the light in his office helped discern the item more.

    It was similar to plastic like he ?ssumed but slightly thicker. Like it was a mix between plastic and metal but still cheap. The shape of the item resembled a dinosaur or a carnivorous animal.

    ''What kind of child play is this....''

    The shape of the item was so peculiar that it had to hold another meaning. Imagining any enemy of his sending something in a dinosaur packaging or animal packaging was just ridiculous. It was also another indicator that the package was not normal. A child would not go to such lengths to send his something nor did he have any relation to children. There were a few charity projects his company handled, but rare that he was directly involved. As in, his face would not be attached to the project as much as their outreach director.

    Just putting aside the way it look, appearance was the least of his concerns. It added more questions and information, but it being ugly didn''t really bother him. Picking it up in his hands, he moved it around trying to see if there was a point to push or break. It took a couple of seconds before he was able to find a slight indent carved into the edge of the item.

    The ident was a deliberate mark, meaning that whoever sent this was very careful and strategic. Going through so much work just to hide it in such a weird way was all part of a master plan. Pushing into it with the pads of his thumb, the item split into two pieces.

    Because he wasn''t holding onto the middle, when he opened the item another small item fell out of it. Just by looking at it, he could tell it was a usb chip which sent him on high alert. A usb was often used to transport information on a day to day basis. Work files, documents, movies even could be transported on a usb for ease of access.

    However, it could also be used for malicious things just as easily. The curiosity of what was on the usb was eating into him a bit but there wasn''t anything he could do at the moment. If the sender was ?ssuming that he would just plug it into his computer like an idiot, they were dead wrong about him. It was basic reasoning that the usb could have a virus on it and it could only bring him harm if connected to an active computer. If such a thing were on the chip, there would be no way for him to fight it or stop the damage before it became big.

    Just a couple seconds was all it took for a virus to steal all his information. Especially, if it was plugged into his computer and under his access powers. Viruses directly embedded into the mainframe from a higher access computer were dangerous. He had created multiple security measures on his personal computer and had it tested quite often for strength. Yet, none of that made him feel invisible or confident about his systems. It was just enough that no one could break into his office and try to do something.

    That all summarized meant that this usb would not be coming any closer to his computer and would have to be tested on a dead one. By dead, the computer would an older version of computers that had virtually nothing on it. Most viruses were compatible or better suited for the latest technology. By using it on a lower tier computer he could limit the effects of the virus. That was all ?ssuming it did have a virus but there was this weird feeling that the chip held a lot more importance.

    It just made no sense that someone would send this all without context. No direct poison, no dangerous powders or substances detected by his mailing, and no return address or instructions. If it didn''t directly have his name on it, he would doubt that the package was even for him.

    Dropping the chip back into its container, he closed it and gently placed it into the plastic bag. Moving it to the side, he picked up the envelope he had previously set aside. Patting it, there was no obvious bulges or sharpness from inside. It was completely flat to touch which made him feel that it was a letter.

 Chapter 183 - The Package Pt.3

    Taking the letter opener, he sliced it through the top to create another opening. It was a smooth cut and thankfully did not cut into the letter directly. The ''letter'' was around 8"11 but folded in half to fit inside the envelope. Sticking his index finger and his thumb inside, he gripped it by the fold and pulled it out. The fit was a bit tight, but he was able to grab it out without any tears.

    Due to his gloves he couldn''t feel the material directly, but the paper felt tough. Almost like card stock which was a fairly easy paper to purchase. If it had been more special, he could have had the paper sourced and potentially narrow down who the sender was. The chances of the sender giving him that opportunity was low, but the thought still crossed his mind.

    Fully opening the letter, he was careful to do it over the plastic bag. Just in case something fell out that he did not sense, then at least he could contain it within a bag. All of these actions were precautionary in measure but as he expected, there was nothing inside. With that set aside he could finally focus on the letter and what was written inside. The instant the writing entered his eyesight his eyebrows rose in surprise.

    He had expected a couple of things when he first noticed that it was a letter, none of which matched what he was seeing right now. Since the cover had been in typewriter style then it was an automatic ?ssumption that the letter would follow. However, the letter had chosen a completely different route to what he would consider ''cheesy.''

    Internally, he was on high alert up to the letter, but the style of writing made him take it less seriously.

    ''Why would they choose to do this?? How many films have they watched?''

    A chuckle lingered in the back of his throat and almost slipped out. The letter was on cardstock and there was such a build up for this mystery person to send a magazine cut out of letters. It looked like your typical threat in an 80''s thriller. Pieces of magazines were cut out for each letter and were then glued to the paper to form the sentences they wanted. The letters were in a range of colours from green to purple and varied in size as well. He didn''t even read what the letters were saying since the font itself had stumped him for a couple of seconds.

    The sender''s image in his mind had shifted from someone careful and near his age to a bit older. Either they were older or/and being dramatic was a preference. They were probably into films or it played a huge part in their life for this to be their first choice of communication. If it were true, the rest of the package would fall into line with that theory. A animal usb, no return address, a thinly veiled threat, all of these were typical movie tropes. No specific movie title came into mind but he knew that there were at least ten that matched that plot line.

    ''Guess my life is filmy enough to receive shit like this now��.''

