《No Where To Run: Trapped With My Archenemy》 Chapter 1 - The Death Note "I think your boyfriend ditched you...again." Cai Hong stated in a sloppy voice as she poured the fifth shot of the night and glanced at the closed door of their private room. The luxuriously decorated private room where they sat idle for the past three hours belonged to one of the famous nightclubs in the imperial that was frequented by riches and celebrities of the city. "What kind of boyfriend ditches the welcome party thrown by his girlfriend?" Cai Hong wondered and handed over the glass to the unfortunate girlfriend who organised a private party of the night. Zhi Lan, whose pretty face rippling with disappointment, chugged down the strong liquor in a single gulp and tried to curb the surging waves of pain and dismay in her heart. "I''ve told you several times. But let me remind you one last time, sweetie," Cai Hong, who happened to be the momma bear of their four-member group began to preach. " Police officers are awesome, but they suck at being a perfect boyfriend." "You got it wrong, Cai. He is not her boyfriend." Xie Na, who was already drop-dead drunk, blurted out without any second thoughts. "He has never been-Ouch...who stomped on my feet?" She inquired and looked around only to meet with Zhi Lan''s murderous glare. "What I meant was¡­he never treated Lanlan as a girlfriend. Am I right, sweetie?" Xie Na swallowed the words that tickled her tongue and quickly rephrased her statement. "What? I thought you two were dating for a while?" Su Min, who sat silently for the entire time, jolted awake from her drunken state to add her fair share of oil into Zhi Lan''s burning mind. "Dating? Who? He was chumming around Zhi Lan only because of her major general father." Xie Na sardonically rambled and poured down a glass of whiskey for herself. "Most of them approach her because of uncle Zhi''s status." "Woahhh, I never expected Captain Wan to turn out as a materialistic person." Su Min faked ignorance and looked at her friend for validation. "He is not materialistic." Zhi Lan retorted when she could no longer tolerate her friend''s words. "Yi Jun¡­he doesn''t have time to date." Though she said those words to shut other''s mouths, deep down in her heart, Zhi Lan knew that it wasn''t the reason for her loneliness. She grabbed the bottle and poured it down her mouth to forget the agonizing truth that she kept hidden from everyone else. "Oh really? You confessed your love while you were a freshman at college and shall I remind you that was ten years ago?" Cai Hong said and snatched the bottle away from Zhi Lan to prevent her from drinking any more. "You practically followed him everywhere he went, and yet you are saying that he got no time to date you. Captain Wan finally got transferred to the imperial, after god knows how many years and still he made no effort to contact or meet you. Do you know what that means? You are not his priority." Cai Hong harshly revealed the reason for Zhi Lan''s melancholy without sugarcoating anything. "I told you, he is busy with work." Zhi Lan made a vague excuse. "Yes. That''s what I''m saying- his priority has always been the work." Cai Hong tried to hammer down some sense to her friend, who got blinded by love and refuses to admit the truth. "You fell for Wan Yi Jun at first sight and even confessed your love. For the last ten years, you went thick and thin with him, yet he never accepted your feelings nor rejected you. He treated you only as a friend." "But Yi Jun promised me that he will join us today." Zhi Lan added in a barely audible voice and glanced at her cell phone in anticipation. It was nearly ten pm, and yet there weren''t any messages or calls from him. "Lanlan, he is a police officer, that too someone who is under special investigation team- do you think he will attend a party, just to cheer you up? Just give up on-" Cai Hong''s rants were interrupted by the buzzing sound of the phone lying on the table in the middle of the liquor bottles. Su Min narrowed her eyes and struggled to read out the name flashing on the phone screen. "Wang Yi Jun." "Wang Yi Jun? How drunk are you, Su Min...? It''s Wan...Wan Yi...Nah, it''s Captain Wan Yi Jun." Xie Na blathered again. "Huh!" Zhi Lan picked up her phone with fumbling fingers and slid the "accept" option on the screen as she gestured her friends to stay quiet. "Yi Jun¡­where are-" Zhi Lan paused for a moment and glanced at the closed door with bewildered eyes. "I''m in one of the private rooms. Ahhh¡­ I will come out. Yeah." She ended the conversation and haughtily looked at her friends as if she won a battle. "I told you, he will come." She rose to her feet and declared with a proud smug adorning her face. "He is late for three hours." Xie Na scoffed. "Stop bitching about my man. I know what is best for me." She reminded them as she picked up the raspberry shade lip colour from her handbag. "Zhi Lan¡­I''m telling you, don''t go after that man- You will end up becoming a virgin ghost." Xie Na sarcastically warned the woman who was retouching her make-up. Hearing her words, Zhi Lan halted her actions and snapped back with an icy cold glare. "You will get another man, Lanlan." Xie Na tried to pacify her friend who stood before them like a wild beast. "Don''t you all agree with me?" She tilted her head and looked at the rest of the girls in the room. Zhi Lan let out a sigh and pointed at Xie Na who was making herself a fool in front of others. "Xie Na, when you go for your morning Pilates session tomorrow. please drop by my condo. I''ll let you count the hickeys on me." Zhi Lan shrugged her shoulders and walked out of the room with her head held high in pride. "You go, girl¡­Go and seduce that rock." Xie Na let out a scornful laugh at her friend, who ardently follows a good for nothing man. Frustrated by their taunts and condescending comments, Zhi Lan gritted her teeth and stomped her way out of the private room. Unlike the silent and posh private room, the corridors and dance floor on the ground floor was crowded with youngsters. Since it was the last week of the year, like every other place in the city, the nightclub was brimming with people who came to celebrate the year-end. Yes, that''s what young people do- even if they are going through utter despair, the instant they step inside the club, all of their worries will vanish, and the only thing left to do is live in the moment. She also wished the same for Wan Yi Jun. More than anyone else she knew how busy a police officer''s life was. Even it''s for an hour, Zhi Lan wished to give him some quality time to enjoy the ordinary things in life. Is it too much to ask? Zhi Lan''s train of thoughts abruptly broke when her eyes caught on a familiar figure leaning onto the railing of the staircase. It was the silhouette of a person whom she could recognise even if she lose her eyesight forever. It was him. Under sparkling blue and yellow lights, Wan Yi Jun''s towering figure appeared otherworldy as he casually leaned on the staircase. Even though he was dressed in a simple black t-shirt and jeans with a biker jacket, his posture oozed elegance and a lethal manly charm. "Yi Jun!!!!" Zhi Lan''s lips perched into a charming smile as she rushed towards him without thinking twice. "He is mine. No matter how many times he rejects me, I will never let him go." She chanted in her head as she strode towards him. "Clack!!!" Whether it is because of her drunken stupor or the 5 inches heels, Zhi Lan lost her footing for a mere moment and even before she could comprehend what''s happening, her slender body swung towards the floor. "Aiishhhh!!!!" She unknowingly cursed and closed her eyes as she prepared herself to experience the most embarrassing thing in her life. "Falling before your crush" However, instead of getting hit by the cold floor, Zhi Lan felt a strong arm grabbing her waist and saving her from the fall. "Were you that excited to meet me?" A deep voice coated with humour forced Zhi Lan to open her tightly shut eyes. "It''s been a while, Lanlan." Wan Yi Jun greeted her with a sunny smile and released his arms from her. "Sorry, I came late. Got some last-minute work." He lazily touched his ear and apologized. "No..no...you..are not late¡­It''s just that we are early." Zhi Lan replied and steadied herself while brushing her hair back to hide her embarrassment. "Let me buy a drink as an apology." Wan Yi Jun proposed and extended his hand like a gentleman. For an instant, Zhi Lan couldn''t believe what she just heard. The mighty Wan Yi Jun is buying her a drink? Well, that was something she never expected from him. The Wan Yi Jun hater''s club also known as my best friends, did you see this? She asked inwardly. "Actually Yi Jun¡­my friends-" Zhi Lan paused in the middle of the sentence by the sight of his face illuminated by the faint lights inside the nightclub. She has seen a fair amount of men in her life, but no one was good enough to compare to the male god nonchalantly standing before her. "No way...I''m not going to show off my Yi Jun before them as a specimen for cross-examination." She repeated in her mind and reached out to hold his arm with an alluring smile decorating her face. "I will never let anyone come between us." She made her decision and tightened the grip on Wan Yi Jun''s palm. However, little did Zhi Lan knew about the existence of a woman who could snatch Wan Yi Jun from her, and what was even more astonishing? She was standing right before them, scribbling one of their names on her death note, like a grim reaper. Chapter 2 - Welcome Home !!! In the private room of "Rising Raven" clubhouse. Three ladies who are dressed up in branded clothes and accessories, fumbled with their whiskey glasses as they waited for their friend who just ditched them for her boyfriend. Nah, A stupid girl who just ditched her besties for a good for nothing man whom she holds feelings for a decade. "Hey, do you think Lanlan might end up doing something nasty, tonight?" Su Min who got slightly sober broke the eerie silence by filling up her glass once again. "Nasty?" Xie Na''s eyebrows creased as she tried to recall and broke into a peal of laughter when she understood the true meaning behind Su Min''s queries. "Are you talking about her hickey challenge?" Xie Na pointed and straightened her posture as if she was imitating Zhi Lan''s attitude. "Drop by my condo, I will let you count my hickeys." She said cockily and brushed her hair away, just like the way her friend acted a while ago. "Hickey challenge! It has a nice ring to it." Cai Hong, who was scrolling down her phone screen, commented without giving much attention to their discussion since she managed to strike the first goal of their plan - "Hammering down some sense to Zhi Lan, part - 647" "Did we go overboard with teasing? Lanlan must have felt bad." Su Min stated with a guilt-ridden voice and looked at Xie Na as she continued. "After all, they have been together for a while." "Together for a while- that''s the problem." Cai Hong raised her eyes from the phone screen and began to explain the true intention behind their joint effort to agitate Zhi Lan. "It gives a false idea that they are in a relationship even though they aren''t. At least it happens to people who are interested in Zhi Lan. Do you know how many men she has rejected so far? "If we start counting them, then almost every man in the imperial city will be on that list." Xie Na answered as she lit a cigarette. "Well, can''t argue with the fact that none of them is capable enough to be a contender for Captain Wan." Su Min exhilaratingly shared her opinion and went on praising Wan Yi Jun like a fangirl. "Whether it''s his looks or his character, Captian Wan is the ultimate definition of perfection. I would have done the same if I was in Lanlan''s place." "Ewww!!!" Xie Na scrunched her face as soon as she heard something disgusting and unruly. "When are you going to realize that this world doesn''t revolve around Wan Yi Jun?" She snapped back with a huff. "There will be thousands of men who are far better than him. And, Missy, not everyone is stupid like Lanlan to waste their youth for the sake of stupid teenage love." Xie Na reminded once again. "Yes. That''s right. I can''t believe she ruined ten years for someone who treats her as a friend." Su Min agreed with a wobbly nod. "But her patience is running out and she might do something outrageous. That''s what I fear the most." "Outrageous things on that stone-hearted person? Nope. It''s not going to work." Xie Na declared and took a puff only to come up with an absurd thought. "What if he is not into women?" "Oh my god, why didn''t we think of that, earlier?" Cai Hong almost screamed when she thought of the possibility of Wan Yi Jun having a cute little boyfriend. A cold-blooded Alpha and a sweet little Omega - the popular troupe of BL stories. "I don''t know. But if there is someone who can break his stone-cold heart and tie him around their little pinkie finger, I, Xie Na would bow down before that person and address her or him, ''Master''" Xie Na proclaimed before letting out a sneer. "So are you all trying to overlook the possibility of Lanlan doing cheap tricks like- drugging him and getting the deed done?" Su Min asked to clarify the doubts boiling inside her head. "Yaaa!!! She is not some heroine from your novel to drug the hero and forces him to date her." Xie Na growled like a wild beast, loud enough to break the soundproofed walls of the private room. "Her dad is the major general of imperial''s police force. Do you think she would do something that would affect her father''s status?" "Well, she could also use her father''s status to get married to him. But that stupid girl won''t do that." Cai Hong complained as if she is concerned about Zhi Lan''s poor life choices. "From what I''ve learnt about Wan Yi Jun, I can guarantee one thing- He will never fall for not just Lanlan, but any other women''s tricks." Xie Na made a point to conclude their argument. "Nevertheless, I''m damn sure that Lanlan will go home crying, tonight." While the trio were arguing with each other, the main subjects of their discussion were sitting infront the bar counter, like a couple on their first date. "What would you like to drink?" Wan Yi Jun asked the woman who sat with an alluring smile, drawing everyone''s attention to her. Hearing his question , Zhi Lan swayed her upper body towards him, while her sultry gaze penetrating his dark midnight irises. "Sex on the shores." Her raspberry lips curled coquettishly and demanded in a low, sensuous tone. "What?" Wan Yi Jun reply was quick enough to tell that he was taken aback by her answer and obviously, by her coyettish actions to ''cough, cough'' seduce him. "It''s a cocktail." Zhi Lan elaborated and looked at the bartender to confirm her order. "Yes, miss." "What about you?" She tilted her head in Wan Yi Jun''s direction and enquired about his choice of drink. "I will have an old-fashioned whiskey." He placed his order and initiated a casual conversation while glancing at the crowd on the dance floor, who were enjoying their precious time without any hesitations or worries. "People in the imperial, surely like to party." "Ofcourse, they do. That''s why I invited you over." Zhi Lan proudly stated and moved closer to him, "Thanks." Wan Yi Jun gave her a gentle smile and handed over her cocktail before picking up his own drink from the counter. "I was literally on cloud nine when I heard that you got transferred here." Zhi Lan excitedly said as she took the glass from him. "How long has it been since your last trip to imperial?" "I don''t remember. Maybe 14-15 years." He gave her a vague reply and twirled his drink using gentle hand movements. "Really? I thought you frequently visits capital since you work in the pol-" "Lanlan, can we just talk about something that is not work-related?" Wan Yi Jun, interrupted her before Zhi Lan could finish her words. "Oh, I forgot that you are off-" "Shush!" Zhi Lan''s words struck at her throat when Wan Yi Jun placed his finger on her soft lips to stop her from talking. "Do you want to hit the dance floor?" He suggested while glancing at the group of youngsters moving according to the rhythm of loud peppy music. For a long moment, Zhi Lan wasn''t able to think coherently. It felt like her brain just froze since there were too many things to process right now. First of all, Wan Yi Jun, a person who utterly despises attending social gatherings, accepted her invitation. Secondly, even though he had a busy day at work he came to attend the party. Thirdly, he bought her a drink and even asked for a dance? Woah...if things are escalating in favour of her...then, this night is could be the beginning of something she has been dreaming for a while. While Zhi Lan''s mind created wonderful scenarios in her mind, Wan Yi Jun retracted his palm and gently touched his ear. "Let''s hit the dance floor?" "What did you say?" She retorted in incredulous disbelief. "You are really going to dance with me?" Zhi Lan asked once again to confirm whatever she just heard. With a haughty smug hanging upon his thin lips, Wan Yi Jun gently clinked his whiskey glass with hers and moved closer to her side. "Try me." He cooed in a low, bewitchingly sweet voice. The moment his hot breath laced with the intoxicating scent of liquor, brushed on her skin, Zhi Lan felt her cheeks burning in an unknown ectasy. However, on the other hand, Wan Yi Jun, who paid no attention to her reddened cheeks or palpitating heart, finished his drink as if nothing has happened. "The main dance floor is packed with people. How about we move somewhere less crowded?" He dropped the next ticking bomb on Zhi Lan. "Less...crowded¡­?" Zhi Lan almost choked upon hearing his words. Being a frequent visitor of clubs and pubs, She has witnessed what happens in the less crowded shadowy places inside them. "Oh good lord, finally are we going to do the deed...that too in public?" She almost screamed in her head but somehow maintained a dead-pan expression on her face, hiding her excitement. "Where?" She casually asked. "3 ''o''clock position from the counter." Wan Yi replied while adjusting his wrist watch as if he is preparing to let go himself on the dance floor. "Or how about 7?" He reverted his eyes to the dance floor and asked. Though, his choice of words were odd, Zhi Lan decided to play along with him on the same track, but little bit differently. "How about 6 or 9?" Zhi Lan spat out the words with a newly found courage. Well, if he is planning to take a step towards her, then it''s better to keep her pace upto him. That''s what Zhi Lan calculated in her mind when she dropped some hints of her true motives. However, a certain someone, who is known for his genius brain failed to notice them and completely ignored her suggestion without any second thoughts. "We got work tomorrow, so let''s starts from 12." Wan Yi Jun said and took a step towards the dance floor, totally forgetting the lady beside him. Since there is no point in arguing whether he noticed her intentions or not, Zhi Lan followed the man who strode towards the crowd, like an obedient puppy. As soon as the couple left the bar counter, a woman claded in pitch black top to bottom, approached the bartender for a drink. "One large old fashioned whiskey, please." She placed her order and leaned on the glass counter while facing the lively dance floor. Though one might think that she just checking out the people, but in reality, her sharp eyes were carefully following Wan Yi Jun as she waited for her drink. "Miss, your drink." The bartender placed the drink on the counter top. She turned to take the glass and slipped a 1000 dollar bill for the bartender as a tip. For a mere second, the man at the bar counter was left dumbfounded by the generosity of the tip. He abruptly turned his gaze to the customer to thank her. A peerless beauty!!! His eyeballs popped out in absolute bewilderment as he looked at the customer. There is no offense in entitling the lady who stood before him as one of the marvelous creation of God. "Thank you. Have a great evening, Miss," He shared his gratitude with a flash of teethy grin and placed the tip on his pocket. "Yeah. I''m having one." She replied in a mellow voice and took a sip of her whiskey before turning in the direction of the dance floor. Her eyes were glued to Wan Yi Jun, who was now moving away from Zhi Lan. With a smirk adorning on her face, she stood at the bar counter, watching the sneaky movements amidst the fully charged crowd of the night club. "Well, the actual party begins, now." As soon as the words fell from her mouth and group of uniform clad police men marched inside. All of sudden, the loud peppy music abruptly stopped, killing the party vibe lingered inside the club. As the crowd loudly gasped in disappointment, an even louder order echoed inside the four walls of the night club. "Freeze!!!!!" The tall and sturdy officer who lead the team, roared and pulled out his gun, sending chills to everyone''s spines. "Welcome home, Wan Yi Jun." The woman muttered under her breath and poured the rest of the bitter sweet liquid down her throat. "Enjoy your party!" Chapter 3 - Easy To Kill As the clock struck 11 in the night, the last police car carrying the drug peddlers took off from the ''Rising Ravens'' clubhouse''s entrance. "Thanks for your cooperation, Mr Qin." Wan Yi Jun shook hands with the owner of the club to offer his gratitude. "No officer. We are the ones who are supposed to thank you." Qin Kai, a man in his early fifties, corrected Wan Yi Jun as he spoke. "It''s true that Rising Ravens stand as a hub for entertainment, but ''drugs'' are out of our charts. We tried to forbid them, but they will always make a way to sneak them in and that''s why we requested your help." The owner honestly admitted. "Hmm. Hope everyone starts to think like you, Mr Qin." Wan Yi Jun concluded and turned towards his team''s second in command, Lao Yating, a young man in his mid-twenties who approached him with a perturbed look on his face. "Did we miss anyone?" Wan Yi Jun inquired. "No, captain. But¡­" Lao Yating hesitated to spell out the words as his eyes moved to the person who stood behind his captain. Wan Yi Jun followed Lao Yating''s line of sight and ended up looking at Zhi Lan who stood with a pair of teary eyes. "Oh shit!" He cursed without even paying attention to his surroundings, surprising his teammates. For the eagle team, their team captain was a gentle beast who got a strong control over his temperament. "Yating, can you wrap this up?" He requested and moved towards the woman before the situation got out of his hands. In the middle of the mission, he totally forgot about Zhi Lan''s existence. However, just as Wan Yi Jun turned to Zhi Lan''s side, she began to walk away from the spot as if she didn''t want to hear any of his excuses. "Lanlan, stop. Let me explain." Wan Yi Jun grabbed her arm and tried to stop her from leaving. Though Zhi Lan halted her steps, the dejected look on her face was enough to tell that she was mad at him. "Oh please. Captain Wan doesn''t like to talk about his work." She harshly retorted by using his own excuse. "Believe me, I was planning to meet you tonight. But the last-minute assignment that we are supposed to take care of...it happened to be this place." Wan Yi Jun tried to explain to the woman whose trust has been broken by him. "You could have informed me earlier." Zhi Lan''s words indeed had a hue of pain and anger. " I wouldn''t have waited like a fool and let others laugh at me." "I''m sorry, Lanlan. I really want to come. But.." He struggled to find exact words to express his thoughts. "My friends, whatever they said was right. You never cared about me¡­not even for once." Unable to endure the heartache, Zhi Lan lashed out whatever she kept hidden inside her heart, without any break. As she began to blame him, strings of tears fell from her eyes, putting Wan Yi Jun in a difficult position. He never thought that his behaviour tonight would cause a mess and tear apart Zhi Lan''s blind trust in him. "It''s not like that, Lanlan. You are my friend and-" Even though he tried to console Zhi Lan, she wasn''t ready to hear him out. "Friend?" She asked bitterly as a sarcastic smile glistened over her teary eyes. "Do you still consider me as a friend even after knowing how I feel about you?" "Lanlan, we already discussed it." Wan Yi Jun crossed his arms over his chest as if he is putting a guard against Zhi Lan who decided to talk about the emotions he avoided all these years. "No. We never discussed it. You just told me that you can''t answer my question." Zhi Lan refuted and took a step closer to Wan Yi Jun who refused to face her as if he is trying to hide from her accusations. "I want to know why you keep on rejecting me¡­" She grabbed his arms and interrogated him in a trembling voice. "It''s not just 2 or 3 months, Yi Jun¡­ 10 years¡­freaking ten years." "Your father will never approve of us." Wan Yi Jun stated in a grief-stricken voice and removed her palms that has been clutched onto him. "That''s ridiculous. My dad never says no to my decisions. He has always supported me, loved me. Yi Jun, I''m sure that he will accept you as a son in law." Zhi Lan shared words of comfort when she listened to Wan Yi Jun''s reason to reject her. Well, she can''t blame him for keeping his boundaries with his superior officer''s daughter. "We knew each other even before you became a police officer, dad will understand it...Once you meet him as my boyfriend, every misunderstanding that exists between both of you will get resolved. I can assure you that." Zhi Lan tried to be optimistic. Even though her father was known as a strict and upright police officer, at home he was just like any other father who cherishes his daughter. "Your father hates me." Wan Yi Jun almost yelled at Zhi Lan who was trying to persuade him. "Your father despises me, more than anyone else in this world." "No. He will not. Why would he do that? you are one of the efficient officers under him. He will only cherish-" Zhi Lan rumbled, but she was immediately silenced Wan Yi Jun. "Oh really? Then what would be the reasons for my frequent transfers?" Wan Yi Jun snapped back, rather in an annoyed tone. "The moment, I graduated from the police academy, your father has been meddling with my life as if I''ve done some grave treason. Zhi Lan, your father doesn''t want us to be together. Please understand." Even after hearing Wan Yi Jun''s side of the story, Zhi Lan was not ready to doubt her father, so she argued back. "No...my father won''t do that." Hearing her denial, Wan Yi Jun took a deep breath to calm his mind and grabbed Zhi Lan''s shoulders and looked directly into her deep eyes. "Do you think I''m lying to you?" He asked in a tranquil voice to which Zhi Lan held no answer. "I already have enough problems and I really don''t want to get into any more trouble, because of you. So please do me a favour and stay away from me." He released his arms from her and took a step away from her. Zhi Lan remained silent for a long second as if she is mulling over his words and opened her mouth to confirm his stance on their relationship. "So I assume that''s a "No" from your side, right?" "Hmm. It''s better that way." Wan Yi Jun replied and urged to return to his team who were waiting for him. "Go home, it''s already late." "There will be a day when I can prove that you were wrong about my father, Yi Jun .I will look forward to that day. See you soon." Zhi Lan professed before walking towards her car waiting for her in the entrance. Once Wan Yi Jun made sure that Zhi Lan has got inside the car, he strode back to his team. "Captain, there is a problem." Lao Yating who was holding his phone, pointed out as soon as he saw his superior. "Bing Wen cross checked the identities of those drug peddlers and reported back. But captain..." Watching his reluctance to speak the rest of the report, Wan Yi Jun''s fair forehead creased into lines of worry. Before setting out of the mission, he assigned Bing Wen the technical expert of the Eagle team to look into the identities of the foreigners checked into the "Rising Raven". "They were indeed from east Taisun city. But Bing Wen failed to find the links connecting them to any mafia clans in Taisun." Lao Yating reportedly said. "It seems like you were right, captain. Someone purposefully pushed us into this mess." Wan Yi Jun agreed with a gentle nod as he listened to Lao Yating''s report. Just before he headed to meet Zhi Lan, the Eagle team recieved a message from one of their secret sources regarding smuggling of Z category drugs from Daisun city, a prefecture famous for being the territory of the deadliest mafia groups in the entire subcontinent. Usually, cases related to drug smuggling are handled by narcotics division or general police force, however the name "White tiger" was the main reason why the case was handed over to Eagle team, who focuses on national integrity and security. "I cross-checked Mr Qin''s info and our intel. It clearly states that three members of the White tiger have landed in the imperial to oversee their drug cartel. But the people we took in custody are just normal drug peddlers. Even the stuff they were selling wasn''t from Taisun, but some cheap imitation." Lao Yating continued with his report when he saw Wan Yi Jun''s nonchalant demeanour. "We got permission to carry this mission at the epicentre of imperial, only because white tiger is involved in the case. Captain, how are we going to explain this to-" "We''ll find a way. As for now, trace back the information''s source." Wan Yi Jun suggested as he lead his way to their car. Since their leads has been met with dead-ends, there was nothing to do other than tracking the source of their information. Once the Eagle team''s car took off, three shadows emerged from the eerie darkness where they police team stationed earlier. "Phew!!!! We somehow escaped from them." The youngest man among the group, let out a sigh in relief and looked at the tall girl clad in black. "Ne chan, how did you know that the police are searching for foreigners? Especially those who are from Daisun?" He enquired with a pair of curious eyes. "I tipped them." The girl casually informed while her eyes glued to the Eagle team''s car. "Nani!!!!" The youngman''s jaw almost dropped in horror and astonishment. "I was curious to know the efficiency of Imperial''s police force." She replied and turned to walk towards their car without giving much explanation. "And what do you think?" "They are easy to fool." The other man among the trio, finally opened his mouth and made a condescending remark as he got onto the driving seat of their matte black land cruiser. "But that Captain...he knew... I mean he found that it is a false information." The young man stuttered as he pointed out. "Well, that makes him even more easier to kill." The girl affirmed and raised her arm to remove the black hair wig on her head. In a glimpse, her signature - silver colored hair cascaded her shoulders, like a sparkling waterfall, giving light to her notorious nickname. "The White tiger''s head." Chapter 4 - The New Mission Next morning, The visitor''s lounge of the chief commissioner''s office appeared crowded when the Eagle team sat with their Captain who came to report at the headquarters. Though Wan Yi Jun asked his team members to stay at their office and take a rest, they adamantly tagged along since they were worried about their captain bearing the blame of the failed mission. However, as they sat silently in the lounge after hours of tedious work and sleepless nights, few among them began to doze off without paying any attention to their surroundings. All of sudden, the pin-drop silence in the room broke by the loud ringtone of Wan Yi Jun''s cell phone, startling everyone. "Excuse me." Wan Yi Jun apologetically stood up with his cell phone and walked out of the lounge to attend the call. Once he left the room, Bing Wen, the technical expert and the youngest in the team, turned towards Lao Yating, who sat like a statue. "Sir Lao," He tried to gather Lao Yating''s attention by addressing by a nickname. "We have been waiting here for almost an hour. Don''t you think this is too much for messing up our first mission in imperial?" He inquired as he rubbed his bloodshot eyes with his palm. "If our mission was somewhere else, we could have easily gotten away with a written apology. But this is the capital city, and things different here." Fei Yan, the oldest and the most experienced officer in the team, answered instead of the Lao Yating. Hearing his reply Bing Wen''s haggard face turned gloomier than before. He was disappointed by the fact that he failed to help his team on their first major mission in imperial. "Only if I worked a little better, we could''ve avoided this." He mumbled as he kept his eyes downcast. "You did your best, Xiao Bing." Fei Yan gently patted the young man''s shoulder to console him. "It''s just that wicked people-" "I swear I will find the one who played this dirty game with me." Bing Wen grunted as he recalled the struggles he had to face while tracking the fake information, pulling an all-nighter. "I will make sure to break his hand so badly that he can no longer use a keyboard." "But whoever did that, he must be a legend in hacking otherwise who could fool the number one hacker in the country?" Lao Yating made a random comment as he watched the youngest member''s rants. "Sir Lao, are you trying to console me or teasing me?" Bing Wen retorted with a perplexed look on his face. "The country''s top white hacker" was the first thing Bing Wen said while introducing himself to the team. "I am trying to console you." Lao Yating added with a flashy grin, "You tried your best and met with a dead-end because our perpetrator was too wise to leave no traces of his existence." "Only an experienced criminal can do that." Wan Yi Jun, who returned to their side after the phone call, casually joined their discussion. "But we are the good guys, captain. How can a criminal outshine us?" Bing Wen whined like child as he complained to his captain. "But no matter how experienced one must be, we are humans and we are bound to make mistakes. I''m sure that our perpetrator must have left something behind. We should look for it and find him." Wan Yi Jun tried to cheer up, the disappointed young man with his encouraging words. Bing Wen, a newbie who joined the team with dreams of catching criminals and bringing justice to the deserved, was left heartbroken when he experienced the reality of being a police officer. "It''s called, Locard''s exchange principle- every contact leaves a trace." Shen Junru, the last member in the Eagle team commented out of nowhere. "Yes, that''s right." Wan Yi Jun agreed with a faint smile. As they continued with their discussion, the doors to the chief''s office pulled open, and a man in his late fifties stepped out, gathering all the attention. Major general Zhi Qian. Fei Yan, who was quick to notice the man''s identity, sprang up from his seat, triggering the rest of the team to follow his suit and salute in unison. Zhi Qian responded to their parade with a gentle nod, "The Eagle team led by captain Wan Yi Jun, sir." Wu Feng, the chief commissioner, who was in charge of the special forces, introduced the eagle team to his superior. Zhi Qian silently studied the five men who stood before him. However, when his sharp eyes fell on Wan Yi Jun''s aloof demeanour, the air around them abruptly turned cold and hostile. The people who have been working with Wan Yi Jun for a while, clearly knew about the bad-blood between him and general Zhi. "Hmm...work hard." Zhi Qian kept his words short and walked past them without even waiting for their response. When their intimidating superior left their sight, the team members let out a sigh of relief and greeted their chief who is exact opposite of General Zhi. Unlike others, Chief Wu was considered as a cool-headed senior who treats his colleagues as one big family. "Why is he here? I thought, general Zhi strictly follows his protocol and never visits his second in command''s office." Wan Yi Jun remarked as he accompanied Wu Feng to the office. "He had a favor to ask." Wu Feng smiling stated and gestured them to take seats. "So the reason why I asked you to report as soon as possible, is because of this." He picked up a document from his desk and handed over to Wan Yi Jun. "It''s a new case file." "He is not scolding us for last night''s mission?" Bing Wen muttered under his breath and peered a glance at his team members, who sat with an emotionless face. "Well, it''s a highly confidential one that requires immediate action." While Wan Yi Jun went through the details of the case file, Wu Feng began to explain the case to the rest of the team members. "You might have heard about HK corporations, the giants in maritime logistics. Last month, the chairman''s office received an anonymous threat about an attack on their largest cargo vessel, ''Long Wei'' Since they receive threats daily, the management didn''t pay much attention to the issue.However, exactly after two weeks, a fire broke out in their ship, that too while crossing the South Sea." "Arson on sailing ship?" Fei Yan arched his eyebrow in disbelief. "Yes. Their primary inference was some accidental breakout of fire. However, later only they realised that it was part of an attack, rather a unique one." Wu Ying paused and looked at the men who were focused on his words like a bunch of curious school kids. "Someone broke into the ship''s bridge, knocked out the men on watch and destroyed the entire navigation and communication system, including the physical maps, rulers, even compasses." "How is that even possible? Cargo ships got several tiers of protection measures, and even monitored with the help of satellites and all." Bing Wen blurted out as he listened to the details. "They even hacked HK corporation''s tracking system, surveillance cameras on the ship, jammed every signals and let the vessel float aimlessly for a two days." "That was some high-level organized crime. I haven''t seen anything like that even on pirate movies. But, chief, since it was happened in the international waters, isn''t this case comes under the jurisdiction of Navy?" Lao Yating asked doubtingly. "Yes, they were the ones started the investigation. But two days ago, someone broke into the HK corporation''s chairman''s house in imperial and left the compass from the Long Wei along with a note. "Happy new year, but start counting your last days." "So it is an act of vengeance?" The team members asked in unison. "It seems so. Again, the perpetrators left no traces. Everything is wiped clean.What do you think?" Wu Feng asked their thoughts on the case. "Why eagle team?" Wan Yi Jun who buried his eye on the case file, raised a question. "Nah, the question must be, Why me?" "Chairman Han believes his nephew more than anyone else." Wu Ying casually added. "HK Corporation''s chairman is Captain''s uncle?" The eagle team''s eyeballs popped out as the shocking truth entered their ears. They knew that their Captian is from a well off family, but how is he related to the HK corporation and what the hell a corporate heir is doing in police force?" "I assume that, Wan Ze Min will be joining the team, right?" Wan Yi Jun bitterly asked as he closed the case file and placed it on the desk. "I''m sorry, chief. Leave me out of this." He refused to accept the new case file without disclosing any reasons. As soon as the words left Wan Yi Jun''s mouth, his team members were left dumbfounded by their captain''s decision. It was the first time they saw him refusing a case. "You are a police officer, Yi Jun. You cannot let your personal life interfere with your profession." Wu Feng advised softly to the man who remained nonchalant before him. "You should tell this to Captain Han or maybe the man who walked out from your office a while ago." Wan Yi Jun rebutted and wrapped his arms over his chest, as if he is not budging from his decision. "General Zhi is the one who recommended you. Actually it was the favor he wants to ask me." Wu Feng reminded him with a pleasant face. "It seems like he finally decided to trust you." "Don''t persuade me. I will not-" When Wan Yi Jun tried to argue, all of his excuses were defended by more tempting statements. "This will be Han Ze Min''s last mission. He is quitting police force to take over his family business and also plans to get married. Now it is your turn. Who would know that General Zhi got a much bigger plan for you?" Wu Feng enigmatically pointed out. Even though he didn''t explain more about the "bigger plan" anyone who knew the animosity between General Zhi and Captain Wan could figure out it was something related to Zhi Lan, "Cheif, now you are the one who is mixing my personal matters with professional life. I will leave if you have nothing else to say." Wan Yi Jun harshly said and rose from his seat on an intention to leave the room. " Captain Wan Yi Jun," Wu Feng''s amiable tone replaced with overbearing commanding tone as he stopped his junior. The eagle team who has never seen this intimidating face of their chief, subconsciously stood up from their seats. "Whether you like it or not, you should investigate this case. It''s an order." Wu Feng concluded and moved the case file towards the man who remained with an indifferent face. "Fire me then." Wan Yi Jun made his point clear. Since none of his words worked in favour of him, Wu Feng took the last and most effective method of persuasion. "There are several other officers, who can solve this case, but none of them can show the commitment as you, who grew up within the HK corporation. After all, your father''s hard work played a major part in the HK group''s glory. So don''t you think, you should find the real culprits and save your father''s dream from going into ruins" Wu Feng inquired honestly. "I don''t get riled by sentimental talks, chief." Wan Yi Jun scoffed as he stood sternly on his decision. "Yes. That''s why I''m making you in charge of this case. I''m sure that you won''t let your emotions meddle into your duty and always make sure to serve justice," Wu Feng affirmed with a smile and turned towards the team members. "Eagle team, assist your Captain and find out the master mind behind this crime." "Yes, Chief. We will find the real culprit." They assured him, but unfortunately, none of them could foresee the dilemma awaiting them. Captian Wan Yi Jun, who had an undisputed loyalty and professional ethics, will be swayed by an emotion that he refused for a longtime and get into trouble for taking a decision, that''s forbidden by the morals and values he followed so far. To fall in love with one of the most intelligent criminal mastermind. Chapter 5 - The Rivals The eagle team members half-heartedly walked out of the Chief commissioner''s office as their Captain chose to stay behind and argue over taking charge of the ''HK Long Wei'' case. "I have too many questions to ask." Bing Wen declared as soon as he stepped out of the visitor''s lounge. Though the rest of the team members heard his declaration, they smoothly ignored it and walked towards their temporary office. "Sir Lao!!!" Bing Wen grabbed Lao Yating''s arm and yanked him back as he tried to stop his team members from leaving, "I said I had questions." He rumbled. "Shoot!" Lao Yating crossed his arms over his chest as he positioned himself in front of the whining child. "Does captain Wan often talk back to the chief? He was even glaring at the major general as if he knew no fear. And how the hell is he related to HK corporations?"Bing Wen bombarded him with his questions. Watching the little boy almost dying in curiosity, Lao Yating let out a sigh and exchanged glances with his teammates. "I think senior Fei is the right person to answer these questions. After all, he is the one who knows Captain better than anyone else." He threw the hot potato to Fei Yan, who has been working with Wan Yi Jun for more than five years. "Well, Captain is a reserved person. He doesn''t like to share his private life with anyone else, so I know things which you all know." Fei Yan tried his best to avoid discussing the topic by using a lame excuse. "It''s alright. Just tell me how he manages to talk back to the superior officers. Isn''t he worried about the consequences of his aloof behaviour?" Bing Wen probed more. He couldn''t believe the immense amount of attention that his captain receives from his superior bosses, even after he brutally ignores the protocols. "That''s his basic behaviour. He is straightforward and doesn''t sugarcoat his words. Chief Wu likes people like him." Fei Yan admitted. However, that explanation wasn''t enough for Bing Wen, so he pried again. "But chief Wu is such a sweet person. How could Captain irritate someone like him?" "Oh, it''s simple. Captain is like his second son. He is allowed to irritate the Chief." Fei Yan casually stated as he bobbed his head in a funny way. It was a well-known fact in the police department that Chief Wu Feng was like a godfather to Captain Wan, who was like a mediator between Wan Yi Jun and General Zhi. "And a son-in-law to General Zhi." Added, Lao Yating trying hard to suppress his laughter, only to provoke the silent Shen Junru, the number one fan boy of Captain Wan. "It seems like Sir Lao is tired of living." He abruptly commented as if he was getting ready to start an argument to save his captain from baseless rumours. "Xiao Shen, don''t act like you haven''t seen whatever happened in the nightclub." Lao Yating made an effort to remind him, "Even if you didn''t see anything, you must have listened to Captain''s commands. Don''t you find it odd?" "They were just talking." Shen Junru shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal. While both of them argued, Bing Wen, who had no clue about the context of their conversation, restlessly demanded what they were arguing about. However, instead of answering him, Lao Yating turned to Fei Yan to support his speculation, "Senior Fei, what do you think of captain''s actions last night?" "No comment." Fei Yan raised his arms as if he was bailing out of the situation, "I''m too old for this conversation." He muttered his breath as he tried hard to keep a straight face. He was a person who had a positive opinion about using technology in their line of work, especially ear gadgets. During sting operations, their ear gadgets were always connected with each other for better communication. However, the negative side of connected devices only became clear to them during the last mission when the entire team accidentally overheard Wan Yi Jun''s conversation with Zhi Lan. "She was literally hitting on Captain and dropping hints every now and then. I swear, if it wasn''t for the mission, they would have been¡­" Lao Yating wriggled his head to shake off the thought from his mind. "Sir Lao, please don''t act like a paparazzi reporter. Captain Wan doesn''t even pay attention to her. He was just giving orders." Shen Junru protested. "Oh my God, people, why don''t you just say who she is?" Bing Wen almost shrieked out in frustration. One thing he disliked in the entire world was getting ignored during the conversation, especially if it was related to some spicy rumours. "Her name is Zhi Lan." The arguing duo and Fei Yan univocally replied. "Zhi Lan?" Bing Wen repeated the name monotonously. However, the moment realisation hit hard on his brain, his eyes widened in shock. "She is General Zhi''s daughter? Good lord, is this the reason for General Zhi''s silent treatment towards Captain? It is not true, right?" Bing Wen blathered as his thoughts began to run wilder, "Hey...that''s so unprofessional, especially someone who is in the position of officer general. Nope... I don''t think so. " After contemplating for a long minute, he himself made a decision and sought validation from his seniors, who were silently watching him with pitiful eyes. Fei Yan sighed and placed his arm over Bing Wen''s shoulder as if he wanted the latter to calm down. "Xiao Bing. I understand that you consider Captain Wan as a role model. But dear, there is one thing you should keep in your mind if you want to become like him." Fei Yan stopped for a second and continued. "Within the six years of Captain''s service, he was transferred 8 times. Though it might sound like he is a well-reputed officer, but if you look deep into it, anyone can figure out that it was nothing but punishment transfers. " "And all the credits go to Miss Zhi," Chimed, Shen Junru with a poker face. "Gosh, Captain Wan must be head over heels for his girlfriend to even defy General Zhi." Bing Wen grinned like a Cheshire cat as he thought about the possibility of their ''rough and tough'' captain being a loyal boyfriend. "No, it''s the other way." Shen Junru corrected an overly enthusiastic Bing Wen with his iconic dead-pan expression. "Miss Zhi is the one who follows the captain everywhere. Even from Novaria to Imperial. " "Novaria!!! Woahhh they went to Novaria- the abode of fallen angels? " Bing Wen exclaimed when he heard about Novaria, a western country that happened to be the topmost priority of people who wished to immigrate for better living standards and job opportunities. Captain left such a place and luxuries to work in the police force? As he pondered more Bing Wen''s face appeared perplexed. "No. Captain is from Novaria. I mean, he is more like a second-generation immigrant." Fei Yan shared a mere amount of information that he managed to collect from Wan Yi Jun''s personal life. "Miss Zhi went to some Novarian university and met Captain there." "I heard that she is the one who forced Captain to return to Imperial and join the police academy." Lao Yating shared the biggest rumour that he heard about his captain. "Woah!!! That itself proves that they are indeed a couple in love." Bing Wen admiringly said. Witnessing Wan Yi Jun''s commitment to the police force has moved a newbie like Bing Wen and inspired him to a huge extent. However, not even in his wildest nightmares, Bing Wen expected such an affectionate backstory. "I''m not sure about it. I just know that wherever Captain gets transferred, Miss Zhi follows him. Though she says that it''s for her business, we all know that is not the case." Lao Yating replied as he subconsciously counted the Zhi Lan''s visits to their offices while they were dispatched to various cities across the country. Even a child could figure out that it was way more than a mere coincidence. "Soon after Miss Zhi appears, the Captain gets a transfer or goes for an off-site mission. That''s how we got to know that General Zhi is not so happy with this alliance." "But sir Lao, considering your theories, if Captain is on bad terms with General Zhi, then why did he recommended captain on this new mission? " Bing Wen pointed out, all of a sudden, "Didn''t you hear Chief? It''s simply because of Chairman Han of HK corporations." Lao Yating answered and tilted his head in the direction of Fei Yan and Shen Junru, as if some random thought had popped into his mind. "Were you aware of the fact that Captain is related to HK Corporation?" His question was full of bewilderment. " No, absolutely not... I just knew that Captain Han was related to- Wait a minute. " Fei Yan paused mid-sentence as his face glowed with incredulity. "So captain Wan and Captain Han...they are not friends but cousins.... and they fought for the same woma-" Fei Yan''s words struck at his throat when he saw the towering figure standing just behind Bing Wen, like a shadow of death. "What happened? Why did they fight?" Bing Wen grabbed the petrified Fei Yan''s arms and shook enthusiastically to hear the rest of the story, "Tell me, tell me." "Let me hear it too." Wan Yi Jun''s deep profound voice floated in the air as he caught his team members gossiping like a bunch of jobless people, As soon as they heard his indifferent voice, the team members turned mechanically like a robot and with their faces plastered with a sheepish smile. "Who fought with whom?" Wan Yi Jun inquired, his sharp eyes penetrating deep into them, like icy daggers. "No..no¡­" Lao Yating gulped a mouthful of saliva as he felt a chill run deep down his spine, "No one, captain." Under his scrutinizing gaze, the eagle team trembled like a tree in typhoon. "Since you''ve got enough time for useless talks, make sure to wrap up the file work before lunch break. " He ordered in an austere tone and turned to walk away from them as if nothing had happened, As the heavy footsteps moved away from them, Bing Wen pulled his hair in disbelief. "Officer Fei, why didn''t you tell us that captain was standing there? Good Lord, I hope he didn''t hear any of it." "He heard it." The rest of the team members affirmed in unison. Of course, Wan Yi Jun''s keen ears were quick to pick up the words that left Fei Yan''s mouth. As someone who worked with him and his cousin in the same team, Wan Yi Jun knew that Officer Fei was familiar with the never-ending competition between them. Two cousins, who grew up as rivals, fighting over nearly everything in their lives, but what will happen when they encounter a common enemy who dreams to destroy their family? Chapter 6 - The Ghost As the clock struck 12.45 pm, Lao Yating and Shen Junru stood before the glass doors of their Captain''s office as they engaged in an argument over the biggest crisis of their lives. "Who will submit the case report to Wan Yi Jun who happened to overhear their conversation?" "You go." Lao Yating shoved the report into the other''s hand and ordered quickly, "You are the second in command." Shen Junru quickly hid his hand behind his back and refused to take the case file. "You should hand it over in person." "I may be second in command, but you are captain''s favourite." "You were the one who started that stupid conversation, so you should go." "Where? When? It was that whiny little Bing who asked his ridiculous questions. Where is he? He should take responsibility of his mistakes." "He will get away with a mail and captain will ask for a hard copy from us. So it is better that you go and submit it." "Aisshhhh." Lao Yating almost cussed and looked for a way to escape. "You should have listened to me when I asked you to stop spreading baseless rumours about Captain, just go now." Shen Junru pushed his senior towards the glass door and for Lao Yating''s bad luck, Wan Yi Jun who buried his eyes on the case file, raised his head and caught the arguing duo. Since he made eye-contact with the beast, he had no other option but to enter it''s den. Taking a deep breath, Lao Yating straightened his posture and pulled open the glass door. "Captain!!!" "Hmmm?" Wan Yi Jun replied without reverting his eyes from the desktop. "Final report." "Leave it there." "Yes captain." Lao Yating placed the file on the table and quickly turned around to walk away. However, just as he reached out for the door handle, he got called by Wan Yi Jun. "Its over. Captain is going to interrogate me ." He reluctantly turned around and looked at the man who was shutting down the computer. "Good lord, save me." He began to pray as he feared the consequences of spreading rumours about their seniors. But whatever they discussed, isn''t it a widely circulated news in the whole police force.?" "Chief invited us for lunch." Wan Yi Jun''s random statement pulled his second in command back into reality. "Huh?" "You didn''t hear me? Chief Wu is treating us. Inform the team and meet me at the parking lot." "..." Lao Yating.exe crashed and stopped working. ------------------------- As per Wu Feng''s orders, the eagle team arrived at "The Ocean King" a high end seafood restaurant in the entire imperial city. Just as they entered the restaurant, the nicely dressed waiters escorted them to one of the VIP private rooms, with no delay. While they were left bewildered by the luxurious menu, Chief Wu walked into the private room with a pleasant smile. "Did you place the order?" Wu Feng''s wrinkled eyes travelled around the perplexed faces of his junior officers and finally rested on Wan Yi Jun, who spoke on behalf of them. "No, chief. We were waiting for you." He replied and moved a glass of water for his Chief. Since Wu Feng was treating them for a meal, they remained seated while waiting for him to order the dishes first. "Feel free to order anything you want." Wu Feng suggested and handed over the menu card to Fei Yan who sat opposite to him. Though Wu Feng made an offer no one was brave enough to order a meal, thanks to the huge numbers written next to the dishes as an indication of the price. The dishes were so expensive that they just sipped on plain water instead of drinking. "How about lobster?" Wu Feng proposed when he heard no orders from the eagle team. "Or shall I order a seafood platter?" He asked while looking at Wan Yi Jun, who slightly bobbed his head in disagreement. "It''s your welcome party. As your chief, it''s my duty to take care of you." Wu Feng tried to ease their discomfort by gentle reminders. "Oh then we will make sure to leave you bankrupt." Wan Yi Jun replied half jokingly as he finalized the order for the most expensive seafood platter from the menu. It was his method to get back to Wu Feng, for putting in charge of ''HK Long Wei case'' despite his protests. "I know Fei Yan''s family lives in the imperial itself, what about others?Have you all found a place to stay?" Wu Feng inquired as they waited for the food. "We have. But.¡­" Lao Yating''s words faded away when his eyes fell on Wan Yi Jun, who sat there with bloodshot eyes. All of them barely slept last night due to the mission, but their captain never took a moment of rest from the moment he reported for work at imperial. He even kept his clothes and luggage in the locker room at police quarters and refused to go home. Wu Feng glanced at the youngman and asked an obvious question. "Your captain is not allowing you to go home?" "No..not like that." Lao Yating quickly refused to avoid any more trouble. His daily dose of fear and anxiety has already hit the sky and he no longer had any strength to endure one more Wan Yi Jun''s special torture. "You have made a mistake by coming here before the new year. You could have gone home and spent time with your family before joining here." Wu Feng pointed out as he sympathized with the special force team members. Being a loyal and reliable police officer, all of them had to compromise with their personal lives in order to serve their duty. They could have taken a break and celebrated the new year with their family. But instead of that, they all rushed to imperial only to get fooled by a fake intel. When he noticed that everyone avoided looking at their captain and kept their eyes downcast, Wu Feng was able to figure out who was the reason for the awkward silence in the room. "I know we don''t get enough time to celebrate national holidays. But Yi Jun, when was the last time you went home for the new year?" He gathered everyone''s attention to something they overlooked or unaware of until now. However, even under everyone''s curious gaze, Wan Yi Jun remained unflinched and let them know the truth, so casually. "Dr Sienna Han is even busier than her son, so it must have been two or three years eversince we met in person." His reply left the eagle team and Chief Wu speechless and after a long moment, Fei Yan, father of a ten year old boy, finally broke the sombre silence in the room. "You really haven''t met your mother in two years?" He asked, rather in an empathetic tone. After watching Wan Yi Jun''s workaholic nature, they started to think that he was a robot who works non-stop. However they never expected that it was inherited from his mother, nevertheless. "Yeah." He kept his reply short to avoid follow up queries. However, Wu Feng went ahead with his daring attempt to make his austere subordinate to speak up. "Hmm, where are you staying, nowadays?" "Office." The reply was quick and short, pouring cold water over chief Wu''s attempts. But thanks to the seafood platter, Wu Feng had more supporters and they readily dived into the conversation to show their undying love and admiration. "Captain never leaves the office."Bing Wen reported excitedly as he totally forgot about the mess created in the morning and went on with his praise or complaint regarding his Captain, "He even stays there at night." As soon as the word fell from Bing Wen''s mouth, the rest of the team members wished they could gag him before he spills anymore nonsense. "What?" Wu Feng''s response was rather shocked. Though it is normal for police officers to stay at resting quarters in police stations, he never seen an officer in the rank of a team captain prefers to stay in his office. "Why are you staying there?" "I''m cleaning my place and there are some renovations left to do." Wan Yi Jun made a valid point instead of giving a full length explanation. "You should have told me earlier to look for a ready to occupy apartment." Wu Feng chided him and the very next moment, he made a fancy offer that left everyone dumbstruck. "Or else you can stay with us." "Staying with the chief commissioner of the police department, Woahhhh !!!!" Bing Wen literally dropped his jaw when he recalled Fei Yan''s words about Wan Yi Jun being the second son to chief Wu. "Thanks Chief. But I''m going home, tonight."'' Wan Yi Jun declared with a faint smile. "Home? Are you gonna stay at Wisteria gardens?" Wu Feng snapped back in utter disbelief and surprise. "It remained closed and empty for nearly fifteen years. "Where else do I stay? It''s my home." Wan Yi Jun protested. "Yaaa, it might take days to renovate that place. How can you clean, no how can you live there alone?" For a moment, Wu Feng forgot his position and reprimanded the young man like an affectionate father. "I''m not going to stay there for the whole day. I just go there to sleep." He elaborated as if it''s not a big deal. Though Wu Feng wished to carryon with the topic, they were interrupted by the delicious aroma of their food. The sight of the enormous portions and colourful combinations of sea food have left them mesmerized and helped to forget the conversation just happened a moment ago. While everyone was enjoying the delicious treats, Wu Feng has already lost his appetite because of what he heard from Wan Yi Jun. Unable to calm down his raging anxiety, he decided to continue the conversation where the left it. "But Yi Jun, how can you live at that place, all alone? Let me ask Butler Ming to send someone." Wu Feng suggested in a worried voice. "Chief, I''m not a child to stay with an adult." Wan Yi Jun said half-jokingly, "Stop worrying." "No...no...you have decided to stay there and at least, you need some one to properly take care of the house." Wu Feng argued back on a belief that Wan Yi Jun might re-consider his decision. "What if there are some animals or-" "Ghosts?" Wan Yi Jun completed his words with an indifferent look on his face and the very next moment a haughty snigger flashed on his lips as he stared at Wu Feng. "Do you really think that place is haunted with ghosts? The only ghost that existed in Wisteria gardens abandoned that place fifteen years ago." He spoke in a sarcastic tone and turned his gaze back to his food, making it clear that he doesn''t want to continue the conversation. Though he spoke sarcastically, Wu Feng could clearly saw the agony hidden behind Wan Yi Jun''s crystal clear eyes. Wisteria gardens was his home, the place that holds his precious memories of time when he was happy. As he lingered more on his memories, Wan Yi Jun could hear childish sneers and insults ringing in his ears, rushing his memories back to an afternoon, 16 years ago. "Ghost!!!!..." "She is a monster!!!" A group of children screamed at a girl,who sat on the puddle of dirt with toiled clothes. Murky water dripping down from her silver hair to her thin shoulders. "Tzuki!!!!" A boy rushes to her, shouting atop of his lungs and kneels before her. Hearing his voice, the girl slowly raised her head to reveal a pair of bi-coloured eyes. Her irises, resembling both starless sky and bottomless blue ocean, coldly stares back at the boy, with immense amount of hatred and anger. While Wan Yi Jun was lost in his memories, in one of the houses in the busy alleys of imperial city''s downtown, a woman stood before the mirror, taking off a coal black lens to reveal with a sparkling icy blue iris. Keeping her lens aside, she took a tuft full of her shiny silver tresses, with a determined look on her gorgeous face. Taking a deep breath, she made her final decision to reached out for obsidian black dye and began to apply over her silver hair, To erase the traits that made her alive in someone else''s memories. Chapter 7 - The Lie The evening sun over the sky painted the imperial in golden hues, imparting a regal charm to the skyscrapers and the age-old shackles in the darkest alleys of the city. In one of the rooftop houses in the alley, Kousuke Ichigawa walked out of the kitchen, holding a coffee tray in his hands. He badly needed a strong coffee to wake himself from the lazy afternoon. "Nechan!!!! Wake up and have a cup of coffee." He sang loudly at the closed door next to the living room, waking up the man who was fast asleep on the couch. "Yoji, have a cup of coffee." Kousuke placed the coffee tray on the table and took a seat opposite to a groggy Yojiro who snuggled into the softness of the couch, with no intention to wake up. The heavy lunch of the day has undoubtedly made them doze off, triggering their body to compensate for the previous sleepless nights. "Nechan!!!" He called again, looking at the closed door. "Shut it!" Yojiro chided in a stammering voice as he got forced to wake up from his afternoon nap. "Would it kill you to stay quiet?" He let out a yawn and sluggishly reached for the coffee mug. When he saw Kousuke was aiming to shout again, he grabbed whatever was caught in his hands and threw it to stop the other. "She hasn''t slept straight for two days. Let her sleep a little longer." Yojiro hissed as he tried to shut Kousuke, his overly concerned blood-sworn brother. "She is awake. I heard her running around the house a while ago." Kousuke refuted back as he sipped on his coffee and opened his mouth to call his nechan. However, right at that moment, the bedroom door opened with a creaking noise, gathering their attention to the familiar slender figure, walking out of the room, creating the low ruffling sound of the soft fabric with her movements. Kousuke, who had a glimpse of the woman, almost choked upon his strong coffee, spilling it over his clothes in shock. "Nechan!!!! Are you¡­" His words struck at the sight of the unusual sight of their Nechan, looking pretty and adorable in a lilac one-piece dress. The long black hair perfectly framed her gorgeous face, giving the woman a soft and ethereal appearance, unlike her naturally intimidating aura. While the two men remained speechless, she gently ambled towards the couch and took a seat next to Yojiro as if nothing had happened. "What''s wrong?" She inquired flatly and sat cross-legged, like a lady from a noble house, looking elegant and sophisticated. "Nechan, you..you look weird." Unable to believe his eyes, Kousuke stuttered as he spoke, "really...wei-" "Beautiful." Yojiro corrected as he pushed the remaining coffee cup to the girl trying to change her attention. However, even after hearing the comment, her breathtakingly beautiful face remained blank like a sheet of white paper. "Huh...Ahhh beautiful. That''s right. You look beautiful." Kousuke, who got reminded by his brother, quickly rephrased his words and plastered a wide grin on his face. "So, I wasn''t beautiful before?" She monotonously asked, her ink-black irises penetrating deep into him, almost sending invisible lasers. "No." Kousuke rebutted, only to witness her eyes narrowing down. "I mean you are...but this dress and style look different...It makes you more pretty. Where did you buy it, Nechan?" He somehow managed to avert the crisis by smooth talks. The Nechan they were familiar with was a peerlessly beautiful woman who always clad herself in black tomboyish clothes, except on some special occasions that oblige her to wear colourful traditional robes. Other than that, her entire wardrobe contained only black-coloured clothes. "That old lady downstairs, she gave me." She gently touched the soft cloth to smoothen the creases and replied lazily."Apparently, I''m at her late granddaughter''s age." Their landlady, a widow in her late sixties, was affectionate towards the three siblings who came to rent out her rooftop house, especially the elder sister who, take care of the younger ones. "Woahhh, I never knew that you cared about others feelings." Kousuke made a random comment and studied as if he was assessing the drastic change on her. "Ahhh, now I know why Tora doesn''t even look at any other woman." He kept his cup on the table and picked up his phone while the other two went ahead with the conversation. "Is it okay for us to get closer to that old lady?" Yojiro pointed out sceptically. "She is practically treating you as her own granddaughter." "It''s only a matter of few da-" "CLICK! CLICK! CLICK" The sound of the camera''s shutter interrupted her words. "Yaa. what are you doing?" She snapped at Kousuke with an annoyed look on her face. "Taking a picture..." He typed something on the phone while grinning, "I''m damn sure that Tora would love to see you in this dress." As soon as the words fell from Kousuke''s mouth, her nonchalant facade broke into a million pieces. "Give!!!" She ordered and extended her palm for the cell phone, "Why do you want my phone? I''m not giving it-" Even before Kousuke could say anything, Yojiro snatched the phone from him and took a look at the picture on the screen. "He sent the picture to Tora," Yojiro reported and exchanged glances with his brother. "Delete it." "He saw it...And he is calling." Yojiro showed the phone screen to the woman whose eyes were literally on fire. No way she is going to attend the call. "Nechan, pick it up." Kousuke urged her when he foresaw the consequences of ignoring the call from a certain someone. "You do." She icily said and crossed her arms over her chest while watching Yojiro picking up the call. However, instead of attending the call, he threw the phone to Kousuke, who caught it and answered without losing a second, "Hello, brother, how are you? Is it raining over there? Though Kousuke spoke with a grinning face, his voice trembled as his eyes fell on the ice-cold statue sitting on the couch, watching his actions. "You want to talk to Nechan? Sure." He handed over the phone to the woman and gulped down in fear. "Please, pick up." He mouthed a humble request. "Hmm." She monotonously responded to the call as her facial expression changed apathetic. "I forgot to keep it charged. It has been only four days. Let me enjoy my vacation properly. Hmm, bye." She quickly wrapped up the conversation and returned the phone. "Don''t you dare to repeat this again?" She warned the man who was biting his nails in stress while she was attending the call. "Nechan, actually, Tora is the one who asks me about your picture, every now and then. Why aren''t you attending his video calls? I heard from others that he is on the verge of breaking down without you." Kousuke explained the dire situation that forced him to take such a creepy action of photographing a woman without her permission. "Let him break down a bit."She ruthlessly stated and rose from the couch, holding her coffee cup. She strolled towards the kitchen and quickly washed the cup before going out. "Where are you going, Nechan?" Kousuke hurriedly asked when he saw her wearing a sling bag. "Shopping." She replied and secured her loose hair into a low bun with her metal hairpin, naturally elevating her pretty naive girl look. "Shopping? You?" Even Yojiro, who never questions any of her choices, was left bewildered for a moment. "The person who hates crowds and human interaction is going shopping, that too in a different city?" "Wait for a minute. We will come with you." Kousuke suggested and jolted up from the seat, intending to follow her. "No." She rejected his help all at once, surprising the other two. "Huh? Why can''t we tag along with you? Where are you going?" "I''m not going anywhere. I just need a breath of fresh air." She quickly put on her shoes and almost dashed towards the front door. "Don''t unnecessarily call me" She instructed as she strode away before they could follow her. "What''s wrong with her?" Kousuke looked at the empty spot at the door and gasped. "I smell something fishy." "She is just wearing a dress, that''s it." Yojiro tried to console the man, who seemed to wrack his brain over the sneaky actions of their nechan. "No. It''s not the dress. Lately, Nechan has been acting weird." Kousuke moved closer to Yojiro as if he was about to say something crucial and secretive. "She was supposed to get engaged, Nah, married by now. But look at her now. What is she doing in this city?" "Ya, don''t be an old geezer," Yojiro grunted in protest. "Nechan is only a few months older than us, and why should she get married?" "I''m not the only one who wants her to get married. The whole Kobayashi clan is looking forward to Nechan and Tora''s wedding, and what did she say about it?" Kousuke interrogated an unresponsive Yojiro who failed to think about the future of their clan. "She said she needs some time." "I thought Nechan was going to take some time to learn things that would help her leading a family, but who knew she was going to settle her issues, all alone." Kousuke grunted in frustration as he thought about her reckless actions. "She is not alone. We are here to help her." Yojiro affirmed with a proud face. He was literally on cloud nine when he came to know that she picked him to accompany her on this mission. "Yojiro, use your pea brain a little more efficiently." Kousuke smacked the other''s head to hammer down some sense. "Nechan lied to big brother and Tora about going for a vacation. Instead of spending time in Itaria, she took the next flight and came here. Don''t forget that she gave away her tickets and reservations in Itaria to some random woman. Definitely, there is something fishy. I''m damn sure that she is planning something dangerous, hiding it from big brother." Kousuke shared his findings with a worried look on his face. "What are you so scared of? Do you think big brother would punish his own sister for telling lies? I don''t think so." Yojiro refused to believe any of his inferences and remain cool-headed even though the other person was trying to make him tensed. "Lies...no.. I''m talking about the consequences of her reckless actions. If anything goes wrong, we won''t stay alive to watch the next dawn." "Kousuke, who is she?" Yojiro asked out of random, stopping the blabberings of his brother. "She is the sister of the great Hiroki Terada. The first-ever woman who rose into the position of commanding chief of the Kobayashi clan... She knows how to take care of things. All you have to do is to prevent the news from reaching the clan." While they were arguing with each other, their beloved Nechan was already on the way to create more trouble. She voluntarily walked into the enemy''s den without any idea about the danger waiting for her. Chapter 8 - The Wisteria Garden It was nearly five in the evening when Wan Yi Jun left the office with his luggage and things stored in the locker room. He feared that if he stayed at police quarters for one more hour, Wu Feng might drag him to Wu family house to live as their guest. Inorder to avoid that prickly situation, he decided to return to Wisteria gardens, even though the renovations were only half done. "Well, I don''t need much, just a room to sleep in, and it is manageable since the workers might have cleaned one or two rooms in the mansion," Wan Yi Jun thought while his black range rover drifted through the buzzing streets of the city. The imperial was bustling with cheerful masses of people who are preparing to welcome the ''New Year" while celebrating the last day of the year. Every building, lamp posts, trees, in the city was covered with red and golden ribbons and decorations as the symbols of wealth and prosperity. Wan Yi Jun drove further and turned to the northern side of the city, which appeared less crowded with buildings but covered tall shady trees. After driving for five more minutes, he took a right turn and entered a road with a signboard with ''Private property'' written over it. The neatly aligned road with cherry blossoms ended in front of a huge black metal gate. As his car approached the gate, Wan Yi Jun''s eyes fell on a shocking sight over the tall boundary walls. A pair of long slender legs hanging, Nah, flailing on the high walls. "What the -?" He almost cussed and kicked the brake in the startlement, stopping the car with a loud screeching noise. After picking up his revolver, he carefully got down from the car and strode silently towards the boundary wall, assessing the weight of the situation. It''s a trespasser, that too a woman. She was stuck between the barbed iron wires over the boundary wall with its sharp pointy edges on the keeping her trapped, restricting her movements. If she moves any further, her clothes will get torn and probably the rusty wire will end up leaving wounds on her, that would probably serve as an evidence of the crime. Wan Yi Jun stood a few feet away from the wall and looked at the women''s struggles. The lilac dress on the woman was fluttering in the wind, revealing the smooth expanse of her thighs, alluring enough to capture anyone''s attention or, even worse, evoking some lustful thoughts. "Are you going to stay there looking at me or, will you help?" A desperate mellow voice floated in the air. Hearing her question, Wan Yi Jun subconsciously glanced around to check whether she was talking to him or her accomplices. But to his surprise, he couldn''t find anyone else. "Is this a prank? But who is brave enough to pull a trick like this on me?" His thoughts wandered wild as he moved closer to the boundary wall and climbed up in swift motions to catch the trespasser red-handed. When the woman heard the slight movements beside her, she let out a sigh in relief and averted her eyes to the rescuer. "I told you not to follow-" Her strings of words broke when she saw the man who came for her rescue. The man she hated the most!!!!!! "Why is he here? What the hell is he doing here?" Her big black eyes widened at the very sight of the dashingly handsome man who grabbed the collar of her dress, with utter confusion and a little bit of fear flashing on her face. The person whom she avoided the most appeared out of nowhere as her rescuer, While she remained petrified, Wan Yi Jun freed her collar from the hooks of the iron wires. When her movements became free, she made a effort to slip down from the wall, as an immediate reflex action. However, Wan Yi Jun, who foresaw her intentions to escape, quickly grabbed her right hand and landed on the ground, along with the woman. Even after touching the ground, he held onto her arm, with no intention to set her free. "Good looking or not, she is a burglar." Wan Yi Jun reminded himself not to fall into her honey traps. After a long minute of silence, he started interrogating the burglar who tried to break into his house. "So will you accompany me to the police station or, should I call them here?'' He casually asked while tightening his grip on the slender arms of the woman who remained frozen to the ground. "I didn''t do anything wrong...Leave me!!!" She jolted awake from her daze and struggled to let her loose from his strong hold. "Really?" Wan Yi Jun''s lips curled into a mocking smile as he heard her protest and scanned the woman who stood before him. She was too beautiful and naive to be called a delinquent. If he met her under some other occasion, he might have looked at her as an innocent little woman. "Trespassing private property is considered as an offence." He sounded indifferently cold as he spoke. However, she repeatedly chanted that she is innocent and refused to admit her crime. "I just saw you climbing over the wall and get stucked in the iron wires." He sternly jeered. He wasn''t a person who would use force or impolite words to women, but for some reason, he felt that this burglar deserved no consideration. "I came for Wisteria flowers." She explained the earlier sticky situation with a perplexed look on her face. "Trespassing and burglary." He sneered and fished out his cell phone from his pocket. Hearing Wan Yi Jun''s words, she shrugged her shoulders in disbelief and went ahead to prove her innocence, by stating her reasons.However, none of them made sense to Wan Yi Jun. "How can you call it a theft? It''s just a small flower." She tried to reason, "Whether it is small or big, theft is a punishable crime." His haughty claims to prove her as a thief has left the woman speechless. "What kind of police officer is he? I didn''t even step inside the premises, and yet he was quick to accuse me." She mumbled in her head, but outside, she put on an act like she did nothing wrong and had no idea about Wan Yi Jun or his identity as a police officer. However, Wan Yi Jun was not a fool to believe her claims, so he kept rejecting her excuses one after another. "At Least use some believable excuse, ''came for Wisteria flowers'' what a lame reason!!!" He gritted annoyedly. He literally couldn''t believe her petty excuses to trespass into the billion-dollar mansion. Who knows that she was trying to rob the entire Wisteria gardens? "I...I.. came to collect flowers for ancestral rites." She came up with an even better excuse, but only to get mocked by Wan Yi Jun. "Oh yeah, your ancestors will be proud if they receive stolen flowers." "I came to buy them, not to steal," She quickly refuted, losing his chance to mock her once again. " But even after ringing the doorbell, nobody came. I thought the bell might be broken, and that''s why I kinda tried to climb...But look, I didn''t pluck any flowers, nor did I trespass." She waved her left hand to show him that she didn''t steal anything. However, Wan Yi Jun wasn''t ready to believe her at all. "Do you want me to believe that lie?" His thick black eyebrows perched up in curiosity as he continued with his interrogation, "And Wisteria blooms in December? Who are you trying to fool?" Well, he was right. It wasn''t the season of Wisteria. But for some reason, she believed that she might find some flowers in this mansion and decided to climb over the wall. But she never expected to run into Wan Yi Jun, who was supposed to be at the office at this hour. "It''s not a lie. If I''m a thief, then why would I still stay here and talk to you. I would have run away." "Yes. Petty thieves run away when they are about to get caught, but experienced burglars stay back." "Mister, you should not jump into a conclusion that easily." Unable to endure his blame she protested, rather harshly. "Well experienced burglars are eloquent too." Wan Yi Jun didn''t shut his mouth and let his blabber go on air. "Wisterias are my mom''s favourite flowers. I just want to keep it on the rites table. I went to almost every flower shop in the city, but no one got it. One of the florists said that it is available here. Since you are adamant on tagging me as a burglar, I would better set the table without the flowers. My mom would be happy to see an empty table than seeing her daughter as a criminal." She made one last effort to release herself from his grip, that started to hurt her. However, this time Wan Yi Jun let go of her arm without uttering a word as if he believed her reasons to break in. She stole a glance at his confused face and faintly sighed on the relief that her excuse worked on him. And more than anything else, he didn''t recognise her at all. "It''s the best time to leave" She made her mind and cleared her throat, "Sorry for trespassing, and thanks for helping me out." She said while gently massaging her wrist and turned her heels to leave before he comes up with another trouble. However, when she took a step towards the road, she was yanked back by a heavy force, almost pulling her towards Wan Yi Jun''s muscular body. "Did I allow you to leave?" His sharp eyes narrowed down as he interrogated her again. She was a woman who was famous for keeping a ice-cold face, even under any threatening situation. But when she came face to face with the man, her heart betrayed her, by fluttering for a mere second. "What''s now?" She replied as she tried hard to keep herself steady. "Get inside." Wan Yi Jun ordered and let go of her arm as he turned towards the car that was parked beside the gate. "I told you, I didn''t steal anything." She fumbled and tried not to take things to the police station since she can''t afford getting caught by the imperial police force. "Take flowers and go." Wan Yi Jun muttered and walked towards the gate to press the passcode, surprising her with his unexpected behaviour. "When did he became so kind?" While she was wondering, the giant gate opened wide enough to reveal a vast Wisteria garden covering the three forth of the entire compound. However when she moved closer, her gorgeous face hit with a wave of glum. Just as Wan Yi Jun mentioned earlier, there weren''t any flowers only the green vines tangled with nearly every tree and pergolas in the garden. "I told you, there aren''t any wisteria flowers. It''s not their season." Wan Yi Jun informed, rather in a gentle voice unlike his earlier tone and looked at the disappointed woman. "Hmm...It''s okay. I will leave then." Gently bowing her head in gratitude, she turned to leave. However, just as she took a step towards the gate, his deep, profound voice urgently pulled her back. "Wait a minute. There might be some." Wan Yi Jun stopped the woman from leaving and led her to the south side of the vast garden, where a giant tree stood covered with purple wisteria blooms. Under the nearly silent enviornment, the blue hues of twilight, painted the unexpected blooms of the wisteria vines a glow that gave off a mystical appearance. "Take whatever you want." Wan Yi Jun instructed and moved aside to give way to the girl who came for the flowers. "Hmm, thanks." She walked towards the giant tree in gentle footsteps, with her heart horrendously thumping inside her ribcage. The day she was taken away from this place, she promised herself that she would destroy the entire place into nothing but dust and ashes. Everything in Wisteria gardens was mean to be burnt down, including the living heraldry of the Wan family- The centuries-old Wisteria tree, that symbolises the warrior clan of Imperial from time immemorial. With several thoughts and memories running inside her mind, the woman forgot to watch her steps, and the next moment, she stumbled upon a thick root and fell into a puddle, right under the tree. When he saw the woman fall into the puddle, Wan Yi Jun rushed towards her to offer his help. But the moment, she rose from the murky water, with half of her face toiled with dirt, he unknowingly halted his steps and bent beside the puddle. But to his shock, not only she refused to accept his help, but she raised her fierce obsidian eyes at Wan Yi Jun, nearly startling him out of his wits. That sharp gaze!!! For a moment, Wan Yi Jun felt that the woman in the puddle, looked too familiar, just like the girl whom everyone believed that no more existed in this world. Even before his brain could think coherently, Wan Yi Jun''s thumping heart made him ask the question to confirm his speculations. "What''s your name?" Chapter 9 - The Clumsy One Under the mystically lit wisteria tree, Wan Yi Jun remained bewitched as he gazed deep into her eyes. Her dark irises appeared like a blackhole that succumbed his entire consciousness, spreading an intoxicating caprice on his veins. "What''s your name?" Wan Yi Jun asked. His voice, so low and husky, as alluring as his manly countenance. The sudden gush of cold wind shook the purple vines of wisteria and showered soft oval petals on them, like a reminder from the heavens. "Stay away." She screamed inwardly and pulled herself, not to fall for his tricks. Ignoring her pathetic condition, the girl propped up from the mushy puddle all by herself and pretended that she didn''t hear his question. However, Wan Yi Jun looked at her with a heavily pounding heart, unlike his usual tranquil self. He appeared as if he is on a desperate need for her answer. A name, that is unique as the holder''s personality and appearance - he yearns to hear it once again in this lifetime and for the last fifteen years, he has been searching for a girl who holds that name. For a mere moment, a glint of melancholy flashed on her emotionless face, reflecting the chaos surging inn her stone cold heart that trembled at the very sight of him. It was a simple question, yet she failed to answer when an unknown fear clouded her senses. "Did he recognise her? No. It can''t be." She recited in her mind and tightly clutched on to the hem of her dress. No. She is dead for him...for everyone. Her entire existence is wiped clean, and she is no longer the same girl who was chased away from imperial. "Ming Yue." She lied. "Ming Yue," Wan Yi Jun chanted the name as she watched his curiosity fade away from his face. "Are you alright?" When she heard his question, the corner of her mouth curled into a tiny sneer. As expected, he doesn''t remember her at all. Why did she even get anxious. Ming Yue, a stranger- that would be her new identity. Fine, let it remain like that. She answered his question with a slight head wobble and as a vague effort to avoid his piercing gaze, she subconsciously raised hand to wipe her face with dirty hands. "Don''t" Wan Yi Jun abruptly grabbed her arm, and stopped her from smearing the dirt on her face. Huh, she forgot the fact that her hands were indeed dirty. "There is a tap somewhere in the garden, why don''t you...get cleaned..I mean wash it away?" He stuttered as the initial daze vanished from his system, allowing him to think coherently. "Sorry?" She arched her eyebrows at his odd selection of words. "Huh? You are the one who fell down, why are you apologising to me?" He suppressed a tiny teeny laughter as he released her wrist from his hold. "Lame!" She wished to say, but somehow ended up agreeing with Wan Yi Jun as he began to lead her to the warehouse. "Please, come this way," He directed her through the path of overgrown and unruly plants that covered almost one fourth of the large garden. It was evident that the plants lacked proper care and pruning as they grew wilder, creating an unique order that surprisingly turned out an aesthetic piece of scenic beauty. Reserved or wild- everything have its own charms, it just depends upon the eyes of the viewer. Even though Ming Yue wasn''t a person who enjoys gardening, her steps halted when her eyes fell on the lotus pond in the middle of the garden. The white and pink lotus flowers floated on the murky water like a symbol of purity and rebirth. As she stood watching the lotus blooms, Wan Yi Jun went ahead to open the valves that connected to the water pump and the long garden hose. However, even after rotating the rusty valves, only a gust of air came through the hose. "Let me check it again." Wan Yi Jun said in a loud booming voice, aiming at Ming Yue who stood few metres away, lost in the thoughts "Can you come over?" Wan Yi Jun called her when he struggled, nah failed to figure out which valve regulates the water flow. Though he grew up in this mansion as the young master, he wasn''t sure about how things worked in Wisteria gardens without butlers and maids. Hearing his call, Ming Yue turned towards Wan Yi Jun, and an immediate snicker hurled on her face. "What a pity!!!" She twitched her mouth and ambled to his side, pitying the incompetence and clumsiness of certain someone. "Shrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!" All of a sudden, the water sprinklers that was buried on various spots of the garden, rose up and shot cold water all over the place, including Ming Yue who got startled by the sudden attack of the cold jet sprayers. "Oh shit!!!" Wan Yi Jun loudly cursed as he realised his mistake and frantically turned almost every single valve next to the water pump. But instead of turning off, his actions increased the shooting power of the sprinklers, almost bathing the girl who had no option to runaway. After what felt an eternity later, Wan Yi Jun somehow managed to cut off the water supply and rushed towards Ming Yue who looked like a soaked mess of water and dirt. "I''m extremely sorry. I didn''t know which was the right valve." He honestly apologized and even bowed before her to express the inconvenience caused by him. Wan Yi Jun could swear upon the heavens, he has never felt so clumsier in his entire life. However, hearing his apology, the girl appeared aloof and cool-headed, even though her red lips were trembling under the effect of chilling weather. "It''s alright." She reassured him and wiped the dirty water from her face, casually yet stylishly with the back of her palm. Though the jet sprinklers did a nice job in washing off the dirt from her face, the mushy mud left dark stains on her dress. "Why don''t you go inside and clean it properly or maybe, take a bath?" Wan Yi Jun scratched his chin and suggested to Ming Yue who started squeezing off water from her clothes. "No. I will just go home." She replied and wiped her face once again, "Like this?" He asked in disbelief and unknowingly checked her out, top to bottom. The lilac dress that she wore has completely got drenched in water and stuck to her slender figure who, accentuating every curve on her body. For a moment, Wan Yi Jun was left dumbstruck by the enticing view before his eyes. Whether it is because of the intoxicating effect left by the countless wisteria racemes or because of desperate tricks that his mind played or just pure animal instincts, he felt his heart tightening at the sight of the drenched beauty. A sudden rage of fire ignited in his veins, evoking an emotion that he refused to acknowledge so far. Chapter 10 - The Haunted House The coppery sun disappeared beyond the vast horizon, painting the skies in deep gloomy blue paving way for a night embellished with moon and stars. The countless wisteria wines that swayed under the chilling breeze, tangled themselves with the grumpy old trees in the courtyard and murmured about the girl who returned home, after years of seclusion. "Yes. She is home." They sang together. While the entire imperial city was illuminated by the fancy festive lights, Ming Yue stood before a dark gothic mansion, with a perturbed mind that surged like an ocean on a full moon night. The Wisteria garden- the ancestral home of the Wan family was her home as much it was for Wan Yi Jun, the only true blood heir of the warrior clan. The acres of land that was secured by high walls protected the Wan family''s ancestral home -a traditional courtyard house for the family members and a gothic mansion for the guests. However, the dim moon light that sieved through the thick canopy of trees, shaded the grandeur mansion in a colour of unknown fear. "Is this your house?" Ming Yue asked in a astonished tone as she stood drenched at the doorstep of the old spooky mansion. The eeriness in the silent air was sharp enough to crawl into the skin and it was capable of sending chills to someone who visits this haunted house once the night falls. "It''s more like my great grandfather''s." Wan Yi Jun replied and pressed the password of the giant wooden door which happened to be a recent addition to the security system of the mansion. The Wisteria gardens witnessed the growth of generations of Wan family''s mighty pedigree, like a proud mother. However as the last living member, the days Wan Yi Jun spent in his ancestral home was only for a mere amount of his life. "Ah, you must be the young master of this house," She acknowledged in a fake elated tone, only to tease him by reminding his clumsiness. " No wonder you didn''t know how to turn off the valves." "I used to be the ''young master'' of this place," Wan Yi Jun corrected her resolutely and opened the giant front door with a loud creak sound, that pierced deep into their bare ears. "But not anymore." He muttered under his breath and turned to face the girl who stood quavering under the chilling weather. Even though water droplets dripped from her body, her bare face showed no trace of discomfort, but a goofy attitude. "What happened? Did they kick you out?" Her question was sudden and somehow Wan Yi Jun felt a na?ve teasing tone in her voice, like a school kid taunting his or her classmate to get into a fight. "I''m not young anymore." He retaliated in the same tone with a smug hung upon the corners of his mouth, making him lethally enchanting, "I''m the master of the house. So come inside," He invited her to the mansion and took the lead. "Yes, yes...you are the master." Ming Yue agreed with a faint sneer as she stared at Wan Yi Jun. Her obsidian eyes grazed over his towering figure elegantly leaning on the door frame, memories surging inside her head. Fifteen years ago, he stood at the same spot with an emotionless face, watching her getting dragged out of this house. That was the moment she tasted betrayal for the first time in her life, that too someone she believed as her own family. The times passed like water under the bridge and she has been through pain and agony, but nothing hurt more than Wan Yi Jun''s emotionless face that was deeply engraved in her memory. "Please, come inside." Wan Yi Jun''s voice broke the trail of her thoughts and shoved her back into reality. "Hmm." She sighed and followed him into the mansion where she lost everything that she once held precious. The place once she considered as ''home''. Wan Yi Jun, who was already inside the living room, switched on the lights, illuminating the entire place in bright white light in a glimpse. Apart from the white cloth that covered the furniture, the dark grandeur living room of Wisteria gardens appeared the same as it did in his memory. He was also returned home after fifteen years of exile. He sauntered towards the couch in the middle of the room and grabbed the white sheets that covered it. However, just as he picked up the sheet, the dust particles settled on it rose up into the air. "Haachoooo!!!!" Wan Yi Jun sneezed as he carelessly moved one of the white sheets, struggling against the whiff of mold and dust. "They didn''t clean- Hachoo!!!!" He sneezed again as the dust flew all around him. Ming Yue, who just entered the living room, studied the man who was sneezing head off in the middle of the dust. Watching his actions, she unknowingly touched her neck and sighed heavily. Wan Yi Jun may be one of the intelligent police officers, but the moment he stepped inside the wisteria gardens with her, he acted like an idiot. Does it take an IQ of 135 to figure out that dust will fly around, if you recklessly pull off a furniture cover? Absolutely no. "Master, what are you doing?" Ming Yue sounded annoyed when she saw him with teary eyes and a red nose. Though the entire living room looked regal and elegant, it was true that the room wasn''t cleaned properly. On the other hand, Wan Yi Jun who was pissed off and embarrassed by the condition of his house. If he did stay at the office for one more day, the mansion must have been renovated and cleaned according to his wishes. "Why are you doing this? Where are your butlers and maids?" Ming Yue glanced around and asked him. It did seem like Wan Yi Jun was on the verge of exploding as his face turned into a shade of crimson, due to the continuous sneezing. "There is no- Hachoo" He covered his mouth to stifle a sneeze that tickled his nose. "What?" She moved closer, pretending that she didn''t hear him. However, whether it is because of the situation or the unknown bonding that he felt towards the girl, Wan Yi Jun didn''t care about the words that left his mouth. "Are you blind?" He snapped back at her as if they were known for long time. "If there were maids and butlers, do you think this place would look like-Haaaa" Just as his handsome face scrunched up for another sneeze, Ming Yue acted lunged abruptly and grabbed his arm to turn him towards her. Even before Wan Yi Jun could comprehend what was happening, Ming Yue''s slender fingers extended to his nose and left a pinch, nearly startling him out of his wits. Whether it''s because of the startlement or by her strong stinging pinch, his sneeze got stifled, leaving a "pop" sound on his ear drums. Once he regained his bearings, Wan Yi Jun gaped agape at the gorgeous face that was staring back at him, with a hue of ridicule. "You alright?" She casually asked when her eyes caught the sight of his dumbfounded expression. In his twenty nine years of life, Wan Yi Jun has never been treated so brusquely by anyone other than a haughty girl who loved teasing and taunting him during his childhood. And for some reasons, he felt that the girl who stood before him was the same person whom he has been searching all these years. "Tzuki!!!!" His lips unknowingly stumbled upon a name that was so precious to him. Chapter 11 - You Cant Go Like This! "Tzuki!!!" Wan Yi Jun''s breathy voice entered Ming Yue''s ears like a loud thunder, electrifying every single cell on her body, sending tremors to the high raised walls that she built around her. "Did he recognise her?" She worried for a mere second, but on the very next moment her dark eyes narrowed down as she almost squeezed Wan Yi Jun''s high and shapely nose with a gripping force, obliging him to change his attention. When he felt a stinging pain rising from his nose bridge, Wan Yi Jun subconsciously slammed the slender hand in reflex and began to fervently rub his nose, forgetting about the continuous sneezes that tortured him, a moment ago. "Don''t give him any chance to remember me." She muttered in her head and extended her hand to pinch him. "What are you doing?" He asked in a muffled voice to the girl who was reaching out for his nose, again. "Your sneezing is gone." Ming Yue huffed and dusted off her palms, like she did something great. "Wait a minute! That''s true." Wan Yi Jun paused for a moment and gently touched his nose in disbelief. "But how, I mean what did you do?" He was aware of stifling hiccups, but not sneeze. "Wait, let me rephrase the question, "What are you doing in this dusty moldy place, if you are allergic?" Her voice had a reprimanding tone when she asked Wan Yi Jun, like someone who was close enough to chide him for living in such poor conditions. Even the shabby houses in the downtown alley looked much better in comparison to Wisteria garden''s current state. "It is still under renovation." Wan Yi Jun mumbled in a barely audible voice as he avoided her eyes. Wisteria gardens was considered as an architectural marvel that was built by his great grandfathers. However, he never imagined that there will be day when the majestic house will face such a tragic downfall. Even though, Wan Yi Jun stayed away from the imperial city, he made sure to arrange some one to take care of his ancestral home. He believed it was part of his filial duty. However, watching the mess in the room absolutely wrecked his brain, not to mention that a stranger had to watch the pathetic condition of his house. It was so embarrassing. "That I can see. Why are you going to stay here if it is under renovation?" Ming Yue took a step back and carefully picked up the white sheet that covered an armchair. Holding it away from her body, she threw a glance at Wan Yi Jun and folded the sheet without making a mess as if she was trying to show him how it is done. "Where else I will stay? Dusty or moldy it''s my home." He adamantly refused to yield the argument, like a child throwing tantrums. "But I should thank the heavens for sending me here before the renovations are over." He pointed out as he checked out the girl and positioned himself before Ming Yue like an immovable mountain, so mighty and high. "I used to think that no one could break into this place, but since you are here, I should recheck the security measures." He again went ahead with accusing her as a burglar who tried to break into his house. Though he knew she was innocent, he just wanted to see her arguing back like a raging bull. For some reasons, it felt fairly addictive to Wan Yi Jun who actually preferred silence and tranquility. "I told you I came to buy flowers, not to break into the house." Ming Yue strongly rebutted and crossed her arms over her