Yukira stiffened. He remembered the conversation he had with Jinhai that day in the office, where he told the truth about Huian.
After that day, Yukira thought about it a lot. The desire to become strong like Jinhai took root in his heart. He also wanted to protect Nana, just like Jinhai did.
First, his father, Yu Tengfei, had harmed her, then Suyin came trying to ruin her, and then Huian hurt her too. And now Yukira didn’t want to be a weakling anymore.
Not only that, something about the underworld attracted him towards it. At first, that world scared him, but then it made him giddy. He also wanted to be a part of it.
Yukira wanted to learn how to fight. He wanted the strength in his hands and legs to protect the ones he held dear in need of time. The underworld had the power to defeat an enemy in its own way, not relying on the law.
So one day, he went to Jinhai.
“Brother-in-law, I want to train under you.”
Jinhai raised an eyebrow and stared at him in amusement. “Business?” Although he knew what Yukira exactly meant.
“No, I want to join the underworld.”
He kept silent.
“Come with me.”
Jinhai then took Yukira to his underworld base. There Yukira was shocked to see the state of Suyin. It was so long since he saw her. She was hardly recognizable.
She was tied to the chair, her finger and tow nails were ruthlessly removed. Her hands and legs were bloodied. She was also naked with bite marks all over her skin. Her once beautiful skin was now covered in filth and dirt.
Suyin looked pathetically weak and thin.
Jinhai asked, “Do you want to know what she is suffering since the banquet night?”
Yukira was staring at her. He didn’t need to know. The marks on her body were enough to say to which treatment Jinhai must have subjected her.
“Can you do that without feeling guilty?”
Yukira was silent for a few minutes.
Jinhai said, “Underworld is not about being only strong. We deal with things in our own way. We do anything and everything to those who betray us or try to harm the Liu family. There is no word as ‘law’ here. If a need arises, you will have to raise your weapon and spill blood. You have to use violence.”
Yukira said nothing.
“And I know, Nana may not prefer to want you to stand at this side of the world. I was already involved in this from the beginning, so Nana might have accepted me, but you are not.”
Yukira took a deep breath. He raised his head and looked straight at him. “I know, brother-in-law. I already know what I’m getting into. And I have thought about it carefully. I want to do this.”
So, over time, Yukira started training under Jinhai’s men and slowly got stronger and better. He learned different martial arts training as he built his strength.
He looked at Nana and told the truth. Obviously, he skipped the part about Huian and Suyin.
“Nee-chan, I know you will not like it.” Yukira pursed his lips and bent his head down.
Nana looked at him in silence.
“Are you sure that you want to do this?”
He nodded.
Nana then smiled and patted his head. “If that is what you like, then I won’t stop you. You are now big enough to make your own decisions, and you should do what your heart says. As long as you use your training to fight for the good, then I don’t have any problem if you want to be in the underworld.”
After all, while dealing with Qian Mei, she understood that sometimes that there is no other way than to use violence. Sometimes, it is the only way to protect ourselves.
Yukira gave a big grin and hugged her tightly. “Thank you, Nee-chan!”
He was only worried about what she would think and if she would oppose his decision. But thankfully, she didn’t.
Jinhai entered the room, and Yukira stood up. “Oh, brother-in-law is here. I will leave you two love birds alone.” He grinned and winked.
“Yukira!” Nana pouted.
He stuck out his tongue and ran away.
Jinhai hugged Nana and kissed her lips. “I missed you, wifey.”
Nana shook her head. “You were only in the office.”
He chuckled. “I miss you the moment I leave home.”
“So, cheesy! Where did you learn to say this line?”
“I don’t have to learn when it comes to you.” He kissed her forehead. “Have you thought about where you want to go for our trip? We will go wherever you want.”
Nana was in a dilemma. “I cannot choose. There are so many places, and each one is beautiful. I feel like visiting every one of them.”
“We will. Once you safely give birth, we can go on a long trip and visit many countries.”
She raised her head in his embrace. “But you must have been to all these places, right? This will be boring for you.”
Jinhai tapped on her nose. “Only for business reasons. So, I haven’t done sightseeing either, which I can do now with my lovely wife.”
She blushed.
“Choose any place for now, whichever you wish to see first.”
Nana thought about it and said, “How about Paris? It is beautiful and romantic, just perfect for our first trip together.”
Jinhai slightly raised his eyebrow, and he looked at her with a meaningful gaze, which Nana failed to grasp.
“What happened? Don’t you like it? I will choose another place then.”
Jinhai smiled. “No, Paris is perfect. We will go there. I will make the arrangements.”
—
Huo Xiao Fan slowly peeked inside Huo Shen’s room. He was resting, but as if he heard something, he turned his head. He brightened upon seeing her.
“Xiao Fan. Why are you standing there? Come inside.”
Huo Xiao Fan stiffened. She nervously fidgeted with her fingers and went inside. She sat on a chair beside him.
Both were silent for a long time.
“I…”
“I…”
Both said at once.
Huo Xiao Fan nodded. “You go first.”
Huo Shen said, “I just want to say to please not listen to Liwei. He is a little impulsive.”
He was also anxious about what to say about his feelings. Now that she knew about it, he didn’t know what to say to her.
Huo Xiao Fan faintly smiled.
“And…you don’t have to be burdened with my feelings. I’m sorry if I hurt you and broke my promise, but rest assured that nothing will change.”
Huo Xiao Fan felt suffocating. Now, she truly thought if this divorce was actually better for Huo Shen. Even at this point, he was still worried about her feelings without caring about his own.
‘Just how much does he love me… But I don’t deserve him and his love. I cannot hurt him anymore now.”
Even if she didn’t want to part with him now, she also knew that she had no right to stay in this marriage as if nothing had happened selfishly. It was too late to realize her duties as his wife.
Jinhai’s negotiation condition made her realize this.
She was too unworthy for him.
‘I don’t want to separate from you, Shen. But now this is my punishment. It is my turn to suffer. It is my turn to live without you and repent. You will also be happier without me.’
She softly said, “Shen.”
Huo Shen straightened up. His heart was thumping loudly in his chest.
“I think…it’s better for us to separate.”
He froze. His mouth moved multiple times in an attempt to say something, but nothing came out. He clutched the bedsheet under the covers.
“Xiao Fan, please…” His voice was strained. “I-I told you not to think about me. I apologize, but please don’t leave me. Is it Liwei? Did he say something? Don’t listen to him. This is my house, and nobody can tell you to leave here.”
Huo Xiao Fan inwardly mocked herself.
She shook her head. “No, Shen. Nobody has told me anything. And it’s not your fault either. You have done nothing wrong.”
“Then, why? Why Xiao Fan?”
“Please, Shen. I have thought about this very carefully. And only after thinking about it, I have come to this decision.”
A sharp pain struck his heart. Just as he feared, Huo Xiao Fan didn’t want to stay with him anymore, only because his feelings got out. He tried his best to stop his eyes from watering.
Huo Shen asked, “Will you be happy with this?”
She didn’t have the courage to face him. Because she knew her eyes and the pain in them would give her away.
“Yes…”
‘More than me, you would be happy, Shen.’
Huo Shen said, a dull ache enveloping his heart. “Do I have to sign the papers now?”
She stiffened.
So he did see the papers I was hiding. “I don’t understand.”
Huo Shen said, “Can we spend some time together? For the last time?”