    He was curious more than anything to know who the mystery person was. However, he had more than enough things on his plate before this came off as ''immediate'' and ''important.'' Just as he had finished a call with Ying Ying then a call with Zhuang Wei, both of which did not necessarily go well. Then he was faced with this package with someone trying to play Mr. Stealth. He did not have the time or d?s?r? to give it the attention the sender ?ssumed it needed. His current plan was to drop it off to one of his subordinates and have them investigate further. There was one guy he felt like would be best for the job, his name was M for short. He of course had another legal name but preferred a code name when speaking to him. Whatever name he wanted to be called was not a problem, if he wanted to be called grass feeder, he would be fine with that as well. What he valued about M was that he was good at his job and had a fair bit of nifty skills that helped him out. Things like item sourcing, history of unidentified objects, computer hacking, were all trades under his belt. The sentence "Jack of all Trades, Master of None" was the best way to describe M to another.

    This usb could be just enough for him to keep busy and earn the pay that he was given. It had been a long time since he had caught up with M and inquired on the previous ?ssignments. This situation was beneficial since it was the reminder he needed to go back to M and check up on things. It would also be nice if M could take the ?ssumptions he had about the sender and verify or veto them.

    His deductions seemed useless at first glance, since he technically had nothing really to go off of. Yet, they helped narrow down the suspect list. Figuring out criminal psychology and behaviour patterns were an integral part of war. Just by knowing a couple of things about them, you could use them to strategize against your enemy. When someone said ''knowledge was half the battle'' they weren''t lying in the slightest.

    He had a strong feeling that whatever he received today would not be an easy fix or a simple matter. No matter how childish he found the methods, an enemy was an enemy who he had to watch out for. Rubbing his eyes, he stopped his trail of thoughts and refocused on the letter in his hand.

    It started off with the formal introductions, which added to the weirdness of it all. In what he ?ssumes his a threat or warning, what was the need for manners?

    "T O  M r HaN  xILOnG, YoU hAvE��.."

 Chapter 184 - The Package Pt.4

    "T O  M r HaN  xILOnG, YoU hAvE��.."

    "F*ck this is going to be annoying." It wasn''t necessarily hard to read but he was having an aneurism going through it. He couldn''t take it seriously nor could he stop reading, despite the ?ssault on his eyes.

    YoU hAvE tEN dAyS tO rESpOnd, iF yOU dONt tHeN yOu LEave mE wItH nO cHoiCe. It WILL bE tOO lAtE to rEgRet anYthIng. WHat YoU hAve DoNe, wILL hAve RetribuTion.1

    dO yOu WanT to Hear A STorY - A prisONer is tOLd: "If you tell a LIE, we will HANG yoU aNd if You teLL THE truth, we wiLL shooT yOu" WHaT diD thE prisOner sAy to saVe hiMself?

    WhAt woUld yoU chOOse Mr. Han XI LoNG, I wOndEr. EVen WiTH tHis leTTer do You KnOw wHO I aM? I kNOW wHO yoU arE buT thAt wAs a STateD fAct anyWays.

    I aM the reason you rUn. I am the reason you scrEam. I am the cause of your pAin. I am a cage froM which you will never be frEE.

    SEE yOu SooN.

    Just off the bat, the letter was supporting his dramatic or cinema theory heavily. In such a short letter they had included a fair bit of dramatics and strong verbiage. It was such a thinly veiled threat and had an express deadline on it for ten days. Maybe the sender ?ssumed that he wasn''t going to take care of it or look into the letter further in the time given to him. Of course any preliminary search would be taken into consideration, however, he could feel the confidence reek off the letter.

    It could be his biased vision now that he has an opinion on the sender. Yet, his gut instinct was telling him that he wasn''t too far off from the mark. The sender was very confident that he would not be able to find him within ten days and that whatever punishment they intended was going to happen. There was actually no really belief behind the first sentence, it was more mocking than anything. To ask someone to respond within ten days as the introduction and close with "see you soon" was pretty self-explanatory.

    The idea that he, would spend time searching to no avail then surrender to this ''fate'' was intoxicating to an enemy. He didn''t need to hate himself or be an actually enemy to understand this specific thought process. People knew that he tended to be more violent and psychological with his targets. Part of it was because it was the most logical and effective methods in torture. The other, was due to the sadistic streak than runs through him. It wasn''t the most appealing trait but he didn''t detest that part of him. How much it helped him harden his heart and understand other people like him, only he knew the benefits.

    They also taunted him with the fact that they were an unknown ?ssailant. The "I know who you are, do you know who I am" bit was to make him agitated and on guard. Nothing was scarier than an unknown enemy. Though, it wasn''t the first ''faceless'' person they had that decided to target him. He wasn''t sure if the goal was his life or something within his possession, yet there wasn''t much difference regardless. They wanted something and he had it.

    There were a lot of thoughts racing through his mind and he casually reread the letter over a couple of times. By the third time, he had the words memorized and could recite it with his eyes closed. A lot of angles could be seen in the letter and a lot of theories, however, for some reason his mind was stuck on two specific sentences.

    "A prisoner is told: If you tell a lie, we will hang you and if you tell the truth, we will shoot you. What did the prisoner say to save himself?"

    and

    "I am the reason you run. I am the reason you scream. I am the cause of your pain. I am a cage from which you will never be free."

    Both lines could be passed off as theatrics or a false sense of intelligence. On the other hand, if you were to take them literally they are ''hidden eggs.'' Using the format of a riddle or poem they can give hints but remain hidden. He held a suspicion that this was a hint given to him by the mystery sender. Trying to crack whatever code it was would be difficult and meaningless if he didn''t know how to use the answer.