chest, unnecessarily gathering Wan Yi Jun''s attention to her bosom. The soft wet fabric of her lilac dress, perfectly framed her blooming youth, making it impossible to look away from those ample mounts, under the translucent clothing. "Cough, cough...You are the one who brought me here." Ming Yue''s mellow voice dragged his attention back to her face, but instead of focusing on her words, Wan Yi Jun''s eyes were shifted to her soft petal-like lips. Her enticing pair of plump lips curled and straightened as she spoke, creating ripples in his tranquil mind. Wan Yi Jun heard nothing as his desire to get a taste of her lips kept ringing in his head, like a fire engine. How can someone be so ravishingly beautiful and could easily burn down his consciousness with the raging flames of lust? He was a gentleman who had a pretty decent control over his desire and sexual needs. But for some reason, he couldn''t curb down the amorous thoughts that began spread into his veins, triggering him to act lewdly. "Are you listening to me?" Ming Yue enquired when she saw his attention was wandering around without any constraints. "Hey master!!!" She snapped her fingers and tried to wake him from the dazed state. "Sorry?" He slightly raised his eyebrows and asked in confusion. "There is no need to apologize to me." She shrugged her shoulders when she misinterpreted his words an apology for his earlier actions and demanded to let her go home since it was already late. She left home by saying that she needs a breath of fresh air and if she didn''t return early, Kousuke and Yojiro will panic and end up creating a scene. She was someone who is not supposed to get associated with imperial police force. How would they react if she met Wan Yi Jun, a police officer, all alone? "Just allow me to leave." Ming Yue demanded as soon as she remembered the possible after effects of her reckless decisions and immediately decide to leave without creating anymore drama. "Sorry," Wan Yi Jun wobbled his head as he tried to shook off the unchaste desires that was lingering on his mind and pretended every thing normal, as if he was not affected by her presence at all. No. He won''t allow his lecherous thoughts to win over his chaste self for a random burglar who trespassed into his property. "Whether it is lust or some carnal desire that buried deep inside me, I will not fall for a law breaker." His consciousness screamed inside his head, however the words that left his mouth were exactly opposite of it. "You cannot leave this mansion like that." Chapter 12 - The Drug "I can''t leave?" Ming Yue asked in a slightly annoyed voice, the lines on her fair forehead creased in dubiety as she stared at the man who stood before her with a distressed look on his. Of course, it came to her notice that Wan Yi Jun has been acting out of place, "But how dare you try to stop me from leaving this place?" She gnashed her teeth while her ice-cold gaze dug deep into him. It was evident that he got flustered before a woman and what else? She was very much familiar with the meaning underlining his ''weirdo'' act. Thanks to the weather, the awkward glances and the empty house, Wan Yi Jun got enticed by the presence of a woman. Well, the correct term should be ''turned on'' by her. Even though Ming Yue acted cold and indifferent, she was aware of the damages that she could cause to the fragile hearts of men. But she thought different of Wan Yi Jun. Being a police officer trained to restrain his emotions maintain an austere personality, Ming Yue thought he was different from the men who would easily fall prey to their carnal desires. But he was not any better, especially when he began to gape at her like a museum exhibit. "Don''t tell me you are thinking of taking advantage of the situation and doing something indecent to a woman whom you just met." She wanted to say. However, just as she opened her mouth to warn him, Wan Yi Jun cut the chase. "You look dirty." Wan Yi Jun''s husky voice echoed in the eerie room, surprising Ming Yue who, prepared razor-sharp words to attack him. "Huh?" Dumbfounded by his statement, Ming Yue almost left her mouth open agape. "I said, you look dirty." With his handsome face scrunched up in distaste, Wan Yi Jun threw a shot of random fact at Ming Yue, who got mortified by his comment. "How can you return home like this?" He complained as he sized the girl up top to bottom and slightly moved away from her. "What did I expect from germaphobic young master Wan." She sniggered when she recalled Wan Yi Jun, who grew up as an absolute neat freak and germaphobe. But how did he even become a police officer with his neat-freak character traits? It should be a mystery that needs to solve with the help of science and technology. "Cough, cough." Wan Yi Jun cleared his throat and tried to turn Ming Yue''s attention to her dress covered with dirt and grime. Well, he had a point. She did look like a wild buffalo wallowed in mud. "What will others think if you go home like this?" Wan Yi Jun asked again as he fidgeted across the room, trying to search for something. "Let me check if there are any clean rooms where you can get changed," He proposed and almost rushed towards the first room on the ground floor. Luckily, the bedroom was better than the living room, with newly painted walls and brand-new mattresses and furniture. "I don''t understand. How can they clean this room and leave the living room looking like a pigsty?" He asked himself and checked the bathroom and the shower area in the renovated room. "Thank God, they at least kept the towels and toiletries." He mumbled while checking the bathroom cupboards. "For now, this room will be more than enough." He calculated and went outside to inform Ming Yue only to find her cleaning up the furniture. "What are you doing?" "You are allergic to dust." She replied flatly and wiped the dust off from the furniture, "So I thought I will help you out." "You are not helping me by moving around with drenched clothes. That room is clean, go ahead and wash off the dirt and mud." Wan Yi Jun almost ordered in a steely voice and pointed at the room, leading Ming Yue before she could add her fair share to the mess in the living room. "Everything will be in the cupboard, and in case if you can''t find something, call me. I will wait outside." He instructed and immediately left the room, leaving the girl all alone. Since she had no other options, Ming Yue went inside the bathroom to clean herself. While Ming Yue took her leisure time to shower, Wan Yi Jun drove his car to the garage and took out his luggage from it. However, when he stepped into the mansion, he halted his tracks and put down the bags on the couch in the living room. Where will he keep his stuff? He wasn''t sure which room was cleaned, which one was not. The room he checked was the one Ming Yue is currently using. How can he barge into the room while she is bathing? Wan Yi Jun contemplated and decided to look around the ground floor to check how far the workers cleaned the mansion. To his surprise, the kitchen and laundry room were kept clean. On an overall deduction, the workers cleared out the rooms that were only necessary for a person, not the entire mansion- That''s what exactly he asked them. Well, he couldn''t blame them, considering the size of the mansion and the time he had given for them. It takes a big group of workers to clean the entire mansion. Back in times, Wisteria gardens, being one of the elite families in the imperial city, had countless butlers and maids who took care of every single work in the household, The random days with a hectic schedule often made Wan Yi Jun think about the possibilities of living like the only heir of the Wan family instead of becoming a police officer. He could have lived like an emperor. Wan Yi Jun sighed heavily as he pushed his thoughts aside and returned to the living room, hoping that Ming Yue would have finished showering by now. Her clothes have completely toiled, and there is no way she could wear them without washing thoroughly. After worrying for a moment, Wan Yi Jun opened the bag and took a pair of black hoodies and sweatpants. "Maybe it will fit her." He picked up the clothes and went in the direction of the room. "Wear th-" Just as he raised his hand to knock, the door got open to reveal Ming Yue, who wrapped herself in a towel. For a moment, Wan Yi Jun''s brain froze as he subconsciously checked out the ravishing beauty who stood before him, From the very first moment, he mistook her as the person in his heart, Wan Yi Jun tried to distract himself from the lustrous thoughts surging inside him. But no matter how many times he turned a blind eye towards Ming Yue, she was getting into his nerves, like a drug. Addictive, but lethal. Chapter 13 - You Belong To Me!!! It took a moment for Wan Yi Jun to pull himself together and avert his gaze from the woman who appeared like a enchantress before him. The glistening sheen on her skin and the dripping dark hair made an astonishing contrast, which was too hard to ignore. "Aishhh Woman!!!! Why are you roaming around naked?" He bellowed as he tightly shut his eyes and swirled to the other side, completely blocking himself from Ming Yue. "Wear something." He ordered in a reprimanding tone when he felt that his cheeks burning up in some unknown heat. "Woah, you call this naked?" Ming Yue rebuked as if she got wrongly accused and looked down at her body. She was wearing a bath towel that perfectly covered what all things that needs to be covered. "Don''t be a hypocrite, master. I have seen women wearing even little clothes than this roaming around in streets and you people are completely alright with it. What''s wrong with me wearing a bath towel?" She asked half-jokingly. However, Wan Yi Jun who stood on he thin strand of self restrain almost shrieked in frustration, when he heard her claims. "Just wear something and get out." "My clothes are wet." She pointed in the direction of the bathroom and the next thing, she saw was something flying towards her face. On a reflex, she caught the piece of clothing with her hands and checked them in surprise. It was a new pair of hoodie and sweat pants. "Oh thank you." She hold onto the clothes and went inside the room to change without any delay. "I will be back in a moment." When Wan Yi Jun heard the wooden door closing behind him, he let out a sigh of relief. "Good Lord, what kind of women is she? How can she roam around in someone else''s house wearing that?" He mumbled and wiped the sweat off from his forehead. Within the very few seconds he just went to hell back and forth. Well, whatever she said was right, he has seen, nah interacted with women who wore revealing clothes and even expressed their willingness to be his girlfriend. However, during those times, he was completely immune to their advances since he got no time to date or he simply decided to stay away from trouble. But this woman!!! Did she drug him with some kind of potential aphrodisiac? Or is she a seductress who know to strike the iron when it''s hot? "Aishhhh!!!" He unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt and took a moment to calm his body which was acting weird in the presence of a reckless woman. Within a few minutes, Ming Yue returned after changing into fresh pair of clothes. His clothes were definitely big for her, but for some reason those loose clothes looked extremely good on her slender body. "Thanks for the clothes and sorry for taking up your time." She stated as soon as she stepped out of the room, holding the wet clothes in her hand. "Can you get me a plastic bag?" "Huh? Why do you need it?" Wan Yi Jun asked with a tinge of bewilderment. "And I don''t think we got plastic bags here." "How can I hold this wet clothes in hand and go home?" She puffed her cheeks and asked in slightly frustrated voice. Why must she have to explain and break down every single word that leaves her mouth to this man? Can''t he even read between the lines? However, Wan Yi Jun on the other hand, looked puzzled when his line of sight travelled to the clothes resting on her hands, dripping wet. "You washed your clothes¡­by hands?" He asked as if he saw something unnatural. "Yes. That''s how people wash clothes." She pouted her lips and replied in a slightly mocking tone. The stain on the dress was spreading and she had no other option, but to wash it off. It was a fairly new dress that was gifted by someone. Even though, she doesn''t care about these kinds of sentiments, she just went ahead and washed the clothes on a whim. "There is a washing machine. You could''ve used it that."'' Wan Yi Jun reminded her as a matter of fact. "Its alright, I washed it anyway. So can you lend me a bag?" "At least use the dryer. It won''t take much time to dry your clothes." He argued until Ming Yue agreed to use the dryer instead of leaving with wet clothes. When she figured out that she don''t have enough time to spare, she willingly followed him to the laundry room where the washing machine was kept. "It''s weird. Some of the rooms are cleaned, some are not, your butlers got a unique way to handle the house chores." Ming Yue commented when she saw the condition of rooms in the house. "I didn''t ask them to clean the entire mansion, just few rooms. Ahh...Put your clothes here." Wan Yi Jun pointed at the dryer and studied at the control panel for a long minute. "Do you know how to operate this?" Ming Yue enquired when she saw him hesitating to turn on the dryer. "I know, I used to do my laundry while I was a student." He replied while abruptly pressing random buttons to turn on machine. "But nowadays you don''t do it, right? " She raised her eyebrows in query and placed her clothes inside the dryer. "Because, in these types of machines we have to load the clothes first, then turn on the switch. Not the other way." Hearing her words, Wan Yi Jun stood clueless whether to correct her or not. Though her comments sounded so harmless, but on closer inspection one could figure out that she was low-key making fun of him for being clumsy. "Damn it!!! How long do I have to tolerate this humiliation?" He churned the random question that popped up inside his head and turned off the dryer. "Excuse me, miss. You might have misunderstood me as someone who doesn''t know the basic house chores. But in reality-" His fingers fumbled with the switches on the control panel. "Nope. It is not a big deal. At least your incompetency and busy life created livelihood for a bunch of people." She optimistically shared her views and turned on the machine. "Tik!!!!" The entire laundry room and kitchen fell into darkness. "Wow...only this was left to ruin the day." Wan Yi Jun twitched his mouth in discontent and took out the mobile phone from his pant''s pocket, fidgeting his fingers to turn on the torch. Gosh!!!! he was completely acting like a fool before her. "I think your main switch board got tripped by this washing machine." She casually replied and looked around on the flash of the light emitting from the phone. "These are new appliances, how can it damage the circuit?" "Your appliances maybe new, but the circuit system in your house might be too old for them. Anyway, where is the main switch board?." She dried her hands on the hoodie as if she was going to fix the problem. "It must be somewhere here." Wan Yi Jun suggested while pointing the torch to random spots in search of the main switch board. "Can you point to the light to this cupboard?" Ming Yue demanded as she moved closer to the cupboard in the room and opened its door. To Wan Yi Jun''s surprise the main switch board was kept on the top shelf of the cupboard and as she mentioned earlier, the switch did got tripped. "How do you know the switch board was placed here?" He sounded surprised when he spoke. He is the person who was familiar with the mansion and yet he didn''t know where exactly the switch board was placed. "I just guessed it. Most of the people either keep the switch board somewhere next to the entrance or under the staircase or inside the counter tops." Ming Yue, adjusted her clothes and raised her right leg to climb onto the shelves since she couldn''t reach the top shelf. "Let me do it." Wan Yi Jun stopped her when he saw her enthusiastically climbing over the cupboard like a monkey. "Get down." "You know how to turn on the switch?" She repeated her question when she sensed a strong tug on the hoodie. Wan Yi Jun was actually trying to pull her down, but this time with a "I got no time for this" look plastered on his face . "I saw you struggling in the garden. Its alright, master. Let me do-ahhhh!!!!" Even before Ming Yue could complete her words, she lost her footing and fell backwards. However instead of hitting on the hard floor, her swaying body hit something smooth and sturdy in the mid air. In the dimly lit room, she could feel a pair of strong arms wrapped around her midriff and effortlessly carrying her flaccid body. Once her cold fingers made contact with his blazing hot skin, for the first time in the last fifteen years, the chaos inside her head replaced with a soothing melody of his breathing. A familiar warmth that deeply engraved inside her memory, surfaced back and spread over her body, as she remained cooped in Wan Yi Jun''s embrace. "Are you alright?" He asked the girl who appeared dumbstruck and gently freed her from his arms. "Hmmm." She hummed and moved away from him, allowing Wan Yi Jun to reach out to turn on the tripped switch. Within a glimpse, the entire room got brightly lit and even the silence was broke by the beep sound of the dryer which started working. "You didn''t hurt, nah?" He asked once again to confirm, "Try walking few steps." "Can I leave once this is over?" Ming Yue inquired as she walked closer to the washing machine as if she was trying to get rid of the unwanted feelings emerging from the darkest corner of her heart. "It''s already late, how will you go home?" "It''s not late. Buses and taxis are still running on the streets." She mumbled as she tried hard to suppress, various memories flashing inside her head. "Miss Ming," Wan Yi Jun''s deep voice pulled her back to reality and she mechanically turned to face him. "I will drop you home. Just wait for sometime, let me take a quick shower." He suggested with a smile that pushed her mind back into the chaos that fueled the deep hatred that kept her alive. "No.. . I will not fall for any of his tricks." She repeated inwardly as her long nails dug deep into her palm, keeping her awake. "Don''t you dare to fall for anyone other than me..." Above all the chaos that whirling inside her head, a roguish voice rang as a reminder. "You belong to me." Chapter 14 - Let Me Take You Home As the night turned colder, the bright moon in the skies of imperial turned even bigger while the entire city prepared to welcome the Lunar new year. While cold wintry breeze caressed the sleepy trees leaves on the roadside Wan Yi Jun drove his car to the city centre with a silent Ming Yue sitting on the shot gun seat, reflecting on her mistake. When she left home in the afternoon, Ming Yue never thought that her decision to visit Wisteria gardens will ends up in a disaster known as "Young master Wan Yi Jun" She just came to take a look at Wisteria gardens, but ended up running into Wan Yi Jun, whose clumsy self forced her to act like a "damsel" for the entire evening, draining out the last ounce of her energy. When she finally managed to find a way to escape and go home, Wan Yi Jun put on his "knight in silver armour" act and offered to drive her home. Snapping out of her thoughts, Ming Yue tilted looked at the time showing on the GPS tracker on the car''s dashboard. It was already turned ten. If she doesn''t get home by 12, then that''s it- all of her plan will go to the gutter. When Wan Yi Jun noticed Ming Yue''s eyes were stuck to the digital clock, he gradually increased the car''s speed. Since there was more than one hour drive left for the city, Wan Yi Jun decided to break the awkward silence in the car by initiating a conversation, "Where did you learn to fix the heater?" He tossed a random question at Ming Yue, whose eyes were glued to the road than the one who was on the driving seat. While he was at Wisteria gardens, Wan Yi Jun didn''t even realize that the heater in the living room was malfunctioning until Ming Yue pointed out that it was broken. Instead of keeping the room temperature at optimum level according to the weather, it was overheating and even caused the circuit to trip. It was only then he figured out the malfunctioning heater" was the real reason behind his body''s extremely odd reactions while his consciousness chose to blame it on his lustrous thoughts on the presence of a woman. Thanks to the overall condition of the house, he had no other option but to call the agency which sent workers for house maintenance. Unfortunately, no one picked up the call. However, when he returned after a quick shower, Ming Yue had already fixed the heater, leaving him dumbfounded with her skills. "I''ve learnt by repairing the old heaters." Ming Yue monotonously replied. "You learnt it by yourself? But How?" Wan Yi Jun was literally surprised to hear her answer. Most of the times, all these mechanical/repairing works are done by men and it was nearly unbelievable for him to accept the fact that Ming Yue was a self taught mechanic. "I don''t know why, but wherever I used stay, the heater always stopped working out of nowhere." Ming Yue casually answered. "Two hot things in a room? One has to give up." A random comment popped up in his mind, Wan Yi Jun just decided not to say it out loud, thinking that it might sound weird and degrading...most importantly -wrong to a girl. "It was expensive to get a new heater. So I just learnt to repair and saved the money." Ming Yue added as her grip over the paper bag tightened, unknowingly. "Is it too cold for you? Should I turn on the heater?" Wan Yi Jun asked when he saw that she was closely holding the paper bag that carries her dry clothes. "No. I''m good." For some reason, her reply made Wan Yi Jun believe that she was a girl who never complains but adjust no matter how poor her life might be. "I''m glad that your parents taught you how to be self-reliant unlike spoilt brats like me who doesn''t even know how to turn on a garden pipe." Wan Yi Jun praised her abilities with utmost honesty. Since he grew up in a wealthy family with lots of people to look after the young master Wan, he never faced any difficulties until he entered the police academy. . "You are a spoilt brat?" Ming Yue picked up the only phrase that caught her attention among his appraisals. Damn it''s true that brain is more sensitive towards negativity. "Yes, I''m." He agreed with a faint smile hanging on the corners of his mouth. The life in police academy was practically hell and luckily the struggles made the man out of him. "I must say, you are brave." She spoke in an appreciative tone only to acknowledge that he was indeed a spoilt brat. "It takes immense amount of courage to admit that you are spoilt brat. Usually, no one does that." "I agree with you. Miss Ming, where do you live?" Wan Yi Jun asked as he slid his index finger on the touch screen that showed GPS map on the dashboard. "Down town." "Down Town?" Wan Yi Jun''s repeated in bewilderment as soon he heard her answer. "That''s pretty far from here. You came all the way from downtown just for a flower?" "I had no other options." Ming Yue shrugged her shoulders as if was no big deal. "Good heavens!!!! I just hope you don''t get scolded for arriving late for ancestral rites." Wan Yi Jun forewarned her and raised the speed once again as he recalled that she needs to be at home to attend the ancestral rites. "It''s alright. You don''t have to rush." Ming Yue reaffirmed even though her head was filled with the thoughts of getting home quickly. "Where exactly do you live? I will take you there." "Somewhere around the downtown market." "You don''t know the exact place?" Wan Yi Jun who was ready to enter the address, shockingly averted his gaze to the girl who sat with a dead-pan expression. "Actually, the place where I live...it doesn''t have any particular name...it just somewhere around the market." She answered vaguely so that he will stop pestering her about the address. Since three of them had fake ID proofs, Yojiro carefully chose a rental place where they could live without any proper identification documents. "But still...there will be a street name or an ally-" "It was the last street in the dead end of market." She just replied with a random thing came to her mind. "I''m new to the city and still not familiar with the places..so I just use landmarks to get home." "Hmm. It''s alright. We will figure it out after reaching there." Wan Yi Jun assured her and entered the location to the map. "So, where is your home town?" He made an effort to keep their conversation alive. "Zhuncho in the eastern Jinlong city." She answered without thinking twice. "Jinlong city? You mean the dragon city? Wan Yi Jun sounded surprised when heard her mentioning dragon city. The Jinlong city was an ancient coastal city in the mainland which is rumoured to be the abode of dragons in the mythical texts and folklores. "That''s also pretty far from here." "Yes, it nearly takes two days to reach there by train." Ming Yue added as she barely recalled the details of the journey. "How about high speed train or a flight?" From Ming Yue''s words and straightforward but humble behaviour, Wan Yi Jun could figure out that she wasn''t a city dweller or a person from well-off family. So he probed more about Ming Yue''s hometown. "Maybe one and a half day. It takes 7-8 hours for a boat from Dragon city to reach Zhuncho, if the sea is calm..otherwise it will take more time." Ming Yue elaborated on the details when she found that he was all ears. "Is it a border island with Daisun?" Wan Yi Jun pointed out all of sudden. "Mmm. Daisun is closer than Imperial for us." She said as a matter of fact. "Also Mainlanders really don''t consider us as part of the country even if we speak in the standard imperial accent. So why bother coming here only to get mocked by everyone." Ming Yue added with a scoff. "Hmm...some people are like that only...Due to their lack of knowledge and ignorance, they mocks whatever feels alien to them. All we can do is to teach them and make them aware...or the most easy part - Ignore them." Wan Yi Jun advised when he felt the resentment hidden in Ming Yue''s words. Growing up as an immigrant child, he was well aware of the painful experience of getting alienated and mocked because of one''s ethnicity and language. "I forgot to ask, are you studying here?" Wan Yi Jun tried to change the topic when he could sense the traces of anger and pain on Ming Yue. "Or working?" "I''m looking for a work." She tossed out a white lie, expecting that it might stop Wan Yi Jun from asking for more questions. However, she was absolutely wrong. Whether it is because his job as a detective, or simply because he was in a mood to talk, he kept asking questions one after another. "What kind of work are you looking for? Let me see if I can help you." Wan Yi Jun offered his help since he felt bad for her. It was obvious that Ming Yue came from a faraway village to capital city, seeking better life opportunities, to earn more money while enduring mockery and discrimination. Though he never meddled in his family business, as the young master of Wan family he could manage to get someone a job by recommendation. "Anything that pays." Ming Yue''s answer was short and crisp. "Even for toppers from prestigious universities, it is hard to get a job in Capital. But if you hang there a little more, you might land in a job according to your likes and qualifications." Wan Yi Jun tried to lift her spirits like a caring and responsible senior. "Likes and qualifications?" Ming Yue asked as if she heard some kind of joke. "Those things exists in real life?" "Yes. They do exist. Tell me about your course stream...Let me help you getting a job in your field of study itself." He proposed in the heat of the moment when he felt that the Ming Yue was a victim of extreme competition in the job market. "Thanks for offering the help, master. But tell me one thing," Ming Yue paused for a moment and looked at Wan Yi Jun with glistening dark eyes. "Who will give job for someone who barely finished high school?" "You didn''t go to university? Why?" When Wan Yi Jun heard something totally unexpected, he blurted out in perplexity. "Had no money." She retaliated monotonously . "But miss Ming, scholarships and other financial support are available for students. Why didn''t you try it?" Wan Yi Jun inquired in a slightly reprimanding tone. For him, education was the one among his priorities. He himself was a sponsor of various charity societies and orphanages that focuses on the education of underprivileged children. "I grew up in a courtesan house." Ming Yue answered with the melancholic smile, that held traces of miserable past. "Courtesan house!" Wan Yi Jun unknowingly stomped on the break, abruptly stopping the car with a sudden screeching noise. "In captial, you people call it by a different name," Ming Yue who managed to steady herself from the sudden break, turned to a face a petrified Wan Yi Jun and stated with a bitter smile, "Brothel." Chapter 15 - The Courtesan "She grew up in a courtesan house." Wan Yi Jun repeated in his head as he kept staring at her incrudility as well as with a slight pang of pain that rose from deepest corners of his heart. In the early history of imperial, courtesan houses were considered as entertainment centers where wealthy male clients often visited for female companionship. The highly skilled Courtesans who were trained in performing arts and conversation skills entertained their guests with their playful and flirtatious acts, unlike the traditionalist view of virtuous woman who were supposed to be modest and loyal. However, a series of social reforms in imperial over the times have resulted has erased the existence of Courtesans from the country. In recent times, most of the people''s who possess modernist societal views, often considers Courtesans as glorified prostitute who lives off wealthy patrons by selling their body and mind. Not to mention that there was only a thin line of distinction between a courtesan and a prostitute in the eyes of common folk in the country. And it was the same reason why it was nearly impossible for Wan Yi Jun to accept the truth that Ming Yue grew up in a Courtesan house. "Do you want me to get out of the car?" Ming Yue asked with an innocent smile glistening on the corners of her mouth when she noticed that Wan Yi Jun had stopped the car soon after she revealed her past. "I will look for a taxi or a bus from here. Thank you for the ride." She slightly bowed and reached out for the door. However, she couldn''t open the door since it was locked by a central lock system that can be only unlocked by the driver. "Can you please, unlock-" Even before she could request, a voice so gentle yet elegantly profound resonated in the car. "Sorry." Wan Yi Jun who regained his bearings, quickly apologized when he realised that he asked something way more personal for a mere stranger. "Oh it''s alright. I can understand. You don''t have to feel bad. I will get down here." She spoke in soft voice but broken sentence that held no anger or resentment towards him. "No..no.. stay." He abruptly requested and prevented her from leaving the car with an apologetic tone. It was true that he was shocked, but he wasn''t a ruthless person who would kick out a woman "I''m really sorry that I stopped the car out of nowhere. Let''s go." "Where...?" Ming Yue''s thin eyebrows arched in surprise when she witnessed his sudden change. "Young master Wan knows to apologise? Woah that never happened before." She wondered inwardly. "Your home. Didn''t you tell that you had to attend the ancestral rites?"Wan Yi Jun tried to remind the girl who was staring at him in confusion. "You don''t want me to get out?" Ming Yue asked again to confirm. "I never asked you to leave the car." He paused for a moment and tried to recall their conversation. He was definitely startled by her revelation, but no, he never asked her to leave the car. "Well, it is a common courtesy to leave if you are making someone uncomfortable with your presence." Ming Yue elaborated on the reason why she wished to leave. Even though it was just as random excuse that was part of her escape plan, she never expected to hear a meaningful response from him. "You never made me feel uncomfortable." Wan Yi Jun stated with a faint smile and restarted the car, despite her efforts to leave without causing much hassle. However, in the end Ming Yue gave upon trying and sat idle on the seat, "Back in times, courtesans were considered as free spirited women who lived by their hearts. However, nowadays, especially in cities people are still prejudiced against us." She added as a matter of fact and went on with her monologue. "While men sees us a commodity for pleasure, women treats us a lowly creatures that leeches their men." "Sorry to ask, but Courtesan houses are still operating? If I remembered correctly, government made a law to abolish certain practices and organisations that doesn''t go well the modern image of the country." Wan Yi Jun pointed out with carefully chosen words. "Yes...you are right. Courtesan houses doesn''t exist nowadays...at least not in records." Ming Yue stated bitterly. " When the government implemented the law to abolish courtesan houses, they literally took it by meaning and destroyed everything, including the place where I lived." She informed with an aloof face. Even though she sounded plain, Wan Yi Jun did notice that Ming Yue''s grip on ths paper bag has turned tighter as if she was having a hard time talking about it. "I heard that government did provide financial support to restart their life." "Yes. They did and some of us even started a new life with it. But on a longer run, who will give jobs for some barely qualified women? Most of the courtesans in my place and dragon city, started to work in factories or even worse, they became the part of hostess clubs and illegal brothels." She shared a brief note of a Courtesan''s life after the criminalisation of such practices in the modern society. "Were you¡­" Wan Yi Jun who unknowingly asked something and immediately regretted it. "Sent to a factory or a brothel?" Ming Yue filled in the words which he feared to utter and tossed out a question. "Or am I a hostess who provides sexual favours somewhere?" "No...I didn''t mean like that." Wan Yi Jun immediately retorted. Till that moment, he just treated her as a naive girl who came from a faraway land. "I was a minor who worked as a maid for young courtesan when they abolished our house." She honestly replied only to see dumbstruck Wan Yi Jun . "You were a maid?" He inquired when he finally understood the reason why she appeared too humble and ready to help him with the chores even without he asked her to lend a hand. "I never had any qualifications to be a courtesan." She admitted meekly and continued, "I was too bad at performing or entertaining guests and the biggest flaw, I didn''t even had an attractive face so that someone might take interest. I was bad at everything so my place was always among the maids." She concluded without any hesitations. As soon as the words left her mouth, Wan Yi Jun''s forehead creased in confusion. ''She wasn''t attractive?'' That''s not true. Anyone with a good eye sight could affirm that she was quite a beauty. ''How high were their beauty standards that a gorgeous girl like her failed to become a courtesan?'' He wondered and immediately remembered the fact that she was a child at that time. ''Maybe, her features weren''t prominent at that time to consider her as a pretty girl.'' "So did they send you to a shelter home?" He inquired calmly, "Shelter homes, orphanages...it scares me." She retaliated in a barely audible voice, with her gaze buried deep into the paper bag on her lap. However, the very next moment her face brightened up like a summer sun as she spoke in a pleasant tone. "There was a rich man who took one of the famous Courtesan in our house as his mistress. And my lady took me with her as a hand maiden." "Were they good to you?" Wan Yi Jun who picked up the traces of joy in her voice beseeched, only to receive a question in return. "How do you define good and bad?" Ming Yue asked, for an instant her dark eyes narrowed down to reveal a vicious glare that Wan Yi Jun failed to notice. "You were only a child when all of these happened and you didn''t even had a choice to live like others. So even if someone takes advantage, you weren''t in a position to complain." Wan Yi Jun probed on an issue that most of the children who grew up in a vulnerable environment without a family or someone to call their own. "I had a family." Ming Yue responded monotonously as if she read those things fumed in Wan Yi Jun''s mind, brutal things he refused to speak aloud. "I had friends and relatives who doted on me when my parents were alive." Chapter 16 - Her Past "I had a family." "I had friends and relatives." How can a simple change of tense turns things that were supposed to bring happiness into reasons for someone''s pain and misery? Ming Yue gently turned her head and met with Wan Yi Jun''s puzzled face as she began to speak the words that buried deep inside her memory. "They were good people, who loved and treated me like a princess or atleast I thought so...I remember eating warm food, wearing new clothes and sleeping on soft bed when my parents were alive. But none of these ''good'' human beings were there for me when I turned into an orphan overnight." She paused for a moment and checked Wan Yi Jun, who appeared pale in colour as if he was reflecting on his own life. And guess what? She was right. He was indeed reflecting on the mistake that he committed fifteen years ago. A careless mistake that turned his life upside down, a wound that remained deeply infected his heart, gradually burning him in the pyre of guilt and angst.7 ''He remembers.'' Ming Yue lips hurled into a condescending sneer when she figured out the reason for the silence of Wan Yi Jun who happened to be quite talkative, tonight. "I was abandoned by my own people and was left to rot in an orphanage." She continued with a voice that lacked any endearing emotions as she spoke. "Actually, it wasn''t even an proper orphanage...it was just a temporary facility where you abandon those living beings who turned to be a burden -old people, physically challenged kids, orphans, wounded animals. Without food, without medicine, all of us slept in the cold dirty floor waiting for someone to save us...but no one came except death.. If I look back now, I''m damn sure that whomever put me in that place wanted me dead." She made sure to pick words that would hurt Wan Yi Jun who was speechless due to guilt. Was this words enough brutal to break his ice cold heart? Ofcourse, the time has changed him. Though he acted like he wasn''t affected by Ming Yue''s tragic story, it repeatedly reminded him of his mistake. "What do you think is more expensive? a living person or his organs?" Hearing Ming Yue''s random question, Wan Yi Jun reverted his desolate eyes to her, but chose to remain silent even though he knew the answer. Organ trafficking was indeed a major issue even in the dark world of capital city. No matter, how efficient were imperial police force, they couldn''t eradicate such an evil from the society. "They sold pretty girls to brothels and ugly ones like me were left to die so that they could harvest my organs. Somehow I managed to escape from that place when I found the truth. My lady, the courtesan whom I mentioned earlier, she was the one who found me on the roads, lying half dead. She gave me food and shelter, even if it was hand me down clothes, I had something to wear. Can you imagine, how I must have felt when they taught music and dance to girl who was supposed to be starved to death?" She asked in a high pitched voice, that pretty much made Wan Yi Jun rethink his earlier doubts. He thought she had a difficult childhood in Courtesan house, but in reality- it was a heaven for her compared to the hell she previously lived. She went through an excruciatingly traumatic childhood and was still able to talk about it without any hesitation. "The man who took my lady as his mistress, he was someone who became wealthy after doing things which were considered wrong by the laws of this country. He was an illegal trader who smuggled goods from Daisun to Dragon city-a social threat in police''s records. But for my lady and me, he was a good man...literally a God. So how should I define good and bad, master?" Ming Yue dragged the conversation back to the spot where Wan Yi Jun stumbled to render a proper answer. "Hmm. Let me apologise for my ignorance, Miss Ming." Realising his mistake, Wan Yi Jun sincerely apologized for judging her on the basis of growing up in a Courtesan house. Sometimes, it''s difficult to define good and bad from a single perspective. "Your lady, where is she now?" "She passed away last year while giving birth." Ming Yue monotonously replied as if she wasn''t bothered by it all. For a moment, Wan Yi Jun couldn''t believe that she had any humane emotions left after going through such an ordial. She lost the last person who was like her family and how can she even remain stone faced? "What about the child and her husband?" "We couldn''t save the child or the mother...soon after that master got caught by the police... he is in prison now." She calmly explained while tightly gripping on the paper bag, "The government ceased everything he owned and all of us were once again forced to live in streets. I did work in some places and saved up a little to come to Imperial." "Those flowers, are they for your lady?" Wan Yi Jun asked when he recalled Ming Yue''s words regarding the ancestral rites. "My lady doesn''t like flowers. You know, it''s too odd, that a courtesan in her prime hold a sheer amount of resemblance to a flower?" She tossed out a question shrouded in self mockery before replying him. "Flowers are for my biological mother. Though my memory started to fade, I still manages to remember parents on every new year night." "I''m sorry..." Wan Yi Jun didn''t know how to respond to her statements. Few hours ago, he accused this girl for burglary and trespassing into his house. He even thought her as a seductress... Damn within these times, how many times he judged her because of his preconceptions? "No. It''s okay...You don''t have to say sorry...Well, you are not the reason for things that happened in my life." Ming Yue was rather cool headed about his apologies as she skillfully hid behind her mask of a naive girl that was hard to detect by Wan Yi Jun who has fallen into her verbal trap. "Have you ever searched for your relatives or those people who sent you to the orphanage?" He asked when his civil sense started to work again. "Hmm..I have...but no one remembers me or more precisely they pretends to remember me." She shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal. "You could have used legal help to reclaim atleast your belongings." Wan Yi Jun tried to shed some light to the basic legal help provided to every citizen in the country. "And seek my revenge? I''m not interested." He reply was short and crisp, startling the other out of his wits. "Those people ruined your life." "Yes, they did. But seeking revenge and claiming what was meant to be, isn''t it too cliched?" She inquired while flashing a beaming smile that momentarily dazed Wan Yi Jun who was perplexed by her response. "I would rather let it go and enjoy my life. What about you, will you avenge those who ruined your happiness and left you in a hell to rot?" She tossed a bait for him while hiding her true intentions of her visit to imperial. "Hmm...I will." Wan Yi Jun replied after a long minute of silence. "Even if those people were once your family?" Ming Yue asked again, only to reassure herself that her decision was right. "Hmm. No matter whom you had to fight," Wan Yi Jun stated in a firm and resolute tone. "The justice you deserve, it must be served." "Justice must to be served...Hmm great." Ming Yue nodded in agreement and glanced at the man who just dug himself a grave. "Just wait for your turn, Wan Yi Jun." She muttered inwardly and looked at the sky, which was as dark as her heart. "So, you are planning to finally move on with your life?" Wan Yi Jun pointed out after a while when the awkward silence began to spread again. "Hmm...I came to imperial looking for someone, I believed that things might change if I meet that person. But it didn''t. So I have no option but to start afresh." She monotonously replied while looking at the road that has been entering the city circle. "May I ask-" Wan Yi Jun''s voice broke when his mobile began to ring loudly. Giving her an apologetic nod, he pressed the accept button on the dashboard to attend the call hands-free. "Yi Jun ah, happy new year.." All of a sudden a jovial female voice heard in the car, immediately dragging Ming Yue into the depths of agony. Chapter 17 - Mother It was one of those voices that Ming Yue could recognise even if she got lost in the middle of the raging storm and roaring seas. That mellow voice, so soothing and calm, deeply echoed in her ears whenever she was in excruciating pain. The only person she failed to hate from her past. "We still got two more hours for the new year, Ma." Wan Yi Jun smilingly informed as he effortlessly twirled the steering wheel, his darkened face lit up like the fireworks in the sky. It was the phone call from the woman whom he loved the most, Sienna Han, his mother. "Really? I just came out of the operation theatre." The voice on the other end apologetically explained. "Surgery at this time?" Wan Yi Jun''s eyebrows arched up in worry. His mother was one of the top neurosurgeons in Novaria, and he was very much aware that she was indeed busy- but how workaholic his mother was that she decided to work on new year eve? "Yes, it was an accident case. The 112 brought the patient when I was about to leave." "Drunk driving?" Since he was a police officer, Wan Yi Jun unknowingly dwelled into the details, and Sienna Han, who knew about her son''s personality, joined his suit without any delay. "No. The patient got hit by a truck while being chased by some drunk men." "Did the police charge the case?" "Of course they did. Apparently, the Novarian police force works a bit faster than the imperial police." Sienna''s voice had a faint hue of criticism as she spoke. "I beg to differ, Dr Han. The imperial police task force comes second to none." He retorted with fake seriousness. "I beg to differ too, captain Wan. I heard that the imperial police force failed to catch the culprits behind Chairman Han''s attack." As soon as Wan Yi Jun heard his mother mentioning the attack in the Han family, the joy in his face faded out immediately. Chairman Han has moved his best card to persuade his reluctant nephew to take charge of the Long Wei case- the classic example of emotional blackmailing. General Zhi, chief Wu, now his mother- everyone uses the same tactic to force him. They knew that ''family sentiments'' was his weak point. "Did you receive any phone calls from uncle?" "No. It wasn''t big brother." Sienna immediately denied even before he could read between the lines and find out that she was lying. "It was your aunt who called me when she couldn''t reach you on your phone. Even Min said the same. How come none of them was able to reach you?" Sienna sounded sceptical as she interrogated her son. She was very much aware that Wan Yi Jun grew distant to both sides of his parent''s family over the years, especially after joining the police force. But did he really cut ties with the only family they got in imperial? She couldn''t help but worry about her son, who preferred to stay away from family matters as he turned older. One day, if something happens to her then who will be there for him? However, Wan Yi Jun, on the other hand, completely lost his cool as soon as he heard the name ''Min'' from his mother. He couldn''t believe that his good for nothing cousin had taken the best seat to watch the drama in his life. "When did he call you? Today or yesterday? What did he say? Did he ask you to persuade me to take charge of the case? Why is he acting like a jerk? Is he mad or what? He restlessly blurted out a bunch of questions that popped out in his mind within a very short time. "What? No. He just wants to invite you for the family dinner." Sienna managed to reply as she struggled to control her laughter. A moment ago, she worried about her son being detached from his family, but when she heard him complaining about his cousin, Sienna could easily figure out that''s not the case. Even though he denies it every time, her son still cares about Min, who has become his competitor in life. "I got work, Ma...Too busy to go for a ''Family dinner''. He cooked up a white lie to avoid meeting his relatives. "Don''t lie, Yi Jun ah, Min said that you are free and even took your teammates to lunch today," Sienna said as soon as she heard his excuses to skip the family dinner. "How did he know that? Did he stalk me or what?" Wan Yi Jun quickly retaliated. "No...no..no..the owner of that restaurant is a close friend of Min. So as soon as you left, he exchanged the very confidential information of a certain someone''s love for seafood platter to his friend." Sienna spoke the same words from her nephew, who called her earlier to exchange new year greetings. "I''m not going there anymore." Wan Yi Jun monotonously declared. Even though he spoke with an aloof face, anyone could clearly see that he was annoyed by his ''stalker''. "Ufffo¡­are you still on bad terms with Min? Yi Jun ah, he is your brother." Sienna tried to remind him. As a child, Wan Yi Jun was closer to his cousins, more than anyone else, and they were the people who got affected the most when he began to cut down his ties with his relatives in imperial. "Second cousin." He corrected her right away, surprising Sienna, as well as Ming Yue, who was silently listening to their bickerings. "But you grew up together." "So what? I''m an adult, now." "Well, you don''t sound like one." Sienna ended their argument by pointing out his immature behaviour towards his cousin. "Mamma!!!" Wan Yi Jun called her in a sulky tone. He couldn''t believe that not only did his mother blame him while taking his cousin''s side but even dared to call him immature. "See, who is whining now?" Sienna smilingly pointed out. It was true that he was a well-respected police officer, so intimidating and forbearing to others. However, in front of his mother, he returns to his childish self, the little Yi Jun. "I really don''t want to go there, Ma. You know how awkward I feel whenever I go to family dinners." As a person who disliked judgemental relatives, family dinners and social gatherings have always been a difficult task for Wan Yi Jun. "Your grandma''s health doesn''t seem good nowadays. She wants to see her grandchildren and spend some time with them. Why don''t you go there for her sake?" Even though Sienna anticipatingly asked but got no reply from Wan Yi Jun, who turned silent all at once as if he was weighing down the possibility. "Yi Jun ah, are you listening to me?" "Hmm." "Can''t you take an hour from your busy schedule and have a meal with her?" Sienna tried to coax her son, who grew up under the care of his grandmother. "If I go there, aunt Lin will start the "marriage talks" and try to set me with some random women. "'' After a long minute, Wan Yi Jun confessed the truth that stopped him from going to family gatherings. "Oh, good lord!!! You know how worried your aunt when she came to know that both of her nephews were wasting their youth chasing criminals instead of women?" "Your Min is planning to get married." Wan Yi Jun let out a scoff as he shared the brand new information he got uu "Of course, your aunty told me about it. She is glad that at least one of you is finally agreed to get settled and looking for a perfect bride for Min. Lin is just worried about you. Why don''t you introduce your girlfriend to everyone? Let them know that they will be attending two or maybe three marriages very soon." Sienna innocently threw bait and waited for her son to come clean about his relationship status and future plans. Even though Wan Yi Jun kept refusing, she did know that her son had a girl he liked. What if he changes his mind after meeting his grandmother and agrees to settle down? However, Wan Yi Jun, who saw through his mother''s plans, smoothly avoided answering the question. "Of course, if everything goes well, you will be attending two weddings this year- your nephew''s and niece''s wedding." Wan Yi Jun replied in the same tone. "Why? Are you going to become a monk rather than getting married?" Sienna half-jokingly enquired, "Wan family needs an heir, son. You can''t become a monk." "I will. Let the Wan family line end with me." He shrugged his shoulders as if its no big deal. "Hahaha. I don''t think your girlfriend will not be happy with that decision." "I''m going to cut the call if you say that again." Wan Yi Jun warned his mother. He didn''t understand why his mother, who has been highly supportive of his career, has lately been obsessed with his marriage. "I was just joking, dear. Listen, I need to go now. I will talk to you later, okay?" "Hmmm. Don''t tire yourself, Ma." "Hmm. I won''t. Bye then. " "Bye, Ma. take care." "Yi Jun ah, I''m telling your aunt that you will be there for lunch. Okay, bye." Sienna cut the call even before Wan Yi Jun could come up with another excuse. As soon as the call got disconnected, he glanced at Ming Yue, who stayed silent throughout the entire conversation without a slight change on her face. "Sorry...my mother..lives abroad...so she is a bit..." He tried to explain and apologise to the girl, thinking that he might''ve made her awkward by letting her listening to the conversation with his mother. "It''s alright. Can you stop the car on the next street?" Ming Yue requested. "Huh, did we reach, already?" He wondered and checked the location. She was right. While he was on the call, he did drive downtown. "Do you remember the location of your house?" He asked as soon as he pulled over the car at the last street in the down Town market area. "Hmm... I can walk from here. Thank you for helping me out." She quickly shared her gratitude and urged to get down. However, after hearing the accident case from his mother, Wan Yi Jun couldn''t simply let her go alone in the middle of the night. "We came this far. Let me drop you at home." "No. It''s alright. The streets are going to be blocked for the fireworks display. You won''t be able to cross the central square if you delay it anymore." "Leave that to me, miss Ming and now tell me where do you live? I will take you there.." Wan Yi Jun suggested and drove the car inside the narrow alley in the last street, giving Ming Yue no other option but to agree. Chapter 18 - Her Boyfriend As they reached close to their destination, once again awkward silence spread inside the car, almost making it unbearable for Wan Yi Jun, who was intrigued by Ming Yue''s story. After hesitating for a while, finally, he decided to ask about her life. However, just as he opened his mouth, Ming Yue shut him with a random comment. "I thought you are just a pretentious knight in silver armour who loves to help damsels in distress but turned out you aren''t even pretending." She pointed out as a matter of fact in the light of the events that happened today. "Pardon me," Wan Yi Jun, who failed to understand whether she was complimenting or insulting him. "No offence, master. I thought you were a spoilt mama''s boy, but in the end, you turned out to be a knight." She explained it once again with an impassive face. However, Wan Yi Jun, who mistook her straightforwardness, almost broke his cool. "I can''t believe that people are still using these terms as an insult." He didn''t even hesitate to let out his disappointment. But little did he know that what Ming Yue thought was something exact opposite of what he guessed. "Mamma boy or knights in shining armour are not insults, at least for someone like me." She stated while staring directly into his dark eyes. "And out of all people, I, an orphan with no family or friends, why would I insult you?" Now that she pointed out "My father was never there for me when I needed him the most. I grew up with my mother, so everyone used to make fun of me by calling me a mamma boy." He admitted without hiding anything. While growing up, his father''s presence was almost non-existent in his life. During his time in imperial, was the only time he experienced the essence of living together as one big family. "Young masters of renowned families also get bullied?" Ming Yue sounded a bit surprised. It was unbelievable for her to think that Wan Yi Jun, who grew up as a perfect child in everyone''s eyes, hid the fact that he was a bullying victim. "I told you, it''s my grandfather''s house. I own nothing there. I only lived in wisteria gardens, maybe less than ten years." Wan Yi Jun said while recalling the timespan he has spent in Imperial. Since his parents fell in love and got married while they lived abroad, most of his childhood and adolescent years were torn between the Novarian capital and the Imperial. However, even though he only spent very little time in Imperial, it was the place where most of his memorable moments were entangled. "It''s wicked to know that some people don''t have a shelter over their head and some others just leave their house unattended." Ming Yue sniggered as she compared the terrible reality of both of their lives. "We didn''t leave it unattended, we had a butler. But unfortunately, a few months ago, he passed away. So currently, it''s just me who is here to take care of the mansion." He concluded and looked out of the window as if he was checking out he drove her to the correct place or not. "This is the place, right?" "Hmmm...Turn left and stop near that restaurant." Ming Yue pointed at the old restaurant at the end of the street. Just as he pulled over the car, she turned to face Wan Yi Jun and gently bowed, "Thanks for the flowers, the dress and the ride." She gladly expressed her gratitude as she urged to get down from the car as the clock started to strike towards midnight. "Well, I should be the one who is supposed to thank you." Wan Yi Jun smilingly said while turning off the engine as if he wanted to get down along with her. When she saw through Wan Yi Jun''s plan to accompany her to the house, Ming Yue almost jumped out of the car, fearing that things may not remain the same if he runs into Kousuke or Yojiro. Since she pulled off a tear-jerking story and almost convinced Wan Yi Jun that she was an orphan without no name, it would be better if their interaction ends here at the moment, "It''s just trivial things, don''t worry about it. Have a great year, master." She greeted the man who stepped out of the driving seat without getting a hint of her obvious disinterest. With a radiant smile gleaming on his lips, Wan Yi Jun walked towards her and extended his palm for a handshake. "Wan Yi Jun, that''s my name." For a moment, Ming Yue went speechless at the unexpected gesture of friendliness shown by Wan Yi Jun. It was nearly impossible for her to believe that the boy in her memories, and the man who stood before her, was the same person. The Wan Yi Jun she knew was always been a cold and detached person who never initiated any kind of interaction with a stranger. But he has changed, his personality has changed as if she could no longer relate to the mean little boy to this cheerful and caring man. "Hmm..at least you have changed for good." Ming Yue mumbled in her and hesitantly reached out for a handshake. "Master Wan, have a happy new year." "Master Wan?" Wan Yi Jun''s thick eyebrows raised while humour rippled in his dark irises at her reply. Didn''t he make it clear that there is no need for her to address him like that? But when he caught a glimpse of her innocent face partially covered by his shadow, he shook his head and rejected the idea of correcting her. "You too, have a great year. I hope you get a job you like." "Thank you." "I will leave then." Wan Yi Jun retracted his palm and took a step backwards without breaking his gaze from her. As he moved away from her, the golden light from the brightly lit street lamps immediately illuminated her gorgeous face, reminding him of the phases of a full moon, living up to her name- Ming Yue. Once again sending sparks of dubiety to Wan Yi Jun''s mind, No matter how many times he overlooked it, he couldn''t deny that Ming Yue resembled the girl from his past. While he hesitated to leave her side, contemplating to ask her to keep in touch or not, the heavy silence between them got broken by an old woman, who approached the car in hurried steps. "Xiao Yue, where have you been? Your bro-" Just as the old woman began to mention about her ''brothers'', Ming Yue stormed towards her landlady and shoved the paper bag into her wrinkly hands. "Oh, Grandma, here are the flowers you have asked." She picked up the Wisteria flowers from the paper bag and handed them over to the old woman, who was staring at Wan Yi Jun with a pair of perplexed eyes. "Oh, you got Wisteria! But dear, who is this young man? Is he your boyfriend that you mentioned earlier?" The landlady curiously asked and glanced at the man whose face suddenly went a shade redder. But wait a minute, did he hear her saying that ''Your boyfriend that you mentioned earlier,'' Wan Yi Jun unknowingly turned his gaze towards Ming Yue, who appeared abashed by the old lady''s words. His deeply hurt eyes glinted a little as if they were asking whether it was true or not. Do you already have a boyfriend? Chapter 19 - The Request "Your boyfriend is really handsome, Xiao Yue. I''m damn sure that your kids will be as good looking as you two." Hearing her landlady''s quick remarks, Ming Yue almost choked blood when her mind cooked up a shockingly odd image of Wan Yi Jun as her boyfriend. "No..no¡­he is not my boyfriend." She straight away nipped the wretched thoughts that popped up in her mind. "Then, is he your friend?" The curious old lady enquired again while alternatively looking at the couple who struggled to break their eye contact. Just as Ming Yue opened her mouth to deny it, Wan Yi Jun''s deep voice reached her ears, so clear and loud. "Good evening, grandma. I''m Wan Yi Jun, Ming Yue''s friend. Nice to meet you." He introduced himself with a radiant smile that was bright enough to blind anyone and gently bowed to pay his respects. "Wan Yi Jun, ha...your parents got you the right name." The old lady acknowledged with an agreeing nod. "Are you leaving already?" "Yes, grandma. I just came to drop her off." Wan Yi Jun honestly replied. Well, he was the one who almost trapped Ming Yue at a place where no public transport was available. So it was his duty to get her home safely. "Son, we are going to have dinner. Why don''t you join us?" As soon as Ming Yue heard the invitation, she almost had a heart attack and grabbed the land lady''s hands in worry. She tried everything to make sure that Wan Yi Jun won''t run into her brothers, but how can this grandma just make him stick for some more time in the name of a dinner? "Grandma, he is a busy man and got work tomorrow." Ming Yue used the same excuses which Wan Yi Jun made earlier to avoid going for his family dinner. "Busy people also need to eat. And it''s new year night too. How can I leave guests without giving a proper meal?" The old lady who was nice and generous to every soul out there tried to convince Ming Yue to ask the other to stay for dinner. "But grandma," Ming Yue bit her tongue and hesitated to speak since Wan Yi Jun was standing next to them. "Your brothers said that they are going out, and I made food for everyone." The old lady whispered as they began to discuss whether to invite him or not. While watching their interactions, Wan Yi Jun felt a warmth spreading over his mind. The way Ming Yue and the old lady acted was exactly like a grandchild and grandparent, and he couldn''t help but smile in content. After all the things Ming Yue had to go through, she finally had someone who treats her like family. "I would love to join." He added and locked his car before moving towards Ming Yue with a beaming face. "Oh wow...then come inside, I will get the dishes." The old lady gladly invited him and trudged towards the building that had a board of ''Meng''s chicken'' written over it. "Sorry, my landlady is too nice...She kinda treats her tenants as her family." Ming Yue said in a low voice while leading Wan Yi Jun to the restuarant, "She even treats the students who live next door as my brothers." "I see, that''s why she kept mentioning about ''your'' brothers." Wan Yi Jun gave her an acknowledging nod and entered the restaurant. To be honest, he was curious about Ming Yue''s boy friend as well as brothers. However after listening to her explanation, he understood that the landlady must have trying to make Ming Yue believe that she was loved by everyone. It was a normal small restuarant which was part of the landlady''s house. However, when he saw the amount of food served on the table, Wan Yi Jun couldn''t help but drop his jaw in surprise. It wasn''t anything fancy but boiled rice, various chicken dishes and desserts. "Eat up. You, young people, never eat according to your body''s needs." The old lady suggested as she began to serve Wan Yi Jun and turned to face the girl who had no intention to sit down for a dinner. "Look at her. She is skinny as a stick. Why are you standing there, sit with your friend." Even before the old lady began to chide her, Ming Yue hesitantly took a seat next to Wan Yi Jun, while keeping her poker face. "I look skinny because of these oversized clothes." She unknowingly made a comment while rolling up the sleeves and the very next moment she regretted that she purposefully dragged everyone''s attention to her clothes. As she expected, grandma Meng quickly noticed the hoodie and went ahead on asking about the same "Talking about the clothes, it is not the dress you wore earlier." "Huh...that one-piece dress, it is in the bag...Sorry grandma, I fell into a puddle and got some stain over it." "You fell down? Where? Did you hurt somewhere?" Grandma Meng worriedly asked while checking out for the girl who sat there with a sheepish smile. "No, Grandma, I''m completely alright." Ming Yue replied as she tried to a straight face. For some reasons it felt weird for her to have dinner with Wan Yi Jun. It was something she never expected in her life. As soon as they finished the dinner, Wan Yi Jun approached grandma Meng to bid farewell since it was already late. If he delays anymore, he won''t be able to return to Wisteria gardens since very soon the fireworks display will start. "Did you enjoy the food, Xiao Wan?" "Yes. It was one of the best meals I have ever had after coming to Imperial." Wan Yi Jun didn''t hesitate to tell the truth. Since he always depended on office cafeteria or light instant meals to survive, a full course tasty home cooked meal felt like a blessing for him. "I will take my leave then. Have a healthy and prosperous new year, grandma." Wan Yi Jun greeted as he intended to leave, but all of sudden, grandma Meng took a red packet from her pocket and handed over to both of them. "Have a great year ahead. I hope happiness and good health awaits you this year." Though both of them accepted the gift from the old lady, Wan Yi Jun''s face still had a tint of confusion. "You are also like Ming Yue, so accept this." She assured him once again and asked Ming Yue to send him off. "Did I make a mistake by accepting this?" Wan Yi Jun pointed out as soon as he stepped out of the restaurant. "As I have told earlier, she treats everyone as her family. So don''t think much, and keep it as a kind gesture." Ming Yue advised as she followed the man to the car. Just before Wan Yi Jun got into the car, he took out his wallet. "Don''t tell me he is going to give me a red packet, too?" She wondered and prepared to deny it. However, instead of money what he took was his visiting card. "This is my card. If you need any help, feel free to call me." He gladly bowed a bit and gave her the card, on the belief that he could repay for her help one day or another. "Take care, miss Ming." He parted ways with her and got into his car. However, right at the moment, Ming Yue gently knocked at the window and asked him to roll it down a bit. "Since there are no chances that we will get to meet again, can I say something if you allow me to overstep my boundaries?" "Please, go ahead." Wan Yi Jun was all ears to hear whatever she had to say. However, the words that fell from Ming Yue''s mouth was something he least expected. "You said that your father wasn''t there when you needed the most. But aren''t you doing the same to your grandmother?" She pointed out in a serious tone as she recalled his earlier conversation. "That''s because...I have a busy schedule." "Please go and meet your grandmother. If you can spend some time with her, please. We...we..don''t value people when they are with us, and if one day they leave us, all we have would be regrets." "Hmm. I will do that." Wan Yi Jun promised her when he realised that her words were indeed true. All these years he has been burning in the fiery pit of regret and guilt for what he haven''t done for his father and that girl while they were alive. Chapter 20 - The Life Built Upon Lies As soon as Wan Yi Jun''s car left her vicinity, Ming Yue immediately went back to the restaurant helped grandma Meng to clean the dishes while keeping an eye on the clock. It was only a few minutes left for the clock to strike 12, Since she was aware of the fact that, in a couple of minutes, she would be bombarded with phone calls, Ming Yue quickly finished cleaning the dishes and returned to her room on the rooftop. As soon as she In hurried motions, she picked up her phone, and there were lots of notifications messages and missed calls popped up on her phone screen. While she was with Wan Yi Jun, she dared not to check her phone in fear that it would raise suspicions in him. After taking a deep breath, Ming Yue sat on the bed and dialled the video call option for the first name that was on her phone screen. As soon as the call got connected, her tired face bloomed into a smile that put shame on the prettiest flower in the entire world. It was the smile she has only shown to the people whom she cared for the most- her family. Hiroki Terada, her big brother who loved her more than anything in this world. "Happy new year, everyone." She smilingly spoke in Daison language and looked at the family of three that appeared on the phone screen. "Happy new year, Michan." The family on the other end singsonged in the same tone. "Where are you, Michan? Yoji said that you guys went out clubbing¡­" The woman on the screen, Sora Terada, her sister-in-law asked in concern. "Ah..clubbing¡­I just got back, sister. They said that they would like to stay a bit more. What are you guys doing there? Aren''t you going to watch fireworks?" "Of course, Michan. Do you know where are we now?" The little boy, who sat on Sora''s lap, asked while showing off his adorable smile. "Let me, guess..." She paused for a moment and tilted her head as if she was trying to figure out the place even though she was familiar with it. "Are you on the hilltop, Akari chan?" "Yes. yes...aren''t you the one who said that "fireworks" looks pretty if we watch it from the hilltop?" "Oh...I missed it." Ming Yue made a cute pout to show her disappointment. After she started to live with her brother, Hiroki made sure to take her to the "fireworks" display every new year night. "I told you to leave after the new year. You were the one who was hellbound on leaving for a vacation." Hiroki chided her when he saw that his sister''s disappointed face- it was the last thing he wanted to see. It took a lot of courage to send her on a foreign trip, even though she went with Yojiro and Kousuke. Even Ming Yue who put an aloof facade before everyone felt bad when she saw her brothers gloomy face. She knew that Hiroki was not at all happy to let her go. But he was also the person who never said ''No'' to any of his sister''s wishes. "Onichan, I will be coming home very soon." Ming Yue replied in a cute doting tone, just to put a smile on Hiroki''s brother. As soon who is famous for her cold and distant personality, she rarely uses the ''cute act'' to please others, that too only among her family members. "By the way, have you made rice cakes?" "Of course, we made it. But I''m damn sure that you are brother is not going to like it. He only eats rice cakes made by you." "Onichan, don''t be like that, Gishi chan took a lot of effort to make it. Don''t be a meanie and nit-pick on her rice cake." She advised her brother in the same childish tone, only to break all of them into a peal of laughter, " Do they sell rice cakes over there, Michan? How can you not eat rice cakes on New year day?" Sora asked as a matter of fact. It was part of their culture to eat rice cakes and soup on new year morning and she was worried about her sister in law who apparently went on a trip to a "western country" during the new year holidays. "There is a Daisonese restaurant. I will eat from there." Ming Yue came up with an excuse. "Michan, what are you wearing? Tora showed us a picture of you wearing a pretty dress. Where is that?" All of sudden, Sora pointed out and gathered everyone''s attention to the hoodie which Ming Yue was wearing. The moment the words fell from Sora, Ming Yue almost cursed inside her head for not changing her clothes. Unfortunately, she was still wearing Wan Yi Jun''s hoodie Even though Sora was not into fashion, she was someone who could recognize between the male and female fashion. "It looks like a man''s hoodie. Where did you get it, Michan?" "It was something a brought when went outside. It was really cold today, so I just changed into it." Ming Yue told the first excuse that came into her mind. "When does the fireworks starts?" She immediately dragged their attention to something else. "It will start in a couple of minutes. You are going to stay online, right?" Sora who fell for Ming Yue''s lie, asked to confirm. "I want to stay...But I kind of promised Tora that, I will call him. So if you...don''t..." Ming Yue bit her lips as she feigned shyness to complete the rest of the words. "Yes...yes...go and call your ''fiance''...He was going crazy over your picture...Just give talk to him and call us when you are done." Sora suggested in a teasing tone and gave the phone back to her husband, "Don''t stay awake for long time. Sleep if you are tired. You can talk to us, tomorrow too." Hiroki reminded girl who was lying through her teeth and ended the conversation after exchanging few more lines. As soon as the call got disconnected, Ming Yue let out a sigh and glanced at the hoodie she wore. Because of this hoodie, she had to lie to her family and even had to drag her so called "fiance" into the mess. Of course, lying was not a difficult task for Ming Yue as her entire existence was depended on the biggest lie that made her survive on this wretched world. But for some reason''s she felt bad for lying....especially in the name of Tora, the only one who took her hand when she was left to rotten. Chapter 21 - The Trump Card After contemplating over sometime, Ming Yue decided to give Tora a call and speak to him. But before that she need to change into something else. She might have managed to fool her sister in law, but it won''t be the same with Tora who had a superior fashion sense among the entire Kobayashi clan. He would easily see through her lies, will catch the very next flight to check whether she is fooling around with anyone else. "Noooo.... that will ruin the entire plan." Ming Yue almost cursed and held on to the bottom of the hoodie. However, just as she raised her arms to remove the hoodie, Kousuke''s panicky voice heard from outside. Something is wrong. She dropped the idea of changing clothes and immediately knelt on the floor and pulled out her bag that was kept under the bag. In Swift motions, she fished out a palm sized knife and hid inside her sleeves and dashed outside. However, when she entered the living room, she saw a calm Yojiro on the couch and a panicky Kousuke chugging down an entire bottle of water. "Oh Nechan...you are home." Kousuke wiped his mouth and rushed towards Ming Yue as if he got chased by a mad dog. "Thank God, atleast you are safe. We..we. escaped from death..by the length of hair strand. He blabbered while trying to catch his breath. "It''s breadth...or hair strand''s width." Yoji who silently listened to the other, corrected with a dead-pan expression on his face. "What if it is length or breadth, we had a narrow escape from getting stabbed by a crazy boy." Kousuke argued back and turned to face Ming Yue who appeared clueless before him. "Nechan, you won''t believe me...what happened in the club...only god knows how many people are died there." Watching Kousuke''s restlessness, Ming Yue sighed heavily and made him sit on the couch as she took the seat opposite to her brothers. "You take a break and Yoji," She called for Yojiro who was the apt person to report whatever happened to them. "Since you weren''t coming home and refrained us from calling you, we thought we will also go and enjoy the new year eve in some club." "Hmm." "Everyone was drinking and dancing.." "Smoking and doing drugs." Kousuke who shut his mouth to catch a breath, added when he saw that Yojiro has missed an important detail. "Yes. Everyone was enjoying and all of sudden, we heard a girl''s crying. Some one has stabbed her with the bottle and that guy even tried to attack everyone who came in his way too." "And," Ming Yue''s eyes narrowed down as she carefully listened to Yojiro, her pretty face turning darker as the time goes by. "We ran from there before the police came. But unfortunately on the way back we ran into that police officer whom we met in Rising Ravens." Yojiro somehow managed to tell her the truth and prepared to himself to hear an earful from his Nechan. "We thought it was the safest club to go-" Just as Kousuke opened his mouth to speak, his words were cut off by Ming Yue''s sharp gaze. "Are you kidding me Kousuke? Out of all the clubs in the city, why did you go to that place? Even though Ming Yue spoke flatly, they could really sense her anger that was hidden behind her eyes. "How would we know that some stoner guy will stab his ex over there?" Kousuke tried to convince her that it was totally an unexpected incident that shook him. "Haven''t you seen that place is frequently raided by all the police officers in imperial?" Ming Yue tried to remind him their first visit Rising Ravens. "If some police car comes to this street, I will kill both of you." She stated with an expressionless face that was even more scarier than anything else in the world. "But there is something I would like to tell you, Nechan. Someone did smuggled drugs from Daisun." Kousuke informed her, even though he knew that Ming Yue was disappointed at him. "The stuff we got today¡­I mean I didn''t use it...I just saw everyone using it...but it was indeed from Daisun." He said as a matter of fact and glanced at Yojiro who confirmed his words with a faint nod. "I trieded to talk to the dealer guy-" "You did what?" Ming Yue repeated as if she hadn''t hear him properly, "I tried to talk to the dealer regarding the place where they get the stuff and-" When he saw the murderous glare on Yojiro''s eyes, he stopped in the midsentence and jutted his chin to ask what''s wrong. "Kousuke¡­.why are you so dumb?" Yojiro let out a sigh and stood up from the seat, leaving other to deal with Ming Yue''s anger. They were trying to keep a low-key profile, but thanks to someone''s stupidity their entire existence has been put into danger. With a cold smile gleaming on her lips, Ming Yue stood up from her seat and sat next to Kousuke who began to tremble in fear. "Kousuke..." She gently called his name and placed her arm on his shoulder, while staring directly into his frightened eyes. "Nechan¡­I did it because¡­I thought it would be helpful for us." He spoke in a broken voice and glanced at Yojiro for help. "Yes, you did a great job." Ming Yue patted his shoulders and turned to face Yojiro who took a bottle of water from the fridge as if he is unrelated to any of the things that was happening between Kousuke and his Nechan. "Yoji¡­book him a ticket and send him away before he comes up another way to H.E.L.P" Ming Yue emphasized on the word help and tightened her grip over Kousuke''s shoulder, sending chills down his spine. "Nechan¡­I''m sorry¡­I was wrong...I made a mistake." When he saw that Ming Yue has decided to send him off, he joined his palms and rubbed it together, while begging her to let him stay. "Do you know what you have done wrong?" Ming Yue who completely ignored his pleadings, wrapped his arms over him, not so friendly way and began to elaborate, "First, you went to that club and got your name in their visitor''s list. Since there was a crime, the police will look for every single name on the list and where will they reach in the end?" She inquired in a jovial tone, only to scare the boy who was quavering in her arms. "He¡­hee¡­here." Kousuke involuntarily answered in a shaky voice. "Good, secondly you talked to the drug peddlers and even tried to get their location. So they will definitely want to silence all those who have a chance to share their location with the police. So where will they reach in the end?" She asked again as if she was talking to child. "Here." Kousuke pointed at the floor and stated, "So what will happen if they come here?" "Either they will kill me or the police will find out that we are illegal immigrants." Kousuke admitted in a barely audible voice while trying to avoid her scrutinizing gaze. "No¡­no..there is something else¡­something that needs more immediate action?" She paused, a moment for Kousuke to finish what she was intending to say. However, instead of Kousuke, it was Yojiro who answered her question. "Nechan, shall we move to somewhere else?" Yojiro returned to the living room and joined the conversation. "That would raise more suspicion. Let''s track them down." "But if they recognizes you,that would create more trouble for us." "Big brother will know¡­Tora will know and All of us will be dead either by police or by drug cartel or by Kobayashi clan itself" Kousuke almost cried when he realised the gravity of the mistake that he has done. "What will we do now?" "Let me try if I can hack into Rising Ravens visitors data and erase the information." Yojiro volunteered to minimise the impact of the impending horror. "Since we were dragged into this mess, let''s try our best to see the end of it. You two start tracking the dealers even before they come for us." Ming Yue paused and released Kousuke from her hold, only to take out the knife that hid in her sleeves. "I will keep an eye on the police force."She declared in a firm and resolute tone. The moment her words resonated in the silent room, even Yojiro who always remained calm and quiet, raised his brows as a sudden uneasiness spread over his mind. "But Nechan it is equally dangerous..that police officer, he is hell bound on catching the drug mafia from Daisun. It is dangerous, let''s not dwell into this." Yojiro tried his best to persuade Ming Yue to stay away from the imperial police force. "It''s alright, I have a trump card in my hand.." Ming Yue took out a visiting card from her pocket and placed on the table with a smile. Chapter 22 - New Year, New Fight "Wan Yi Jun, 098xxxx" Kousuke casually read aloud the name and number that was written over the plain visiting card. He was sure that he heard this name somewhere but failed to recall it at the moment. Ming Yue glanced at the dumb boy who was still holding onto the visiting card and let out a heavy sigh, wondering why did she even bother to bring him to imperial. "We are not sure if it is Wan Yi Jun, who is going to investigate this case. If it is is him. We will have a chance." She informed Yojiro who was all ears, The moment he heard the name, the realization hit hard in the head and he immediately stared at the name on the card as well as his sister with a shocked expression. "Ne Chan, Isn''t the same officer whom we saw last time at the club...Captian Wan?" He asked to confirm if he guessed it correctly. Maybe whether he hasn''t met that many people after coming to imperial, he kind of tried to remember everyone and among those faces, Captian Wan, the police officer who raided the rising raven was one he promised himself to avoid at any chance. But why his number is with his precious Ne chan? did she steal it from somewhere? Unable to control his curiosity, Kousuke began to ask all the questions that were popped into his mind in a very short time, "Ne chan, where did you get this card? But does police officers are allowed to keep personal visiting cards?" As soon as Kousuke started his usual routine of FAQ time, Yojiro wobbled his head in annoyance and answered the most relevant question among them. "Yes, it is that police officer''s name and contact number. Nothing else." He made an effort to shut chirpy bird in the room, however his reply only added oil to Kousuke''s burning pit of doubts. "Nechan, did you call him?" He mechanically turned his head and asked the girl didn''t even bother to acknowledge his presence, let alone answer his question. "Do you want me to call him?" Raising her eyebrows in query, Ming Yue reached out for her cell phone, that was kept inside her pocket. "No...no...why are you behaving like this, Nechan? I was just joking." Watching her abrupt behaviour, Kousuke couldn''t help but panic. His Nechan had a very eccentric personality. She likes to put people in trouble, just for a fun. There were several instances where he felt that she was nothing but an absolute pscyhopath. Or else why would she ask him, no.. threaten him to call the police. "Why are you taking the phone? Don''t take the phone. No. No..."Kousuke literally begged the cold girl who was opening her contact list with a dead pan expression on her gorgeous face. "Yoji, say something." He turned to his aloof brother who sat there and asked to stop Ming Yue from contacting Wan Yi Jun. "Hsss...I seriously don''t want to mention it again." Yojiro gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the armrest of their couch, so hard that it felt like that he might broke while controlling his urge to hit the other. "But Kousuke...why...why are you so dumb? This head on the top of your neck, is it for decoration? For god''s sake just use it once in a while?" Hearing those condescending sneers at a crucial moment of death and life, Kousuke couldn''t refrain himself from jabbing at his brother. "You are the dumb on. Can''t you see that she is going to call that police officer? If he comes here, then we are done." "Kousuke, just answer this questions, okay?" Yojiro who somehow managed to regain his bearings, took a deep breath and leaned closer to the young man who was on the verge of breaking down. "First of all, why would Nechan...an illegal immigrant from Daisun, a citizen with a fair amount of police cases under her name, why would she call a police officer in the middle of the night?" He paused and stared at Kousuke who was silently listening to his questions, "Second and most importantly, how would she call him? In order to call that officer, she needs a number and that number is on the visiting card in your hands." Yojiro snatched the visiting card that was a dumbfounded Kousuke''s hands and flashed it before his face. "Now use your pea brain to find answers for these questions." He gave a knock on Kousuke''s fair forehead, before leaning back to the couch. "Pfftt.." Watching their interactions, even Ming Yue who was famous for keeping a supreme poker face, almost broke into laughter, easing the tensed mood in the room. With a sheepish smile, Kousuke peeked into Ming Yue''s phone screen to confirm his answers. "If you are not call him, then whom are you calling?" He asked when he noticed "call disconnected" notification on Ming Yue''s phone. "Someone." She vaguely answered and got up from the couch. However, he who wasn''t convinced by her answer, went onto pester his Nechan who was looking at the phone screen with a faint smile on her face. "Who?" "Just go to bed." She waved her palm and ignored the curious guy as she headed in the direction of her room. "Ya...who is she calling?" Kousuke leaned forward and asked in a low voice to Yojiro who was about to leave the couch, "While we were at the club, whose calls did you kept rejecting?" Yojiro tried to remind the youngman who lacked any brain cells to connect the dots and read the room. After a moment''s silence,Kousuke''s eyes lit up when he finally figured the person who could put a faint playful smile on his Nechan''s pretty face. "Tora." "Woah...she is calling Tora? That''s new. Its always him who calls her? What exactly happened to her?" "It''s the new year...she has to call him and fight. Otherwise he will start doubting that Nechan no longer loves him. " Yojiro added as a matter of fact. Unlike other people, his Nechan''s way of expressing love was very different. Her language of love was fights and arguments. If she doesn''t fight with you, then it means that she doesn''t consider you as her own. "Nechan, convey our new year wishes to Tora, too." Kousuke demanded at the girl who has already entered her bedroom. "Do it by yourself." Ming Yue called out from the room. "No...I''m not calling Tora after rejecting all of his phone calls. I don''t want to start the new year with nagging." Kousuke mumbled under his breath and strode to the bedroom, without any delay. As soon as Ming Yue went inside the room , she kept checking her phone screen whether her call was getting connected or not. Since she didn''t answered any calls ever since she entered the Wisteria garden and even switched off while travelling with Wan Yi Jun, she has missed multiple phone calls and messages from Tora. Now that she is finally free and gave a call, a sulky little tiger has kept rejecting her phone calls. Since her voice calls kept disconnecting, Ming Yue used the video call option. However, only after she saw herself on the phone screen, she remembered about Wan Yi Jun''s hoodie and immediately pulled it off. Thanks to her hurried and clumsy action''s, it got stuck on her hairclip, took sometime to come off. But unfortunately, by the time she removed the hoodie, the call was already got connected and it showed the handsome face of a man froze on the screen. Even with the crappy quality of the network, his good looking face that was on par with the models from fashion magazines, appeared as attractive and breath taking as it has always been. Few shiny golden brown hair strands that left out from his manbun, has perfectly framed his sculpted face and neat stubble. But for some reason''s his cheeks and ears appeared rather reddish. "It got stuck?" Ming Yue came closer and picked up the phone to check whether the network was there or not. However, right at the moment, she heard a cough from the other side of the video call. "Are you there, Tora?" She repeated while holding the phone on different positions to check the connectivity. "Huh..yeah, I''m here...re.. here." Tora''s usually profound voice appeared a bit raspy as he spoke. "Am I visible?" She asked again while bringing the phone closer and away from her face, only to receive a faint hum from the other side. "Say something, I can''t hear you." "Go and wear something..." A harsh chiding which is followed by a long silence heard from Tora who kept looking away from the screen, as if someone has snapped his neck sideways. "Wear something, I can''t look at you like this." Hearing his complaint, Ming Yue lowered her eyes at her own and realized that she did all the circus to connect the network, while wearing her bra. Would it be fair to say that she completely forgot to wear some T shirts or cover her torso in the hassle of calling her grumpy little fianc¨¦? Maybe. "Pfftt...don''t act like you haven''t seen me naked," Ming Yue rebuked when she saw Tora''s struggle to keep a straight face while blushing like a tomato. "That was years ago." "What would have changed in these years?" "You...!!!" He rebutted in the same tone and unknowingly glanced at her blooming youth only to gulp down a mouthful of saliva "Your body. You are no longer a kid, you are a woman...you can''t appear half naked before a man." "I thought that man was the one who was supposed to see me naked?" She casually commented and let out a teasing laughter, "If you can''t look at me like this, then how are things going to work after our marriage? Are you going to keep your eyes shut while-" "Enough." Even before she could teasing him anymore, Tora grumbled and turned to face the brazen woman who pulled his heart and mind into chaotic mess. Even though he tried hard not to stare at the smooth expanse her skin and firm mounds peeking out of the flimsy cloth, he just couldn''t. She was alluringly delightful to boil his blood. However the exquisite sight of the golden chain that perfectly tied around her belly was the one thing that his eyes failed to notice. She was a woman who had no particular affinity towards ornaments, but she absolutely cherished that belly chain. It was nothing special...a simple golden chain with a tiny-teeny wisteria pendent, but it added a seductive charm to her ravishing beauty. "Tora, is it hot over there, why are you sweating so hard?" Ming Yue pretended that she didn''t see his thirsty gazes and asked coyettishly, "If you are not going to wear something modest, I swear, Michan...I will cut the call." Tora somehow managed to persuade Ming Yue to get dressed for the sake of his sanity. "This is fine?" Ming Yue asked when she grabbed a ribbed sweater and wore it while he was still on the call. "What about your eyes?" Tora who finally able to take a look on Ming Yue''s face, pointed out as soon as he saw her black irises. "Good lord, you are so picky." She pouted her lips and stood up from the bed, and strode towards the bathroom to wash her hands before taking out her lenses. "I''m not picky. You were wearing it for hours and even went out for clubbing. It''s not good for your eyes." "Yes, doctor. I will take care of my eyes." She jokingly replied while taking out the pair of black lenses that covered her bi-coloured eyes. After washing her face, she returned to the bed and picked up the phone. "So, what about you? You didn''t go anywhere on New year night? I thought you might have gone to meet Yuki." The moment, Ming Yue mentioned the name Yuki, Tora''s face darkened like the bottom of a pot. It was evident that he didn''t like that question, but still, Ming Yue continued with the banter, "She might have waited for Tora Kun. Why are you kept rejecting that poor thing?" She asked in a concerned voice and looked at the man who chose to remain silent. "This year, I''m not even there...you could have went on a date with her. If I was on your shoes, I would have definitely gave her an unforgettable experience." "You are a cruel and heartless woman, do you know that?" As soon as she finished, Tora retaliated in calm voice. "Hmmph." Ming Yue nodded in agreement only to trigger him more. "Sometimes I don''t even understand why I''m still listening to your bullshit? Why I''m even waiting for someone who is not at all considerate to me. Who doesn''t even bother to talk to me. Sometimes I hate you...more than anyone in the world." Tora bitterly admitted and glared at the woman who had no reaction even after hearing his words. "Aren''t you even worried that one day I can no longer put up with you and leave you for good?" He asked in hurt voice. He was known as the ruthless assassin of Kobayashi clan, who is not afraid of anything, but this cold-hearted woman here, she was the only one who could tear his heart and soul with a single word. "No." Chapter 23 - The Possessive Man "No. I''m not worried at all." Ming Yue sounded firm and resolute as she spoke with an aloof face which totally contradicted Tora, who was agitated by her inconsiderate behavior towards him. "Huh?" "Yes, Mr. Taketora Hamada. I''m not worried that you will leave me one day." She stopped in midsentence and nodded before continuing, "Well, if you had any intention to call it a quit and leave me, then you would have left earlier. But instead, you are vowed to marry me even after knowing that I''m a terrible person." She added with a playful tone which totally won over Tora''s fuming anger and left him with no choice to yield in. No matter how many times he has experienced it, he wasn''t still familiar with her eccentric ways of playing with his feelings. "I agree...But..but instead of getting married, you ditched me and went on a vacation...alone." He confessed with a pair of sad puppy eyes even though it wasn''t completely true. He wished to accompany her, but leaving the clan unattended, even for a week would cost them more. "You were the one who refused to come with me, quoting that staying away from you would make me realize how much you meant to me. I have never asked you anything like that." She put the blame on the man and acted as it wasn''t her fault for spending the new year in different parts of the world instead of celebrating it under the same roof as how they did it for the last few years. "Your choices, your decisions-I don''t have a say in it. If you want to stay, stay...If you want to leave, leave. Feel free to go and marry your Yuki or Riko or Sumire whoever is considerate, caring and dying to talk to you." Ming Yue scoffingly stated and tilted her head a bit, as if she was totally cool about it. However, Tora who heard her quoting the names of all the women who confessed their love for him, couldn''t help but notice the hidden jealousy in Ming Yue''s eyes. "Michan, are you perhaps angry at me... for saying that you are inconsiderate?" He asked, while a bright smile hanging on the corner of his mouth. "Why would I be angry at you? Inconsiderate people don''t have any time for that bullshit." Watching her using the same phrases that he used earlier, Tora finally realised that he has successfully managed to get onto Ming Yue''s nerves. "Michan, I was worried about you." He stated, look on his eyes, and his voice softened at the very sight of his Tsundere girl. It was true that she was cold and stone-hearted, but on some extremely rare occasions, he has seen how she allowed others to take a glance at her vulnerable side. "I''m not a child." Hearing his concerned voice, she huffed and rolled her eyes. "Yes. exactly. You are not a child but a woman, and you looked extremely pretty. I was just worried that some wolfish foreigner might hit on you." Tora defended himself in the light of the effect Ming Yue leaves on people who came in contact with her. He was totally whipped for Ming Yue from the very first moment he saw her that he was even willing to fight for others who claimed her as their own. If they lived in an ancient world, kingdoms would have fought wars for her. Her existence itself was like a forbidden fruit that lured everyone towards doom. "Speaking of foreigner men, I did meet someone today." Ming Yue pointed out when she suddenly recalled the man whom she met. "He was so willing to listen to me that he even offered to drive home." Though she casually mentioned it, the response she received from the man who was on the call. "You said you went with Kousuke and Yoji?" Tora coldly asked when his biggest nightmare was on the verge of becoming true. "Yes...I went with them. But I don''t need to return with them as well, especially if you go clubbing." Ming Yue shrugged her shoulders as if it was a normal thing, only to annoy a certain someone who was madly possessive over her. "You returned with that guy?" He fiercely pressed on the issue that require immediate attention. "Hmm." "Didn''t I tell you to stay away from men?" Tora almost snarled his fangs at the girl, who acted as if it got nothing to do with her. "All these men in clubs, all of them got only one thing in their mind. I''m damn sure he also approached you with the same nasty intention." "It''s not nasty, Tora... It is called the basic primal urge. The animalistic behaviour to mate when they find someone attractive from the opposite sex. The insatiable hunger that burns your body and soul," Ming Yue dramatically paused to infuriate Tora, who was innocently falling prey to her merciless trick. "And I''m damn sure that''s what I saw in your eyes a while ago." "Huh?" Unable to comprehend what he just heard, Tora stared blankly at the phone screen. "You saw..it on me?" "Hmmm. I saw it on him, too." Ming Yue stated as a matter of fact when she recalled Wan Yi Jun''s conflicted face while they were together in the Wisteria gardens. She could literally sense the struggle he had to go through to hide his inner desires until she came up with the tear-jerking story of an orphan who grew up in a courtesan house. Breaking the last chains of his self restain, Tora exploded in anger when he could no longer listen to her words, That was too much. He was her fiance, for God sake!!! No man was tolerant towards his woman being approached by another man to court her. And Tora was no different from the wide majority of those men who were possessive and equally obsessed with the woman they like. "That bastard, how dare he!!!!" He growled without any sense about his surroundings and went on with his monologue about how these feral men approach women just for pleasure. "Nah... you are the one who is responsible....you gave me a word...you promised me that there won''t be a man in your life other than me..how can you forget that and...and...make out with a stranger?" He was going crazy when he remembered all the promises Ming Yue has given before leaving for the trip. Even he liked her for years, he never made a move on her until last spring when both of their family began to discuss the potential marriage aspects. More than anything else, how can she forget everything he has done for him and let a complete stranger take away her virginity? Tora couldn''t stop his thoughts that were running wild in his head. "That''s too many questions to answer." Ming Yue yawned and leaned on the head rest of her bed, totally brushing off his anger and frustration. "Are you kidding me? You....you..." Tora struggled to come up with appropriate words to express his disappointment at the woman who was literally giving no importance to him. Letting out a heavy sigh, Ming Yue stared deep into him and raised her index finger. "Okay. Just answer one question...Only one of mine and I will answer yours." She finally called for a truce and to which Tora gave a cold shoulder. He was so done with her mind games. What he wants now is definite answers- did she cheat him or not? "You claim that I met a man in the club, went home with him and made out with an absolute stranger. If I did that then why would I appear half-naked before you?" She inquired with a calm face that resembled the tranquillity of a deep icy lake, so unperturbed and even. "What?" Tora''s fair forehead creased when he finally figured out that he just misinterpreted the whole situation, just because of his possessive and highly overprotective nature of him. "Did you see any hickey or "so-called" afterglow or any other signs that I have "made out" with a man?" She asked again to calm down the chaos in his mind. Pausing at her words, Tora tried to recall the very first sight he saw when he picked up her video call. Did she appear half naked beforehand was because she oversaw his tantrums upon hearing that she met a man? "No." "Yes. I agree that he was one of the appealing human beings I have ever seen. But all I did was to cook up an extremely tormenting story so that he would feel nothing but pity for fellow humans." She paused and broke into a self depreciating smile that was too bewitchingly beautiful and painful to watch at the same time. "I didn''t do it and trust me, Tora that man...he is the last person whom I will ever "make love" even if he was the last man on this very earth." She proclaimed in an unflinching voice, just to reassure Tora that none of his nightmares has turned true....yet. Because the following morning came up with the ''unexpectedly expected'' news of Captian Wan Yi Jun, the chief of the eagle team, the emergency task unit of the imperial police force, being appointed as the investigator in charge of the cold blooded murder that took place on the new year eve in the center of capital city. Chapter 24 - The Murder Report While the entire world embraced the New Year with firecrackers and loud church bells, the imperial city entered into a new era with the alarming horns of ambulances and police vehicles running across the city. As soon as the dawn broke, the headquarters of the imperial police force plummeted into absolute chaos as the phone calls rang without any break. Everyone was blaming the police for the attack that happened at the Rising Ravens, which has been popping up on the news as a crime hub. Media houses have portrayed the police force accountable for the culprit on the loose and even made a huge fuss that the capital city is no longer safe. "Captain, chief Wu has called in for a meeting to present the FIR in ten minutes." Lao Yating reported to Wan Yi Jun, who was busy going through the CCTV records with Bing Wen. "Yes, we are almost done with this." Bing Wen answered on the behalf of his senior officer, whose eyes were glued to the screen. He only came to the office in the morning and saw his captain inspecting the CCTV footage from the crime scene. He was a bit surprised to know that Wan Yi Jun was the first officer to arrive at the crime scene even though it was the general police officer''s duty to report. Since most of the police detectives were off-duty on new year eve, Wan Yi Jun volunteered to lead the small group of police officers to take care of the crime scene, and gather the details regarding the same. "Bing Wen, copy this and take it to the conference hall, I will join in a bit." Wan Yi Jun instructed as he rose from the seat and gently stretched his hands. "You too, inform officer Meng to join the meeting. He was in charge of the patrolling duty near the club." He added before walking out of the office in steady steps. "Yes, sir." Lao Yating replied as he picked up the sheets of paper coming out of the printer and looked in the direction where his captain has gone. It was the first information report of the crime scene. Normally, these were written by junior officers, and he couldn''t believe that it was captain Wan who typed all these? "It seems like he didn''t go home, last night too." Bing Wen, who noticed the conflicted look on Lao Yating''s face, added as a matter of fact. "And Sir Lao, why did they even appoint us in charge of this case? It is not something we usually don''t do." "How do I know? I passed out last night after getting home and heard about the murder in the morning, that too from the news." Lao Yating answered while clipping the report in a paper file. "By the way, where is the rest of the team? I haven''t seen them either." Bing Wen asked as he stood up from the seat while carrying the pen drive where he copied the major pieces of evidence that Wan Yi Jun has gathered from the CCTV footage. "Captain asked senior Fei and Shen Junru to go to the crime scene." Lao Yating added and checked the time on his wrist watch before turning towards, " Xiao Bing, times up. Let''s go." "Yes. sir." Both of them quickly run towards the conference hall to set up the presentation of the primary investigative report before the meeting starts. Once the clock struck 9, Wu Feng almost barged into the conference room with a few other officers and took seats. "Wan Yi Jun, I got no time, so cut the chase." He instructed the man who was standing next to the projector. "Yes, chief." Wan Yi Jun turned towards Bing Wen and gestured him to start the powerpoint presentation. The next moment, the lights in the hall dimmed and the smiling photo of a girl appeared on the screen. "Victim, 24 years old Shu Li Li, a fashion designing student at Jing university. She is actually from West Gui Xiang but stays in an apartment next to the university. She is a frequent visitor of the rising Raven club, and last night also she went there to celebrate with her friends." The picture on the screen changed, and a video of a man wearing black hoodie entering the private room started playing. "Due to privacy concerns, there are no CCTV cameras inside the room. So we could only rely on the statements of witnesses, around 11.30, the culprit barged in and dragged the victim, Shu-Li Li, who actually dropped drunk, out of the private room. Though all of her friends were drunk, they tried to stop him, but the culprit attacked them with the alcohol bottles and even managed to slice the victim''s throat. The victim tried to run out in panic but collapsed on the stairs, where he stabbed her with bottles. Hearing her cries, the crowd got panicked and the culprit escaped between the commotion. So far, one death and twenty casualties are recorded. Five of them got injured while trying to stop the culprit, whereas the rest of the casualties happened during a stampede after the crime." Wan Yi Jun concluded and waited for the questions from his senior officers. "Any information regarding the culprit? Eyewitnesses or anyone who would do this?" One of the officers asked while the screen showed the picture of an unclear masked man on the screen. "Witnesses says that Shu Li Li is not a person who would like to have any enemies who would create such a mess and as we can see that the culprit was at least 177 cm in height, well built man, so we are looking for people in her friend list or acquaintances at the moment." "Does this club keep a visitor''s list? Or anything that could narrow down our work?" Chief Wu asked as a question that obviously showed that he wasn''t familiar how clubs work nowadays. Most of the clubs only check the identity proofs of the visitors, but not really keep a record of it. However, due to continuous trouble that was happening in the rising Ravens, the management has decided to save the records of visitors as if they foresaw such a disaster. "Luckily, they do and we even checked the CCTV''s but there is no direct evidence that someone like him entered the club." With a disappointed look smeared on his face, Wan Yi Jun added and pursed his lips together as the lights in the room came back. "What you mean...?" Wu Feng asked in startlement. "How can someone enter without getting caught by anyone. There will be someone who have seen him." It was evident that Wan Yi Jun''s statement has pulled the officers into confusion. "We couldn''t find anyone wearing the same clothes entering the club through the CCTV footage where as the exit was perfectly recorded. He used the commotion as his exit path and escaped into the crowd who gathered to watch the fireworks." "Do you think it is an insider job? Someone from the club, itself?" Another officer asked to clear his doubt. "No, sir. all the staff got alibi." Wan Yi Jun looked at the case file that was on his hand and began to read. "There are 55 permanent staff and 20 part timers. 