London, The United Kingdom
The young kid changed the programming for one of the lines of the internal defensive systems to more completely protect information from the terrorist organization from leaking out. Chu Li knocked on the door and entered, and the young kid said, “What did my daddy say?”
“We’ve found Eleven,” Chu Li replied. Word of it had just come from Third Young Master Ye.
“Really?” The young kid’s eyes lit up.
Chu Li nodded solemnly. “Su Man and Anya encountered Eleven on the open seas. They might be heading to Riyadh where Jason is en-route to meet them.”
“That’s great!” The young kid clapped, not hiding the elation on his face. “What about auntie?”
“Wei Wei’s memory has been wiped. Based on what Third Young Master Ye said, let’s let things be for now and not interrupt Wei Wei and Mo Jue.” Chu Li grabbed a chair and sat next to the young kid. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t get what Daddy said.” The young kid frowned.
He was not the most adept at matters of the heart.
“So be it then. Let’s duke it out with the Mo brothers lest they assume we can be trifled with.” Chu Li harrumphed. “Oh, yes, did somebody attempt to access our internal systems?”
“Ah, yes. It was some rookie, but it was weird. Said rookie was not particularly skilled but managed to easily access it. The rookie seemed to be extremely familiar with our defenses and managed to crack them.” The young kid shrugged his shoulders.
“Did we intercept the attempt?”
“Naturally.” The young kid laughed arrogantly. “There is nobody I can’t intercept.”
Chu Li gently kneaded his head and laughed. “Some people are expected to take on our systems in the next few days. They’re rookies and should be easy-picking for you. I’m tired as heck these few days and will be taking Yan Yan for a vacation in the next couple of days. You’ll man the headquarters for that period of time.”
“…” Are you serious?!
The next day, Mo Jue left on a boat with Ye Wei. The island they were on was one of a few of their locations. The Mo brothers controlled many islands in the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans that were suitable for living. Two to three of these islands they controlled were extremely secluded and they stayed on them for a few days each. Mo Jue hence did not need to bring anything along as everything he needed was in the mansion. He only brought along important documents and left the island easily.
Three days after they left, Claire allowed Meng Lianying to be discharged. Meng Lianying looked forward to Mo Ye picking her up, but it was a pity that Mo Ye did not turn up as he was not feeling well and had a low-grade fever from a gust of wind the night before. Meng Lianying was extremely disappointed but did not show it. When Mo Ye returned to the mansion, she tried to be as normal as she could. As Mo Ye was clearly in discomfort, she gently checked in with him.
Meng Lianying had another nightmare in the night where she dreamed of the terrible days five years ago. She dreamed of a man with eyes as sinister as those of a snake that would not look away from her. “Yingying, go home!” he said evilly and coldly.
Meng Lianying was drenched in sweat and loudly screamed ‘no’ as she woke up. Meng Lianying’s shriek rang throughout the mansion in the night and she huddled up and turned on the light in panic. Her room then became as bright as day.
Her hair drooped down and was slightly unkempt. Her face was pale, and her eyes seemed unfocused as though she was in fear of something. She was also panting furiously and sweat beaded on her forehead. Meng Lianying’s eyes became red as she murmured, “Leave me alone. Leave me alone… No…”
She stuck her hands into her hair in panic as she curled herself up and shuddered like a wilted leaf in the wind. She had broken free from the organization for five years, but why could she still be located? Why?
No returning. No returning unless it was over her dead body… A chill ran through Meng Lianying’s heart as her thoughts were messed up. She had endured inhumanly for ten-over years and had had enough of it. How could she return to those days after being free from it for five years?
Go home?
She coldly smiled. Was that her home? She had lost her home since long ago, and wherever Mo Ye was became her home. How could she bear to leave her home and fall into hell?
Absolutely no!
When Meng Lianying received his call in the hospital that day, she hurriedly said no before ending the call and smashing the cell phone on the spot. What was most damning was how the cell phone was so hardy to the point she did not smash the cell phone despite using much force.
Its ringtone resonated in her ears like a deathly tone that scared her into a cold sweat while she looked at it in fear. She wanted to throw it away but thought about how people discovering it and picking it up would put her in even more dire straits.
Meng Lianying turned off the cell phone, never to turn it on again.
Her nightmares persistently followed her like a specter as she made the same terrible dream where he said, “Yingying, it’s time to go home.”
This single statement was even more terrifying and vicious than any other words. Meng Lianying lived in fear for the past two days, afraid of the demon coming out from her dreams and devouring her.