    There was definitely more to the sentences and he couldn''t leave it alone. He would have to inform Zhuang Wei and alert their subordinates to look out for something unusual. No matter what was coming or who this was, it was best to be prepared. Decoding the letter would have a ten day deadline, if he couldn''t, then...it was a bridge he had to cross when it came. Of course, there was also the probability that this was a shitty joke or attempt by someone lower to stress him out. His gut instincts were the biggest sign that things weren''t as simple and was the main reason he took it more seriously than usual.

    The usb and letter should be handed over today before he met up with Zhuang Wei. If he didn''t give it today and based on today''s events, there was no ?ssurance tomorrow would be peaceful.

    It was a bit awkward that he had to both ''punish'' Zhuang Wei and get his support tonight. The punishment being something that he hadn''t decided on and was still stuck debating on. For the first time in years, he wish that time would move slower so he could avoid tonight for a bit longer. Another hour had passed during the time he had gone over the package, leaving only four more hours till the work day was finished. Five and a bit till he had to see Zhuang Wei.  The words are written this way to mimic what the cut out letters look like. They are often different sizes and cases.. I hate the way it looks too, that''s why I made it shorter.

 Chapter 185 - Hidden Door

    Picking up the bag from the desk, he was careful to make sure every item fell inside and no dust travelled out onto him. Shaking it lightly over the carpet, he tied it tight and then placed it on the floor a couple feet away from his desk. It was close enough that he could grab it but far enough that he wouldn''t accidentally knock into it. He was about to dust his hands when he remembered that there were gloves on his hands. Pulling it from the bottom edge, he took each of his hands inside out so that nothing would touch his b?r? hands. Wrapping them within each other he pulled out another bag and disposed it inside.

    Thankfully he had lysol wipes on hand so he cleaned whatever part of his desk that could be contaminated. That process only took a couple of minutes before he was satisfied and throwing them into the same disposal bag. He could technically place it in his normal garbage but again, was being overly careful. If it was laced then it would be a biohazard to throw it into the garbage. Then the garbage bin would need to be thrown out properly, whichever cleaner touches it would need financial compensation, etcetera. Just one action to him had both logical and financial worries.

    Everything on his desk was clean and anything contaminated was disposed. The only thing dirty left was him, holding his hands upwards he walked towards the left of his office. He hadn''t had time to show Ying Ying this part of his office but it came in handy for times like this. The room was spacious enough that no one considered a hidden room. Most CEO''s or president office''s had a separate bedroom available for use. Some chose to make it hidden like him and the others didn''t care to hide it directly putting a door.

    He of course was not one to do that nor did it fit his office aesthetics. The bedroom was a place to rest and if anyone attacked, a secret base to hide out in. There were no seems in the wall for anyone to notice that there was in fact a hidden door behind it. Once you were close enough to the wall you could begin the motion password to open the passageway. It was similar to the one at the information guild but entirely different pattern. This was a lot simpler in comparison because it only involved him tapping against the wall and floor. The password was a short but repetitive motion between tip and heel. One tap on the floor, two taps against the wall in his heels, then another tap at the wall with the tip of his foot, ending in stomp on the floor. These motions were deliberately chosen because they could be incorporated into a conversation easily.

    He could lean against the wall and just do the first motion casually. No one would even notice that it was something specific since people leaned against a wall with one leg up often. A kick towards the wall could be done in frustration or to get dirt off the bottom. The stomp even could just be him shaking his leg or trying to see if there was a rock in his shoe. He could pretend there was a bug and kill it with a stomp. So many reasons and all of them were easy to explain. The additional benefit was that since they were easy to explain and were such boring actions, no one would look at it differently. Sure if you were paying extra attention to him and then the wall opens up you would see the connection. However, there was a final step to unlock the door that ?ssisted in distancing the actions from a ''password.''

    The stomp was technically the last step in the password, however, there was one more action to open the door. It was just unlocked but not prompted to open. Hidden doors like this with no handle had an automatic function so it opened without physical ?ssistance. The last movement was just him dragging his foot against the floor for around ten centimetres. All of these movements combined in front of the left wall at a specific spot would allow for the door to open. He hadn''t told any of his staff except Shufen the code so it was extra safe and secure.

    With the last movement the door made a small creak sound and opened inwardly. The white wall gave away to a fairly spacious room and the lights inside automatically turned out with the motion. It was energy conservative so they only turned on when there was motion inside, which was another convenient feature for him. They could be manually turned off but they made sure that no light escaped from the space when it was on. So there wasn''t a worry with someone outside catching any light from the walls and subsequently give away the location.

    He entered like usual and walked inside just enough to close the door behind him with his foot. Once the wall was back in place he headed towards the bathroom and immediately washed his hands. The bathroom had a cool light and functioned like the rest of the room with automatic lights. It had a small standing shower, a toilet, a sink, and a medicine cabinet for an ?ssortment of ailments.

    They were never sure what could come in handy so from cough syrup to specialized poison control, they had it on hand. He quickly used the hand soap and sanitizer to fully cleanse his hands. There was a towel on the side that he used to dry his hands before he placed it into the dirty laundry hamper. The room and laundry were cleaned occasionally so there was no worry of any mold or smell developing. Another set of towels, clothes, and personal items were always stocked in the room. So he didn''t have to worry about throwing something into the hamper and having nothing to change into.