30 among them works in the kitchen. Apart from two part-timers who called in for sick leave, all others were present in the club and have solid alibi," Hearing Wan Yi Jun''s inferences, Bing Wen almost gaped like a goldfish and turned to face Lao Yating who had an equally shocked face. When did their captain collected these many information within the short amount time and lack of man power. "What about the chances that culprit entered the club by disguising into someone else?" "I have sent someone to check into it." "This is the third time we are receiving a case that involves Rising Ravens. As the officer who investigated the previous case happened at the club, do you have anything to add more? Is there any connections between these cases?" Going through the primary report, one of the senior officer asked to the man who confidently answered their questions without any flaw, even though it wasn''t really his branch of expertise. Most of the time, the primary investigative reports always have assumptions and hypothetic answers than solid proofs, but however, Wan Yi Jun presented his inferences without relaying on the doubts. "Based on the primary evidence, it seems like a first degree murder where the victim is stabbed in the middle of the public, but with proper planning and deliberate intentions. However, the chances of Rising Ravens getting involved in the same is a bit questionable." "Why do you think like that?" "It is true that someone is targeting Rising Ravens by going against their strict policy of no drug usage inside the club and previous quarrels with the dealers. Though it seems like that this murder got nothing to do with the club in first look, I do feel that there is some connection." He paused for a minute and signaled Lao Yating to pass another case report. "The majority of the injured people were found to be under the effect of drugs, with no distinction between men and women as well as the victim. So it is true that there was someone selling drugs over there despite the high security checking and all. Anyway, once we are done checking the rest of the footages across the street and visitor''s list we can find the culprit. So I request you some more time for it." Wan Yi Jun concluded and moved away from the projector as if he hot nothing else to say. "Since you want to take charge of this case, let''s transfer the Long Wei case to another team." Wu Feng suggested as he stood up from the seat. He was supposed to give an official report to the press to turn down the uproar that was created by media. "Yes. sir." Wan Yi Jun attentively agreed, only to get frustrated the next moment. "But Han Ze Min will be joining the team, too." "That''s not necessary." With a bitter smile, he rejected the offer without even considering the merits or most importantly, the place he was currently stood. He was supposed to agree with his senior officers but he ended up doing the opposite as soon as Wu Feng mentioned a name he doesn''t want to hear. "You are not dealing with a case that needs closer evaluation and an immediate result. So it''s better to increase the manpower of the team that handles this case." "Give us a proper office, instead of adding more team members." Wan Yi Jun gritted as he made a remark that boiled Wu Feng''s anger. "At least I won''t be seeing him every time." "Are you serious, is that your biggest concern now? I told you several times that don''t mix your personal life into your profession." "Yes. sir." Wan Yi Jun agreed in an aloof tone that clearly showed that he was going to do the opposite. And at the very moment, Lao Yating and Bing Wen understood why their team got the task of investigating a murder instead of dealing cases that questions the national security and integrity. Captain Wan Yi Jun just wanted to free himself from the responsibility of working on HK Long Wei case and the excruciating part of working with his cousin. But somehow his plan got backfired. Chapter 25 - The Family Reunion As soon as the meeting got wrapped up, Wan Yi Jun got out of the conference hall without any delay. He was on the verge of exploding when he found out that Han Ze Min would be part of his team, no matter how hard he tried to avoid that annoying cousin. Now that he is quitting his job, he just wants to utilize the one last chance to irritate Wan Yi Jun. Well, that was the only reason, Wan Yi Jun could come up with as he stomped into their office with a darkened face. However, Bing Wen and Lao Yating, who were left behind in the conference hall, couldn''t help but discuss how tables have turned overnight. None of them hasn''t seen their Captain so desperate to avoid a case, that he even went against his senior officer''s orders. "This officer Han, he is hellbound on getting into our team despite Captain''s disinterest." Bing Wen pointed out as he gathered all the documents and followed Lao Yating like a chirpy teenager. "I can''t even imagine how awkward the situations are going to be when both of them starts to work together. And I damn sure that I will never be able to talk to this new officer freely as I do with Captain Wan." He complained to the man, who brushed off his thoughts with a scoff right away. "We will see that..." Lao Yating added with a faint smile gleaming on his face as if he was challenging the other. "What?" Bing Wen almost rolled his eyes in shock "Don''t create an image of an annoying person based on the rivalry between Captain Wan and his cousin. Both of them has their own reasons to hate each other. Don''t you dare to take sides in their fight?" Lao Yating warned their youngest team member beforehand. As someone who got more experience than Bing Wen, he has seen various inner conflicts happening in a team. No matter how different the team members might be, unity was the only thing that would help them in obtaining better results. He was a bit worried about Bing Wen, who treats captain Wan as his idol, subconsciously started to hate Han Ze Min even before meeting him. Hearing his suggestion, Bing Wen unknowingly stopped in his tracks and looked at his senior officer with a confused face. "So we are just going to sit back and watch them go head to head like two fighting bulls?" He probed more to confirm his doubts. "Yes, absolutely. Though they hate each other, but that doesn''t mean that they completely dislike each other. After all, both of them grew up like real brothers and I hope they''ll be wise enough to keep their problems out atleast when we are together as a team." Lao Yating added in hope that situations won''t go bad as whatever happened with those two adamant men while they were on the police academy. From what he heard from Fei Yan, both of them even got into fist fight over silly things. "Hmmm...that can be true though. But still the thing that makes me curious is the reason for their rivalry. If we haven''t got caught by Captain, senior Fei would have spilled everything." Bing Wen tried to shook of his disappointment and grabbed Lao Yating''s arms to seek his help. "Why don''t you tell me the reason, sir Lao? You know, Last night I was thinking about the same and almost burned my brain. It felt like I was going to do die out of curiosity...So please...why don''t you tell me the truth?" With no other option left to curb down his hunger for gossip, Bing Wen tried every possible way to extract the truth from the most reliable source, only to yield in before a tight-lipped Lao Yating. Not only Lao Yating budge from his decision, he even scolded the other for poking nose to other''s private lives. "I told you na, I was just curious. I want to prepare myself some popcorn before the show starts." Bing Wen added with a sheepish smile as he finally realised that he had to wait some more time to know the ultimate reason for the rivalries between the cousins. "Oh please don''t worry, Captain Han will definitely bring you coffee and drinks when he joins the team." Lao Yating smilingly removed Bing Wen''s hands from him and turned the confused guy in the direction of thier office "And Xiao Bing, we have got many other things to burn your brains. We got a killer on loose and a huge drug cartel that needs to be taken down. So let''s focus on this case for now." He said and pushed Bing Wen towards their office. "Let''s go... otherwise, captain would solve the case without any of us." "Yes.. yes...have you seen how much info he gathered within the short time. When I saw him going through the CCTV footage, for a moment I literally felt that there is a high chance that I might loose my job. What will I do if he starts to do my job too?" Bing Wen asked while breaking into a peal of laughter. However little did he knew that his words are going to be very true in a couple of minutes. "Captain, what are you doing?" Watching Wan Yi Jun at his table, Bing Wen almost yelled in shock. Did he manifest his own words? He glanced at an equally surprised Lao Yating and quickly rushed towards Wan Yi Jun, whose eyes were glued to the computer monitors. "Just noting down people who look similar to the culprit." Wan Yi Jun casually replied while writing the descriptions of people whom he found similar to the culprit on a notepad. "Why are you doing that? I''m the IT expert, it is my job. I know that I lack a lot, but let me try my best to prove myself useful." Bing Wen was almost on the verge of crying when he stood next to the table. He joined the police force with lots of hopes and expectations and he didn''t want to lose it because of his laziness. "Yes, you are...I need to do something till Shen Junru and officer Fei returns. I thought I will just help you." "Captian, you haven''t slept straight for two days. Do you think of yourself as superhuman or what?" Bing Wen couldn''t help but ask. "Just go and take some rest. I will check the culprit." "Yes, captain. Please rest for a while." "Hmm...also contact Han Ze Min and ask him about the reporting time." "Yes. Captain." "Where is Captain?" "Just don''t call him, right now." "Why what happened?" "He just went to sleep." "What did you find?" "Apart from a few of them, rest of the injured people kept denying that they haven''t used drug, but they have seen two men selling it under the benches." "Did you look into "Grandma," "Yi Junah¡­" "Finally, you are here." "What are you doing in bed on New year. Wake up, wake up." "I can finally die in peace, now." "Huh, "Why are you saying that?" "Nowadays, I began to dream about those people who already went to the afterworld. " You will live long enough to play with your great-grandchildren, or maybe great-great-grandchildren." "I don''t think that would happen very easily." "None of you wants to get married, then how would I get to see my great-grandchildren?" "Aunty said that Ze Min agreed to get married this year." "He has lots of demands for his bride, and I think daughter in law will have a difficult time looking for the woman. "Really? I thought he was okay with any girl." "No..no..he made his demands very loud and clear. Someone tall, but strong; long hair, light eye. Silent but strong personality. Won''t cry much." "Hmmm." "His description is so clear, don''t you think?" "Hmmm." "Whenever I see a girl, I always think about her." "Do you miss her, Yi Junah?" "Hmm¡­a lot." "I have been remembering her, nowadays. What if she was alive? She would have become a pretty girl, right?'' "She must have." "Sometimes, I think if she was here you two must have troubled her." "We would have killed each other for her." Grandma," "Yi Junah¡­" "Finally you are here." "What are you doing in bed on New year. Wake up, wake up." "I can finally die in peace, now." "Huh, "Why are you saying that?" "Nowadays I began to dream about those people who already went to the after world " You will live long enough to play with your great grandchildren, or maybe great great grandchildren." "I don''t think that would happen very easily." "None of you want to get married, then how would I get to see my great grandchildren?" "Aunty said that Ze Min agreed to get married this year." "He has lots of demands for his bride and I think daughter in law will have a difficult time looking for the woman . "Really? I thought he was okay with any girl." "No..no..he made his demands very loud and clear. Someone tall, but strong..long hair, light eyes¡­silent but strong personality. Won''t cry much." "Hmmm." "His description is so clear, don''t you think?" "Hmmm." "Whenever I see a girl, I always think about her." "Do you miss her, Yi Junah?" "Hmm¡­a lot." "I have been remembering her, nowadays. What if she was alive? She would have become a pretty gi Chapter 26 - The Warning Call When Wan Yi Jun woke up, it was already lunch break and by the time he arrived at the main office, his team members have finished their assigned tasks and were about to wake up him to report their inferences. One by one, all of them presented their inferences regarding the murder and the culprit without any delay and opened up a discussion to share everyone''s opinions regarding the same. "So far, we have two possibilities that can be considered as the motive for the attack- Firstly, the Personal vengeance towards the victim and secondly, tarnishing the club''s status and name by executing a murder on the premises. From the statements collected from the witnesses, we can either treat it as two separate incidents or a single one." Wan Yi Jun pointed as soon as everyone presented their own point of view of the case. "It is like intensifying the negative impact on the club''s image or using the drug deal as a smokescreen to divert the attention from the murder case." " If both of these incidents are done together, then more people will be involved in the crime to execute it on during new year eve, despite all the security measures." Lao Yating shared his doubt and looked at others who immediately agreed with him. "If it was a random attack, there would be many more victims, and the culprit must have relayed on some other weapons, like knife or gun to attack. But here, the victim was his sole target, and by the method of attack and number of stabs, it is more or less personal vengeance." Shen Junru explained while handing over the autopsy results. "But we could discard the possibility of someone having personal vengeance on the club either." Fei Yan added and turned to face Wan Yi Jun, who attentively listened to them." It''s better to call the club owner for an interrogation." "Yes. Let''s do that and officer Fei, look into people who might have reason to tarnish the rising raven''s reputation or Qin Kai in person. Any previous employees or business partners etc." All of a sudden, Wan Yi Jun''s cell phone rang, interrupting the discussion. He checked the name on the screen and ignored the call as if it was not important. "And what about Shu Li Li? Did her parents reach the capital?" "No. They are on the way. It takes at least one and half days from their village to reach imperial." "What about her family background and her relationships with her family" "Her father owns few fishing boats and also a village head. Her mother is a housewife. Even though she is a single child, her parents send her to the imperial for studies only because she managed to get into Jing university with a meritorious scholarship. She was really popular among her classmates and teachers and had an excellent academic record. To be honest, everyone was shocked to know about the murder-" Even before Fei Yan could finish, he was cut off by Wan Yi Jun''s loud ringtone and once again, Wan Yi Jun silenced the call. "None of them could believe that someone nice like Shu Li Li had an enemy who would stab her." "Does her parents are well-off that she could frequent such an expensive place like rising ravens?" Bing Wen was the one who asked a question that caught everyone in surprise. "I mean...everyone has this misconception that villagers are poor and not exposed to the luxuries and comforts of the city life. So they tend to spend more money and time at these pubs and clubs." As soon as he finished, the very next moment, Wan Yi Jun''s phone rang again, only to annoy him more. With a darkened face, he switched it off and almost shoved the phone into his jacket. "It is kind of true. Shu Li Li''s scholarship covered her tuition fee and she even had some part-time gigs such as modelling and styling expert for others. As we mentioned earlier, she has maintained a good balance with her studies and her private life." "Isn''t she used to live with her friend in an apartment, what about her housemate?" "Apparently, she went home for the new year holidays. Shu Li Li was also supposed to go home early, but due to some previous assignment with some designer she had to stay back." The instant Fei Yan finished, once again the mobile rang, breaking the silence in the room. However, this time it was Lao Yating''s phone. He hurriedly picked up the call to turn into silent mode but mechanically turned his face to Wan Yi Jun with a tinge of surprise. "Captain," Lao Yating tried to gather Wan Yi Jun''s attention, despite the horrifying glares he was receiving from his teammates. "Please." Wan Yi Jun, who thought that his subordinate was asking for permission to attend the call, casually nodded in agreement. However, instead of leaving the room, he extended the phone towards his captain and informed in a hesitant voice. "It''s Captain Han." As soon as the name was heard in the room, all of them understood the person who kept calling Wan Yi Jun till a moment ago. "Ignore it." Wan Yi Jun instructed without any reluctance and jutted at Fei Yan to continue. But to his bad luck, as soon as Lao Yating rejected the call, the land phone in the office room started ringing, making everyone look alternatively at Wan Yi Jun as well as the phone on the table. After a moment''s reluctance, Shen Junru who sat closer to the land phone, picked up the call while the others anticipatingly waited to confirm their doubts that it was for their captain. "Hello, emergency task force. Hmm...Okay...I will...thanks for calling." The phone conversation didn''t even last two minutes as Shen Junru spoke with a straight face without giving away any of the details of the call. Keeping the phone receiver down, he looked at Wan Yi Jun who has already grabbed his phone. It was evident that he was completely annoyed by the phone calls and almost cursing inside his brain. Watching Shen Junru staring at his senior like an ice statue with an expressionless face, Bing Wen gently nudged his arm just to make him talk. "Hmm?" "Captain, someone said that your grandma is waiting for you, without having lunch. If you don''t come home in an hour and you will be banned from Han mansion forever." He mechanically spoke like a broken robot while the others almost rolled their eyes in shock. Their doubts were true. I It was indeed a call from Han Ze Min to persuade his cousin who was trying to avoid going for the family reunion. "That scroundrel..." "I''m sorry." "Captain, it seems really important. Why don''t you go? Anyway, it is lunchbreak." "Okay. I will join you in an hour." "Okay, bye Captain." "Who was that?" "Probably captain Han." "Damn...he is a crazy guy, right." As soon as the car entered into a large mansion in the suburban region of the city, a place where the wealthy families of imperial city lived, Wan Yi Jun stared at the mansion was situated in a vast compound. It was so huge that it even had a golf course and horse stable. "Welcome, young master." "Hmm." "Good afternoon, everyone. Sorry, I was late." "No..no..you are not late, Yi Junah. Ze Min told us that you are caught up with some work." "Yeah...I came from the office." "How are you uncle? Any information regarding the intruder?" "I heard that you were reluctant to take up the case?" "No..it wasn''t like that...we were in the middle of another case and I eventually agreed to look into it. But again, the case got transferred to someone else. "I''m good "She had a "Grandma," "Yi Junah¡­" "Finally, you are here." "What are you doing in bed on New year. Wake up, wake up." "I can finally die in peace, now." "Huh, "Why are you saying that?" "Nowadays, I began to dream about those people who already went to the afterworld. " You will live long enough to play with your great-grandchildren, or maybe great-great-grandchildren." "I don''t think that would happen very easily." "None of you wants to get married, then how would I get to see my great-grandchildren?" "Aunty said that Ze Min agreed to get married this year." "He has lots of demands for his bride, and I think daughter in law will have a difficult time looking for the woman. "Really? I thought he was okay with any girl." "No..no..he made his demands very loud and clear. Someone tall, but strong; long hair, light eye. Silent but strong personality. Won''t cry much." "Hmmm." "His description is so clear, don''t you think?" "Hmmm." "Whenever I see a girl, I always think about her." "Do you miss her, Yi Junah?" "Hmm¡­a lot." "I have been remembering her, nowadays. What if she was alive? She would have become a pretty girl, right?'' "She must have." "Sometimes, I think if she was here you two must have troubled her." "We would have killed each other for her." Chapter 27 - The Reunion As soon as the car entered into a large mansion in the suburban region of the city, a place where the wealthy families of imperial city lived, Wan Yi Jun slowed down recalling his last visit to Han family''s ancestral house. It was during his cousin''s birthday, two years ago. As the only girl child of the Han family, his cousin''s birthday was celebrated rather lavishly since she was moving abroad for studies. That day, the mansion which was situated in a vast compound was filled with guests. It was so huge that it even had a golf course and horse stable. After that he haven''t visited Han mansion in the past two years. As soon as he pulled over near the giant door that embellished with intricate designs and detailing The moment, he got down from the car, a well dressed butler came out to greet him. "Welcome, young master." The butler politely said and led him inside the mansion without any delay. Even after rushing the car in maximum speed limit, he could only reach the mansion bit late. He just hoped that everyone must have already started the meal without him. So that he can avoid speaking to others. But unfortunately, Han Ze Min''s words turned true as he watched the entire Han family was indeed waiting for him. Apart from Chairman Han, the head of the household there was Han Lao Dao, Wan Yi Jun''s second uncle and Han Ze Min''s father was there for the New year meal. "Good afternoon, everyone. Sorry, I was late." Wan Yi Jun apologized and looked around as he pretended to greet everyone, but was actually searching for that wierdo who threatened him. "No..no..you are not late, Yi Junah. Ze Min told us that you are caught up with some work." Lin Jian, the last of the house added with a big warm smile and asked him to take a seat. "Yeah...I came from the office." He informed and turned towards his uncles who remained with a stern stone cold face as if they were literally annoyed by him. "How are you uncle? Any information regarding the intruder who break into the mansion?" Wan Yi Jun tried to break the eerie awkward moment in the living room. "I heard that you were reluctant to take up the case?" Han Lao Dao asked with giving his nephew a chance to come up with an excuse." You were so busy as if you had to take care of the entire imperial." Even though he spoke with a better off tone, it was clear that he was indeed disappointed with the youngman. "No..it wasn''t like that...we were in the middle of another case and I eventually agreed to look into it. But again, the case got transferred to someone else when I had to take over another case." Wan Yi Jun corrected his second uncle in ''not-so'' affected voice. "Two police officers are in the family and still they can''t do anything when there is an emergency." Han Lao Dao remarked and sighed heavily as if he was complaining. "I will inform mother and let''s have lunch." Lin Jian suggested when she figured out that both brothers are going to interrogate her poor nephew. "Sister in law, I think it''s better if Yi Jun goes and bring aunt for lunch. She was being adamant that she won''t come down if her grandsons are here." Mei Xing, the second aunty also played the role of saviour to Wan Yi Jun and sent him to the first floor, away from his uncles. After all, both of his aunt''s were on his sides, unlike his uncles who were ready to criticize him. As soon as Wan Yi Jun left the vicinites of the living room and climbed the stairs leading to the first floor, he let out a sigh of relief. He walked towards the room in the far eastern side and gently knocked. "I have already told you, I''m not eating anything unless that brat is here." A fierce reprimand heard from the room and it immediately made a smile bloom in Wan Yi Jun''s face. It seems like whatever Han Ze Min said was true- His grandma indeed pulled a trick into bring her family together. With a smile gleaming in his face, Wan Yi Jun pulled open the door and stated in a jovial tone to the old woman lying on the bed. "The brat is here." The moment, Grandma Wang heard the familiar voice she was dying into meet reached her ears, she immediately turned around with a surprise. "Yi Junah¡­" She uttered the name in a doting tone and called him over to the bed. "Yi Jun? My Queen, I just heard you calling me a brat." Wan Yi Jun tilted his head and asked in sulky tone. "Brat...I wasn''t calling you...it was for someone else." She came up with a quick excuse to pacify her grandson whom she wasn''t seen for a while. "Someone else? You mean the brat who threatened me that you will kick me out of the family?" Wan Yi Jun refused to move closer to his grandma as he started to show his childish side by staying away from Wang Yu Min. "He was just joking...You do know that grandma will never kick you out of the family, right?" Grandma Wang smilingly said and opened her arms, intending to embrace her grandson. Her glistening eyes were welling up in joyous tears by the time Wan Yi Jun rushed towards her to reconciliate. "I missed you, so much grandma." He uttered while lying inside the old woman''s warm and soft arms. "I really, I really missed you...!" "Grandma was waiting for my Yi Jun, everyday. Why didn''t came to meet me any earlier? Wang Yu Min''s words were soaked in tears as she heard his confession. "I know why you are avoiding us...you still despise us, right?" She asked in a frail voice while peeling off her arms from her grandson. She was very much aware of the reason why both of her grandsons started to treat each other like enemies...no, more like strangers and Wan Yi Jun had to leave the country by cutting off his ties with Han family. "What are you saying, grandma? How can I despise you?" Wan Yi Jun retorted as if he pretended to not know what she was pointing at- the incident that changed every single one of their lives fifteen years ago, especially the lives of Wan Yi Jun and his cousin. While the elders in the family acted tough and unaffected, the younger ones were the only people who suffered the loss. "You are my queen and I love you the most. How can you even say that I despise you?" He cupped her wrinkled face and asked with an innocent smile, that calmed Wang Yu Min''s conflicted thoughts. "Grandma too, loves my Yi Jun, the most." She gave an agreeing smile while the strings of tears fell from her eyes. "Thanks. But try to say it infront of Han Ze Min, too. Then we will get to know who is your favourite." He jokingly said and glanced around the room as well as the old lady in the bed. By the clean and oddly arranged bookshelves, it was evident that she hasn''t moving around a lot. His grandma was a person who loved to make a mess in the room that was cleaned by maids, just to arrange it by herself. She was someone who was self reliant and absolutely disliked the idea of keeping a maid to look after. But thanks to her old age, she had no other option but to let others take care of her. "And By the Way, what are you doing in bed on New year? Wake up, wake up." Wan Yi Jun gently grabbed Wang Yu Min''s arms and made her sit on the bed. "Where is your chariot, Majesty?" He asked while glancing around the room and found the wheel chair next to the closet room. "Why did you park your chariot there? How could go somewhere if you park it so far?" He complained and stood up from the bed to take the wheel chair to her. "I spent my day and night in this bed, waiting for death. Now that you are here, I can finally die in peace." "Huh, why are you saying that? You Just had a stroke, that too fifteen years ago. I think you are healthier than any of us." Wan Yi Jun almost chided his grandmother when he heard her mentioning death. He pulled the wheel chair to the bed and carefully removed the quilt that covered Wan Yu Min''s fragile body. Like her grand children, Wan Yu Min fall ill as an after effect of whatever happened on that wretched day when a death news came to Han family house. She had a stroke and got paralyzed right after hearing that news. Though she came to her normal life after years of treatment and medication, she wasn''t the same as before. "Nowadays, I began to dream about those people who already went to the afterworld. I just think that is sign for me." Wang Yu Min declared with a bitter smile, "It''s time for me to go." "What are you saying, my queen? You will live long enough to play with your great-grandchildren, or maybe great-great-grandchildren." Wan Yi Jun pulled her cheeks and tried to cheer up her mood. However, the next moment he regretted his choice of wards when he noticed the glow in his grandma''s eyes. "I don''t think that would happen very easily. If None of you wants to get married, then how would I get to see my great-grandchildren? So get married as soon as possible..." Wang Yu Min asked....no she literally ordered her grandson who clearly had no intentions to marry someone. Chapter 28 - The Delusional Prick For moment, Wan Yi Jun couldn''t comprehend what he just heard as he stood staring at his grandmother in absolute disbelief. So is the reason why grandma Wang persuaded him to come home that she could talk about his marriage? Good Lord, why didn''t he see the hidden agenda? Every one in his family know that Wan Yi Jun could do anything for his grandmother...but this demand, seem a bit...undoable. "I just want to see atleast one of my grandchildren get married, this year." Wang Su Min anticipatingly said and glanced at her grandson, who stood frozen to the ground. "As the eldest grandson-" "I heard that Ze Min agreed to get married, this year." Wan Yi Jun who quickly regained his bearings retorted in the same tone. "Yes. Min agreed. But he has lots of demands for his bride, which almost makes me feel that he is unlikely to get married anytime soon." Wang Su Min sighed in disappointment. As her health gets deteriorated, day by day, all she could do is to see her grandchildren''s marriage, especially Wan Yi Jun''s marriage. Though she took care of all of her grandchildren, she had a special bond towards Wan Yi Jun who used to be longer without any friend. While growing up, grandma Wang was little Yi Jun''s best friend, so it was natural for her to hope for his marriage. However, Wan Yi Jun on other hand, tried to pass the "marriage" hot potato to the next in line the family. But he never thought that his cunning cousin has already made a plan to get away from the marriage talk and somehow it started working, too. "Of course, he know how to trick you." With a devilishly charming smile, Wan Yi Jun commented on the solution that his cousin was smoothly handling. "It is not one of his usual tricks...Actually your aunt even started looking for proposals. However the worst part is that she is having a difficult time finding a girl who befit all of his demands. Not to mention that both, son''s and mother''s demands for a daughter in law is different like sky and earth." Wang Yu Min touched her forehead in worry. She was really happy when she got to know about Han Ze Min was ready to get married. However, not in her nightmares she expected such a bunch of demands. "Really? I thought he was okay with anyone." Wan Yi Jun rolled his dark eyes in bewilderment. "No..no..he made his demands very loud and clear."Wang Yu Min gladly stated and began to share Han Ze Min''s demands for his btodemb "First of all he doesn''t want a girly girl. He doesn''t like girls who dresses up like a doll and have pale skin. The girl must be tall, but not so thin or plump. Long hair, light eye colour. It''s okay if she talks less but should have a strong personality. No one related to fashion industry or entertainment...If she is a fighter or doctor then, that''s a plus point." Wang Yu Min concluded and tilted her eye brow a little as if she was asking the other young man who was silently listening to her. "His description is so clear, don''t you think?" "Only thing that he missed out was silver hair and a pair of bi-coloured eyes." Wan Yi Jun couldn''t help but scoff. "Is he still waiting for someone who already left this world?" "You also felt that? I thought it was only me who felt that he was referring to little Tsuki." Grandma Wang wobbled her head and agreed without any hesitations. "Hmmm...Yeah. Oddly enough, he used to say that he wants to have a girlfriend like her when he grew up." He added while recalling their childhood fights over the only girl whom both of them had eyes on. "What do you think, Yi Junah? Is there any girl that you know, who looks like Tsuki?" Wang Yu Min casually inquired to know how Wan Yi Jun feels about the news of his cousin trying matchmaking. "There won''t be no one like Tsuki and he knows it better than anyone else. That''s why I told you that he pulled a trick on you." Wan Yi Jun proclaimed and took a seat next to his grandmother. "And even if he manages to find someone like her, I don''t think uncle will ever agree for that wedding." He said as a matter of fact. The men in the Han family were the most proud and resilient people he has ever met. As a family that holds a great pedigree of that rooted on royalty, Han family still upheld their views and values. They will never agree a marriage that stains their reputation and name. "That''s why grandma wants Yi Jun to marry. After all you are the eldest all of them." As soon as their conversation took a different direction, Wang Yu Min immediately steered it towards Wan Yi Jun by taking advantage of the situation. "I''m only eldest by a month." "So what? Anyway, we can''t let your little sister marry first. So it is better that you become a model for them, by settling down early." No matter how hard he tried to refute his grandma, Wan Yi Jun kept failing in hammering down the fact that he doesn''t want to marry now. When all of his excuses got rejected, he used the one last super weapon to turn down the fierce argument- the only girl child in the family. "Why do I think that she is the one to get married before both of us?" He planted a small but fierce seed of doubt in his grandmother''s mind about his little cousin who was quite popular among men even when she was in school. The moment Wang Yu Min heard her grandson''s words, her eyes widened in disbelief. "Don''t tell me, you saw her with someone? That girl, I knew that she will get a man as soon as she left this city." Grandma Wang muttered under her breath as she recalled all the troubles that her only grand daughter brought home, everyday. "You were right. It''s her who is supposed to get married first. Otherwise, she will create some mess and you two will be the ones who are going to suffer. "I will ask her mother to look for a proposal as soon as possible." Wang Yu Min stated in a serious tone that clearly showed Wan Yi Jun that he messed up the entire situation by dragging his little cousin into the conversation. Though she acts like a spoilt brat, it was his only sister and she is barely twenty one. She is still young get into the troubles of married life. "I didn''t saw her with anyone, grandma. I was just joking...Do you think she would dare to date someone so recklessly just because she lives in a different country?" Wan Yi Jun tried hard to come up with an excuse on the belief that he can persuade his grandmother. "Also Chairman Han and Doctor Sienna Han got spies everywhere." Watching his desperate efforts to save his sister, Wang Yu Min couldn''t help but break into a peal of laughter. She was just playing with him, just see how far will he go with "marriage is not my thing" conversation. "I know that you are trying very hard to deviate from the topic. But my dear, grandma is going to pester you until you bring a girl home." She retorted in a challenging tone and haughtily cocked her head. "I will make that happen." "Oh, you are okay with me bringing a random girl to home? Grandma, that''s against family morals and values. Aren''t afraid of me ruining your family''s name?" Wan Yi Jun who was not ready to give up on his mission argued back while brushing off her challenge as a joke. "Ha ha ha...why do you have to bring a random woman? You already have a girlfriend, na. Get married or atleast move in together. " "Good lord, I never knew that my grandma is so cool about relationships. If I knew it earlier, I should brought a woman home." Wan Yi Jun pretended to act surprised and continued to keep up with the funny track of their conversation. "It''s not late, yet. Just bring her home...I will talk to her parents and your mother. I''m sure that your mother doesn''t have any disagreement since she already liked your girl. But I can''t believe your doctor mother is waiting for "your" permission to meet your girlfriend''s parents." Wang Yu Min grabbed the youngman''s ears and chided him in a doting tone. However, Wan Yi Jun who was completely clueless about the "girlfriend" his grandma kept mentioning, couldn''t hide his curiosity and went ahead with questioning. "Which girl are you talking about, grandma?" "Don''t act so innocent. I know that you have a girlfriend." Wang Yu Min tightened her grip on his ears when she heard Wan Yi Jun pretending that he had no idea about his own girl friend. "I don''t have a girlfriend." Wan Yi Jun admitted while trying to grabbing onto his reddened ears. "I told you, don''t lie to me." With a smile, Wang Yu Min lunged forward, aiming to punishing him for lying to her. Though, Wan Yi Jun moved away from her as a reflex action, he blankly stared at his grandmother. "I''m telling the truth, grandma. I don''t have a girlfriend." He repeated once again. "Then what about that general''s daughter? I heard that-" Just as Wang Yu Min tried to bring up ''general''s daughter,'' he immediately interrupted her in a cold voice. "Where did you hear it? Who told you that she is my girlfriend?" In a glimpse of moment, the playful tone in his voice disappeared while his handsome face started brooding as if he heard something wrong. "I heard it from someone." "Did Han Ze Min told you that Zhi Lan is my girlfriend? That delusional prick....." Chapter 29 - I Still Remember Her. UNEDITED VERSION For a moment Wang Yu Min could see sparks of fury glinting in Wan Yi Jun''s dark eyes. It felt as if he was somehow trying to turn down his anger just because he was sitting with his grandma, otherwise he would have lashed out on Han Ze Min for spreading rumour him. "What happened? It''s not true?" Wang Yu Min gently touched his hands and probed more. She wasn''t ready to hurt him by some false information on otherhand she wished to confront him about the truth behind the relationship between Wan Yi Jun and Zhi Lan. "But Min said that-" Just as she mentioned her other grandson, Wan Yi Jun abruptly interrupted her, drawing out a clear line that he doesn''t want to talk about it anymore. "Grandma, we are just friends. I met her at university and it''s true that at that time I didn''t know about her father, if I knew about it a I would have never become closer to her. And I swear I don''t want to live my entire life regretting how I lost a good friend while trying to keep up with our act to please our families. That''s never going to happen." Wan Yi Jun harshly explained while wondering why no one gives any importance for his likes and dislikes. He was really disappointed that his beloved grandmother was also being blind to his emotions. "No dear. You know how close general Zhi and your uncle are...they always wanted to strengthen their bond through a marriage alliance. Last time, when your uncle and aunty tried to set an informal meeting with Min and that girl, she said that it''s you whom she likes to marry. She made it clear that she want no one else, but you. Otherwise, why would your aunt look for another girl for Min?" Wang Yu Min explained and squeezed his hands as if she wanted to comfort him. "If you like her, we can go ahead with the marriage talks." As soon as Wan Yi Jun heard her words of concern, he remained silent for a long minute. He knew that Zhi Lan had always liked him, but he never knew that she even confessed her feelings to the suitor who happened to be his cousin. "I''m sorry, grandma. I don''t know why Zhi Lan said like that, but for me, she is one of my closest friends." He admitted in utmost honesty and respect. However, Wang Yu Min who misinterpreted his words, tried to correct the young man who was hesitant to see his friend in a different light. "There is no wrong in marrying your friend, Yi Jun ah. In order to lead a meaningful married life, it is better that your partner is some one whom you know. Don''t you know, your parents used to be friends before they fell in love?" She came up with some ways to persuade her grandson, but Wan Yi Jun on the other hand, kept rejecting the whole idea of getting married as if he hated it to his heart''s core. "It''s not the same." He firmly retorted. "But she said that-" "I don''t know, grandma...I can''t see Zhi Lan like that...she is my friend and more than anything else I don''t know if I can love someone anymore." Wan Yi Jun''s deep and profound voice sounded agonized as he spoke the truth. His guilt and pain refrained him from opening upto anyone...Even to Zhi Lan who practically followed him everywhere in the last ten years. "Yi Jun, are you still punishing yourself for whatever happened in the past? You know...you know that both of you were kids. What you could have done to save her?" "I could have atleast said something to console her...I could have visited her in the shelter home....I could have begged dad to bring her back....There were so many things that I could done for her...but instead of that I just stood watching them dragging her out of the house. If one of us raised our voice, she should have been alive today." "Maybe it was her fate... Rather than living a miserable life as victim of her parent''s wrong doings." "Don''t call it as her fate. Her fate was to grow up in happily in a normal household...like rest of us...But grandma, we were the ones who abandoned her. Last night, I met a girl and for some reasons she kept reminding me of Tsuki. She was abandoned by the people who were supposed to take care of her. No food, no clothes, she grew up in a brothel. I was feeling bad for her...but she...she said it was okay...It was far better than the hell she previously lived. Even after going through all trouble she still got the will to live. If Tsuki was alive she should have done the same thing... don''t you think?" "Do you miss her, Yi Junah?" "Hmm¡­a lot." "I have been remembering her, nowadays. What if she was alive? She would have become a pretty girl, right?'' "She must have." "Sometimes, I think if she was here you two must have troubled her." "We would have killed each other for her." For a moment Wang Yu Min could see sparks of fury glinting in Wan Yi Jun''s dark eyes. It felt as if he was somehow trying to turn down his anger just because he was sitting with his grandma, otherwise he would have lashed out on Han Ze Min for spreading rumour him. "What happened? It''s not true?" Wang Yu Min gently touched his hands and probed more. She wasn''t ready to hurt him by some false information on otherhand she wished to confront him about the truth behind the relationship between Wan Yi Jun and Zhi Lan. "But Min said that-" Just as she mentioned her other grandson, Wan Yi Jun abruptly interrupted her, drawing out a clear line that he doesn''t want to talk about it anymore. "Grandma, we are just friends. I met her at university and it''s true that at that time I didn''t know about her father, if I knew about it a I would have never become closer to her. And I swear I don''t want to live my entire life regretting how I lost a good friend while trying to keep up with our act to please our families. That''s never going to happen." Wan Yi Jun harshly explained while wondering why no one gives any importance for his likes and dislikes. He was really disappointed that his beloved grandmother was also being blind to his emotions. "No dear. You know how close general and your uncle are...they always wanted to strengthen their bond with through marriage. Last time, when your uncle and aunty tried to set an informal meeting with Min and that girl, she said that it''s you whom she likes to marry. She made it clear that she want no one else, but you. Otherwise, why would your aunt look for another girl for Min?" Wang Yu Min explained and squeezed his hands as if she wanted to comfort him. "If you like her, we can go ahead with the marriage talks." As soon as Wan Yi Jun heard her words of concern, he remained silent for a long minute. He knew that Zhi Lan had always liked him, but he never knew that she even confessed her feelings to the suitor who happened to be his cousin. "I''m sorry, grandma. I don''t know why Zhi Lan said like that, but for me, she is one of my closest friends." He admitted in utmost honesty a "There is no wrong in marrying your friend, Yi Jun ah. Your parents used to be friends before they fell in love." "It''s not the same." "But she said that-" "I don''t know, grandma...I can''t see Zhi Lan like that...she is my friend and I don''t know if I can love someone anymore." "Yi Jun, are you still punishing yourself for whatever happened in the past? You know...you know that both of you were kids. What you could have done to save her?" "I could have atleast said something to console her...I could have visited her in the shelter home....I could have begged dad to bring her back....There were so many things that I could done for her...but instead of that I just stood watching them dragging her out of the house. If one of us raised our voice, she should have been alive today." "Maybe it was her fate... Rather than living a miserable life as victim of her parent''s wrong doings." "Don''t call it as her fate. Her fate was to grow up in happily in a normal household...like rest of us...But grandma, we were the ones who abandoned her. Last night, I met a girl and for some reasons she kept reminding me of Tsuki. She was abandoned by the people who were supposed to take care of her. No food, no clothes, she grew up in a brothel. I was feeling bad for her...but she...she said it was okay....It was far better than the hell she previously lived. Even after going through all trouble she still g Chapter 30 - The Enemy The moment the voice reverberated in the room, Wang Yu Min turned her head towards the direction of the door. At the end of her line of sight, a tall and sturdy young man casually leaned on the door frame while listening to their conversation. His extremely good looking face was cockily tilted up like a matador taunting a raging bull, all ready for a fight. His little brown eyes burned like amber as he simply stood there watching Wan Yi Jun who sat next to the old lady. Han Ze Min, the good for nothing cousin of Wan Yi Jun, who apparently grew up as his greatest rival. The one who worked hard to earn the nick names such as ''Stalker'' and ''Paparazzi'' just because of his interest in his cousin''s personal life. "I''m damn sure we would have fought till one of us die." "Min ah," "Yes, grandma...your Min and Jun are finally here. Are you happy, now? Can we go down then? Everyone is starving." "Yes, let''s go." "Grandma, I will leave soon after lunch." "You are not staying with me, today?" "No. My team is waiting for me. I have to go." "Can''t you stay a little bit more?" "Whoever wants to leave, let them go, grandma. I''m here for you or, you only want your Yi Jun and nobody else." "I will visit you some other time, grandma." "Does your mother have any plan to return to imperial? Is she going to stay there alone for the rest of her life?" "She likes her job over there, and her hospital management doesn''t really want to let her go." "She is a doctor...she will find work anywhere." "If she is willing to return to imperial, we can build a hospital and make her the director." "I don''t think I''m the right person to discuss these questions. It is up to her to make decisions that are good for her." "How long your mother has been staying alone there. I think it is a better time for you to settle down so that your mother could finally come return." "Yes, I totally agree with you, aunt." "Anyway, our daughter will finish her course very soon. why don''t we ask sister -in law to return with her? What do you think, Yi Jun?" "Hmm...I will talk to mom." "So should we start looking for a girl for you, too?" "What are you saying, aunty? He already has someone." "Is that true, Yi Jun?" "Uncle, I think it is better that you talk to uncle Zhi''s opinion in marrying off his daughter to your other nephew?" "No. That''s not necessary." "What are you saying, Yi Jun ah..little Lan Lan has been waiting for ages to hear your proposal." "Is that true, Yi Jun? You and Xiao Lan are dating?" "No." "Really? It''s true. Even two days ago, she threw a welcome party for her boyfriend who got transferred to imperial." "If you got that much free time to poke nose into some other''s business, then why don''t we get back to the team and do something useful?" "How can you say like that Yi Junah? You and Zhi Lan are the most important people in my life, so how come it becomes some other''s business? And as for the team, didn''t I tell you that I will join tomorrow?" "You two are working on the same team?" "Yes, mom...after so many years, we are finally working on the same team." "What''s the point of working together if you can''t solve something terrible that happened in your own family?" "Are you talking about the death threat which uncle received last week, dad? I don''t think there is anything to solve it. It is a clear case of personal vengeance." "What?" "Vengeance often involves deep anger and a perhaps obsessive desire to get even by inflicting similar harm to the person who initially harmed the person seeking revenge." "I know what is meant by vengeance...I''m asking you who did it?" "Don''t act so naive, dad. Over these years, HK corporation has created lots of enemies while getting to the top. Just look at the craziest one among them, and bingo, you got your guy." "That''s what you think?" "Yes. If you want to narrow down the list, I can give you a name." "Though HK Long Wei went missing in the international waters, its course started from Daisun port, right?" "Huh?" "Have you got into some feud between anyone from Daisun?" "No. I don''t think so." "Really, then what about Terada family?" "I heard that there are some people left in that family." The moment the voice reverberated in the room, Wang Yu Min turned her head towards the direction of the door. At the end of her line of sight, a tall and sturdy young man casually leaned on the door frame while listening to their conversation. His extremely good looking face was cockily tilted up like a matador taunting a raging bull, all ready for a fight. His little brown eyes burned like amber as he simply stood there watching Wan Yi Jun who sat next to the old lady. Han Ze Min, the good for nothing cousin of Wan Yi Jun, who apparently grew up as his greatest rival. The one who leaks out Wan Yi Jun''s secrets t "I''m damn sure we would have fought till one of us die." "Min ah," "Yes, grandma...your Min and Jun are finally here. Are you happy, now? Can we go down then? Everyone is starving." "Yes, let''s go." "Grandma, I will leave soon after lunch." "You are not staying with me, today?" "No. My team is waiting for me. I have to go." "Can''t you stay a little bit more?" "Whoever wants to leave, let them go, grandma. I''m here for you or, you only want your Yi Jun and nobody else." "I will visit you some other time, grandma." "Does your mother have any plan to return to imperial? Is she going to stay there alone for the rest of her life?" "She likes her job over there, and her hospital management doesn''t really want to let her go." "She is a doctor...she will find work anywhere." "If she is willing to return to imperial, we can build a hospital and make her the director." "I don''t think I''m the right person to discuss these questions. It is up to her to make decisions that are good for her." "How long your mother has been staying alone there. I think it is a better time for you to settle down so that your mother could finally come return." "Yes, I totally agree with you, aunt." "Anyway, our daughter will finish her course very soon. why don''t we ask sister -in law to return with her? What do you think, Yi Jun?" "Hmm...I will talk to mom." "So should we start looking for a girl for you, too?" "What are you saying, aunty? He already has someone." "Is that true, Yi Jun?" "Uncle, I think it is better that you talk to uncle Zhi''s opinion in marrying off his daughter to your other nephew?" "No. That''s not necessary." "What are you saying, Yi Jun ah..little Lan Lan has been waiting for ages to hear your proposal." "Is that true, Yi Jun? You and Xiao Lan are dating?" "No." "Really? It''s true. Even two days ago, she threw a welcome party for her boyfriend who got transferred to imperial." "If you got that much free time to poke nose into some other''s business, then why don''t we get back to the team and do something useful?" "How can you say like that Yi Junah? You and Zhi Lan are the most important people in my life, so how come it becomes some other''s business? And as for the team, didn''t I tell you that I will join tomorrow?" "You two are working on the same team?" "Yes, mom...after so many years, we are finally working on the same team." "What''s the point of working together if you can''t solve something terrible that happened in your own family?" "Are you talking about the death threat which uncle received last week, dad? I don''t think there is anything to solve it. It is a clear case of personal vengeance." "What?" "Vengeance often involves deep anger and a perhaps obsessive desire to get even by inflicting similar harm to the person who initially harmed the person seeking revenge." "I know what is meant by vengeance...I''m asking you who did it?" "Don''t act so naive, dad. Over these years, HK corporation has created lots of enemies while getting to the top. Just look at the craziest one among them, and bingo, you got your guy." "That''s what you think?" "Yes. If you want to narrow down the list, I can give you a name." "Though HK Long Wei went missing in the international waters, its course started from Daisun port, right?" "Huh?" "Have you got into some feud between anyone from Daisun?" "No. I don''t think so." "Really, then what about Terada family?" "I heard that there are some people left in that family." Chapter 31 - The Archenemy UNEDITED CHAPTER "You two are working on the same team?" Just like Lin Jian, everyone else had the same surprised expression on their faces when they heard Han Ze Min''s declaration. Even from their childhood they were competing with each other like archenemies as if they want to utilize the every possible chances to outshine the other. Though their family was completely against it, somehow the boys kept doing it till now. "Yes, aunty...after so many years, we are finally working on the same team." Han Ze Min gladly stated while glancing at Wan Yi Jun with a beaming smile glistening on his face. However, Wan Yi Jun on the other hand, doesn''t even gave any attention towards his cousin who was literally making it difficult for him to attend any of the family functions. "Is that possible, Min ah? You two practically have the same qualifications, right? I thought two police officers with same rank won''t work together in the same team. " Ming Xing asked as if she was familiar with the ranking positions in the police department since she had a family member who was part of the imperial police force. "Yeah, but he got a bit seniority and maybe a few more merit points as the captain as the eagle team than a detective like me who works on criminal cases. But its alright, since I''m an accommodating person, so it won''t be a problem for us. Don''t you think, Yi Jun ah?" Han Ze Min asked without any reluctance, surprising Wan Yi Jun who thought that his cousin might boast himself rather than speaking the truth. It was true that he got more merit points since he was dealing with high end cases that are usually secretive in nature and doesn''t get that much public recognition. On other hand, Han Ze Min who had previously worked on several criminal cases that received media attention was pretty much popular in the capital city. "Hmm, my team is pretty much welcoming to everyone." Wan Yi Jun replied as a faint smile momentarily flashed in handsome face, pretty much showing his joy of hearing something so encouraging from someone he least expected to receive a compliment. While everyone was glad that they have seen the hints of Han Ze Min and Wan Yi Jun''s cold war was coming to an end, Han Lao Dao let out a condescending sneer, "What''s the point of working together if you can''t solve something terrible that happened in your own family?" He dragged everyone''s attention to something else that everyone overlooked. "Are you talking about the death threat which uncle received last week, dad?" "What else? Someone broke into this house despite all the security measures and leaves a warning in your uncle''s room. Aren''t you two even bothered about it a little bit or, you will only care if someone was attacked or, even worse, murdered?" "Of course, we care. But I don''t think there is anything to study more about the break-in. It is a clear case of personal vengeance." "What?" "Vengeance often involves deep anger and a perhaps obsessive desire to get even by inflicting similar harm to the person who initially harmed the person seeking revenge." "I know what is meant by vengeance...I''m asking you who did it? How did they do it?" "Don''t act so ignorant, dad. No one is a saint in this business. Over these years, HK corporation has raised enough enemies while climbing to the top of the power pyramid, not only in the country but the entire subcontinent. Just look at the craziest one among them, and bingo, you got your guy." "That''s what you think?" "I think the same. There are hundreds of CCTV cameras are installed in this house, but none of those cameras wasn''t able to capture the intruder. That shows that they knew about the CCTVblindspots and as well as the layout of the mansion. So it must be someone closer than you might think." "Someone closer?" "I agree to disagree, captain Wan. It may be a bunch of people who have the potential and power to go heads on with HK." "Do you suspect anyone?" "Yes. If you want to narrow down the list, I can give you a name. Though HK Long Wei went missing in the international waters, its course started from Daisun port, right?" "Yes?" "Have you got into some feud between anyone from Daisun?" "No. I don''t think so." "Someone so influential and powerful enough to cover for them...someone who can even bribe the government." "I think we have pretty nice diplomatic ties with the Daisun government as well as over Daisunese partners." "Really, then what about Terada family?" "I heard that there are some people left in that family. Don''t you think they want to get even to HK group, to avenge their loss?" "Han Ze Min, what are implying?" "Aunty Hanami belonged to a Daisonese mafia family, right? "You two are working on the same team?" Just like Lin Jian, everyone else had the same surprised expression on their faces when they heard Han Ze Min''s declaration. Even from their childhood they were competing with each other like archenemies as if they want to utilize the every possible chances to outshine the other. Though their family was completely against it, somehow the boys kept doing it till now. "Yes, aunty...after so many years, we are finally working on the same team." Han Ze Min gladly stated while glancing at Wan Yi Jun with a beaming smile glistening on his face. However, Wan Yi Jun on the other hand, doesn''t even gave any attention towards his cousin who was literally making it difficult for him to attend any of the family functions. "Is that possible, Min ah? You two practically have the same qualifications, right? I thought two police officers with same rank won''t work together in the same team. " Ming Xing asked as if she was familiar with the ranking positions in the police department since she had a family member who was part of the imperial police force. "Yeah, but he got a bit seniority and maybe a few more merit points as the captain as the eagle team than a detective like me who works on criminal cases. But its alright, since I''m an accommodating person, so it won''t be a problem for us. Don''t you think, Yi Jun ah?" Han Ze Min asked without any reluctance, surprising Wan Yi Jun who thought that his cousin might boast himself. "Hmm, my team is pretty much welcoming." "What''s the point of working together if you can''t solve something terrible that happened in your own family?" "Are you talking about the death threat which uncle received last week, dad?" "What else? Someone broke into this house despite all the security measures and leaves a warning in your uncle''s room. Aren''t you two even bothered about it a little bit or, you will only care if someone was attacked or, even worse, murdered?" "Of course, we care. But I don''t think there is anything to study more about the break-in. It is a clear case of personal vengeance." "What?" "Vengeance often involves deep anger and a perhaps obsessive desire to get even by inflicting similar harm to the person who initially harmed the person seeking revenge." "I know what is meant by vengeance...I''m asking you who did it? How did they do it?" "Don''t act so ignorant, dad. No one is a saint in this business. Over these years, HK corporation has raised enough enemies while climbing to the top of the power pyramid, not only in the country but the entire subcontinent. Just look at the craziest one among them, and bingo, you got your guy." "That''s what you think?" "I think the same. There are hundreds of CCTV cameras are installed in this house, but none of those cameras wasn''t able to capture the intruder. That shows that they knew about the CCTVblindspots and as well as the layout of the mansion. So it must be someone closer than you might think." "Someone closer?" "I agree to disagree, captain Wan. It may be a bunch of people who have the potential and power to go heads on with HK." "Do you suspect anyone?" "Yes. If you want to narrow down the list, I can give you a name. Though HK Long Wei went missing in the international waters, its course started from Daisun port, right?" "Yes?" "Have you got into some feud between anyone from Daisun?" "No. I don''t think so." "Someone so influential and powerful enough to cover for them...someone who can even bribe the government." "I think we have pretty nice diplomatic ties with the Daisun government as well as over Daisunese partners." "Really, then what about Terada family?" "I heard that there are some people left in that family. Don''t you think they want to get even to HK group, to avenge their loss?" "Han Ze Min, what are implying?" "Aunty Hanami belonged to a Daisonese mafia family, right? "I think the same. There are hundreds of CCTV cameras are installed in this house, but none of those cameras wasn''t able to capture the intruder. That shows that they knew about the CCTVblindspots and as well as the layout of the mansion. So it must be someone closer than you might think." "Aunty Hanami belonged to a Daisonese mafia family, right? Chapter 32 - The Bad Start As soon as the name fell from Han Ze Min''s mouth, a solemn silence filled the dining room, literally pushing everyone into utter shock and disbelief as they sat across the table. It was a well-known fact that young master Han had a silver tongue, but no one expected him to spew nonsense about a taboo topic that was banned within the four walls of the Han mansion. Hanami Terada- A name that was wiped clean from everyone''s memory fifteen years ago. She was someone that none of the Han family members wished to remember on an auspicious day such as the first day of New Year or any other day in their entire life. Hanami Terada was supposed to be forgotten forever. It was nearly impossible for everyone to believe that Han Ze Min had reminded them of the cursed past of the Han family and ruined their happiness. "Why do you suspect the Terada family for the abduction of Long Wei?" Han Shi Zhong inquired after a long moment of silence where no one dared to raise their voice and ruin the situation beyond rescuing. "Uncle Rai, aunty Hana and their little daughter. From another point of view, HK corporation can be the reason behind their death. No matter how big was their crime, do you think the Terada family would sit idle after losing one of them?" Though Han Ze Min spoke in a calm voice, the look in his brown eyes appeared cold and distant as if he was blaming his own family. For some reason, it felt as if he was purposefully dragged this issue to ruin the peace in this house. "Han Ze Min!!!!" Unable to withstand any of his blabbers, Han Lao Dao shouted at the top of his lungs and tried to stop his son. However, Han Ze Min, on the other hand, wasn''t even intimidated by his father as he continued with his claims. "Chill, dad. I was just quoting a possibility. It may or may not be true always." He shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal, only to anger his father more than enough. "Don''t you dare to you speak those wretched names in this house...again?" Han Lao Dao somehow tried to calm himself and gave a final warning to his good for nothing son, who got no control over his tongue. "Hmm, apologize to your uncle. Now!!!!" He ordered as if Han Ze Min was a kid who did something extremely wrong and unjust. But as everyone expected, young master Han didn''t even care about his father''s words as he immediately made a defending comment. "I don''t think I said something wrong enough to apologize." He smilingly said and glanced at his uncle, who didn''t even interrupt the arguing father-son duo. "Han Ze Min!!!" Han Lao Dao, who was on the verge of exploding in anger, almost slammed the table to control his son, who was humiliating him in front of his entire family. No matter how hard he tried as his son grew up more and more, Han Ze Min turned out to be a spoilt brat who never cared about his family and the corporation. "Min ah, please. Don''t talk to elders like that." Mei Xing, who got into the middle of the fight between her son and husband, almost pleaded to Han Ze Min to stop annoying his father. Once the situation was about to go beyond control, Han Shi Zhong raised his hand and stopped his brother from arguing with the young man. "What are you doing, Lao Dao?" He asked in a reprimanding tone while handing over a glass of water to the other. "Drink some water." "Brother, didn''t you hear what this brat has told? How dare he blame us for the death of that traitor and his family?" Han Lao Dao furiously retorted as he glared at his son as if he was looking at his archenemy. As the dining table fell into chaos, Wan Yi Jun finally opened his mouth and pleaded to his uncle on the behalf of his cousin. "Uncle, please." Though he had problems with Han Ze Min, Wan Yi Jun didn''t want to witness pain and agony raining down his family. After his conversation with Wang Yu Min, he didn''t want to give the old lady on an auspicious day. "Stay out of this, Yi Jun." Han Lao Dao almost directed his anger to his nephew, "Don''t take your brother''s side. This is not the first time he has been behaving like this. Why can''t this brat be like you?" He was literally at loss for words when he saw his nephew speaking on the behalf of his own son. Unable to hide his disappointment Han Lao Dao harshly threw away his fork and wiped his hand in tissue in contempt. The relationship between the father and son started to ruin from the very first day when Han Ze Min decided to become a police officer instead of following his father''s foot steps into the business world. He was so done with Han Ze Min''s rebellious nature. "Lao Dao, don''t talk to them like that." Han Shi Zhong finally took over the mediator role and advised his brother, "They are not kids anymore. They have their own opinions and views about worldly affairs." "Not you, too, brother." Han Lao Dao quickly expressed his dismay. "There is no point in stopping him, Lao Dao. Our time is already over, its their time and as the elders of the family, we had to listen to whatever the younger generation had to say." Speaking in a diplomatic way, Han Shi Zhong somehow tried to calm down his brother and glanced at Han Ze Min who remained unaffected after causing all the distress. "Min, I do understand whatever you said. But even you are deducting your inferences, you should take a look at everything that happened with the HK corporation too. As you have mentioned earlier, If the Terada family wants to target us for the death of Reiden and his family, why would they do it now? They could have done it fifteen years ago." He pointed out as a matter of fact, "I told you, uncle. It was just a possibility. Nothing else. According to my inferences, among the people who might have animosity towards us, the Terada family has the biggest chance for plotting against the HK group." "I''m sorry, Min. Uncle cannot accept your inference even though some of them are true. Yes, Hanami was indeed related to a brutal mafia clan in Daisun. But I don''t think they are behind this Long Wei attack and breaking into our house. I would have believed you if this attack happened fifteen years ago when the Terada family had the power and authority to plan and execute such a thing. After whatever happened to HK corporation, both of the governments administrated a collaborative attempt to wipe out the mafia from Daisun, and I guarantee that there is no one left in the Terada family anymore." "Good lord, you just gave me more proof to strengthen my doubts. You wiped out the entire mafia clan, and do you still think they will not touch you? No one forgets the people who killed their family, uncle." "Look at him, though. Do you think he avoids you just because he is busy?" "Even if he hides it from you, he is also someone who holds animosity against HK corporation for the death of his father." "Enough!!!" "Let them "I''m sorry, Min. Uncle cannot accept your inference even though some of them are true. Yes, Hanami was indeed related to a brutal mafia clan in Daisun. But I don''t think they are behind this Long Wei attack and breaking into our house. I would have believed you if this attack happened fifteen years ago when the Terada family had the power and authority to plan and execute such a thing. After whatever happened to HK corporation, both of the governments administrated a collaborative attempt to wipe out the mafia from Daisun, and I guarantee that there is no one left in the Terada family anymore." "I''m sorry, Min. Uncle cannot accept your inference even though some of them are true. Yes, Hanami was indeed related to a brutal mafia clan in Daisun. But I don''t think they are behind this Long Wei attack and breaking into our house. I would have believed you if this attack happened fifteen years ago when the Terada family had the power and authority to plan and execute such a thing. After whatever happened to HK corporation, both of the governments administrated a collaborative attempt to wipe out the mafia from Daisun, and I guarantee that there is no one left in the Terada family anymore." "Good lord, you just gave me more proof to strengthen my doubts. You wiped out the entire mafia clan, and do you still think they will not touch you? No one forgets the people who killed their family, uncle." "Good lord, you just gave me more proof to strengthen my doubts.. You wiped out the entire mafia clan, and do you still think they will not touch you? No one forgets the people who killed their family, uncle." Chapter 33 - His Pain It was true, Apart from the Terada family, Wan Yi Jun was the next suspect who might have a higher chance of hatred towards the HK corporation. As one of the founding members of the HK group, Wan Di Huan, Wan Yi Jun''s father, played an immense role in turning the conglomerate into one of the top power that steers the economy. He was considered the mastermind behind the success of the HK corporation. However, fifteen years ago, Wan Di Huan broke away from the corporation and left the country, leaving all of his earnings and assets behind to start afresh. But even after moving to Novaria, things didn''t change for Wan Di Huan as he could only find his solace in death. He committed suicide despite all the wealth and fame he possessed, abandoning his wife and only son all alone in the world. "I''m leaving." Wan Yi Jun gently bowed his head and walked out of the dining room as everyone remained shocked by the turn of the events. "If you leave now, you are just proving that whatever I said was true." Han Ze Min tauntingly said to the man who was about to leave the room in a vague effort to stop him. And unfortunately, Wan Yi Jun stopped in his tracks and turned slowly to meet his cousin, who was purposefully provoking him from the moment he showed up in the mansion. "Apparently, my guesses never go wrong, captain Wan." "I don''t have anything to say, captain Han and I really don''t have any time to listen to your bullshit theories." Wan Yi Jun retorted in a calm voice that completely contradicted his inner turmoil. "And you were right. I absolutely hate coming here." He paused for a moment and glanced at the startled faces of the rest of the Han family. "But that''s not because of your stupid theory of vengeance, but because of you...only because of you." Wan Yi Jun pointed his finger at Han Ze Min, who stood there grinning as if he wasn''t affected by any of his cousin''s words. "If it isn''t for grandma, I wouldn''t have tolerated you till now." He concluded his harsh remarks and stomped out of the room without waiting for any reply. "Yi Jun, ah...don''t go..." Wang Yu Min almost begged when she saw how heartbroken was her grandson. It was true that she loved all of her grandchildren equally, but Wan Yi Jun held a special place in her heart since he grew up without his father''s love and affection. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t stop Wan Yi Jun from leaving the mansion. No one could believe that Han Ze Min''s maniacal behaviour had not only ruined an auspicious day but also brutally hurt everyone with his hurtful words. "What''s wrong with you?" Han Lao Dao, who was disappointed with his son''s eccentric tantrums, touched his forehead as if he had no strength to fight anymore. Even though Han Ze Min and his annoying personality nearly pissed off everyone, nobody could disagree with the fact that the HK group was partially responsible for whatever happened to the Wan family in the past. "I don''t know how many times I have told this...It is a freaking possibility, nothing else. Anyone can target HK corporations out of personal vendetta...It can be the Terada family or any of your previous business partners who lost their lives while the corporation rose into prosperity. And for god sake, it was just a bunch of stupid examples. Why does he have to take it as a serious issue?" Han Ze Min opened his hands as if it was no big deal and stood up from the seat, leaving the rest of the people in utter disbelief. As soon as Wan Yi Jun walked out of the Han family mansion, he aimlessly drove his car through the busy streets of imperial. His confused mind kept replaying every word he heard from Han Ze Min and his uncle at the dining table. Those painful memories were the last thing he wanted to remember on this day. He doesn''t want to remember the Terada family nor his own father, who left this world while he was a helpless teenager who could do nothing to save them from their misery. Somehow Wan Yi Jun managed to return to the police headquarters with muddled thoughts that made him lose the sense of his surroundings. He took a deep breath to calm himself and walked into the police headquarters, only to run into general Zhi, who came out of his office at the same time. "Good afternoon, sir." Wan Yi Jun stopped in his tracks and greeted his senior officer, forgetting the bad blood he shared with Zhi Qian over these years. "Hmm. Good afternoon. " Zhi Qian gently nodded his head and studied the tired face of the young man who stood before him. It was evident that Wan Yi Jun didn''t rest due to the continuous work schedule. "I heard that you deliberately asked permission to investigate a murder case even when you were busy with several other duties." He inquired in a voice full of concern, which sounded different from his usual self. "I think that case was somehow related to one of the cases I have previously investigated." Wan Yi Jun used the same excuse he used earlier to reply to his senior officer. "Haa, I see. I thought you didn''t want to get associated with the case that involves HK corporation." As he made an effort to continue the conversation, Zhi Qian somehow managed to stop Wan Yi Jun from running away from him. "As far as I know, the law states that police officers should stay away from any inquest that directly or indirectly related to their personal lives in order to avoid the abuse of power and authority." When Wan Yi Jun understood that general Zhi was confronting the reason regarding his drop out from the HK Long Wei case, he immediately quoted a law point that the other person couldn''t refuse. "I don''t think you are not that low to abuse your power just because the victim of this case is your uncle. I recommended you on the belief that you would solve the case and avoid any mishap that might cause harm to Han Shi Zhong." Zhi Qian honestly admitted and looked at the young man as a betrayer. "Thanks for believing me, sir. But I don''t think I will do any better job than the last team which handled the case." Wan Yi Jun politely explained his reason for choosing some other case. "It''s your uncle''s fault that he tried to seek help from his nephews rather than believing some random police officer." Zhi Qian sounded blaming as he spoke on behalf of his best friend. When he heard about the death threat and abduction of the cargo ship, he did offer the assistance of highly qualified police officers not only Han Shi Zhong was his friend, but as the prominent figure in the country. However, Chairman requested to hand over the inquest to his nephews. "No matter whoever investigates the case, in the end, the truth will prevail, and justice will be served, to those who deserve it." Wan Yi Jun fearlessly stated without getting intimidated by his superior officer. "So you are saying that you have no interest in taking up that case?" "Yes, sir. I have no interest in following up on any cases that is related to the HK corporation or Wan family." "Well, I can''t agree with you after going through your service records till now." The moment Zhi Qian paused in midsentence, his sharp eyes narrowed as if he was piercing into Wan Yi Jun''s heart to search for the truth. "For someone who pledged to keep his personal feelings away from the profession, I found something interesting after studying your inquest reports. Apparently, half of your cases are directly or indirectly related to the Daisunese crime syndicate. Do you have any valid explanation for that?" "Eagle team''s responsibility involves maintaining the national integrity and security. Since the Daisunese crime syndicate has always been a threat to our country, I have no other option but to associate myself with the culprits from Daisun, again and again." "Why do I feel that you held some grudge at Daisunese mafia clans?" "I have no idea what you are saying, sir. Grudge, Vendetta, Revenge, all these don''t go well with my personality. I''m someone who prefers non-violence." Wan Yi Jun added with a faint smile when he heard general Zhi''s comment. "It''s as clear as the day that you hold some grudge against the mafia since you kept looking for cases that connect you to Daisun. Do you still believe that your father got wrongly framed them?" Zhi Qian purposefully steered the conversation in the same direction which Wan Yi Jun tried hard to avoid- his family. "I think there is some misunderstanding going around. I didn''t choose those cases purposefully. It just happened like that." "It''s alright if you want to pretend like that. But as a loyal son and a dedicated police officer, it won''t be wrong if you wish to avenge those people who trapped your father and almost tagged him as the national criminal." Zhi Qian reminded the young man as a matter of fact and stared at Wan Yi Jun''s distressed face. "But let me remind you as the officer who investigated your father''s case. If it wasn''t Chairman Han, your father must have decapitated along with that traitor. So it is better to stay loyal to your uncle if you don''t want to be known as a traitor''s son." He advised in a tone that actually sounded like a warning and gently tapped Wan Yi Jun''s shoulder''s before walking past with his head held high, pushing the other into the fiery pits of agony and humiliation. "Traitor''s son- that was the ruthless remark that Wan Yi Jun worked hard to avoid at any cost. Chapter 34 - Betrayal Never Comes From A Stranger UNEDITED VERSION: Author''s notice: Hi everyone, Mango here. I''m down with high fever and headache. I wanted to update regularly, but my health is bit unstable. I hope you would understand. The next day itself, the Eagle team visited Rising Ravens to carry on with their detailed interrogation of workers in the club regarding drug supply. The sparkling interiors of the club that once brimmed with the cheerful crowd and loud music appeared hauntingly deserted as an after effect of the unfortunate incident that occurred on new year eve. While the police officers interrogated the staff members who were present on the new year eve, Qin Kai, the club''s owner sat opposite Wan Yi Jun with a tired and desolate look. His usual smiling face lacked its warmth as he sat there, unable to figure out how to overcome the difficult situation that was fell over his shoulders, "Boss, have some water." The manager handed over a glass of water to Qin Kai, who appeared devastated. Like the rest of the staff, he has lost his sleep while thinking about their unstable future. "We know that it is a tough time for you, but still, thanks for cooperating with the investigation." Wan Yi Jun pointed out this as an attempt to initiate the interrogation. He was very much aware of the fact that it was high time for business, and closing down the club even for a few days would result in terrible loss. "It''s alright, officer." Qin Kai tried to plaster a warm smile on his face and glanced around the empty club before continuing, " All these, I built them from my hard work... from nothingness. Of course, losing business is always an awful thing, but I will not let my guards down in front of these attempts to ruin Rising Ravens." He hopefully proclaimed as if he was ready to withstand any trouble that awaited him. However, Wan Yi Jun, who caught that Qin Kai was more agitated by the scandals and news that will ruin his business, more than the death that happened in the club. So he decided to press more on the issue and search for helpful evidence from the owner. "These attempts? Do you think this is an attempt to ruin your club''s status, but not an accident." Wan Yi Jun asked and looked at Qin Kai''s tired face as if he was studying him. "No...no, I didn''t mean it. Whatever happened to that girl, it''s really unfortunate and brutal," He immediately rephrased his words when he realized that investigating officer had misinterpreted his statement as if he was a non-sympathetic person." And I''m willing to go to any end to make sure that she receives the justice which she deserves." As soon as he finished, Wan Yi Jun attentively nodded and took a mental note that he must keep an eye on Qin Kai, who happened to be overly sympathetic. "Hmmm. So, have you ever seen this girl, Shu Li Li, before?" He swiftly changed the topic and showed the photograph of the girl who was murdered on the new year eve. Qin Kai took the photograph and took a good luck for a long minute before answering No. "No, sir. We host hundreds of people every day, and it is nearly impossible to memorize one person among them." He honestly replied and leaned on the chair, "I think Huo Shin might know." "Huo Shin?" "The manager in charge of Rising Ravens. Since we have opened a new branch of rising Ravens in the west city, I rarely comes here. Even if come here, there aren''t many chances for me to interact with customers." Qin Kai explained without any hiding any details. "Maybe manager Huo could add some information that might "I just asked because she was a regular here...She made sure to visit rising ravens once in a fortnight." "Here, we try not to interfere with customers unless they start creating trouble for others." "Normally, how do you manage whenever there is some argument or fight between with customers." "We usually try to mediate if it is something trivial. Or we warn those trouble makers before kicking them out from the club. If they repeat it, we prohibit them from entering the club. Mostly, these repeat offenders are those who get into fistfights or eve-teasing and sometimes drug abuse. "I wanted to ask earlier. You were strict about drug usage on the club premises. Were there any specific reasons for that?" "We never had any objection back when we started the club. We only cared about making money and never cared about anything, drugs, prostitution, we didn''t care about anything. "From my own experiences. My sister was an addict." "And," "We never really care about anything unless we get directly involved in it. While we were focusing on making the He committed suicide despite all the wealth and fame he possessed, abandoning his wife and only son all alone in the world. "I''m leaving." Wan Yi Jun gently bowed his head and walked out of the dining room as everyone remained shocked by the turn of the events. "If you leave now, you are just proving that whatever I said was true." Han Ze Min tauntingly said to the man who was about to leave the room in a vague effort to stop him. And unfortunately, Wan Yi Jun stopped in his tracks and turned slowly to meet his cousin, who was purposefully provoking him from the moment he showed up in the mansion. "I don''t have anything to say, captain Han and I really don''t have any time to listen to your bullshit theories." Wan Yi Jun retorted in a calm voice that completely contradicted his inner turmoil. "And you were right. I absolutely hate coming here." He paused for a moment and glanced at the startled faces of the rest of the Han family. "But that''s not because of your stupid theory of vengeance, but because of you...only because of you." Wan Yi Jun pointed his finger at Han Ze Min, who stood there grinning as if he wasn''t affected by any of his cousin''s words. "If it isn''t for grandma, I wouldn''t have tolerated you till now." He concluded his harsh remarks and stomped out of the room without waiting for any reply. No one could believe that Han Ze Min''s maniacal behaviour had not only ruined an auspicious day but also brutally hurt everyone with his hurtful words. "What''s wrong with you?" Han Lao Dao, who was disappointed with his son''s eccentric tantrums, touched his forehead as if he had no strength to fight anymore. Even though Han Ze Min and his annoying personality nearly pissed off everyone, nobody could disagree with the fact that the HK group was partially responsible for whatever happened to the Wan family in the past. "I don''t know how many times I have told this...It is a freaking possibility, nothing else. Anyone can target HK corporations out of personal vendetta...It can be the Terada family or any of your previous business partners who lost their lives while the corporation rose into prosperity. And for god sake, it was just a bunch of stupid examples. Why does he have to take it as a serious issue?" Han Ze Min opened his hands as if it was no big deal and stood up from the seat, leaving the rest of the people in utter disbelief. As soon as Wan Yi Jun walked out of the Han family mansion, he aimlessly drove his car through the busy streets of imperial. His confused mind kept replaying every word he heard from Han Ze Min and his uncle at the dining table. Those painful memories were the last thing he wanted to remember on this day. He doesn''t want to remember the Terada family nor his own father, who left this world while he was a helpless teenager who could do nothing to save them from their misery. Somehow Wan Yi Jun managed to return to the police headquarters with muddled thoughts that made him lose the sense of his surroundings. He took a deep breath to calm himself and walked into the police headquarters, only to run into general Zhi, who came out of his office at the same time. "Good afternoon, sir." Wan Yi Jun stopped in his tracks and greeted his senior officer, forgetting the bad blood he shared with Zhi Qian over these years. "Hmm. Good afternoon. " Zhi Qian gently nodded his head and studied the tired face of the young man who stood before him. It was evident that Wan Yi Jun didn''t rest due to the continuous work schedule. "I heard that you deliberately asked permission to investigate a murder case even when you were busy with several other duties." He inquired in a voice full of concern, which sounded different from his usual self. "I think that case was somehow related to one of the cases I have previously investigated." Wan Yi Jun used the same excuse he used earlier to reply to his senior officer. "Haa, I see. I thought you didn''t want to get associated with the case that involves HK corporation." As he made an effort to continue the conversation, Zhi Qian somehow managed to stop Wan Yi Jun from running away from him. "I don''t think you are not that low to abuse your power just because the victim of this case is your uncle. I recommended you on the belief that you would solve the case and avoid any mishap that might cause harm to Han Shi Zhong." Zhi Qian honestly admitted and looked at the young man as a betrayer. "Thanks for believing me, sir. But I don''t think I will do any better job than the last team which handled the case.." Wan Yi Jun politely explained his reason for choosing some other case. Chapter 35 - We Meet Again "What are you saying, officer?" Qin Kai who refused to believe Wan Yi Jun''s words, furiously argued back, gathering all the attention from everyone in the club, "I don''t understand, officer. Yes, I broke my partnership, but that doesn''t mean that Jiu Shao holds evil intentions towards me and ruin my life? He is my friend, we grew up together." After going through all the miseries and backstabbing from friends and relatives, Qin Kai wasn''t ready to doubt the people, who were left in his life at any cost. So he kept refusing the police officer without any hesitations. However, Wan Yi Jun on the other hand remained calm and collected as if he was totally unaffected by Qin Kai''s tantrums. His sharp eyes curiously scrutinized the man who sat opposite to him, silently taking mental notes about the change that he has seen on the amicable club owner. It was evident that Qin Kai had another face which he kept hiding behind his smiling face. "I didn''t accuse your friend, Mr Qin. I just asked one question." Wan Yi Jun pointed out in an aloof tone and gently cocked his head as he repeated the question, "Does your friend and workers were fond of the new rules and regulations that you implemented in the club?" Watching his unflinching demeanour, Qin Kai somehow managed to calm down his fuming mind by taking a few deep breaths. Once his mood got improved, he finally replied in a yielding tone. "Jiu Shao wasn''t fond of the new rules and it also paved way for breaking off our partnership." Qin Kai admitted and glanced at his employees who were getting interrogated by the police. So far, they happily worked and lived like one tightly knitted family. It wouldn''t be a lie to say that Wan Yi Jun''s question shook his hard wall of trust that he built in his heart. "But my workers...all of them agreed with my decision without any objections. I treated them as my family and I''m damn sure that they will never betray my trust." He stated in a firm tone, ignoring the tiny teeny doubt that bloomed in his heart. "Are you sure about it?" Wan Yi Jun asked without any mercy as if he was urging the other to rethink his decisions. "Those who got injured in the commotion on that night, half of their blood reports showed the presence of drugs. But they have kept denying that they haven''t taken any. Do you know what does that mean?" The moment Wan Yi Jun''s words fell on to his ears, Qin Kai''s eyes widened in shock. "Are you saying that my employees did...something... wrong?" He inquired in broken voice. Even though his trust on his employees were strong, he was sure that this police man would never lie about some as crucial as this. "No matter how much you refuse to believe it, there is someone, may be a herd of black sheep exists in your team, Mr Qin." Wan Yi Jun casually spoke and threw a bait for Qin Kai to find the truth regarding the mystery going around in the Rising Ravens. "But officer, how it is related to that murder case?" "We are looking into it. Anyway, if you could tell us your friend''s address. Then that would be helpful for the investigation. Thanks for cooperating with us." "How did it go, captain?" "I have overshared something with Mr Qin, if he has any doubt on his workers, he will try to confront them. So keep an eye on him." "This is just messed up, captain. I don''t know whether they are innocent or playing dumb to save someone." "What will we do next, captain?" "Mr Qin''s previous partner Jiu Shao, let''s meet him. Apparently, he was in Daisun for a while, so there is a chance that he could be related to the drug cartel. "Hmmm. What about the murderer? We still haven''t got any lead on it." "Have you got in contact with Shu Li Li''s roommate?" "Yes, captain. She said that she will reach by tomorrow." "Officer Fei and You, work with Han Ze Min on tracking the murderer." "By the way, where is captain Han?" "He said he will come today." "Don''t wait for him, you start work without him." Li Juan shook of the hesitation from her mind as she walked into the bar and found a lone table to sit at. When the waiter came over she ordered some cocktail drinks and quietly observed the environment inside the bar. The dim lights and low chattering sounds along with soothing music have created a classy mood for the entire place. "This is where Jiu Shao lives?" "It seems like he did hit the rock bottom." "Yes, it looks." Li Juan turned back and found that two masked men were following her. Li Juan immediately took her phone and tried to dial it, at that moment someone appeared in front of her. He was the same suspicious-looking man with a hoodie whom she saw in the library. Are these people works with him? Are they trying to corner her? Li Juan looked around for a way to escape, there was a narrow path beside an old building. Li Juan took a look at the people trying to corner and in a glimpse, she ran towards the narrow passage. The two fierce-looking masked men who were observing Li Juan''s actions acted on a whim and followed her. The men were fast and stronger than Li Juan and one of them caught Li Juan''s rucksack. On a survival instinct, Li Juan removed her rucksack and threw it at them and ran without stopping. The masked men were flustered by Li Juan''s action, but they immediately chased after her. Li Juan felt that her limbs are going to rip off due to the continuous running and her heart pounded heavily. Why this whole scenario does feel like a Dejavu? That scary nightmare, is it happening in her real life? Li Juan''s steps halted in front of the river. There is no other way to escape. Li Juan looked at the heavy flow of the cold river. All of her calculations in her mind went wrong. Li Juan felt like she was stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. The people who followed her halted their step in front of Li Juan and looked at her with sinister eyes. Li Juan looked at the people who are looking at her with scary eyes. They didn''t look like some street thugs. "Where are you trying to run away?" One of them asked Li Juan while panting. "What do you want? Money?" Li Juan asked them. "You," one of the men replied and walked closer to her, gradually decreasing the distance in between them. Though Li Juan didn''t know how to fight them, she attained a defending position and gripped onto her