She felt that she was tortured to the point of going mad.
As she endured immense mental stress, she had to also endure the torturous nightmares of her past whilst also enduring the fear of Mo Ye leaving her anytime. Her life was once again disrupted by Ye Wei and Eleven.
The calm of five years was disrupted once again, and each disruption became even more immense than the other.
Five years ago, she managed to ingeniously disengage from her organization thanks to Ye Wei and Eleven. After five years of happiness, would she lapse into her horrific past because of them?
The same people who were behind her success were now behind her downfall.
She did not want it. Not an absolute bit of it.
The sound of a wheelchair could be heard at the door. Meng Lianying quickly wiped away the sweat on her face and freshened up. The door opened, and Mo Ye wheeled himself into the room. He wore a white sleeping robe that was loosely tied. His slightly long hair ended around his eyes and he seemed slightly younger than his stern self. The Mo brothers looked younger than their actual ages, but Mo Ye, who had a chilly cold persona and wore a stern look, seemed slightly older—that was if he did not trim his sideburns.
“What happened?” Mo Ye flatly asked.
Meng Lianying shook her head and smiled apologetically. “I had a nightmare. Did I wake you up?”
“No,” Mo Ye replied.
Her shriek was so shrill he had to come over to see what was going on. He thought something had happened. “Since you’re fine, rest early,” Mo Ye gently said and wheeled his wheelchair backward.
“Ye, wait…” Meng Lianying quickly got down the bed and sprinted to his side, holding his hand nervously while blushing slightly. “Ye, can you stay here with me tonight? I’m… a little afraid.”
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Mo Ye plainly replied. He seemed his usual self.
Meng Lianying blushed even more intensely and gritted her teeth. This was the first time she begged him to stay, and she felt extremely embarrassed. Mo Ye did not seem to understand how Meng Lianying thought and even pursued the question.
Meng Lianying smiled bitterly. It was not him not understanding, but him not wanting to understand as she was not the person in his mind.
“I’m afraid I’ll continue to have nightmares. You staying by my side gives me that peace of mind.” Meng Lianying had a saddened look in her eyes that was further blurred by her tears. When a woman showed her weakness and shed tears appropriately, even men would relent.
She had a look that was endearing from the onset, and no men would be able to resist her when she shed these tears of pity.
Mo Ye’s eyes were much darker and Meng Lianying could not tell what he meant. Did he agree or not? She was in trepidation, flustered, and had nowhere to hide. She could only allow her emotions to intersect right before him.
“Lianling…”
“Ye, please don’t turn me down. Please…” Meng Lianying seemed to be able to guess what he was about to say. Her tears fell down her cheeks and landed on her sleeve.
She was attractive in her pathetic state.
This was the most she could go.
Mo Ye looked at her solemnly and grabbed her hand. “Lianling, you will still have the nightmares you ought to have. Go rest,” he flatly said.
As he said, he pulled Meng Lianying’s fingers one by one away from his palm. Meng Lianying’s tears fell even more profusely. She long knew that Mo Ye’s heart had hardened and long thought that he would not be this vicious against her.
Little did she expect…
“Ye, don’t you love me anymore?” Meng Lianying asked amidst her tears.
Mo Ye frowned when he saw the tearful woman before him. He, for some reason, recalled the cold and strong woman from five years ago. If it was her… If it was her…
She wouldn’t cry, right?
That year, she back-faced him and walked in the snow with him as she covered him from the enemy’s attacks. He did not hear her lament about the agony and blame she had to endure.
He could, from the arrogance between the words, see a strong and independent woman who had a domineering streak.
That woman was leagues apart from the woman before his eyes.
Mo Ye closed his eyes and wondered to himself. What did he blindly believe all these five years? While he did have doubts, she was able to answer every doubt perfectly. He had his suspicions and then dropped them to only have them aroused. He was always distracted by the viruses in her.
Was she that woman?
If she wasn’t, how did she learn of everything? Who was the person he fell in love with then?
As he thought about it, the answer bobbed in his heart, screaming to make itself known. He, however, suppressed it for his dear life as whatever followed would be too much for him to handle.
What if she had lied to him? What if she had lied to him?!
Mo Ye’s gaze became vicious that very instant.
“Ye?” Meng Lianying called him in fear and trepidation. Mo Ye regained his senses and retracted his look. “It’s been late. Go rest,” he replied.
He then wheeled himself out of the door and returned to his room.
Meng Lianying, this time, did not stop him. She gently collapsed onto the floor, sitting down and softly sobbed…