 Chapter 186 - Finally Finishing Work

    Since it was a secret room there wasn''t a huge amount of space but it was adequate for him. He found it rather spacious but that was due to the layout and using each inch efficiently. The room was decorated in shades of grey, black, and white. It was monotone but gave off a clean vibe and blended harmoniously. A small queen size bed was in the middle with a small desk next to it.

    The desk mainly held a mini lamp and a small gun was taped under it. Across from the bed and table was a wooden closet. Inside it were some extra work clothes, und?r??rm?nts and personal clothes that he could change into. Excluding things he could wear, he also kept an emergency rations kit and more ammo for his weapons. He always carried something on him, a weapon was never too far out of reach. Considering that, ammo was also never too far away from him as well.

    Everything seemed to be in order and Shufen hasn''t come in since the last time it was cleaned. Only after ascertaining that everything was in order did he let himself relax for a second.. The room was soundproof so if he need to therapeutically yell that was also possible. However, considering on edge he has been the yell had no chance of coming out.

    Glancing down he debated on his outfit and if he should change.

    ''I''m going to see M right after this and his work station is always a mess. This suit might get ruined as soon as I enter....''

    He had made the mistake one too many times with his clothes and visiting M. It was an expensive mistake since every outfit had to be professionally cleaned or was discarded. He didn''t mind the cost as much as he hated M laughing at his misfortune. The man was a psycho and his mind worked in a strange way, watching people ruin their clothes repeatedly was entertainment for him. A sigh left him before he started taking off his clothes.

    "Let me just save the trouble and have him ruin this one instead."

    While speaking he directly pulled out some clothes from the personal section of his closet. He chose some black trousers and a green v-neck before dropping it onto his bed. The bu??ons of his shirt took a couple of seconds to remove before he tossed it aside. His pants quickly followed before he slipped onto the outfit he chose. Folding the used clothes he left it on the bed and was about to leave the room when he was reminded of his shoes. His business shoes would definitely not handle where he was going and he had to change them as well.

    Digging back into the office he pulled out some black runners and quickly tied them on.  They weren''t the regular run of the mill runners either but ones that had been modified for his use. One time he had stepped onto a nail and it went straight through his shoe and partially into his foot. Thankfully he had not put his foot down completely and pushed it through his foot. Since then, he reinforced his shoes with metal plates and some protection against random sharp objects. Made the shoe a little bit heavier but a lot safer. It acted as training for his feet in terms of weight but also made him confident to walk anywhere with the shoes.

    The new outfit took him further out of his working mood but he had no chose but to return. Exiting the room was a quicker action and was just reverse the entry password. He could check the video surveillance to see if anyone was inside but he had already locked the front door before going in. No one could enter unless he himself allowed it or they broke in by brute force.

    Leaving the room it was as if he never left if not for the change in clothes. Plopping back into his chair he glanced at the time and saw that there were only a couple hours left. Considering the minimal time he had left, it was just enough for him to look over some major files and sign off on some projects. Pulling out the files he needed to check today, he pushed everything else back into his drawer and left it for tomorrow. Focusing on the stuff in front of him was tiresome but he managed to get through them undisturbed.

    Considering the back to back ''events'' in his life, it was a bit surprising that the work day ended peacefully. Just a few hours of nothing going on but some boring documents reduced his stress by at least 20%. When you spend years being under certain pressures and threats, the minimal hours you get of normalcy you learn to enjoy. Signing off on the last file, he closed the folder and stretched his body. It was a bit stiff after sitting for so long and a cracking sound followed each stretch.

    Grabbing his coat, phone, keys, the files, and the plastic bag he quickly exited his office. The room door locked instantly behind him and he slowly walked over to the secretaries in front of the elevator. Dropping the files onto one of their desks, he nodded a simple greeting - "good evening" before heading into an open elevator. He didn''t need to give any further instruction on what he gave them, the files were self explanatory and they were trained for it. They needed to be passed over to the relevant departments and any revisions would be drafted by them before sending out.

    If any of them noticed his change in clothes, none of them made their reactions obvious. It wasn''t a regular occurrence for him to appear in other clothes but it wasn''t entirely uncommon. He knew that there were rumours about it and questions about if he changed in the middle of his office. There was some gossip from the lower department women who wanted to watch. It was somewhat hilarious when he first heard the commentary from Shufen but chose not to clear it up. What he could do anyway? Tell them there was a secret room?

    It was just easier to let them think he changed in the middle and let their imaginations run wild. Thankfully no one had tried to sneak cameras or themselves into the room to watch yet. Though with his luck he wouldn''t put anything past his staff or people in general.

 Chapter 187 - Winter Is Coming

    There had been a couple of break ins within the time he has had an office here, all of which were quickly cleared up. None of the people that had been captured had an ulterior motive outside of business secrets. The other reassurance he had was that his secretaries and staff had more than enough benefits that they wouldn''t take random risks.

    Yes, some of them aimed for a higher seat and specifically the seat that was next to him. However, behaviour like that was easily caught and they would be blacklisted immediately from the corporation and any subsidiaries. There have been more than enough examples to scare any future attempts. Even without that extra motive, the benefits are higher than other secretaries in the industry. That belief and the strict surveillance they had on everyone is what has kept him and his secret room working perfectly.

    Entering the elevator, he took it down bottom floor and made his way towards the carpark. The underground carpark was to the side of the building and was connected through a a long corridor, double set of doors, and a pass only security system. It didn''t take him more than eight minutes for him to make it into the car lot. This was one reserved for employees only that worked in this building and any important guests that were given a pass.