laptop bag. Suddenly the sound of a gunshot pierced their eardrums and the masked men immediately took out their guns. Li Juan who was alarmed by the gunshot looked in the direction from where the sound was heard. It was him, the man in the black hoodie, their leader. He looked at Li Juan with his ice-cold eyes and pointed the gun at her. It was an arrow in her dreams and in real life, it was a gun. Yes, finally her nightmare is turning into reality. Is she going to die? Even before anyone could respond, he pulled the trigger of the gun again. Li Juan saw the bullet coming towards her. Even before she could react, it pierced her shoulder and Li Juan fell backwards to the river. "What happened?" The masked men ran towards the river. Where is she? Li Juan was nowhere to be found. "Who was that man?" One of them searched for the man who shot Li Juan. He is also missing from the scene. "Where did he go?" That suspicious-looking man disappeared from their eyesight in a moment. "Call boss!" One of the men dialled his phone. The other man immediately snatched the phone and cut the call. He looked at his partner with confused eyes. "What are you going to say to the boss? Are you going to say that we failed to catch a puny little girl?" "What are you suggesting?" "That girl is dead; we shot her and dumped her into the river." "But what if?" It was evident that he was completely annoyed by the phone calls and almost cursing inside his brain. Watching Shen Junru staring at his senior like an ice statue with an expressionless face, Bing Wen gently nudged his arm just to make him talk. "Captain, someone said that your grandma is waiting for you, without having lunch. If you don''t come home in an hour and you will be banned from Han mansion forever." He mechanically spoke like a broken robot while the others almost rolled their eyes in shock. Their doubts were true. I It was indeed a call from Han Ze Min to persuade his cousin who was trying to avoid going for the family reunion. Chapter 36 - Why Dont You Work For Me? As the peppy music and waves of laughter of men and women grew louder, Jiu Shao increased his pace while walking through the buzzing crowd inside the bar. What seemed to be an ordinary hostess bar from outside gradually turned into an illegal brothel where lustful men came to fulfil their sexual fantasies and pleasures. "He running some shady business in the name of a bar." Bing Wen unknowingly gasped as he advanced through the long corridors that were flanked by bedrooms. The sultry moans and pungent scent of perfume lingered in the atmosphere, suffocating him while everyone else got ready to entrap Jiu Shao and the other men who were chasing him. Jiu Shao somehow managed to get out of the bar, stepped into the dark empty alley and almost away from the men, but only to get stuck in front of a huge stone wall. When he figured out that there was no other way to escape, he gritted his teeth in frustration. All of his calculations had gone wrong when he felt that he got stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. The people who followed Jiu Shao halted their steps and looked at him with a triumphant smile as they managed to corner him. With no other option left, Jiu Shao turned and looked at the men who stood before him. Those men wore black suits and appeared well groomed for a group of hitmen. They didn''t look like some thugs who were working for loan sharks. "Where are you trying to run away?" One of them asked as he stood with his hands placed on the pockets. "I don''t know who your brother is, but brother, I got no money with me. Didn''t you see it? The business is dull." Even Though Jiu Shao knew that he got cornered by these men, he pretended to be not scared of them as he tried to save some time without allowing them to get close to him. "We are not here for the money. What we want is you." The rowdy man shook his head and walked closer to Jiu Shao, gradually decreasing the distance. The moment he heard their words, he felt a chill running down his spine, He was well aware of the meaning of their statement. The past few months have been pretty rough for him as he lost money in gambling as well as in his business. With no way to repay his debts, he led a life in seclusion until he managed to pull off some money to revive his debt. Now that he was back in town, these loan sharks are here for the money. If they said that they came for Jiu Shao, then they plan to kill him and harvest his organs to sell them in the black market as an option to repay his debt. For a moment, he regretted the fact that he came out without his men. There is no way he could fight these men and get away with his life. "I''m saying the truth, brother. We got some new girls, and I''m damn sure those bitches will bring money very soon." Jiu Shao pleaded as he frantically searched for a way to escape. He couldn''t let them have their way and loot him at the moment. So he tried his best to stall some time until he found a way. "Our boss wants to meet you." One of the men demanded as he took a step closer to Jiu Shao, who fidgetted before the door. "Come with us while we are being nice to you." "Who is your boss?" Jiu Shao inquired when he found something amiss and tried to look for his men who were suposed to be here to save him any minute. While Jiu Shao cunningly stalled the time, the eagle team waited for their captain''s orders to meddle with the situation and get Jiu Shao away from the men. Instead of charging all at once, the entire team were dispersed across the club, blocking the possible exit points. By the time, Jiu Shao''s lackeys, who noticed that their boss was missing from the club, began to look for the man. "Captain, we got a movement from the first floor." Shen Junru reported through the earpiece, "Are they going to fight? Should we ask for backup?" Bing Wen asked in disbelief. Are they going to fight these people barehanded? "There is no need." Wan Yi Jun instructed in an aloof tone as he kept his eyes focused on Jiu Shao, without any fail, "They are the people whom we were expecting here." Just as Wan Yi Jun finished, a group of men walked out of the bar''s back door as if they came looking for their boss. "It seems like we got some unexpected guests, boss?" One of Jiu Shao''s men snickered as he hit the iron rod with his other hand and glared at the men who trapped their boss. Once Jiu Shao saw his footmen walking closer to him, he let out a sigh and sneered at them. "Yaaa...How long did you guys take to figure out that your boss is in trouble?" "Sorry, boss. We thought you went out for some fresh air." The man replied as he scanned the men who stood before them. "Fresh air? Why do I need fresh air?" Jiu Shao hysterically laughed out loud and shifted his eyes towards the thugs as if his fear had vanished into thin air. "Do you still want to take me?" He asked in a challenging tone and gesturing his men to stay ready to fight. "We have already told you. We are here on our boss''s orders. If our boss wants to meet you, we will make sure to do it." One of the suited men said as without any hesitations, "Who is your boss? Is he crippled or what? Why can''t he come here if he wants to meet me?" Jiu Shao Suddenly the sound of a gunshot pierced their eardrums, and the masked men immediately took out their guns. Jiu Shao, who got alarmed by the gunshot, looked in the direction where the sound came. "It seems like Mr Qin did doubt his friend," "Who are you?" "Oh. you are running a brothel along with the bar?" A voice was heard from behind along with, the man in the black hoodie, their leader. He looked at them with his ice-cold eyes and pointed the gun at each other. It felt that they will have a shooting encounter at any moment from now. arrow in her dreams and real life, it was a gun. Yes, finally her nightmare is turning into reality. Is she going to die? Even before anyone could respond, he pulled the trigger of the gun again. Li Juan saw the bullet coming towards her. Even before she could react, it pierced her shoulder and Li Juan fell backwards to the river. "What happened?" The masked men ran towards the river. Where is she? Li Juan was nowhere to be found. "Who was that man?" One of them searched for the man who shot Li Juan. He is also missing from the scene. "Where did he go?" That suspicious-looking man disappeared from their eyesight in a moment. "Call boss!" One of the men dialled his phone. The other man immediately snatched the phone and cut the call. He looked at his partner with confused eyes. "What are you going to say to the boss? Are you going to say that we failed to catch a puny little girl?" "What are you suggesting?" "That girl is dead; we shot her and dumped her into the river." "But what if?" ven before anyone could respond, he pulled the trigger of the gun again. Li Juan saw the bullet coming towards her. Even before she could react, it pierced her shoulder and Li Juan fell backwards to the river. "What happened?" The masked men ran towards the river. Where is she? Li Juan was nowhere to be found. "Who was that man?" One of them searched for the man who shot Li Juan. He is also missing from the scene. "Where did he go?" That suspicious-looking man disappeared from their eyesight in a moment. "Call boss!" One of the men dialled his phone. The other man immediately snatched the phone and cut the call. He looked at his partner with confused eyes. "What are you going to say to the boss? Are you going to say that we failed to catch a puny little girl?" "What are you suggesting?" "That girl is dead; we shot her and dumped her into the river." "But what if?" Chapter 37 - We Meet Again. In one of the narrow and empty downtown alleys, the eagle team and Jiu Shao''s men stood face to face at the point-blank, waiting for Wan Yi Jun to give out the orders that could change their current standing position. "It seems like Mr Qin does doubt his best friend." Han Ze Min muttered under his breath and glanced at the suited men who stood away from the mob as if they don''t want to get into the fight, "Tell your boss that we are taking him." He proposed in an aloof tone while casually holding onto the trigger as he received a gentle nod from Wan Yi Jun to carry on with his monologue. It was true that Han Ze Min likes to annoy his cousin. However, he was ready to help Wan Yi Jun and his team when they got into trouble. "Yes, sir." The suited men replied in obedience while taking a step back as if they were retreating from the scene. When Jiu Shao saw that, he panickingly realized that the new team was much more powerful than the others. "Who...who...are you guys?" He tremblingly repeated while staring at the guns that were pointed at him. Usually, the local thugs won''t take out the guns to avoid deaths, instead, they often get into fistfights or attack with iron rods or other heavy objects to create sharp pain. "Why do you want our boss?" One of Jiu Shao''s lackey''s asked in fear. He was the same person who acted so brave and mighty a moment ago. "Oh sorry, I forgot to introduce ourselves," Han Ze Min dramatically paused and haughtily tilted his head," Special Taskforce, Imperial police department." The very moment Jiu Shao and his men heard the words, they exchanged terrified glances. They thought that the men who stood before were some thugs working under some loan sharks. "Don''t tell me you guys mistook us for some street thugs?" Han Ze Min almost broke into a burst of laughter when he saw one of the thugs unknowingly wobble his head in agreement. "Yaaa, are you dumb or pretending to be dumb? Can''t you see all these walkie talkies, guns, super cool jackets- we are the good guys." Even the police team turned their faces towards Han Ze Min when they heard his pompous remark like no other. However, Jiu Shao blankly stared as if his brain couldn''t comprehend what was happening around him. "Police...I didn''t do anything wrong." He subconsciously spilt the lie that was stuck to his mind. "You didn''t do anything wrong?" Han Ze Min almost jeered and focused the lens on Jiu Shao as he continued with his words, "I''m damn sure there must be minors among your "hostage''s" bar." He made a serious pun as he took his finger away from the rifle''s trigger, letting the others take a breather at this crucial moment. "I want to see your bar license after you are done with your little interrogation. And Jiu Shao, Don''t get any ideas of running away or calling more men. You know, So be a good boy and cooperate with us." "Good lord, he is super crazy!!!" Bing Wen almost shrieked in astonishment. The image of captain Han he received from others highly contradicted cool-headed man who fearlessly stood there negotiating with Jiu Shao and his men. He never thought that he will meet someone as cool as his captain Wan in handling unpredictable situations. "Okay." Jiu Shao finally agreed in a submissive tone and took a step towards the police team. But right at the moment, a swoosh sound was heard from Han Ze Min''s right side, using that chance to escape from the police officer. However, Bing Wen who got quick reflexes caught the iron rod that was aimed at Han Ze Min at the right moment before it finds its target. Just as Jiu Shao bent down to pick up the gun from the ground, continuous rounds of fires hit beside their feet, making them jump into the air in survival instinct. Han Ze Min didn''t even hesitate to fire when Jiu Shao tried to escape and using the firing as a cover, Wan Yi Jun almost made his way towards the thugs. Even before anyone could comprehend what happened, Wan Yi Jun has caught Jiu Shao at his point blank and cuffed his hands. "I told you, don''t get any false ideas." Han Ze Min let out a sigh and turned towards the direction from where the iron rod had come. It was evident that someone had tried to save Jiu Shao by creating a distraction. However, Han Ze Min and Wan Yi Jun, who were familiar with this kind of attacking strategies didn''t even flinch as they proceeded without any second thoughts. "Attacking a police officer on duty might bring more consequences than getting charged for running an illegal business. Jiu Shao, I assume you are not that dumb to rot in prison for the rest of your life." Han Ze Min added with an evil grin, just to taunt Jiu Shao with his usual annoying self. "We just have a few questions, answer them, and you are free to go. Is that correct, Captain?" He averted his gaze at Wan Yi Jun, who stood there with a dead pan expression as if he gave all the permisssion for his subordinate to carry on with all the "talking" part. "Hmm." Wan Yi Jun agreed and gestured his team to take care of the rest of Jiu Shao''s men without wasting any doubt. Once Jiu Shao got an affirmation from the police officer that they were not here for arresting him, he willingly sat down for interrogation in one of the empty rooms in the bar itself. "Only if he had met us when we came to meet him in the afternoon." Lao Yating mumbled as he removed the handcuffs from Jiu Shao in a room full of policemen stood alarmed. "Have you heard about the murder that happened in Rising Raven''s, the club which you started with your Qin Kai?" Lao Yating cut the chase without wasting and initiated the interrogation on the behalf of Wan Yi Jun, who chose to remain as a spectator. "Yes, I saw it on the news." Jiu Shao said in a barely audible voice as if he was not interested in discussing that topic. "Qin Kai kept believing that someone was trying to tarnish the reputation of the club and ruin his life. After learning about your past with him, you are the person who-" Even before Lao Yating could finish his words, Jiu Shao''s aloof facade broke down into million pieces as if he got wrongly accused and quickly refuted, "Did he say my name?" He leaned onto the desk as his eyes fumed in anger, "Did he think that I would tarnish his so-called reputation just because he earns more than me? "No, he didn''t. with the proof of circumstances, you seemed to have the biggest reason for destroying whatever he built so far." "There are so many people who got even bigger reasons to ruin him. He went against all the drug dealers in the imperial and helped the police. Do you think they will stay idle after losing millions of dollars" "It seems like you know more about them than anyone else." "Yes, I do. I wanted to make sure that I''m not targetted by them just because I''m Qin Kai''s friend." "He got a genuine reason to tip off the police about the drug dealings happening in his club." "Are you speaking about Qin Dong Ya and her tragic story?" "It is not so tragic as it seems. I will be honest, that girl was a bitch. She fooled around quite a few men until she got the interest of Yan Zi Hao''s little brother." "He was obsessed with Dong Ya that he even proposed to marry her, and it was a win-win situation for us. But she messed up. She hooked up with someone else and angered her little boyfriend." "Even though it was reported that Dong Ya died due to overdose, Qin Kai didn''t believe it at all," "He made sure to destroy Yan Zi Hao''s empire in imperial and made him flew to Daisun." "So you say that it must be Yan Zi Hao behind this?" "Who else? The drug deals, the No, he didn''t. with the proof of circumstances, you seemed to have the biggest reason for destroying whatever he built so far." "There are so many people who got even bigger reasons to ruin him. He went against all the drug dealers in the imperial and helped the police. Do you think they will stay idle after losing millions of dollars" "It seems like you know more about them than anyone else." "Yes, I do. I wanted to make sure that I''m not targetted by them just because I''m Qin Kai''s friend." "He got a genuine reason to tip off the police about the drug dealings happening in his club." Chapter 38 - The White Witch The moment the name "White Tiger" fell from Bing Wen''s mouth, the entire room looked at him in surprise. However, Jiu Shao looked at Bing Wen in shock as if he was not expecting the young man to know about the ruthless mafia that has spread over their influence on the entire sub-continent. ''White Tiger'' was a name that was erased from existence fifteen years ago when they received multiple heavy backlashes in the past from their people as well as the governments across the continent. Almost every man at the top of the mafia clans, the godfathers who gave worked as the pillars of these groups, was captured and killed in the collaborative encounter mission held by the Imperial police force and Daisun armed forces to ensure peace and security in both countries. There was peace, but it was short-lived. Unlike the imperial city where the government applied strict measures to eradicate the social injustices and ensure the people''s peace and well being, Daisun couldn''t cope with the growing numbers of rebels and vigilante groups that were hidden under the masks of innocent citizens. It didn''t take much time for the clans that were once believed to be eliminated from the country to raise in power and handled the plummeting economy from the claws of corrupt governments. Daisun needed those mafia clans to sustain. However, none of the news went outside the country until the clans grew bigger enough to withstand any external attempt to eradicate their existence. So it was nearly shocking for Jiu Shao to realize that the Imperial police force had already intercepted a piece of information that was kept confidential for years. "How do you know?" Jiu Shao unknowingly responded to Bing Wen''s declaration, forgetting the fact that he was standing in the middle of a bunch of policemen. It almost felt that he was digging his own grave. "We are living in the era of supercomputers, Mr Jiu. As long as one was connected to the technology, to the internet, you can gather their details within seconds." Bing Wen casually replied as if it was no big deal. Like the rest of the world, the mafia clans got their fair share of participation in the internet revolution that happened in the country. However, the White tiger stayed different from everyone else due to their expertise in wiping out their traces from the global web that was continuously checked by the security forces in various countries. Even if Bing Wen doesn''t wish to acknowledge it, he couldn''t disagree with the fact that the mastermind behind the White tiger was an absolute genius. "I don''t know how you got to know about the white tiger, but going against them is not a good idea at all, even if you are the best officers in the entire imperial." Jiu Shao warned when he felt that these police officers would never stay idle after knowing about the growing threats from the mafia clans in Daisun. "Have you ever met the man who is the head of the White Tiger?" Han Ze Min, who sat silently till the moment, opened his mouth to ask about something that churned his mind. "Man?" Jiu Shao''s mouth curled up into a scoff as soon as he heard the question. "There no man in the top tier of White Tiger, officer." His words struck like a lightning in the room, "It''s a woman?" Wan Yi Jun asked the question that boiled in everyone''s mind. Well, it was unbelievable for them to even expect to see a woman at the top of the power system that rules over the subcontinent, the apex predator who is on the top of the food chain. "To be honest, the White Tiger is only a branch of ancient clan that was once everyone believed to be eradicated without any single soul alive. It got revived and currently it is run by a council of men instead of a single leader." He paused for a moment and glanced at the men who were all ears to him, "But the one who was supposed to give the last word in white tiger, it is a woman. So you are right officer, it is more or less a streak led by a tigress." Jiu Shao wiped the sweat drops rolled down his forehead, "Have you seen her?" Han Ze Min repeated his question but with more enthusiasm when he heard an unexpected twist in the story. His brown eyes, glowed like burning coal as if he was very much interested in the woman who leads a deadly mafia clan that was rooted in a country that still thrives on patriarchal values. "No outsider has seen white witch so far," Jiu Shao explained with a tinge of respect as well as fear as he spoke about the woman he had only heard while he took refuge in Daisun years ago. "I really wanted to see her, though." "White witch?" The eagle team simultaneously asked when they heard that name in bewilderment. Every word that they have heard from Jiu Shao was so enthralling to hear as if they were a bunch of kindergarten students who were enthusiastic to question every single thing. "Hmm, that''s the name by which everyone knows her. It was rumored that she got that name because of her hair." Jiu Shao added with a smile. However, right at that moment, Han Ze Min mocking laughter echoed in the four walls of the room, breaking the story''s flow. "It must be some old lady with a head full of white hairs." He somehow managed to comment while trying hard to hold his laughter. "She is young and...strangely beautiful...It wouldn''t be lie if I say that she is gorgeous than any woman in this world, maybe." Jiu Shao stated as if he got annoyed by Han Ze Min''s condescending remark. "Didn''t you say earlier that you haven''t seen her?" "Just like her beauty, white witch''s stories are pretty famous, officer. An enchantress who bewitches men and women and ruthlessly carve out their eyes and pluck out the tongues to keep her identity secret from everyone. I even heard that she washes her hair in her enemies blood." Shrugging down his shoulder, Jiu Shao went ahead with sharing the stories he had heard in Daisun. "Good lord, these are called fairy tales, Jiu Shao. I would have believed you if heard about this witch when I was a toddler." Han Ze Min almost fell from the chair as if he continued to laugh out loud as if he heard some joke. "Laugh as much you want, officer." Jiu Shao unknowingly gritted his teeth and turned to face Wan Yi Jun who seemed more calm and collected," But it is the truth. Just because she is a woman, we foolish men expect her to be soft and gentle like a flower. However, she got no humane feelings, let alone have a woman''s heart. It is better that you won''t go won''t go after the white tiger." "Jiu Shao, you are speaking to the wrong person, man. He is the most rebellious person you will ever meet in your lifetime. " Han Ze Min pointed at his cousin without any hesitation, "He is someone who does the exact opposite of what you asks him to do and unfortunately, he is the captain of this group. All these men, they are his blind followers, well I''m an exception, but if we work as a team, we will make sure to go to any end to find the truth." The moment Han Ze Min concluded the words, the eagle team surprisingly exchanged their glances and looked at the two who were supposed to be rivals, in disbelief. "She is doom." Jiu Shao declared in a cold voice, just to scare off this annoying officer. "Then I''m more interested to jump right away into the middle of the doom. And, for some reason, even the thought of meeting a beautiful woman makes me enthralled more than anything else." He grinningly said and leaned on the chair as if he was unaffected by any of this scary story. "You got any info regarding Yan Zi Hao?" Wan Yi Jun asked as he decided to put an end this interrogation that has turned into a story telling session, "No...I only know that he is somewhere in Daisun. To be honest, I''m not even sure that he is protected by white tiger." "You are scared, right? Don''t tell us then." Han Ze Min sniggered and stood up from the seat as if he was done talking. "Unlike you, I have no death wish to get into bad blood with white tiger and Yan Zi Hao, officer. I still got a life to live. So please leave me out of this mess. Whatever, I knew about Qin Kai and Yan Zi Hao, I have shared with you." Jiu Shao requested to Wan Yi Jun to which the captain agreed without no fail. Since they got nothing else to ask, he suggested to retreat. However, the eagle team began to walk away from their seats, Han Ze Min went towards Jiu Shao and stopped him from standing up, "Wait a minute, show me your license and the age proofs of all the "hostages" in your bar." He reminded something that everyone has forgotten, "Officer, all of them are majors and willingly signed the contract to get into the business. Most of the girls came here because they got no other way to feed their families. So please understand their situations, sir." Jiu Shao politely asked and looked at the Wan Yi Jun for help. "Oh please, whatever you runs here its not just a hostess bar, but something illegal." "The men and....women, who comes to these hostess clubs have only thing in their mind...If the girls are willing to please their customers, then what can I do? I''m at no position to refuse extra money at this moment." Jiu Shao unknowingly opened his bundle of burden, "Money is not everything, Jiu Shao." Han Ze Min argued back, "No sir. People like me and those girls who makes living by doing something they can never be proud of...we can''t afford to say that...Money is everything for us." Even Jiu Shao didn''t refrain from himself. However, Wan Yi Jun who wasn''t in a mood to hear their argument, walked towards the door, along with the other members. "But it is wicked to hear it from you, the supporter of silver witch." Han Ze Min said and followed his captain''s suits "Ah, since you are so interested to know about white witch, I will tell you something interesting, the regions that comes under white tiger''s rule no one dare to lay a hand on women or treat them anything lesser than a man. If someone like her existed in imperial, I would have never got into this business." Jiu Shao who wasn''t ready to give up, followed Han Ze Min and stepped out of the room, while arguing with the police officer. "So are you saying that this White Witch a social reformist and not a bad, heartless, ruthless-?" "Good and bad, who defines it, officer?" The moment those word''s left Jiu Shao''s words, Wan Yi Jun who was already reached the entrance, stumbled upon his steps as if he someone has tied his legs, However, it wasn''t because of the question, but the person who reminded him of this question. Ming Yue, the same woman who stood in the darkest alley near the entrance of the last place he wanted to see her- A brothel. Chapter 39 - An Undeniable Offer For a moment, Wan Yi Jun felt that his eyes were playing games with his mind. At first he thought it might be some other woman, but when he saw the same lilac dress and loose hair he had seen on Ming Yue when they met for the first time. Why does she have to be in this wretched streets out of all the places? He shook his head in dismay and gazed in the direction where he saw the girl. "No, it can''t be her." He muttered under his breath and looked at the familiar silhouette that was imprinted in his mind because of obvious reasons. It seemed like she was hesitating to go inside the building as if she was very much aware of the place she was about to visit. At the same time, Lao Yating and the rest of the team who were following their captain, stopped in their tracks when they saw Wan Yi Jun froze at the spot. "Is everything alright, Captain?" Lao Yating asked the man whose eyes were focused on the entrance of the building next door and gently tapped on Wan Yi Jun''s shoulder to gather his attention. "Yes." Wan Yi Jun replied and turned his gaze towards his team members. Apart from Han Ze Min, the rest of eagle team members have already followed him out of the hostess bar. "Where is Han Ze Min?" "Captain Han is checking Jiu Shao''s license and the age proof of the workers in the club." Lao Yating honestly replied. No matter how hard Jiu Shao tried to convince that his club was legitimate, Han Ze Min refused to leave without checking the documents to clarify his doubts. "Get the car and I will be back in a minute," Wan Yi Jun suggested and quickly walked towards the building next door, leaving his team behind. "Huh, okay. You guys, wait here. I will get the car," Lao Yating nodded and went to take their car that was parked somewhere around the corner. By the time, Wan Yi Jun crossed the busy street and reached the next door building, someone else had approached the girl. "What''s the rate for a night?" The man who approached her asked while scanning her top to bottom with lustrous eyes. Even an outsider can figure out that his intentions are not so good to a lonely girl. "Huh?" Ming Yue pretended that she didn''t hear the question and took a step away as if she read his lusty mind just by one look. However, at the same moment, the man stretched his hand to grab her slender wrist and pulled the girl towards him as if he wanted to drag her inside, "Wait a minute. I think you have mistaken me for someone else. I''m not the pe-" She tried to explain while struggling to retract her aching arm from the man''s tight grip. "How much is your rate? I will pay double." He said in an agitated voice while tugging Ming Yue towards him. "No¡­no¡­I was waiting for someone¡­I''m not the same-" Ming Yue was about to refute the man when her black eyes fell on the familiar figure who stood just beside the drunk man, fuming in anger. "Take your hands off her," Wan Yi Jun coldly ordered the reckless man who was dragging the helpless girl in the direction of the brothel''s entrance. When he heard the forbearing voice, the man shifted his gaze towards Wan Yi Jun who stood like a high and mighty mountain beside him, The very moment, he sensed that someone else has taken interest in the beauty, the drunk man unknowingly tightened his grip on the girl as if he was not ready to give away the chance. Well, who is dumb enough to leave a enchanting beauty like her? "She is coming with me, boy. Go and look for someone else." The man snarled and licked his gums while looking at the gorgeous beauty who stood before him. "Come, let''s go, dear." Just as he pulled Ming Yue towards him, Wan Yi Jun grabbed the drunk man''s hand with no delay, stopping the other from hurting the girl. "Take off your hands." Wan Yi Jun repeated once again and forcefully released the girl''s frail wrist from the drunk man. Whether it''s because of the murderous intent raising from the intruder or heavy grip on his arm, the man decided to leave without fight. Even under the drunken stupor he realized that he could never win against this new guy, so he walked away from the girl while plastering a lewd grin on his face. "It seems like you are on high demand, girl. I will around here, only. Come when you are done suckin-" Even before, he could complete words, a slender palm fell on his face, almost making him stumble onto the ground. For a moment, Wan Yi Jun couldn''t believe what he just saw- Ming Yue slapped the man. A girl so thin and frail as a twig has hit a big brawny man and stood as if nothing has happened. The man who fell onto the ground, touched his burning cheek and stared at the girl in disbelief. It was the first time he got slapped by a woman and even before he could wake from his momentary daze, Ming Yue pulled Wan Yi Jun away from the entrance of the building, somewhere less crowded. "Ahhh...master Wan...why are you here?" She asked the man who appeared more shocked than the man who got slapped by her. "I..I.. came looking for someone." Wan Yi Jun replied in a surprised voice while staring at the girl in incredulous disbelief. When he saw that Ming Yue was getting dragged inside a brothel by some lousy man, he couldn''t help but meddle in between. However, not in his wildest nightmares, he expected. He really thought she was a damsel in distress who needs his help, but in reality, she wasn''t. "Here?" Ming Yue raised her eyebrows as if she was judging his decision to visit a brothel, "No...no...not here, somewhere near, for a case." He honestly replied in a stuttering voice, "Oh is that murder in the club? I saw the news, master, are you the one who is investigating it? That''s so nice." She attentively nodded and wrapped her arms over her chest, as if she was waiting for Wan Yi Jun to develop their conversation. "But, miss Ming, why are you here? This places is not safe for women, especially at this time." "I came looking for a job." "Here?" Wan Yi Jun almost choked upon hearing her words and unknowingly blurted out his worry without any second thoughts, "Half of the buildings in this area are either hostess clubs or brothels. Why do you have to look for work here?" "Do I have any other choice, master?" Ming Yue asked with a faint smile when she saw his worried face, "If I don''t get a job, I will be broke in two or three days." "But, miss Ming, this job and this place, it is not safe for you." Wan Yi Jun repeated once again. He couldn''t believe that she was so coolheaded about working in such a precarious atmosphere. "There is no place that is safe for a woman. So Don''t worry, master." She reassured in an aloof tone as if it was not a big deal for her, "I will manage somehow. After all, I grew up in such a place." The very instant, Wan Yi Jun heard her casual statement, an unknown anger burst in his mind as his voice subconsciously changed into a reprimanding tone as he spoke to the girl. "You came to imperial for a better life, didn''t you? There is no need for you to go back to that life. Didn''t I tell you to call me when you need any help?" "Master, I don''t think we have such a relationship." Ming Yue politely stated as she stood face to face, Wan Yi Jun who clearly got disappointed by her attitude. "Stop that crap. I will give you an address, and you go meet that person. He will give you a job." He angrily said while picking out a card from his card. "Master, you have already given me your number," Ming Yue immediately rejected when she saw him taking out the visiting card, "It''s not the same." He corrected her while scribbling something on the visiting card before hand it over to the girl, "W international?" Ming Yue read out the name in the visiting card with a confused face and raised her black eyes at the angry young man who stood before her, "Its a corporate office, go and meet Guan Shu Xian. I''m sure that he will give you a job." "Master, all I know is to do house chores. And good lord, what can I do in a corporate office without any educational qualifications?" She smilingly asked and stared at Wan Yi Jun without changing her attitude even a little bit, "I''m happy that you are willing to help me, but I can''t accept this, master." The moment Wan Yi Jun heard her refusal, he let out a sigh and offered an even better option, "If you can''t work there, then come work at my house." Chapter 40 - The Irresponsible Young Master Under the brightly lit neon lights, Ming Yue pretended to be shocked by Wan Yi Jun''s job offer. She has already understood that Wan Yi Jun has become a softie who cares about others over these years. However, she never expected that she could easily fool him into offering a job for her, that too in a corporate office. From the information collected about Wan Yi Jun, she did figure out that young master Wan has donated all of his assets to a trustee and someone else was taking care of the Wang corporation that was renamed into W international while he was busy being a police officer. Of course, he had made a huge sacrifice to lead a career as a public servant. However, he was still treated as a beneficiary in the W international corporation and none of the trustee members would be able to say no to Wan Yi Jun''s request. If he recommends someone, then the trustee members would have no other option but give the job. However, at this moment, what Ming Yue needed was a place next to Wan Yi Jun so that she could keep an eye on him and make him stay away from reaching out for her clan members. So she carefully played her pawns to get closer to Wan Yi Jun and plotted a perfect plan to make her way into Wisteria gardens, once again. "Wait a minute, are you asking me to work at your house? That huge mansion?" Ming Yue feigned ignorance as she stood face to face with Wan Yi Jun in the narrow alley beside the brothel. "Yes." Wan Yi Jun replied and let out a sigh, "You have seen the state of my house. Right now, I need a maid, and you need a job, so why don''t we work together?" It wasn''t a random suggestion from Wan Yi Jun, but he did think about offering a job for Ming Yue, right after she mentioned that she was looking for a job. However, she kept her humility and tried to be within her limits with a man she met randomly one evening. She tried to convince Wan Yi Jun that she was only helping him handle the mess that was created in the Wisteria gardens for the sake of a clumsy and clueless young master. However, little did he know that it was only Ming Yue''s act. "Are you sure about it, master? We just met on a random day, and you even mistook me like a burglar. What if I turn out to be a criminal or a terrorist in reality?" She asked with a bitter smile to test his intentions to keep her as his maid. Even though she was sure that Wan Yi Jun wasn''t joking, she just played hard to get so that he will not get any false ideas. "I will make sure to arrest you, then." Wan Yi Jun replied in the same tone and took out his phone from his jacket, "I don''t know when I will be able to go home after finishing the work. Give me your phone number, I will let you know when you can join." "Sorry, master. I don''t have a phone." She lied through her teeth without any hesitations. Of course, she had a phone, but in order to keep up with her poor and naive pretence of a damsel in distress, Ming Yue had no other option to hide her technological expertise. "Oh, I''m sorry." Wan Yi Jun quickly apologized. She was someone who was on the verge of selling her body to keep herself alive. How can he even ask that she got a phone as if she could afford one? "Its, alright, master. I have your number, and I will call. When do you get off from work?" Ming Yue suggested an even better idea, "Okay, then. Call me around 9 in the morning. If I''m at the house, you can come over, right away. Otherwise, we can decide some other day when I''m at home." Wan Yi Jun agreed with a smile. Instead of ruining her life in some shady place, it would be better to work as a maid at home. "So, are you sure that you will not regret appointing me as your maid, master?" "I hope so, Miss Ming." Wan Yi Jun attentively nodded and looked at his wristwatch, only to realize that he had taken more time than he was supposed to take. "Do you want me to drop you at home or should I get you a taxi?" Even though he knew that he couldn''t bring Ming Yue with him, Wan Yi Jun doesn''t want to leave her alone. "No, master. There is only walkable distance from here to the place where I live. I can manage, you should leave." Ming Yue gently bowed her head and allowed the other to leave, "I forgot to mention earlier, your slap...it was pretty heavy. I thought you are in danger, but it seems like you know how to save yourself from the trouble." Wan Yi Jun sounded extremely surprised as he took a step away from Ming Yue, playfully pretending that he was scared of her. "Also how to get into trouble," "Of course, I got no knight to save myself from trouble, so I thought I should be my own silver knight and stand up for me." Ming Yue said in a haughty tone and faintly smiled, "Also he said non-sense about master, so-" She paused in midsentence and hesitated to complete her words. She wasn''t planning to hit that drunkard, but for some reason''s she couldn''t refrain herself at that moment. She was fretting over it, but it seems like she has managed to impress him. "It seems like I got the right person to work for me. Anyway, see you, miss Ming. Go home safely," Wan Yi Jun smilingly sent her off and walked away from the girl, with an unknown happiness bubbling in his mind. By the time, Wan Yi Jun was busy chatting with Ming Yue regarding the job offer, his team members were having a conversation about the unexpected entry of Han Ze Min and possible argument between the cousins that will happen anytime from now. While they were immersed in the discussion in the car parked beside Jiu Shao''s hostess club, Han Ze Min returned to the team after checking the license of the club. "Where is he?" He inquired as soon as he got into the car and noticed that Wan Yi Jun was missing from the team. "Captain went there," Bing Wen who was looking out of the window pane, searching for his captain, replied without any second thoughts. "I''m telling you, I saw captain going after a woman over there." "A woman here?" Han Ze Min raised his eyebrows in surprise and peeked out through the little gap which was left by Bing Wen, "That''s a brothel." "He went inside a brothel?" Bing Wen and the rest of the team was left in shock as soon as they heard Han Ze Min''s words. "Good lord, no wonder he kept rejecting Zhi Lan''s proposal again and again." Han Ze Min who joined their conversation, blurted out when he saw his cousin walking away from a shady brothel in the street. "Captain rejected Miss Zhi?" Bing Wen who got hooked by the sudden revelation, turned his head and probed more about the new gossip. "Yes, she is quite heartbroken...Nah devastated by it." Han Ze Min sneered and picked up his phone to dial someone. However, at that time Bing Wen who was hungry to know more, almost grabbed Han Ze Min''s hand and inquired again. "Why did he reject her?" "You¡­" Han Ze Min''s forehead creased in confusion when he realized that he blurted something before the team members. "Oh...I''m Bing Wen, the technical expert." Bing Wen scratched his hair and introduced himself in a shy voice. "Oh, nice to meet you, and I''m Han Ze Min. Thanks for saving me earlier." Han Ze Min quickly changed the topic, "Never mind, sir. But how did you know that we are here? You even brought your rifle." Bing Wen asked like a fan girl who got mesmerized by her idol. "I got a final warning from your captain as well as Chief Wu. Anyway, this is going to be the last case of my career, so I thought I would do a grand entry." As soon as Han Ze Min finished, Wan Yi Jun got into the car and asked Lao Yating to drive off. "Whom did you meet?" Han Ze Min broke the awkward silence inside the car, "An informer." "Informer in a brothel?" "What''s wrong with it?" Wan Yi Jun asked in a flat voice, "Well, nothing wrong with it. It is just, someone may not be happy to hear that you have visiting brothels." Han Ze Min scoffed while going through his contact list on the phone, as if he was having second thoughts whether to dial the number that was saved under the name ''Zhi Lan''. While the entire eagle team anticipatedly waited for an argument, unfortunately Wan Yi Jun abruptly stopped the conversation with his usual dialogue. "Officer Han, why don''t you keep your personal interests out of your professional life?" Chapter 41 - The Maze "These news reporters are worse. What the rubbish are they publishing?" The eagle team woke up while listening to Bing Wen''s loud rants as he read the morning news that popped on his computer screen. He just came to report for work but he got bombarded by the news reporters who stood at the police HQ. Since there wasn''t any information about the culprit, several media outlets have blatantly criticized the police department for its inefficiency. As soon as he somehow managed to get past the reporters, Bing Wen couldn''t help but grit his teeth in anger and disappointment because of their blood boiling remarks about his team and police department. Watching the young man''s temper, Lao Yating gently patted on his shoulder and tried to calm him down. "Don''t pay any attention to the news." Being a newbie, it was quite difficult for Bing Wen to adapt to the risks and troubles of working on a criminal case that received huge attention from the public as well as the media. "It is barely two days, and why can''t these people understand that we are trying our best to find out the culprit behind the murder." He complained while pointing at the news portal. "This is common in our line of work, Xiao Bing. Let the media houses write whatever they want. Anyway, at the end of the day, they will have to write whatever truth which we find out. " Fei Yan tried to pacify their youngest team member who started to sulk from the morning itself. After somehow handling the situation, he glanced at the unlocked door of Wan Yi Jun''s office in doubt. "Did captain sleep here, last night too? You didn''t drop him at home, Sir Lao?" Fei Yan inquired in a shocked voice. Last night, all of them have gone home since it was a long day for everyone. "Captain said that he might oversleep if he goes home, so he asked me to drive him here." Lao Yating replied in a disappointed voice as he felt that he could have persuaded his captain a little more. "No matter what happens, we should send Captain home today. Officer Fei, you should persuade him. He will only listen to you." Bing Wen almost pleaded to Fei Yan as he felt that it was too pitiful for their team leader to spent day and night at the office while everyone else goes home and rest properly. As soon as the words left Bing Wen''s mouth, a condescending scoff was heard from the lonely corner of the office room, forcing everyone to shift their attention to the silent Shen Junru who was going through the case files. "Oh, you still care about Captain. I thought you have changed sides." He pointed out without lifting his eyes from the files as a reply to Bing Wen''s concern. "Changed sides? What are saying, senior Shen?" Bing Wen who failed to realize the sarcastic tone in his senior''s reply, asked again to clarify. "Last night, I saw that you got quite mesmerized by officer Han that you almost ditched your Captain cool." Shen Junru random comment made the rest of the team members recall Bing Wen''s enthusiastic approach towards Han Ze Min who happened to be last night''s show stealer. "Well, how can someone not get mesmerized by him? He popped out of nowhere, like a saviour at the right time." Bing Wen almost clapped his hands in amusement as he tried to speak about the enthralling moment he witnessed last night and turned to face Lao Yating, "He got excellent marksmanship. Is he a trained sniper, Sir Lao?" "Hmm, yes. Captain Han used to be the national shooting champion, and even today, his record remains unbreakable." Lao Yating shared his bundle of knowledge about their new member, only to excite Bing Wen more and more. "No wonder he looked so freaking cool while handling the rifle." Bing Wen commented like an overjoyed fangirl. Even though he has seen his fellow officers using guns, it was his first time watching someone using a heavy rifle with so much finesse and expertise. "Yes. He is considered as a child prodigy in shooting." Fei Yan added his share of information while recalling the news he heard earlier days of his police life. "I heard that he was the youngest shooter who got the chance to participate in Olympics. How due to some personal issues, he didn''t participate. His skills have definitely helped in police academy as well as his service life." "His entire career must have been something else if he had won a medal, right?" Bing Wen doubtingly asked. Most of the sports persons continue their careers in their respective fields until they are no longer fit for the game or until their interest dies. No matter, how much Bing Wen tried he couldn''t find a possible reason that would answer the bubbling questions in his mind regarding Han Ze Min who abruptly changed his career. "Maybe. But luckily his career change didn''t create many controversies since he decided to join the police force instead of bringing medals for the nation."Fei Yan concluded and abruptly turned towards the door when he heard footsteps in the corridor. For a moment he feared that it must have been either Wan Yi Jun or Han Ze Min, luckily it was a woman. "Excuse me, sir. I''m Feng Tian Wei." The woman introduced herself as soon as Fei Yan asked her to come inside. "You are Shu Li Li''s roommate, right?" Lao Yating who was quick to recognize the woman asked her to take a seat and volunteered to inform their captain. "He is not here yet?" A voice so deep and profound doused in sarcasm rang in the room, gathering everyone towards the man who appeared at the doorstep, As everyone expected, it was Han Ze Min, that too holding a coffee carrier in his hand. It was a bit odd to see a person like him, bringing coffee for everyone like an errand boy. Though he was a new addition to the eagle team, by his rank and service history, he was superior to any of them in the room. "No, captain Wan is in the resting room. I will get him." Lao Yating quickly replied and almost rushed in the direction of the resting area for the police officers. "Take this with you and tell him to take as much time he wants to take to get ready. I will manage it." Han Ze Min handed over a cup of coffee to Lao Yating who didn''t expect such a warm response from someone who meant to hold a rivalry with his captain. "Okay, captain." Lao Yating nodded in agreement and hurriedly stepped out of the office while the other one walked towards the table where the woman sat. "Miss Feng, thanks for coming here." Han Ze Min smilingly said and handed over one coffee cup to the girl and the rest of his teammates. "How long have you known Shu-Li Li?" He took a seat opposite to her and asked without wasting any time. "More than three years, sir. I met her when I came to the university. Even though we belonged to different departments, we ended up becoming best friends through the collaborative projects we had to do. I''m a photography major, and she was a fashion designing student. Most of the time, we used to help each other." Feng Tian Wei replied in a crystal clear voice. "I assume that both of you are from the same place." "Not exactly, the same place. We belong to the same province but different villages. It was also one reason why we became close to each other in the first place." " I see. Since you are best friends, you must have known if Shu Li Li had any conflicts with someone else..like friends or people from her work or anything like that." Han Ze Min cut the chase and dwelled right away into the past relationships of the murder victim. "Li Li is not a person who would pick up a fight with others, sir. She is really nice. Actually, you know how competitive is the fashion industry in our country. People literally go to any extent to secure an opportunity to get a gig. But she was someone who has never got into a fight, even if someone stoles her job, she never complains." Feng Tian Wei explained and took a deep breath as if she was trying to hold her tears. "I don''t know how someone could harm a girl like her. Please sir, please find out the culprit." "Well, I agree that your friend had a great personality, but don''t you think it is weird that a girl with no haters gets stabbed in the middle of a dancefloor? There must be someone sketchy enough to hurt her?" "No, sir. I don''t think so." The girl refuted without any second thoughts. "It doesn''t have to be a huge fight...It can be some arguments or something even trivial that intimidated or agitated Shu Li Li in your knowledge over the period you have known her." Han Ze Min probed more, After thinking for a long minute, Feng Tian Wei opened her mouth as if she remembered something from the past. "There was one incident. It happened in our second year. I saw Shu Li Li arguing with a garbage collecting man who came to our building." She paused for a minute and looked at the police officer who was all ears to her. "She slapped that man.. It was weird since she was never been a person who raises hands at someone, especially someone who got a lower living status than her." Chapter 42 - Lets Work Together? UNEDITED VERSION- Please unlock the chapter after an hour. "Shu Li Li hit someone?" All of a sudden, Wan Yi Jun''s surprised voice reverberated in the office room, gathering everyone''s attention to the door. He was already awake when Lao Yating came to inform about the visitor who came to state the murder victim. "Yes, sir. I was on the balcony and saw her slapping the sanitation worker from there. When I asked Shu Li Li what was wrong, she said that he misbehaved with her." "Misbehave?" "She said that he touched her inappropriately." "And you guys didn''t report it?" "We talked to the building security and replaced him." "You have never seen him again?" "No. I haven''t. Shu Li Li was quite depressed about that incident and even returned home. "Collect the details about this man." "You said that there were people who stole Shu Li Li''s chances. Do you know who are they ?" "I''m not sure about it. But there was a girl named, she used to bully Shu Li Li a lot." "Hmm. What about Shu Li Li''s boyfriend?" "Ken Wang? He is not her boyfriend. They are more like friends with benefits? "I don''t want to sound like a boomer, but miss Feng, what you have said about Shu Li Li''s innocent character and these facts are somewhat contradictory to each other?" "With a naive and innocent character, it is not easy to survive in the fashion industry. I won''t refuse the fact that Shu Li Li did change. But she is not that bad that someone will stab her in the middle of hundreds of people." "We just asked a doubt, nothing else." "We came from a village with lots of dreams and hopes, officer. We might indeed have forgotten ourselves while trying to fit into the city lives. But that doesn''t mean that we are girls who have a wretched character. How long people are going to judge us just because we were born in a village? How long we are supposed to refrain ourselves because of the belief that girls from the village should stay naive and innocent or we will be tagged as women who changed into a bitch with a questionable character." "I''m really sorry, Miss Feng. We didn''t mean to hurt you by any means. It is just...happened like that, we are extremely sorry." "Hmm. sorry, officer. I was just being overly sensitive because of Shu Li Li''s death. All these news reporters and all those comments on the internet. It just breaks my heart. These people, don''t they have a heart? At least can''t they think about her parents? Who would like to hear about their beloved daughter?" "All we can say is to "Wait a minute, are you asking me to work at your house? That huge mansion?" Ming Yue feigned ignorance as she stood face to face with Wan Yi Jun in the narrow alley beside the brothel. "Yes." Wan Yi Jun replied and let out a sigh, "You have seen the state of my house. Right now, I need a maid, and you need a job, so why don''t we work together?" It wasn''t a random suggestion from Wan Yi Jun, but he did think about offering a job for Ming Yue, right after she mentioned that she was looking for a job. However, she kept her humility and tried to be within her limits with a man she met randomly one evening. She tried to convince Wan Yi Jun that she was only helping him handle the mess that was created in the Wisteria gardens for the sake of a clumsy and clueless young master. However, little did he know that it was only Ming Yue''s act. "Are you sure about it, master? We just met on a random day, and you even mistook me like a burglar. What if turn out to be a criminal or a terrorist in reality?" She asked with a bitter smile, just to test his intentions to keep her as his maid. "I will make sure to arrest you, then." Wan Yi Jun replied in the same tone and took out his phone from his jacket, "I don''t know when I will be able to go home after finishing the work. Give me your phone number, I will let you know when you can join." "Sorry, master. I don''t have a phone." She lied through her teeth without any hesitations. "Where is he?" "Captain went there," "I saw him grabbing a woman''s arm." "A woman here?" "That''s a brothel." ''He went inside a brothel? Good lord, no wonder, he kept rejecting Zhi Lan''s proposal again and again." "Captain rejected Miss Zhi?" "Yes, she is quite heartbroken...Nah devastated by it. "Why did he reject her?" "You¡­" "I''m Bing Wen, the technical expert." "Oh, nice to meet you, and I''m Han Ze Min. Thanks for saving me earlier." "Never mind, sir." "Sir? Hi everyone, it''s been a while, officer Fei." "Yes, captain. But how did you know that we are here? You even brought your rifle." "I want to give you all a surprise." "Huh? We thought you would only join tomorrow." "I got a final warning from your captain as well as Chief Wu. Anyway, this is going to be the last case of my career, so I thought I would do a grand entry." "Whom did you meet?" "An informer." "In a brothel?" "What''s wrong with it?" "Well, nothing wrong with it. It is just, someone may not be happy to hear the news that you have visiting brothels." "Officer Han, why don''t you keep your personal interests out of your professional life?" "Of course, captain Wan. But no matter whatever you say, by visiting a brothel, you are forcing someone to sell their body for the sake of money, as a human being, I can''t agree with it." "They are also human beings. They need to live." "There are thousands of jobs out there in the world. Why should one have to live like this?" "Those women don''t have many choices like young masters who change their profession like clothes." "At least some of those young masters don''t hide from their responsibilities." "Where is he?" "Captain went there," "I saw him grabbing a woman''s arm." "A woman here?" "That''s a brothel." ''He went inside a brothel? Good lord, no wonder, he kept rejecting Zhi Lan''s proposal again and again." "Captain rejected Miss Zhi?" "Yes, she is quite heartbroken...Nah devastated by it. "Why did he reject her?" "You¡­" "I''m Bing Wen, the technical expert." "Oh, nice to meet you, and I''m Han Ze Min. Thanks for saving me earlier." "Never mind, sir." "Sir? Hi everyone, it''s been a while, officer Fei." "Yes, captain. But how did you know that we are here? You even brought your rifle." "I want to give you all a surprise." "Huh? We thought you would only join tomorrow." "I got a final warning from your captain as well as Chief Wu. Anyway, this is going to be the last case of my career, so I thought I would do a grand entry." "Whom did you meet?" "An informer." "What''s wrong with it?" "Well, nothing wrong with it. It is just, someone may not be happy to hear the news that you have visiting brothels." "Officer Han, why don''t you keep your personal interests out of your professional life?" "Of course, captain Wan. But no matter whatever you say, by visiting a brothel, you are forcing someone to sell their body for the sake of money, as a human being, I can''t agree with it." "They are also human beings. They need to live." "There are thousands of jobs out there in the world. Why should one have to live like this?" If he recommends someone, then the trustee members would have no other option but give the job. So she carefully played her pawns to get closer to Wan Yi Jun and plotted a perfect plan to make her way into Wisteria gardens, once again. "Wait a minute, are you asking me to work at your house? That huge mansion?" Ming Yue feigned ignorance as she stood face to face with Wan Yi Jun in the narrow alley beside the brothel. "Yes." Wan Yi Jun replied and let out a sigh, "You have seen the state of my house. Right now, I need a maid, and you need a job, so why don''t we work together?" "Are you sure about it, master? We just met on a random day, and you even mistook me like a burglar. What if turn out to be a criminal or a terrorist in reality?" She asked with a bitter smile, just to test his intentions to keep her as his maid. "I will make sure to arrest you, then." Wan Yi Jun replied in the same tone and took out his phone from his jacket, "I don''t know when I will be able to go home after finishing the work.. Give me your phone number, I will let you know when you can join." Chapter 43 - Do You Have Any Ulterior Motives? unedited version- please unlock the chapter after an hour As Wan Yi Jun promised earlier on the phone call, he came to pick up the Ming Yue at a spot they have decided together. Even though he had suggested that he would come to her house, Ming Yue refused due to the risk factor. Since it was a huge risk that the Yojiro and Kousuke would run into the police officer whom they were trying to avoid the most. So they met somewhere away from the downtown and went to Wisteria gardens together. As soon as Ming Yue stepped inside the mansion compound, she couldn''t help but grit her teeth in dismay. Two days ago, when she left Wisteria gardens promising herself that she would burn this place into ashes, but she never expected that she will come back here again, disguised as a maid. However, Wan Yi Jun on the other hand appeared more bright and lively as if he was really happy to invite her over. Though he was only offering her a job in wisteria gardens because he felt bad for the girl. However, for some reason, he felt that he was the one who was overjoyed to have someone else to break the eerie loneliness of the mansion, Even though he could no longer turn back the time and bring the happiness that lingered in the mansion and make it into a happy home, he wanted to make this a home for a poor girl who got no one. "So, what I''m supposed to do here?" Ming Yue asked when she saw a silent Wan Yi Jun who was busy dusting off the couch in the living room. It was evident that he hasn''t done anything in the room ever since she left the mansion, two days ago. Or precisely, he was too busy to come home. "Practically nothing." Wan Yi Jun stopped his hurried actions and replied with a faint smile, only to surprise Ming Yue who joined to clean after him. "Huh?" She unknowingly raised her eyebrows in confusion. What''s he saying? There are so many things to do in this mansion including cleaning and repairing work. However, Wan Yi Jun''s reply was even more confusing than earlier. "There is nothing for you to do here. I just need someone to be at home." He shrugged his shoulders and stated. He was very much aware of the fact that there was too much work to do in Wisteria gardens to make it into a place that is "livable". However, he doesn''t want to be a bad house owner and make her work hard like a slave. "Have you ever thought about getting a dog?" "Even I get a dog, still I need someone to look after my dog." "But it doesn''t seem like that to me. Wherever I look, all I see is work." "This, I will ask someone to get to done." "Are you going to ask the same people who repaired your house earlier?" "Do you know anyone else?" "I''m new to this place, master." "Me too. So let''s stick to the previous agency itself to complete the repair. Since you are here, I''m sure that they will do a great job." "Are you really going to make me a worker here?" "What should I do to make you believe my words? Should I write an official legally bound job contract?" "Do you have that much time to spare?" "Hahaha, I''m a police officer, you can sue me if you want." "It''s fine, I believe you, master." "As I have said earlier, you don''t have much to do here. Select a room of your liking and stay there." "No master, I...I can''t stay with you...I mean I can''t stay here." "Are you worried that I might-" "No..no..Its not like that. I have already paid this month''s rent. It will be a hassle if I ask it back. Also, it will be difficult for grandma to search for a new tenant." "This place is far away from the city centre without proper transport. It will only cost you extra expense for travelling." "But master," "I will compensate your mortgage and rent." "I need some other things to think about-" "Don''t worry, I won''t be home regularly." "I will be staying here all alone, then?" "I mean...I will come home, but it may be during odd hours due to my work ." "Hmm. So you just need me to guard this house?" "Well, you can do whatever you want, gardening, or there is a library upstairs you can read if you like." "I can barely read." "Oh then you can learn on your own, maybe you can continue your studies?" "Are you kidding me, master? I can''t even afford food. How I am going to afford school fees?" "I can help you with it." "Master, do you want to sleep with me?" "What?" "You sound like you have some ulterior motives, like a sugar daddy." "I don''t have any ulterior and I don''t even want to be anyone''s daddy." "You don''t want to be a father?" "Father and sugar daddy are two different things, miss Ming. But still, I''m not interested in becoming one." "Didn''t you tell me that you are the only son of your parents? if you don''t have an heir your parent''s lineage will end with you." "Let it end," "You really not interested in things like marriage or children or family," "Are you interested in it?" "No." "Why?" "These news reporters are worse. What the rubbish are they publishing?" The eagle team woke up while listening to Bing Wen''s loud rants who read the morning news that popped on his computer screen. "Don''t pay any attention to the news." "It is barely two days, and we are trying our best to find out the culprit behind the murder." "This is common in our line of work. Let the media houses write whatever until we find the truth." "Captain, is he still sleeping here?" "Yes, he said that he might oversleep if he home." "No matter what happens, send Captain home today. Officer Fei, you should persuade him. He will only listen to you." "Oh, you still care about Captain. I thought you changed sides?" "Changed sides?" "Last night, I saw that you got quite mesmerized by officer Han." "How can someone not get mesmerized by him? He popped out of nowhere, like a saviour. Is he trained as a sniper, Sir Lao?" "Hmm, yes. He used to be the national champion, and even today, his record remains unbreakable." "No wonder, he looked so cool handling the rifle." "Yes. I heard that he was the youngest shooter who got the chance to participate in Olympics, but due to some personal issues, he didn''t participate." "His entire career must have changed if he won a medal, right?" "Maybe." "Excuse me, sir. I''m Feng Tian Wei." "You are Shu Li Li''s roommate, right? Xiao Shen, call Captain." "He is not here yet? Is he late today?" "No, he is in the room." "Miss Feng, thanks for coming here." "How long have you known Shu-Li Li?" "More than three years, I met her at the university. Even though we belonged to different, we ended up becoming best friends through all the collaborative projects. I''m a photography major, and she was a fashion designing student." "I assume that both of you are from the same place." "Not exactly the same. We belong to the same province but different villages." "Since you are best friends, you must have known if Shu Li Li had some problem with someone else." "She is not a person who would pick up a fight with others. She is really nice, actually, you know how competitive is the fashion industry in our country. People literally go to any end to secure an opportunity to get a gig. But she was someone who has never got into a fight, even if someone stoles her job, she never complains." " Under the brightly lit neon lights, Ming Yue pretended to be shocked by Wan Yi Jun''s job offer. She has already understood that Wan Yi Jun has become a softie who cares about others over these years. However, she never expected that she could easily fool him into offering a job for her, that too in a corporate office. From the information collected about Wan Yi Jun, she did figure out that young master Wan has donated all of his assets to a trustee and someone else was taking care of the Wang corporation that was renamed into W international while he was busy being a police officer. If he recommends someone, then the trustee members would have no other option but give the job. However, at this moment, what Ming Yue needed was a place next to Wan Yi Jun so that she could keep an eye on him and make him stay away from reaching out for her clan members Chapter 44 - Starting With A Fight, "Master, do you want to sleep with me?" Ming Yue''s unexpected question almost left Wan Yi Jun petrified as he stood there, staring at the enchanting beauty before him. And it took a moment for him to regain his bearings and respond to such a blatant inquiry. "What...what did you say?" His proud voice trembled a little as he spoke to the girl, who remained nonchalant as if she doesn''t care much about the gravity of her question. "Do you want to have sex with me?" Ming Yue cut the chase and directly asked the first doubt that surfaced in her mind. Well, it was never a new experience for her to receive sexual advances from men. Even when she was an unappealing maid in the courtesan house, some men approached her with obvious intentions of sleeping with her. However, it was a bit difficult for Ming Yue to see Wan Yi Jun among them. "Do you-" She repeated once again and moved closer to Wan Yi Jun, only to startle the poor guy with her brazen actions. "No..absolutely not." He quickly refuted while trying to keep his chaotic mind calm and tranquil. "You just have to do the house chores." He explained without getting intimidated by her words, but Ming Yue on the other hand repeatedly questioned him as if she was testing his self restrain. "Are you sure about it, master? You won''t ask for some other services later?" Though Ming Yue tried her best to stay idle, unfortunately, it seemed like she was just one step away from getting onto his nerves. It was true that Wan Yi Jun had a soft corner for her, but it did not stop him from harshly retaliating to Ming Yue''s impudent remarks. "Some other services?" His dark eyes narrowed as he stared into Ming Yue''s face, devoid of emotion. For a fraction of a moment, he couldn''t help but think that she was indeed a human being or an android robot. Otherwise, how could she ask questions that women usually avoid? "Miss Ming, Did I give you any false impression that I''m interested in you?" Wan Yi Jun asked in a tone that lacked its usual warmth. It sounded more like he was talking to a cold-blooded criminal. "Yes. Master, all of your offers sounds like you have some ulterior motives," She honestly replied. "Compensating your mortgage and paying your school fees? Is it what made you think that I''m interested in you?" "I grew up in a courtesan house, master. If a stranger, a man who is willing to pay my expenses and try to engage more personally with, I have no other option to consider him like a courtesan''s patron." " I just said those things because...because...I...wanted...to help you." Wan Yi Jun struggled to find the correct word to express his feelings. Well, he felt pity towards a girl who was about to sell herself so that she won''t be starved to death but saying that right at her face, however admitting that to her felt somewhat difficult for him. "Like a sugar daddy with ulterior motives?" She dropped a rude and heartless comment on Wan Yi Jun, only to make him explode in anger. "What the hell!!!! I don''t have any ulterior motives for you, and for god''s sake, I don''t even want to be anyone''s daddy." He snarled in anger and disdain as if it was something he hated to his heart''s core. "Really master!!! You don''t even want to become the father of your children?" Ming Yue asked in "Father and sugar daddy are two different things, miss Ming. But still, I''m not interested in becoming either of them." Wan Yi Jun harshly stated as if he was completely annoyed by her question. He was a benevolent and affectionate gentleman who did so many good deeds and saved several lives. But when someone mentions fatherhood or even a great husband, he will become in the future, Wan Yi Jun had a hard time hiding his detest and disinterest. "Young master Wan doesn''t want to become a father?" Ming Yue couldn''t help but wonder for a minute. She clearly remembered the beautiful woman whom she saw with Wan Yi Jun in the club, a few days ago. He had a girlfriend, and his family want him to get married, too. Then why did he appear so angry? "Can I ask the reason for taking such a difficult decision?" Ming Yue asked without any second thoughts, only to pour oil into Wan Yi Jun''s burning mind. "You better not." Wan Yi Jun warned and crossed his arms over his chest as if he was putting high guards over him. As soon as Ming Yue heard his answer, her shapely eyebrows knit together in confusion and blurted out something which Wan Yi Jun hated the most. "Are you perhaps not interested in marriage-" Even before, Ming Yue could finish her question, Wan Yi Jun stopped him while trying his best not to get angry at her once again. It was human nature to be curious and poke their nose into others'' personal lives. However, he wished that she would understand his intentions and stop discussing something personal and inappropriate at the same moment. "Miss Ming, let''s be civil and avoid these kinds of conversations." He made a conspicuous suggestion to put an end to their awkward discussion. "You don''t have to worry about anything because you are staying in this house with a man. I can guarantee that I will never do anything that would cause any harm to you, physically or mentally." Wan Yi Jun declared in a resilient and unflinching tone that clearly showed that he got no ulterior motives as Ming Yue claimed. He had already decided that there shall be no woman in his life by rejecting Zhi Lan, who relentlessly expressed her undying love to him. He was damn sure that he would never fall for this maid or any other woman. Having a loving partner and family was something that he had buried deep down in his heart. Watching his agitated demeanour, Ming Yue finally realized that there was no need to bombard him with questions and agreed without any protests. "Yes, sure. I''m sorry that I overstepped my boundaries. Please, take rest, master. I will start my work, then." She politely bowed her head and apologized, "Hmm, please don''t ever repeat it." He reminded the girl once again and extended his car key towards her. "I brought some groceries and other necessities, and it''s in the trunk." "I will get it, master." She took the car key from him and walked out of the mansion to pick up the groceries. By the time she returned with plenty of grocery bags, Wan Yi Jun was nowhere to be seen. "It seems like young master Wan didn''t change much from his old self." She scoffed while looking at the closed door of the bedroom. "No matter how he pretends to be gentle and affectionate to fool others, his real aloof and forbearing personality will never leave him." She mumbled in her head before storming towards the kitchen, carrying the groceries. At the same time, Wan Yi Jun, who locked himself in the bathroom, stood under the cold shower to calm his fuming thoughts in his head. He never expected such an awkward and rude interaction with Ming Yue, although he was the one who offered her a job without discussing both of their terms. As someone who grew up in precarious living conditions, it was normal for Ming Yue to misinterpret his intentions, especially since no one has ever shown her kindness and love, a human deserved. "I should apologize to her." Wan Yi Jun made up his mind and got out of the shower after spending a considerable amount of time in the name of cooling down his temper. Also, it has been quite a few days since he had a proper bath as he was busy with his work. After deciding to rest up for a few hours and go back to work, Wan Yi Jun got dressed in a pair of loungewear, All of a sudden a faint knock was heard from outside, and obviously it was from his newly appointed maid. "I have prepared some food. Why don''t you eat it and rest, master?" Ming Yue said as soon as Wan Yi Jun opened the door and made eye contact with the girl who wore an apron over her dress. "I don''t eat breakfast." "It''s not the time for breakfast," "Just keep it there. I will eat later." "Hmm." "Wait a minute, I changed my mind." "Why aren''t you eating?" "I never skip my breakfast." "It is not the time for breakfast, so sit and eat with me." "Master and maid never eat at the same table." "One thing I hate is eating alone." "It''s delicious." "Thanks, master." "Miss Ming, can you stop calling me master? It''s just two of us here." "I''m sorry. I can''t do that. This kind of title will remind us about the boundaries that both of us need to keep." "Why do I feel that you are someone who likes to hold a grudge." Chapter 45 - I Got No One As Wan Yi Jun promised earlier on the phone call, he came to pick up the Ming Yue at a spot they have decided together. Even though he had suggested that he would come to her house, Ming Yue refused due to the risk factor. Since it was a huge risk that the Yojiro and Kousuke would run into the police officer whom they were trying to avoid the most. So they met somewhere away from the downtown and went to Wisteria gardens together. As soon as Ming Yue stepped inside the mansion compound, she couldn''t help but grit her teeth in dismay. Two days ago, when she left Wisteria gardens promising herself that she would burn this place into ashes, but she never expected that she will come back here again, disguised as a maid. However, Wan Yi Jun on the other hand appeared more bright and lively as if he was really happy to invite her over. Though he was only offering her a job in wisteria gardens because he felt bad for the girl. However, for some reason, he felt that he was the one who was overjoyed to have someone else to break the eerie loneliness of the mansion, Even though he could no longer turn back the time and bring the happiness that lingered in the mansion and make it into a home, he wanted to make this a home for a poor girl who got no one. "So, what I''m supposed to do here?" "Practically nothing." "Huh?" "There is nothing for you to do here. I just need someone to be at home." "Have you ever thought about getting a dog?" "Even I get a dog, still I need someone to look after my dog." "But it doesn''t seem like that to me. Wherever I look, all I see is work." "This, I will ask someone to get to done." "Are you going to ask the same people who repaired your house earlier?" "Do you know anyone else?" "I''m new to this place, master." "Me too. So let''s stick to the previous agency itself to complete the repair. Since you are here, I''m sure that they will do a great job." "Are you really going to make me a worker here?" "What should I do to make you believe my words? Should I write an official legally bound job contract?" "Do you have that much time to spare?" "Hahaha, I''m a police officer, you can sue me if you want." "It''s fine, I believe you, master." "As I have said earlier, you don''t have much to do here. Select a room of your liking and stay there." "No master, I...I can''t stay with you...I mean I can''t stay here." "Are you worried that I might-" "No..no..Its not like that. I have already paid this month''s rent. It will be a hassle if I ask it back. Also, it will be difficult for grandma to search for a new tenant." "This place is far away from the city centre without proper transport. It will only cost you extra expense for travelling." "But master," "I will compensate your mortgage and rent." "I need some other things to think about-" "Don''t worry, I won''t be home regularly." "I will be staying here all alone, then?" "I mean...I will come home, but it may be during odd hours due to my work ." "Hmm. So you just need me to guard this house?" "Well, you can do whatever you want, gardening, or there is a library upstairs you can read if you like." "I can barely read." "Oh then you can learn on your own, maybe you can continue your studies?" "Are you kidding me, master? I can''t even afford food. How I am going to afford school fees?" "I can help you with it." "Master, do you want to sleep with me?" "What?" "You sound like you have some ulterior motives, like a sugar daddy." "I don''t have any ulterior and I don''t even want to be anyone''s daddy." "You don''t want to be a father?" "Father and sugar daddy are two different things, miss Ming. But still, I''m not interested in becoming one." "Didn''t you tell me that you are the only son of your parents? if you don''t have an heir your parent''s lineage will end with you." "Let it end," "You really not interested in things like marriage or children or family," "Are you interested in it?" "No." "Why?" "And you guys didn''t report it?" Han Ze Min''s inquired again, "Shu Li Li didn''t want to make it into a police case, but we talked to the building security and replaced him." "After that incident, have you ever seen that man again?" As soon as Feng Tian Wei concluded, Wan Yi Jun turned his gaze towards his team members, "You said that there were people who stole Shu Li Li''s chances. Do you know who are they?" Han Ze Min asked as if he got reminded about the people who might have any kind of hatred towards the victim, all of a sudden. "I''m not sure about it. But there is a senior in Li Li''s modelling agency named Cai Hong, she used to bully Shu Li Li a lot and even tried to sabotage her name because of her relationship with Ken Wong." "Isn''t he Shu Li Li''s boyfriend?" Fei Yan asked as a matter of fact. He was the one who took the witness statement of the man who got injured by the culprit while trying to save Shu Li Li. "The star photographer?" "Ken Wong? No. He is not Li Li''s boyfriend." She paused for a moment and continued in a low voice, "They are more like friends with benefits." Feng Tian Wei''s declaration hit the room like a lightning. None of them expected such a turn of events. It was nearly impossible to believe the man who introduced himself as Shu Li Li''s boyfriend. However, while everyone was churning their brains because of the new information, Wan Yi Jun was actually worried about something else. He clearly heard the name of Shu Li Li''s bully senior. It was a person with whom he was acquainted- Cai Hong, Zhi Lan''s best friend. Han Ze Min who noticed his captain''s worried face understood that something amiss, tried to ask the question that was bubbling in everyone''s mind. "I don''t want to sound like an old geezer, but miss Feng, what you have said about Shu Li Li''s innocent character and these facts are somewhat contradictory to each other?" Though he sounded plain, for some reason it provoked Feng Tian Wei and she immediately retorted back. "We just asked a doubt, nothing else, miss Feng." Han Ze Min tried to reason, but Feng Tian Wei was not ready to quit as she continued to argue back. "I''m really sorry, Miss Feng. We didn''t mean to hurt you by any means. It is just...happened like that, we are extremely sorry." "Hmm. sorry, officer. I was just being overly sensitive because of Shu Li Li''s death. All these news reporters and all those comments on the internet. It just breaks my heart. These people, don''t they have a heart? At least can''t they think about her parents? Who would like to hear about their beloved daughter?" "We can understand your concern, Miss Feng. All we can assure is that we will find out the truth and bring the culprit of Shu Li Li''s murder." "Hmm, thank you, sir." "Shu Li Li''s belongings are still in your apartment, right?" "Yes. I need to hand over her belongings to her parents, too." "If it is possible, can we go through her stuff for investigation purposes?" "I don''t have a problem with that, but her parents, shouldn''t we ask them at least once? "We have already got their permission. It won''t be a problem and we will only search your house only when you are present at the site." "Captain, me and Shen Junru will go with officer Han and submit the report." "Yes, captain. I will also go with them. You go home." "I don-" "I will take care of this murder case as we decided earlier, either you go and check on that drug peddler or just go home." "Hmm, okay." "Bing Wen, let''s try to track Yan Zhi Hao''s location." "Captain, why don''t you home, I will take care of it." "It''s office hours, why do I have to go home?" "No, it is not like that, captain. You have been staying in the office for the last few days, and you look sleep-deprived, and all of us are worried that you might fall sick because of this case." "Officer Fei, I''m completely alright. I have-" "Excuse me, yes Wan Yi Jun is here. Oh yes, miss Ming. Where are you, right now? Yeah, I''m free today. Do you remember the way to my home? Should I pick you up? Yeah, I will be there in thirty minutes, yep sure. Just wait in front of your grandma''s restuarant. Somewhere else? Yeah, no I don''t have a problem." "I need to go home. It''s an emergency." "Are you expecting any visitor, captain?" Chapter 46 - Lets Stay Together, Forever UNEDITED CHAPTER- "I was joking, master." Ming Yue snorted as she struggled to control her laughter when she saw Wan Yi Jun''s dumbfounded face. She couldn''t believe that he was so easily gullible even though he was a police officer. However, oblivious to her thoughts, Wan Yi Jun was tangled in the excruciating memories from his past, just because of Ming Yue''s careless remark. "Master, are you alright?" She asked in concern when she received no response from the man who remained frozen at the spot. She gently waved her hands and tried to pull him from the dazed state. "Did I scare you, master? I was only joking." Ming Yue added without any delay, Hearing her words, a heavy sigh fell from Wan Yi Jun''s mouth as he reached out for water. After taking a gulp, he looked directly into Ming Yue''s indifferent face and cleared his throat as if he was about to give her a lecture. "I don''t know whether you are joking or not, but you will be safe here." Wan Yi Jun reassured her with a beaming smile. He could easily figure out that she might be worried since she would be alone in the mansion for most of the time. Anyone would have felt the same if they were asked to stay alone in a huge mansion with any security measures. "For your concerns, I will ask someone to double-check the fire alarms and maybe buy some house slippers with grip. And above all, let me fix the security system here. Is that alright, miss Ming?" However, Ming Yue''s response was a little different from what Wan Yi Jun expected from the girl whose forehead creased in confusion. "I''m not worried about my life, master. I''m worried about yours." She corrected in a voice so aloof, but for some reason, Wan Yi Jun felt a tiny teeny bit of care and concern glinting in her dark eyes. "It''s obvious that your family is rich, then why do this dangerous job, master?" Ming Yue gently tilted her head and asked the question, bubbling in her mind when she found out that young master Wan became a police officer instead of following his father''s career path. "I''m not so fond of taking care of family business," He answered while wrinkling his nose like a naive child. However, Ming Yue who wasn''t satisfied with his answer continued to probe more, As far as she remembered, Wan corporation, as well as HK Corporation, were two major business groups with a million dollar turnover, but she had no idea why Wan Yi Jun chose to become a police officer. "Why? Does your family own some shady business?" She asked in a half-joking tone, even though she was aware of the answer more than anyone else. "Hmm...But not anymore." He replied in the same tone and shifted his gaze towards his plate. It was something he highly wished to avoid discussing, and obviously, Ming Yue, who doesn''t know to quit, went ahead with her interrogation, "Oh really, I thought that W international was your company." Ming Yue inquired when she recalled the company where Wan Yi Jun asked her to search for a job. "No, it runs by someone I know." He corrected while trying to focus on his meal. "Hey, don''t lie, you cannot simply recommend someone with no experience to a corporate office unless you own a huge part of their shares." Ming Yue asked in a curious tone. No matter, how hard she tried she couldn''t find any direct links with Wan Yi Jun and W international. So she decided to throw bait on him. However, this time, Wan Yi Jun was too vigilant to fall for her tricks and spill the secret to this curious maid who was very much interested in his work and personal life, more than the work in the mansion. But instead of confronting her straight away, he simply brushed off her questions with a sarcastic question. "Why do you sound like some secret officer from the anti-corruption bureau who came to check up on me? Officer, I can assure you that I hold no unauthorized assets or properties." He threw a humouristic "Do I look I secret officer, master? Then that will be the best compliment I have ever received in my life." "Do you want to become a police officer, miss Ming?" "No...no...I Still haven''t started to enjoy my life yet, and I don''t want to spend the rest of my life going through danger every day. "Yeah...but, don''t worry, our country is not that dangerous to live in." "Then why did you say that you don''t become a father?" "I wonder how both of them are related?" "I heard somewhere that some animals won''t think even think about mating unless their environment is safe." "I don''t understand." "You are someone who does a dangerous job. Someone who has every chance to die in a mission one day. What''s the point of having a family or becoming a father if you know that you won''t be there for them. Isn''t it the reason?" "Do you want to marry me, miss Ming?" "What?" "Marriage, you know two people-" "I know what''s meant by ''marriage'', master." "Do you want to get married, miss Ming?" "No, absolutely not...ah....you are asking me the same question that I asked earlier, aren''t you." "You are smarter than I expected," "Is that a compliment or an insult?" "Feel free to accept as you like, miss Ming. But please do, answer." "I have no intentions to marry you or any other man in the world, master." "Why?" "Didn''t we promise each other that we won''t cross our boundaries and show interest in our personal lives?" "You were right, miss Ming. One of my fears is that I might end up like my father if I get married and have a couple of children. "Well, not everyone ends up like their parents, master. Some people might change because of the environment they grew up in. Who knows you are different from your father? "Have you ever thought about getting married and starting a family, miss Ming?" "No." "No? When I heard you speaking about family and children, I thought you are-" "Family, children- I''m not meant for that...We, courtesans, are only meant to be someone''s mistresses, not the madam of a house." "So you are not getting married?" "No." n for taking such a difficult decision?" Ming Yue asked without any second thoughts, only to pour oil into Wan Yi Jun''s burning mind. "You better not." Wan Yi Jun warned and crossed his arms over his chest as if he was putting high guards over him. As soon as Ming Yue heard his answer, her shapely eyebrows knit together in confusion and blurted out something which Wan Yi Jun hated the most. "Are you perhaps not interested in marriage-" Watching his agitated demeanour, Ming Yue finally realized that there was no need to bombard him with questions and agreed without any protests. "Yes, sure. I''m sorry that I overstepped my boundaries. Please, take rest, master. I will start my work, then." She politely bowed her head and apologized, "Hmm, please don''t ever repeat it." He reminded the girl once again and extended his car key towards her. "I brought some groceries and other necessities, and it''s in the trunk." "I will get it, master." She took the car key from him and walked out of the mansion to pick up the groceries. By the time she returned with plenty of grocery bags, Wan Yi Jun was nowhere to be seen. "It seems like young master Wan didn''t change much from his old self." She scoffed while looking at the closed door of the bedroom. "No matter how he pretends to be gentle and affectionate to fool others, his real aloof and forbearing personality will never leave him." She mumbled in her head before storming towards the kitchen, carrying the groceries. "I should apologize to her." Wan Yi Jun made up his mind and got out of the shower after spending a considerable amount of time in the name of cooling down his temper. Also, it has been quite a few days since he had a proper bath as he was busy with his work. After deciding to rest up for a few hours and go back to work, Wan Yi Jun got dressed in a pair of loungewear, He was a benevolent and affectionate gentleman who did so many good deeds and saved several lives. But when someone mentions fatherhood or even a great husband, he will become in the future, Wan Yi Jun had a hard time hiding his detest and disinterest. "Young master Wan doesn''t want to become a father?" Ming Yue couldn''t help but wonder for a minute. She clearly remembered the beautiful woman whom she saw with Wan Yi Jun in the club, a few days ago. He had a girlfriend, and his family want him to get married, too. Then why did he appear so angry? "Can I ask the reaso Chapter 47 - I Will Leave UNEDITED VERSION Even after ending their discussion regarding marriage and family, Wan Yi Jun couldn''t quite agree with Ming Yue words as he thought more about it. He had already finished eating his food, but he refused to leave the dining table as if he wanted to get a clarification from the girl who just told him that she wasn''t interested in getting married. When he heard her talking about family and children, he thought she was someone who gives importance to marriage and relationships. No matter, how emotionless she seemed, he believed that deep inside her heart, Ming Yue also had motherly affection and undying hope of owning a family. However, her opinion literally contradicted whatever Wan Yi Jun guessed about her, and he couldn''t help but probe more like a gossipmonger. It was his first time meeting a girl who never cared about having a family or being in a relationship. Almost every woman he met so far, even his mother and Zhi Lan, had dreams of getting married and raising children when they were the same age as Ming Yue, "You don''t want to get married?" Wan Yi Jun asked in a doubting tone, slightly worrying whether he sounded too offensive and pushy. No matter how much he tried, he couldn''t accept her decision, especially since Ming Yue was a poor orphan with no family or friends whatsoever. But Ming Yue didn''t even care for a bit as he wobbled her head in denial. "No? When I heard you speaking about family and children, I thought you are-" Even before he could finish, Ming Yue interrupted Wan Yi Jun with her reasons for choosing such a decision. "Family, children- I''m not meant for that, master." She stated in a voice so clear and unflinching, "We, courtesans, are only meant to be someone''s mistresses, not the madam of a house." Ming Yue reminded once again about her upbringing and the life she lived so far. Even though, history documents describe courtesans as entertainers who existed to meet the needs of upper-classmen by providing company and often sexual pleasures to those who could not respectably be seen to visit a lower-class prostitute. But the time has changed, now. Imperial no longer hosts a Courtesan house nor allows a woman to become a courtesan. "That''s not a reason." "People do care about social statuses, master. Especially men, they can never accept a woman from such an upbringing and have questionable past." "But your lady got married," "They never married. Master used to be my lady''s Patreon while we were in the courtesan house. Apart from all the physical relationships, they had an emotional bond that allowed them to stay together and have a baby." "Oh, they were in love?" "A damsel in distress and a Knight in silver armour, they were made for each other." "Do you have a knight in silver armour?" "I used to be a damsel in distress, but right now, I''m my own knight in silver armour." "Huh, I understood. You hate the idea of being in a relationship, don''t you?" "Didn''t we tell that we will not-" "Oh wow, so there is someone whom you like?" "No." "Don''t worry. I will not ask anything more about that special someone unless you want to talk about it." "If I had a special someone, do you think that I would go looking for work in a brothel? I have never experienced any romantic feelings in my life. They taught me to serve and entertain people for money." "Didn''t you tell me that you have never been a courtesan? Then why do you bother about it? You can live however you want. You can fall in love with someone, marry him, have children and grow old together. You can do everything a woman does in this world. There is no need to cling to your past. Let the bygones be gone." "Master, I think you are in the wrong career. You should have become a lawyer. You are too good at twisting facts and creating new truths." "Creating new truths? Whatever I said was normal things that people do." "Then why aren''t you doing these normal things?" "Miss Meng, I think you have every quality to become a lawyer. It''s not late yet, why don''t you try finishing high school?" "Master, I wanted to ask you earlier, why are you so obsessed about sending me to the school? Are you feeling already burdened by me so that you are ambiguously looking for ways to fire me?" "Hmm, understood, master." "Master and maid never eat at the same table." "Why did you make these many foods? I can''t finish this alone." "I will remember to make fewer quantities next time. "One thing I hate is eating alone. So please," "It''s delicious." "It is just a simple meal, master. You must have been hungry to call it delicious." "No...I have been eating out or delivering food, all the time. I''m having homely meals after a long time. So thank you." "You never cook at home?" "I used to cook my meals before I joined ETF." "ETF?" "Emergency task force." "I thought you are a normal detective." "I used to be a normal detective, but I got promoted last year to the emergency task force." "How''s it different?" "ETF specializes in direct action, special reconnaissance and surveillance, hostage rescue, protective security, foreign internal defence and other high-value tasks." "Wow, I didn''t understand a single thing." "Hahaha, If I''m in the military, my position would be somewhat equal to a commando." "So your job is risky." "Well, is there any easy job? every job is risky if look from a different angle.." "Hmm, but yours is a bit riskier since you handle high-risk situations that can be dangerous to one''s life?" "Yeah...but, don''t worry, our country is not that dangerous to live in." "Then why did you say that you don''t become a father?" "I wonder how both of them are related?" "I heard somewhere that some animals won''t think even think about mating unless their environment is safe." "I don''t understand." "You are someone who does a dangerous job. Someone who has every chance to die in a mission, one day. What''s the point of having a family or becoming a father if you know that you won''t be there for them. Isn''t it the reason?" "Do you want to marry me, miss Ming?" "What?" "Marriage, you know two people-" "I know what''s meant by ''marriage'', master." "Do you want to get married, miss Ming?" "No, absolutely not...ah....you are asking me the same question that I asked earlier, aren''t you." "You are smarter than I expected," "Is that a compliment or an insult?" "Feel free to accept as you like, miss Ming. But please do, answer." "I have no intentions to marry you or any other man in the world, master." "Why?" "Didn''t we promise each other that we won''t cross our boundaries and show interest in our personal lives?" "You were right, miss Ming. I fear that I might end up like my father if I get married and have a couple of children." "Well, not everyone ends up like their parents, master. Some people might change because of the environment they grew up in." "Excuse me, sir. I''m Feng Tian Wei." The woman introduced herself as soon as Fei Yan asked her to come inside. "You are Shu Li Li''s roommate, right?" Lao Yating who was quick to recognize the woman asked her to take a seat and volunteered to inform their captain. "He is not here yet?" A voice so deep and profound doused in sarcasm rang in the room, gathering everyone towards the man who appeared at the doorstep, As everyone expected, it was Han Ze Min, that too holding a coffee carrier in his hand. It was a bit odd to see a person like him, bringing coffee for everyone like an errand boy. Though he was a new addition to the eagle team, by his rank and service history, he was superior to any of them in the room. "No, captain Wan is in the resting room. I will get him." Lao Yating quickly replied and almost rushed in the direction of the resting area for the police officers. "How long have you known Shu-Li Li?" He took a seat opposite to her and asked without wasting any time. "More than three years, sir. I met her when I came to the university. Even though we belonged to different departments, we ended up becoming best friends through the collaborative projects we had to do. I''m a photography major, and she was a fashion designing student. Most of the time, we used to help each other." Feng Tian Wei replied in a crystal clear voice. "I assume that both of you are from the same place." Chapter 48 - I Want To Look After You There were only very few instances in Ming Yue''s life where she lost her cool and acts out of her character. Given her position in the clan, everyone made sure not to piss her off, and even her family avoided getting into her bad side. It was a well-known fact among the clan members that only those people who were tired of living would get on to the witch''s bad side. It wouldn''t be a lie to say that she always maintained an upper hand over her opponents, especially over men. Every time she meets a strong enemy, she looks for their weaknesses and uses them as a weapon to destroy them. Or even worse, she let them annihilate themselves. She planned the same for Wan Yi Jun, too. Ming Yue searched for his weakness so that she could use it as a tool against him and escape in case of an emergency. But her calculations went absolutely wrong while executing the plan in person. Unlike her previous opponents, it wasn''t so easy to play mind games with Wan Yi Jun, who retaliated with the same methods to keep her under check. And the belated realization of finding out his weakness only comes at the expense of sharing her damned secrets forced her to make a decision. Either to confide or to leave the mansion, So she took the last weapon she could use on Wan Yi Jun to stop him from looking for her past- To emotionally manipulate her naive and caring master, "If you want me to leave the house, I will do it right away, master." Ming Yue repeated in a voice so mellow yet sharp. "You were kind enough to give me a job after seeing me at the worst. However, If you think that I''m unqualified to work here, it''s better that I leave before I become a burden." She made sure to put her best act to persuade Wan Yi Jun at any cost. Not