    The other individuals and visitors were forced to park in their public parking surrounding the building. This just made it easier for employees to get to work and security to keep an eye on everything. Each car was registered with the company so that at all times they would know who''s car belonged to who. He''s the one who requested this and most of the employees had no problem providing that information. The parking was free and information of their vehicle was the least of their worries.

    "Now where did I park today?"

    He paused for a couple of seconds in the middle of the lot. Everyday he parked in a different spot and sometimes he forgot where exactly that spot was.  Usually in these parking lots, there were reserved seats for the upper management. It was to ensure that there was at least one space saved for the executives and no extra time was wasted on finding a spot. That was the norm in most companies and theirs only had reserved spots for guests, individuals with disabilities, and a select group of executives.

    Zhuang Wei and him both parked sporadically within the parking lot and didn''t care to have a spot dedicated for them. It also threw off anyone who wanted to track their car, which is why they changed the model of car they brought to work from time to time.

    It took a couple of more seconds till he found the familiar black car and license plate number in the far left corner. Within those seconds he felt a slight chill in the air that was creeping into his clothes. His current outfit was thinner than his previous suit and the car lot was always a cold sterile place. The chill also reminded him that winter was slowly but surely getting closer.

    The past couple of weeks had been so busy that the change in seasons slipped his mind. It didn''t have much of a difference in his life other than adjusting his movements with the weather. The colder it gets, the more chances people had to attack him and things like following people would be harder. Since the marks of their footsteps would stay on the snow or ground, trying to wipe them away would make it even more obvious too.

    The more general concern was that he needed to dress warmer and accordingly, the image of a woman passed through his mind.

    It was interesting that she came up in his mind as soon as he thought about winter. It was a harsh season, reminded him of the darker times in his life. No matter how many years past, the chill of the cold and the memories of when his life fell apart replayed on a loop.

    Now, there was slight warmth from what he could expect this season. The image of her spending time with him in front of warm fire was a desirable image. He had no idea if that would ever come into fruition but it was nice to imagine. It would be the first Christmas that he would have a female companion by his side to celebrate the holiday with.

    There hasn''t been a christmas tree in his house for many years and any festivities were at Zhuang Wei''s house. He was thankful that they had allowed him to celebrate with them but it wasn''t the same feeling as being with your own family. They were family of course, he cared for them deeply but other than Zhuang Wei they weren''t his "family" in the same regard.

    Ying Ying was a new introduction into his life and was the first genuine connection in eons. Spending time with a lover in Christmas was an experience he had heard a lot about but never experienced himself. There were many movies that detailed what it would look like, hot chocolate by the fire, exchanging gifts, decorating a tree together, etcetera.

    Of course, half of the things he saw may not happen and he wasn''t sure what his life would look like in a couple of months. Christmas was two months away and a lot could happen within that time. Would he even be in the same city? Would she? Would she have the time or maybe already had plans?

    He knew she wasn''t alone in this city, there was some team behind her who could be her friends. Maybe she would want to spend time with them but if he had his way...she would be his for the week. People celebrated Christmas for only a day or two, yet with her he would want the whole week as a holiday. Just them as a normal couple celebrating a common holiday.

    Which again was an idea for something that may not even happen. For now, the idea of Christmas with her although fleeting was more than enough to look forward to.

    "Christmas....christmas......you couldn''t come quicker."

 Chapter 188 - M Pt.1

    A smile crept up onto his face and a short chuckle left him. There was warmth inside him that made him forget the chill for a moment. Shaking his head, he looked around to make sure that no one caught him laughing by himself before moving again.

    Jogging towards his car, he warmed up the rest of his body while simultaneously lessening the distance quicker. The car park was empty so the sounds of his feet slapping against the concrete was the only sound you could hear. Quickly unlocking the car he slipped inside and locked the doors immediately upon entry. He paused in his seat and waited to see if anybody else would appear in the carpark.

    There could be someone hiding in the carpark but it was a low risk he didn''t worry about right now. The timing was odd and was a lot earlier than he usually leaves. Adding on, that security was extra tighter since Zhuang Wei''s fake gun incident. It was a stupid move on their part but it reminded him that security needed to be heightened for the parking lot. That section of their company wasn''t top priority for danger so it got adequate security but not maximum. To exert complete security and maintain it....that would be a waste of resources.

    The minutes he sat in the car went by quickly with no one appearing. He finally pushed his keys into the ignition and let the engine run for a couple of more minutes. The car had to be warmer for what he wanted to do. Between Zhuang Wei and him, they had multiple cars and different vehicles they could cycle between. They were untraceable or when traced went back to a third party identity not connected to them.

    However, there were a few cars that they had modified for convenience. One of which he was driving today and he was thankful that he chose it. This vehicle displayed itself as a lower end, common brand four-seater. It was black with tinted windows and no personal embellishments to let you believe it belonged to someone like him. These were the features that made the car inconspicuous but they were not the modifications he adored.

    Slightly to the right of the wheel, there was a small switch hidden behind it. Lightly flipping that switch would trigger a change in license plate on both ends. That way if he was in a chase or trying to evade the police for example, he could switch the license plate and escape their eyes. There was a total of five or six plates he could switch through at any given time. After a couple of months they switched the sets out with updated numbers and plates.

    Some were similar to each other and some were completely unique. The former was to confuse people and use the rationale that since the license number was so similar to what they were searching for, it was an easy mistake. In this situation, the person would usually feel apologetic or embarrassed causing them to let you go quicker. The latter, was just to evade them completely.

    The other modifications involve changing of the car''s colour, flipping the inside of the car to look like a different model, speed boosters, and special technology for any tricky situations. The technology advancements let him keep track of his surroundings, hack other computers, contact his subordinates through multiple towers, and watch other targets from his car. He could technically conduct a whole sting operation from his vehicle without anyone knowing.

    All these functions considered, it was the perfect vehicle to visit M with. It saved him the extra effort of going home, changing his car and then heading back out to M''s laboratory.

    Glancing at his rearview mirror, he made sure no one was behind him before pulling out of the parking lot. Hitting the road he drove at a steady pace and in random directions. It was a bit annoying to do this daily but it was another safety measure engrained him. After driving aimlessly for ten minutes he began increasing his speed and weaved in and out of traffic.

    M was a foreign born mixed Chinese man who lived in City A solely for the chaos. They had met years ago in South America and under extreme circumstances. It only took a gang showdown and a gun fight before he was enticed to follow him back. The man was anything but sane yet no one did his work better than him.

    For that alone, he was paid a hefty sum of money with additional perks he requested in the contract. One of which was a personal laboratory equipped with high tech machines and complete solitude. He could experiment in his free time and develop different gadgets for their use. They''ve had a couple of laboratories blow up so the current one was quite the distance from downtown. He had to drive forty-five minutes to the rural parts of town to reach the location.

    He looked to his right and confirmed that he brought the package with him before refocusing on the road. Turning on the radio he let the sound of the news filter through his ears as he drove on autopilot. It had been a month or so since his last visit but the drive felt routine.

    The views outside quickly went from building upon buildings to farm land and trees. At the forty minute mark the road started turning more bumpy and rough. The tires were getting ruined driving on the road and if his car wasn''t so modified the tire could have popped. It took five more minutes before he saw the shadows of the abandoned steel mill. The building was medium sized and had a gaunt image from outside. Parking his car behind some trees, he grabbed the bag and exited the car.

    There was a small walking trail he followed to the main entrance of the mill and he flipped open the switch pad to key in the password. The instant the door unlocked and he went inside, he could hear the sounds of something banging aggressively. It sounded like two pieces of metal were hitting against each other or someone was forging something.

    The sounds were loud and clear so it didn''t take long for him to follow it and find who he was looking for. The bangs got louder and louder as he walked but somehow over the noise his appearance in the building had been found out.

    A sudden silence took over the room as he entered.

    "What are you doing here?"

 Chapter 189 - [Bonus chapter]M Pt.2

    The voice that spoke out was just as gloomy and eccentric as he remembered. There was always a slight ''twinge'' in his voice when he spoke English, that was the best way to explain the pronunciation.

    M was foreign born but had a mixed upbringing with a Chinese mother and a European father. Growing up he spoke both languages, so he was fluent in Chinese and English. Yet for some reason, his pronunciation was ''off'' and made you believe he was from a different province. There was no problem understanding his words yet it made his voice particularly memorable.

    "Why, do you have a problem with me visiting?"

    His voice was light and monotonous, but the comedic tone was obvious. It was a love hate relationship between them where M hated to be disturbed during an experiment. Outside of that time the other couldn''t wait to experiment on him given the chance, hence the love.

    "If you have nothing to say you can leave."

    M''s body remained turned away from Xi Long while he spoke. Since he was hunched over Xi Long couldn''t see his expressions but judging by the noises before he came, he had interrupted something. However, that did not matter to him at the moment and he had no plans of leaving.

    "You sure that''s the way to speak to your boss?"

    "Boss my ?ss, I work with you not for you remember?" His voice held a snarky tone as he responded. There was nothing wrong technically, they did work together but it was obvious as the ''payer'' he was the employer.

    The last comment made M finally turn around and faced him. There was black oil smudged across his face but it did nothing to hide his features. Slightly tanned skin, medium build, auburn hair, grey eyes, and dark rings accompanying them.

    M''s father''s features blended in seamlessly into his face and took a back seat to the Chinese ancestry. Which, was the prominent holder of his face and identity just by visuals. Thankfully with society now any changes in his features like hair colour and eye colour could be explained by dye or contacts. It was also fashion to have your hair another colour such as brown. The change was strong enough to show your appearance but not too noticeable where you''d be considered weird.

    His clothes on the other hand, were casual mismatched items with a lab coat on top. He looked like a mad scientist with horrible fashion taste. Those choices he made with his clothes drew more attention to him than his features ever did.

    Ignoring what he already knew, looking at the oil stains and unknown smells in the air he could tell that something was being made. The temperature was quite high and made him sweat through his thin shirt. For the air to be that warm it meant that they were melting a metal down. The heat emitting from the kiln or whatever was being used, automatically changed the room''s temperature as well. Despite it being an abandoned factory with copious ventilation, the heat was too high for it to be natural.

    Switching the bag in his hands to his left, he leaned against the doorway as he stared on. The question on his lips hung in the air without him needing to verbalize it. M stared back at him and sighed before voluntarily answering.

    "I''m working on some new technology but couldn''t find the parts I wanted. So I''m in the middle of forging my own before you rudely interrupted me. I swear you have the worst timing from all the people I know. One degree variance in the temperature and the whole prototype fails, so will you tell me why you''re here or shall we continue this passionate eye contact?"