only the stay at Wisteria gardens would help her to keep an eye on the police investigation, but it would be the best cover for her mission. It was like two birds with a single shot. Hearing her words, Wan Yi Jun touched his forehead in frustration and took a deep breath before opening his mouth to admit the real reason behind their conversation. "Miss Meng, I was just giving you a sneak peek at the possible questions you will have to answer soon." For a moment, Ming Yue couldn''t comprehend what she heard and stared blankly at the man who stood before her. "I didn''t get you, master?" "Soon or later, we will have visitors in this house. No matter how much we explain our relationship, it will be a little hard for them to accept that a man and a woman are living together under the same roof." Wan Yi Jun explained the reason behind the awkward conversation they had a moment ago. It was true that he was worried about the possible rumours that might spread within his family when Han Ze Min or someone else heard that there was a young and beautiful maid in the wisteria gardens. He wanted to make sure that Ming Yue was strong enough to answer all wicked questions that she might face in the future. Also, it wouldn''t be a lie, if he tried to double-check the character of his so-called maid doesn''t have any ulterior motives that include any possible "romantic feelings." "So, consider this as a pep talk." "Master, are you worried that someone might mistake me as your mistress?"Ming Yue''s eyebrows knitted together as she contemplated over the topic, only to let out a self-deprecating scoff. "Good lord! master, are you really that dumb?" She asked the man who stood unflinching even after hearing her remarks, "We are so different from each other, like the sky and earth. Anyone with a brain could easily tell that we-no" She paused in midsentence and studied Wan Yi Jun''s extremely striking good looks and towering figure as if she was looking at some kind artwork, Of course, he looked dog tired, but that doesn''t minimize his charm. He was definitely one of the best creations of God. "Nope...I don''t stand a chance as your mistress." She shrugged her shoulders and stated in an appreciating tone without any reluctance. After all, she was very much aware of the existence of Wan Yi Jun''s girlfriend, who was way better than her. "Well, thanks for the compliment, Miss Ming." Wan Yi Jun said while trying hard to keep a straight face after hearing her honest remark. It wasn''t the first time he received praise for his good lucks, but the way she compared both of them was the thing that made him laugh. Does Ming Yue really consider herself a mediocre girl, or does she want others to tell her that she is an absolutely gorgeous woman? "But not everyone would think like you. Some people are looking for a way to throw shades at me. Even if you swear that we don''t stand a chance as a couple, it won''t matter to them." Wan Yi Jun corrected with her a smile. Since Han Ze Min was following him like a shadow and reporting everything to grandma, he doesn''t want to take a chance in ruining his life. "I don''t understand why you are worrying about others'' opinions?" Ming Yue jokingly asked. She couldn''t believe that the almighty young master Wan feared people''s judgements so much that he was ready to give her a pep talk. "You are a man. Nothing will happen to you, even if you lead a promiscuous life. It''s your house. It''s your life." She added in a casual tone as if it was no big deal. Even if he gets kicked out of the police department, he has money to live like a King. And As far as she knows there wasn''t anyone in Wan Yi Jun''s family other than his mother to care about his life and relationships. Since his mother was abroad, Wan Yi Jun was a free bird, without worrying about anything. "I don''t care about what they talk about me. But that won''t be the case if they drag you into this mess. I don''t want anyone to target you and ruin your life." Wan Yi Jun spoke in a voice, so gentle and affectionate as if he really meant whatever he said about his maid. However, Ming Yue couldn''t gawp in disbelief when she heard something unexpected from him. "Are you worried about me, an orphan?" She pointed her index finger at herself and asked in a doubting tone. "What exactly wrong with this man? Why is he hellbound on protecting some random woman when he already has a girlfriend? Isn''t he worried that his actions might ruin his relationship with his girlfriend.?" She couldn''t help but wonder whether he was loyal to his girlfriend or not. "I know that you are someone who prefers to take care of yourself. But Miss Ming, as long as you stay here as a maid, it''s my responsibility to make sure that you stay safe and happy." Wan Yi Jun assured and gently nodded his head as if he was seeking the same from her. "Hmm, thank you, master. I will work my best, too." She replied half dazedly before pointing at the dishes in the sink, "If that''s all, can I go back to my work?" "Yep, and I will take a nap. Can you wake me up in an hour or two, miss Ming? I need to go back to the office." Wan Yi Jun requested as he finally decided to conclude their conversation. He came to Wisteria gardens only because he wanted to give Ming Yue a briefing about her duties as a maid. He was supposed to return before Han Ze Min and the team report their findings at the headquarters. "When will you come back, master? Should I prepare your dinner before I go home?" Ming Yue asked an obvious question, just stay true to her role as the maid, "Or Should I pack food for you, then?" "No. There is no need for that. I normally don''t eat dinner." Wan Yi Jun refused her offer, right away. He wasn''t sure whether he could return home tonight, and asking Ming Yue to pack food would be even more awkward with Han Ze Min lurks in the office. "You skip breakfast, and you never eat dinner. No wonder you look so tired all the time." She sighed and nodded in agreement, "It''s because of my work....I...I " Wan Yi Jun tried to use his usual excuse, but only to get looked down on by the girl who stood before him with a pair of judging eyes. "Yes, yes, I know." Chapter 49 - The Cursed Family After two hours, Ming Yue woke Wan Yi Jun from his sleep, as per his request. Even though she has seen people working overtime, watching him returning to work without any proper rest was a bit shocking for her. Especially since she was very much aware of his childhood and how he grew up as the young master of Wan family. It was unbelievable for her to accept that Wan Yi Jun''s career tremendously affected his conceited personality more than anything else. Even though she could see some traces of the arrogant and aloof young master Wan in him, he has changed for good. "Master, are you going to stay in this room from now on or should I prepare some other room, perhaps on the first floor?" Ming Yue asked as soon as she glanced at the simple bedroom where he slept. It was the same room that she used when she came to wisteria gardens a couple of days ago. She couldn''t help but wonder what happened to the eccentric germophobic millionaire boy in her memories. "I think that''s not necessary, miss Ming. The construction workers will come in the morning to finish the rest of the renovation. You can choose one room as you wish when the work is over." He reminded with a smile that she doesn''t need to move a leg till the mansion gets renovated. "Hmm, yes, master. I will take leave." She agreed without any protests. After all, she can''t keep any spyware unless she knows about the rooms where Wan Yi Jun keeps his stuff. "I''m not sure if I will be home tomorrow. Can you keep an eye on the workers? Last time they left in the middle of the work." Wan Yi Jun requested the girl who was about to leave his room. "Hmm, I will check upon them, don''t worry." She assured him with an enigmatic smile that hid her dark intentions regarding the destruction of the Wisteria gardens. She was sure that overseeing the mansion''s renovation work was the best way to learn more about the secrets buried deep inside this compound. "Ahhh...Miss Ming, please get ready. I will drop you at home." Wan Yi Jun offered when he suddenly remembered that he could give her a ride to the city. "Yes, master." When Wan Yi Jun came ready to leave, Ming Yue had already wrapped her work and waited for him next to the door, holding a carry bag. Though he felt something amiss, he brushed it off and locked the mansion''s door before moving towards his car. "Master, where should I keep this?" Ming Yue extended the bag to the man, who looked at her with a pair of dubious eyes. "Some dumplings and soup. I assume that there will be some facility to heat food in your office." As soon as Wan Yi Jun heard her casual words, he couldn''t help but look at her as if he saw some alien. When was the last time someone packed food for him? In high school or middle school? Even he was not sure about it. "Miss Ming, thank you...but...I...I don''t normally eat dinner." To be honest, Wan Yi Jun didn''t even know how to react to her generous actions. He had already told her not to prepare any dinner, didn''t he? Then what''s with this huge bag full of food? "It''s not dinner, master. It''s more like a snack. Don''t worry, I have packed more. You can eat it with your colleagues." Ming Yue said as if it was no big deal. "Hmm, thanks." Wan Yi Jun took the bag from her and carefully placed it in the back seat. "Please, get in." As soon as Ming Yue got into the car, he started the engine and drove away from the majestic Wisteria gardens. Unlike their last journey to the city, this time, Wan Yi Jun didn''t have any hesitations to drive with a woman, and surprisingly, Ming Yue even initiated a conversation with him, that too something he never expected from her. She asked about his cars. "Is this your favourite car? The one you always uses?" She inquired with childlike innocence. "I don''t have favourites, miss Ming, but yeah...This is one I''m using nowadays." "Does that mean you have other cars?" Ming Yue probed more as if she was very much interested in automobiles. "Hmm, I have a few cars. But it is kept somewhere else, with someone who could use it more than me." "You gave cars to others?" Ming Yue''s eyes widened, and trust me, she was literally shocked by his statement. She wasn''t sure about Wan Yi Jun, but as far as she knew, almost every automobile lovers hesitate to hand over their precious ''babies'' to someone else. "Yes. What''s the need of leaving them in the garage to rust?" Wan Yi Jun made a casual remark and glanced at Ming Yue''s bewildered face. Watching various emotions change on her usual stone face and the awkward silence, it was evident that she was someone who loves cars. Even before he knew it, the corners of his mouth bloomed into a sweet smile. "Do you know how to drive?" He inquired the girl who was still in puzzlement and she gave an answer that he was expecting too. "No." Ming Yue lied without any hesitations. Thanks to her big brother who was an ardent car lover and racing car champion, she also developed a humungous love for automobiles. But that was something Wan Yi Jun doesn''t need to know. "I rode a taxi only two years, ago." "Do you want to learn?" Wan Yi Jun''s question came without any delay and Ming Yue who got any idea of his personality by now could easily figure out what he was aiming at. "Are you trying to send me to a driving school, now?" She jokingly asked. Since she was pretending like a poor orphan, it was obvious that her kind-hearted master wanted to play the guardian angel''s role. "Haha, no. If you are interested, I can teach you." He corrected while breaking into a peal of laughter. "Says someone who doesn''t have time to have food or to write an employment contract." "Yes, but you are going to stay in the outskirts of the city from now on. Even to get some vegetables, you have to travel at least two kilometres, so it is better to take driving classes. Otherwise, it will be difficult for both of us?" "I want to ask you earlier too. Why are you living in the outskirts?" "It''s my home." " With your money and influence, you could have stayed somewhere within the city itself? Somewhere, a bit populated?" "Are you bothered about the location of the mansion, or are you worried that you will be staying in a place somewhat haunted and spooky?" "No. Not at all. I was just curious. Usually, people tend to live somewhere every necessity is easily available." "Do you believe in ghost''s or any supernatural beings, miss Ming?" "I don''t believe unless I see one." "Good. because that it is a place where hundreds of people got murdered, especially in the vicinities of the wisteria gardens." "Really?" "It used to be an old capital city where the royal family and aristocrats lived for centuries. However, the last king shifted the state capital to the south and asked everyone to join him, not my ancestors." "Why?" "He was a bit jealous of the authority and power my ancestors had in the country. He feared that the Wan family might murder him and usurp the throne. So he used to send assassins to kill the entire Wan family?" "And they never succeeded?" "They tried their best, though." "And the king? What happened to him?" "My great, great grandfather made a revolution and killed the king." "So is it the king''s ghost roams around your mansion?" "I''m not sure either. But according to the gossip/ beliefs in the old aristocratic families, the wisteria garden is a cursed place since the land got soaked by the blood of several soldiers and assassins." "But we live in the twenty-first century, and does people still believe in such stories?" "Of course, they do believe in these stories when they have clear evidence of the doom that was hovering around the Wan family." "What evidence?" "The mad king cursed that none of the male heirs of Wan clan will die a peaceful death." "And you believe it too?" "I never want to believe it, but no one in my family lived long enough to prove it wrong. As his curse, every male born in the Wan family got murdered or killed themselves, including my father." "You were kind enough to give me a job after seeing me at the worst. However, If you think that I''m unqualified to work here, it''s better that I leave before I become a burden." She made sure to put her best act to persuade Wan Yi Jun at any cost.. Not only the stay at Wisteria gardens would help her to keep an eye on the police investigation, but it would be the best cover for her mission. Chapter 50 - Plan B UNEDITED- PLEASE WAIT FOR 1 HOUR Even though Wan Yi Jun offered to drive Ming Yue home, she refused and got down at the city centre. She doesn''t want her brothers to see how nicely her master treats his maid, especially Kousuke. Kousuke was literally the eyes and ears of the short-tempered monster left behind in Daisun. Even if he hides Wan Yi Jun''s existence from Tora for her sake, there is no guarantee that he will take the secret to his grave. One day or another, he might end up spilling the truth, and that''s something she doesn''t want to happen. Though she often talks about other men to annoy Tora, he never took it to heart since he knew no one would stand a chance against him. However, that won''t be the same case if he hears about Wan Yi Jun. Even if she doesn''t want to acknowledge it, indeed, he was one of the good looking men she has ever met. Tora would go crazy if he ever learns that his woman is getting associated with someone handsome like Wan Yi Jun, that too, a police officer. It wouldn''t even take a minute for him to get a flight to imperial and show his authority over her. In her 25 years of life, no one has ever been so possessive about her, not even her family, but Tora was an exception. When it comes to Ming Yue, he always made sure to keep all of his potential rivals away from her. Such a green-eyed monster won''t listen even if she swears her loyalty. So it is better to be cautious from the beginning and keep Wan Yi Jun away from the boys. By the time Ming Yue took a taxi to house, it was nearly twilight and as she expected, Kousuke and Yojiro were already waiting for her. "Nechan, why can''t you take the phone calls? We were so worried about you?" Kousuke, who sat on the stairs to the rooftop house, almost jumped up as soon as Ming Yue appeared before him. "You called me? Sorry, I forgot to take my phone when I went outside." She casually replied and walked past to enter the house. "What do you mean by forgetting your phone? How can you forget something so important? How can you be so irresponsible?" Kousuke, who got literally angry by her words, quickly reprimanded her as if she had done something terribly wrong. "Sorry." Ming Yue said in an aloof tone while removing her sling bag without paying much attention to Kousuke''s tantrums. She knew that Kousuke would try to call her a thousand times to check upon her and easily blow her cover before Wan Yi Jun. "Sorry? You are sorry, now? Do you have any idea how worried we were?" Kousuke asked his sister, who completely ignored him while washing her face. "Yoji, why are you standing there like a stray crow?" As usual, he dragged the silent Yojiro to take his side. Unlike him, Yojiro looked calm and even got a cup of coffee for Ming Yue who returned home, tired and weak. Ming Yue smilingly took the coffee mug from him and sat on the couch as if nothing had happened. Just as Kousuke opened his mouth to continue with chiding Ming Yue, he finally meddled in the conversation. "How did it go?" He asked the girl who was silently sipping her black coffee. "Did you plant them?" "No. He rarely stays home, so planting a bug won''t make any difference." She replied while glancing at her sling bag. In order to spy on Wan Yi Jun, Yojiro handed over some voice recorders and button cameras when Ming Yue decided to work as a maid. However, after watching the state of Wisteria gardens and young master Wan''s busy lifestyle she felt that there is no point in bugging his house. "We need to look for some other ways or bug his office room." As soon as the words fell from Ming Yue''s mouth, Kousuke stared at her in incredulous disbelief and shock. However, the rest of the two people in the room kept on talking as if Kousuke was invisible. "How about installing spyware on his phone? But you have to steal his phone, first." Yojiro began to explain his plan B which was apparently effective but riskier than anything else. "Wait for two days, let me see if he brings his laptop home." Ming Yue added with an expressionless face in her pretty face. Since Wan Yi Jun had no time to empty his bags and arrange his things, she doesn''t want to go through his stuff and create any doubts. "What do you think, Kousuke?" Yojiro tilted his head and looked at Kousuke who sat there dumbfounded. Didn''t he hear it wrong? Aa "What are you saying Nechan? Plant a bug in the police headquarters? It''s impossible. Last time, when we followed the team, we nearly escaped from a shoot out." "Ne chan, it is not late yet. We still can leave." "If you want to leave, you can, but I won''t return to Daisun until the mission gets over." "That police officer is too dangerous, Nechan. He had never lost a case in his entire service history, and guess what Yoji found about him today." "He is gathering information about the mafia clans in Daisun. Almost every case he had investigated for the past few months were related to the smaller clans in Daisun. For some reason, I feel that the imperial police force is planning something huge." "We should leave this place as soon as possible." "If they are planning something huge, then it''s better to stay here and nip it in the beginning." "NeChan, that''s dangerous. We are short membered, and what if we get caught? I swear, even God won''t be able to save us from the prisons." "If God can''t help us, then we should ask the devil." "Ne Chan, please listen to us. They won''t differentiate between men, and women...no one knows what they will do to you...if they catchs you..." "No one knows what I will do to them either." Hearing her words, Wan Yi Jun touched his forehead in frustration and took a deep breath before opening his mouth to admit the real reason behind their conversation. "Miss Meng, I was just giving you a sneak peek at the possible questions you will have to answer soon." "You were kind enough to give me a job after seeing me at the worst. However, If you think that I''m unqualified to work here, it''s better that I leave before I become a burden." She made sure to put her best act to persuade Wan Yi Jun at any cost. Not only the stay at Wisteria gardens would help her to keep an eye on the police investigation, but it would be the best cover for her mission. It was like two birds with a single shot. For a moment, Ming Yue couldn''t comprehend what she heard and stared blankly at the man who stood before her. "I didn''t get you, master?" It was true that he was worried about the possible rumours that might spread within his family when Han Ze Min or someone else heard that there was a young and beautiful maid in the wisteria gardens. "So, consider this as a pep talk." "Master, are you worried that someone might mistake me as your mistress?"Ming Yue''s eyebrows knitted together as she contemplated over the topic, only to let out a self-deprecating scoff. "Good lord! master, are you really that dumb?" She asked the man who stood unflinching even after hearing her remarks, Of course, he looked dog tired, but that doesn''t minimize his charm. He was definitely one of the best creations of God. "Nope...I don''t stand a chance as your mistress." She shrugged her shoulders and stated in an appreciating tone without any reluctance. After all, she was very much aware of the existence of Wan Yi Jun''s girlfriend, who was way better than her. "Well, thanks for the compliment, Miss Ming." Wan Yi Jun said while trying hard to keep a straight face after hearing her honest remark. It wasn''t the first time he received praise for his good lucks, but the way she compared both of them was the thing that made him laugh. Does Ming Yue really consider herself a mediocre girl, or does she want others to tell her that she is an absolutely gorgeous woman? "I don''t understand why you are worrying about others'' opinions?" Ming Yue jokingly asked. She couldn''t believe that the almighty young master Wan feared people''s judgements so much that he was ready to give her a pep talk. "I don''t care about what they talk about me. But that won''t be the case if they drag you into this mess. I don''t want anyone to target you and ruin your life." Wan Yi Jun spoke in a voice, so gentle and affectionate as if he really meant whatever he said about his maid. However, Ming Yue couldn''t gawp in disbelief when she heard something unexpected from him. "Are you worried about me, an orphan?" She pointed her index finger at herself and asked in a doubting tone. "What exactly wrong with this man? Why is he hellbound on protecting some random woman when he already has a girlfriend? Isn''t he worried that his actions might ruin his relationship with his girlfriend.?" She couldn''t help but wonder whether he was loyal to his girlfriend or not. "Hmm, thank you, master. I will work my best, too." She replied half dazedly before pointing at the dishes in the sink, "If that''s all, can I go back to my work?" "When will you come back, master? Should I prepare your dinner before I go home?" Ming Yue asked an obvious question, just stay true to her role as the maid, "Or Should I pack food for you, then?" Chapter 51 - The Girlfriend "CBy the time Wan Yi Jun reached the police headquarters, apart from Han Ze Min and Lao Yating, the rest of the eagle team members were already present in the office room. It was quite a surprise for Bing Wen, who thought that Wan Yi Jun would have decided to take a break and rest for today. He never thought that his workaholic captain would return to the office in the night when the rest of the people might leave work and go home. "This man is nuts," He muttered under his breath as he stood up from his chair to greet his superior officer. Shen Junru, who was equally surprised to see Wan Yi Jun at the office, tilted his head and glanced at Bing Wen in confusion. All of them were informed that their Captain went home after getting a phone call that seemed something personal reasons, if that''s true, then who is this man standing in their office? Well, Wan Yi Jun''s demeanour looked much better than before as if he took some effort to groom himself into a ''human'' "Did he go for a date?" That was the first doubt that popped up in Shen Junru''s mind. There were no other possibilities for them to associate with a workaholic like Wan Yi Jun, leaving the office in the middle of the work. Bing Wen who witnessed their captain''s flustered emotions during the phone call, even did some guessing, a level higher than the rest of the team and bet that Wan Yi Jun went to meet his girlfriend. "Captian, why are you here? I thought you went home?" Shen Junru asked while hiding his surprise with an emotionless face. "Yes, I went home. Take this," Wan Yi Jun said something vague and extended the carry bag towards the other with a slight hue of shyness on his handsome face. "What''s it, captain?" Shen Junru unknowingly asked as he took the bag and peeked a little inside to find some bento boxes and a huge thermos flask. "Some dumplings and soup." Wan Yi Jun replied while trying to hide his reddened face from his teammates. Though he has brought meals for his teammates, it was the first time he brought some food from home. "Eat it before it gets cold," "Captain, you are a lifesaver. I didn''t get any time to eat lunch, and I was about to faint from starvation." Bing Wen''s widened eyes almost welled up with tears when he heard his captain''s words. They were basically starving themselves due to the investigation procedures and Bing Wen''s day was spent in front of the computer screen, unlike other teammates who go out. Since they received permission from Wan Yi Jun, Shen Junru opened the bag while "You made it?" Bing Wen, who heard his captain''s "No... I have a cook." "This is delicious." "Leave some for others, too." "Ahhh...they are one the way." "Got any leads?" "No...It''s just a waste of time. We got nothing from Shu Li Li''s apartment except her laptop. No journals, no photographs or anything that would give us some insight into her life. It is just a blank slate." "That''s weird. Nobody leaves a blank slate unless they have something to hide." "What about her social media accounts? She is a growing model, right? So she might have posted something on her SNS accounts." "Can you check into it?" "This looks more like a professional account more than a personal one." "We do have Shu Li Li''s phone with us, right?" "It''s a normal basic model, not a smartphone." "She is a weird person. Who lives without a smartphone, nowadays? Even old people have at least a landline at their homes. We can''t live without technology." "There are people who still can''t afford these technologies, Xiao Bing." "It''s crazy how some people just switch to basic phones to get over their addiction, and on other hand, there are people who can''t even afford it." "Anyway, try to crack down the password and look into any helpful stuff." "Also, check the call details of Shu Lili for the last six months." "What about the model whom Miss Feng mentioned earlier, a senior from her agency?" "We have informed her, she will be here in a couple of moments." "Where did you get these dumplings? It''s so tasty." "Captain Wan brought it from home? Apparently, he got a new cook. It''s a shame that we won''t be able to eat it." "Oh, isn''t it the same person whom Chief Wu sent for captain''s help? Whoa, it seems like their relationship is even thicker than blood." "Excuse me, "Lanlan, why are you here?" "I accompanied my friend, she was asked to come over for some interrogation regarding the murder happened on the " aptian, you are back? I thought you went home?" "Yeale heirs of Wan clan will die a peaceful death." "And you believe it too?" "I never want to believe it, but no one in my family lived long enough to prove it wrong. As his curse, every male born in the Wan family got murdered or killed themselves, including my father." After two hours, Ming Yue woke Wan Yi Jun from his sleep, as per his request. Even though she has seen people working overtime, watching him returning to work without any proper rest was a bit shocking for her. Especially since she was very much aware of his childhood and how he grew up as the young master of Wan family. It was unbelievable for her to accept that Wan Yi Jun''s career tremendously affected his conceited personality more than anything else. Even though she could see some traces of the arrogant and aloof young master Wan in him, he has changed for good. She couldn''t help but wonder what happened to the eccentric germophobic millionaire boy in her memories. "I think that''s not necessary, miss Ming. The construction workers will come in the morning to finish the rest of the renovation. You can choose one room as you wish when the work is over." He reminded with a smile that she doesn''t need to move a leg till the mansion gets renovated. "Hmm, yes, master. I will take leave." She agreed without any protests. After all, she can''t keep any spyware unless she knows about the rooms where Wan Yi Jun keeps his stuff. "I''m not sure if I will be home tomorrow. Can you keep an eye on the workers? Last time they left in the middle of the work." Wan Yi Jun requested the girl who was about to leave his room. "Hmm, I will check upon them, don''t worry." She assured him with an enigmatic smile that hid her dark intentions regarding the destruction of the Wisteria gardens. She was sure that overseeing the mansion''s renovation work was the best way to learn more about the secrets buried deep inside this compound. "Ahhh...Miss Ming, please get ready. I will drop you at home." Wan Yi Jun offered when he suddenly remembered that he could give her a ride to the city. "Yes, master." When Wan Yi Jun came ready to leave, Ming Yue had already wrapped her work and waited for him next to the door, holding a carry bag. Though he felt something amiss, he brushed it off and locked the mansion''s door before moving towards his car. "Master, where should I keep this?" Ming Yue extended the bag to the man, who looked at her with a pair of dubious eyes. "Some dumplings and soup. I assume that there will be some facility to heat food in your office." As soon as Wan Yi Jun heard her casual words, he couldn''t help but look at her as if he saw some alien. When was the last time someone packed food for him? In high school or middle school? Even he was not sure about it. here were only very few instances in Ming Yue''s life where she lost her cool and acts out of her character. Given her position in the clan, everyone made sure not to piss her off, and even her family avoided getting into her bad side. It was a well-known fact among the clan members that only those people who were tired of living would get on to the witch''s bad side. It wouldn''t be a lie to say that she always maintained an upper hand over her opponents, especially over men. Every time she meets a strong enemy, she looks for their weaknesses and uses them as a weapon to destroy them. Or even worse, she let them annihilate themselves. She planned the same for Wan Yi Jun, too. Ming Yue searched for his weakness so that she could use it as a tool against him and escape in case of an emergency. But her calculations went absolutely wrong while executing the plan in person. Unlike her previous opponents, it wasn''t so easy to play mind games with Wan Yi Jun, who retaliated with the same methods to keep her under check. And the belated realization of finding out his weakness only comes at the expense of sharing her damned secrets forced her to make a decision. Either to confide or to leave the mansion, So she took the last weapon she could use on Wan Yi Jun to stop him from looking for her past- To emotionally manipulate her naive and caring master, "If you want me to leave the house, I will do it right away, master." Ming Yue repeated in a voice so mellow yet sharp. "You were kind enough to give me a job after seeing me at the worst. However, If you think that I''m unqualified to work here, it''s better that I leave before I become a burden." She made sure to put her best act to persuade Wan Yi Jun at any cost. Not only the stay at Wisteria gardens would help her to keep an eye on the police investigation, but it would be the best cover for her mission. It was like two birds with a single shot. "Master, are you going to stay in this room from now on or should I prepare some other room, perhaps on the first floor?" Ming Yue asked as soon as she glanced at the simple bedroom where he slept. It was the same room that she used when she came to wisteria gardens a couple of days ago. "Miss Ming, thank you...but...I...I don''t normally eat dinner." To be honest, Wan Yi Jun didn''t even know how to react to her generous actions. He had already told her not to prepare any dinner, didn''t he? Then what''s with this huge bag full of food? "It''s not dinner, master. It''s more like a snack. Don''t worry, I have packed more. You can eat it with your colleagues." Ming Yue said as if it was no big deal. "Hmm, thanks." Wan Yi Jun took the bag from her and carefully placed it in the back seat. "Please, get in." As soon as Ming Yue got into the car, he started the engine and drove away from the majestic Wisteria gardens. Unlike their last journey to the city, this time, Wan Yi Jun didn''t have any hesitations to drive with a woman, and surprisingly, Ming Yue even initiated a conversation with him, that too something he never expected from her. She asked about his cars. "Is this your favourite car? The one you always uses?" She inquired with childlike innocence. "I don''t have favourites, miss Ming, but yeah...This is one I''m using nowadays." "Does that mean you have other cars?" Ming Yue probed more as if she was very much interested in automobiles. "Hmm, I have a few cars. But it is kept somewhere else, with someone who could use it more than me." "You gave cars to others?" Ming Yue''s eyes widened, and trust me, she was literally shocked by his statement. She wasn''t sure that Wan Yi Jun was As far as she knew, almost every automobile lovers hesitate to hand over their precious ''babies'' to someone else. "Do you know how to drive?" "No." "Do you want to learn?" "Are you trying to send me to a driving school, now?" "Haha, no. If you are interested, I can teach you." "Says someone who doesn''t have time to have food or to write an employment contract." "Yes, but you are going to stay in the outskirts of the city from now on. Even to get some vegetables, you have to travel at least two kilometres, so it is better to take driving classes. Otherwise, it will be difficult for both of us?" "I want to ask you earlier too. Why are you living in the outskirts?" "It''s my home." " With your money and influence, you could have stayed somewhere within the city itself? Somewhere, a bit populated?" "Are you bothered about the location of the mansion, or are you worried that you will be staying in a place somewhat haunted and spooky?" "No. Not at all. I was just curious. Usually, people tend to live somewhere every necessity is easily available." "Do you believe in ghost''s or any supernatural beings, miss Ming?" "I don''t believe unless I see one." "Good.. because that it is a place where hundreds of people got murdered, especially in the vicinities of the wisteria gardens." Chapter 52 - The Bully For a few seconds, no one uttered a word as they stood staring at the women who appeared before them, like a feast for eyes. Thanks to their job that involved interacting with deadly criminals and suspects, they rarely had opportunities to meet gorgeous women, so it wouldn''t be a lie to say that they were gawping at the beautiful sight before them. "Excuse me, I''m Zhi Lan." As soon as Bing Wen heard the name, he shockingly turned his eyes towards Wan Yi Jun, who stood there like a statue that lacked any emotions. "Isn''t she general Zhi''s daughter, the one who likes their captain?" Unable to hide his curiosity, he shifted his gaze to Lao Yating as if he was trying to confirm his doubt. Lao Yating, who understood the meaning of Bing Wen''s prying eyes, gave a slight nod by confirming that the woman who stood before them was indeed the same woman who chased their captain everywhere. Even though the eagle team were familiar with Zhi Lan, nobody dared to break into a welcoming smile as they waited for Wan Yi Jun to respond before any of them. After all, he was the one who was supposed to talk to his alleged girlfriend. However, to everyone''s surprise, it was Han Ze Min who stood up from his seat and who allowed the ladies to enter the office with an astonishingly bright smile on his face. "Look who''s here? Miss Zhi, it''s been a while since I have heard from you." Han Ze Min extended his arm for a warm handshake towards Zhi Lan, unlike the rest of the men in the room. "What makes you come here? Visiting your father, perhaps?" The moment the eagle team members saw Zhi Lan shaking her hands with Han Ze Min as if both of them knew each other, they couldn''t help but widen their eyes in shock. Damn! How can they forget the rumour that Han Ze Min was also someone interested in Zhi Lan? "Oh hi, officer Han, I am here with a friend..." Zhi Lan replied and looked sideways to urge her friend to speak. "Good evening, officer. My name is Cai Hong. I''m a model under the label of Galaxy entertainments." Cai Hong gently bowed her head and stated the purpose of her visit to the police headquarters late at night. When she received a call from the investigation team, Zhi Lan was the first person she called for help, even before her family''s legal advisor. She was aware of the fact that Wan Yi Jun was the investigator in charge, so she assumed that it would be better to take Zhi Lan with her to avoid any complications. "Oh yes, actually I didn''t expect that you would come here at this time, that too with miss Zhi. Please, take a seat." Han Ze Min added in his usual playful tone, which made others snap out from their dazed state and focus on their duties. "I thought you might bring a lawyer." "Do I need to bring a lawyer even if I''m here to record my statement?" For some reason, Cai Hong sounded a bit haughty as she spoke to Han Ze Min, who sat at the other end of the table instead of Wan Yi Jun. "Usually, when celebrities become crime suspects, they won''t speak to police without their lawyer. So, miss Cai Hong, you have the right to remain silent or to get a lawyer." He casually informed and signalled Fei Yan to join him for the interrogation. Since they have divided the duties related to this specific case, Wan Yi Jun has permitted his teammates to go to any extent to find the truth, especially for Han Ze Min, who prefers bizarre ways to seek information. "I don''t understand you, officer. How did I become a suspect in this case? I didn''t kill that girl." Cai Hong immediately refuted as if she got falsely accused as a suspect. The moment her sudden denial resounded in the room, Zhi Lan almost felt like face slapping on realizing that her friend had dug a hole for herself even before the interrogation started. She had no idea why would Cai Hong say something like that. Even though she wasn''t familiar with the procedures, she knew that one must wait until the interrogator elaborates the reason for summoning. "Miss Cai, no one said that you have killed someone." Han Ze Min''s thin lips curled into a slight sneer as he noted Cai Hong''s slip of words and continued without giving the other a moment to rethink, "We summoned you because of something else. But it seems like you got your hands dirty with someone''s blood." As soon as Han Ze Min''s fell into Cai Hong''s ears, her pretty face lost its colours in a flash, equally shocking everyone else in the room. By now, they were aware that officer Han''s interrogation methods differed from their captain''s, but none of them expected Han Ze Min would straight away accuse the woman. To be honest, even Wan Yi Jun seemed a bit curious to know how Han Ze Min would handle the situation. "We got some evidence that you bully your fellow labelmates, especially the newbies." Han Ze Min stated in a resilient tone and placed his arms over the table while asserting his upper hand in the flow of the conversation. "No...no... that''s not true. I didn''t-" Cai Hong made a vague effort to refute, but when she saw Zhi Lan''s disappointed face, she unknowingly stumbled upon her words. She could easily comprehend the reason for her friend''s disappointment- "Don''t dig your grave." That was the only definition her brain could come up with, "Didn''t you hear me saying ''evidence''? We have written statements and pictures as the proof of your bullying." Han Ze Min warned her as he sat there with a pair of burning eyes. On the way to Shu Li Li''s apartment, he had talked to Feng Tian Wei regarding the bullying and other things that Shu Li Li had to go through and even managed to gather statements from other victims through ''his ways''. "Why would I bully someone and ruin my career? I don''t know whether you know it or not, but Galaxy Entertainment is my uncle''s company." Cai Hong, who was on the verge of exploding in anger, retorted harshly as if she got no idea of the mess she got herself into it. "Yes, your uncle owns the company, and that gives you the freedom to do whatever you want." Without any hesitations, Han Ze Min spat out the merciless words as if he wants to see her suffer. At that instant, Zhi Lan, who realized that her silence would only make things worse for her friend, opened her mouth and enquired about the allegations. "Officer Han, if it is possible, can you show us the proof?" "There are so many bullying complaints from Miss Cai''s school days, itself. Don''t tell me you never know about it. Or did you just overlook it because you were also a part of it?" Han Ze Min''s eyes narrowed as he spoke in blaming tone towards Zhi Lan, who acted like she knew nothing about her friend. "I''m sorry, but as far as I know, the officer who contacted Cai Hong said that you want to talk about the girl who got murdered on New Year Eve. I don''t understand why you were mentioning something that happened when she was young." Zhi Lan had no intention to admit to Han Ze Min''s claims tried her luck to talk it out. Not only did she regret coming with Cai Hong, but she was embarrassed to make a scene in front of Wan Yi Jun by taking the side of someone who had a dark past as a school bully. "Ah...So you were aware of it." Han Ze Min attentively nodded and glanced at Wan Yi Jun, who stood there without interrupting the interrogation. For a moment, he felt proud of Wan Yi Jun for turning to blind eye towards Cai Hong who brought Zhi Lan with her so that she could stay out of the trouble. "The bullying, back at the school, I do know about it. But officer Han, Cai Hong has changed. She is a celebrity and she does care about others." Zhi Lan argued back in an attempt to save her friend. "People never really change, miss Zhi. Even if someone claims that they have changed, the traces of their real self remains hidden under their pretty masks." Han Ze Min added with a bitter smile and handed over his phone to Bing Wen to plug into the system so that everyone can show the evidences Zhi Lan asked for. They were secret footages of Cai Hong scolding and making fun of Shu Li Li before others. "There were many instances where people have witnessed you have verbally and emotionally targeted Shu Lili. Not even for once, miss Cai has addressed Shu Li Li by her name. She always used the terms ''country bumpkin'' ''ugly bitch'' ''outcast'' and more than anything else, you used to humiliate Shu Li Li in front of others using racist slurs." Han Ze Min leaned forward and glared directly into Cai Hong''s eyes, "You won''t always get lucky, Queen Cai." The moment Cai Hong heard Han Ze Min mentioning her nickname which everyone used to call her in the school, she finally understood his real intentions to trap her. She quickly regained her bearings and averted her eyes to Wan Yi Jun who stood like a silent spectator. "I demand someone else to interrogate me...This man...I don''t want him to question me...he is trying to take revenge for his dead girlfriend." She demanded in desperate voice, The people in the room, including Zhi Lan who sensed the intensity and weight in Cai Hong''s voice, stared at Han Ze Min in incredulous disbelief. "Han Ze Min''s dead girlfriend, who is that?" Chapter 53 - No One Is Left To Live UNEDITED- PLEASE WAIT FOR AN HOUR By the time Wan Yi Jun reached the police headquarters, apart from Han Ze Min and Lao Yating, the rest of the eagle team members were already present in the office room. It was quite a surprise for Bing Wen, who thought that Wan Yi Jun would have decided to take a break and rest for today. He never thought that his workaholic captain would return to the office in the night when the rest of the people might leave work and go home. "This man is nuts," He muttered under his breath as he stood up from his chair to greet his superior officer. Shen Junru, who was equally surprised to see Wan Yi Jun at the office, tilted his head and glanced at Bing Wen in confusion. After two hours, Ming Yue woke Wan Yi Jun from his sleep, as per his request. Even though she has seen people working overtime, watching him returning to work without any proper rest was a bit shocking for her. Especially since she was very much aware of his childhood and how he grew up as the young master of Wan family. It was unbelievable for her to accept that Wan Yi Jun''s career tremendously affected his conceited personality more than anything else. Even though she could see some traces of the arrogant and aloof young master Wan in him, he has changed for good. She couldn''t help but wonder what happened to the eccentric germophobic millionaire boy in her memories. "I think that''s not necessary, miss Ming. The construction workers will come in the morning to finish the rest of the renovation. You can choose one room as you wish when the work is over." He reminded with a smile that she doesn''t need to move a leg till the mansion gets renovated. "Hmm, yes, master. I will take leave." She agreed without any protests. After all, she can''t keep any spyware unless she knows about the rooms where Wan Yi Jun keeps his stuff. "I''m not sure if I will be home tomorrow. Can you keep an eye on the workers? Last time they left in the middle of the work." Wan Yi Jun requested the girl who was about to leave his room. "Hmm, I will check upon them, don''t worry." She assured him with an enigmatic smile that hid her dark intentions regarding the destruction of the Wisteria gardens. She was sure that overseeing the mansion''s renovation work was the best way to learn more about the secrets buried deep inside this compound. "Ahhh...Miss Ming, please get ready. I will drop you at home." Wan Yi Jun offered when he suddenly remembered that he could give her a ride to the city. "Yes, master." When Wan Yi Jun came ready to leave, Ming Yue had already wrapped her work and waited for him next to the door, holding a carry bag. Though he felt something amiss, he brushed it off and locked the mansion''s door before moving towards his car. "Master, where should I keep this?" Ming Yue extended the bag to the man, who looked at her with a pair of dubious eyes. "Some dumplings and soup. I assume that there will be some facility to heat food in your office." As soon as Wan Yi Jun heard her casual words, he couldn''t help but look at her as if he saw some alien. When was the last time someone packed food for him? In high school or middle school? Even he was not sure about it. It wouldn''t be a lie to say that she always maintained an upper hand over her opponents, especially over men. Every time she meets a strong enemy, she looks for their weaknesses and uses them as a weapon to destroy them. Or even worse, she let them annihilate themselves. She planned the same for Wan Yi Jun, too. Ming Yue searched for his weakness so that she could use it as a tool against him and escape in case of an emergency. But her calculations went absolutely wrong while executing the plan in person. Unlike her previous opponents, it wasn''t so easy to play mind games with Wan Yi Jun, who retaliated with the same methods to keep her under check. And the belated realization of finding out his weakness only comes at the expense of sharing her damned secrets forced her to make a decision. Either to confide or to leave the mansion, So she took the last weapon she could use on Wan Yi Jun to stop him from looking for her past- To emotionally manipulate her naive and caring master, "If you want me to leave the house, I will do it right away, master." Ming Yue repeated in a voice so mellow yet sharp. It was like two birds with a single shot. "Miss Ming, thank you...but...I...I don''t normally eat dinner." To be honest, Wan Yi Jun didn''t even know how to react to her generous actions. He had already told her not to prepare any dinner, didn''t he? Then what''s with this huge bag full of food? "It''s not dinner, master. It''s more like a snack. Don''t worry, I have packed more. You can eat it with your colleagues." Ming Yue said as if it was no big deal. "Hmm, thanks." Wan Yi Jun took the bag from her and carefully placed it in the back seat. "Please, get in." She asked about his cars. "Is this your favourite car? The one you always uses?" She inquired with childlike innocence. "I don''t have favourites, miss Ming, but yeah...This is one I''m using nowadays." "Does that mean you have other cars?" Ming Yue probed more as if she was very much interested in automobiles. "Hmm, I have a few cars. But it is kept somewhere else, with someone who could use it more than me." "Do you know how to drive?" "No." "Do you want to learn?" "Are you trying to send me to a driving school, now?" "Haha, no. If you are interested, I can teach you." "Says someone who doesn''t have time to have food or to write an employment contract." "I want to ask you earlier too. Why are you living in the outskirts?" "It''s my home." " With your money and influence, you could have stayed somewhere within the city itself? Somewhere, a bit populated?" "Are you bothered about the location of the mansion, or are you worried that you will be staying in a place somewhat haunted and spooky?" "No. Not at all. I was just curious. Usually, people tend to live somewhere every necessity is easily available." "Do you believe in ghost''s or any supernatural beings, miss Ming?" "I don''t believe unless I see one." "Good. because that it is a place where hundreds of people got murdered, especially in the vicinities of the wisteria gardens." Well, Wan Yi Jun''s demeanour looked much better than before as if he took some effort to groom himself into a ''human'' "Captian, why are you here? I thought you went home?" Shen Junru asked in a surprised tone. "Yes, I went home. Take this," "What''s it?" "Some dumplings and soup." "You made it?" "Leave some for others, too." "Ahhh...they are one the way." "Got any leads?" "Some dumplings and soup." Wan Yi Jun replied while trying to hide his reddened face from his teammates. Though he has brought meals for his teammates, it was the first time he brought some food from home. "Eat it before it gets cold," "No...It''s just a waste of time. We got nothing from Shu Li Li''s apartment except her laptop. No journals, no photographs or anything that would give us some insight into her life. It is just a blank slate." "That''s weird. Nobody leaves a blank slate unless they have something to hide." "What about her social media accounts? She is a growing model, right? So she might have posted something on her SNS accounts." "Can you check into it?" "This looks more like a professional account more than a personal one." "We do have Shu Li Li''s phone with us, right?" "It''s a normal basic model, not a smartphone." "She is a weird person. Who lives without a smartphone, nowadays? Even old people have at least a landline at their homes. We can''t live without technology." "There are people who still can''t afford these technologies, Xiao Bing." "It''s crazy how some people just switch to basic phones to get over their addiction, and on other hand, there are people who can''t even afford it." "Anyway, try to crack down the password and look into any helpful stuff." "Also, check the call details of Shu Lili for the last six months." "What about the model whom Miss Feng mentioned earlier, a senior from her agency?" "We have informed her, she will be here in a couple of moments." "Where did you get these dumplings? It''s so tasty." "Captain Wan brought it from home? Apparently, he got a new cook. It''s a shame that we won''t be able to eat it." "Oh, isn''t it the same person whom Chief Wu sent for captain''s help? Whoa, it seems like their relationship is even thicker than blood." "Excuse me, "Lanlan, why are you here?" Chapter 54 - When Did She Became Your Girlfriend? UNEDITED CHAPTER- PLEASE WAIT FOR AN HOUR It was the first time in the eagle team''s service history they had a suspect who threw shades at their chief officer''s personal lives and created an awkward scene in front of everyone. Firstly, Cai Hong dragged Han Ze Min''s dead girlfriend into their conversation and then blamed Wan Yi Jun as a man who never loved anyone. Everyone in the room, including Han Ze Min, was aware that Zhi Lan liked their captain for a long time. They practically spent their university life together, and even after becoming working professionals, they continued to carry on whatever relationship they had all these years. However, Cai Hong''s scornful words struck them like a bolt of unexpected lightning. Does this woman even have any common sense? Even if you hate someone to your heart''s core, it is not necessary to comment on their personal lives, that too in their workplace. But more than anything else, they were shocked to hear that Wan Yi Jun never loved anyone. Does that mean he never reciprocated Zhi Lan''s feelings all these years? Not even for once? As the realization hit hard in their head, the eagle team members looked sympathetically at Zhi Lan, who sat there with downcast eyes. It was evident that she was hurt by Wan Yi Jun''s words. No matter how hard they thought about it, no one could come up with any possible reason for Wan Yi Jun to reject a woman like her. Anyone who sees them together would easily mistake them as a couple made for each other. In the beginning, they had doubts that Wan Yi Jun refused to be in a relationship with Zhi Lan due to their social status and her father being his superior officer. However, when they heard that their captain Wan who lived like a normal middle classman, actually belonged to a corporate family, there wasn''t any place for excuses. As soon as they heard that general Zhi had been rooting for one of his best junior officers for obvious reasons, all of them believed that they would quickly hear a piece of good news. But no one expected such a turn of events. "You can leave." Wan Yi Jun said after a long silence, "What?" Everyone stared at the man who sat there without even a slight change in his proud face. "You can leave and return with your lawyer." As soon as Han Ze Min''s words heard his cousin''s haughty words, he couldn''t help but let out a sneer. For a moment, he did doubt Wan Yi Jun had turned soft ever since he joined the police department. But in a glimpse, he realized that no change had happened to the cold and aloof boy he was familiar with. Even from his childhood, Wan Yi Jun rarely got angry at women, but he had his own ways to get back to them. "As Han Ze Min said earlier, we don''t have enough evidence to tag you as the perpetrator, but it is enough to get you a place in the suspect list. So talk to your lawyer and take enough precautions to clear your charges. Otherwise, I can''t guarantee what happens to your career and your uncle''s company." Wan Yi Jun repeated and crossed his arms over his chest as if he was no longer interested to carry on the interrogation. "Please cooperate with the investigation in the future." He casually said while staring at Cai Hong''s panicky face. "Also, next time, let''s meet as a police officer and a suspect, not as childhood friends." For a moment, she really thought that Wan Yi Jun would help her, but in reality not only did he refuse to help her but even asked her to forget whatever relationship they had in their childhood. Just as everyone stared at Wan Yi Jun in disbelief, the man stood up from his seat, urging the others to leave as well. "Yating, send an official ''summoning notice'' to miss Cai as soon as possible," He ordered to his second in command, who stood there silent. Since they got nothing else to say, Zhi Lan nudged her friend to leave the office without wasting any more time. "Thank you." "Officer Fei and Bing Wen, check miss Cai''s alibi on new year eve and check all of her contact numbers." " "Where did you get these dumplings? It''s so tasty." "Captain Wan brought it from home. Apparently, he got a new cook. It''s a shame that we won''t be able to eat it regularly." "Oh, isn''t it the same person whom Chief Wu sent for captain''s help? Whoa, it seems like their relationship is even thicker than blood." when Junru, who was equally surprised to see Wan Yi Jun at the office, tilted his head and glanced at Bing Wen in confusion. All of them were informed that their Captain went home after getting a phone call that seemed something personal reasons, if that''s true, then who is this man standing in their office? Well, Wan Yi Jun''s demeanour looked much better than before as if he took some effort to groom himself into a ''human'' "Did he go for a date?" That was the first doubt that popped up in Shen Junru''s mind. There were no other possibilities for them to associate with a workaholic like Wan Yi Jun, leaving the office in the middle of the work. Bing Wen who witnessed their captain''s flustered emotions during the phone call, even did some guessing, a level higher than the rest of them Beyond the Sewers I''ve read a dark story that killed my excitement. All the sense of accomplishment and exhilaration of beating a superior player has blown away in a glimpse. It''s like when you''re in a good mood after drinking to forget every worry, and then you''re told that the deadline is tomorrow, and now, you have to sober up. One block further on, we hit a dead end. So that means Fifteen blocks from the base was the west end. However, since I didn''t encounter any enemy or have any chance to raise my level. My strength and magic power remained full due to my natural recovery, so I decided to continue my search. ''So which way should we head, north or south?'' Since Ratmens were in the east and south, we assume that the west and north are relatively safe. We should go to the north to get prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. "---! ---!" "Hmm?" What was that? I think I heard something...? The direction the voice came from was south. "Hmm, should I go there?" I''m lost, but, let''s go. There might be something new to discover. If it looks terrible, we can turn back. Uh, is it around here? I have my servants who stood behind pillars, activating [stealth] and [stealthy feet]. Now, I wonder what''s going on. "Juju!" "SYURRRRRR!" Chapter 55 - When Did You Two Became A Couple? Unedited version- please wait for 1 hour The entire eagle team thought Wan Yi Jun might have followed Zhi Lan, but he went to the rooftop of the police headquarters. He just wanted to go somewhere away from these suffocating thoughts inside his heart. Letting out a sigh, he picked up a cigarette packet and took one to light it. He has never been an ardent smoker, but sometimes, rarely does he need the help of a puff of smoke to calm the chaos in his mind. Though he pretended not to care, he simply couldn''t stop himself from fretting over Cai Hong''s words, To avenge Han Ze Min''s dead girlfriend? Anyone who had met Wan Yi Jun and Han Ze Min in their childhood could easily figure out that Cai Hong was talking about Tsuki, But the most confusing thing in her accusation was regarding the ''girlfriend''. When and how did Tsuki become Han Ze Min''s girlfriend? - That single question messed up his brain more than anything else. Three of them grew up together, and obviously, the boys had feelings for the only girl in the group. Well, truth to be told, he grew up with Tsuki and never really felt anything for her other than a friend. However, the moment Han Ze Min began to get closer to Tsuki, that was the first time he felt jealous towards his cousin. It felt like Han Ze Min was trying to steal his precious thing, and like a green-eyed monster, he held onto Tsuki, just to make sure that his cousin never had an opportunity to confess his feelings. It was true that both of them loved Tsuki, but unfortunately, she left this world without knowing about the feelings that bloomed in their hearts. It was something that was buried deep in his heart, but recently everyone in his life has been hellbound on reminding him of the painful past he tried hard to forget all these years, along with his first love. But why did Cai Hong address Tsuki as Han Ze Min''s girlfriend? Did Tsuki secretly accept his love? "I kinda guessed that you will be here," All of a sudden, Han Ze Min''s jovial voice pulled Wan Yi Jun from his thoughts, Taking a long smoke, Wan Yi Jun stared deep into the starless sky without turning back to face Han Ze Min. Obviously, he assumed that Han Ze Min came here to give him the context behind Cai Hong''s words. After Tsuki''s death, the affection and love between the cousins got ruined beyond expectations. They grew apart within these years and fought with each other like rivals. If it wasn''t for their family''s continuous efforts, both of them would have killed one another very long ago. "It seems like the mister perfect Wan Yi Jun is not that perfect." Han Ze Min smirked and casually leaned onto the rooftop''s railing as his eyes fell onto the burning cigar on Wan Yi Jun''s long fingers. "Smoking is injurious to health, don''t you know?" He asked and snatched the cigar from the other, "Why are you here?" Wan Yi Jun cut the chase without wasting any time. He doesn''t want to "This man is nuts," He muttered under his breath as he stood up from his chair to greet his superior officer. Shen Junru, who was equally surprised to see Wan Yi Jun at the office, tilted his head and glanced at Bing Wen in confusion. Well, Wan Yi Jun''s demeanour looked much better than before as if he took some effort to groom himself into a ''human'' "Did he go for a date?" That was the first doubt that popped up in Shen Junru''s mind. There were no other possibilities for them to associate with a workaholic like Wan Yi Jun, leaving the office in the middle of the work. Bing Wen who witnessed their captain''s flustered emotions during the phone call, even did some guessing, a level higher than the rest of the team and bet that Wan Yi Jun went to meet his girlfriend. "Captian, why are you here? I thought you went home?" Shen Junru asked while hiding his surprise with an emotionless face. "Yes, I went home. Take this," Wan Yi Jun said something vague and extended the carry bag towards the other with a slight hue of shyness on his handsome face. "What''s it, captain?" Shen Junru unknowingly asked as he took the bag and peeked a little inside to find some bento boxes and a huge thermos flask. "Some dumplings and soup." Wan Yi Jun replied while trying to hide his reddened face from his teammates. Though he has brought meals for his teammates, it was the first time he brought some food from home. "Eat it before it gets cold," "Captain, you are a lifesaver. I didn''t get any time to eat lunch, and I was about to faint from starvation." Bing Wen''s widened eyes almost welled up with tears when he heard his captain''s words. They were basically starving themselves due to the investigation procedures and Bing Wen''s day was spent in front of the computer screen, unlike other teammates who go out. Just as Shen Junru opened the thermos flask, the enticing aroma of beef soup with herbs entered his nose, making him salivate a bit. "We don''t have any bowls. Should I take the coffee mugs?" Bing Wen asked while glancing around the office room, unable to control his appetite. "No need. Captain even brought bowls from home." Shen Junru said in a slightly elevated voice and took out the small ceramic bowls from the paper bag. Watching Shen Junru take three bento boxes and bowls from the carry bag, Wan Yi Jun couldn''t help but wonder how much effort did Ming Yue put into packing food for him. When did she even make all of these things? "No, I have a cook." Even though he had a heavy meal in the afternoon, Wan Yi Jun unknowingly reached out for a dumpling from the box. "Good lord, it seems like hospitality and affection runs in your family." Bing Wen stated in an exhilarating tone when he recalled the coffee, which Han Ze Min bought for them in the morning. "This is delicious." Shen Junru, who took a sip of the hot soup, said with a wide smile as if his spirits got lifted up in a glimpse of a moment. "This, too. It seems like your cook got magical hands." Bing Wen said in a muffled voice as he devoured an entire dumpling in his mouth. "Leave some for others, too." Wan Yi Jun instructed the others as he walked towards the cubicle with a smile blooming on his lips. Ming Yue was indeed right by packing food even if he asked her not to do so. "Got any leads?" Wan Yi Jun asked as soon as the team members sat down for their daily briefing session. "And that''s weird.. Because Nobody leaves a blank slate unless they have something to hide." Chapter 56 - The Wicked Girlfriend UNEDITED VERSION: PLEASE WAIT FOR 1 HOUR, "I thought you were my best friend, Cai Hong. But it seems like you got a huge pile of secrets hidden away from me." "I didn''t mean it like that. I hated that wretched girl because everyone liked her. But I swear meant to kill her," "I''m not asking about the murder. I heard that you were childhood buddies with both of them. We went high school together, and you never mentioned anything about Wan Yi Jun." "We just went to the same school. I don''t know why Wan Yi Jun said that we were childhood friends. Apart from academics, he never talked anything else to me. On the other hand, Han Ze Min was quite a charmer. He was loved by everyone, including me." "You liked him?'' "He was my first crush." "Yeah, thanks for telling at least now. I almost got engaged to him, do you have any idea if I hear it about you and Han Ze Min after marriage?" "Chill out, I was damn sure that you will never accept him, let alone get engaged. Also, I said I had a crush on him, that brat always roaming around that wicked girl." "His girlfriend?" "I don''t know...that''s what everyone used to say. Even though she came from Novaria with Wan Yi Jun, she was closer to Han Ze Min. At first, we all thought that she might be their cousin, but later on, when someone proposed to him, he said that he likes Tsuki," "Tsuki?" "Yeah, her parents were Daisun." "How did she die?" "That''s a huge story. Her parents were spies from Daisun." "What?" "Yes, they sold the national secrets to Daisunese mafia and even created a bomb blast in Wan Corporation that ruined their entire business." "When did all these happen. How come I''m not aware of any of these?" "It happened fourteen of fifteen years ago when we were in school. You were staying in Zhui Shan with your mother." "But, how did that girl die?" "She died in an arson, not so long after her parents died in the prison. It was rumoured that the Wan family was the ones, behind all of their death. They lost everything, and Wan Yi Jun''s family returned to Novaria. I got reminded of him, only when I found that you were friends. Since you two were thick friends, I didn''t want to tell you either, also just like how I know his dark secrets, he knew mine." "What''s your dark secret?" "I was the one who started bullying her and made sure to ruin her life even before she got tagged as a terrorist''s daughter." "You are a meanie." "I wasn''t...She had a weird pair of eyes and an even weirder personality. You would have said the same if you saw her, too." "Was she ugly?" "She was a monster." "What?" "She had two different eyes and a silver hair from the day she was born itself. No one could like someone like a monster like her, but Han Ze Min did and I think he still do." "Cai Hong, what are you saying?" Zhi Lan was the first person to react when she realized that Wan Yi Jun had no intention to help out her friend. "No. Why would I do something reckless and ruin my life? I''m not a fool. And more than anyone else, you two know about my father and brothers. They will literally kill me if I make any trouble." Cai Hong almost swore as she remembered the toxic household she grew up. As a girl born in a highly patriarchal family, her life was nothing better than a slave or even worse. However, instead of growing into an oppressed human being, she has become a rebel and got into as much trouble as she can just to ruin her family''s status. Her life only changed when she joined her maternal uncle''s entertainment agency and made a career of her own, away from her family. "Help me? Zhi Lan, you know nothing about him...This man here, this monster, he is the last person in the world who would help me." Cai Hong blathered in a distressed voice as she tried hard to control her boiling anger. Of course, she knew that Cai Hong was a bully despite her angel-like looks, but she never imagined a back story between her friend and Han Ze Min, that too something related to a dead girl. "Why would officer Han try to trap you? He is only trying to help?" "I''m damn sure he is unnecessarily dragging me into this mess because of that girl." " "Wan Yi Jun, are you going to stand there and listen to his bullshit? As soon as Cai Hong''s voice echoed in the room, everyone understood one thing - there is some old rivalry going on between Cai Hong and Han Ze Min, and Wan Yi Jun was someone who is supposed to be the ''mediator'' "Miss Cai, please mind your words," Fei Yan tried to remind the woman who had forgotten that she was sitting in the middle of police officers. It was the first time in his service he met someone who picked up a fight with a police officer. "I don''t care. This man, here, he just trying to avenge-" Even before Cai Hong could spew some shade over Han Ze Min, he interrupted her with his iconic smile doused with an equal amount of sarcasm and mockery. Unnecessarily dragging you into this mess? Woah, then what about these videos, miss Cai? Does anyone think that this evidence is fabricated to ruin Miss Cai''s career and her uncle''s company?" Han Ze Min purposefully asked in a mocking tone, only to annoy Cai Hong more and more. "Whom are you trying to blackmail, Han Ze Min? Do you think this is enough to ruin everything?" Cai Hong''s eyes burned like coal as she spat out those words with utmost hatred, "Anyone with a brain could figure out that it is something that normal...something trivial like, calling names and laughing at others mistakes, it''s as simple as that." "As simple as that? Wow?" Han Ze Min almost clapped his hands listening to her claims, "It seems like you have no idea what damage your simple "words" left on someone else''s life." "Don''t be silly. If I want to avenge whatever you did to my ''dead girlfriend'' I would have done it earlier, Cai Hong." Han Ze Min emphasized the word ''dead girlfriend'' and looked at the woman with a deadpan expression on his face. Though he appeared cool as an iceberg, only Cai Hong could sense the murderous glint that flashed before her eyes. No matter how much he tries to convince her, she knows that Han Ze Min still holds an intense grudge against her and definitely show his true colours when he gets the right opportunity. "And someone advised me to keep my personal and professional lives separately, so miss Cai, let''s get back to the business. What would you like to say about these videos?" He smoothly changed the topic and dragged everyone''s attention back to the case. However, Cai Hong sat silently without replying to him as if she was protesting against him. "These videos might not be enough to tag you as the perpetrator of Shu Li Li''s murder, but it is enough to get your name into the suspect list. So please, cooperate with us." Han Ze Min, who had no intention to back off, urged Cai Hong to speak up but only to fail terribly. Unlike the usual suspects who tremble in fear during the interrogation, Cai Hong appeared fearless and headstrong as she continued her silence. Even when Zhi Lan requested her friend to explain her side of the story and try to get out of the suspect list, Cai Hong never budged from her decision. She made it clear that she won''t speak until someone else interrogates her. As the time moved forward in awkwardness, Wan Yi Jun let out a sigh and walked towards the Cai Hong as a last resort to solve this terrible situation. As soon as Wan Yi Jun approached the table, Fei Yan stood up from his seat and let the other take the chair. "I assume that you won''t mind me interrogating you." Wan Yi Jun finally spoke a few words that immediately calmed Cai Hong and broke her silence. More than anyone else, she knew that Wan Yi Jun was the suitable person to handle her case, unlike Han Ze Min, who holds hatred towards her. "I admit that I was a little mean to that girl, but I swear I never thought about killing her." She admitted even before Wan Yi Jun started questioning her. But Han Ze Min, who sat just beside Wan Yi Jun, almost let out a bitter laugh and commented in a voice so condescending and scornful. "Really? I thought stealing your boyfriend from you was enough to plot against Shu Lili." He shrugged his shoulders and leaned onto the chair as if he was watching some drama. "Whatever officer Han is saying, is it true, miss Cai? You and Ken Wong were in a relationship and-?" Wan Yi Jun didn''t complete his question as he shot a warning look at his fellow officer, who was acting like a grumpy kid. "Yes. We were together for the last five years, and that wretched girl came out of nowhere just to ruin my life." Cai Hong gritted her teeth so hard in hatred and anger. "Is that why you arranged someone to kill that wretched girl?" Wan Yi Jun, who picked up the burning rage in Cai Hong''s words, used the same tone to press on the issue more. By now, he was sure that Han Ze Min was just trying to provoke Cai Hong so that she would spill the truth under the effect of anger. "Yes, I was mad at that girl and Ken, but I would never kill someone...please believe me, Yi Jun." Cai Hong almost pleaded, "Where were you on new year night?" "She was with me...at my home." Zhi Lan indifferently replied, "Do you have any proof for your alibi?" "Yes, Cai Hong had dinner and stayed in my house that night. You can question my house workers and check the CCTV footage." However, Zhi Lan''s reply didn''t seem legitimate to Han Ze Min, so he casually threw bait at Zhi Lan, who spoke for the other. "That''s not believable, miss Zhi. It''s New Year Eve, and why would someone like you stay home instead of partying?" He pointed since he was aware of Zhi Lan and her friend circle. All of them were part of the entertainment or fashion industries where ''clubbing'' is unavoidable. "I wasn''t in the mood to go out and party. So I stayed home." "And what about you, miss Cai? Were you in the same mood, or do you have any particular reason to skip the celebrations in your favourite party hub?" Han Ze Min tilted his head and asked Cai Hong, who was glaring at him, "We checked the CCTV footage of rising Ravens. You were present in the club till ten ''o''clock with the same group of people from your agency, who shared the same place with Ken Wong and Shu Li Li. Why did leave the club in the middle of the party?" Wan Yi Jun cut the chase and asked without any hesitation. "How do you feel when you see the person whom you loved the most, the one whom you trusted with your whole heart, cheating you with someone you hated the most?" Cai Hong asked as string''s of tears started to roll down from her eyes, but only to receive silence in return. "Oh sorry, I forgot that you never loved anyone." "You can leave." "What?" "Please cooperate with the investigation in the future." "Officer Fei and Bing Wen, check miss Cai''s alibi on new year eve and check all of her contact numbers." " "Where did you get these dumplings? It''s so tasty." "Captain Wan brought it from home. Apparently, he got a new cook. It''s a shame that we won''t be able to eat it regularly." "Oh, isn''t it the same person whom Chief Wu sent for captain''s help? Whoa, it seems like their relationship is even thicker than blood." Chapter 57 - My Good Girl UNEDITED: PLEASE WAIT FOR 1 HOUR The next day, Wan Yi Jun woke up from his sleep after hearing the continuous ringing noise, He somehow shot open his heavy eyelids and reached for his phone out of habit to turn off his alarm. However, even after continuously pressing on the blank phone screen, the noise didn''t go off. It took a moment for him to realize that it wasn''t his alarm but the doorbell. Is it Ming Yue? He wondered for a moment while leaving the bed, and somehow, dragged his sleepy body to the front door, "Wait a minute," He said in his morning hoarse sound and opened the front door with a loud creak sound. As soon as the door got open and bright yellow light rushed inside, Wan Yi Jun unknowingly covered his eyes, "Master, are you okay?" Ming Yue''s slightly worried voice fell onto his ears as he struggled to I was ringing the doorbell for almost an hour," "I was fast asleep, Miss Ming." "I was about to break some window and break into the house for real." "You could have given me a call," "I did when I left my house, but it was switched off. When I came here, I saw your car and thought you might be inside, so I rang the doorbell." "I forgot to put it on a charge," "Master, don''t you have to go to work or are you on leave?" "No, no, I need to go." "Are you sure? you look more tired than yesterday," "It''s nothing. I will go and get ready." "Yes, master." It seems like he has been drinking. Did something happen last night? "Huh, who are you?" "WHO ARE YOU?" "Oh, good morning, miss. We are here for the renovation." "Oh, you are those workers who left the work in the middle of the construction?" "No...no... That was another team from our agency." "I''m sorry, but do you think it is fair to leave the renovation halfway? Do you have any idea how people will live here?" "Didn''t you hear it, miss? It is a haunted house. So many people died here and-" Oh, my team is here, "Chief, why are you coming so late? I came here early and was talking to this girl, "Where did she go?" "Whom are you talking about?" "There is a girl." "A girl? There is no one staying here." "No, but I was talking to a-" "Oh my God!!!" "What happened?" Everyone in the room, including Han Ze Min, was aware that Zhi Lan liked their captain for a long time. They practically spent their university life together, and even after becoming working professionals, they continued to carry on whatever relationship they had all these years. It was the first time in the eagle team''s service history they had a suspect who threw shades at their chief officer''s personal lives and created an awkward scene in front of everyone. Firstly, Cai Hong dragged Han Ze Min''s dead girlfriend into their conversation and then blamed Wan Yi Jun as a man who never loved anyone. However, Cai Hong''s scornful words struck them like a bolt of unexpected lightning. Does this woman even have any common sense? Even if you hate someone to your heart''s core, it is not necessary to comment on their personal lives, that too in their workplace. But more than anything else, they were shocked to hear that Wan Yi Jun never loved anyone. Does that mean he never reciprocated Zhi Lan''s feelings all these years? Not even for once? As the realization hit hard in their head, the eagle team members looked sympathetically at Zhi Lan, who sat there with downcast eyes. It was evident that she was hurt by Wan Yi Jun''s words. No matter how hard they thought about it, no one could come up with any possible reason for Wan Yi Jun to reject a woman like her. Anyone who sees them together would easily mistake them as a couple made for each other. But no one expected such a turn of events. "You can leave." Wan Yi Jun said after a long silence, "What?" Everyone stared at the man who sat there without even a slight change in his proud face. In the beginning, they had doubts that Wan Yi Jun refused to be in a relationship with Zhi Lan due to their social status and her father being his superior officer. However, when they heard that their captain Wan who lived like a normal middle classman, actually belonged to a corporate family, there wasn''t any place for excuses. As soon as they heard that general Zhi had been rooting for one of his best junior officers for obvious reasons, all of them believed that they would quickly hear a piece of good news. "You can leave and return with your lawyer." As soon as Han Ze Min''s words heard his cousin''s haughty words, he couldn''t help but let out a sneer. For a moment, he did doubt Wan Yi Jun had turned soft ever since he joined the police department. But in a glimpse, he realized that no change had happened to the cold and aloof boy he was familiar with. Even from his childhood, Wan Yi Jun rarely got angry at women, but he had his own ways to get back to them. Wan Yi Jun repeated and crossed his arms over his chest as if he was no longer interested to carry on the interrogation. "Please cooperate with the investigation in the future." He casually said while staring at Cai Hong''s panicky face. "Also, next time, let''s meet as a police officer and a suspect, not as childhood friends." He added with a faint smirk that clearly showed his discontent. Though he just stood there unaffected even when Cai Hong blamed his cousin for taking revenge for someone who no longer exists in this world. However, he was just pretending that he didn''t care about Cai Hong''s words. "As Han Ze Min said earlier, we don''t have enough evidence to tag you as the perpetrator, but it is enough to get you a place in the suspect list. So talk to your lawyer and take enough precautions to clear your charges. Otherwise, I can''t guarantee what happens to your career and your uncle''s company." The instant, Cai Hong noticed the slight change in Wan Yi Jun''s voice, she realized he was no different from his cousin, and held the same grudge towards her. For a mere moment, Cai Hong had a belief that Wan Yi Jun would help her, but in reality, not only did he refuse to help her, but demanded her to forget whatever relationship they had in their childhood. Just as everyone stared at Wan Yi Jun in disbelief, the man stood up from his seat, urging the others to leave as well. "Thank you." Zhi Lan said and somehow dragged Cai Hong out of the office, leaving the startled crowd behind, "Officer Fei and Bing Wen," All of a sudden, Wan Yi Jun gathered everyone''s attention as if nothing had happened there, Yating, send an official ''summoning notice'' to miss Cai as soon as possible," He ordered to his second in command, who stood there silent. Since they got nothing else to say, Zhi Lan nudged her friend to leave the office without wasting any more time. "Check miss Cai''s alibi on new year eve and check all of her phone details for the past two months, including her manager''s phone. Don''t leave out any details." He quickly instructed them and dashed inside his cabin, only to walk out in a flash a moment. "I think I had enough of drama today," Han Ze Min sighed heavily and turned to his team members with a gentle plastering on his face, "See you tomorrow." Just as turn around to leave the office, Bing Wen stopped all of a sudden, "What''s it, Xiao Bing?" Han Ze Min asked the No. Why would I do something reckless and ruin my life? I''m not a fool. And more than anyone else, you two know about my father and brothers. They will literally kill me if I make any trouble." Cai Hong almost swore as she remembered the toxic household she grew up. As a girl born in a highly patriarchal family, her life was nothing better than a slave or even worse. However, instead of growing into an oppressed human being, she has become a rebel and got into as much trouble as she can just to ruin her family''s status. Her life only changed when she joined her maternal uncle''s entertainment agency and made a career of her own, away from her family. "Help me? Zhi Lan, you know nothing about him...This man here, this monster, he is the last person in the world who would help me." Cai Hong blathered in a distressed voice as she tried hard to control her boiling anger. Of course, she knew that Cai Hong was a bully despite her angel-like looks, but she never imagined a back story between her friend and Han Ze Min, that too something related to a dead girl. "Why would officer Han try to trap you? He is only trying to help?" "I''m damn sure he is unnecessarily dragging me into this mess because of that girl." " "Wan Yi Jun, are you going to stand there and listen to his bullshit? As soon as Cai Hong''s voice echoed in the room, everyone understood one thing - there is some old rivalry going on between Cai Hong and Han Ze Min, and Wan Yi Jun was someone who is supposed to be the ''mediator'' "Miss Cai, please mind your words," Fei Yan tried to remind the woman who had forgotten that she was sitting in the middle of police officers. It was the first time in his service he met someone who picked up a fight with a police officer. "I don''t care. This man, here, he just trying to avenge-" Even before Cai Hong could spew some shade over Han Ze Min, he interrupted her with his iconic smile doused with an equal amount of sarcasm and mockery. Unnecessarily dragging you into this mess? Woah, then what about these videos, miss Cai? Does anyone think that this evidence is fabricated to ruin Miss Cai''s career and her uncle''s company?" Han Ze Min purposefully asked in a mocking tone, only to annoy Cai Hong more and more. "Whom are you trying to blackmail, Han Ze Min? Do you think this is enough to ruin everything?" Cai Hong''s eyes burned like coal as she spat out those words with utmost hatred, "Anyone with a brain could figure out that it is something that normal...something trivial like, calling names and laughing at others mistakes, it''s as simple as that." "As simple as that? Wow?" Han Ze Min almost clapped his hands listening to her claims, "It seems like you have no idea what damage your simple "words" left on someone else''s life." "Don''t be silly. If I want to avenge whatever you did to my ''dead girlfriend'' I would have done it earlier, Cai Hong." Han Ze Min emphasized the word ''dead girlfriend'' and looked at the woman with a deadpan expression on his face. Though he appeared cool as an iceberg, only Cai Hong could sense the murderous glint that flashed before her eyes. No matter how much he tries to convince her, she knows that Han Ze Min still holds an intense grudge against her and definitely show his true colours when he gets the right opportunity. "Where did you get these dumplings? It''s so tasty." "Captain Wan brought it from home. Apparently, he got a new cook. It''s a shame that we won''t be able to eat it regularly." "Oh, isn''t it the same person whom Chief Wu sent for captain''s help? Whoa, it seems like their relationship is even thicker than blood." Chapter 58 - The Photograph By the time Ming Yue returned from the kitchen holding toast and coffee, she heard truck''s engine riving outside, "They already started working?" She wondered as she placed the hot breakfast on the dining table and walked towards Wan Yi Jun''s room to inform him about the construction workers. "Knock, knock, master, are you done?" She asked while holding the doorknob as if she wants to double-check whether Wan Yi Jun got ready for work. However, there was no response from the room, "Master, the constructions workers are here." She gently unlocked the door and slowly stepped inside like a silent cat. Just as she entered the room, her forehead creased at the sight of the room''s state. Clothes, books, electronic gadgets, cigarette butts, everything was on the floor and the bed, Till yesterday, the room was the only place in the entire mansion that appeared clean and tidy, However today,it looked much worse than a pigsty. "What exactly happened last night?" She sighed and bent down to pick up the things on the ground. She knew that he was a clumsy person who need a helping hand to handle the house chores but watching the mess in the room, "Is this why he wanted to appoint a maid to clean his everyday mess?" Ming Yue couldn''t help but wonder how bad is the state of Wan Yi Jun''s previous apartment. "And who smokes these many cigarettes? Is he wants to die of lung cancer or what?" She mumbled while kneeling on the carpet to pick up the cigarette butts. "It''s a miracle that he didn''t burn the whole mansion." She added when her eyes fell on the burned marks on the carpet on the floor. It was evident that Wan Yi Jun got wasted last night. "Did he break up with his girlfriend? Or did he lose his job?" Other than these two options, she couldn''t probably come up with an excuse to reason Wan Yi Jun''s reckless behaviour. He is really a spoilt brat! She gritted in contempt and raised from the floor. "He is even worse than Tora." Ming Yue didn''t even dare to look at the pile of clothes that were on the bed, It did appear like Wan Yi Jun was searching for something from his bags. Just as she reached out for the clothes on the bed, Ming Yue''s eyes caught the sight of the phone that was on the bedside table, kept for charging. Though she knew that it wasn''t a good opportunity to take a look at Wan Yi Jun''s phone, she couldn''t help but move closer to the bedside table out of curiosity. Under the effect of sudden courage, she picked up the phone and tried to unlock the phone. The moment the wallpaper became visible to her, Ming Yue''s dark eyes widened as if she saw some ghastly sight. On the phone screen, it was a picture of three teenagers. Two boys and a girl, showing off their radiant smiles as if they are the happiest people in the entire world. While holding the phone in her hand, Ming Yue didn''t know what to do when she recognized the silver-haired girl in the wallpaper was nobody else but herself. It was a photograph that was taken just before her life turned upside down? But, why is this picture is with him? That too, as Wan Yi Jun''s phone''s wallpaper? Why would he keep their photographs from fifteen years, still on his phone? Just as she remained there petrified, the phone in her hands rang loudly, pulling her out of the dazed state. Ming Yue''s immediate reaction was to silence the phone and run away from the room, holding her life in her hands. But for some reason, she couldn''t move from the spot as if someone had tied her legs. At that moment, the closed door of the bathroom opened and steams leisurely entered the room. Wan Yi Jun stepped out of the shower wearing a pure white bath towel, and the first thing he noticed in the room was the girl who stood next to the bed, holding his phone in one hand. "What are you doing here, miss Ming?" Wan Yi Jun asked as his eyebrows creased into a deep frown, "I...I..." All of a sudden, Ming Yue felt that she had run out of excuses as she blatantly stared at the half-naked man before her eyes. Well, no one could blame her, though. Wan Yi Jun''s tanned body appeared glistening from his recent shower. His muscular chest and abdomen reminded her of a perfectly carved statue. "You?" Wan Yi Jun narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, intimidating the other. "You...you..." "I?" He moved closer to Ming Yue, whose face just turned red like a tomato. All of sudden, Ming Yue threw away the phone at him and covered her eyes, Whether it was because of Wan Yi Jun''s high reflex, he caught the phone in the air like a pro. "Please wear some clothes, master." Ming Yue almost screamed as she tightly shut her ears as if she doesn''t want to show her embarrassed face. "What are you doing here, miss Ming?" Wan Yi Jun asked in a serious tone. Though he was surprised by her actions, he couldn''t overlook the fact that she got inside his room without any permission. "I''m sorry, master." Ming Yue somehow regained her bearings and dragged her legs away from the bed. "Construction workers are here, master. I came to inform you, but you weren''t replying. So I came inside and found your phone ringing...I will leave right away." "Hmm, please leave," "I''m extremely sorry, master." She bowed her head in apology, "It''s okay. I will come out in a moment, and please attend them." Wan Yi Jun suggested and moved a little bit so that Ming Yue could leave the room, The moment she stepped outside, Ming Yue collapsed onto the floor as if she lost her balance. Even she wasn''t sure why her heart was pounding so hard, Whether it was a shock of finding her picture on Wan Yi Jun''s phone or watching him half-naked, she wasn''t sure either. After a long moment, Ming Yue took a deep breath and pulled herself together. "He is your enemy. ENEMY." She reminded herself and rose into her feet, When Wan Yi Jun came out changing, he couldn''t find Ming Yue anywhere. "Did I scare her? Miss Ming?" He called out in a worried voice. He wasn''t sure whether he acted as a police officer and almost interrogated her, just like he did on the first day they met each other. "Master, I''m here." All of sudden, Ming Yue''s voice was heard from the courtyard and Wan Yi Jun walked towards the door to find his confused maid standing next to his car. "Master, I think they left." She informed with her eyes focused in the direction of the gate left wide open. "Those construction workers, I saw their truck and even talked to one of them, but they just left without a word." "Are you sure?" Wan Yi Jun asked doubtingly, as he walked out of the house and stood next to Ming Yue. "Yes, look at the marks in the soil. There were at least six or seven construction workers." "Hmm," He picked up his phone and dialled the number of the agency that was in charge of renovation marks. But for some reason, they didn''t pick up. "What did the worker say, miss Ming?" He casually asked while dialling the number once again. "That man said that the previous team members saw some shadowy figures in the house, and that''s the reason why they quit working here." Ming Yue shared whatever he heard from the worker without any second thoughts, only to shock Wan Yi Jun, who didn''t expect such a reply. "What the hell?" He almost dropped his phone onto the floor, "I think they left the mansion out of fear." Ming Yue expressed her opinion based on what she heard earlier. Though she felt that the construction worker appeared brave, it didn''t guarantee that rest of his team would be brave enough to repair a haunted house. "Aiissshhh..." Wan Yi Jun pressed his temples and almost cursed at his bad luck. "It''s alright, master. There is a construction worker where I live. Should I ask him to get it done?" Ming Yue asked when she felt an opportunity coming on her way to infiltrate into wisteria garden''s inner chambers. "Let me try once again. If I''m unable to persuade the agency to work here, we can think about it." Wan Yi Jun said as he moved closer to the car, "Okay. Master, are you going now? I had made breakfast. Please eat it and go." She simply crossed his path and asked once again, "Should I pack the breakfast, then?" "Didn''t hear me, Miss? I got no time for you." Wan Yi Jun harshly shouted and unlocked the car, "Hmm, sorry, master. Please drive safely," She apologetically bowed her head and moved away from him. It was evident that Wan Yi Jun was in a bad mood, so she didn''t dare to make him any angrier. However, Wan Yi Jun didn''t get inside the car, as he stood staring at Ming Yue''s reflection on the windowpane. "Did you forget anything, master?" Ming Yue asked when she found that Wan Yi Jun was still standing next to the car, "I''m sorry, miss Ming." Wan Yi Jun quickly apologized in a low voice and turned to face her, "I didn''t mean shout at you. It''s just I had something else in my mind." "You didn''t shout at me, master." She replied with a faint smile, "I knew that you are going through some trouble, but please remember that it won''t last any longer." "Hmm...This is for you," Wan Yi Jun took out a phone and key from his pocket and extended it towards Ming Yue, "This is my old phone, you can use it until you get a new one, also this is the spare key to the mansion." Chapter 59 - The Worst Thing To Happen. Even after Wan Yi Jun''s car left Wisteria garden, Ming Yue couldn''t move away from the spot where she stood. She couldn''t accept the fact that she was holding Wan Yi Jun''s cellphone and his house key in her hands. She was looking for ways to sneak into his phone and house, but never did she imagine that Wan Yi Jun would believe her so much that he was ready to give away two of his most private belongings. She thought Wan YiJun was a meticulous police officer, but after watching him carelessly believing in an imposter, an enemy to be precise. Ming Yue gently lowered her eyes to the phone and turned it on to check anything that may help them. As soon as the mobile turned on, the blank screen got replaced with a photograph of a husky with a pair of blue and brown eyes, ''Mooney,'' Ming Yue''s lips subconsciously uttered the name that was part of her childhood- her dog. It was a gift from Wan Yi Jun on her birthday, and the name ''Mooney'' was Han Ze Min''s contribution. Though she didn''t show it outside, Ming Yue was very much concerned about her bi-coloured eyes since it was a feature everyone used to tease her. She wasn''t sure what had made Wan Yi Jun get her a dog who looked exactly like her, but she used to believe that he did it, just to tell her that her eyes were rare and special. The day she was abandoned by the Wan family, Ming Yue was forced to believe that they had made sure to wipe her memories from Wan Yi Jun''s life forever, However, watching Wan Yi Jun holding onto their past, to her memories, was something she least expected from him. "Why?" She mumbled while tightening her grip on the phone and quickly shoved it into her hoodie''s pocket as if she got no courage to look into it. "Don''t let him fool you," She said and looked at the key engraved in the shape of a wisteria flower, It was something that was supposed to hand over to the madam of the Wisteria garden, something that was given to the daughter in law of the family. "Don''t let anyone fool you." Ming Yue muttered under her breath as she turned around and stomped into the mansion. -------------- At the same time, the eagle team''s office was witnessing the burning debate between the members who were guessing the reason for the absence of the major two members of their team. Wan Yi Jun and Han Ze Min, two diligent officers who were known for their punctuality were nowhere to see even after the official reporting time was over. "I swear, they had a huge fight, at least over the phone. Otherwise, Captain Wan must have stayed in the office instead of going home." Bing Wen argued as he sat in a circle with the other team members. "I don''t think so. As far as I know, Captain Wan never took their relationship as serious enough to let it affect his career." Shen Junru made a counterargument, placing his bet on his beloved idol. "And Miss Cai even said that Captain never accepted Miss Zhi, so I don''t think he is heartbroken enough to stay home." "But whatever happened last night was a bit overboard. I have never seen captain trying so hard to hide his frustration." Lao Yating added in a concerned voice, "Of course, anyone would have become frustrated when his ''girlfriend'' supports a suspect who got no control over her words. Did you all see officer Han''s face when that woman mentioned his ''dead girlfriend''? If I was in his shoes, I would have never allowed anyone to speak ill of a dead person like that." Bing Wen shared his own opinion, "She could have avoided that term." "Hmm, I feel the same. No matter how much Miss Cai hated officer Han, it is not so nice to drag some dead person and accuse the investigator that he got personal agendas against her. That''s why I tried to stop her." Fei Yan justified his actions from last night''s interrogation. "But senior Fei, did you see how captain Wan took his cousin''s side when that woman accused officer Han?" Bing Wen spoke like a fangirl, with a wide grin on his face, "Bros before girls, damn. That was so cool." "Sometimes, I wonder whether it is true that both of them were rivals. All I can see is the perfect example of two headstrong people who pretend to hate, but secretly supports each other''s back." Lao Yating added with a smile when he recalled the interactions between Wan Yi Jun and Han Ze Min. "Exactly, did you see how captain Wan made sure to leave some dumplings for officer Han in return for the morning coffee? Earlier it was even hard to stand in the same spot with those two, don''t you remember, Senior Fei?" "Of course, I do. I''m surprised that they seem closer than before." Fei Yan gave an agreeing nod and continued in a pleasant tone. "On their last mission together, those two were practically fighting with each other. But now that both of them are working together, it seems like they have come into an agreement. After all, time heals every wound." He sighed heavily as he recalled the cold war period between the brothers. "You have worked with officer Han, too? Have you seen officer Han''s girlfriend, senior Fei?" Bing Wen asked all of a sudden when he remembered the dead girlfriend whom they mentioned earlier. "No. Not at all. I''m hearing it for the first time." Fei Yan quickly rejected and saved himself from spilling any truth. "To be honest, there was a rumour going around that officer Han also liked miss Zhi." Lao Yating said in a doubting tone, "Is that why Captain rejected miss Zhi? Oh my god, did he also believe those rumours and move away so that miss Zhi would accept his cousin who lost his girlfriend" Bing Wen added in a breath and a pair of widened eyes as if he solved a mystery. "Bing Wen, I think you should switch careers." Shen Junru, who got fed up with Bing Wen''s excitement, said in a voice doused in sarcasm, "I damn sure that you will be a great scriptwriter." "I totally agree with you." Lao Yating almost gave a hi-five to Shen Junru when his eyes fell on the familiar figure at the doorstep. "Good morning, captain." He jumped up from the seat and stood in attention, making others do the same. "Good morning, everyone." Wan Yi Jun bowed his head a little and took a seat next to Bing Wen, just to check whatever he was doing in the system. "Have you checked Miss Cai''s alibi?" "Yes, captain. I have sorted the footage of Miss Cai''s car leaving the club around 10 pm and entering Miss Zhi''s house in less than 45 minutes. Both of her phone signals were in the same cell tower territory as miss Zhi''s." Bing Wen replied in a single breath, surprising everyone else. To be honest, everyone thought that he was slacking off his work and only interested in gossiping. But in reality, Bing Wen was so hellbound on impressing Wan Yi Jun, he made sure to complete his tasks before anything else. "What about the call details of Cai Hong''s assistant?" "I''m cross-checking it, captain. Will be done by today evening." "Good job," Wan Yi Jun gave a nod of appraisal. However, before he could say something, his phone rang loudly, and he quickly left the room to pick up the call. "See, he is completely alright." Shen Junru shrugged his shoulders as if he proved others wrong with his assumptions regarding their captain being a strong willed person. "But officer Han is still absent. That means one of them had got hurt last night''s interrogation." Bing Wen who was not ready to yield in before Shen Junru, argued again. "I told you, guys. He switched sides." "I didn''t. I will always stay loyal to Captain Wan." The moment Bing Wen declared in a resilient tone, Wan Yi Jun returned to the room. "Thank you, Bing Wen." He gently patted an embarrassed Bing Wen''s shoulders with a sunny smile and took a seat. "And I''m sorry for