    "What''s wrong with a bit of passionate eye contact? Are you afraid you''ll fall for me?" A smirk graced his face as a result of teasing him.

    The response he expected was given immediately with a scoff of disgust.

    "Do you ever get tired of those comments? You have a stronger chance of growing a third arm before I fall for you? But your body....? You know that I''m more than happy to look....into that....." M''s eyes crinkled as a rare smile formed, he truly meant his words then.

    For some reason he was entranced by the idea of experimenting on human bodies, Xi Long''s being one of his ideal candidates. By some grace M was not the type to gather bodies unethically or by violent means. Him just suggesting Xi Long as a participant was as far as he''d go. The details around what experiments he wanted to pursue were undetermined but he had a feeling that they involved some dangerous technology and some invasive surgeries.

    "Okay okay enough of the jokes. I''ll ask you about whatever metal thing is behind you later but I brought something for you to check out." His voice switched back to a serious tone and his eyebrows furrowed in contemplation.

    Leaning forward he handed the plastic bag to M and went back to his original position.

    "What''s in it?"

    "That''s what I need you to tell me. I know physically what the contents are but not the meaning or what it holds. My company received a package today, it went through all security measures and there wasn''t anything overtly suspicious. However, the lack of return address was already enough to give me doubts. Inside you''ll find a weird usb in the shape of a animal and a shitty letter. The letter itself looks like something that came out of an 80''s thriller, has dramatic lines about coming for me and a couple of riddles embedded."

    "So its a threat? You get a lot of them what makes this one suspicious? A letter and usb isn''t enough for you to drive yourself all the way over here. Especially, not to me when I could be doing other things."

    "Well...I have a gut feeling this one isn''t so simple....."

 Chapter 190 - M Pt.3

    "...and why is that?" M''s eyebrow rose in response to Xi Long''s statement. After the years of knowing the man in front of him, he didn''t doubt his words but just wanted to know the reasoning. Threats were common for both of them so what made this one special? Of course, he was the one tasked with figuring out and he eyed the plastic bag with more curiosity.

    "I don''t know. I hope I''m just overanalyzing it but something about this package doesn''t seem right. The letter itself after being horrible on the eyes, spoke a lot on their personality. The phrasing doesn''t seem like a joke but more a pre-notice before something happens. My gut is telling me it isn''t simple hence me dropping it off with you."

    His grip on the bag tightened as he took in Xi Long''s words. If there was one thing that he learned about this man was that his instincts were crazy accurate. He usually had the mannerisms of a first generation heir, cold, serious, and upper class upbringing. Those were the main adjectives he used to describe him. However, all it took was one little fight to see that this man was everything but. If the country went up in flames, he would still be fine that''s the image he gave off.

    So imagine his surprise when he finally got to see Xi Long in action. He was unhinged and cruel....so very cruel when it came to fighting. Doing experiments and different scientific research, blood and violence wasn''t something that could phase him. With all that considered, he still thought that Xi Long was way more f*cked up than him. The eyes that normally looked upon you with cool disinterest changed into a caged animal. He never asked what made him that way, it didn''t really matter in his mind. Yet those experiences are what honed that man''s instincts and after so many shared battles together, he could tell they were legit.

    If Xi Long said something was up with this package, there was at least a 90% chance he was right. It wouldn''t hurt to take a look at it and there hasn''t been too much exciting things happening anyways. The time was about right for another incident to happen, the question just was who and when?

    Placing the bag on the table, he went to reach inside before a voice stopped him.

    "Wait, I haven''t cleared anything for drugs. I''d recommend gloves."

    M gave a dead pan stare back to Xi Long.

    "Is your security system so inadequate that they can''t even verify that? I don''t even know why you pay those buffoons so much money when they can''t even check this."

    "You''re still not getting more money from me"

    "...I''m still not wrong." He wasn''t embarrassed at his true intention being found out. Experiments and developing technology required money. He got resources and money working here but more money could never hurt. He wasn''t wrong anyways, the money really could go to better use with him than those shitty security people.

    "Why don''t you develop me some technology to check for all current drugs? We''ve got most of them uncovered but for new ones they aren''t on our system yet."

    "Do I get more money?" Turning back to Xi Long, his stance showed how much importance he put on money.

    "Have you finished your previous jobs? I remember I gave a couple extra thousands at your request, haven''t seen any results yet...." The tone was lazy and airy but the sentence threw the argument back onto him.

    He sneered and responded, "alright alright, you''re so annoying. I''ll look at it & get back to you whenever I have something." Grabbing a random pair of disposable gloves from his pants, he slipped them onto his hands. There wasn''t really anywhere to set the items other than the table so he stuck with that. A simple chemical wipe after that should be enough to get rid of whatever substance on it.

    Reaching inside, he pulled out the piece of paper first. Holding it within two fingers he looked at Xi Long for confirmation.

    "Yeah that''s the one."

    Opening it up, he immediately saw what they were alluding to. There were a lot of comments made about this letter being ugly and none of them were wrong. Slowly skimming over the contents there were a couple of points he found suspicious. The wording indeed was concerning with how arrogant they were. They weren''t just threatening them but confident their plans would be successful. That level of confidence meant there was something substantial brewing. Of course they weren''t omnipotent beings, not everything could be known ahead of time.

    Threats like these were what kept his days interesting and his eyes held a strange fervour at decoding it.

    "Okay I see what you mean by the letter, a couple of these sentences are riddles. Assuming you haven''t searched anything I can probably google it. If its common I''ll see the answer or at least get some history on it. If not, I''ll try to solve it myself but the answer could also be nothing related. We have to take in account that it might be a trap to waste our time, we only have ten days."

    "Ten days from when that letter was responded, I''m not even sure when that was. It arrived at our mailing facilities today so I''m giving myself at least 72 hours. That''s my timeline and yours is half of that to figure it out."

    ".....you don''t pay me enough for this." His voice was laced with irritation, yes he was interested but he was also in the middle of building new technology. That meant his work had to be put on hold for now and his previous flow had been interrupted.

    "Well...I actually do. Have fun, call me if anything." The smirk on Xi Long''s face echoed into his voice as he spoke his final greetings. Only the sound of his footsteps after could be heard as they walked out of the building. He didn''t bother to send him off and focused on the items in front of him.

    ''Which one should I start first?''

 Chapter 191 - Back to the Old Ways

    "Either way, check it out and let me know whatever you find as soon as possible. I usually have my phone on me, if I don''t answer Zhuang Wei is the best person to call. Even the slightest bit of information is crucial, especially the usb. Go somewhere far and test it out, I know you don''t need the reminder but spend more time on covering our tracks. I want to be extra cautious till I have any concrete leads. I''ll leave everything with you, I didn''t make any copies so just send me a picture of the letter later."

    "Alright, I''ll finish up around here then get to this. Wait for my call."

    "Great, I''m heading out now lock the door behind me. You''re way too relaxed in this building."

    "Yeah yeah, pay me more and I''ll upgrade the security. Shut up and leave already."

    Xi Long''s lips curved to the side before he shook his head lightly in amusement. There wasn''t a need for him to respond so he just turned around and left. It didn''t take long for him to leave the warehouse and make it back to his car. Thankfully, it was still light outside by the time he came out. There weren''t any clocks in that room and he hadn''t checked his phone so easily 30 mins to an hour could have passed by. So he was quite glad to see some of the sun still shining down.

    The commute back to Zhuang Wei''s house would be another forty-five minutes at minimum. The past day had been eventful but he had spent a lot of time debating Zhuang Wei. He had already mentioned to him that he would be coming over tonight and would be giving him a ''punishment.'' Not literally of course but he had to confront Zhuang Wei strongly tonight. There was no consideration of him letting it go since this was already the second mistake they had done. A normal chat paired with an alcohol ''punishment'' seemed sufficient enough, yet where did that bring him?

    It was partially his fault for letting the gun prank go so easily. He knew each time that Wei had his best interests at heart but the methods used were so bloody stupid. For him to be his right hand and lead of information, it was beneath him to make these sort of decisions. Yes, Ying Ying and him were new and there were multiple dubious points - he didn''t deny that. However, he could live not knowing everything for the time being, he had not intention of spilling his secrets either. It was a fair exchange of trust and Wei had overstepped it by going past him in such a dangerous way.

    The most frustrating part was that Wei denied doing anything wrong. Judging by his tone, he could feel a bit of resentment towards her. Wei had accepted her at the surface but rejected her at the core. He needed to explain everything clearly and knock it into their head tonight. Just so he can prevent any future issues.

    He figured that Wei would be heated tonight and probably wouldn''t be in the mood to talk. From their point of view, he was defending a random women over his best friend. Understandable, yet even from a neutral perspective it was obvious where the fault lies. His words could sound biased purely because he stood on her side this time. Which is why, he decided to duke it out with him the ''old'' way.

    They had gotten into fights multiple times in their lives, deep trust for each other didn''t equate to perfection. When they were young they had a special way of fighting and getting past their differences. They would fight each other till they were both bruised and drained of energy. At this time, their minds were the clearest and they talked through their differences. It was kind of weird to have a physical altercation as their peace method but it worked for them when they were younger. Adding on that the loser would have to accept whatever punishment the winner gave. It wasn''t ideal but was all he could think of for now.

    Driving around for the past forty minutes, he was lost in thoughts of what was to happen. Glancing at the dashboard he checked that it was still before 7 p.m. which worked in his favour. Taking a quick left turn, he switched out his path to head towards the nearest grocery store.

    He wasn''t too familiar with the area but had a faint recollection of a small store nearby to him. Going off on instincts, it took him an additional twelve minutes to get there. Finding an empty parking spot, he quickly parked and got out of the car with a mask on his face. He doubted that people would recognize him here but used a mask just to be safe.

    Jogging into the store, he felt the cool air of the store hit him immediately. Looking around he tried to guess which aisle would have what he needed. Seeing that some of the fresh produce was across the store, he sped towards it. There was an array of fresh fruits and produce littered across the section. Strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, green onions, potatoes, squash, tomatoes, everything was practically there. Yet what he wanted couldn''t be seen right off the bat.

    Due to the time of day he decided to go, there was already a bunch of people there shopping. They were probably just getting off of work and decided to stock up on some supplies before heading home. Or pick up some ingredients for dinner, either way there was a sufficient amount of people there.

    His eyebrows furrowed in annoyance since he expected this to be a short trip. Walking towards each portion he tried looking above them for what he wanted. It was tedious but he repeated this multiple times across the sections till a yellow brown colour caught his eye. Focusing in on it, he got closer to confirm that it was what he wanted.

    "Yes, this one is perfect."