coming late. Renovation works are still pending at my home." "You still haven''t settled, captain?" Fei Yan''s creased in worry when he heard Wan Yi Jun''s reply. "I did, but my cook lives in the downtown. She had to travel a lot everyday, so I thought it would be better to accommodate her, too." "Do you live far away from the city, Captian?" Bing Wen asked in a curious tone to do a mental math. "Yeah, more than one hour drive down the north side," "Oh you live in north side? Isn''t the place where the historical ruins of old capital city situates?" Shen Junru who loves to remain silent, suddenly asked in an excited tone. "Yes, it is the same place." "One of my friends took references of that place for his new game. It looked so magnificent." "Does your friend works in Whoopie studios?" Wan Yi Jun asked, "Yes, but how do you know? Are you a fan of warring states, too? We are planning to go for a trip to northern city on this weekend. Do you want to join us, captain?" "Actually, it is next to my house. Feel free to come over to when you come to north." "Really, captain? Why are you inviting senior Shen only?" Bing Wen pouted his lips as if he was disappointed by Wan Yi Jun''s words." "No...no.. actually once the renovation is over, I would like to invite everyone for a meal at my place." Wan Yi Jun gladly offered. However, only he knew that it is never going to happen. Because, it was the second time the construction workers refused to renovate Wisteria garden quoting the presence of a ghosts. Chapter 60 - We Are Doomed The next day, Wan Yi Jun woke up hearing the continuous ringing noise that broke his deep sleep. "I was ringing the doorbell for almost an hour and thought something might have happened to you." She complained while wiping down the sweat beads from her face. Since she wasn''t sure whether Wan Yi Jun was home, she asked Yojiro to drop her somewhere near the mansion and had to walk all the way to avoid any suspicions. He somehow shot open his heavy eyelids and reached for his phone out of habit to turn off his alarm. To be very honest, Wan Yi Jun needed a distraction from his excruciating thoughts. Once his teammates went home, he could no longer stay there and ruminate over whatever Han Ze Min said earlier. In the middle of the night, he decided to leave the office and went home without wasting any time. However, even after continuously pressing on the blank phone screen, the noise didn''t go off. It took a moment for him to realize that it wasn''t his alarm but the doorbell. Is it Ming Yue? He wondered for a moment while rising from the bed, and somehow, dragged his sleepy body to the front door, "Wait a minute," He informed in his morning hoarse sound and opened the front door with a loud creak sound. As soon as the door got open, the bright sunlight rushed inside, Wan Yi Jun unknowingly covered his eyes, "Master, are you okay?" Ming Yue''s slightly worried voice fell onto his ears as he struggled to look at the person who stood before him, bathed in golden light that hurt his eyes. Just as he took a step away from the entrance, Ming Yue entered the house without any hesitations. "I was asleep, Miss Ming." Wan Yi Jun replied as he stretched his aching arms a bit. Last night he left office after the conversation with Han Ze Min. However, even after coming home, he couldn''t stop his thoughts and eventually had to get help from one of the whiskey bottles he got as a parting gift from his previous landlord. To get away from his loneliness, Wan Yi Jun busied himself with work 24X 7, but there were some instincts in his life where he couldn''t help but rely on alcohol to calm his mind. Maybe it was the reason why he ended up sleeping like a log. "I was about to break some window and enter the house like a burglar." Ming Yue sighed and stared at the man, who appeared quite different from yesterday''s well-groomed look. Looking at his haggard appearance, she was sure that he was tired to death. "You could have given me a call instead of ringing the doorbell. I always keep my phone next to me." Wan Yi Jun shrugged his shoulders when he heard her reply. "I did call you when I left my house, but all I could hear was ''the number you are calling is either switched off or not available'' When I came here, I saw your car and thought you might be inside, so I rang the doorbell." Ming Yue casually said as it was a normal thing to do. "My phone was off? I might have forgotten to put it on a charge," Wan Yi Jun unknowingly shuffled his hair as he regretted his decision to drink last night. He always made sure to keep his phone charged because of his work. "Master, don''t you have to go to work or are you on leave?" Ming Yue asked when he saw Wan Yi Jun''s dazed state. "No, no, I need to go." He quickly regained his bearings and looked at the wall clock in the living room. It was almost 10 in the morning. "Damn, he did oversleep." Wan Yi Jun almost cursed under his breath and rushed towards his room to get ready to leave as soon as possible. However, Ming Yue stood at the entrance and looked at him doubtingly. Did something happen last night? "Are you sure, master? You look more tired than yesterday," She asked once again, "It''s nothing. I will go and get ready." Wan Yi Jun quickly replied and vanished behind the door, leaving Ming Yue all alone in the living room. "Yes, master, I will get your breakfast." She said and went towards the kitchen. However, just as she moved past the central table in the house, she stumbled upon an alcohol bottle. She bent down and picked up the bottle from the floor. "It seems like he was drinking," She mumbled and checked the floor for any other bottles. Luckily, there was no bottle but plenty of cigarette butts. "No wonder he looks so haggard." She gritted and began to pick the litter from the ground, But at that moment, she heard some footsteps echoing in the silent room. "What happened, mas-" Ming Yue''s words broke in mid-sentence when she saw a stranger at the doorstep. It was a man who wore a black hoodie and cap. "WHO ARE YOU?" Ming Yue inquired when she felt something amiss about this stranger. As far as she knew, Wan Yi Jun never mentioned having a guest over. "Huh, who are you?" The man who was equally surprised to see another person in the mansion asked in a startled voice. He looked at the beautiful woman who wore a similar black hoodie like him, "Are you here for work, too? Oh, good morning, miss. I''m Chao Xiang from the electrical team." The man removed his cap and introduced with a smile. As soon as she heard that he was a construction worker, she let down her guard. Of course, Wan Yi Jun did inform her about it. "Oh, are you one of those workers who ran away in the middle of the renovation work?" Ming Yue asked since she was the one who had to clean the mess and make the mansion more ''habitable'' for Wan Yi Jun. "No...no...That was another team from our agency." The man immediately refuted as if he got wrongly accused. "I heard from the chief that few of the workers roamed around this house and saw something that they weren''t supposed to see." "Something that wasn''t supposed to see? What''s that?" Ming Yue suddenly sounded curious. "A ghost-like thing." He replied and quickly broke into a peal of laughter. "Who believes in these stupid stories nowadays? " "What did they see?'' "Some shadowy figures. There are lots of weird rumours about this mansion. They might have believed it and got scared by the shadow of some tree." The man paused for a moment and took a step closer to Ming Yue, "Oh, finally, they are here. I was starting to doubt whether we two have to do the rest of the works." The man added with a smile and walked towards the truck stopped in front of the entrance. Just as he walked over, the construction worker got down from the truck one by one. "Good morning, Chief. Why are you coming so late? We almost thought that you also ditched us due to the stupid ghost story." Chao Xiang greeted his supervisor and his fellow workers, who seemed a little bit shocked to see him. "We? Do you mean the owner?" The chief who peeked at the car parked in front of the entrance asked in a confused tone, "Is he home?" "I''m talking about our new worker. By the time I reached here, she had already started working. Did you give the key to her?" When the supervisor felt something absurd, he quickly changed the topic so that the workers won''t get scared due to the same rumour they heard earlier. "Yaa, what are you doing? Are you drunk from the morning?" Chief who saw Chao Xiang acting weirdly, quickly stopped the other from creating a fuss. He somehow persuaded the workers to renovate the mansion despite the rumours, just because the owner was a policeman. Otherwise, he would have right away rejected to step inside this cursed place. "I don''t know what you are talking about, Chao Xiang. Everyone, let''s start working and finish it today itself." As soon as the workers heard their supervisor''s instructions, they immediately started to unload their tools and raw materials from the truck. Just as he stepped inside the living room, he quickly searched for the girl, and to his surprise, she was nowhere to see. "Miss, where are you? Come out and meet the rest of the team." "No...I''m not drunk. I swore there was a girl. She even asked me why didn''t the previous team quit in the middle of the work. She was pretty much worried about the owner and almost scolded me." Chao Xiang elaborated as he looked around the living room, "I''m damn sure she might be cleaning somewhere." "Didn''t you hear it earlier? There is no girl in our team." "No, but I was talking to a girl-" Chao Xiang once again made a vague effort to prove his point. "Oh my God!!!" All of a sudden, one of the workers, a man in his late forties, gasped in horror, "The last person...who died in this house...it was a girl...." Chapter 61 - Meet Him Among Them UNEDITED CHAPTER- PLEASE WAIT, We are having heavy rainfall and my network is low For a moment Yojiro felt that his heart stopped beating as the horror they were trying hard to avoid had finally found its way towards them. "Ming Jiang, are you there?" The voice from the other side asked when he heard a pin drop silence from the receiver end. "Yes...yes, sir," Yojiro replied as soon as he regained his bearings and quickly stood up from the seat, quickly stormed outside. "We collected your contact number from the Rising Ravens club''s register. I assume that you have visited the club on new year eve." "Yes sir. I was there when the accident happened." "Were you alone, or did you go with a friend?" "My cousin was with me." "What''s his name and where do you live," "His name is Lin Tian...both of us are from dragon city and currently we stay in a rental place next to the Jing university." "Are you a student? Will you be able to come to the south city police station and give your statement?" "Today, sir?" "Yes, if it is possible." "Actually sir, our second term admissions are going on, and we are unable to leave the campus premises for two days. Can we give our statement later?" "How about I come there?" "Sir, if policemen come to the university regarding some enquiry, everyone will mistake us." "You don''t have to worry about it, I won''t be coming in my police uniform." "Sir, I''m a student on a charity scholarship. If someone hears that I visited the club with that money, I will be in trouble, sir. Please understand, sir, my entire future will be gone." "Huh, let me discuss with my superiors and get back to you." "Thank you so much, sir." "What happened?" "Police, they want our statements." "We can''t just go and give random statements. Our stories should match with each other''s, otherwise, it will lead to more susception." "Also, we should inform it o nechan or else she won''t think twice to kill us," "We barely avoided getting our asses hit." "I have tried to avoid a confrontation in the police station. Let''s see if it works out." "God, what kind of mess is this? I just want to go home." -------------- "Captain, we have collected statements from almost 90 per cent of the visitors of Rising Raven on New Year Eve. There are very few people are left. They are students, and most of them are busy with the new term and course registration. I did tell them that I will directly come to the university and collect the statements. But one of them has a request." "What is it?" "He is actually on some charity scholarship, and he took money from it and went for clubbing. So there is a chance that he might lose the scholarship. So he asked whether it is possible to meet somewhere else." "Oh please, do it. You know how hard is to acquire a scholarship, but make sure to collect as much data as possible, including his personal contacts. We can''t take any chances." "Okay, captain." "Should I come with you?" "No, captain. I will do it." "We do something, take Bing Wen with you. He is a dire need of sunlight and some travelling Just as she remained there petrified, the phone in her hands rang loudly, pulling her out of the dazed state. At that moment, the closed door of the bathroom opened and steams leisurely entered the room. "What are you doing here, miss Ming?" Wan Yi Jun asked as his eyebrows creased into a deep frown, Wan Yi Jun stepped out of the shower wearing a pure white bath towel, and the first thing he noticed in the room was the girl who stood next to the bed, holding his phone in one hand. "I...I..." All of a sudden, Ming Yue felt that she had run out of excuses as she blatantly stared at the half-naked man before her eyes. Well, no one could blame her, though. Wan Yi Jun''s tanned body appeared glistening from his recent shower. His muscular chest and abdomen reminded her of a perfectly carved statue. "You?" Wan Yi Jun narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, intimidating the other. "You...you..." "I?" He moved closer to Ming Yue, whose face just turned red like a tomato. All of sudden, Ming Yue threw away the phone at him and covered her eyes, Whether it was because of Wan Yi Jun''s high reflex, he caught the phone in the air like a pro. "What are you doing here, miss Ming?" Wan Yi Jun asked in a serious tone. Though he was surprised by her actions, he couldn''t overlook the fact that she got inside his room without any permission. "Please wear some clothes, master." Ming Yue almost screamed as she tightly shut her ears as if she doesn''t want to show her embarrassed face. "I''m sorry, master." Ming Yue somehow regained her bearings and dragged her legs away from the bed. "Construction workers are here, master. I came to inform you, but you weren''t replying. So I came inside and found your phone ringing...I will leave right away." "Hmm, please leave," "I''m extremely sorry, master." "It''s okay. I will come out in a moment, and please attend them." Ming Yue almost ran out of the room, holding her life in hand. The moment she stepped outside, Ming Yue collapsed onto the floor as if she lost her balance. Even she wasn''t sure why her heart was pounding so hard, Whether it was a shock of finding her picture on Wan Yi Jun''s phone or watching him half-naked, she wasn''t sure either. After a long moment, Ming Yue took a deep breath and calmed herself. When Wan Yi Jun came out changing, he couldn''t find Ming Yue anywhere. "Did I scare her? Miss Ming?" He called out in a worried voice. He wasn''t sure whether he acted as a police officer and almost interrogated her, just like he did on the first day they met each other. "Master, I''m here." All of sudden, Ming Yue''s voice was heard from the courtyard and Wan Yi Jun walked towards the door to find his confused maid standing next to his car. "Are you sure?" Wan Yi Jun asked doubtingly, as he walked out of the house and stood next to Ming Yue. "Yes, look at the marks in the soil. There were at least six or seven construction workers." "Hmm," He picked up his phone and dialled the number of the agency that was in charge of renovation marks. But for some reason, they didn''t pick up. "Master, I think they left." She informed with her eyes focused in the direction of the gate left wide open. "Those construction workers, I saw their truck and even talked to one of them, but they just left without a word." "What did the worker say, miss Ming?" He casually asked while dialling the number once again. "What the hell?" He almost dropped his phone onto the floor, "I think they left the mansion out of fear." Ming Yue expressed her opinion based on what she heard earlier. Though she felt that the construction worker appeared brave, it didn''t guarantee that rest of his team would be brave enough to repair a haunted house. "That man said that the previous team members saw some shadowy figures in the house, and that''s the reason why they quit working here." Ming Yue shared whatever he heard from the worker without any second thoughts, only to shock Wan Yi Jun, who didn''t expect such a reply. "Aiissshhh..." Wan Yi Jun pressed his temples and almost cursed at his bad luck. "It''s alright, master. There is a construction worker where I live. Should I ask him to get it done?" Ming Yue asked when she felt an opportunity coming on her way to infiltrate into wisteria garden''s inner chambers. "Let me try once again. If I''m unable to persuade the agency to work here, we can think about it." Wan Yi Jun said as he moved closer to the car, "Okay. Master, are you going now? I had made breakfast. Please eat it and go." She simply crossed his path and asked once again, "Should I pack the breakfast, then?" "Didn''t hear me, Miss? I got no time for you." Wan Yi Jun harshly shouted and unlocked the car, "Hmm, sorry, master. Please drive safely," She apologetically bowed her head and moved away from him. It was evident that Wan Yi Jun was in a bad mood, so she didn''t dare to make him any angrier. However, Wan Yi Jun didn''t get inside the car, as he stood staring at Ming Yue''s reflection on the windowpane. "Did you forget anything, master?" "I''m sorry, miss Ming. I didn''t mean to hurt you. It''s just I had something else in my mind." "You didn''t hurt me, master." "This is for you," "What''s it?" "This is my old phone, you can use it till you get a new phone and spare key to the mansion." Chapter 62 - Pride And Prejudice UNEDITED VERSION She was looking for ways to sneak into his phone and house, but never did she imagine that Wan Yi Jun would believe her so much that he was ready to give away two of his most private belongings. Even after Wan Yi Jun''s car left Wisteria garden, Ming Yue couldn''t move away from the spot where she stood. She couldn''t accept the fact that she was holding Wan Yi Jun''s cellphone and his house key in her hands. She thought Wan YiJun was a meticulous police officer, but after watching him carelessly believing in an imposter, an enemy to be precise. Ming Yue gently lowered her eyes to the phone and turned it on to check anything that may help them. As soon as the mobile turned on, the blank screen got replaced with a photograph of a husky with a pair of blue and brown eyes, ''Mooney,'' Ming Yue''s lips subconsciously uttered the name that was part of her childhood- her dog. It was a gift from Wan Yi Jun on her birthday, and the name ''Mooney'' was Han Ze Min''s contribution. She wasn''t sure what had made Wan Yi Jun get her a dog who looked exactly like her, but she used to believe that he did it, just to tell her that her eyes were rare and special. Though she didn''t show it outside, Ming Yue was very much concerned about her bi-coloured eyes since it was a feature everyone used to tease her. The day she was abandoned by the Wan family, Ming Yue was forced to believe that they had made sure to wipe her memories from Wan Yi Jun''s life forever, However, watching Wan Yi Jun holding onto their past, to her memories, was something she least expected from him. It was something that was supposed to hand over to the madam of the Wisteria garden, something that was given to the daughter in law of the family. "Why?" She mumbled while tightening her grip on the phone and quickly shoved it into her hoodie''s pocket as if she got no courage to look into it. "Don''t let him fool you," She said and looked at the key engraved in the shape of a wisteria flower, "Don''t let anyone fool you." Ming Yue muttered under her breath as she turned around and stomped into the mansion. -------------- At the same time, the eagle team''s office was witnessing the burning debate between the members who were guessing the reason for the absence of the major two members of their team. Wan Yi Jun and Han Ze Min, two diligent officers who were known for their punctuality were nowhere to see even after the official reporting time was over. "I don''t think so. As far as I know, Captain Wan never took their relationship as serious enough to let it affect his career." Shen Junru made a counterargument, placing his bet on his beloved idol. "And Miss Cai even said that Captain never accepted Miss Zhi, so I don''t think he is heartbroken enough to stay home." "I swear, they had a huge fight, at least over the phone. Otherwise, Captain Wan must have stayed in the office instead of going home." Bing Wen argued as he sat in a circle with the other team members. "But whatever happened last night was a bit overboard. I have never seen captain trying so hard to hide his frustration." Lao Yating added in a concerned voice, "She could have avoided that term." "Hmm, I feel the same. No matter how much Miss Cai hated officer Han, it is not so nice to drag some dead person and accuse the investigator that he got personal agendas against her. That''s why I tried to stop her." Fei Yan justified his actions from last night''s interrogation. "Of course, anyone would have become frustrated when his ''girlfriend'' supports a suspect who got no control over her words. Did you all see officer Han''s face when that woman mentioned his ''dead girlfriend''? If I was in his shoes, I would have never allowed anyone to speak ill of a dead person like that." Bing Wen shared his own opinion, "But senior Fei, did you see how captain Wan took his cousin''s side when that woman accused officer Han?" Bing Wen spoke like a fangirl, with a wide grin on his face, "Bros before girls, damn. That was so cool." "Sometimes, I wonder whether it is true that both of them were rivals. All I can see is the perfect example of two headstrong people who pretend to hate, but secretly supports each other''s back." Lao Yating added with a smile when he recalled the interactions between Wan Yi Jun and Han Ze Min. "Exactly, did you see how captain Wan made sure to leave some dumplings for officer Han in return for the morning coffee? Earlier it was even hard to stand in the same spot with those two, don''t you remember, Senior Fei?" "Of course, I do. I''m surprised that they seem closer than before." Fei Yan gave an agreeing nod and continued in a pleasant tone. "On their last mission together, those two were practically fighting with each other. But now that both of them are working together, it seems like they have come into an agreement. After all, time heals every wound." He sighed heavily as he recalled the cold war period between the brothers. "Exactly, did you see how captain Wan made sure to leave some dumplings for officer Han in return for the morning coffee? Earlier it was even hard to stand in the same spot with those two, don''t you remember, Senior Fei?" "You have worked with officer Han, too? Have you seen officer Han''s girlfriend, senior Fei?" Bing Wen asked all of a sudden when he remembered the dead girlfriend whom they mentioned earlier. "No. Not at all. I''m hearing it for the first time." Fei Yan quickly rejected and saved himself from spilling any truth. "To be honest, there was a rumour going around that officer Han also liked miss Zhi." Lao Yating said in a doubting tone, "Is that why Captain rejected miss Zhi? Oh my god, did he also believe those rumours and move away so that miss Zhi would accept his cousin who lost his girlfriend" Bing Wen added in a breath and a pair of widened eyes as if he solved a mystery. "Bing Wen, I think you should switch careers." Shen Junru, who got fed up with Bing Wen''s excitement, said in a voice doused in sarcasm, "I damn sure that you will be a great scriptwriter." "I totally agree with you." Lao Yating almost gave a hi-five to Shen Junru when his eyes fell on the familiar figure at the doorstep. "Good morning, captain." He jumped up from the seat and stood in attention, making others do the same. "Yes, captain. I have sorted the footage of Miss Cai''s car leaving the club around 10 pm and entering Miss Zhi''s house in less than 45 minutes. Both of her phone signals were in the same cell tower territory as miss Zhi''s." Bing Wen replied in a single breath, surprising everyone else. To be honest, everyone thought that he was slacking off his work and only interested in gossiping. But in reality, Bing Wen was so hellbound on impressing Wan Yi Jun, he made sure to complete his tasks before anything else. "Good morning, everyone." Wan Yi Jun bowed his head a little and took a seat next to Bing Wen, just to check whatever he was doing in the system. "Have you checked Miss Cai''s alibi?" "What about the call details of Cai Hong''s assistant?" "I''m cross-checking it, captain. Will be done by today evening." "Good job," Wan Yi Jun gave a nod of appraisal. However, before he could say something, his phone rang loudly, and he quickly left the room to pick up the call. "See, he is completely alright." Shen Junru shrugged his shoulders as if he had won their bet. "But officer Han is still absent." "I told you, guys. He switched sides." "I didn''t. I will always stay as Captain''s side." "Thank you, Bing Wen. And I''m sorry that I came late. I''m just busy with moving in." "You still haven''t settled, captain?" "I did, but my cook hasn''t. The construction workers were supposed to come today morning." "Do you live far away from the city, Captian?" "Yeah, almost one hour drive towards the north side," "Isn''t the place where the ruins of so many historical monuments are present?" "Yes, it used to be old capital." "I want to visit them at least once. One of my friends took references to that place for his game. It looked so magnificent." "I''m planning to go for a trip to that place once this case gets over." "You can come over when the renovation works are over." "Really?" "I wanted to invite everyone to my house and give a welcome party. But I don''t think it will work." "Why?" "It''s not a place where people usually goes." "I just hope everything goes well and will be able to settle as soon as possible." "No wonder, he looks so tired always. I was always trying Chapter 63 - Who Are You? Though he also volunteered to join them, Ming Yue asked him to stay at home without getting into another trouble. In the rooftop house, Kousuke was having a mental breakdown as he waited for Yojiro, who went to drop Ming Yue at her new workplace aka the enemy lair. After their conversation/debate about working right under the nose of Wan Yi Jun, he wasn''t so sure about sending his Nechan away from their sight. "Did you drop Nechan at that officer''s house? How''s it?" Kousuke inquired as soon as Yojiro took a seat on the couch. Just as he sat on the couch and chewed his nails in stress, Yojiro entered the living room, playing with the car key just opposite his brother. If something happens to her, then that''s it. None of them will be able to leave this country alive. "Nah. Nechan asked me to drop her someplace away from that house," Yojiro replied as he placed the key onto the centre table, " But, weirdly, he lives in the outskirts, unlike the rich people in the city. That house is so deserted that there aren''t vehicles going to that area." He explained without hiding anything. "That''s weird. But do you have any idea how Nechan became closer to that officer? Did she say anything about it?" He made a vague effort to sneak some information from a tight-lipped Yojiro who refused to share anything regarding Ming Yue''s plan. "No idea. But it seems like that officer trusts Nechan. So we should also trust her belief." As soon as Yojiro stopped, Kousuke fell into silence instead of bombarding the other with questions. However, it didn''t last for a long time when his eyes drifted towards the cell phone on the centre table. It was Ming Yue''s phone, and she left it home to eliminate the chances of getting caught as well as tracking her. No matter how many times, they tried to persuade her, she refused to carry the phone. Well, unlike her peers, Ming Yue wasn''t very much dependent on electronic gadgets or technology, so it was easy for her to handle things without a phone. However, her habit was a huge headache for the people around her, especially since they were staying in a foreign country. "Okay. But where do you planning to plant the tracker?" Yojiro asked in a serious tone, "Wristwatch? Neck chain or something else." The moment Kousuke heard the question, he quickly understood his mistake. Planting a secret tracker on Ming Yue was an impossibility, It was true that she was never overly dependent on tech, but that doesn''t mean that she was unaware of the usage of tech and gadgets. But the thing that confused them most was something else, "How about we plant tracker on Nechan without letting her know, you know for her safety?" Kousuke asked after contemplating for a while, only to get thrashed by Yojiro''s condescending scoff. "I have never seen Nechan wearing any ornaments or using any accessories daily, not even a wristwatch. If we get something for her, she could easily recognize it is a tracker and probably leave it somewhere safe, just to confuse us." Yojiro stated as a matter of fact. The moment Ming Yue boarded the flight from Daisun, she removed her engagement ring and kept it away. "I just hope we could find the murderer and leave this country as soon as possible." "Finding the murderer and reverting the police''s attention from us won''t be enough." Yojiro paused for a moment and sighed when the memory of Ming Yue''s decision for last night, "I don''t think Nechan would leave this country unless she finishes her mission." "Do you have any idea what''s her mission is all about?" Kousuke asked all of a sudden. It has been a week since they landed on imperial, and still, Ming Yue hasn''t explained why they came to this foreign country. "She hasn''t given me any heads up regarding it." "I''m scared, Yoji. Nechan working with a police officer while we sit here, unable to know what''s happening with her. What if something goes wrong?" Yojiro repeated his lines as he pulled his hair in worry. "Even I don''t know where she used that jammer." Yojiro opened his palms and explained his side of the story. "You know how eccentric her hobbies are. I''m damn sure this mission is something like we did earlier. Maybe she is fulfilling her bucket list before settling down with Tora." Yojiro made an assumption that sounded so true when it comes to their previous experience with Ming Yue, who had always been eccentric and different from any woman they knew. Total psychopath. "The day we reached here, Nechan asked me to assemble some scrap and build a signal jammer, while she asked you to set up a low key rental house and car," Yojiro spoke in an honest voice that depicted that he was also unaware of Ming Yue''s plan in the capital city. The day they reached imperial, three of them stayed in a hotel until they find a new place. However, while they were trying to get over their jet lag, Ming Yue went outside and got the raw materials to assemble a signal jammer. As soon as the jammer got ready, she went out without telling them a word and returned only at midnight. "But this is not the right place to try out her bucket list," Kousuke said in a harsh voice, to which Yojiro agreed for the first time, "When she returns, we should ask Nechan what exactly her plan is. Otherwise, we are going to be stuck in this hell." "Yeah. But, let''s go and have some food. I''m starving." Yojiro suggested and stood up from the couch. Though they had a small kitchen in the rooftop house, their kind landlady, who also owns a restuarant, had permitted to come over for breakfast. As soon as Yojiro and Kousuke entered the restuarant, the old landlady widened her eyes in surprise, "We are still looking for work, grandma," Kousuke replied in a fake disappointed voice and bowed his head. "We apologize for being a burden for you and our sister." "You two are still here? Don''t you have to go work?" She glanced at the clock and doubtingly asked. As far as she know, her tenants were three orphans who came to the capital looking for a job, and that''s why she took extra care of them. "Hey, don''t say like that. You three went out two days, so I thought you got a job. But it''s alright. Grandma knows how hard is to find out a job nowadays." The old lady consoled them and served the breakfast for them. "Why didn''t you ask your sister''s friend? That young man looked like he is from a wealthy family." As soon as the term ''friend'' fell from the old lady, Kousuke and Yojiro exchanged confused glances with each other. "Which friend?" Kousuke, who failed to hide his curiosity, unknowingly blurted out. As far as they knew, their Nechan doesn''t have any friends or any acquaintances in the capital city. It was only recently they got to know that Ming Yue grew up in a border village of Daisun. "He?" Kousuke almost yelled in horror, only to get scolded by the grandma. "The young man who came with your sister on new year night. He even stayed for dinner." The old lady smilingly informed as she tried to remember the polite young man who stayed for the dinner. "She went for a date? With whom?" He asked once again. "His name was really nice, but It is a shame that I don''t remember it. But one thing that I remember, he was indeed a good looking guy." "Don''t act like a jerk, boy. Just because Xiao Yue is your sister, that doesn''t mean that she had to take care of you all the time. She is a young woman at the age where everyone falls in love. She deserved to be with someone who takes good care of her." The old lady advised the Kousuke, who clearly expressed shock and jealousy as soon as he heard about a man in his sister''s life. "Huh, who is that?" "I think your sister likes that guy. So why don''t you talk to her and get her married to that guy?" "Are you thinking the same thing that''s on my mind?" "No." "No? Aren''t you even worried a little bit about what will happen if Tora knows that Ne Chan is seeing someone else?" "Are you even worried about what will happen when Nechan knows that you have sneaked information to Tora?" "But that''s wrong. She is already engaged to someone else." "Do you think that Nechan is planning to cheat Tora with some other man?" "Of course, she is a gorgeous woman, and it is nearly dangerous." "I''m damn sure she knows what''s she doing," "Hello, is this Ming Jiang." "Yes, it is." "We are calling from the south city police station. We called you to ask you about a murder that happened on Chapter 64 - The Wandering Ghost UNEDITED VERSION: PLEASE WAIT FOR 1 HOUR After Wan Yi Jun''s constant efforts to convince the construction workers that no ghosts are wandering in the wisteria gardens, the renovation works finally started. When the workers realized that the girl whom they mistook as a ghost in the haunted house, turned out to be the maid of the house, they couldn''t help, but laugh at their mistake. Though they felt a little better after hearing that "Human beings" do live in the mansion, the deep-rooted fear in their mind never ended, and thus, they have decided to work in groups instead of going into the different parts of the house. Since Ming Yue stayed at the mansion, supervising the renovation during the day, most of the young men among the construction workers were excited to stay close to her. Indeed, a beautiful woman''s company made them forget their fears at least I still can''t believe we all mistook an angel like a girl, as a ghost? How can Miss Ming be a ghost? She is an absolute beauty." "I never mistook as her a ghost. You guys were the ones who flee from here out of fear." "When are you going to install the security cameras?" "It''s done by the electrical team, they will be here at any moment." "How many of them are coming and will they be able to finish it today itself?" "Mostly, three or four electricians will be there. But since this mansion is quite big, there will be more people." "Hmmm, please do inform me when they reach here." "Miss Ming, how will I inform you if you won''t give me your phone number?" "I don''t have a phone." "Huh?" "That''s young master''s phone." "Why are you trying so hard? She is clearly not interested in you." "Well, nothing wrong in asking for. What if gets lucky." "People like us, we will never get lucky. You have seen the young master of this mansion, haven''t you? He is the one who is going to be lucky." "Hey, that''s not possible. He is a reputed police officer." "They are staying together in a huge mansion, even if something going between them no one will know." "I''m damn sure that woman like her only got one goal, to seduce men and leech them off." "I don''t think so." "No one is here, I will prove it, right now." "Miss Ming, aren''t you scared to live here after hearing all those ghosts stories?" "No." "Really?" we saw something on the south side of the mansion, can you come with us and check?" " In the eagle team''s office, Lao Yating and Fei Yan, who was in charge of collecting statements from witnesses, sat down at the table and shared everything they had found so far. or a moment Yojiro felt that his heart stopped beating as the horror they were trying hard to avoid had finally found its way towards them. "Ming Jiang, are you there?" The voice from the other side asked when he heard a pin drop silence from the receiver end. Kousuke wasn''t a coward but the hostile condition in a foreign country has trigged his trauma and made him a scaredy-cat. For a moment Yojiro felt that his heart stopped beating as the horror they were trying hard to avoid had finally found its way towards them. "Ming Jiang, are you there?" The voice from the other side asked when he heard a pin drop silence from the receiver end. Kousuke wasn''t a coward but the hostile condition in a foreign country has trigged his trauma and made him a scaredy-cat. "We collected your contact number from the Rising Ravens club''s register and I assume that you have visited the club on new year eve." The police officer mentioned again, "Yes sir. I was there when the accident happened." "Were you alone, or did you go there with friends or someone else?" "I went with my cousin, sir." Yojiro stuck to the basic story that they have created about their fake identities. Their identities weren''t exactly fake, but the names and families were stolen from dead people. "What''s your cousin''s name and where do you live?" "His name is Lin Tian...both of us are from dragon city and currently we stay in a rental place next to the Jing university." "Are you a student?" The police officer asked in a doubtful tone, "Will you be able to come to the south city police station and give your statement?" "Today, sir?" Yojiro stepped into a nearby alley next to the restuarant and spoke in a lowered voice as if he was trying to keep it a secret. "Yes, if it is possible." "Oh...Then how about I come there? Didn''t you say that you study at Jing university?" The police officer suggested as if he understood the emergency of the situation. As soon as the police officer heard Yojiro''s worry, he tried to reassure that he would make sure to avoid any hassles of a police enquiry in the university. "You don''t have to worry about it. I won''t be coming in my police uniform." "What happened?" Kousuke asked as soon as Yojiro took a seat opposite to him, "Who was that. "Police, they want our statements." He replied and took a mouthful of cold water to calm down his nerves, "We can''t just go and give random statements. So I tried my best to delay the interrogation." "Yes. Our stories should match each other. Otherwise, it will create to more susception." Kousuke calmly "We collected your contact number from the Rising Ravens club''s register and I assume that you have visited the club on new year eve." The police officer mentioned again, "Yes sir. I was there when the accident happened." "Were you alone, or did you go there with friends or someone else?" "I went with my cousin, sir." Yojiro stuck to the basic story that they have created about their fake identities. Their identities weren''t exactly fake, but the names and families were stolen from dead people. "What''s your cousin''s name and where do you live?" "His name is Lin Tian...both of us are from dragon city and currently we stay in a rental place next to the Jing university." "Are you a student?" The police officer asked in a doubtful tone, "Will you be able to come to the south city police station and give your statement?" "Today, sir?" Yojiro stepped into a nearby alley next to the restuarant and spoke in a lowered voice as if he was trying to keep it a secret. "Yes, if it is possible." "Actually sir, our second term admissions are going on, and it would be really hard to leave the campus premises until everything sorts out. If it is possible, can we give our statement later?" Yojiro came up with a random excuse that popped out of his mind. To be honest, he was a bit worried about meeting a police officer without discussing it with Ming Yue, since she assured them that she will take care of the case. So he was just trying to stall the time, "Oh...Then how about I come there? Didn''t you say that you study at Jing university?" The police officer suggested as if he understood the emergency of the situation. "Sir, if a police officer comes looking for us in the university regarding a murder, everyone will mistake us. Can you please not-" Yojiro, who understood that the policeman was desperate to meet him under any circumstances, tried every possible excuse to stop the interrogation, but with believable reasons. As soon as the police officer heard Yojiro''s worry, he tried to reassure that he would make sure to avoid any hassles of a police enquiry in the university. "You don''t have to worry about it. I won''t be coming in my police uniform." "Sir, I''m a student on a charity scholarship. If someone hears that I visited the club with that money, I will be in trouble, sir." Yojiro, who was known for his aloof and silent personality, put on an innocent and naive facade of a college student and began to plead to the police officer. He tried his best to stop the police officer from meeting him at the university grounds. "Please understand, sir, if the management knows that I misused my scholarship, they will take away whatever they gave me, and my entire future will be ruined." "Huh, please don''t worry. Let me discuss with my superiors and get back to you." The police officer consoled him and ended the conversation. "Thank you so much, sir." He sighed and quickly returned to the restuarant. "What happened?" Kousuke asked as soon as Yojiro took a seat opposite to him, "Who was that. "Police, they want our statements." He replied and took a mouthful of cold water to calm down his nerves, "We can''t just go and give random statements. So I tried my best to delay the interrogation." "Yes. Our stories should match each other.. Otherwise, it will create to more susception." Kousuke calmly Chapter 65 - The Couple In Love UNEDITED VERSION It was true, Like everyone else, Ming Yue also felt the presence of an unknown entity in the mansion. Like a pair of eyes always watching her, following her everywhere she goes. But as long as it doesn''t hurt her, Ming Yue also thought that she would refrain from searching it''s origin. "So are you saying that there is treasure in this house and you are here to dig it up?" "Yes. Want to team up?" Hearing her casual tone, Qian Fan and Chao Xiong looked at each other in confusion. They couldn''t even figure out whether she was joking or not. It was really "We have always been curious to about the party culture at Rising Ravens. So when we bought two passes, only with the belief that we will meet some people and try booze." Kousuke confessed. Unlike, the rest of thier cooked up story, this reason was legit. The only reason for him to visit the club just for the chance to hookup. After juggling the hot potato named "Police interrogation" for almost two days, Yojiro and Kousuke finally decided to meet the police officer. And they even chose an old restuarant as their meeting place to avoid any suspicion. Not only did they change their names, but they also altered their appearances and mannerisms that suited the persona of university students. Since they had already discussed with Ming Yue about the interrogation, Kousuke and Yojiro remained calm as if they were well prepared to face the horror. "Shall we order?" Kousuke robotically replied as he tried his best to stay in his fake persona. "Order something cold for me." "Shouldn''t we order something, Tian?" Yojiro asked as he fixed his round glasses that added highlights to his disguise as a nerdy student. "Then iced coffee for you and frappuccino for me." Kousuke nodded and stood up from the seat like a broken robot, only to sit again in frustration. "Aishhh, I don''t think I can pretend in front of a police officer." He pulled his hair into a mess and continued to whine, "What if he saw through our shitty acting and catch us red-handedly?" "Shitty acting? Speak for yourself, Lin Tian." Yojiro''s mouth haughtily curled into a smirk as he kept his cool, unlike Kousuke, who was having a hard time pretending as someone else. Well, they were living under fake identities, perfectly fooling everyone till now. However, it won''t be easy with diligent police officers. All of a sudden, Yojiro''s cellphone rang and as soon as he saw the number on the screen, he raised his head a little and glanced across the cafe. "He is here." The moment his eyes fell on the handsome man who entered the cafe, wearing a pair of baggy jeans and a graphic hoodie. Maybe it was their first time seeing Lao Yating wear something different than his usual neat and crisp dressing style as a police officer. a random person who does not give off the police vibes. Lao Yating thought get-up was something simple and easy-going style, but in reality, he looked so stunning that as soon as he entered the cafe, everyone present over there turned their heads. However, watching Lao Yating''s transformation, even Yojiro, who was hard to impress, left his seat in awe. Since Yojiro aka Ming Jiang, pleaded to keep their interrogation as secret as possible, Lao Yating had no other option but to disguise himself into a "Brother, here." He waved his hand and called the cool brother towards them with a wide grin gleaming over his face. "Brother?" For a moment, even Lao Yating was confused by the friendly gesture. Just as he reached the aisle seat the duo was sitting, Yojiro quickly wrapped him into a warm embrace. "Senior, this is my cousin, Lin Tian. Xiao Tian, this is my senior-" Yojiro paused in the mid-sentence and signalled the other to introduce himself. "Cough..cough...Nice to meet you Xiao Tian, I''m Lao Yating." He raised his hand and made a fist bump, "I have heard a lot about you from my junior." Kousuke, who finally got the idea of what''s happening around him, grinned like an idiot and invited Lao Yating to join over a coffee, "Please pretend as my senior, officer," Yojiro whispered into the ears of a petrified Lao Yating who never expected such a thing in his wildest nightmare. However, even before he could regain his bearings, Yojiro has released a frozen "cool guy" from his embrace and turned towards Kousuke, who was even more surprised by the 180-degree turn of events. "Please sit down, senior." As soon as they took a seat, Lao Yating carefully studied the young men who sat opposite to him, Two of them indeed looked tired to death- the clear way to distinguish a student from the rest of the crowd. "Then, how''s your work, senior?" Yojiro tried to initiate a conversation with the police officer and Lao Yating, who was waiting for the right moment to mention the purpose of his visit, cut the chase as soon as he got an opportunity. "Everything was going fine until our team had to investigate a murder at a nightclub." Lao Yating added in a casual tone, that clearly befitted his easy-going demeanour. "Shhushhh!!! You can''t say the M-word like that." A startled Kousuke placed a finger on his lips and stopped the others from talking, "M-word, oh yeah." It took Lao Yating a moment to realize what''s meant by that. The "junior Tian" was trying to remind him to avoid words that related to the case or the murder in particular. "What do you want to drink, senior? It''s my treat." Yojiro tried to change the topic in a glimpse, "I don''t want anything." "No, no. We are meeting after a long time. So you should order something to commemorate our reunion." Kousuke showed his support and urged the others to continue their friendly act. When Lao Yating felt that these boys were trying to bribe him with their pretentious act, he also added his fair share of sarcastic shots. "Then get me the expensive drink on the menu." He smoothly moved the menu card towards, Kousuke who seemed to be the chatty one in the room. However, Yojiro who saw through the police officer''s plan suggested without even looking at the menu. "Kopi Luwak is the most expensive one on the menu." "What''s that?" Kousuke curiously raised his eyebrows when he heard some strange word, "The civet poop coffee." "Eeewww..." Kousuke who wrinkled his face at the mere thought of it quickly hit the other with the menu card, making the austere Lao Yating break into a faint smile. "I''ll have an espresso." "Iced coffee," "Frappucino for me, let me go and order it." Kousuke volunteered to order their drinks, leaving the other two with their conversation. "It seems like you are really worried about your scholarship, you even kept the meeting place far away from the university." Lao Yating meaningfully added when he finally got a moment to connect the dots. "Yes, senior. I''m too desperate to retain my scholarship till the end of my course. So, thank you so much, for agreeing to meet me like this." "What''s your major, Junior Ming?" "Food science." "Wow, that''s great. So both of you are on the scholarship or its just you?" "Both of us are under the ''Aspiring youth scholarship'' in Jing university. Tian happened to be in the technical department." "So you must be a top scorer to qualify for the scholarship. Congratulations, kiddo and it would be a shame if you lose it over something trivial." Lao Yating honestly stated as he recalled how important might be the scholarship for a student who went to this extent to secure it. "Thank you, sir." "I assume that you have a local guardian since you two came from Zhi Ruo, for studies. Can I get his or her''s contact details?" "My sister is our local guardian." "Is she working here or -?" "She works as a house helper in a mansion." "House help, I see... Can you give me her address and contact number?" "Why? Do you want our sister to take care of your house chores?" Kousuke who returned with their drinks asked a question without knowing the context. "Sorry, she is not available." "Tian, what are you saying? Just sit here." Yojiro told in a chiding tone and made his brother sit next to him, before he ruins their plan. "We live together in a rental house next to the jing university with our sister, and unfortunately, she doesn''t have a personal phone. If there are any emergencies, usually we contact her on the house owner''s number." "Hmm, whatever, give me that number too." When Lao Yating understood that Yojiro was making excuses just not to give the contact details, ardently demanded. "Well, I won''t contact your sister if you explain everything that you have witnessed on the New year party at Rising Ravens." Lao Yating made a fair deal, "Booze or something else?" "No...no...our sister will kill us if we did something wrong." "If you are so scared of your sister, then why did you go clubbing?" "We didn''t want to do anything that might disappoint her." "We went there out of curiosity and to experience, the normal adult life" "And did you experience it?" "Nope.. Even before we could hit on some girls, the M-word happened, scaring the shit out of everyone. Chapter 66 - Whats Your Relationship? Unedited After Wan Yi Jun''s constant efforts to convince the construction workers that no ghosts are wandering in the wisteria gardens, the renovation works finally started. When the workers realized that the girl whom they mistook as a ghost in the haunted house, turned out to be the maid of the house, they couldn''t help, but laugh at their mistake. Though they felt a little better after hearing that "Human beings" do live in the mansion, the deep-rooted fear in their mind never ended, and thus, they have decided to work in groups instead of going into the different parts of the house. Since Ming Yue stayed at the mansion, supervising the renovation during the day, most of the young men among the construction workers were excited to stay close to her. Indeed, a beautiful woman''s company made them forget their fears at least I still can''t believe we all mistook an angel like a girl, as a ghost? How can Miss Ming be a ghost? She is an absolute beauty." "I never mistook as her a ghost. You guys were the ones who flee from here out of fear." "When are you going to install the security cameras?" "It''s done by the electrical team, they will be here at any moment." "How many of them are coming and will they be able to finish it today itself?" "Mostly, three or four electricians will be there. But since this mansion is quite big, there will be more people." "Hmmm, please do inform me when they reach here." "Miss Ming, how will I inform you if you won''t give me your phone number?" "I don''t have a phone." "Huh?" "That''s young master''s phone." "Why are you trying so hard? She is clearly not interested in you." "Well, nothing wrong in asking for. What if gets lucky." "People like us, we will never get lucky. You have seen the young master of this mansion, haven''t you? He is the one who is going to be lucky." "Hey, that''s not possible. He is a reputed police officer." "They are staying together in a huge mansion, even if something going between them no one will know." "I''m damn sure that woman like her only got one goal, to seduce men and leech them off." "I don''t think so." "No one is here; I will prove it, right now." " It was true. Even before Kousuke and Yojiro could mingle with others and enjoy the evening in the club, they saw a masked man chasing down a woman with a broken bottle, creating horror across the dancing floor. Gory murders and scary culprits weren''t a new sight for them who grew up in a mafia family, but unfortunately, at that moment, they had no other option but to leave the club. "And then what did you do other than picking up the girls." For some reason, Lao Yating''s sound felt heavier than before. Since she is the only woman in the clan, the enemies often try to intimidate her showing off their strength and power. But she always remains unaffected, just to piss off others and lose their control. "We had two main reasons. Firstly the fear of losing the scholarship and secondly, getting into trouble that our sister can''t solve." Yojiro stated while directly gazing into Lao Yating''s almond eyes. "So you weren''t worried about the attack or your life when a murderer showed up in the club?" "If we have stayed there, there was a high chance of ruining the rest of our lives," Kousuke admitted as if it was the right thing to do at that time. "Our life has already been ruined, and this scholarship is the last chance for us to rewrite our fate. So we don''t want to lose the opportunity because of someone''s wrath." Kousuke confessed as they practised earlier. "I have witnessed a murder like that," Yojiro paused for a moment and gulped a mouthful of saliva, "I have seen it and what happens when someone stabs another to death." "Who?" Lao Yating was naturally curious to learn more, so he asked without second thoughts. "That''s how a child in our orphanage killed our bastard caretaker." The moment those words left Yojiro''s mouth with a slight hue of a snicker, Lao Yating couldn''t help but doubt the men in front of him. Though they looked like university students, it didn''t guarantee that they would turn out nice. There was every chance for them to turn out as the culprit they were searching, ardently. "You and your sister grew up in an orphanage, and he is your cousin?" Lao Yating asked when his brain got twisted by the sudden info. "Three of us grew up in the same orphanage, and our sister who got out of that hell, later adopted us." Yojiro broke the complexity of their situation into simpler terms and explained it to a confused Lao Yating, who sat with a face brimming with dubiety. Since Ming Yue has shared her version of the story with them, all they had to do was to add their fair share of tear-jerking, obviously fake memories. "Well, it''s better to say that three of us adopted each other," Kousuke added with a sunny smile that almost gave off the impression that he was telling the truth. "I don''t understand." Lao Yating said if he got more confused as he listened to them. "So you two grew up in an orphanage, and your current guardian adopted you. She works hard to send you two to the university. Is that right?" He sought clarification before learning more "We were cousins, and all of our family members died in a shoot out happened in our village, Zhi Ruo a border country between imperial police and Daisunese mafia. Our sister, who also lost her parents, was also sent to the shelter home, just like us." Yojiro rendered everything that he learned from Ming Yue like a parrot. "It was a hell for us. Our sister is the one who saved us from there." Kousuke, who was a better actor when it comes to melodramatic performance, almost modulated his tone to fit his sad story like a pro. "She worked as a handmaiden for a lady, and with that money, she sent us to school first and now university." He sniffled and even broke his voice, to add up into his act, "It was a huge mistake from our side. We shouldn''t have gone to that club in the first place. Please, don''t let anyone know that we went there with the scholarship money. We really don''t want our sister to feel that he was feeding two thieves, all these years. Please, sir, don''t tell our sister and break her heart." Kousuke reached out to hold Lao Yating''s arms and begged in a broken voice. "As I have said earlier, there is nothing to worry about it, If you are innocent and have done nothing wrong otherwise, I''m sorry. I can''t help." Lao Yating pulled out his hands and stated in a stern face. Well, he did believe their story but was not ready to show it on his face. He didn''t want them to know that he got a soft heart. "I swear, we didn''t do anything wrong. You can check the CCTV footage from the night." Kousuke repeated his line once again, "We have checked the footage." Did you see anything suspicious, or did you meet someone who acted out of the place? Most of them were drunk and appeared high on some drugs. Did anyone approach you to try out some drugs or bring you any drinks or such things? No, sir. How can we even afford those drinks served in that club? It is too costly. We only had one or two drinks." "But there were so many men and women offering drinks to others. And those were special ones, like those served in hostess clubs." "Special ones?" "Those drinks came in fancy looking glasses and bottles, and it was brought into the by even fancy looking bartenders." "You saw it?" "Yes. What happened off- Nah brother, nobody ever mentioned it about. Don''t tell me we were the first ones to tell you about this thing." "Hmm. Anyway, thank you so much for cooperating with us." "Is it over?" "That''s only you needed to hear? Can we leave?" "Where is your student ID''s?" "Student ID?" "To keep it as identity proofs with your statements." "We will give the id proofs to you, but can you make sure to hide our names from the public? Is that possible?" "It was a huge mistake from our side. We shouldn''t have gone to that club in the first place. Please, don''t let anyone know that we went there with the scholarship money. We really don''t want our sister to feel that he was feeding two thieves, all these years. Please, sir, don''t tell our sister and break her heart." Kousuke reached out to hold Lao Yating''s arms and begged in a broken voice. "Yes. I will personally do it and you must not leave the capital for the next fourteen days." "Where will we go, we got nowhere." "Please, don''t tell our sister. She doesn''t know anything." "Hmm. I will take care of that, too." "Yaaa...can you believe it, Yoji?" "I never expected Nechan''s words to turn out exactly true." "Imperial police force is so easy to fool." Chapter 67 - The Relationship Between Them "Ne Chan, do you really have to stay with him? It''s too dangerous." Kousuke repeated his famous line when he saw Ming Yue packing her bags. Since the renovations were over, she presented her plan to move to Wisteria gardens, scaring her brothers all at once. "We can still track the police team even if we stay here. There is no need for you to stay with that police officer." Kousuke added as a matter of fact. No matter how hard he tried to understand their situations and the necessity to associate with the police force, he couldn''t agree with Ming Yue''s decision. "Yes, we can. But I need to go, Kousuke." Ming Yue said as she picked up her clothes from the shelves and placed them inside her suitcase. "Why?" It was Yojiro who asked the question unlike the usual. He was someone who never raised his voice against his beloved Nechan, but this time he was ready to take Kousuke''s side no matter what happened. "Why do you have to stay with him?" He pressed on the issue while sitting on Ming Yue''s bed, like a person who was in deep thought. "Yaa...It''s because of you two..." Ming Yue, who got annoyed by their questions pointed at them and said in a frustrated voice. She knew that moving into wisteria gardens would obviously raise questions from her brothers but didn''t expect them to be bothersome. "If you haven''t got yourself into that murder, we wouldn''t have to chase him in the first place." "If you are doing this for us. Then there is no need, Nechan. We have talked to that investigative officer and cleared our side of the story." "Yes, that officer even promised that he will keep our names secret." Kousuke seconded his brother''s claims and tried to stop Ming Yue from getting herself into trouble. "To be very honest, Nechan...I think you are too much invested in this case." Yojiro pointed out while his eyes glinted in doubt. "Just because you have spoken to that police officer, that doesn''t mean that they proclaimed you innocent. We need to make sure that-" All of a sudden, Ming Yue''s words were interrupted by Yojiro, who picked up her phone that kept on the bed as if it was a natural thing to do. "Ne Chan, please." Yojiro let out a small scoff as he kept his eyes glued to the phone that Wan Yi Jun had given to his sister. He was getting a bit dubious about the sudden friendship that started between Ming Yue and Wan Yi Jun that resulted in the full freedom to visit the Wisteria gardens anytime. "I know that you care about us, but the reason why you are getting associated with that officer is something else." The moment Ming Yue heard those words, her bicoloured eyes shook a bit in shock. She never thought that Yojiro would pick up the hints very soon, unlike Kousuke. "There is nothing else." Ming Yue flatly refuted his claims and hid her face away from him. "Nechan, don''t lie to us. We got solid proofs." "What proofs?" Ming Yue''s shapely eyebrows knitted together in doubt and she unknowingly expressed a part of her vulnerable side to her quick-witted brother. "Back at home, everyone treats you like a queen. I have never seen big brother or sister in law, allows you to do any house chores. But here you are, working hard like a slave for someone who is an absolute threat to us. Do you think that''s normal?" Yojiro cut the chase and asked the very first thing that came into his mind. It was an unbelievable sight for them to see Ming Yue, who didn''t have to lift a finger and take part in house chores, working hard in someone else''s house dawn to dusk. "There is nothing." Ming Yue once again denied his claims and almost threw her clothes into the suit before zipping it up. "If it is nothing, then why your photo is on that officer''s phone?" Yojiro who was scrolling on the phone raised his hand and showed the screen to Ming Yue and Kousuke, who was left in puzzlement. "Which photo?" Kousuke immediately lunged forward to grab the phone before Ming Yue could make a move. It was the picture of a girl with bi-coloured eyes and silver hair, holding a husky puppy. "This is-" Kousuke whose eyes widened in the similarity the girl shared with his sister, looked alternatively at the photo and Ming Yue as if he was comparing them. "That''s not-" "Don''t say that''s not you. It''s clearly you." Kousuke corrected her without any hesitations. "And why is your photo is on that captain''s phone?" Watching their actions, Ming Yue lost her cool and gritted in frustration. "Yaa...not everyone with a weird pair of eyes is me." She made a vague effort to deny the truth. But still, the men in the room was not ready to believe her as they argued that the girl in the photograph was Ming Yue with no doubt. "Yes. But you are the only person with heterochromia and silver hair that we know, and Nechan, didn''t you used to say that bicoloured eyes are extremely rare?" Yojiro asked with a faint smirk adorning his face. The moment he noticed the aggravated look on Ming Yue, he was sure that her sister was trying to hide something from them. "We thought you trusted us," Kousuke added hot oil into the pyre and engraved Ming Yue once again, "But you...you...cheated us-" "Kousuke, don''t play your emotional blackmailing card on me." Ming Yue who regained her bearings, quickly warned her young brother, who was trying to take advantage of her situation and snatched the phone from him. "Even I''m seeing this picture for the first time. Where did you find it, Yoji?" "It was on the phone. I saw it when I checked whether your Wan Yi Jun planted any bugs." Yojiro emphasized the word, "Your" while throwing bait at Ming Yue who refused to share how her childhood photograph ended up in a police officer''s personal phone. "What else did you find in it? Anything helpful?" "Nothing. There were only two photos, one was a photograph of a dog, and the other was this girl." "Hmm." Ming Yue let out a heavy sigh and plopped onto the bed as if she got no strength to argue anymore. When they saw the signs of Ming Yue submitting before them without any protest, Kousuke climbed onto the bed and asked in a soft voice while keeping the phone next to her face. "There are only slight similarities if we look closer. But those eyes, hair and smile clearly just hammer down the fact that it is you. Are you gonna still deny that it is not you?" "It''s me, and my dog Mooney." She stated in a barely audible voice and closed her eyes. "Are you kidding us, Ne chan? How can this be girl be you?" Kousuke popped up a question that contradicted his previous actions so far. "Kousuke..just a moment ago, you were accusing me of breaking your trust." She said while snuggling into the pillow as if she was trying to hide away from reality. "So both of you know each other from childhood?" Yojiro asked an obvious question. "But how? Did he also grow up in Daisun? Does he know that you are a clan leader?" Kousuke who was at the peak of his curiosity shot a bunch of questions all at once. "We were born and brought up in Novaria." Ming Yue admitted as if it was no big deal. But the people who were listening to her words almost jumped in bewilderment. "Novaria? You grew up in Novaria? But I heard that you and your mother lived in Kitahashi before coming to live with your brother." Kousuke sounded surprised when he heard something unexpected. As far as they know, Hayami Terada, their beloved Nechan was the step sister of their clan leader Hiroki and grew up with her mother in some other city, without any knowledge about her real family. Once her mother died and she was left alone, Hiroki brought his sister home and treated her like a princess enough to make everyone jealous. Even after getting married, Hiroki''s love for his sister never decreased. "Hiro Chan is not my brother." Ming Yue took a deep breath and the secret that she hid deep in her heart. "But my uncle." "Uncle!!!! What are you saying? Aren''t you Big brother''s step-sister? The great Hideki Terada''s only daughter?" Even Yojiro was shocked to listen to her. "No. that''s my mother." Ming Yue corrected them. "But big brother and other elders in the clan said that you are his step-sister Hayami Terada and-" "My name is not Hayami either... It''s Mizuki." "Mizuki?" Yojiro and Kousuke asked in the same tone. "Hmm. My father was a third-generation immigrant in Novaria and met my mother there. Yi Jun''s father and my parents were classmates." Ming Yue monotonously mumbled in a barely audible voice, However, only Yojiro could pick up the way his beloved Nechan addressed Wan Yi Jun, "Yi Jun." Chapter 68 - Promise Me, Unedited version. "So you grew up with officer Wan in Novaria?"Kousuke asked when he found it unable to accept the truth bomb dropped by Ming Yue a minute ago. Well, no one could believe that their beloved Nechan, whom they trusted the most, respected the most, was living under a fake identity all these years. "But Nechan, how did you end up in Daisun, and where are your parents?" He curiously inquired to confirm his doubt whether Ming Yue''s even though there was a slight doubt that Ming Yue''s parents were no more alive. He couldn''t come up with any other reason for her to live under a fake identity and get herself associated with the underworld. "My parents came to the imperial city with Wan family, years ago. They were scientists and used to work together with Wan Yi Jun''s father. And when I was in school, both my parents lost their lives in arson, leaving me alone. I had few relatives back in Novaria, but nobody wanted to take my responsibility, and my only option was Daisun. So I came there." Ming Yue monotonously explained as if she was talking about someone else. And those who listened to her emotionless, ice-cold voice couldn''t help but wonder whether she was a human being or some robot without no emotions. No matter how better Hiroki and others have treated her, she lost her parents and basically got abandoned by everyone in childhood. It would have become a traumatic memory for her. "Is that when Big brother took you home?" Kousuke probed again in an empathetic voice. "No. I came to Daisun on my own and started looking for someone from the Terada family. Someone who knew about my mother''s existence and fortunately happened to run into Tora in Kiyama." Ming Yue paused for a moment as if she was reminiscing the first time she met Tora as a high school student. Even without him, she would have found the Terada family, but meeting Tora had made her journey much easier and changed her life. "He is the one who brought me to Hiro Chan and gave me a family. So I''m kind of indebted to him." Ming Yue said with an honest smile that illuminated her face as she looked at the ring resting inside a small jewellery box. "Does elders of the clan know that you are Big brother''s niece, not sister?" "Hmm. The elders knew, and some of them even asked Hiro chan to send me back to the place from where I came from, quoting that I''m a foreigner. But Hiro chan didn''t budge, saying that I''m the only family who shares his bloodline. Since we hadn''t much age difference, I just started to address him brother, and he didn''t correct me either." "But does officer Wan knows that you are his childhood friend or you are the clan leader?" "Not yet." "Do you have any special feelings for him?" "What?" "You don''t have any feelings for him, nor he has recognized you. Then why are you taking this huge risk? Didn''t I tell you before that he is looking into the Daisunese mafia?" "Yes. Captain Wan has been investigating Daisunese mafia clans, especially the White tiger. And that''s enough for a reason for me to stay and save my family from the imperial police force." "What if you get caught?" "He is a law-abiding officer, unlike others. He will never kill me without a court trial. "Are you crazy, Nechan? Do you have any idea what the hell did you just said?" "I have only one request. Take out some time and talk to Tora every day. Otherwise, he would call us and figure out that you have already left this place." "Yaa...are you allowing her to leave?" "She has already made her mind." "Thanks, Yoji." "Nope, what I want is a word in return." "What?" "I will be tracking your each and every action, and you are not allowed to take it down...never...ever. If you are willing to do it, I will stay loyal to you. Otherwise, I will inform Tora and Big brother." "I agree." "You can''t just agree...Every morning and night, you should call us and assure us that you are safe over there." "Agree. I will call you every morning and night." "Hmm. When are you leaving?" "He said that he will pick me up from the central square." As per Wan Yi Jun''s order''s, Ming Yue waited for him in the central square of the imperial city. Since Kousuke and Yojiro got to know about her real identity, it was a bit easy for her to make them convince why she must move into Wisteria gardens. "I hope I didn''t make you wait for so long." "No, not at all." "Give it to me." And the best part of working in a group was not limited to the construction workers, but it affected the only girl in the mansion, too. Since Ming Yue stayed in the mansion all day long, supervising the renovation, most of the young men among the construction workers were excited to work as if they drank some high energy potion. Indeed, a beautiful woman''s company made them forget their fears at least when they were next to her. "I still can''t believe we all mistook an angel-like girl as a ghost?" Qian Fan, One of the workers, said as he waited in front of the huge iron gate of the wisteria gardens. "How can Miss Ming be a ghost? She is an absolute beauty." Workers who were once scared to come to the mansion even changed their working schedule to interact with Ming Yue a little bit more. Some of her hardcore fans even came early to the mansion before others, so they could talk and impress the beauty. Even though few of the workers were evidently interested in Ming Yue, none of them dared to confess their feelings simply because they lacked the courage to confront the ice queen, who always ignored their advances. sual invitation, Qian Fan and Chao Xiong looked at each other in confusion. They couldn''t even figure out whether she was joking or not. Through the very short period they have spent in the mansion, Qian Fan understood that the girl in this house was not just a maid, but something more. Even if she cooks and cleans and take care of the house chores like a loyal maid, his mind couldn''t digest the fact that a strong and capable young woman like her would choose to become a maid. There was something off. "Don''t want it? Okay, fine." Ming Yue shrugged her shoulders and continued sweeping the living room''s marble floors. "It''s better that I don''t have to share the profit. I''m too bad at mathematics." "Ming Yue...cough...do you mind If I ask how do you get to know about the treasure hidden in this place?" Chao Xiong, who stood silent till now, finally decided to meddle in the conversation when he sensed something amiss about Ming Yue. "I lived here long enough to learn about the treasure." She answered in a slightly elated voice as if she was reminiscing good old days. "You lived here? When?" Qian Fan was too quick to respond when he heard her words. As far as he knew, this mansion remained closed for nearly fifteen years, and if he believes this girl who was barely in her mid-twenties, that means she must be speaking the truth. "In my previous life." Ming Yue stated, rather in a strong and resilient voice, "I was the beloved young miss of wisteria garden who was loved and cherished by everyone, until the day they tagged me as a traitor." "Oh God, I never knew that you got a humourous side, miss." Chao Xiong broke into a peal of laughter when he finally realized that she was just fooling around with their curious minds. "I wasn''t joking. I''m here to kill the so-called young master of this mansion and retrieve what was originally mine." Though she sounded as if she was joking, whomever noticed the murderous glint in her dark eyes would believe that she was being honest. "Oh please, you can fool us once, but not twice." Even Qian Fan was getting bit "Do you need anything? I''m going to prepare breakfast for young master. He is finally coming home." "We don''t need anything." "Then, work hard." "Do you believe her now? She doesn''t have any ulterior motives." "Just, wait until her young master comes home. Then we will decide." "You wait here, I will go and tell Ming Yue how do I feel." "Miss Ming." "Yes, do you need anything?" "No...actually, I have something to tell you." "Hmm..." "I like you. " "Thank you." "Thank you?" "For liking me...You know I don''t have a likeable personality or face. So thank you." "No...I think I have romantic feelings for you. I want to marry you." "It''s barely a week since we met, and you have already thought about marriage?" "Why waste time?" "I''m sorry, Chao Xiong. I have someone else." "Someone else means...are you in a relationship or-" "I''m engaged." "Engaged? With whom?" "Well, you won''t know him even if I tell his name." "But does your fiance knows that you are living with a man?" "No." "Huh? He is not even worried that you will cheat him?" "Is that all?" "Yes," Chapter 69 - The Couple In Love As per Wan Yi Jun''s order''s, Ming Yue waited in the central square of the imperial city, so that they can go to Wisteria gardens together. Since Kousuke and Yojiro got to know about Ming Yue''s real identity, it was a bit easy for her to make them convince why she must move into Wisteria gardens. Even though they have volunteered to drop her at Wan Yi Jun''s house, Ming Yue said she would go alone so that her brothers won''t run into any police officers and create more trouble. Although Yojiro has given Ming Yue''s contact number to the police officer, they haven''t contacted her yet, giving them a chance to keep their relationship hidden. However, little did Ming Yue know that her brothers were secretly following her to ensure her safety. After waiting for more than fifteen minutes at the regular spot where she used to wait for Wan Yi Jun, Ming Yue''s eyes fell on the familiar car that suddenly stopped in front of her. In a glimpse moment, the car''s front door got open and Wan Yi Jun''s "I hope I didn''t make you wait for so long." "No, not at all." "Oh, what happened to your hand?" "It happened while I was doing something in Kitchen." "Did you go to the hospital?" "Yes." "Give it to me." "No, no...I can carry it." "It''s alright." "Master, are you free today?" "Huh, well, tomorrow is Sunday, so yeah...I''m free if there is no emergency." "Your house party is also tomorrow, Nah?" "Yes. Shouldn''t we go grocery shopping?" "What all things do you want to include in tomorrow''s menu?" "You are injured, how will you cook with that hand?" "It is not that bad, I still got one fine hand." "How about we make barbeque?" "Barbeque for lunch?" "Hmm. Still, we need to make other dishes. How about fried scallops, pasta and something sweet?" "Just keep it short, miss Ming. I don''t want to burden you." "This is not a burden for me, master." "Will you please not call me master in public?" "Okay, Mr Wan." "Wow, that''s even worse...call me by my name." "You are older than me, master. But calling you gege would be even weirder." "What did you say? Gege." "Wan Yi Jun, should we get the big packet of rice or the small one?" "Let''s take the big one." "What are you doing, Yue. Your hand is injured, let me do it." "Look at that couple, that young man doesn''t even let his wife carry the shopping cart and look at you," "They are in their honeymoon period, that''s why they are acting like that." "This is why we shouldn''t drop honorifics when we are outside." "Miss Ming, how about we have dinner somewhere and go home?" "Didn''t you say that you never eat dinner?" "I haven''t eaten anything, and I barely have the energy to drive." "Then, let''s go and eat." "Wait here, I will go and get the car." "Miss, your husband seems really nice..." "No, ma''am, we are not married." "Why are you waiting then, men like him won''t find you anywhere. It is better to tie the knot." "That old woman, what''s she even saying? My Nechan is an engaged woman." "Why are you blaming her, look at Nechan, she could''ve denied it. But-" "This is not going to end well." "Maximum five or six people are coming. Will you be able to manage it, or should I order food somewhere else?" Wan Yi Jun doubted for a minute when he thought about the hassle Ming Yue had to go through if he asked her to cook for everyone. "How do you..."Chao Xiong couldn''t even hide his shock when he heard Ming Yue spilling the truth that he kept hidden from everyone. Not even his co-workers knew about his wife or his mother. "I thought you were a bit more strong-willed, Chao Xiang." Ming Yue flatly said as she leaned on the kitchen counter, judging the man who stood before him. Chao Xiong, on the other hand, felt his limbs weren''t moving as per his wish, as if someone had tied his feet. "So, Chao Xiong, who was it?" Ming Yue asked while looking directly into Chao Xiong''s agitated eyes. Even before Chao Xiong could figure out what was happening, he felt an ice-cold sensation on his neck. It was the same knife she used a moment ago. "Who taught you that women were nothing but gold diggers?" Ming Yue asked while keeping the sharpened edge of her knife on Chao Xiong''s neck. "Father....it was...my father..." Chao Xiong answered in a broken voice as he even feared to take a breath. "Ah...I thought so..." She gave an attentive nod and took the knife away from his neck, The moment, she took the knife away from him, Chao Xiong quickly stumbled back and almost hit the cold wall. "Were you scared, Chao Xiong?" Ming Yue jokingly asked while spinning the knife with her hands as if she was playing with it. However, even after hearing her affirmation, Chao Xiong couldn''t move from the spot. How he wished to run away from this horrifying woman. He was cursing at the moment he chose to ignore his friend''s words and come looking for this woman. Isn''t it too much to ask for love? After his wife left, Chao Xiang tried to restart afresh and live a new life, but he never imagine that things would take a different turn like this. "Don''t worry. I will not kill you. I was just checking how brave you are," Ming Yue took a few steps away from the man so that he could take a breath. "Why are you silent, Chao Xiang?" She said while aiming the knife at him with a face full of smiles, "I...I...made a mistake... I won''t..." Chao Xiong immediately lunged down to the ground and rubbed his palms together as if he was praying for his life. "Of course, people make mistakes, dear. But you are not allowed to generalize everyone with one person''s mistake." She preached like a person who had seen enough world to advise others. "I understand...I will never call anyone...bitch...I will never..." "I know that you grew up in a problematic family, but that doesn''t mean that you have to follow it until your death...You can change...if you are willing...you can change." "I will change." Chao Xiang assured while kneeling on the cold floor, "But whatever you said about my young master was absolutely wrong." "I was wrong, miss...I apologize for spewing nonsense about your master." "What about cheating on my fiance?" She asked with a gentle smile adorning his gorgeous face, "My tiger might be a little possessive, but he never doubts me." "I''m sorry...sorry...please let me go...I won''t ...I won''t follow you anymore...I will leave today, this moment itself." "Oh if you leave now, then who will complete the works, Chao Xiang? Stay and finish the work," "I will...I will." All of a sudden, the sudden voice of a car''s engine was heard from the outside. "Huh, it seems like my master is here. So dear Chao Xiang, keep your secret with me, and I hope you do so." "I will..." "I would know if you spill a word about me." "I won''t..." "Leave!" As soon as the moment he got permission, Chao Xiang almost jumped to his feet and ran out of the kitchen, holding his life in his hands. However, unfortunately, the very instant he stepped inside the living room, he ran into Wan Yi Jun who just returned home after pulling out an all-nighter. "Who are you?" Wan Yi Jun''s eyebrows knitted together in doubt when he saw a panicked man running out of the kitchen. "He is on the electrical maintenance team, master." Ming Yue''s voice was heard from behind, sending chills down Chao Xiang''s spine. She walked towards Wan Yi Jun as if nothing had happened over there and greeted him with a gentle bow. "Oh...I thought the renovation works were over." He replied while glancing across the giant stairway that leads to the first floor. "Yes, it is over. There is some lighting and security system works are left to do. Other than that everything else is done and you are free to throw a housewarming party anytime." Ming Yue spoke on the behalf of Chao Xiang who was left speechless at the sight of the young man who stood before him. So this is the young master of this house, Even though the master of the house was younger than he had imagined, the power and elegance that Wan Yi Jun owned was something that could justify the reason why Ming Yue was acting crazy. "Thank you for your hard work." Wan Yi Jun gave a gentle nod and allowed the other to leave the room, "Master, are you going to wash up or should I make breakfast for you?" Ming Yue asked as soon as they were left alone in the living room, "I will go and wash up, miss Ming." Wan Yi Jun said as he walked towards his bedroom, And when he came after a quick shower, Ming Yue has already served hot breakfast in the dining room. "Thanks for cleaning up the mess in my room, miss Ming." He thanked her even before he sat down at the dining table. "Master, actually, I want to ask if you want to shift to another room. As you have mentioned earlier, apart from one room on the first floor, everything else was restored. So if you want to move, it''s the best time." "There is a room in the south side of the mansion, opening towards the Wisteria garden. I will take that room. What about you? Have you discussed with your house owner that you are moving out?" Wan Yi Jun inquired while taking a bite from the steamed buns. "I have told my house owner that I''m moving out." "Hmm... Actually, I have a favour to ask." Wan Yi Jun hesitated for a moment when he saw her tired eyes. When he came from work, he didn''t realize that she was looking a bit under the weather. However watching his room tidy than before, he understood that Ming Yue has worked hard to make into more habitable. "I know you might be tired, but some of my colleagues want to come over for a party. If you are not feeling good, we can do it some other time." Wan Yi Jun honestly said. "Are you going to throw a winning party? Did you solve the murder mystery?" Ming Yue sounded excited when she heard him mention the party. If he had solved the mystery then that means her brothers are free from susception. Ming Yue asked with a picture of a person in her mind, Hearing her question, Han Ze Min''s face flashed in Wan Yi Jun''s mind all of a sudden. "Don''t worry.. Someone with allergy won''t be joining on any party that happens in this house." Chapter 70 - The Scary First Night Unedited, please wait for an hour "Ming Yue, how about we have dinner somewhere and go home?" Wan Yi Jun asked as soon as they walked out of the mart, pushing the shopping cart. "Didn''t you say that you never eat dinner?" Ming Yue said when she saw Wan Yi Jun acting like a loyal boyfriend, Nah, a loving husband who took his wife out for dinner date. She was a bit annoyed by the fact that he was taking their dropping honorifics act into something else. "I haven''t eaten anything, and I barely have the energy to drive." He replied in a tired tone. Well, it was true that he missed his lunch and was kept himself charged by a couple of coffee shots. He can work without eating anything, but wandering inside the mart has worn him out and made him hungry and weaker than before. "Then, let''s go and eat." Ming Yue agreed without arguing any further. Since she won''t be able to meet her brothers for a while, she herself cooked authentic Daisunese meals for Yojiro and Kousuke and ate with them before leaving the house. She wasn''t hungry, but she remembered when Wan Yi Jun said that he disliked eating alone and decided to have dinner with him. "Wait here, I will go and get the car." Wan Yi Jun suggested as he pulled his black jacket together to cope with the cold wind. "I will come with you." "No, no. It''s too cold out there, I will go and get the car here." He refused once again with a warm smile adorning his handsome face. When he noticed that Ming Yue wore a simple Tee shirt and skirt even in this weather, he didn''t feel like letting her walk all the way to the parking lot. "Just wait here," Wan Yi Jun said as he walked towards the parking lot, leaving Ming Yue behind. "Hmm, okay then." Ming Yue nodded her head in agreement and moved towards the waiting area in the mart where several women and children waited for their cars. "Miss, your husband seems really nice..." "No, ma''am, we are not married." "Why are you waiting then, men like him won''t find you anywhere. It is better to tie the knot." "That old woman, what''s she even saying? My Nechan is an engaged woman." "Why are you blaming her, look at Nechan, she could''ve denied it. But-" "This is not going to end well." After having dinner together, Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue returned to the Wisteria gardens before the night turned too dark. However, this time when Ming Yue stepped inside the mansion, her heart was pounding hard as if she was running a marathon. She is going to live with Wan Yi Jun, her archenemy from now on. "Have you decided which room you would like to stay in?" "I will take one of those rooms for maids." "Does it have any bed or furniture?" "No. But there is a futon." "Take the guest room on the first floor." "Huh, I will stay on the ground floor itself. Since it is next to the kitchen, it would be easier for me." "Hmmm, as you wish then. Good night, Ming Yue." "Master, are you going to stay here only? What about your room on the first floor?" "I''m too tired to shift to another room. I will just sleep here today and leave tomorrow." "Yes, good night, master." Ming Yue went to one of the empty rooms for maids. Her mind was still spiralling even at the thought of staying at this place. However, more than anything else, her mind was agitated by the fact that she would live under the same roof as Wan Yi Jun. She placed the suitcase in one of the corners and picked up her phone, Before leaving the rooftop house, she has contacted her big brother and Tora to make sure that they still don''t know about her plan. However, she still needs to inform Yojiro and let them know that she reached wisteria gardens safely. After all, she had given a word that she would call them every day. "Hmm...I''m safely returned home. He was tired, so he went to bed early. Did you eat something? Hmm, Where is Kousuke? Nechan is safe here, don''t worry too much and go to bed...Hmm, I will call you tomorrow. Bye, bye." She ended the phone conversation with a smile on her face. She left the "Hmm. My father was a third-generation immigrant in Novaria and met my mother there. Yi Jun''s father and my parents were classmates." "Yi Jun." "So you grew up with them?" "Hmm. But how did you end up in Daisun, and where are your parents?" "My parents are dead and practically speaking, the only relative I got is Hiro Chan." "Big brother took you home when you are parents passed away?" "No. I came to Daisun on my own, started looking for the Terada family and ran into Tora in Akiota. He is the one who brought me home." "Does captain Wan knows that you are his childhood friend?" "No. I know that Yi Jun is investigating Daisunese mafia clans and especially the White tiger. So I should stay." "Ne Chan, do you really have to stay with him? It''s too dangerous." Kousuke repeated his famous line when he saw Ming Yue packing her bags. Since the renovations were over, she presented her plan to move to Wisteria gardens, scaring her brothers all at once. "We can still track the police team even if we stay here. There is no need for you to stay with that police officer." Kousuke added as a matter of fact. No matter how hard he tried to understand their situations and the necessity to associate with the police force, he couldn''t agree with Ming Yue''s decision. "Yes, we can. But I need to go, Kousuke." Ming Yue said as she picked up her clothes from the shelves and placed them inside her suitcase. "Why?" It was Yojiro who asked the question unlike the usual. He was someone who never raised his voice against his beloved Nechan, but this time he was ready to take Kousuke''s side no matter what happened. "Why do you have to stay with him?" He pressed on the issue while sitting on Ming Yue''s bed, like a person who was in deep thought. "Yaa...It''s because of you two..." Ming Yue, who got annoyed by their questions pointed at them and said in a frustrated voice. She knew that moving into wisteria gardens would obviously raise questions from her brothers but didn''t expect them to be bothersome. "Hmm. My father was a third-generation immigrant in Novaria and met my mother there. Yi Jun''s father and my parents were classmates." "Yi Jun." "So you grew up with them?" "Hmm. But how did you end up in Daisun, and where are your parents?" "My parents are dead and practically speaking, the only relative I got is Hiro Chan." "Big brother took you home when you are parents passed away?" "No. I came to Daisun on my own, started looking for the Terada family and ran into Tora in Akiota. He is the one who brought me home." "Does captain Wan knows that you are his childhood friend?" "No. I know that Yi Jun is investigating Daisunese mafia clans and especially the White tiger. So I should stay." "If you haven''t got yourself into that murder, we wouldn''t have to chase him in the first place." "If you are doing this for us. Then there is no need, Nechan. We have talked to that investigative officer and cleared our side of the story." "Yes, that officer even promised that he will keep our names secret." Kousuke seconded his brother''s claims and tried to stop Ming Yue from getting herself into trouble. "To be very honest, Nechan...I think you are too much invested in this case." Yojiro pointed out while his eyes glinted in doubt. "Just because you have spoken to that police officer, that doesn''t mean that they proclaimed you innocent. We need to make sure that-" All of a sudden, Ming Yue''s words were interrupted by Yojiro, who picked up her phone that kept on the bed as if it was a natural thing to do. "Ne Chan, please." Yojiro let out a small scoff as he kept his eyes glued to the phone that Wan Yi Jun had given to his sister. He was getting a bit dubious about the sudden friendship that started between Ming Yue and Wan Yi Jun that resulted in the full freedom to visit the Wisteria gardens anytime. "I know that you care about us, but the reason why you are getting associated with that officer is something else." The moment Ming Yue heard those words, her bicoloured eyes shook a bit in shock. She never thought that Yojiro would pick up the hints very soon, unlike Kousuke. "There is nothing else." Ming Yue flatly refuted his claims and hid her face away from him. "Nechan, don''t lie to us. We got solid proofs." "What proofs?" Ming Yue''s shapely eyebrows knitted together in doubt and she unknowingly expressed a part of her vulnerable side to her quick-witted brother. "There is nothing." Ming Yue once again denied his claims and almost threw her clothes into the suit before zipping it up. "If it is nothing, then why your photo is on that officer''s phone?" Yojiro who was scrolling on the phone raised his hand and showed the screen to Ming Yue and Kousuke, who was left in puzzlement. "Which photo?" Kousuke immediately lunged forward to grab the phone before Ming Yue could make a move. It was the picture of a girl with bi-coloured eyes and silver hair, holding a husky puppy. "This is-" Kousuke whose eyes widened in the similarity the girl shared with his sister, looked alternatively at the photo and Ming Yue as if he was comparing them. "That''s not-" "Don''t say that''s not you. It''s clearly you." Kousuke corrected her without any hesitations. "And why is your photo is on that captain''s phone?" Watching their actions, Ming Yue lost her cool and gritted in frustration. "Yaa...not everyone with a weird pair of eyes is me." She made a vague effort to deny the truth. But still, the men in the room was not ready to believe her as they argued that the girl in the photograph was Ming Yue with no doubt. "Yes. But you are the only person with heterochromia and silver hair that we know, and Nechan, didn''t you used to say that bicoloured eyes are extremely rare?" Yojiro asked with a faint smirk adorning his face. The moment he noticed the aggravated look on Ming Yue, he was sure that her sister was trying to hide something from them. "We thought you trusted us," Kousuke added hot oil into the pyre and engraved Ming Yue once again, "But you...you...cheated us-" "Kousuke, don''t play your emotional blackmailing card on me.." Ming Yue who regained her bearings, quickly warned her young brother, who was trying to take advantage of her situation and snatched the phone from him. Chapter 71 - You Are Injured The glass shards shattered all across the floor, like a giant abstract art while making it impossible for a person to move inside the room without getting hurt. It took a moment for Ming Yue to regain her bearings from the shock of the sudden accident. She took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. Since she stood facing in the opposite direction of the window, a few of the glass pellets hit her back, but still, she didn''t even move a little bit. Just as she looked at the broken window with narrowed eyes, hurried footsteps were heard from outside, followed by Wan Yi Jun''s worried voice at the door. "Ming Yue, what happened? Are you alright?" He knocked at the closed door and inquired. He just came down to take some water from the kitchen, and all of a sudden, he heard a loud crash from Ming Yue''s room. "Give me a second, master." Ming Yue replied while tiptoeing towards the door without stepping on the glass pieces. She somehow managed to reach the entrance and pulled open the door to see a distressed Wan Yi Jun at the doorstep. "What happened?" He asked once again and scanned Ming Yue, top to bottom, "The window broke." Ming Yue casually answered and widely opened the door to reveal the room''s state. "I mean the glass broke," She corrected herself and moved to a side so that Wan Yi Jun could enter the room, However, instead of stepping inside, he just stood there and looked for any injuries on Ming Yue. "Did you get hurt?" "No, master." Even though she felt a stinging pain from her back, Ming Yue pretended that she was alright. "What happened here?" Wan Yi Jun inquired as he looked at the shattered glass on the floor. "I was standing here and all of a sudden, the window glass broke down." "Hmm." Wan Yi Jun attentively nodded and carefully walked towards the open window, "Master, don''t go over there." Ming Yue warned when she saw Wan Yi Jun walking over the sharp glass pellets on the floor while wearing a pair of house slippers. Hearing her voice, Wan Yi Jun stopped in his tracks and looked at the window. Under the dark sky, he could see the faint outline of Wisteria garden''s traditional annexe house. The haunting sight of the old mansion where Wan clan lived for hundreds of years, along with the howling sound of cold wind and the murmuring of the trees, sent a chill down Wan Yi Jun''s spine. Though he haven''t seen anything supernatural in the compound, he had heard from others that they had seen some figures wandering in the traditional house, scaring everyone else. For some reason, Wan Yi Jun felt that someone was watching him from the darkness. No matter how much he tried, he couldn''t find any traces of any intrusion or external force. "Did they change the window pane?" He asked while focusing on the glass pellets on the floor. Even though several trees grew beside the building, he couldn''t help, but overlook that the windows got broken by the tree branches. The intensity of the crash was so high that the entire window glass broke. "Yes. Maybe the workers have forgotten to lock the windows." Ming Yue came up with an excuse and bent down to clean up the mess on the floor. "But I asked them to use the impact-resistant tempered glass. There is no chance it will break this easy, just by the window." Wan Yi Jun, who looked at the mess in the room with his police brain, couldn''t reason it, no matter how much he tried to overlook it as a natural accident. "Ahhh..." A slight wail pulled Wan Yi Jun out of his thoughts, and he quickly turned back to see Ming Yue crouching down on the floor. He couldn''t believe that she was picking the sharp glass pieces with a bare hand as if it was nothing. He let out a heavy sigh and carefully strode towards her. "You have already injured your arm. Why bother with the cleaning? Leave it there," He chided the girl who acted so carelessly in such a situation. She was already having trouble doing things with one of her arms injured, and yet, she didn''t think twice before cleaning up the mess. "What if someone steps in it?" Ming Yue replied while pressing on her hurt finger. Thankfully, it was just a minor cut. "Who is there to step in it apart from us?" Wan Yi Jun argued back in the same tone, "But, still, we need to clear out the glass pellets." Ming Yue replied as he lowered her eyes and began to pick up the large glass pieces from the floor. However, even before she could say something, Wan Yi Jun''s strong hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her up from the crouching posture. Ming Yue, who never anticipated such an action, almost lost her balance and fell onto his muscular chest in a glimpse. The moment Ming Yue sensed the warmth that spread over to her body from Wan Yi Jun, she quickly took a step back, only to stumble on her step, However, Wan Yi Jun, who had quick reflexes, caught Ming Yue before her foot got lacerated by the same glass pieces she had collected. "Why it is so hard for you to understand my words?" Wan Yi Jun sounded "You can clean it when your wounds heal. As for now, let''s lock this room and get a worker to change the window glasses." "I will take the room next door." "Take the guest room on the first floor." "W "But Nechan, what if you get caught? He is someone who got the license to kill anyone pose threat to their country." Kousuke tried to remind Ming Yue, who refused to hear their pleadings to stay safe. "He is a law-abiding officer, unlike others. I''m damn sure that Captain Wan Yi Jun will never kill me without a court trial, at least over the pity for his childhood friend." Ming Yue bitterly added as if she wasn''t afraid of anything. "Are you crazy, Nechan?" Kousuke almost jumped up from the bed and roared in anger, "Do you have any idea what the hell did you just said? Take it back...Take it back." "Yaa...don''t be childish." Ming Yue ruffled Kousuke''s hair and brushed off it as a joke. "No. You have to take it back...How can you even say that "M" word?" Kousuke threw tantrums like a five years old child and even dragged Yojiro into their debate. "I have only one request." Yojiro who had no intention to meddle in the debate turned towards Ming Yue and said in a flat tone. "Maybe some conditions, too." "Hmm." "Every day, take out some time and talk to Tora. Otherwise, he would call us and easily figure out that you have already left this place." Yojiro stated as a matter of fact. Since Ming Yue was not fond of phone conversations and got busy with her new "maid" job, Tora used to call either Kousuke or Yojiro to make sure that his fiance was doing well. "Yaa...are you allowing Nechan to leave?" Kousuke, who got shocked by witnessing the unexpected change in Yojiro''s attitude, shifted his target from Ming Yue to the other. "Nechan has already made her mind, and now, it is impossible to stop her." Yojiro shrugged his shoulders in helplessness. He was well aware of the fact that when it comes to the safety of her family, Ming Yue will be ready to do anything, no matter how difficult and dangerous it might be. "Thanks, Yoji." Ming Yue patted Yojiro''s shoulder as a gratitude gesture. "Nope, what I want is a word in return...A blood vow to be exact," Yojiro negotiated as cold as an iceberg. "What?" "I will be tracking your each and every action, and you should promise me that you won''t take it down...never...ever. If you are willing to do it, I will stay loyal to you. Otherwise, I will inform Tora and Big brother that you are fooling around in imperial." "Fooling around?" Though Ming Yue was pretty surprised that even Yojiro had started to blackmail her, she decided to agree for the sake of her brother''s peace. "I agree." "You can''t just agree...Every morning and night, you should call us and assure us that you are safe over there." "I will call you every morning and night. Now what?" She asked and glanced around the room to look for some sharp object. She let out a sigh and walked beside the vanity table in the room to pick up a paper cutter. "You asked for the blood vow, right? I''m not sure this thing works." Ming Yue opened her palm and grabbed the sharp end of the paper cutter. "I, Hayami Terada of Kobayashi Clan, swear that I will never do anything to put myself or you two in danger and agree to whatever condition that my brother, Yojiro, had put forward to assure my safety." She stated in a crystal clear voice and cut her palm before extending it towards Yojiro, who stood there like a statue. "Fine now?" She asked without any change in her demeanour, "Hmm. So, When are you leaving?" "He said that he will pick me up from the central square." Chapter 72 - You Are Injured, Once Ming Yue agreed to move to the guest room on the first floor, Wan Yi Jun himself picked up her suitcase and climbed the stairs, burdening the girl with his generosity. Watching his actions, she really felt like cursing the moment when she decided to postpone avenging her biggest enemy before anything. She could have targetted Wan Yi Jun the very first moment she landed on Imperial. However, her foolish mind convinced her to keep her best target for the last. She wanted him to torture before she ruins him, But what the hell is happening right now? Instead of making him regret his actions and pay for whatever he did in the past, she is one who got into a pickle of a situation. Why can''t this man stop acting like he owes some huge favour towards her and stops treating her nice? "Don''t fall for his tricks, don''t fall for his tricks," Ming Yue chanted in her mind as she followed Wan Yi Jun to the guest room that was right opposite his bedroom. Years ago, when they all lived together in Wisteria gardens, Wan Yi Jun never allowed anyone to stay anywhere close to his room. Even when there were some guests, they were always given other rooms in the other end of the corridor so that no one shall disturb the hot-tempered young master of Wan family. Wan Yi Jun opened the door and stepped inside the guest room which was designed "Keep your phone next to you. If you hear something unusual, call me right away." Wan Yi Jun reminded her before leaving the room. Since he had finally found peace of mind after seeing Ming Yue curiously checking out the room, it was better to leave, and let her take rest. "Yes, master." Ming Yue nodded in agreement and walked towards the door, "Please sleep well, master." "You too," Once Wan Yi Jun went inside his room, Ming Yue locked the door and took a deep breath to calm her agitated mind. "Don''t think too much, just focus on your goal." She reminded herself and walked in the direction of the bathroom. Maybe a warm shower and a sleeping pill might help her to get over the awkwardness of spending the night in Wisteria gardens after a long time. After removing her t-shirt, she moved closer to the cabinet in the bathroom. Thankfully, there are no visible injuries on her body. She quickly washed her hands and took out the black eye lenses. While standing in front of the cabinet mirror, Ming Yue stared at the face that reflected in the mirror. The pitch-black hair that cascaded over her shoulders, like a waterfall, created a stark contrast on her bare skin. It took her quite a few tries to turn her silver hair into a dark shade as it looks right now. The pair of her odd eyes and her silver hair, the moment Wan Yi Jun sees any of it, it''s over for her. He will recognize her. Before that unfortunate thing happens, she should finish her mission and return home. Keeping her lens in its box, Ming Yue moved towards the shower cubicle. Only when the warm water touched her bare skin, imparting a stinging pain from her back, did she understand that she got scratched by the glass pellets on somewhere that she can''t see. "Aishhhh." She cursed at her bad luck and gritted her teeth to endure the pain until she finished her bath. After drying her body, she came back to the bathroom cabinet and picked up the first aid box from the drawers. Normally she won''t even care about these trivial wounds, but now things are different, and she was in a difficult situation where she had to make sure that her wounds won''t get infected at any cost. Ming Yue picked up the antiseptic ointment from the first aid kit and tried to apply it to the wounds on her back while looking at the mirror. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried she wasn''t able to apply the ointment at the right spot of the wound. She winced her eyes in anger and pain and decided to leave the idea of applying medicine to the wounds on her back. Ming Yue let out a sigh and lowered her gaze at her wounded palm. "Yep, that''s it." Instead of worrying about the trivial scratches on her back. She must take care of the deep laceration on her palm. After disinfecting the wound, she somehow put the bandage with her hand and came out of the bathroom. "Just sleep, don''t think about anything else." She chanted like prayer and picked up a loose t-shirt and pyjama from her bag. After changing into a fresh pair of clothes, she took out the medicine box and looked for a sleeping pill. However, no matter how many times, she searched in the medicine box, she couldn''t find the sleeping pills. "Kousuke!!!!" She almost let out a cry of anger when she figured out that someone had taken her sleeping pills from the medicine box. Since she wasn''t able to fall asleep, she started to take sleeping pills two weeks ago, without letting anyone know. However, when Kousuke found out about it a few days ago, he did throw a tantrum, worrying about her health. Since she had no other option left, Ming Yue walked towards the huge king size bed in the room, "Thud!!!" Just as she moved closer to the bed, Ming Yue heard something hitting hard on the glass door. She turned towards the direction where the sound came and found a rickety balcony door. "Didn''t I lock the door?" Ming Yue doubted for a moment and slowly walked towards the balcony door. "Ming Yue... what happened?" "The tree branch did it hurt you?" "No, not at all, it hit the window." "Window?" "Go inside, quickly." "Aiishhhh." "Ming Yue open the door." "Give me a minute, master." "Please turn, " "Huh?" "You are bleeding." "I''m not." Master, what are you doing?" "You are hurt." "Your t-shirt got bloodstains, let''s go to the hospital." "It isn''t anything serious." "How can you even say like that." "It''s just a scratch." "Show me then." "Master, how can I?" "Then let''s go to the hospital." "I can''t go to the hospital." "Why?" "It''s just a scratch. I just need to put some antibiotics into it." How are you going to apply antibiotic? I''m flexible, I can reach. Ahhh..." "Are you crazy?" "Either let''s go to a hospital or let me bandage it for you." "Master, why are you putting me in this terrible situation. Didn''t I say that it''s okay?" "Didn''t I also say that I will take care of your full responsibility." "But this is my body, my responsibility." "Are you worried that I might misbehave with you since it''s just two of us?" "Miss Ming, I am sorry that If I give off a pervert vibe, but you should trust me." " "You don''t have to worry about my injury. It is not that bad and look, I still got one fine hand." She showed her other arm and reassured him. "How about we get some beef and make barbecue? I''m good at grilling and we don''t have that much work to do it." Wan Yi Jun volunteered to help her. "Barbecue for lunch?" Ming Yue''s eyes narrowed at his odd suggestion. "Grilled beef is an excellent option, master. But Still, we need to make other dishes for the rest of the course." She paused for a moment to think about an easy menu. "We can keep grilled beef as the main course and as for others, how about fried scallops, pasta and steamed custard buns?" "Fried scallops? Good lord, I just hope Han Ze Min doesn''t show up?" "Who?" Didn''t I also say that I will take care of your full responsibility." "But this is my body, my responsibility." "Are you worried that I might misbehave with you since it''s just two of us?" "Miss Ming, I am sorry that If I give off a pervert vibe, but you should trust me." " "He is my colleague who happens to be my cousin and got shellfish allergy." "Oh then I will make some starters with chicken or something else." "No need. He won''t be attending anyways." "Just keep it short, miss Ming. I don''t want to burden you." "This is not a burden for me, master." "Will you please not call me master in public?" "Okay, Mr Wan." "Wow, that''s even worse...call me by my name." "You are older than me, master. But calling you gege would be even weirder." "What did you say? Gege." "Wan Yi Jun, should we get the big packet of rice or the small one?" "Let''s take the big one." "What are you doing, Yue. Your hand is injured, let me do it." "Look at that couple, that young man doesn''t even let his wife carry the shopping cart and look at you," "They are in their honeymoon period, that''s why they are acting like that." "This is why we shouldn''t drop honorifics when we are outside." "Miss Ming, how about we have dinner somewhere and go home?" "Didn''t you say that you never eat dinner?" "I haven''t eaten anything, and I barely have the energy to drive." "Then, let''s go and eat." "Wait here, I will go and get the car." "Miss, your husband seems really nice..." "No, ma''am, we are not married." "Why are you waiting then, men like him won''t find you anywhere. It is better to tie the knot." "That old woman, what''s she even saying? My Nechan is an engaged woman." "Why are you blaming her, look at Nechan, she could''ve denied it. But-" "This is not going to end well." "Hmm, if you say so. Give it to me." Wan Yi Jun reached out to hold her suitcase as if it was a normal thing to do. However, Ming Yue, who wasn''t familiar with those gentlemanly gestures refused to let go of her luggage. After all, she had given a word that she would call them every day. "Hmm...I''m safely returned home.. He was tired, so he went to bed early. Did you eat something? Chapter 73 - Sack Of Potato The cold wintry breeze blew over the wisteria gardens entered the guest room where Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue were immersed in an intense argument about whether to visit the hospital or not. Ming Yue, who had no proper identity proof or insurance papers, refused to go to the hospital no matter how many times Wan Yi Jun tried to persuade her. However, Wan Yi Jun, who got fed up with her denial insisted on either calling a doctor home or letting him check whether she is telling the truth or not. "Show me your wounds." He demanded while standing before Ming Yue, like a huge mountain that overshadowed her tiny figure under his towering and majestic stature. "Master, how can I do that? You are my master, and I''m just a maid...and how can..." Ming Yue was running out of excuses as well as her patience before an adamant man, hellbound on treating her wounds. "Then I assume that obeying your master is the most important thing?" Wan Yi Jun rebutted in the same tone when he felt that Ming Yue was playing the "status" card to stay away from him. Of course, he wasn''t fond of their distinction as master and maid, even hearing the word started to irk him for some reason. But at this moment, he didn''t hesitate to use his authority over her. "Then let''s go to the hospital." Wan Yi Jun wrapped his arms over his chest and asked her once again, "I can''t go to the hospital." "Why?" "It''s just a scratch, master. I just have to put some disinfectant on it and I''m good to go." Ming Yue gave a vague reply and tried to escape the awkward situation. Going to the hospital with proper documents or letting Wan Yi Jun check out her wounds- which one is most dangerous? "Okay. But how are you going to disinfect the wounds on your back without anyone''s help? Wan Yi Jun agreed only to argue with a much more difficult question. He has noticed that Ming Yue has changed the bandage on her palm, but leaving the other wounds untreated only meant one thing- Her arms didn''t reach the wounds. "I''m flexible, master. Also, my arms are long enough to touch... Ahhh..." Ming Yue, who tried to demonstrate her flexibility by reaching out for her back, let out a wail as soon as she raised her arms. Only when she felt a throbbing pain raising from her left lower back, did Ming Yue know that the tree branch had hit her hard, and she fell pretty badly onto the floor. Watching her pathetic efforts to prove him wrong, Wan Yi Jun couldn''t help but sneer in anger. "Are you crazy? Stopping moving around." He grabbed her hand and stopped Ming Yue from putting up an acrobatic display before him. "Either let''s go to a hospital or let me bandage it for you." "Master, why are you putting me in this terrible situation. Didn''t I say that it''s okay?" "Didn''t I also say that I will take care of your full responsibility." "But this is my body, my responsibility." "Are you worried that I might misbehave with you since it''s just two of us?" "Miss Ming, I am sorry that If I give off a pervert vibe, but you are hurt, it is not just a scratch, but something serious. Did you see the blood trail, and do you have any idea how much blood must have been lost by now? No matter how well you clean this house and compound, it is more or less a jungle. One nasty microbial infection and you are done." "I have someone I like..." "What?" "I''m planning to get married one day...you can''t take-" "I too have someone I like, other than that girl, I have no interest in a woman in general. I can assure you that I don''t have any ulterior motives towards you." If you feel that I''m taking advantage of the situation and harassing you, go ahead and report me to the police or labour office. "You think I can afford to lead a legal case against you, master. No never." "What should I do to make you trust me?" "You should believe me when I say I''m alright?" "Ahhh." "See, this is what I said. Let''s check your wounds and If it is something trivial, both of us can sleep without any worries. Or else let me try to call a doctor here since you refuse to go to the hospital." "Hmm." "Hmm?" "You can." "I can? What?" "You can take a look." "Thanks for trusting me. Let me get the first aid box." "What are you doing, master? You can''t just do that." "Sorry, sorry...That''s how we normally do it." "Look over there," "Yes, sure." "You can look now. "There is one minor wound and few scratches....and a bruise. How did you get a bruise?" "The tree branch hit me slightly." "This is not going to end well, gets dressed quickly and let''s get checked. What if you broke some bones?" "Do you think I will be able to stay like this If I broke my bones?" "Of course. You will stay like an emotionless statue even if you break all of your bones. "Master, I''m telling you it''s nothing. I got sensitive skin, even if someone grabs me, it will leave a bruise. If I put some pain relief patch it will be alright." "We have to go out to get pain relief patches." "I got it with me." "Where did you get it?" " "Huh, I will stay on the ground floor itself. Since it is next to the kitchen, it would be easier for me." "Hmmm, as you wish then. Good night, Ming Yue." "Master, are you going to stay here only? What about your room on the first floor?" "I''m too tired to shift to another room. I will just sleep here today and leave tomorrow." "Yes, good night, master." The glass shards shattered all across the floor, like a giant abstract art while making it impossible for a person to move inside the room without getting hurt. It took a moment for Ming Yue to regain her bearings from the shock of the sudden accident. She took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. Since she stood facing in the opposite direction of the window, a few of the glass pellets hit her back, but still, she didn''t even move a little bit. Just as she looked at the broken window with narrowed eyes, hurried footsteps were heard from outside, followed by Wan Yi Jun''s worried voice at the door. "Ming Yue, what happened? Are you alright?" He knocked at the closed door and inquired. He just came down to take some water from the kitchen, and all of a sudden, he heard a loud crash from Ming Yue''s room. "Give me a second, master." Ming Yue replied while tiptoeing towards the door without stepping on the glass pieces. She somehow managed to reach the entrance and pulled open the door to see a distressed Wan Yi Jun at the doorstep. "What happened?" He asked once again and scanned Ming Yue, top to bottom, "The window broke." Ming Yue casually answered and widely opened the door to reveal the room''s state. "I mean the glass broke," She corrected herself and moved to a side so that Wan Yi Jun could enter the room, However, instead of stepping inside, he just stood there and looked for any injuries on Ming Yue. "Did you get hurt?" "No, master." Even though she felt a stinging pain from her back, Ming Yue pretended that she was alright. "What happened here?" Wan Yi Jun inquired as he looked at the shattered glass on the floor. "I was standing here and all of a sudden, the window glass broke down." "Hmm." Wan Yi Jun attentively nodded and carefully walked towards the open window, "Master, don''t go over there." Ming Yue warned when she saw Wan Yi Jun walking over the sharp glass pellets on the floor while wearing a pair of house slippers. Hearing her voice, Wan Yi Jun stopped in his tracks and looked at the window. Under the dark sky, he could see the faint outline of Wisteria garden''s traditional annexe house. The haunting sight of the old mansion where Wan clan lived for hundreds of years, along with the howling sound of cold wind and the murmuring of the trees, sent a chill down Wan Yi Jun''s spine. Though he haven''t seen anything supernatural in the compound, he had heard from others that they had seen some figures wandering in the traditional house, scaring everyone else. For some reason, Wan Yi Jun felt that someone was watching him from the darkness. No matter how much he tried, he couldn''t find any traces of any intrusion or external force. "Did they change the window pane?" He asked while focusing on the glass pellets on the floor. Even though several trees grew beside the building, he couldn''t help, but overlook that the windows got broken by the tree branches. The intensity of the crash was so high that the entire window glass broke. "Yes. Maybe the workers have forgotten to lock the windows." Ming Yue came up with an excuse and bent down to clean up the mess on the floor. "But I asked them to use the "Ahhh..." "What are you doing? You have already injured your arm. Leave it there," "What if someone steps in it?" "Who is there to step in it apart from us?" "But, still, we need to clear out the glass pellets." "You can clean it when your wounds heal. As for now, let''s lock this room and get a worker to change the window glasses." "I will take the room next door." "Take the guest room on the first floor." "W Ming Yue went to one of the empty rooms for maids. Her mind was still spiralling even at the thought of staying at this place. However, more than anything else, her mind was agitated by the fact that she would live under the same roof as Wan Yi Jun. She placed the suitcase in one of the corners and picked up her phone, Before leaving the rooftop house, she has contacted her big brother and Tora to make sure that they still don''t know about her plan. However, she still needs to inform Yojiro and let them know that she reached wisteria gardens safely. After all, she had given a word that she would call them every day. "Hmm...I''m safely returned home. He was tired, so he went to bed early. Did you eat something? Hmm, Where is Kousuke? Nechan is safe here, don''t worry too much and go to bed...Hmm, I will call you tomorrow. Bye, bye." She ended the phone conversation with a smile on her face. She left the Chapter 74 - The Scar "You want me to think of you as a sack of potato?"Wan Yi Jun''s dark eyes narrowed a little when he repeated Ming Yue''s odd comparison. She is one of the prettiest women he has ever seen and even comparing her with a potato sack was a brutal crime. However, watching Ming Yue looking at him with the coldest pair of eyes, he couldn''t help but think about their first meeting. "You were literally roaming in a bath towel when you came here for the first time." "I had no choices at that time but to roam in a bath towel because of someone else''s clumsiness." Ming Yue sternly conceded. Well, at that time, she was confident that they will never meet again. However, things are not the same anymore. Even if she wanted to ignore it, she had seen the desire glinting in Wan Yi Jun''s eyes for her. Now that they are alone in this place, she just prayed that nothing goes out of her control. However, Wan Yi Jun was trying to erase the embarrassing things he did while she stayed at the Wisteria gardens to help him out. Even he was shocked to realize how bad he was at house chores. "I apologized for ruining your dress that night itself not just once...but multiple times." He gently touched the nape of his neck and hesitated for a moment to speak up, "What do you want me to do now? Get you a new dress? Will that suffice whatever damage I caused that day?" "Oh please, master. I''m not a materialistic person." Ming Yue let out a chortle and wobbled her head as if she heard something wrong. "Just do whatever you were going to do, or else, I will go to bed." "This girl!!!" Wan Yi Jun''s lips unknowingly twisted into a broad smile at her cocky words as he took a step closer to her, narrowing down the distance between them. "So shall we start, miss potato?" He stood at an arm''s length away from Ming Yue and asked while reaching out for her t-shirt. However, the very next moment, Ming Yue, who never expected such a blatant move from Wan Yi Jun, reflexively smacked his hand right away. "What are you doing, master?" "You asked me to treat you like a sack of potato? Does it matter if I do it from front or back?" Wan Yi Jun flexed his palm and asked in a half-joking tone, only to regret his words the very next moment. "You can''t just do it like that." Though Ming Yue was left speechless due to his blatant question that reeked a dual meaning, she somehow maintained her aloof expression and corrected him. "Sorry, sorry...what I meant was.... when someone gets hurt during offsite missions, we check the ventral side first..." He quickly explained and shut his eyes in embarrassment. "Damn!!! What the hell did I just say?" He shook off his thoughts from his mind and pointed towards the bed in the room as a way to escape this awkward interaction. "Please take a seat and... I... think it is better....if you take off the shirt." "Hmm." Ming Yue gently hummed and strode towards the bed while tugging at the hem of her t-shirt. Watching her rumpled form striding in soft steps, with wet hair cascading down her shoulders and eyes swollen red, Wan Yi Jun sighed deeply. There was something sensual in the way how she basked in the dim lighting, all shrouded in doubt, fear, sprinkled with a dash of hope and trust in him. "Look somewhere else." She ordered in a soft voice that felt so melodious to Wan Yi Jun''s ears and it took a moment for him to shift his eyes to somewhere else. As he stood there looking at the white wall, Wan Yi Jun heard the rustle of her clothes and the dipping of the bed. "You can turn back now," He slowly turned around to look at the woman who sat on the bed, half-naked revealing the soft and smooth expanse of her back, From the slender slope of her neck to her petite shoulders, the golden chain over her curvy waist, It had only been a second, but the moment his eyes fell on her, it felt as though time moved slowly, As he walked towards her, Wan Yi Jun''s eyes travelled further down, following the perfect curve of her back, riddled with blotches of red bruises. "There is one minor wound and lot of scratches....and a bruise." He reported while checking her wounds. It looked as if his touch would bring Ming Yue to her knees in pain. Small red patches were littered everywhere on the expanse of her left shoulder blade, down to her waist. It was no wonder why she wailed when he poked her at a random spot. But the thing which made Wan Yi Jun mesmerized was the long scar on her back. He found himself amazed by her strength in brushing her injuries as if they were nothing as she continued to refuse to visit the hospital. "I told you it is nothing serious." Ming Yue who was holding to thick blanket, covering her naked front side, casually said as if it was no big deal. "Still, let me disinfect the wounds." He suggested and took out spirit and cotton from the first aid box. His calloused hands came up to her shoulder, caressing her back gently as it trailed towards down, brushing the disinfectant over the wounds and the scratches. If he had listened to her excuses, she would have hid her bruises and suffered all by herself. The mere thought of watching her in pain, made an anger-like feeling welling up inside him. Opting to push it down his unknown anger, his fingers began to lightly apply the medicine over a bleeding wound. Only then, Ming Yue flinched away from his touches, twisting her body as if she was shielding her vulnerable side despite her state. Wan Yi Jun hummed in thought, with a frown on his face. It would be difficult to treat her if a slight touch would cause her too much pain. "Tell me if the pain gets worse." "No...It isn''t." Ming Yue softly murmured. More than pain, she was praying that he would finish faster. Even though Ming Yue assured him that she is okay, Wan Yi Jun''s finger touched the areas around the bruises as if he assessing the extent of her injuries. Whenever she tensed up beneath his fingertips, or let out soft groans, he would ease up and move to the next area to relax her bit. It was fortunate none of the glass pieces stuck deep anywhere near her ribs and spine. The creases on his forehead disappeared as he found himself relieved and quickly proceeded with the treatment. He took some smoothing salve, before wrapping her bruised shoulder with bandages in silence. Ming Yue sat still like an elegant muse for a sculptor, but deep inside her heard she felt tensed every time he touched her. "Was he always this gentle and caring?" She couldn''t help but wonder. However, Wan Yi Jun was little bit confused at the long scar on her smooth skin that remained like an eyesore. By its faded colour and stitch marks, the wound seemed bit old. Wan Yi Jun unknowingly rubbed soothing circles on her uninjured side as he went and wrapped her bruises securely, yet tenderly. However, even after bandaging up the wounds, for some reason, he wanted to touch her more, she was smooth to the touch, very soft beneath his fingers. She was such a frail woman indeed, so small and so vulnerable. While Wan Yi Jun''s fingers wandered over her back, pretending to be rechecking her wounds, Ming Yue''s eyes were focused on the vague reflection of Wan Yi Jun''s face on the glass windows. A strange feeling came over her, locking her in place as she found herself unable to look away despite the discomfort she was feeling. However, the very next moment, he unknowingly looked in the direction of the window and tangled his eyes with hers. "Why? Why are you acting like this now? Why are you being nice to me when I came here to kill you?" Ming Yue wondered to herself the more she looked at him through window pane, trying to convey the question with her eyes¡­ So innocent¡­ so clearly looking at him for some sort of explanation as to why this was all happening. Even though he didn''t want to look away, Wan Yi Jun broke his eye contact and looked at her bandages. He felt too hot and tried hard to control his breath yet as he struggled to wet his parched lips. But subconsciously, his eyes went back to the windows once more and realized that he had been the one to break the eye contact. In all these years, he''d never once hid away from a woman, but at this moment...it just happened as if his mind got bewitched by her. "Damn it." Wan Yi Jun cursed himself for his ineptitude. He felt as though he had been cursed, but only he could feel the way his body grew hotter, breathing out hot air through his mouth. Before he could let out another sigh, Wan Yi Jun leaned backwards and turned a blind eye to the unfamiliar emotion stirring inside him. He wasn''t acting like himself, but he found that didn''t mind; not even a little bit. "It''s over." He tenderly whispered while she attempted to turn her body away. His voice dipped down into a husky tone, sending a strange sensation over her body. She hastily avoided his gaze once more, unable to look any longer in his eyes. However, when Wan Yi Jun''s eyes fell on the faint outline of the traditional annex, his heart stopped for a moment and he unknowingly made a request that he hasn''t asked anyone till the moment. "Sleep with me, tonight." Chapter 75 - My Man UNEDITED - I''m travelling, I will be only update by today midnight. Sorry for inconveniences. "Master, please don''t joke." Ming Yue asked without "I''m not joking..It would be better if we sleep in the-" "You said you like someone...you said that nobody else matters to you...then why are you asking me such a thing?" "It''s my fault." "I can understand that people are tends to waver under the situation, but you have some one you like...please stay away from adultery, master. It won''t bring you any good." "Adultery? Miss, please listen to me first." "Do you remember what I said when you started working here?" "You will take care of my responsibility." "Yes, so listen to me and sleep with me." "You said that you don''t have any ulterior motives." "You are hurt, that''s why I am asking you to sleep in the same room?" "Same room?" "Hmmm, my room is quite big. "Even if it''s a big room, I am not sleeping on the same bed as you." "Who said about sleeping on the same bed? I am just worried about you. It''s the first time your staying in this mansion and yet you got yourself into two accidents. It''s bit difficult for me to leave you alone tonight." You are not curious about the other scars?" "You have told me that life wasn''t easy for you." "I asked someone to do it." "Why?" "Beautiful ones were sent to courtesan houses, ugly ones were sent to brothels and scarred ones, they were sold as slaves." "Slave market in this country? When did this happen?" "A couple of years ago. I was supposed to be sent to a brothel, but someone took a liking in me and approached the house with a huge offer." "Did it make any difference?" "I asked him to kill me but he just made a laceration to scare off the buyer." "Him?" "The one whom I mentioned earlier." "The one whom you like?" "I''m indebted to him."- "He was barely eighteen when I met him for the first time. The youngest son of a rich family. He was having the college entrance when he got to know that they were selling me off to an old man. He came and tried to stop them...took many hits for me...His "It''s another world, master. oo, dark and gore for people like you." " "I''m sorry you had to go through such a painful ordeal."Show me then." " The cold wintry breeze blew over the wisteria gardens entered the guest room where Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue were immersed in an intense argument about whether to visit the hospital or not. Ming Yue, who had no proper identity proof or insurance papers, refused to go to the hospital no matter how many times Wan Yi Jun tried to persuade her. However, Wan Yi Jun, who got fed up with her denial insisted on either calling a doctor home or letting him check whether she is telling the truth or not. "Show me your wounds." He demanded while standing before Ming Yue, like a huge mountain that overshadowed her tiny figure under his towering and majestic stature. "Master, how can I do that? You are my master, and I''m just a maid...and how can..." Ming Yue was running out of excuses as well as her patience before an adamant man, hellbound on treating her wounds. "Then I assume that obeying your master is the most important thing?" Wan Yi Jun rebutted in the same tone when he felt that Ming Yue was playing the "status" card to stay away from him. Of course, he wasn''t fond of their distinction as master and maid, even hearing the word started to irk him for some reason. But at this moment, he didn''t hesitate to use his authority over her. "Then let''s go to the hospital." Wan Yi Jun wrapped his arms over his chest and asked her once again, "I can''t go to the hospital." "Why?" "It''s just a scratch, master. I just have to put some disinfectant on it and I''m good to go." Ming Yue gave a vague reply and tried to escape the awkward situation. Going to the hospital with proper documents or letting Wan Yi Jun check out her wounds- which one is most dangerous? "Okay. But how are you going to disinfect the wounds on your back without anyone''s help? Wan Yi Jun agreed only to argue with a much more difficult question. He has noticed that Ming Yue has changed the bandage on her palm, but leaving the other wounds untreated only meant one thing- Her arms didn''t reach the wounds. "I''m flexible, master. Also, my arms are long enough to touch... Ahhh..." Ming Yue, who tried to demonstrate her flexibility by reaching out for her back, let out a wail as soon as she raised her arms. Only when she felt a throbbing pain raising from her back side, she realized that tree branch has hit her pretty hard, not to mention that she fell onto the floor too. "Are you crazy?" "Either let''s go to a hospital or let me bandage it for you." "Master, why are you putting me in this terrible situation. Didn''t I say that it''s okay?" "Didn''t I also say that I will take care of your full responsibility." "But this is my body, my responsibility." "Are you worried that I might misbehave with you since it''s just two of us?" "Miss Ming, I am sorry that If I give off a pervert vibe, but you are hurt, it is not just a scratch, but something serious. Did you see the blood trail, and do you have any idea how much blood must have been lost by now? No matter how well you clean this house and compound, it is more or less a jungle. One nasty microbial infection and you are done." "I have someone I like..." "What?" "I''m planning to get married one day...you can''t take-" "I too have someone I like, other than that girl, I have no interest in a woman in general. I can assure you that I don''t have any ulterior motives towards you." If you feel that I''m taking advantage of the situation and harassing you, go ahead and report me to the police or labour office. "You think I can afford to lead a legal case against you, master. No never." "What should I do to make you trust me?" "You should believe me when I say I''m alright?" "Ahhh." "See, this is what I said. Let''s check your wounds and If it is something trivial, both of us can sleep without any worries. Or else let me try to call a doctor here since you refuse to go to the hospital." "Hmm." "Hmm?" "You can." "I can? What?" "You can take a look." "Thanks for trusting me. Let me get the first aid box." "What are you doing, master? You can''t just do that." "Sorry, sorry...That''s how we normally do it." "Look over there," "Yes, sure." "You can look now. "There is one minor wound and few scratches....and a bruise. How did you get a bruise?" "The tree branch hit me slightly." "This is not going to end well, gets dressed quickly and let''s get checked. What if you broke some bones?" Once Ming Yue agreed to move to the guest room on the first floor, Wan Yi Jun himself picked up her suitcase and climbed the stairs, burdening the girl with his generosity. Watching his actions, she really felt like cursing the moment when she decided to postpone avenging her biggest enemy before anything. She could have targetted Wan Yi Jun the very first moment she landed on Imperial. However, her foolish mind convinced her to keep her best target for the last. She wanted him to torture before she ruins him, But what the hell is happening right now? Instead of making him regret his actions and pay for whatever he did in the past, she is one who got into a pickle of a situation. Why can''t this man stop acting like he owes some huge favour towards her and stops treating her nice? "Don''t fall for his tricks, don''t fall for his tricks," Ming Yue chanted in her mind as she followed Wan Yi Jun to the guest room that was right opposite his bedroom. Years ago, when they all lived together in Wisteria gardens, Wan Yi Jun never allowed anyone to stay anywhere close to his room. Even when there were some guests, they were always given other rooms in the other end of the corridor so that no one shall disturb the hot-tempered young master of Wan family. Wan Yi Jun opened the door and stepped inside the guest room which was designed in a minimalist yet cosy design. "Keep your phone next to you. If you hear something unusual, call me right away." Wan Yi Jun reminded her before leaving the room. Since he had finally found peace of mind after seeing Ming Yue curiously checking out the room, it was better to leave, and let her take rest. "Yes, master." Ming Yue nodded in agreement and walked towards the door, "Please sleep well, master." "You too," He gave a gentle bow before leaving her alone, Once Wan Yi Jun went inside his room, Ming Yue locked the door and took a deep breath to calm her agitated mind. Thankfully, there are no visible injuries on her body. She quickly washed her hands and took out the black eye lenses. While standing in front of the cabinet mirror, Ming Yue stared at the face that reflected in the mirror. The pitch-black hair that cascaded over her shoulders, like a waterfall, created a stark contrast on her bare skin. It took her quite a few tries to turn her silver hair into a dark shade as it looks right no Chapter 76 - My Love Unedited Version- Please wait for 1 hour "Sleep with me tonight," Wan Yi Jun''s sharp voice resonated in the room, sending tremors to Ming Yue''s highly guarded heart. She wished to turn and kill him right away, but her state at the moment seemed so scandalous. "Master, please don''t joke." Ming Yue sternly demanded as soon as she heard Wan Yi Jun''s odd request. "I''m not joking." He corrected while staring out of the window. His face was half-lit by the bright chandelier lights and remained ice cold while he kept his eyes focused on the dark outline in the traditional annexe. "It would be better if we sleep in the same room." Wan Yi Jun compelled once again without even shifting his gaze from the balcony. However, Ming Yue, who got totally shaken by his words, unknowingly turned around while holding the bedsheets to her chest. At the same time, Wan Yi Jun who changed his gaze from the balcony abruptly tangled his eyes with Ming Yue''s red swollen eyes, which indicated her pain and confusion. The pain was obviously from the wounds, but the confusion that overpowered her every other motion depicted only one thing- She was taken aback by Wan Yi Jun''s blatant words. Well, his demand was a direct invitation to spend the night together and it took her a long minute to convey her intentions regarding his "offer." "Master, you said you like someone¡­" Ming Yue said as she gently covered her naked upper body from Wan Yi Jun''s sharp and curious eyes. "You said that no other woman than her matters to you...then why are you asking me such a thing?" Of Course, the first thing Ming Yue did to answer his counter question was to remind him about his girlfriend and escape from replying with a huge No. However, to her surprise, Wan Yi Jun responded to her reply without changing his aloof and cold demeanor. "It''s my fault." He quickly apologized. "Ofcourse, it is your fault." Ming Yue quickly agreed to his words as if she was very much interested to find a reason to neglect his demand. "I do understand that people tend to waver under the situation, but master, you have someone you like...please stay away from infidelity. It won''t bring you any good-." All of a sudden, Wan Yi Jun''s thick eyebrows arched in confusion when he interrupted her in the mid sentence. Well, it wasn''t a difficult task to figure out what Ming Yue was aiming at. "Infidelity? Miss, please listen to me first." He walked towards her, but the moment when he recalled the fact that she was half naked. "Well it would be even better if you wear something first." He said and turned to the opposite direction as if he was giving Ming Yue some time to gather her clothes. Well, she was being extra careful after watching the lustrous glint in Wan Yi Jun''s face. Ming Yue quickly wore her clothes and cleared her throat as if she was giving him a signal to continue from where he had left behind. However, still he stood there, facing the white wall instead of turning around, "Do you remember what I said when you started working here?" Wan Yi Jun gave a simple introduction, before he started explaining the reason for his odd request. "You will take care of my responsibility." Ming Yue recited like a parrot and made a vague effort to stand up from the bed, only to collapse again as soon as Wan Yi Jun repeated his intention to sleep with her. "Yes, so listen to me and sleep with me." He turned around to look at the girl sitting on the bed and relentlessly spoke without any hesitations. "But, you said that you don''t have any ulterior motives." Ming Yue coldly stated without showing the discomfort bubbling inside her mind. Well, she wasn''t expecting any of these conversations, that too with Wan Yi Jun who was once known as Mister Perfect. "You are hurt, Ming Yue. That''s why I am asking you to sleep in the same room as me. What if something happens while you are asleep?" "Same room?" Ming Yue mumbled as she started to contemplate over the issues that she had to face if she shares the room with him. First of all, it would be a huge hassle to keep her lens and sleep. If she removes the lens, then there is no guarantee that she could keep her bi-coloured eyes a secret from him. "Even if it''s so, I am not sleeping on the same bed as you." Ming Yue stated as a matter of fact, only to raise a dubious look from the man who stood before her. "Who said about sleeping on the same bed? I am just worried about you." Wan Yi Jun corrected her, without emphasizing how she mistook his words, " It''s the first time you are staying in this mansion and yet you got yourself into two accidents. So, it''s a bit difficult for me to leave you alone tonight and sleep soundly." Whether it is because of the honesty resounding in his voice or just because she felt it unsafe to stay alone in the room, after what she had experienced a few minutes ago. "I agree." Ming Yue finally made up her mind and asked Wan Yi Jun to lead her to his room, with no delay. At this moment, Wan Yi Jun''s room was the safest place in the entire mansion and she had no other option, but to spend the night with him. "You can take the bed, I will sleep on the couch." Wan Yi Jun suggested as soon as he opened the door to his bedroom, "You are not curious about the other scars?" "You have told me that life wasn''t easy for you." "I asked someone to do it." "Why?" "Beautiful ones were sent to courtesan houses, ugly ones were sent to brothels and scarred ones, they were sold as slaves." "Slave market in this country? When did this happen?" "A couple of years ago. I was supposed to be sent to a brothel, but someone took a liking in me and approached the house with a huge offer." "Did it make any difference?" "I asked him to kill me but he just made a laceration to scare off the buyer." "Him?" "The one whom I mentioned earlier." "The one whom you like?" "I''m indebted to him."- "He was barely eighteen when I met him for the first time. The youngest son of a rich family. He was having the college entrance when he got to know that they were selling me off to an old man. He came and tried to stop them...took many hits for me...His "It''s another world, master. oo, dark and gore for people like you." " "I''m sorry you had to go through such a painful ordeal. He took some smoothing salve, before wrapping her bruised shoulder with bandages in silence. Leyla sat still, head still looking down, as her body shook in the tension between them. Matthias rubbed soothing circles on her uninjured side as he went and wrapped her bruises securely, yet tenderly. He had been right; she was smooth to the touch, very soft beneath his fingers. He wanted to touch her more. She was such a frail woman indeed; so small and so vulnerable. Her eyes then shifted to meet Matthias in the mirror, seeing his cerulean eyes staring back at her. A strange feeling came over her, locking her in place as she found herself unable to look away despite the terror she was feeling. ''Why¡­?'' She wondered to herself the more she looked at him through the mirror, trying to convey the question with her eyes¡­ So innocent¡­ so clearly looking at him for some sort of explanation as to why this was all happening. Matthias chuckled dryly to himself in his mind, his eyes breaking contact to take in her now bandaged shoulder. He felt too hot, his breath controlled, yet too harsh as he struggled to wet his parched lips. His eyes went back to look at Leyla once more, before realising that he had been the one to back away first from her. In all his years of knowing Leyla, he''d never once backed down for her. ''Damn it.'' He cursed himself for his ineptitude. He felt as though he had been cursed, but only he could feel the way his body grew hotter, breathing out hot puffs of air through his mouth. Before he could let out another sigh, Matthias leaned forward and planted a light kiss on Leyla''s shoulder to turn a blind eye to the unfamiliar emotion stirring inside him and a vague attempt to console the wounded girl. He wasn''t acting like himself, but he found that didn''t mind; not even a little bit. "It''s all right." Matthias tenderly whispered in Leyla''s ear while she attempted to turn her body away. His voice dipped down into a husky tone, creating a strange sensation travelling down Leyla''s spine. She hastily avoided his gaze once more, unable to look any longer in the mirror. " How did you get a bruise?" "The tree branch hit me slightly." "This is not going to end well. Get dressed quickly, and let''s get checked. What if you broke some bones?" " Chapter 77 - Who Is She? UNEDITED - PLEASE WAIT FOR 1 HOUR "Master, please don''t joke." "I''m not joking..It would be better if we sleep in the-" "You said you like someone...you said that nobody else matters to you...then why are you asking me such a thing?" "It''s my fault." "I can understand that people are tends to waver under the situation, but you have some one you like...please stay away from adultery, master. It won''t bring you any good." "Adultery? Miss, please listen to me first." "Do you remember what I said when you started working here?" "You will take care of my responsibility." "Yes, so listen to me and sleep with me." "You said that you don''t have any ulterior motives." "You are hurt, that''s why I am asking you to sleep in the same room?" "Same room?" "Hmmm, my room is quite big. "Even if it''s a big room, I am not sleeping on the same bed as you." "Who said about sleeping on the same bed? I am just worried about you. It''s the first time your staying in this mansion and yet you got yourself into two accidents. It''s bit difficult for me to leave you alone tonight." You are not curious about the other scars?" "You have told me that life wasn''t easy for you." "I asked someone to do it." "Why?" "Beautiful ones were sent to courtesan houses, ugly ones were sent to brothels and scarred ones, they were sold as slaves." "Slave market in this country? When did this happen?" "A couple of years ago. I was supposed to be sent to a brothel, but someone took a liking in me and approached the house with a huge offer." "Did it make any difference?" "I asked him to kill me but he just made a laceration to scare off the buyer." "Him?" "The one whom I mentioned earlier." "The one whom you like?" "I''m indebted to him."- "He was barely eighteen when I met him for the first time. The youngest son of a rich family. He was having the college entrance when he got to know that they were selling me off to an old man. He came and tried to stop them...took many hits for me...His "It''s another world, master. oo, dark and gore for people like you." " "I''m sorry you had to go through such a painful ordeal."Show me then." "Master, how can I?" "Then let''s go to the hospital." "I can''t go to the hospital." "Why?" "It''s just a scratch. I just need to put some antibiotics into it." How are you going to apply antibiotic? I''m flexible, I can reach. Ahhh..." "Are you crazy?" The cold wintry breeze blew over the wisteria gardens entered the guest room where Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue were immersed in an intense argument about whether to visit the hospital or not. Ming Yue, who had no proper identity proof or insurance papers, refused to go to the hospital no matter how many times Wan Yi Jun tried to persuade her. However, Wan Yi Jun, who got fed up with her denial insisted on either calling a doctor home or letting him check whether she is telling the truth or not. "Show me your wounds." He demanded while standing before Ming Yue, like a huge mountain that overshadowed her tiny figure under his towering and majestic stature. "Master, how can I do that? You are my master, and I''m just a maid...and how can..." Ming Yue was running out of excuses as well as her patience before an adamant man, hellbound on treating her wounds. "Then I assume that obeying your master is the most important thing?" Wan Yi Jun rebutted in the same tone when he felt that Ming Yue was playing the "status" card to stay away from him. Of course, he wasn''t fond of their distinction as master and maid, even hearing the word started to irk him for some reason. But at this moment, he didn''t hesitate to use his authority over her. "Then let''s go to the hospital." Wan Yi Jun wrapped his arms over his chest and asked her once again, "I can''t go to the hospital." "Why?" "It''s just a scratch, master. I just have to put some disinfectant on it and I''m good to go." Ming Yue gave a vague reply and tried to escape the awkward situation. Going to the hospital with proper documents or letting Wan Yi Jun check out her wounds- which one is most dangerous? "Okay. But how are you going to disinfect the wounds on your back without anyone''s help? Wan Yi Jun agreed only to argue with a much more difficult question. He has noticed that Ming Yue has changed the bandage on her palm, but leaving the other wounds untreated only meant one thing- Her arms didn''t reach the wounds. "I''m flexible, master. Also, my arms are long enough to touch... Ahhh..." Ming Yue, who tried to demonstrate her flexibility by reaching out for her back, let out a wail as soon as she raised her arms. Only when she felt a throbbing pain raising from her back side, she realized that tree branch has hit her pretty hard, not to mention that she fell onto the floor too. "Are you crazy?" "Either let''s go to a hospital or let me bandage it for you." "Master, why are you putting me in this terrible situation. Didn''t I say that it''s okay?" "Didn''t I also say that I will take care of your full responsibility." "But this is my body, my responsibility." "Are you worried that I might misbehave with you since it''s just two of us?" "Miss Ming, I am sorry that If I give off a pervert vibe, but you are hurt, it is not just a scratch, but something serious. Did you see the blood trail, and do you have any idea how much blood must have been lost by now? No matter how well you clean this house and compound, it is more or less a jungle. One nasty microbial infection and you are done." "I have someone I like..." "What?" "I''m planning to get married one day...you can''t take-" "I too have someone I like, other than that girl, I have no interest in a woman in general. I can assure you that I don''t have any ulterior motives towards you." If you feel that I''m taking advantage of the situation and harassing you, go ahead and report me to the police or labour office. "You think I can afford to lead a legal case against you, master. No never." "What should I do to make you trust me?" "You should believe me when I say I''m alright?" "Ahhh." "See, this is what I said. Let''s check your wounds and If it is something trivial, both of us can sleep without any worries. Or else let me try to call a doctor here since you refuse to go to the hospital." "Hmm." "Hmm?" "You can." "I can? What?" "You can take a look." "Thanks for trusting me. Let me get the first aid box." "What are you doing, master? You can''t just do that." "Sorry, sorry...That''s how we normally do it." "Look over there," "Yes, sure." "You can look now. "There is one minor wound and few scratches....and a bruise. How did you get a bruise?" "The tree branch hit me slightly." "This is not going to end well, gets dressed quickly and let''s get checked. What if you broke some bones?" Once Ming Yue agreed to move to the guest room on the first floor, Wan Yi Jun himself picked up her suitcase and climbed the stairs, burdening the girl with his generosity. Watching his actions, she really felt like cursing the moment when she decided to postpone avenging her biggest enemy before anything. She could have targetted Wan Yi Jun the very first moment she landed on Imperial. However, her foolish mind convinced her to keep her best target for the last. She wanted him to torture before she ruins him, But what the hell is happening right now? Instead of making him regret his actions and pay for whatever he did in the past, she is one who got into a pickle of a situation. Why can''t this man stop acting like he owes some huge favour towards her and stops treating her nice? "Don''t fall for his tricks, don''t fall for his tricks," Ming Yue chanted in her mind as she followed Wan Yi Jun to the guest room that was right opposite his bedroom. Years ago, when they all lived together in Wisteria gardens, Wan Yi Jun never allowed anyone to stay anywhere close to his room. Even when there were some guests, they were always given other rooms in the other end of the corridor so that no one shall disturb the hot-tempered young master of Wan family. Wan Yi Jun opened the door and stepped inside the guest room which was designed in a minimalist yet cosy design. "Keep your phone next to you. If you hear something unusual, call me right away." Wan Yi Jun reminded her before leaving the room. Since he had finally found peace of mind after seeing Ming Yue curiously checking out the room, it was better to leave, and let her take rest. "Yes, master." Ming Yue nodded in agreement and walked towards the door, "Please sleep well, master." "You too," He gave a gentle bow before leaving her alone, Once Wan Yi Jun went inside his room, Ming Yue locked the door and took a deep breath to calm her agitated mind. Thankfully, there are no visible injuries on her body. She quickly washed her hands and took out the black eye lenses. While standing in front of the cabinet mirror, Ming Yue stared at the face that reflected in the mirror. The pitch-black hair that cascaded over her shoulders, like a waterfall, created a stark contrast on her bare skin. It took her quite a few tries to turn her silver hair into a dark shade as it looks right now. The pair of her odd eyes and her silver hair, the moment Wan Yi Jun sees any of it, it''s over for her. "Don''t think too much, just focus on your goal." She reminded herself and walked in the direction of the bathroom. Maybe a warm shower and a sleeping pill might help her to get over the awkwardness of spending the night in Wisteria gardens after a long time. After removing her t-shirt, she moved closer to the cabinet in the bathroom. Chapter 78 - The Uninvited Guest UNEDITED- PLEASE WAIT FOR 1 HOUR "You want to spar with me?" Ming Yue''s voice sounded elated when she asked to confirm whatever Wan Yi Jun suggested was true or not. If it''s true then it would be the best ever thing that happened in her life. Sparring with Wan Yi Jun was one among the things that she had looked forward to, from the very first day when she wore the boxing gloves. Whenever someone tried to buzz of her will by quoting that women won''t be able to overpower the men in fights, she made sure to prove them wrong. All these years, she sparred only with men so that no one can look down upon her just because she looked physically weaker than her contenders. When Wan Yi Jun noticed the unknown happiness gleaming in Ming Yue''s face, he wobbled his head to confirm her assumption. "We can spar...But only when your wounds get healed completely." He suggested and unknowingly drifted his eyes onto her damp hair, " By the way, did you take a shower?" "Hmmm." Ming Yue agreed without any delay. Of course, she took a shower, thanks to Wan Yi Jun''s extra care towards her injuries. Only she knew how she managed to stay in his bedroom, last night, holding onto the last bit of consciousness. After whatever happened to her in the mansion, she couldn''t fall asleep, wondering about the reason why the "ghosts" in the Wisteria gardens chose to attack her, even though she once lived in this place. Once the dawn broke, she just went back to her room and slept there. "What about your wounds? How will it get healed if you carelessly wash it every now and then?" Wan Yi Jun didn''t hesitate to scold Ming Yue who stood before him with an aloof face. Normally people tend to be careful when they get a wound. However, when it comes to Ming Yue, she just seemed to become careless. "Uffo, master...it will be alright." Ming Yue tried to cajole a sulky Wan Yi Jun, something she believed that she was bad at. Back at home, she was the one who needs to be cajoled every now and then, because of her austere and rigid personality. However, at Wisteria gardens, she just started to feel that she was taking care of a giant baby who is either sulky or utterly happy all the time. "It...it... seems fine to me...master, why don''t you go and get ready? We are almost done." "Hmm. I will...Ming Yue, do me a favour... please don''t call me "master" while the guests are here. "Hmm. I will take care of that." "Ring, ring." "Good afternoon captain-" "Good afternoon...and please come in..." "Ahhh thank you....miss-" "Ming Yue. Yi Jun will be here in a couple- there he is." "Good afternoon everyone, and thanks for coming. I hope you didn''t have any trouble finding this place." "No captain. It was pretty easy to find out also there was no traffic in this route." "Your house looks exactly on the mansion in the game. You should ask for royalties." "Do you think he needs royalties to live?" "Why did you carry it all the way? You should have called me." "Please, have it. We don''t have any house help here, it''s just me and Ming Yue and she just injured her hand last night." "It''s alright, captain. What''s the need for formalities between us?" "Sir Lao, please tell me you are not thinking the same thing that was on my mind." "Just shut it, Bing Wen." "This time, I''m with Xiao Bing. I thought captain lives alone, Nah lives with his cook. But who is this woman?" "What if she is the cook?" "Have you ever seen a house owner treat his cook this dotingly and affectionately?" "Yes. I just saw it." "Now, I understood why Captain is so interested to leave work as soon as possible. Miss Ming is living alone in this mansion...woahhh" "What?" "They are living alone in this mansion...It''s just them." "Good lord, when are you going to stop sticking your nose into someone else''s business?" "I''m not sticking my nose into captain''s business. I''m just happy that he has finally decided to put his life before anything else." "10 dollars, if they are having an affair." "You are betting on your superior''s personal life do you know that? "Of course, 50 dollars if just a house owner and servant." "Deal." "Don''t you dare to take part in this crazy fit, Senior Fei," "No...no...I''m out... I don''t care as long as Captain is happy." "That means, he also thinks that "Master, you said you like someone¡­" Ming Yue said as she gently covered her naked upper body from Wan Yi Jun''s sharp and curious eyes. "You said that no other woman than her matters to you...then why are you asking me such a thing?" Of Course, the first thing Ming Yue did to answer his counter question was to remind him about his girlfriend and escape from replying with a huge No. However, to her surprise, Wan Yi Jun responded to her reply without changing his aloof and cold demeanor. "It''s my fault." He quickly apologized. "Ofcourse, it is your fault." Ming Yue quickly agreed to his words as if she was very much interested to find a reason to neglect his demand. "I do understand that people tend to waver under the situation, but master, you have someone you like...please stay away from infidelity. It won''t bring you any good-." All of a sudden, Wan Yi Jun''s thick eyebrows arched in confusion when he interrupted her in the mid sentence. Well, it wasn''t a difficult task to figure out what Ming Yue was aiming at. "Infidelity? Miss, please listen to me first." He walked towards her, but the moment when he recalled the fact that she was half naked. "Well it would be even better if you wear something first." He said and turned to the opposite direction as if he was giving Ming Yue some time to gather her clothes. Well, she was being extra careful after watching the lustrous glint in Wan Yi Jun''s face. Ming Yue quickly wore her clothes and cleared her throat as if she was giving him a signal to continue from where he had left behind. However, still he stood there, facing the white wall instead of turning around, "Do you remember what I said when you started working here?" Wan Yi Jun gave a simple introduction, before he started explaining the reason for his odd request. "You will take care of my responsibility." Ming Yue recited like a parrot and made a vague effort to stand up from the bed, only to collapse again as soon as Wan Yi Jun repeated his intention to sleep with her. "Yes, so listen to me and sleep with me." He turned around to look at the girl sitting on the bed and relentlessly spoke without any hesitations. "But, you said that you don''t have any ulterior motives." Ming Yue coldly stated without showing the discomfort bubbling inside her mind. Well, she wasn''t expecting any of these conversations, that too with Wan Yi Jun who was once known as Mister Perfect. "You are hurt, Ming Yue. That''s why I am asking you to sleep in the same room as me. What if something happens while you are asleep?" "Same room?" Ming Yue mumbled as she started to contemplate over the issues that she had to face if she shares the room with him. First of all, it would be a huge hassle to keep her lens and sleep. If she removes the lens, then there is no guarantee that she could keep her bi-coloured eyes a secret from him. "Even if it''s so, I am not sleeping on the same bed as you." Ming Yue stated as a matter of fact, only to raise a dubious look from the man who stood before her. "Who said about sleeping on the same bed? I am just worried about you." Wan Yi Jun corrected her, without emphasizing how she mistook his words, " It''s the first time you are staying in this mansion and yet you got yourself into two accidents. So, it''s a bit difficult for me to leave you alone tonight and sleep soundly." Whether it is because of the honesty resounding in his voice or just because she felt it unsafe to stay alone in the room, after what she had experienced a few minutes ago. "I agree." Ming Yue finally made up her mind and asked Wan Yi Jun to lead her to his room, with no delay. At this moment, Wan Yi Jun''s room was the safest place in the entire mansion and she had no other option, but to spend the night with him. "You can take the bed, I will sleep on the couch." Wan Yi Jun suggested as soon as he opened the door to his bedroom, "You are not curious about the other scars?" "You have told me that life wasn''t easy for you." "I asked someone to do it." "Why?" "Beautiful ones were sent to courtesan houses, ugly ones were sent to brothels and scarred ones, they were sold as slaves." "Slave market in this country? When did this happen?" "Did it make any difference?" "I asked him to kill me but he just made a laceration to scare off the buyer." "Him?" Chapter 79 - Even After UNEDITED: PLEASE WAIT FOR 1 HOUR Once the security alarm rang in the mansion, Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue stormed towards the living room to check the footage from the CCTV. Officer Han? "I thought he is not coming today," "It''s alright, we can manage it somehow." "I will go and get him." "That''s it...They are living alone in this mansion...It''s just them, and nobody else knows about it....even officer Han doesn''t know about her...Now everything just falls into its place. She is the reason why captain rejected miss Zhi." "Good lord, when are you going to stop sticking your nose into someone else''s business?" "I''m not sticking my nose into captain''s business. I''m just happy that he has finally decided to put his life before anything else." "10 dollars, if they are having an affair." "You are betting on your superior''s personal life do you know that? "Of course, 50 dollars if just a house owner and servant." "Deal." "Don''t you dare to take part in this crazy fit, Senior Fei," "No...no...I''m out... I don''t care as long as Captain is happy." "That means, he also thinks that she is captain''s girlfriend and they are living together." "Officer Han, we tried to call you, but your phone was switched off." "I wasn''t feeling well, so I just turned off my phone and slept." "How are you now?" "I feel better, that''s why I''m here." "You could have called me and informed me that you are coming." "Do I really need permission to come here? And what''s with the new security system?" "Are you still allergic to shellfish?" "Ahhh...you made Shellfish, don''t you?" "You said you weren''t coming." "So what? This is my house too." "Yi Jun..." "Who are you." "I''m Ming Yue," "Ming Yue...! How come I haven''t seen you before..." "Why don''t we eat something and talk later?" " Hmm, master, actually, I have made some dumplings earlier and kept them in the freezer. Is it okay if I serve those for your cousin?" "Yes. It''s totally fine." "Let us help you, miss Ming." "As we e Even after hearing Ming Yue quoting her wound as an action to repay her kindness, Wan Yi Jun couldn''t completely accept her answer as he felt that it was so unfair for choose death over life. "The place where I lived, it was a custom to be indebted to people who show kindness towards to you... especially when you are at your worst." Ming spoke in a mellow voice that silently sunk into the darkness spread over the bedroom. "But why hurting youself to pay your debt to someone else. I''m sorry, but it feels somewhat barbaric to me." Wan Yi Jun said his mind without sugar coating his words. Though he was a descendant of a mighty warrior clan who happens to follow such kind of practices, since he grew up abroad, he never tried to acknowledge any of the customs that was88 part of Wan clan or the wisteria gardens. Even after hearing Ming Yue quoting her wound as an action to repay her kindness, Wan Yi Jun couldn''t completely accept her answer as he felt that it was so unfair to choose death over life. "A couple of years ago. I was the ugly one, so I was supposed to be sent to a brothel." Ming Yue paused for a moment when she heard Wan Yi Jun clicking his tongue as if she said something wrong. "Everyone called me ''the lucky one'' and envied me for bringing the highest bid to the table...but what I wanted was freedom. But I couldn''t break away from the golden cage they have locked me in. So I asked him to do me a favour," While Ming Yue carried ahead with her story, Wan Yi Jun, on the other hand, was trying to connect the dots with her previous story with this new one. Though she sounded believable, for some reason, he struggled to draw a clear picture from Ming Yue''s words. "I asked him to kill me, but that idiot, he just made a slashed me to scare off the buyer." Ming Yue said with so much ease as if it was no big deal for her. "Him?" Wan Yi Jun asked when he noticed the gentle affectionate tone as she spoke, "The one whom I mentioned earlier." "The one whom you like?" He inquired to confirm his doubt. From the way she spoke about a special someone in her life, it was clear that it was a man whom she loved. But still, Wan Yi Jun''s mind was lingering on the credibility of her story. "It would be better to say that I''m indebted to him." Ming Yue mumbled in a barely audible voice, "The gratitude and admiration towards someone who would put himself in death''s hands to save someone else." "It sounds love to me," Wan Yi Jun unknowingly remarked, picking up hints from her soft voice. "He was barely eighteen when I met him for the first time. The youngest son of a rich family in the city." Ming Yue''s lips curled into a gentle smile when she dwelled into the memories, "We literally met on the streets, and like every other man, he also looked at me in aversion, but deep down in his heart, he also wanted to sleep with me. But what to do? He was still a minor. So we decided to become friends with benefits and wait until he turns eighteen." "Hmm," Wan Yi Jun half-heartedly replied while recalling the story Ming Yue has shared with him. "But didn''t you tell me that you lived as a maid for your lady and her patron who happens to be a smuggler?" He tried his best to keep his question as genuine as possible so that Ming Yue won''t feel that he was being sceptical. However, Ming Yue, on the other hand, didn''t even hesitate to ask Wan Yi Jun whether he doubts her. "Do you find it difficult to believe my story, master?" She gently perched her body up using her right hand as a support and glanced at Wan Yi Jun, who sat on the bed with no intention to sleep. "No...It wasn''t like that. I was just curious about your age. It seemed like you are still in your twenties." Wan Yi Jun quickly explained what he was actually in his head. Ming Yue looked too young to go through all these terrible things in life. "I was sent to an orphanage when I was thirteen. I stayed in the courtesan house till sixteen, then I lived with my lady for two years, and when she died, they dragged me into the brothel when I was barely over eighteen." Ming Yue stopped and looked around the room before continuing, "Here, I''m almost twenty-five years old and works as a maid at wisteria gardens. Does this answer your question, young master Wan or do you want me to explain more?" "No. I told you, I was just curious because you are still young and...While I was at your age..." Wan Yi Jun didn''t complete his words when he felt that its wrong to compare both of their lives. "I grew up in a world different from yours, master, and there, people mature faster... A place, too dark and gore for people like you." "Ming Yue corrected him. "It''s my fault that I compared your life with mine. I''m sorry, Ming Yue," Wan Yi Jun quickly apologized for his mistakes and tried to change the topic before it was too late, "But where did you live all these years?" "I lived in various cities, before coming here. Different cities, different people, and finally, I''m here." Ming Yue gave an ambiguous reply, "I''m sorry that you had to go through such a painful ordeal." Wan Yi Jun couldn''t think of any other words when he listened to her. "It''s alright, master. All these painful ordeals made the person whom I''m." She added with a faint smile. Of course, if her parents were still alive, she would have grown up as a young miss of an elite family without any experience of the world outside her mansion. "So, where is he? the person whom you like? The one who made you promise?" Wan Yi Jun inquired when he realized that he had diverged from their first topic. However, Ming Yue''s casual reply made him shock a little bit. "You are not in contact with him?" Wan Yi Jun asked once again. After listening to Ming Yue''s protests, he really thought she was in a relationship. However, this was something unexpected, "Well, you are a young master of a prestigious family, and do you think your family would allow you to be in contact with someone who almost made you into a murderer?" Ming Yue''s question struck Wan Yi Jun like a sharp arrow of self-realization.. Of course, his family also abandoned Tsuki just because she was a murderer''s daughter. Chapter 80 - Are You Sleeping With Her? It felt like a dream. Never ever in Han Ze Min''s life, he imagined that he would get an opportunity to meet someone who resembled Tsuki, his first love. He lost her years ago, but even today, when he meets a woman, his mind unknowingly search for the resemblance, only to get disappointed. He strongly believed that there are no women in the world who shares similarities with Tsuki, but right now, he just met a woman who exactly looked like the face he had kept preserved in his mind for all these years. "Good afternoon," Ming Yue smilingly greeted as she extended the cocktail drink to the man who stood there stunned by her appearance. However, there wasn''t any response from Han Ze Min as he blatantly stared into her face, as if he had turned into a statue. Watching his unexpectedly expected reaction, the eagle team members also figured out that their officer Han was equally shocked to learn that Captain Wan lives with an extremely good looking woman. "Officer Han," Bing Wen, who hardly controlled his laughter, gently patted Han Ze Min''s shoulder and woke him from the dazed state. "Who are you?" Han Ze Min cluelessly asked as if someone had abruptly pulled him out of a sweet dream. "Me? I''m Bing Wen. The technical expert of the eagle team." Bing Wen answered like an obedient subordinate, but laughing at his superior''s blank face in his mind. All these days, he has only seen Han Ze Min as an absolute show stealer, someone who is intelligent and witty at the same time. But this was the first time, he saw him standing spellbound, that too in front of a woman. "Huh...no...not you..." Han Ze Min wobbled his head in denial and glanced at Ming Yue, who still stood before him, holding the drink in her hands. He took a step closer to her, so close that his high nose almost bumped into her face. "Who are you?" He asked once again, his sharp eyes gazing deep into her eyes, seeking answers. Maybe, he was too close to her, Ming Yue took a step away from her, fearing that he might figure out that she was wearing lenses. Unlike the regular transparent and coloured lens, the pitch-black lens that Ming Yue wore appeared a bit big, covering her original blue and black irises. So she always made sure to keep a safe distance from others to protect her secret. "She is Ming Yue." It was Wan Yi Jun who replied instead of Ming Yue, clearly annoyed by the way his cousin acted in front of everyone. He was sure that Han Ze Min would freak out when he meets Ming Yue, who resembles Tsuki, but he never thought that his cousin would become speechless before her. Hearing Wan Yi Jun''s tone and how Ming Yue flinched before him made Han Ze Min''s fair forehead crease in frustration. "I didn''t ask for her name. I asked, who is she?" He reframed his question without taking his eyes off Ming Yue, "What is her relationship with you?" "She...is my...." Nobody knows why Wan Yi Jun hesitated to state their relationship, but within that time, Ming Yue interrupted him and replied in a resilient tone. "Maid...." Ming Yue, who kept her eyes downcast, gradually lifted her gaze at Han Ze Min and reaffirmed her relationship with his cousin. "I''m a maid." Her answer hit the rest of the people in the room like lightning. Even Lao Yating, who said that he is not interested in his superior''s personal life, unknowingly asked to confirm. "You are a maid?" Well, it wasn''t just Lao Yating, but the entire eagle team found it too hard to believe. "Hmm..." Ming Yue agreed with an attentive nod and stood silently as if it''s no big deal. "If you are maid, then how come I haven''t seen you before?" Han Ze Min was quick to regain his bearings and asked as if he was leading an interrogation session. "I started working last week." She replied without showing any trace of her fear. "Were you the one who made the soup and dumplings?" Han Ze Min''s question came quickly even though he seemed like recalling the night Wan Yi Jun brought food for them. "Hmmm." "Oh wow...Miss Ming, it was delicious. I was literally licking my fingers after eating that."Bing Wen, who got a sudden surge of courage, asked as he took officer Han as an example. "Thank you." She just gave a vague answer and tried to escape from their sight. However, even before she looked for her master to help her out of the situation, Han Ze Min meddled between Ming Yue and Wan Yi Jun, breaking their eye contact. "I really like dumplings...So you should give me the recipe, or... teach me how to make dumplings..." He made an odd request, just to check her response. And as he expected, Ming Yue didn''t utter a single word, whereas Wan Yi Jun stepped in to help her out. "Why don''t we have lunch? it''s already late." He suggested and gently pulled Ming Yue away from Han Ze Min''s doubtful eyes and sent her to set the table. Since they got no other options, one by one, the eagle team followed their captain to the dining room. "Didn''t he just avoid answering that question?" Bing Wen shared his doubt with Shen Junru, who slowly followed the others. "Give me my 60 dollars." Shen Junru demanded in a flat voice, "For what? Captain didn''t say that she is a maid. It''s miss Ming who introduced herself as the maid. What if she was trying to hide the truth from officer Han?" Bing Wen asked as a matter of fact. Even as an onlooker, he could sense the clear distinction in the way how the couple handled the situation. "You are crazy." Shen Junru scoffed and increased his pace as he walked past Bing Wen, "I''m telling you, there is something fishy going here." Bing Wen added as he tried to catch up, "Just shut up and go." Lao Yating glared at the duo and almost pushed them towards the dining room. Every part of the huge mansion was engraved with decor and furniture that symbolised the power and wealth of Wisteria gardens over the years. However, when they saw the large Oak table in the dining room, only then the eagle team did understand how big the Wan family was in the past. The twelve-seater dining table was something astonishing for others who came from not so privileged backgrounds. "There are too many things to see here, so it''s better to eat something before the house tour. Otherwise, you guys will be too tired." Wan Yi Jun smilingly reminded as he asked everyone to sit down at the dining table. "Let us help you too," Fei Yan suggested when he saw Wan Yi Jun was urging himself to lend a hand for Ming Yue. "No..no..it''s alright. Please sit down, senior Fei." All of a sudden, Han Ze Min offered to help his cousin, only because he felt that he wanted to interrogate Wan Yi Jun away from the guests. His mind was brimming with various doubts regarding the mysterious woman whom he saw in the Wisteria gardens. Since he also wished to have a word with his nosy cousin, Wan Yi Jun agreed with the decision and walked towards the kitchen, while Han Ze Min obediently followed him like a puppy. However, just as they disappeared from other''s lines of sight, Han Ze Min stopped in his tracks and asked Wan Yi Jun, who hid such a big secret from everyone, including their family. "Who is she?" He questioned once again, "She is my maid." Even when Wan Yi Jun repeated the same answer, the young man doesn''t want to believe his cousin as he kept staring doubtingly. "Say that to someone else. I''m damn sure that woman is not just your maid. So tell me the truth? Who is she?" Like an adamant elder of the family, Han Ze Min kept interrogating the Wan Yi Jun, as if he had done something to ruin the family''s name. "Are you sleeping with her?" The very minute Wan Yi Jun heard such an illogical and embarrassing accusation, he couldn''t help but get frustrated by the other. "What''s wrong with you? Didn''t I tell that she is a maid?" He didn''t even stop himself from raising his voice and harshly refuted, "Have you seen the condition of this house? Do you think I will be able to take care of it alone?" "You could have appointed anyone, but you choose someone who looks exactly like Tsuki," Han Ze Min rebutted in the same tone as he poured the chaotic words juggling inside his head, "And you dared to bring that woman here," "Don''t you have eyes? Does Ming Yue have silver hair or heterochromatic eyes? She just has some similarities with Tsuki, nothing else." Wan Yi Jun angrily tried to hammer down some sense to Han Ze Min, who kept Tsuki as a burning wound in his heart. Even the mere thought of a girl resembling Tsuki gets attached to Wan Yi Jun was something that he could never accept. Chapter 81 - Fierce Little Girl Unedited When Ming Yue returned from the kitchen carrying the dishes, she saw Wan Yi Jun and Han Ze Min arguing in the corridor leading to the dining room, with no sense of their surroundings. The moment, they noticed Ming Yue''s presence, both of them, abruptly went silent as if nothing had happened here. "Is everything alright, Yi Jun?" Ming Yue asked in a lowered voice, giving a side glance at Han Ze Min, whose face darkened at the very moment when she talked to his cousin so sweetly. "Yes, give it to me." He gave a soft smile and reached out to hold the dishes from her hands. "No, it is alright. I can carry this much." She argued as she refused to hand over the dishes. It was true that her palm was injured, but that was a mere laceration, but watching how Wan Yi Jun worries over her wound, she couldn''t help but wonder what''s wrong with him. "This is what I said." Han Ze Min scoffed as he glared at Wan Yi Jun, who was acting like Mr goody-two-shoes in front of him. "What?" Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue simultaneously reacted to his remark in annoyance, "I have never seen young master Wan helping out any servants in this mansion all these years." Han Ze Min paused for a moment and moved towards Ming Yue while scrutinizing her top to bottom, "And I don''t think maids in this house address their master by name either." Hearing his words, "This is what I told you earlier, master." "Just ignore him, he is crazy." "Hmm..." "This is scallops, it''s better that you don''t eat it." "Who told you that I liked pan-fried dumplings?" "He did?" "He said that you are allergic to shellfish and make something else. Yi Jun has told me that you enjoy eating dumplings." "Please sit down, miss." "I must say that Captain is too lucky that he could eat every food made by your hands." "Why don''t you open a restaurant instead of being a maid?" "Should I open a restaurant?" "I will think about it later when I save a lot," "My father owns a bank, I can ask him to give you some funds." "Even if I get funds, it''s too much to manage right now since I''m new to this place." "You are not from the capital? But you don''t have an accent? "No. I''m from Zhi Ruo." "Zhi Ruo from dragon city." "Yes, have you been there officer?" "No...I have met someone from Zhi Ruo," "It''s no wonder that you met someone from Zhi Ruo, people often migrate from that barren land to capital for better opportunities." "Barren land?" "Hmm, it is a border island, with no proper facilities or infrastructure." "Those were two university students, orphans." "Orphans are not a new thing in Zhi Ruo, most of the kids born over there lost their parents and family in the borderland dispute." "Mainland people often treat us pushovers or illegal immigrants from Daisun who got no power here." "Those kids were university students in one of the prestigious universities in the capital and got themselves in a bit of trouble." "Sir Lao, why are you ruining the mood? You can talk about the case all week, but not on weekends." "I''m sorry...If I said anything to offend you." "No sister, Sir Lao is not feeling good. Apparently, we hit a dead-end in the recent case we investigated." "That murder case on new year?" "Oh, you knew about it?" "It''s all over in the news." "Well, media houses don''t know our struggle. They just spew nonsense." "They spew nonsense because you kept people in darkness." "Even police officers are struggling in darkness, without any ." "Who pushed the police into darkness?" "No matter how much evidence we collect, we always end up in the same place we started, the victim was murdered due to personal vengeance. But even after interrogating literally everyone related to that victim, we still couldn''t find anyone who would have hatred towards the victim." "Have you checked about her past relationships?" "She doesn''t have any past relationships." "Who doesn''t have a past relationship? I''m damn sure that everyone who has "Ming Yue, are we really having this conversation at the dining table?" "I know. The whole point of having this meal is to get your minds relaxed, so sorry for the inconvenience caused by me. Please have your lunch." "Captain, your maid is quite fierce." "Yes, she is." "You want to spar with me?" Ming Yue''s voice sounded elated when she asked to confirm whatever Wan Yi Jun suggested was true or not. If it''s true then it would be the best ever thing that happened in her life. Sparring with Wan Yi Jun was one among the things that she had looked forward to, from the very first day when she wore the boxing gloves. Whenever someone tried to buzz of her will by quoting that women won''t be able to overpower the men in fights, she made sure to prove them wrong. All these years, she sparred only with men so that no one can look down upon her just because she looked physically weaker than her contenders. When Wan Yi Jun noticed the unknown happiness gleaming in Ming Yue''s face, he wobbled his head to confirm her assumption. "We can spar...But only when your wounds get healed completely." He suggested and unknowingly drifted his eyes onto her damp hair, " By the way, did you take a shower?" "Hmmm." Ming Yue agreed without any delay. Of course, she took a shower, thanks to Wan Yi Jun''s extra care towards her injuries. Only she knew how she managed to stay in his bedroom, last night, holding onto the last bit of consciousness. After whatever happened to her in the mansion, she couldn''t fall asleep, wondering about the reason why the "ghosts" in the Wisteria gardens chose to attack her, even though she once lived in this place. Once the dawn broke, she just went back to her room and slept there. "What about your wounds? How will it get healed if you carelessly wash it every now and then?" Wan Yi Jun didn''t hesitate to scold Ming Yue, who stood before him with an aloof face. Normally, people tend to be careful when they get a wound. However, when it comes to Ming Yue, she just seems to become careless. "Uffo, master...it will be alright." Ming Yue tried to cajole a sulky Wan Yi Jun, something she believed that she was bad at doing. Back at home, she was the one who needed to be cajoled every now and then, because of her austere and rigid personality. However, at Wisteria gardens, she just started to feel that she was taking care of a giant baby who was either sulky or utterly happy all the time. "The beef has kept for marinating, the custard buns are kept for raising, rice is done, the drinks are done. It...it... seems fine to me..." Ming Yue glanced around at the kitchen and took the account of things that they have done so far. "Master, why don''t you go and get ready to accept the guests? I can manage the rest of things." "Are you hundred per cent sure about it?" Wan Yi Jun asked while looking at the time on his phone. Of course, they got one more hour before the guests arrive at Wisteria gardens. Since most of the food items in the lunch were supposed to serve hot, there was no need for them to start making it now itself. "Hmm. I will...Ming Yue, do me a favour," Wan Yi Jun unwillingly paused in the midsentence and looked directly into Ming Yue''s face, "please don''t call me "master" while the guests are here." "Hmm. I will take care of that, Yi Jun." Ming Yue assured him, just like he wanted. She could understand why would the term master make Wan Yi Jun so upset whenever there was someone else is in the room. With their age, it was quick for people to assume that they were a couple with some kind of weird fantasies. "Call me when you need any help." Wan Yi Jun reminded her once again, before returning to his room to get ready for the party/ get together. While Wan Yi Jun took a shower, Ming Yue somehow finished the rest of the work in the house and even made the starters. Just as she kept the custard buns for baking, Ming Yue heard the alarm sound from the security system kept to check the visitors. "Oh, they are here already," Ming Yue clicked the switch to open the gates and allowed the SUV stopped before Wisteria garden''s huge gate. "Shouldn''t I inform him?" Ming Yue mumbled while looking in the direction of the stairs. Well, it is time for Wan Yi Jun to come down after getting ready for the party. But the very next moment, she heard a car stopping beside the front door, without allowing her to inform Wan Yi Jun. Chapter 82 - The Veil Of Darkness Once the security alarm rang loudly, startling everyone in the mansion, Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue who was on the way to the living room forgot everything else and stormed towards the room where the CCTV monitoring system was arranged. Not only them, but the eagle team also rushed in the direction where their captain moved, doubting whether some intrusion or ambush is happening within the boundaries of the wisteria garden. As soon as Wan Yi Jun stepped inside the monitoring room, he quickly scanned the point of intrusion that appeared on the computer screen. It showed a stylish matte red sports car parked in front of the gate and a man climbing over the huge stone wall, with no fear. Once the security alarm rang loudly, startling everyone in the mansion, Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue who was on the way to the living room forgot everything else and stormed towards the room where the CCTV monitoring system was arranged. Not only them, but the eagle team also rushed in the direction where their captain moved, doubting whether some intrusion or ambush was happening within the boundaries of the wisteria garden. As soon as Wan Yi Jun stepped inside the monitoring room, he quickly scanned the point of intrusion that appeared on the computer screen. It showed a stylish, matte red sports car parked in front of the gate and a man climbing over the giant stone wall, with no fear. The moment Wan Yi Jun saw the eye-catchy colour of the flashy car, he recognised its owner with no delay. "Is that officer Han?" Shen Junru was the first person to call out the man''s name, who trespassed the gates of Wisteria garden in the blazing daylight. "Huh? Really?" Bing Wen somehow made his way out of the group, grabbed the mouse and clicked the zoom button to confirm whether the intruder was Han Ze Min or not. And to everyone''s surprise, it was indeed Han Ze Min who tried to break in. "I asked officer Han so many times whether he is coming for the party. I even tried to call him today morning, too. But he never gave me a positive response, so I thought he was going to take a rain check." Bing Wen explained as he zoomed out the camera. "Hmm, he likes to take some last-minute impulsive decisions and surprise others." Wan Yi Jun monotonously commented as he moved his eyes from the computer screen to Ming Yue, who silently stood next to him. Though she didn''t open her mouth, Wan Yi Jun could understand her worries at the moment. Since Han Ze Min got a shellfish allergy, he won''t be able to eat whatever she cooked for starters, and she has to prepare something new for him within a very short time, too. Watching her fretting over the issue, Wan Yi Jun gave a consoling smile and gently patted her shoulders, "It''s alright. We can manage it somehow. After all, he is my little brother." He reassured once again and turned towards his team members, who looked at him with amused eyes. Well, their captain was definitely an affectionate man, but was he always this sweet? And good lord, he just called Han Ze Min "little brother" out of the blue. "It seems like Han Ze Min tried some random passcodes and jammed the entire automatic system. I have to go and manually open the gate for him." "I will come with you, captain." Shen Junru volunteered to accompany his beloved captain, but Wan Yi Jun politely refused him by suggesting to stay out and feel free at home. Just as Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue left their vicinities, once again, the gossipmonger in Bing Wen woke up without any delay. "That''s it...They are a couple and living together in this mansion..." Bing Wen declared as if he had found out a huge truth. "And the most shocking part is that Captain kept his relationship as a secret from everyone else and pretended that he is single all these years." "Last time, you said that miss Zhi and captain are the perfect examples of an ideal couple, and officer Han is a third party in their relationship. What''s now?" Shen Junru mockingly shrugged his shoulders and leaned on the soft couch. "Of course, I said that. But that was before I saw captain''s girlfriend...Now I have clearly understood why captain kept rejecting miss Zhi all these years." Bing Wen agreed with a glee, lightening the mood in the room, " And from their conversation, it is evident that officer Han has no idea about his brother''s girlfriend either." "Good lord, when are you going to stop sticking your nose into someone else''s business?" Lao Yating, who got sick of Bing Wen''s blatant remarks about their captain''s personal life didn''t even hesitate to scold him. "I''m not sticking my nose into captain''s business. I''m just happy that he had finally decided to put his life before anything else and went public with his relationship." Bing Wen grinned in satisfaction as if he was someone who wished for Wan Yi Jun''s well being than anything else. "10 dollars if they are having some illicit affair." Shen Junru challenged all of a sudden. "You are betting on your superior''s personal life, do you know that?" Lao Yating shot a burning glance at the man. However, it didn''t make any difference on the other''s aloof face. "Of course, 50 dollars if they are just a house owner and servant." Shen Junru added and glanced at Bing Wen to place his bet. "100 dollars if they are a couple." "Deal."Shen Junru shook hands with the other and looked for their next target. But a furious Lao Yating not only killed their spirits by a murderous glare but even warned the only sensible senior to stay out of this stupidity. "Don''t you dare to take part in this crazy fit, Senior Fei," Lao Yating sounded serious when he spoke. Even Though he likes to involve in those gossipy chats, he thought his team members were going overboard this time. "No...no...I''m out... I don''t care as long as Capitan is happy." Fei Yan shared his stance without joining hands with Bing Wen or Lao Yating. "Count me out," The moment Wan Yi Jun saw the eye-catchy colour of the flashy car, he recognised its owner with no delay. "Is that officer Han?" Shen Junru was the first person to call out the name of the man who trespassed the gates of Wisteria garden in the blazing day light. "Huh? Really?" Bing Wen somehow made his way out of the group grabbed the mouse and clicked the zoom button to confirm whether the intruder was Han Ze Min or not. And to everyone''s surprise it was indeed Han Ze Min, who tried to break in. "I asked officer Han so many times whether he is coming for the party, I even tried to call him today morning, too. But he never gave me a postive response, so I thought he was going to take a rain check." Bing Wen explained as he zoomed out the camera. "Hmm, he likes to take some last-minute impulsive decisions and surprise others." Wan Yi Jun monotonously commented as he moved his eyes from the computer screen to Ming Yue who silently stood next to him. Though, she didn''t open her mouth, Wan Yi Jun could understand her worry at the moment. Since Han Ze Min got shellfish allergy, he won''t be able to eat whatever she cooked for starters and she has to prepare something new for him within a very short time, too. Watching her fretting over the issue, Wan Yi Jun have a consoling smile and gently patted her shoulders, "It''s alright, we can manage it somehow, after all he is my little brother." He reassured once again and turned towards his team members who looked at him with amused eyes. Well, their captain was definitely an affectionate man, but was he always this sweet? And good lord, he just called Han Ze Min "little brother" out of blue. "It seems like, Han Ze Min tried some random passcodes and jammed the entire automatic system. I have to go and manually open the gate for him." "I will come with you, captain." Shen Junru volunteered to accompany his beloved captain, but Wan Yi Jun politely refused him by suggesting to feel free at home. Just as Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue left their vicinites, once again the gossip monger in Bing Wen woke up without any delay. "That''s it...They are a couple and living together in this mansion..." Bing Wen declared as if he had found out a huge truth. "And the most shocking part is that Captain kept his relationship as a secret from everyone else and pretended that he is single all these years." "Last time, you said that miss Zhi and captain are the perfect example of an ideal couple, and officer Han is a third party in their relationship. What''s now?" Shen Junru mockingly shrugged his shoulders and leaned on the soft couch. "Ofcourse, I said that. But that was before I saw captain''s girlfriend....Now I have clearly understood why captain kept rejecting miss Zhi all these years.." Bing Wen agreed with a glee, lightening the mood in the room, " And from their conversation, it is evident that officer Han have no idea about his brother''s girl friend either." Chapter 83 - Trapped UNEDITED: By Monday, regular updates will return. Sorry for the inconveniences. Wan Yi Jun''s answer was unexpected. Well, it was weird to even think that one of the top officers in the imperial police force was once wanted to become a pianist. "I like wrestling." Ming Yue said all of a sudden, gathering everyone''s attention to her. "I used to work with a wrestler''s place. Nowadays I just wrestle in kitchen with dough and batter." She said in a monotonous tone that instantly cracked up others, "Oh no worries, I can spar with you," Han Ze Min casually suggested. "Say that after seeing her punchs," Wan Yi Jun let out a chortle and haughtily tilted his head when he recalled "You are not from the capital? But you don''t have an accent?" "No. I''m from Zhi Ruo." "Zhi Ruo from dragon city." "Yes, have you been there officer?" "No...I have met someone from Zhi Ruo," "It''s no wonder that you met someone from Zhi Ruo, people often migrate from that barren land to capital for better opportunities." "Barren land?" "Hmm, it is a border island, with no proper facilities or infrastructure." "Those were two university students, orphans." "Orphans are not a new thing in Zhi Ruo, most of the kids born over there lost their parents and family in the borderland dispute." "Mainland people often treat us pushovers or illegal immigrants from Daisun who got no power here." "Those kids were university students in one of the prestigious universities in the capital and got themselves in a bit of trouble." "Sir Lao, why are you ruining the mood? You can talk about the case all week, but not on weekends." "I''m sorry...If I said anything to offend you." "No sister, Sir Lao is not feeling good. Apparently, we hit a dead-end in the recent case we investigated." "That murder case on new year?" "Oh, you knew about it?" "It''s all over in the news." "Well, media houses don''t know our struggle. They just spew nonsense." "They spew nonsense because you kept people in darkness." "Even police officers are struggling in darkness, without any ." "Who pushed the police into darkness?" "Ming Yue, are we really having this conversation at the dining table?" "I know. The whole point of having this meal is to get your minds relaxed, so sorry for the inconvenience caused by me. Please have your lunch." "Captain, your maid is quite fierce." "Yes, she is." "No matter how much evidence we collect, we always end up in the same place we started, the victim was murdered due to personal vengeance. But even after interrogating literally everyone related to that victim, we still couldn''t find anyone who would have hatred towards the victim." "Have you checked about her past relationships?" "She doesn''t have any past relationships." "Who doesn''t have a past relationship? I''m damn sure that everyone here has a relationship." He was looking at her without taking his eyes away from her, even for a moment. "Young master Han, is there anything on my face?" "Nothing. All I can see is beauty." "Master, it seems like he is not comfortable having a meal with me. So excuse."'' "Don''t leave. I''m sorry I was t felt a dream. Never ever in Han Ze Min''s life, he imagined that he will get an opportunity to meet someone who resembles Tsuki, his first love. He lost her years ago, but even today when he meets a woman, his mind unknowingly search for the resemblance, only to get disappointed. When Ming Yue returned from the kitchen carrying the dishes, she saw Wan Yi Jun and "Is everything alright, Yi Jun?" "I don''t think maids in this house address their master by name?" "This is what I told you earlier, master." "Just ignore him, he is crazy." "Hmm..." "This is scallops, it''s better that you don''t eat it." "Who told you that I liked pan-fried dumplings?" "He did?" "He said that you are allergic to shellfish and make something else. Yi Jun has told me that you enjoy eating dumplings." "Please sit down, miss." "I must say that Captain is too lucky that he could eat every food made by your hands." "Why don''t you open a restaurant instead of being a maid?" "Should I open a restaurant?" "I will think about it later when I save a lot," "My father owns a bank, I can ask him to give you some funds." "Even if I get funds, it''s too much to manage right now since I''m new to this place." "You are not from the capital? But you don''t have an accent? "No. I''m from Zhi Ruo." "Zhi Ruo from dragon city." "Yes, have you been there officer?" "No...I have met someone from Zhi Ruo," "It''s no wonder that you met someone from Zhi Ruo, people often migrate from that barren land to capital for better opportunities." "Barren land?" "Hmm, it is a border island, with no proper facilities or infrastructure." "Those were two university students, orphans." "Orphans are not a new thing in Zhi Ruo, most of the kids born over there lost their parents and family in the borderland dispute." "Mainland people often treat us pushovers or illegal immigrants from Daisun who got no power here." "Those kids were university students in one of the prestigious universities in the capital and got themselves in a bit of trouble." "Sir Lao, why are you ruining the mood? You can talk about the case all week, but not on weekends." "I''m sorry...If I said anything to offend you." "No sister, Sir Lao is not feeling good. Apparently, we hit a dead-end in the recent case we investigated." "That murder case on new year?" "Oh, you knew about it?" "It''s all over in the news." "Well, media houses don''t know our struggle. They just spew nonsense." "They spew nonsense because you kept people in darkness." "Even police officers are struggling in darkness, without any ." "Who pushed the police into darkness?" "No matter how much evidence we collect, we always end up in the same place we started, the victim was murdered due to personal vengeance. But even after interrogating literally everyone related to that victim, we still couldn''t find anyone who would have hatred towards the victim." "Have you checked about her past relationships?" "She doesn''t have any past relationships." "Who doesn''t have a past relationship? I''m damn sure that everyone who has "Ming Yue, are we really having this conversation at the dining table?" "I know. The whole point of having this meal is to get your minds relaxed, so sorry for the inconvenience caused by me. Please have your lunch." "Captain, your maid is quite fierce." "Yes, she is." He strongly believed that there are no woman in the world who shares similarities with Tsuki, but right now, he just met a woman who exactly looked like the face he had kept preserved in his mind for all these years. "Good afternoon," Ming Yue smilingly greeted as she extended the cocktail drink to the man who stood there stunned by her appearance. However, there weren''t any response from Han Ze Min as he blatantly stared into her face, as if he had turned into a statue. Watching his unexpectedly expected reaction, the eagle team members also figured out that their officer Han was equally shocked to learn that Captain Wan lives with an extremely good looking woman. "Officer Han," Bing Wen who hardly controlled his laughter, gently patted Han Ze Min''s shoulder and woke him from the dazed state. "Who are you?" Han Ze Min cluelessly asked as if someone has abruptly pulled him out of a sweet dream. "Me? I''m Bing Wen. The technical expert of eagle team." Bing Wen answered like an obedient subordinate, but laughing at his superior''s blank face, in his mind. All these days, he has only seen Han Ze Min as an absolute show stealer, some one who is intelligent and witty at the same time. But this was the first time, he saw him standing spellbound, that too infront of a woman. "Huh...no...not you..." Han Ze Min wobbled his head in denial and glanced at Ming Yue who still stood before him, holding the drink in her hands. He took a step closer to her, so close that his high nose almost bumped into her face. "Who are you?" He asked once again, his sharp eyes gazing deep into her eyes, seeking for answers. "She is Ming Yue." It was Wan Yi Jun who replied instead of Ming Yue, clearly annoyed by the way his cousin acted in front of everyone. He was sure that Han Ze Min would freak out when he meets Ming Yue who resembles Tsuki, but he never thought that his cousin would become speechless before her. Hearing Wan Yi Jun''s tone and the way Ming Yue flinched before him, made Han Ze Min''s fair forehead crease in frustration. "I didn''t ask for her name. I asked...who is she?" He reframed his question without taking his eyes off Ming Yue, "What is her relationship with you?" "Maid...." Ming Yue who kept her eyes downcast, gradually lifted her gaze at Han Ze Min and reaffirmed her relationship with his cousin. "You are a maid?" Well, it wasn''t just Lao Yating but the entire eagle team found it too hard to believe. "Hmm..." Ming Yue agreed with an attentive nod and stood silently as if it''s no big deal. "If you are maid, then how come I haven''t seen you before?" Han Ze Min who was quick to regain his bearings, asked as if he was leading an interrogation session. "I started working from last week." She replied without showing any trace of her fear. "Hmmm." "Thank you." She just give a vague answer and tried to escape from their sight. However, even before she looked for her master to help her out of the situation, Han Ze Min meddled in between Ming Yue and Wan Yi Jun, breaking their eye contact. "I really like dumplings...So you should give me the recipe, or... teach me how to make dumplings..." He made an odd request, just to check her response. And as he expected, Ming Yue didn''t uttered a single word, whereas Wan Yi Jun stepped in to help her out. "Why don''t we have lunch? it''s already late." He suggested and gently pulled Ming Yue away from Han Ze Min''s doubtful eyes and sent her to set the table. Since they got no other options, one by one, the eagle team followed their captain to the dining room. "Didn''t he just avoid answering that question?" Bing Wen shared his doubt with Shen Junru who slowly followed the others. Chapter 84 - Anticipated UNEDITED- PLEASE WAIT FOR SOME TIME Ya...She is good cook,but that doesn''t mean that she must turn it into a business." Wan Yi Jun advised like an elder familiar who loves to discourage the new ideas in a family get to gether, "Also she is not old enough to handle the pressure of leading a business. Let her enjoy her youth first," "Ya..She is enjoying her life as the lonely maid of a haunted house and a ruthless owner," Han Ze Min let out scoff, striaghtly attacking Wan Yi Jun with no mercy. "Officer Han, thanks for suggesting such a fantastic idea. But I don''t think I''m capable enough to start a business on my own."Ming Yue who felt that if she don''t meddle between them, the dining table will witness one more heated debate, somehow tried to pacify Han Ze Min, "I will definitely open a restuarant later when I save a enough money," She believed that her assurance might put an end their conversation, but it was only the beginning of a fierce battle. When Ming Yue returned from the kitchen carrying the dishes, she saw Wan Yi Jun and Han Ze Min arguing in the corridor leading to the dining room, with no sense of their surroundings. The moment, they noticed Ming Yue''s presence, both of them, abruptly went silent as if nothing had happened here. "Is everything alright, Yi Jun?" Ming Yue asked in a lowered voice, giving a side glance at Han Ze Min, whose face darkened at the very moment when she talked to his cousin so sweetly. "Yes, give it to me." He gave a soft smile and reached out to hold the dishes from her hands. "No, it is alright. I can carry this much." She argued as she refused to hand over the dishes. It was true that her palm was injured, but that was a mere laceration, but watching how Wan Yi Jun worries over her wound, she couldn''t help but wonder what''s wrong with him. "This is what I said." Han Ze Min scoffed as he glared at Wan Yi Jun, who was acting like Mr goody-two-shoes in front of him. "What?" Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue simultaneously reacted to his remark in annoyance, "I have never seen young master Wan helping out any servants in this mansion all these years." Han Ze Min paused for a moment and moved towards Ming Yue while scrutinizing her top to bottom, "And I don''t think maids in this house address their master by name either." Hearing his words, Ming Yue took a deep sigh and shifted her eyes to Wan Yi Jun, who stood there silent, "This is what I told you earlier, master." She said in a complaining tone, keeping the other in complete ignorance. "Just ignore him. He is crazy." Wan Yi Jun suggested as he placed the dishes onto Han Ze Min''s hands and pushed him towards the dining room, "Go," "Don''t think you guys managed to fool me. I''m going to find the truth one or day or another." Han Ze Min gritted his teeth as he stomped back to the dining room. "Is he alright?" Ming Yue inquired while looking at the grumpy man, who walked away without having a proper conversation with her. The warm and gentle "Min" in her memories were nowhere to see, and even though, she didn''t want to acknowledge it, Ming Yue did feel a bit bad for "Yeah...He loves drama. Just don''t mind him." Wan Yi Jun flashed his hands over as if he was not concerned by Han Ze Min''s tantrums and walked towards the kitchen, "Where is the rest of the dishes? Let''s bring it together." Since Wan Yi Jun insisted on helping her, Ming Yue also went along with his decision. Not only did he accompany her to bring the dishes to the table, but asked her to sit with them for the meal. Even though it was just a couple of people, after fifteen years, finally, the dining table in the Wisteria mansion had witnessed a get-together. Although Ming Yue sat next to Wan Yi Jun, she couldn''t feel relaxed as everyone''s eyes were focused on her, studying every single action of hers. Especially, Han Ze Min was literally scowling at her as if she had done something wrong. Ming Yue tried hard to keep a poker face, but Han Ze Min, on the other hand, continued looking at her even he served for himself. She thought about ignoring his feisty actions, but the moment she noticed that he has unknowingly taken some scallops, she immediately pointed out for his sake. "It''s scallop and it would be better if you avoid eating it." Ming Yue stopped him and moved the dumplings towards him as the starters. "Who told you that I like pan-fried dumplings?" He bitterly asked as soon as his eyes fell on the dish in front of her and Ming Yue, on the other hand innocently glanced at Wan Yi Jun, who ate his food without being affected by the rest of the staring competition going around him "He did?" Even Han Ze Min was surprised to hear Ming Yue''s reply as he looked at his cousin in disbelief. Back in their childhood, it was a hassle in the house because of the interests and tastes of the two young masters of wisteria gardens. The man who lacked any endearing emotions actually made an effort to look after his annoying cousin''s likes and dislikes, that was something new for Han Ze Min. "He said that you are allergic to shellfish and make something else for starters. Yi Jun has told me that you enjoyed eating dumplings, last time. So I thought of trying to make it. What happened? It is not good?" Even though Ming Yue just acted normal, the others at the dining table felt like she was indeed the lady of the house, "That''s not possible. She cooks really well." Just as Wan Yi Jun doubtingly reached out for the dumplings, Han Ze Min pulled the bowl towards him, as if he doesn''t want to share it with anyone else. "No. It is good," He said while stuffing his mouth with dumplings, As soon as Ming Yue saw a slight disappointment on Wan Yi Jun''s face, she unknowingly placed a scallop on his bowl. "I must say that Captain is too lucky that he could eat food made by your hands, for the rest of his life, sister Ming." Bing Wen, who enjoyed the little acts of love and jealousy happening between the secret couple, asked with a witty smile as if he saw through their act. Even though Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue didn''t give much importance over his choice of the words, ther person who got hurt by that comment was actually Han Ze Min. The mere thought of a woman like her spending time with his cousin has left him on pins and needles, so what might have happened to his muddled mind when he sees Wan Yi Jun and Ming Yue live the rest of their lives together. Even though, he want to ignore his gut feelings, Han Ze Min couldn''t admit the fact that they way Wan Yi Jun interacts with Ming Yue felt different than any other women in his life. The glances, the little gestures, faint smiles, everything the couple shared, only helped to strengthen the doubts in Han Ze Min''s jealous mind. It just pushed him into frustration and Han Ze Min didn''t think twice as as he reacted in a way that sounded slightly offensive to everyone else. "Why don''t you open a restaurant instead of being someone''s maid?" The question sounded so casual yet it had a mocking tone hidden in it. While everyone, gawped at Han Ze Min as if he had somehing wrong, Ming Yue just casually tilted her head and repeated the question as it was no big deal, "Should I open a restaurant, Yi Jun?" Her question that came without any delay was directed to Wan Yi Jun even though it as someone else who asked her the question.w "You want to open a restuarant? Wan Yi Jun repeated the question like a dumb man. He was well aware of Ming Yue''s talents, but even for once he thouht that she would be interested to do something else. He obviously appointed her as a maid under an unavoidable situation, but not even once, he tried to know Ming Yue''s interests or her likes. "Well, it is better than ruining your life looking after someone." Han Ze Min scoffed as he gave a glare at Wan Yi Jun, whose face literally started to go pale as if he had seen some ghost. "I have never thought like that, officer..But I don''t think of opening a restuarant." Ming Yue came with the clumsiest excuse, when she understood that it was just a continuation of whatever argument between the cousins. "But still? You are quite a beauty and people will stand in que," He said once again, just to annoy Wan Yi Jun and show others who got the upperhand in the Wisteria gardens " Chapter 85 - The Scrapper Wan Yi Jun''s answer was unexpected. Well, it was weird that one of the top officers of the Imperial police force, who is known for his cold-blooded personality, is none other than someone who once wanted to become a pianist. "I like wrestling." Ming Yue''s sudden declaration, gathering everyone''s attention to her. "I used to work with a wrestler''s place. Nowadays, I just wrestle in the kitchen with dough and batter." She said in a monotonous tone that instantly cracked up others, "Oh, no worries, I can spar with you," Han Ze Min casually suggested. "Say that after seeing her punches," Wan Yi Jun let out a chortle and haughtily tilted his head when he recalled his earlier interactions with Ming Yue, which clearly showed that she is a fighter. "Oh really, then we have to spar." Han Ze Min repeated once again, just to hammer down the fact that he is interested in Ming Yue. However, even before everyone started to dwell on that conversation, Wan Yi Jun meddled in and stopped him by directing the question to the rest of the team members. The conversation went through up and downs finally ended on a good note, restoring everyone''s mind in peace. But among them, Lao Yating was the only one who sat there without entirely engaging in the talks happening over there. His mind was still stuck on the investigation. None of the drama that happens before his eyes made no change in his chaotic brain. However, the moment he learnt that Ming Yue is from Zhi Ruo, it immediately piqued his interest. "Are you from Zhi Ruo in the dragon city?" He curiously asked, "Yes, have you been there, officer?" Ming Yue casually replied while finishing the last bite of her pasta, "No...I have met someone from Zhi Ruo," Lao Yating answered without giving much emphasis on the person''s identity as he promised to the students who had given the statement. "I have heard a lot about Dragon city, but...Zhi Ruo-" Bing Wen''s words broke when he went into his thoughts. "It''s no wonder that you haven''t met someone from Zhi Ruo. Only very few people could migrate from that barren land to other places for better opportunities." "Barren land, like a desert with dunes and high temperature?" Bing Wen asked again with his eyes widened in surprise. "Not really." Ming Yue corrected him with a faint smile, "Barren land, in the sense that it is a border island with no proper facilities or infrastructure. Fishing is the only income source for the people there. So most of the youngsters or those who can afford travelling to other places just leave the island." "The people whom I met were two university students...orphans." Lao Yating pointed out in order to ask for more details from Ming Yue, who is from Zhi Ruo. "Orphans are not a new thing in Zhi Ruo. Most of the kids born on the island lost their parents and family either due to lack any proper medical care or on the border dispute." She explained with a straight face that gradually made others think she was just another robot with no emotions. "Mainland people often treat us pushovers or worse, illegal immigrants from Daisun who just steal your resources and jobs." Her bitter words hit the rest of the people in the room bit hard. Even if they grew up in poor households, they never had to face any such discrimination since they were all from the mainland. "We are rather treated as outlaws." Ming Yue said as a matter of fact. However, soon as she finished, Lao Yating refuted her claim by quoting the example of the Zhi Ruo residents he had met earlier. "Those kids were university students in one of the prestigious universities in the capital." "May I know how do you know them, officer Lao?" Ming Yue asked in a crystal clear voice that reminded them of a sharp dagger that was too charming yet dangerous. "They got themselves in a bit of trouble, and I was the one who interrogated them." Lao Yating blurted out without thinking twice, clearly informing everyone that he was indeed gathering information about the investigation. "They sounded suspicious, to be honest," "Yep, that''s what I said." Ming Yue shrugged her shoulders as if she proved her claims correct before everyone, putting Lao Yating in a tight spot. "Sir Lao, why are you ruining the mood?" Bing Wen tried to remind the other in a barely audible voice, "You can talk about the case all week, but not on this day." "Shall I remind you that a police officer''s work is 24/7?" Lao Yating shut his junior officer, who was acting out. Well, it was true that they took a day off to cool off their minds, but that doesn''t mean they should not think about the case. Bing Wen, who sensed that his senior was a bit frustrated, immediately became silent so that he won''t create another argument at mealtime. "I''m sorry...If I said anything to offend you." He quickly apologized. "Do I need to apologize, too?" Ming Yue frankly asked, shocking everyone with her blunt honesty. "Did I hurt your feelings, officer Lao?" "No, sister. Sir Lao is having a little bit trouble since we hit a dead-end in the recent case we investigated." Bing Wen attempted to turn down the smoke before it get changed into a flame. However, Ming Yue poured oil into the fire. "That murder case on new year?" She nonchalantly inquired, "Oh, you knew about it?" Bing Wen exclaimed and glanced at Wan Yi Jun as if he doubting his captain for sharing the case details with the so-called maid. "It''s all over in the news." "Well, media houses don''t know our struggle. They just spew nonsense." Lao Yating bitterly mumbled in a criticizing way. "They spew nonsense because you kept people in darkness." Ming Yue refuted right away as if she had no control over her tongue. "Even police officers are struggling in darkness, without any proper evidence. What does the media houses know about that? They create their own version of theories and mislead the public, like how they did to you." Lao Yating explained when he heard Ming Yue''s accusation. "Who pushed the police into darkness, ones who were supposed to give the clear picture to the public?" Though Ming Yue looked like a naive innocent girl, the words that came from her mouth sounded like a skilful journalist. However, little did the eagle team know that Ming Yue was urging them to spill the truth so that she can keep her brothers safe. And fortunately or unfortunately she succeeded without any delay the moment Lao Yating poured out his thoughts on the heat of the moment. "No matter how much evidence we collect, we always end up in the same place we started the victim was murdered due to personal vengeance. But even after interrogating everyone related to that victim, we still couldn''t find anyone who would have hatred towards the victim." It was only when he finished speaking, Lao Yating noticed that Ming Yue was carefully listening to the story. Even others looked alternatively at Ming Yue and Lao Yating as if they are watching a debate between two genius intellectuals unlike the earlier silly argument between Wan Yi Jun and Han Ze Min. "Have you checked about the victim''s past relationships?" Ming Yue asked after contemplating for a long minute. "She doesn''t have any past relationships." "Who doesn''t have a past relationship?" Ming Yue''s voice was doused in humour as she glanced at Han Ze Min with her lips perched into a scoff, "I''m damn sure that everyone here has a relationship that they erased from their lives. If you were capable enough you would have looked into it." "We have checked everything. She doesn''t even have a proper phone or a journal." Bing Wen supported Lao Yating by explaining whatever they have found so far. However, even before he would disclose the confidential details of the case to a civilian. "Ming Yue, are we having this conversation at the dining table?" Wan Yi Jun tried to stop Ming Yue without any delay, and she, who understood what he was trying to say, immediately admitted her mistake. She indeed stepped out of her boundaries, but it was worth it. "No, sir. The whole point of having this meal is to get your minds relaxed, so sorry for the inconvenience caused by me. Please have your lunch." Ming Yue bowed her head to express her apology. "Captain''s maid is wise...but quite fierce." Bing Wen unknowingly whispered into Han Ze Min''s ears as if he was talking to a friend, "Yes, she is." He agreed with a smile that clearly depicted that he was indeed fell for her, However, Ming Yue on the other hand kept her face as untouched as possible and went head-on heads with Han Ze Min intending to make a bad impression. "Officer Han, is there something on my face? You kept staring at me for a long time." Ming Yue monotonously inquired, shocking everyone else. But the reply from Han Ze Min just hit them like a bolt of huge lightning. "Well, anything attractive tends to capture my attention very easily and sometimes I won''t feel at peace unless I procure it." He must be craving for death, otherwise, why would he say something dangerous and controversial to a woman who seemingly got the guts to say whatever comes to her mind without any fear of power or status. Chapter 86 - The Deal UNEDITED -PLEASE WAIT FOR SOME TIME Since the entire dinner plan turned into an awkward situation, Wan Yi Jun decided to give up on any activities that involved Ming Yue and Han Ze Min and took the rest of the guests for a house tour. Even though Bing Wen invited Han Ze Min to tag along with them, he just refused by quoting that he was not feeling well. Although Wan Yi Jun wasn''t fond of leaving Ming Yue with his cousin after all those conversations, he thought she could handle Han Ze Min without anyone else''s help. As the eagle team members left the living room, Ming Yue returned to the kitchen, completely leaving Han Ze Min behind to rest. Just as her master expected, she had no intention to entertain the nosy guest. She thought Wan Yi Jun''s personality change was the only thing that shocked her. However, watching how irritating has Han Ze Min has become, she had to change her mind. Her childhood friends are never the same- time has indeed changed all of them. Ming Yue''s train of thoughts broke when her ears picked up a loud banging sound coming from upstairs. "Did something happen to Han Ze Min?" She wondered and stopped whatever she was doing just to check upon him. She quickly climbed the stairs and rushed in the direction where the noise came. It was only when she reached the first floor, she learnt that the loud banging noise was coming from the second floor, When she realized that the noise was coming from a prohibited area of the mansion, she understood Han Ze Min''s intentions. Apparently, the prohibited area of the Wisteria gardens was the second floor including the bedroom which she used when she lived in the mansion as Tsuki. "Why does he want to open that room?" Ming Yue muttered under her breath and quickly walked towards Han Ze Min, who tried his best to unlock a room at the far end of the corridor. "Where is this room''s key?" Han Ze Min demanded as soon as his eyes caught Ming Yue''s figure in the corridor. "Give it to me," "It''s Key is with young master Wan." Ming Yue politely informed and looked at the door covered with several yellow coloured Talismans. Those yellow Talismans were used as a protection charm for the people who live in the mansion from the spirit of the room''s previous owner, who lost her life. "These people feared that I might become a ghost and haunt their family? How ridiculous?" Ming Yue mumbled in her head and glanced at Han Ze Min, who appeared frustrated to the most. His handsome face darkened like the gloomy sky before a thunderstorm as he kept staring at the talismans. "If you want to take a rest, let me take you to the guest room on the first floor." Ming Yue suggested and pointed her palm towards the staircase, Hearing her words, Han Ze Min tilted his head and stared at her without uttering a single word, "How do you feel now? Does your head still ache?" Ming Yue asked in a fake concerned voice that eventually made the other person let down his guards. "I want to lie down somewhere for a while." Han Ze Min informed her while gently pressing his aching upper arm. Since he tried to bang open the strong doors with his body, it started to ache a little bit when he stopped trying. "Please come with me," Ming Yue led Han Ze Min to one of the guest rooms on the first floor. After making sure that he got no complaints about the room, she decide to return to the kitchen, "Please call me if you need something," She reminded once again and gently bowed as if she was trying to seek permission to leave. However, just as she turned to leave the room, Han Ze Min stopped her all of a sudden. "Stay here, with me." Han Ze Min''s barely audible voice sounded echoing in the silent room. "Huh?" Listening to his vague answer, Ming Yue''s shapely eyebrows creased in confusion. Did she hear it correctly? "You can''t?" "How come every single one of you demands something like this?" "Did he ask you to stay with him?" "¡­" "What exactly is your relationship with him?" "Do you really think your cousin would love someone like me?" "Yes." "You must be joking." "You are his ideal type." "Master said that he has someone he likes," "Who?" "I don''t know, he just said like that." "You don''t like him?" "No." "Are you sure that you won''t change your words?" "No." "Then, go out with me." "I''m seriously sick of it." "What? Did he also-" "I have no plan to go out with anyone." "I like you." "I like me too." "Seriously? You think that joke would work on me?'' "You are the young master of the Han family, soon to be CEO of the HK group. You will get more eligible women-" "I said go out with me, not to marry me." "Huh?" "I have no plan to marry you. I just need someone to go out with me so that my family will stop pestering me with marriage." "You want me to pretend as your girlfriend?" "Exactly. Don''t worry, I will pay for your services." "Do you know how offensive you just sounded right now?" "I''m not asking for you to share "Thanks for offering me your help, but I don''t think I will be able to accept your offer at the moment," She politely turned down his offer with no second thoughts. "I''m not saying that you need to accept it right now, maybe in the future, once you got fed up with this job, you can-" Han Ze Min tried to explain, but Ming Yue interrupted him with a faint smile, "I don''t hate this job, officer Han. I have done things, worked in places where I wasn''t even considered a human being. What to say more, this is the first place where I''m allowed to sit down at a dining table." She smilingly said as if she was telling someone else''s story, leaving everyone in startlement. "Young master Wan didn''t ask me to become his maid. Well, truth to be told, he recommended me to work somewhere else in a better job, but I was the one who turned down his offer." "But, miss Ming...if you have given opportunities, then why don''t you use them for a better life?" "I''m having a much better life here, and I don''t feel that I''m working as a maid, I feel like I''m doing something I like...like a hobby..." The moment those words echoed in the room, Wan Yi Jun''s lips unknowingly curled up into a sunny smile. "And where would you find an employer who is willing to look after his maid? Also, who is hellbound on encouraging my hobbies and interests?" Though Ming Yue said with a poker face, the words she spoke, the look on her eyes, was doused with loyalty towards her master. He always thought that he wasn''t doing enough for Ming Yue, but little did he know that she was already grateful with whatever he did for her. "I''m glad that you give importance to Miss Ming''s hobbies and interests, Captain," Fei Yan, who sat there silently all the time, finally opened his mouth and commented, "As we grew up, we forget to take care of things that had given a "How many of you still continue your childhood hobby or even thinks about it?" "Tell me, officer Han, what was your childhood hobby and what''s the reason for you to start it and probably end it." "I like shooting." "Oh please." "I''m telling you the truth. My favourite hobby was shooting. And the reason, to impress my crush and luckily I''m still managing time to continue it." "What about you, Xiao Bing?" "I like cooking. My mother was a great cook." "Beatboxing." "Video games." "What about you captain, what was your favourite hobby?" "I liked to play the piano. Someone told me that I should try learning piano since I got long fingers." "Do you still play?" "No." "Say that after seeing her punchs," Wan Yi Jun let out a chortle and haughtily tilted his head when he recalled "You are not from the capital? But you don''t have an accent?" "No. I''m from Zhi Ruo." "Zhi Ruo from dragon city." "Yes, have you been there officer?" " maid, I feel like I''m doing something I like...like a hobby..." The moment those words echoed in the room, Wan Yi Jun''s lips unknowingly curled up into a sunny smile. "And where would you find an employer who is willing to look after his maid? Also, who is hellbound on encouraging my hobbies and interests?" Though Ming Yue said with a poker face, the words she spoke, the look on her eyes, was doused with loyalty towards her master. He always thought that he wasn''t doing enough for Ming Yue, but little did he know that she was already grateful with whatever he did for her. "I''m glad that you give importance to Miss Ming''s hobbies and interests, Captain," Fei Yan, who sat there silently all the time, finally opened his mouth and commented, "As we grew up, we forget to take care of things that had given a Chapter 87 - Home UNEDITED: "Then, go out with me," Han Ze Min''s casual proposal resonated in the room, ringing a bunch of alarming bells on Ming Yue''s on one corner of her mind and creating utter confusion on another corner. Her dubious eyes carefully scanned the grinning man who stood before her. Even when they were children, Han Ze Min was second to none in terms of good looks and personality. He had always been I''m seriously sick of it." "What? Did he also-" "I have no plan to go out with anyone." "I like you." "I like me too." "Seriously? You think that joke would work on me?'' "You are the young master of the Han family, soon to be CEO of the HK group. You will get more eligible women-" "I said go out with me, not to marry me." "Huh?" "I have no plan to marry you. I just need someone to go out with me so that my family will stop pestering me with marriage." "You want me to pretend as your girlfriend?" "Exactly. Don''t worry, I will pay for your services....both physical and emotional." "Do you know how offensive you just sounded right now?" "We need to discuss our terms before we sign upon this fake relationship thing, miss Ming." "No thanks." "At least listen to my terms. I will pay double...Nah triple than the money you gets here. You just need to pretend as my girlfriend, goes on date with me, show up for dinners with me. You will get your own apartment and car and basically everything you need. But once in a while, do come to my condo and sleepover." "I''m not asking you to sleep with me...just come over to make others believe that we are a legitimate couple. We won''t have any physical relationship unless you are okay with it?" "And how long do I have to pretend like that?" "Just until, Wan Yi Jun gets married." "Why is that so?" "He is the eldest among us. If I get a girlfriend, our family will definitely pester him to get married or get engaged to his girlfriend whom you mentioned earlier." "I''m sorry I don''t understand how your family dealing with things. Being single or not, that''s someone''s personal choice. What''s the point of pushing two individuals into marriage if they are not ready to settle down?" "You don''t know our family''s rules." "You are a police officer, are you not brave enough to say break the stupid rules and regulations set by your highly conservative family?" "I want to...but there is something that stopping us from doing so..." Me and Yi Jun are the only male heirs left in our family. If we don''t get married or have a child, the centuries-old legacy of our family will end with us." "So you want me to pretend as your girlfriend until you find an eligible woman as your girlfriend or wife, maybe?" "Yes. I will inform my family that we broke up and pretended to be heartbroken for a while." "Is it okay for you to deceive your family like this? Didn''t you say that liars and traitors will always be hated by your family?" "Do you believe me if I say that I don''t want to be part of my family anymore?" Wan Yi Jun''s answer was unexpected. Well, it was weird that one of the top officers of the Imperial police force, who is known for his cold-blooded personality, is none other than someone who once wanted to become a pianist. "I like wrestling." Ming Yue''s sudden declaration, gathering everyone''s attention to her. "I used to work with a wrestler''s place. Nowadays, I just wrestle in the kitchen with dough and batter." She said in a monotonous tone that instantly cracked up others, "Oh, no worries, I can spar with you," Han Ze Min casually suggested. "Say that after seeing her punches," Wan Yi Jun let out a chortle and haughtily tilted his head when he recalled his earlier interactions with Ming Yue, which clearly showed that she is a fighter. "Oh really, then we have to spar." Han Ze Min repeated once again, just to hammer down the fact that he is interested in Ming Yue. However, even before everyone started to dwell on that conversation, Wan Yi Jun meddled in and stopped him by directing the question to the rest of the team members. The conversation went through up and downs finally ended on a good note, restoring everyone''s mind in peace. But among them, Lao Yating was the only one who sat there without entirely engaging in the talks happening over there. His mind was still stuck on the investigation. None of the drama that happens before his eyes made no change in his chaotic brain. However, the moment he learnt that Ming Yue is from Zhi Ruo, it immediately piqued his interest. "Are you from Zhi Ruo in the dragon city?" He curiously asked, "Yes, have you been there, officer?" Ming Yue casually replied while finishing the last bite of her pasta, "No...I have met someone from Zhi Ruo," Lao Yating answered without letting her kn "It''s no wonder that you met someone from Zhi Ruo, people often migrate from that barren land to capital for better opportunities." "Barren land?" "Hmm, it is a border island, with no proper facilities or infrastructure." "Those were two university students, orphans." "Orphans are not a new thing in Zhi Ruo, most of the kids born over there lost their parents and family in the borderland dispute." "Mainland people often treat us pushovers or illegal immigrants from Daisun who got no power here." "Those kids were university students in one of the prestigious universities in the capital and got themselves in a bit of trouble." "Sir Lao, why are you ruining the mood? You can talk about the case all week, but not on weekends." "I''m sorry...If I said anything to offend you." "No sister, Sir Lao is not feeling good. We hit a dead-end in the recent case we investigated." "That murder case on new year?" "Oh, you knew about it?" "It''s all over in the news." "Well, media houses don''t know our struggle. They just spew nonsense." "They spew nonsense because you kept people in darkness." "Even police officers are struggling in darkness, without any ." "Who pushed the police into darkness?" "Ming Yue, are we having this conversation at the dining table?" "I know. The whole point of having this meal is to get your minds relaxed, so sorry for the inconvenience caused by me. Please have your lunch." "Captain, your maid is quite fierce." "Yes, she is." "No matter how much evidence we collect, we always end up in the same place we started, the victim was murdered due to personal vengeance. But even after interrogating everyone related to that victim, we still couldn''t find anyone who would have hatred towards the victim." "Have you checked about her past relationships?" "She doesn''t have any past relationships." "Who doesn''t have a past relationship? I''m damn sure that everyone here has a relationship." He was looking at her without taking his eyes away from her, even for a moment. "Young master Han, is there anything on my face?" "Nothing. All I can see is beauty." "Master, it seems like he is not comfortable having a meal with me. So excuse."'' "Don''t leave." Wan Yi Jun''s answer was unexpected. Well, it was weird that one of the top officers of the Imperial police force, who is known for his cold-blooded personality, is none other than someone who once wanted to become a pianist. "I like wrestling." Ming Yue''s sudden declaration, gathering everyone''s attention to her. "I used to work with a wrestler''s place. Nowadays, I just wrestle in the kitchen with dough and batter." She said in a monotonous tone that instantly cracked up others, "Oh, no worries, I can spar with you," Han Ze Min casually suggested. The conversation went through up and downs finally ended on a good note, restoring everyone''s mind in peace. But among them, Lao Yating was the only one who sat there without entirely engaging in the talks happening over there. His mind was still stuck on the investigation. None of the drama that happens before his eyes made no change in his chaotic brain. However, the moment he learnt that Ming Yue is from Zhi Ruo, it immediately piqued his interest. "Are you from Zhi Ruo in the dragon city?" He curiously asked, "Yes, have you been there, officer?" Ming Yue casually replied while finishing the last bite of her pasta, "No...I have met someone from Zhi Ruo," Lao Yating answered without giving much emphasis on the person''s identity as he promised to the students who had given the statement. "I have heard a lot about Dragon city, but...Zhi Ruo-" Bing Wen''s words broke when he went into his thoughts. "It''s no wonder that you haven''t met someone from Zhi Ruo. Only very few people could migrate from that barren land to other places for better opportunities." "Barren land, like a desert with dunes and high temperature?" Bing Wen asked again with his eyes widened in surprise. Chapter 88 - The Scale AUTHOR''S NOTICE- Chapters from 84 to 87 are edited. I apologize for the inconveniences caused by me. My family and I are going through a tough time and I barely get time to write. I want to take a break and follow a regular update schedule. But unfortunately, I''m unable to do so. I just hope everything will be alright very soon, so that I can focus on the story. Thanks for understanding, my dear readers. Thanks for choosing this story!!! __________________________ "Try to contact the crime records bureau and check if there are any criminal case or unnatural death related to Shu Li Li and her family," Wan Yi Jun ordered as he stormed inside the mansion, along with the rest of the team. "I''m on it, captain." Lao Yating volunteered as he fished out his phone, quickly switching to his working mode. "Let me get the laptop," Wan Yi Jun suggested and rushed towards the stairs only to run into Han Ze Min and Ming Yue who happened to be descending the stairs together. Even though, he wasn''t very happy to seem them together, he decided to ignore it, since they got more important job than warning his good for nothing cousin to stay away from Ming Yue. "Help Senior Fei to sort the reports from Shu Lili''s hometown." He instructed in an authoritative tone and gave a cold glance at Ming Yue who stood next to Han Ze Min, "I don''t think I will be able to come home today, so lock the doors and sleep where you slept last night." "Where are you-''" Even before Ming Yue could respond to his order, Wan Yi Jun climbed the stairs in lightning speed as of he was trying to avoid a conversation. "Where is he going?" Han Ze Min wondered and looked at the people in the living room, busy with their phones. "What exactly happening here?" "Officer Han, we got a new breaking point for the case." Bing Wen whose eyes were buried onto his phone screen replied without even making an eye contact with Han Ze Min who stood there confused. "It''s just a guess, but there is a high chance that it would turn out to be true." Shen Junru stood up from his seat and went towards Han Ze Min to give a briefing about Wan Yi Jun''s hypothesis of Shu Lili having a criminal record. By the time, they finished discussing, Wan Yi Jun returned with his laptop, to ease their work. "It''s just a hypothetical situation. Don''t waste time searching for Shu Lili''s criminal background." Han Ze Min adviced as soon as he saw his team captain setting up a temporary office room for the eagle team in his living room. "Even if we waste time, I don''t want leave any possibility unchecked." Wan Yi Jun said as he sat down with Bing Wen who started cross checking their inferences of the investigation so far. "Captain, I got a reply from Crime records bureau." All of a sudden, Lao Yating informed them as he hold onto his mobile. "There aren''t any unnatural death or crimes that are related to Shu Lili, but there is an inactive man- missing case where she has been recorded a witness." "Ask them to forward a report summary to us." Wan Yi Jun requested and logged on to the common mail address for the eagle team. Within seconds, the notification for the new mail has popped up on the screen and Bing Wen who opened the mail, started to read the summary. "Song Jia, a 19 year old high school student, went missing on her way back home." Bing Wen stopped reading and looked at Wan Yi Jun whether to read the rest of the document, "According to the statement of Shu Li Li, a classmate and the last person who saw the victim, stated that the witness saw miss Song walking in the direction of the east Gui Xiang, towards national highway road. When the witness tried to talk, miss Song shouted the other to go home before the rain. Since it was about to rain, the witness didn''t pay much attention and went home. On Thursday morning, after two days of this incident, Mr Song informed the village head that his daughter had ran away from home. Since miss Song lived with an abusive father and has previously tried to run away from her home, the local police has closed the case as an act of eloping instead of man missing after conducting two month long investigation." "That''s it?" Wan Yi Jun asked in a disappointed tone. "Apparently, yes." "The cases of rebellious teens leaving their houses were a huge issue back then...and it''s a girl too, there is a high chance that she ended up somewhere worse than her own house." Fei Yan sighed heavily, as if he was reciprocating to Wan Yi Jun''s disappointment. "I told you, it just waste of time." Han Ze Min commented and stood up from his seat, However, right at that time Lao Yating''s phone rang in the room, gathering everyone''s attention all at once. "It is from the Bureau." He excitedly picked up the call and put it on the speaker mode, "Officer Lao, the previous enquiry report showed up when I searched with ''Shu Lili'' and ''West Gui Xiang'' as keywords. It''s an old report from six years ago, but just now I tried looking for any follow up cases regarding the Song Jia''s missing and I found that someone has reopened the case two years ago, when some hikers found skeletal remains from the Tai Shan mountain area in West Gui Xiang itself." "Is it hers?" Han Ze Min asked in a hurried voice, as if he couldn''t control his urge to know the rest of the report. "The investigator at that time tried to cross check the DNA samples from the man missing cases from forensic department''s repository. Since the skeleton was of a woman in late teens, there was a talk in the village that it was Song Jia. They cross checked Song Jia''s DNA with her father''s, but it came out negative." As soon as the inference heard in the room, the anticipated look on everyone''s face vanished in a glimpse. "Since her parents were dead by the time, there wasn''t anyone to pressurize the police department to find out the truth, and eventually the local police had to close the case due to lack of evidence and tag the skeletal remains as unidentified." The officer in the other side of the call, concluded the report. "Hmmm. Thank you so much, officer." "No problem. Should I send the detailed case report, officer Lao?" Lao Yating tilted his head and looked at his senior for further order, "Yes, please." Wan Yi Jun requested before ending the conversation, leaving everyone in utter disbelief. "Didn''t you hear it? It''s a dead end. There is no point in dragging an unidentified corpse into this hot mess." Han Ze Min suggested when he heard his captain''s resilient order. "I too think the same, captain. We already have enough in our plates." Even Lao Yating who was so pumped up to find the truth, discouraged Wan Yi Jun from committing another mistake. "Ding!!!" "They have sent us the detailed report." Bing Wen who held the laptop pointed out as soon as he saw the notification for a new mail. "Let''s see if we can gather information about Song Jia and Shu Li Li'' s relationship in their school." Wan Yi Jun proposed as he dragged the cursor and began to go through the case report. The very moment, the victim''s photograph appeared on the screen, Han Ze Min leaned in to get a better look. "No offence. But, even in the school uniform, she looks like a law breaker, some sort of delinquent." Han Ze Min commented as soon as he saw the photograph of Song Jia with dyed, unkempt hair and numerous piercings on ears and nodes. "From the statements of her classmates and neighbours, she is indeed a delinquent and outlaw." Wan Yi Jun said without lifting his eyes from the screen. "Good luck finding anything common between a class topper and a delinquent." Han Ze Min casually remarked with a mocking tone. "You are searching in the darkness, Yi Jun. Stop wasting everyone''s time." However, Wan Yi Jun completely ignored him and went ahead presenting the inferences to the rest of the team members. "From the report, it was said that Ji Ya''s personality was a bit problematic as she maintained relationships with various men, especially vendors who came to Gui Xiang for buying fishes and all. So people just assumed that she must have eloped with one of them." "If she is eloped with someone, there will be some kind of documents to prove that she is alive...like medical records or proof of name change etc etc." Fei Yan shared whatever came up with one of the possibility to support his claim. "Does organ traffickers ask for identity documents?" A familiar cold voice echoed in the room, interrupting the conversation. When the eagle team''s line of sight got focused on the tall and slender figure who stood at the corner of the room, they were literally left dumbfounded. They completely forgot that there was some one else in the room, listening to their discussion. "What did you just say, Xiao Yue?" Han Ze Min smilingly asked the girl, as if he didn''t hear her properly. "Organ traffickers in this country?" "I know it''s a bit difficult for some of you to accept it. But you are talking about a missing case that happened in the rural coastal Village, that too six years ago. I don''t know what was the situation in imperial, but there were enough groups of organ mafia looking out for runaway cases." Ming Yue explained as if she was well versed in this subject. "Since she got a questionable personality, everyone just tagged her missing case as simple act of thoughtless eloping... Who cares if she live or die? She is a bad apple in everyone''s eyes, rotten to core... She paused for a moment and glanced across the curious and surprised faces in the room, only to settle on Wan Yi Jun''s sullen face, "Something that can''t be saved...." Chapter 89 - The Breaking Point Since the entire dinner plan turned into an awkward situation, Wan Yi Jun decided to give up on any activities that involved Ming Yue and Han Ze Min and took the rest of the guests for a house tour. Even though Bing Wen invited Han Ze Min to tag along with them, he just refused by quoting that he was not feeling well. Although Wan Yi Jun wasn''t fond of leaving Ming Yue with his cousin after all those conversations, he thought she could handle Han Ze Min without anyone else''s help. As the eagle team members left the living room, Ming Yue returned to the kitchen, completely leaving Han Ze Min behind to rest. Just as her master expected, she had no intention to entertain the nosy guest. She thought Wan Yi Jun''s personality change was the only thing that shocked her. However, watching how irritating has Han Ze Min has become, she had to change her mind. Her childhood friends are never the same- time has indeed changed all of them. Ming Yue''s train of thoughts broke when her ears picked up a loud banging sound coming from upstairs. "Did something happen to Han Ze Min?" She wondered and stopped whatever she was doing just to check upon him. She quickly climbed the stairs and rushed in the direction where the noise came. It was only when she reached the first floor, she learnt that the loud banging noise was coming from the second floor, When she realized that the noise was coming from a prohibited area of the mansion, she understood Han Ze Min''s intentions. Apparently, the prohibited area of the Wisteria gardens was the second floor including the bedroom which she used when she lived in the mansion as Tsuki. "Why does he want to open that room?" Ming Yue muttered under her breath and quickly walked towards Han Ze Min, who tried his best to unlock a room at the far end of the corridor. "Where is this room''s key?" Han Ze Min demanded as soon as his eyes caught Ming Yue''s figure in the corridor. "Give it to me," "It''s Key is with young master Wan." Ming Yue politely informed and looked at the door covered with several yellow coloured Talismans. Those yellow Talismans were used as a protection charm for the people who live in the mansion from the spirit of the room''s previous owner, who lost her life. "These people feared that I might become a ghost and haunt their family? How ridiculous?" Ming Yue mumbled in her head and glanced at Han Ze Min, who appeared frustrated to the most. His handsome face darkened like the gloomy sky before a thunderstorm as he kept staring at the talismans. "If you want to take a rest, let me take you to the guest room on the first floor." Ming Yue suggested and pointed her palm towards the staircase, Hearing her words, Han Ze Min tilted his head and stared at her without uttering a single word, "How do you feel now? Does your head still ache?" Ming Yue asked in a fake concerned voice that eventually made the other person let down his guards. "I want to lie down somewhere for a while." Han Ze Min informed her while gently pressing his aching upper arm. Since he tried to bang open the strong doors with his body, it started to ache a little bit when he stopped trying. "Please come with me," Ming Yue led Han Ze Min to one of the guest rooms on the first floor. After making sure that he got no complaints about the room, she decide to return to the kitchen, "Please call me if you need something," She reminded once again and gently bowed as if she was trying to seek permission to leave. However, just as she turned to leave the room, Han Ze Min stopped her all of a sudden. "Stay here, with me." Han Ze Min''s barely audible voice sounded echoing in the silent room. "Huh?" Listening to his vague answer, Ming Yue''s shapely eyebrows creased in confusion. Did she hear it correctly? Watching her standing there with a blank expression on her face, Han Ze Min sat on the bed and patted the spot next to him. "You can''t?" He smilingly asked while gently leaning backwards, as if was waiting for her reply. "Or you won''t?" He didn''t mean it, He just wanted to tease her bit only to see a change in her poker face. "It''s alright if you can''t stay with me in the same room. I was just joking." Han Ze Min flashed a witty smile and allowed Ming Yue to leave the room, but even after hearing his explanation, there wasn''t any change on her face as she stood there, judging him. "How come every single one of you demands something like this?" Ming Yue spoke after a moment''s break, jolting Han Ze Min with a disturbing fact. "Did he ask you to sleep with him?" He blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, only to receive silence in return. Does that mean his doubts were true? Wan Yi Jun and this woman, are they having some kind of relationship, something more than an employer and employee. "What exactly is your relationship with him?" Han Ze Min inquired once again, unable to endure Ming Yue''s nonchalant demeanour. "Are you his mistress...or....someone with benefits?" For some reason, it felt a little bit difficult for him to ask that question directly to a woman. But it was too late to correct his mistake. "Mistress?" Ming Yue''s lips curled into a self-deprecating smile and responded in an icy tone, "So that''s the impression that I have given to everyone? And what''s is this someone with benefits? Even if you said friends with benefits, I would have agreed to it." "Wan Yi Jun is not a person who would commit himself to a relationship. So I thought whatever relation you two have, it must be something beneficial for both of you." Han Ze Min explained without any reluctance. Though Wan Yi Jun tried to prove that Ming Yue is just a maid, it was evident that he got some feelings for her as he kept her away from his cousin''s verbal attacks. "He has everything but companionship, and you are in dire need of a saviour. So, anyone could figure out that you two are the perfect match." "Do you really think your cousin would even degrade himself like that...to have a relationship with someone like me, a maid? You must be joking." Ming Yue let out a chortle as if she heard something stupid. "You are thinking too much, young master Han. I''m just a maid, and I take care of this mansion. That''s it. So please take rest and let me do my job." Ming Yue stated as a matter of fact and turned on her heels to leave as if she had reached the last point of enduring his stupidity. "You are his ideal type." Han Ze Min''s voice made Ming Yue stop in her tracks as if someone had tied her legs. Wan Yi Jun''s ideal type that was the last thing she wanted to hear. Watching her stood there like a statue Han Ze Min rose from the bed, with an evil grin on his face, "You are the only one who is close enough to his ideal type." He walked closer to her in steady steps, as if he was trying to intimidate Ming Yue and seek out the truth from her. But Ming Yue on the other hand, didn''t even move from her spot as she tried to come up with an answer that would stop Han Ze Min from interrogating her like a criminal. Well, she was indeed a criminal, but the crimes he has been accusing on her, that was something she would never do. "If you keep trying to pretend that you are just a maid, I swear you will never be able to step into this mansion as the daughter in law of Wan family." Han Ze Min paused for a moment and looked deeply into her cold eyes, "Wan family might accept someone from lower class, an orphan, an immigrant as their daughter in law....But a liar, a traitor''s position will be always beyond that boundary walls...So tell me the truth and save yourself the trouble." Han Ze Min''s ruthless warning pierced the most vulnerable spot of Ming Yue''s heart like a sharp dagger. The traitor''s position will be always outside the boundary walls of Wisteria gardens - it was true...It was something she had experienced... "What is your relationship with -" "He has someone he likes," Ming Yue''s answer was so sudden and short. "Who?" Han Ze Min took a step closer and asked her in a heavy voice. It would have been intimidating and frightening for a normal person, but Ming Yue didn''t flinch at his words or at his actions. "I don''t know, he just said that he has someone he likes." She replied in a clear voice without even a bit of fear. "You don''t like him?" Han Ze Min''s question came quickly like a bullet, "No." "Are you sure that you won''t change your mind in the future?" "No." Ming Yue''s resilient answer has created a warm sunny smile on Han Ze Min''s face as he took a step closer and stood just a breath away from Ming Yue... "Then, go out with me." Chapter 90 - The Unanticipated Defeat UNEDITED- PLEASE WAIT FOR SOMETIME In a glimpse of a moment, Wan Yi Jun switched into the efficient leader mode of the eagle team and quickly assigned duties for everyone. "Senior Fei, can you contact Miss Feng and confirm if he is the one whom she saw that day in the apartment? And Yating, call Shu Lili''s parents and ask about Hu Geng Xin and his relationship with them." "Yes, captain." Right after they heard the instruction, Fei Yan and Lao Yating picked up their phones and started to dial down the numbers. "You two," Wan Yi Jun pointed at Shen Junru and Bing Wen, "Track his location from the address provided by the agency. It is two years old, so it will be a bit difficult." "I will call the office and try for an interrogation warrant if it and join-" Wan Yi Jun stuttered when he couldn''t find Han Ze Min nowhere near the team. For a moment, he wondered whether his hot-headed cousin had already assigned himself a duty and left the mansion. However, right at that time, Han Ze Min''s jovial tone was heard from the silent corner of the living room, which Wan Yi Jun overlooked while giving off his instructions. Within that very short period, Han Ze Min somehow made his way out of the couch in the living room and went towards Ming Yue without gathering any attention to him. "Before I start working on my task, I would like to thank Xiao Yue for giving us a valuable tip." He stated with a smile that resembled the bright spring sun and gave a gentleman bow at the woman who leaned on the wall. She was simply standing there watching them working like a swarm of bustling bees. "What are you doing?" Ming Yue''s fair forehead creased when she saw "As I have told earlier, you are wasting your time being a maid, my dear. Why don''t you quit it and join in the police- Nah...don''t be a police officer. Be a lawyer...criminal lawyer, not the one who represents the poor and desolates but the one who is the on the bad side." "Working against would be far better than working with you." "The world has enough good girls...be the bad one...if you could be the worst, become that and fight against people like him, got it?" "Tell me, what you need?" "Nothing." "Nothing?" "You know that I can give you anything you want? So feel free to ask me," "It would be really appreciable if you leave me alone for a while." "Oh god." "Officer Han, go and get the criminal records under the name of Hu Geng Xin from Headquarters" "Not now..." "What?" "Why should I go to the headquarters, they will send it to us if we call them." "Then call them," "I''m on it." "He is an absolute meanie, don''t you think? Otherwise, why would he make us work while we are having a party?" "How much time do you need?" "I''m calling them..." "Don''t forget about our deal and once again, thank you so much for your valuable tip." For the next few hours, the living room of the Wisteria gardens turned upside down as the Eagle team members took over each corner and busied themselves with their assigned duties. Once the clock struck 8 in the night, Wan Yi Jun called in for a briefing session of whatever information they have gathered so far. "Even though Miss Feng could entirely confirm the man from the identity proof, once we showed her the Hu Geng Xin''s recent photograph from the agency, she was able to recognize him." "It took me a while to remind Shu Li Li''s parents that someone named "Hu Geng Xin lived in the next block. According to them, he was a silent eccentric kid who never interacted with anyone. His mother died earlier and he got a drunkard father who never properly took care of him while he was a child. He somehow managed to grow while doing petty jobs in the fishing harbour and two years ago he suddenly disappeared. I have asked them about Song Jia, too. They clearly remember that he was there when the police officers came for re-investigation, apparently, he was the one who dug up the skeletal remains along with the forensic team. But he also left the village soon after the results came negative." "He came to the imperial city and must have done some random jobs until he landed up in that agency." "I don''t think he just landed up with that agency. He must have followed Shu Li Li all the way to the imperial city. Otherwise, why would he stay next to her apartment and took a job in the same building? I swear there is something wrong with him." "Then, go out with me," Han Ze Min''s casual proposal resonated in the room, ringing a bunch of alarming bells on Ming Yue''s on one corner of her mind and creating utter confusion on another corner. Her dubious eyes carefully scanned the grinning man who stood before her. Even when they were children, Han Ze Min was second to none in terms of good looks and personality. He had always been a jovial person, loved by everyone. However, the person who stood before her was someone else. It didn''t even take a moment for him to realize what exactly she meant. "What? Did he also-" His voice cracked when he thought about Wan Yi Jun asking out Ming Yue. Since she had only given a silent reply to his previous question about sleeping with Wan Yi Jun, his mind wandered among the endless possibilities. "I have no plan to go out with anyone." Ming Yue''s resilient words pulled him back into reality, and even before he knew it, Han Ze Min uttered those words he feared to say all these years, "I like you." Han Ze Min gaped at her gorgeous face devoid of endearing emotions for a long minute. There wasn''t even a single change in her face as he expected. Whenever he goes out, women always show interest in him, but it was the first time he had seen someone immune to his charms. "Ming Yue, I said I like you," "I like me too." "...." To be very honest, Han Ze Min didn''t know how would respond to such an answer. He was being honest, but with one single statement Ming Yue "Seriously? You think that joke would work on me?'' "You are the young master of the Han family, soon to be CEO of the HK group. You will get more eligible women-" "I said go out with me, not to marry me." "Huh?" "I have no plan to marry you. I just need someone to go out with me so that my family will stop pestering me with marriage." "You want me to pretend as your girlfriend?" "Exactly. Don''t worry, I will pay for your services...both physical and emotional." "Do you know how offensive you just sounded right now?" "We need to discuss our terms before we sign upon this fake relationship thing, miss Ming." "No thanks." "At least listen to my terms. I will pay double...Nah triple than the money you gets here. You just need to pretend as my girlfriend, goes on date with me, show up for dinners with me. You will get your own apartment and car and basically everything you need. But once in a while, do come to my condo and sleepover." "I''m not asking you to sleep with me...just come over to make others believe that we are a legitimate couple. We won''t have any physical relationship unless you are okay with it?" "And how long do I have to pretend like that?" "Just until, Wan Yi Jun gets married." "Why is that so?" "He is the eldest among us. If I get a girlfriend, our family will definitely pester him to get married or get engaged to his girlfriend whom you mentioned earlier." "I''m sorry I don''t understand how your family dealing with things. Being single or not, that''s someone''s personal choice. What''s the point of pushing two individuals into marriage if they are not ready to settle down?" "You don''t know our family''s rules." "You are a police officer, are you not brave enough to say break the stupid rules and regulations set by your highly conservative family?" "I want to...but there is something that stopping us from doing so..." Me and Yi Jun are the only male heirs left in our family. If we don''t get married or have a child, the centuries-old legacy of our family will end with us." "So you want me to pretend as your girlfriend until you find an eligible woman as your girlfriend or wife, maybe?" "Yes. I will inform my family that we broke up and pretended to be heartbroken for a while." "Is it okay for you to deceive your family like this? Didn''t you say that liars and traitors will always be hated by your family?" "Do you believe me if I say that I don''t want to be part of my family anymore?" Chapter 91 - The Valid Guess Work UNEDITED- Please wait for sometime No proof of existence? Are you saying that he also went missing like Song Jia? Maybe, maybe not. As per the agency, he suddenly disappeared without even taking his salary. No matter how busy he was, he would have made sure to get his salary before moving to a new place. As we said earlier there is no evidence of his existence, no medical records, call records or anything. "Are we hitting another dead end?" "Don''t jinx it." "Where did Hu Geng Xin live? Is it possible for us to search?" "He lived in the basement of a nearby apartment, and I''m not sure we will find anything useful from there since the landlord has given the house to someone else. "Still, we should at least try." "How about we go and search Hu Geng Xin''s house in Gui Xiang?" "It''s Gui Xiang you are talking about, we can just go and search there just because we doubt that he is related to Shu Lili." "Hmm, that''s also a problem. We can''t just barge into someone else''s house, especially since we are dealing with a murder case and two missing cases. Also, we have to be careful not to gather any attention to the other cases." "Hmmm. I will talk to Chief Wu and try if we can talk to someone who investigated Song Jia''s missing case." "Are we going to reopen that case, too?" "If it is necessary, we should do it." "This case is getting complicated day by day...even I lost the count of people and cases related to this case." "We investigated the drug deals in Rising Ravens, the enemies of Qin Kai, bullying scandal with that model, now this missing cases...it is nothing but a mess." "Let''s try to look into Hu Geng Xin''s contacts in imperial. As per what we have gathered about him, he is an introvert with an eccentric personality, so it is pretty difficult for him to find a place to live or work in the city. So there will be someone who helped him." "Will look into it." "Can I suggest something, captain?" "Even if we somehow managed to prove the relationship between Shu Li Li and Hu Geng Xin, I damn sure that they are just pawns in this case. There is someone, a genius perpetrator behind all this." "Someone who knows how to tangle everything and make himself safe from the mess." "Do you have anything to say in it?" "If there is a perpetrator in it, he holds a huge hatred towards Shu Li Li and what will be the reason for it." "If it was jealousy, then he or she would aim to ruin Shu Li Li''s career." " By the time, they finished discussing, Wan Yi Jun returned with his laptop. "It''s just a hypothetical situation. Don''t waste time searching for Shu Lili''s criminal background." Han Ze Min adviced as soon as he saw his team captain setting up a temporary office room for the eagle team in his living room. "Yes, it is just a possibility. But we got nothing to lose...even if we waste time, I don''t want leave out anything." Wan Yi Jun said as he sat down with Bing Wen who started cross checking the files. "Captain, I got the reply from Crime records bureau." All of a sudden, Lao Yating informed them as he hold onto his mobile. "There aren''t any unnatural death or crimes that are related to Shu Lili, but there is a closed man- missing case in the same neighbourhood in which she has been recorded a witness." "Ask them to forward a report summary to our mail." Wan Yi Jun requested and logged on to the common mail address for the eagle team. Within seconds, the notification for the new mail has popped up on the screen and Bing Wen who opened the mail, started to read the summary. "It happened six years ago, Song Jia, a 19 year old high school student, went missing on her way back home." Bing Wen stopped reading and looked at Wan Yi Jun whether to read the rest of the document, "According to the statement of Shu Li Li, a classmate was the last person who met the victim, it''s found that the witness saw miss Song walking in the direction of the east Gui Xiang, towards national highway road. When the witness tried to talk, miss Song shouted at her classmate and told the other to go home before the rain. Since it was about to rain, the witness didn''t pay much attention and went home. Since the victim lived with an abusive father and has previously tried to run away from her home, the police department has closed the case as an act of eloping instead of man missing." "That''s it?" Wan Yi Jun asked in a disappointed tone. "Apparently, yes." "The cases of rebellious teens leaving their houses were a huge issue back then...and it''s a girl too, there is a high chance that she ended up somewhere worse than her own house." Fei Yan sighed heavily, as if he was reciprocating to Wan Yi Jun''s disappointment. "I told you, it just waste of time." Han Ze Min commented and stood up from his seat, However, right at that time Lao Yating''s phone rang in the room, gathering everyone''s attention all at once. "It is from the Bureau." He excitedly picked up the call and put it on the speaker mode, "Officer Lao, the previous enquiry report showed up when I searched with ''Shu Lili'' and ''West Gui Xiang'' as keywords. But I just tried looking for any follow up cases regarding the Song Jia''s missing and I found that two years ago, some of the hikers found skeletal remains from the Tai Shan mountain area in West Gui Xiang itself." "Is it hers?" Han Ze Min asked in a hurried voice, as if he couldn''t control his urge to know the rest of the report. "The department tried to cross check the DNA samples from the man missing cases. Since the skeleton was of a woman in late teens, there was a talk that it was Song Jia. They cross checked Song Jia''s DNA with her father''s, but it came out negative." As soon as the inference heard in the room, the anticipated look on everyone''s face vanished in a glimpse. "Since her parents were dead by the time, there wasn''t anyone to pressurize the police department to find out the truth, and eventually the local police had to close the case due to lack of evidence and tag the skeletal remains as unidentified." The officer in the other side of the call, concluded the report. "Hmmm. Thank you so much, officer." "No problem. Should I send the detailed case report, officer Lao?" "Yes, please." Wan Yi Jun requested before ending the conversation, "Didn''t you hear it? It''s a dead end. There is no point in dragging an unidentified corpse into this hot mess." Han Ze Min suggested when he heard his captain''s resilient order. "I too think the same, captain. We already have enough in our plates." Even Lao Yating who was so pumped up to find the truth, discouraged Wan Yi Jun from committing another mistake. "They have sent us the detailed report." Bing Wen who held the laptop pointed out as soon as he saw the notification for a new mail. "Let''s see if we can gather information about Song Jia and Shu Li Li'' s relationship in their school." Wan Yi Jun proposed as he dragged the mouse and began to go through the case report. "No offence. But, even in the school uniform, she looks like a law breaker, some sort of delinquent." Han Ze Min commented as soon as he saw the photograph of Song Jia with dyed, unkempt hair and nose and ear piercings. "From the statements of her classmates and neighbours, she is indeed a delinquent and outlaw." Wan Yi Jun said without lifting his eyes from the screen. "Good luck finding anything common between a class topper and a delinquent." Han Ze Min casually remarked with a mocking tone. "You are searching in the darkness, Yi Jun. Stop wasting everyone''s time." However, Wan Yi Jun completely ignored him and went ahead reporting his inferences, "From the report, it was said that Ji Ya''s personality was a bit problematic as she maintained relationships with various men, especially vendors who came to Gui Xiang for buying fishes and all. So people just assumed that she must have eloped with some of them." "If she is eloped with someone, there will be some kind of documents to prove that she is alive...like medical records or proof of name change etc etc." Fei Yan shared whatever came up with one of the possibility to support his claim. "Does organ traffickers ask for identity documents?" A familiar cold voice echoed in the room, interrupting the conversation. When the eagle team''s line of sight got focused on the tall and slender figure who stood at the corner of the room, they were literally left dumbfounded. They completely forgot that there was some one else in the room, listening to their discussion. "What did you just say, Xiao Yue?" Han Ze Min smilingly asked the girl, as if he didn''t hear her properly. "Organ traffickers in this country?" "I know it''s a bit difficult for some of you to accept it. But you are talking about a missing case that happened in the rural coastal Village, that too six years ago." Ming Yue explained as if she was well versed in this subject. "Since she got a questionable personality, everyone just tagged her missing case as simple act of thoughtless eloping... Who cares if she live or die? She is a bad apple in everyone''s eyes." She paused for a moment and glanced across the curious and surprised faces in the room, only to settle on Wan Yi Jun''s sullen face, "Apparently, those who were tagged as "bad and evil, by society doesn''t deserve any justice from this world were everyone measure good and bad with different scales." Chapter 92 - Keep Calm, Enjoy The Drama UNEDITED- PLEASE WAIT SOME TIME "Something might have happened to the perpetrator''s family¡­or to someone he loved and cherished more than anything else in this world¡­. That''s his reason." Though Wan Yi Jun spoke as if he was talking about the perpetrator of the murder, nobody knew that whatever he said was meant to Han Ze Min, too. Just like Shu Li Li''s case, Han Ze Min''s motive to kill his cousin would be personal vengeance- to avenge the death of his first love. If it wasn''t for their family, he would have killed Wan Yi Jun long ago, "You mean the perpetrator murdered Shu Lili and created havoc in the imperial city, just because he lost someone he loved?" Lao Yating added in a doubtful voice. As he thought more about it, his face got crooked as if heard something weird and looked around to check whether everyone think the same. "Well. For some people, family is all it matters, and they will do anything...even if it is a murder." Ming Yue added so casually, without even a slight change in her face, "I would do the same if I ever meet those people who destroyed my family..." Her sharp eyes narrowed on the mere thought avenging her parent''s death, "But there is a judicial system in this country, there is a law and order system...If everyone decides to take the weapon and avenge their loss," Lao Yating argued to the woman, who sounded as if she was in support of violence. "What if you lost his trust in the judiciary and the so-called law and order system? Someone who had no other option, no one to help him bring the justice his family deserves, you cannot simply blame him if you have a heart." Ming Yue didn''t hold back as she ran her mouth to present her side like an experienced lawyer, without even caring about others'' reactions to her. "You can''t just talk like that, miss Ming. From a humane and civilized perspective-" Lao Yating, who got charged by Ming Yue''s words, was about to light up another heated debate when Bing Wen meddled in between and tried to stop them, "Guys, guys...stop...We are not discussing justice and injustice. We are looking for a culprit." He tried to hammer down some senses two hot-headed individuals who stared at each other like two bulls, ready to fight. "Yes, we need to find the culprit before we start talking about justice and injustice," Holding, Lao Yating''s shoulder, Fei Yan also tried to ease the heated air in the room. It was the second time Lao Yating and Ming Yue had engrossed in a fierce debate, and everyone feared that they had already been torn apart from each other as if they could never have a peaceful conversation in the future. "Yaa, you just made your best two accomplices hate each other because of your stupid theories." Han Ze Min, who had been silently enjoying the conflicted expression on Wan Yi Jun, commented in a barely audible voice, only to annoy his cousin more. "These are mere guesses." Han Ze Min spoke as if he was the mediator of the debate and tried his best to save themselves for another awkward moment. "We still don''t have any evidence to prove our nearly hysterical hypothesis are actually true. So there is no point in arguing with each other, got it Yating and Yue?" Hearing, Han Ze Min''s explanation, "Let''s go there..." The basement where Hu Geng Xin lived and Gui Xiang." "Really? We are going all the way to Gui Xiang?" "Aren''t you the one who said that we lacked evidence?" "Keep your bags packed, I will get the permission." "If everything is settled then, is it okay if I serve the dinner?" "Let me help you," "Me too, sis." "It was great meeting you, miss Ming." "Yes, I feel the same." "Will see you later." "Give me your contact number?" "I have your card." "Yep, but I don''t have your number." "I don''t have a phone," "I will get you one." "You could have done it earlier." "Where did you-" "Master gave it to me," "Hmmm." "I will call you." "Please don''t." "I told you I have no interest to work with you," "We can talk about other things," "Do you really got free time to talk? No wonder your investigation is lagging," "Has anyone said that you are too fiesty?" "Everyone I have met." "See you then," "So master will be gone for at least a week?" "I''m sorry, but will you be alright after what happened here? " "We had guests, and nothing happened." "But you will be alone here, should I ask someone to stay here with you, for your protection?" "Are you kidding me, master? You put security systems all over this place, just for my sake. Why do I need more protection? I will be alright." "I will go and stay with my old landlord until you return, is that fine?" "I''m sorry, I don''t have many acquaintances in this city...otherwise- wait a minute, let me ask my friend if he could let you-" "What are you doing master, I''m perfectly fine with staying here alone. Didn''t I tell you that I know how to fight?" "Yeah, but..." "Don''t worry, I know how to take care of me..." "Mmmm...how''s your wound? Shouldn''t we disinfect and bandage it?" "It''s already late, please go to sleep." "Nope, you should take better care of yourself." "I will leave my car, here, so that people might think that I''m home." " "Even though Miss Feng could entirely confirm the man from the identity proof, once we showed her the Hu Geng Xin''s recent photograph from the agency, she was able to recognize him." "He came to the imperial city and must have done some random jobs until he landed up in that agency." "I don''t think he just landed up with that agency. He must have followed Shu Li Li all the way to the imperial city. Otherwise, why would he stay next to her apartment and took a job in the same building? I swear there is something wrong with him." "Then, go out with me," Han Ze Min''s casual proposal resonated in the room, ringing a bunch of alarming bells on Ming Yue''s on one corner of her mind and creating utter confusion on another corner. Her dubious eyes carefully scanned the grinning man who stood before her. Even when they were children, Han Ze Min was second to none in terms of good looks and personality. He had always been a jovial person, loved by everyone. However, the person who stood before her was someone else. It didn''t even take a moment for him to realize what exactly she meant. "What? Did he also-" His voice cracked when he thought about Wan Yi Jun asking out Ming Yue. Since she had only given a silent reply to his previous question about sleeping with Wan Yi Jun, his mind wandered among the endless possibilities. "I have no plan to go out with anyone." Ming Yue''s resilient words pulled him back into reality, and even before he knew it, Han Ze Min uttered those words he feared to say all these years, "I like you." Han Ze Min gaped at her gorgeous face devoid of endearing emotions for a long minute. There wasn''t even a single change in her face as he expected. Whenever he goes out, women always show interest in him, but it was the first time he had seen someone immune to his charms. "Ming Yue, I said I like you," "I like me too." "...." To be very honest, Han Ze Min didn''t know how would respond to such an answer. He was being honest, but with one single statement Ming Yue "Seriously? You think that joke would work on me?'' "You are the young master of the Han family, soon to be CEO of the HK group. You will get more eligible women-" "I said go out with me, not to marry me." "Huh?" "You want me to pretend as your girlfriend?" "Exactly. Don''t worry, I will pay for your services...both physical and emotional." "Do you know how offensive you just sounded right now?" "No thanks." "I''m not asking you to sleep with me...just come over to make others believe that we are a legitimate couple. We won''t have any physical relationship unless you are okay with it?" "And how long do I have to pretend like that?" "Just until, Wan Yi Jun gets married." "Why is that so?" "He is the eldest among us. If I get a girlfriend, our family will definitely pester him to get married or get engaged to his girlfriend whom you mentioned earlier." "You don''t know our family''s rules." "You are a police officer, are you not brave enough to say break the stupid rules and regulations set by your highly conservative family?" "I want to...but there is something that stopping us from doing so..." Me and Yi Jun are the only male heirs left in our family. If we don''t get married or have a child, the centuries-old legacy of our family will end with us." "So you want me to pretend as your girlfriend until you find an eligible woman as your girlfriend or wife, maybe?" "Yes. I will inform my family that we broke up and pretended to be heartbroken for a while." "Do you believe me if I say that I don''t want to be part of my family anymore?" Chapter 93 - Look Unedited: Please wait for some time Once the clock struck 9, Wan Yi Jun''s steadfast attempts to seek permission for visiting Gui Xiang had finally become successful, when they received a mail from the commissioner''s office, approving their request to travel. Since the decision to leave the imperial as early as possible, the eagle team gladly had their dinner and left Wisteria gardens before its too late. As soon as the last car drove out of the compound, Wan Yi Jun locked the gate and looked at Ming Yue, with a conflicted look on his face. Well, the real issue starts now. "So master will be gone for at least a week. Should I help you pack your bags?" Ming Yue sounded rather excited as she offered a hand to help him. But watching her docile expression, it was Wan Yi Jun who started to worry instead of Ming Yue who will be left alone in the mansion from tomorrow. "No, thanks, Miss Ming. But will you be okay to stay here alone after what happened to you?" He asked while signalling at the strange accidents that occurred in the mansion last night. "What if something happens, again?" "I don''t think so, master. We had guests today, and nothing happened here. No accidents, no glass break or whatsoever." Ming Yue sounded rather aloof and a bit more confident than the house owner. "But you will be alone here for god knows how many days. Should I ask someone to stay here for your protection?" Wan Yi Jun, who couldn''t stop fretting over Ming Yue''s security, kept suggesting various methods to ensure that she would be safe and secure until he return, from Gui Xiang. "Are you kidding me, master? You put security systems all over this place, just for my sake. Why do I need more protection? I will be alright." Ming Yue repeated as many times as possible to put Wan Yi Jun''s mind at peace. To be very honest, it started to irritate her as he acted as if he was overly concerned about her. Thanks to Han Ze Min''s desperate and clingy efforts to make her agree to his fake relationship deal, Ming Yue was on the verge of her endurance level. If she had to put up with Wan Yi Jun''s clingy personality for something similar, even she doesn''t guarantee what will be her reaction. "I will go and stay with my old landlord until you return, is that fine?" Ming Yue asked as a last resort to put an end to their conversation. "She would be fine if I stayed there for a couple of days." "I''m sorry, I don''t have many acquaintances in this city...otherwise.." Wan Yi Jun apologetically said while unknowingly ruffling his hair to let out his frustration, "Wait a minute, let me ask my friend if he could let you in for a couple of days." When he got a sudden idea, he immediately fished out his phone and went through the contact list. Watching her calculations go wrong in a couple of seconds, Ming Yue suddenly grabbed Wan Yi Jun''s wrist and stopped him from contacting his friend. "What are you doing master? I''m perfectly fine with staying here alone. Didn''t I tell you that I know how to fight?" She asked while trying hard not to grit her teeth in annoyance. "Yeah, but...Woah!!!" Wan Yi Jun unknowingly groaned when he felt a sudden pain rising from his wrist. Shockingly he lowered his gaze at his hand and looked at Ming Yue''s deadly grip over his wrist. He couldn''t believe it, she just twisted his wrist, without any hesitation, that too with her injured grip. "See, I know how to take care of me..." Ming Yue proudly declared while a lethally enchanting smile bloomed over her face, From the moment he had witnessed how Ming Yue handled the drunken man at the brothel, he was actually wondering how powerful she is and how heavy her punches were... Now that he had experienced it in real, he did not doubt that she will be able to take care of herself. And of course, it would be shameful to even think that someone like her, who had suffered enough in her life will flinch before an attacker. "Should I give a demo of what else I can do, master?" Ming Yue casually asked, as if fighting with him was no big deal for her. "No, I trust you...completely..." Wan Yi Jun smilingly gave her a nod of approval, and Ming Yue released her grip over his wrist as if nothing had happened, "how''s your wound? Shouldn''t we disinfect and bandage it?" "It''s already late, please go to sleep." "Nope, you should take better care of yourself." "I will leave my car, here, so that people might think that I''m home." "You are worrying too much." Only she knew how badly she had to try to deviate Wan Yi Jun and his team''s attention to something else and send them out of the city for a while. So that she can finally start working on her mission. "How did it go? Are they suspecting us?" "Nah...to be very honest, they didn''t know who to suspect. You guys are totally safe." "Huh..That''s a relief." "Anyway, we can finally focus on our own mission." "What is it, Nechan? What''s our mission?" "Well, you don''t have that much work. It''s something that you have already done in the past." "We just have to keep an eye on someone and get his detailed schedule and his contacts and everything for the next to weeks." "I''m on it, but who?" "Who?" "You don''t really have to follow him, even his assistant would suffice, got it." "Yes, sure." "Han Shi Zhong, the chairman of HK corporations." "Chairman of HK corporations?" "Yes. If you can''t do it, please do tell me beforehand." "Nechan, he is the one who practically rules this country...Nah this continent itself. Do you want to spy on someone like him? Isn''t dangerous?" "Only if you get caught." "But still." "Wan Yi Jun and his team will be going out of the city for at least two days, if you can at least gather his daily schedule, inform me as soon as possible." "Nechan, what exactly are you planning? Tora is bugging me to tell your location so that he can come here." "Don''t you dare speak a word about imperial to him?" "Then tell us about your plan? Are you planning to kill that chairman?" "Kill him? Nope, I have no plan to kill. He has to live...he has to live long enough to see his empire crumbling down before his eyes." "Hmm, should we start from his house or his office?" "From his house. Keep a tab on every single person who are meeting him and his family for the next two weeks." "I''m not saying that organ trafficking is behind the missing case. I''m just giving you an option. You can take it or ignore it." Ming Yue gently shrugged her shoulders, dragged into any kind of a mess." Han Ze Min smilingly said and gave a thumbs-up sign to Ming Yue, evidently showing that he has grown closer to her. The moment, Wan Yi Jun noticed the change of tone in his cousin''s voice, an unknown bitterness spread over his mind. "But we didn''t find any record of money transactions or did we?" Wan Yi Jun looked at the rest of the team for an answer, only to receive a "no" in He purposefully called out for Ming Yue by a pet name showing off his closeness to the only girl in the room. "Since there are no records for money transactions, we have to depend upon some other material evidence, like witness statements from Shu Li Li''s friends and families and call records." Wan Yi Jun hopefully looked at Bing Wen, who sat there with a laptop. They have already gone through the witness statements numerous times and couldn''t find anything helpful. "Captain, I have something to say," Fei Yan gathered everyone''s attention all at once, "Didn''t we say that we couldn''t find anything common between the Shu Li Li and the missing case?" "Hmmm." Wan Yi Jun gently nodded in agreement. "But there is something common between the reopening of that missing case and Shu Li Li." Fei Yan signalled Bing Wen to hand over the laptop and he immediately took out the enquiry report of the missing case. "Do you remember when Shu Li Li''s friend mentioned an assault attempt in their apartment complex? The timeline of that incident parallels with the reopening of the missing case." "When they found out skeletal remains from the mountain?" Wan Yi Jun excitedly asked when he finally found hope, "Yes, captain. Both the incidents happened two years ago. If we look more into it, we might find something." Fei Yan confidently suggested, "There were some difficulties to acquire the list of sanitation works from the agency, but somehow I managed to gather the names." Fei Yan took out a small notepad from his pocket and gave it to Wan Yi Jun, which he handed over to Bing Wen, Chapter 94 - I Dont Date!!! UNEDITED: please wait for sometime, As soon as the morning broke in the Imperial city, painting the skies in the brightest shades of yellow, Han Ze Min left his penthouse in the Skyline condominium, getting all ready for their trip to Gui Xiang. Even though he couldn''t fall asleep last night, he seemed to be in high spirits as he got inside the elevator, dialling Ming Yue''s number. All night, he was thinking about her, to be honest, he was worried about her staying alone with Wan Yi Jun. No matter how many times she had refused their relationship, Han Ze Min couldn''t ease his mind as he felt that there might be something fishy going around in that house. Even at the midnight, he woke up from The way she talks, more precisely, she argues and fights. It wouldn''t be "Oh, Hi, good morning, Lanlan." "It seems like you are not having a good morning today," "Why didn''t you tell your family that you are not interested in the engagement?" "I did tell them...My mother even started to look other proposals for me. I thought my family did tell your dad. He didn''t?" "Ah, it''s alright. I''m seeing someone, so I will be officially out of the list." "Hmm." "What about your "boyfriend"? Did you make up with him?" "Does it gives you immense pleasure to see others in pain?" "Hey...I''m not a sadist, at least not to you." "If you could have made it clear to my dad that you are not interested in me in the first place, none of these wouldn''t have happened." "You could''ve told your father that you like Wan Yi Jun. But you didn''t. I know that you love your father, but it is your life. Everyone knows that you love my cousin, including your father. So you should talk to him and figure out things." "But Yi Jun said that...he doesn''t..." "I know him more than anyone else. Though he acts like a lone wolf, he actually is a homeboy who cares a lot about family and feelings. He hesitates because of your father." "I don''t know what went wrong with him and your father, but somehow your father hates him. "You also know about this.?" "Wait a minute, you don''t know about this?" "Yi Jun did tell me that my father...dislikes him." "See, Lanlan. You are the only person who could solve this issue between your boyfriend and your father. As long as that conflict lasts, you will have no luck on becoming the Wan family''s daughter in law. So good luck solving that." "Also aunt Sienna is coming home, and I and my grandma has been forcing her to visit your father. So it''s better that you take charge and hurry things. "Ahhh...also say Hi to Xie Na. It''s been a while since I saw her, even though we practically live next door." "Bye then, I have to rush." can just go and search there just because we doubt that he is related to Shu Lili." "Hmmm. I will talk to Chief Wu and try if we can talk to someone who investigated Song Jia''s missing case." "Are we going to reopen that case, too?" "If it is necessary, we should do it." "This case is getting complicated day by day...even I lost the count of people and cases related to this case." "Will look into it." "Can I suggest something, captain?" "Someone who knows how to tangle everything and make himself safe from the mess." "Do you have anything to say in it?" "If there is a perpetrator in it, he holds a huge hatred towards Shu Li Li and what will be the reason for it." "If it was jealousy, then he or she would aim to ruin Shu Li Li''s career, not to kill her." "It was personal vengeance, but what would have made him?" "Have you ever felt like killing someone?" "Oh please, everyone at one point or another will feel like killing someone?" "I felt like killing a senior who always bullies me. But anyone with a normal mental constitution won''t murder-" "Unless they have a strong reason for it." "I always wanted to kill those people who ruined my life. What about you, officer Han, do you have a strong reason to kill someone, officer Han?" "Something might have happened to the perpetrator''s family¡­or to someone he loved and cherished more than anything else in this world¡­. That''s his reason." Though Wan Yi Jun spoke as if he was talking about the perpetrator of the murder, nobody knew that whatever he said was meant to Han Ze Min, too. Just like Shu Li Li''s case, Han Ze Min''s motive to kill his cousin would be personal vengeance- to avenge the death of his first love. If it wasn''t for their family, he would have killed Wan Yi Jun long ago, "You mean the perpetrator murdered Shu Lili and created havoc in the imperial city, just because he lost someone he loved?" Lao Yating added in a doubtful voice. As he thought more about it, his face got crooked as if heard something weird and looked around to check whether everyone think the same. "Well. For some people, family is all it matters, and they will do anything...even if it is a murder." Ming Yue added so casually, without even a slight change in her face, "I would do the same if I ever meet those people who destroyed my family..." Her sharp eyes narrowed on the mere thought avenging her parent''s death, "But there is a judicial system in this country, there is a law and order system...If everyone decides to take the weapon and avenge their loss," Lao Yating argued to the woman, who sounded as if she was in support of violence. "What if you lost his trust in the judiciary and the so-called law and order system? Someone who had no other option, no one to help him bring the justice his family deserves, you cannot simply blame him if you have a heart." Ming Yue didn''t hold back as she ran her mouth to present her side like an experienced lawyer, without even caring about others'' reactions to her. "You can''t just talk like that, miss Ming. From a humane and civilized perspective-" Lao Yating, who got charged by Ming Yue''s words, was about to light up another heated debate when Bing Wen meddled in between and tried to stop them, "Guys, guys...stop...We are not discussing justice and injustice. We are looking for a culprit." He tried to hammer down some senses two hot-headed individuals who stared at each other like two bulls, ready to fight. "Yes, we need to find the culprit before we start talking about justice and injustice," Holding, Lao Yating''s shoulder, Fei Yan also tried to ease the heated air in the room. "These are mere guesses." Han Ze Min spoke as if he was the mediator of the debate and "We still don''t have any evidence to prove our nearly hysterical hypothesis are actually true." "Let''s go there...the basement where Hu Geng Xin lived and Gui Xiang." "Really? We are going all the way to Gui Xiang?" "Aren''t you the one who said that we lacked evidence?" "Keep your bags packed, I will get the permission." "If everything is settled then, is it okay if I serve the dinner?" "Let me help you," "Me too, sis." "It was great meeting you, miss Ming." "Yes, I feel the same." "Will see you later." "Give me your contact number?" "I have your card." "Yep, but I don''t have your number." "I don''t have a phone," "I will get you one." "You could have done it earlier." "Where did you-" "Master gave it to me," "Hmmm." "I will call you." "Please don''t." "I told you I have no interest to work with you," "We can talk about other things," "Do you really got free time to talk? No wonder your investigation is lagging," "Has anyone said that you are too fiesty?" "Everyone I have met." "See you then," "So master will be gone for at least a week?" "I''m sorry, but will you be alright after what happened here? " "We had guests, and nothing happened." "But you will be alone here, should I ask someone to stay here with you, for your protection?" "Are you kidding me, master? You put security systems all over this place, just for my sake. Why do I need more protection? I will be alright." "I will go and stay with my old landlord until you return, is that fine?" "I''m sorry, I don''t have many acquaintances in this city...otherwise- wait a minute, let me ask my friend if he could let you-" "What are you doing master, I''m perfectly fine with staying here alone. Didn''t I tell you that I know how to fight?" "Yeah, but..." "Don''t worry, I know how to take care of me..." "Mmmm...how''s your wound? Shouldn''t we disinfect and bandage it?" "It''s already late, please go to sleep." "Nope, you should take better care of yourself." "I will leave my car, here, so that people might think that I''m home." " Chapter 95 - The Pain She Caused Me Chapter 94 is edited, please check it. Unedited version As soon as the morning broke in the Imperial city, painting the skies in the brightest shades of yellow, Han Ze Min left his penthouse in the Skyline condominium, getting all ready for their trip to Gui Xiang. Even though he couldn''t fall asleep last night, he seemed to be in high spirits as he got inside the elevator, dialling Ming Yue''s number. All night, he was thinking about her, to be honest, he was worried about her staying alone with Wan Yi Jun. No matter how many times she had refused their relationship, Han Ze Min couldn''t ease his mind as he felt that there might be something fishy going around in that house. Even at midnight, he woke up multiple times, thinking about returning to Wisteria gardens. Even he doesn''t know how many times he cursed his decision not to stay with Wan Yi Jun. It''s fascinating for him to realize that Ming Yue has made her way into his heart after a long time. The way she talks, more precisely, she argues and fights. It was impossible to believe that she was a maid. If they met each other in some other circumstances, he would have definitely mistaken her as a headstrong young miss of some wealthy family, a perfect match for him. If he had met Ming Yue before Wan Yi Jun, he would have already confessed. But unfortunately, he had to snatch her from Wan Yi Jun, before its too late. With a hum on his lips, Han Ze Min dialled Ming Yue''s number, hoping to start his day on a good day. After two rings, the call got connected and Ming Yue''s tired hello was heard from the other side. "Did you decide?" It was the first thing Han Ze Min asked even before greeting her properly, "About our deal? No, I couldn''t sleep well, that''s why I''m calling you early in the morning. There is going to be an important function in my family, so I should have a girlfriend by that time. I told you to take your time to think properly. Bye then, see you soon." Just as he walked towards his car in the parking lot, a car harshly pulled before him and an angry Zhi Lan got out of the car, "Oh, Hi, good morning, Lanlan." Han Ze Min waved his hand while flashing a big fat grin at her, However, other than shooting fuming glares at him, she spoke nothing. "It seems like your morning is not that good. Tell mem Zhi Lan, which one of your friends got into trouble this time? Don''t tell me, it is Xie Na." He teasingly added while pointing upwards, "I haven''t seen her in a while. She didn''t kill anyone, right? "Why didn''t you tell your family that you are not interested in the engagement?" Zhi Lan tried hard not to lose control as she listened to his scornful words about her friends. Actually, she came to visit Xie Na, who lives in the same building as Han Ze Min. However, she didn''t expect to run into him, and the very first moment she saw his smiling face, all of her frustration just erupted like a volcano. Watching her reaction, it took a moment for Han Ze Min to gather his thoughts about their alliance. "I did tell my family, and my mother even started to look other proposals for me. I thought my uncle might have informed your dad. He didn''t?" Han Ze Min replied in a playful tone, only to receive silence from Zhi Lan, who appeared agitated. It seems like the Zhi family is not aware that Han Ze Min has backed off from being a potential suitor for their young miss. "Ah, whatever. I''m seeing someone. So I will be officially out of the list, and you will be free from this arranged marriage or whatever our family wants us to do." For some reason, Han Ze Min''s words put Zhi Lan''s mind at peace as she agreed with him with a gentle nod. "Maybe my uncle must have considered his other nephew as your suitor. Maybe that''s why he didn''t technically call off the alliance," As soon as those words fell from Han Ze Min''s mouth, Zhi Lan felt she got struck by a bolt of lightning. "You told uncle about Yi Jun?"She asked in a puzzled tone, unable to trust Han Ze Min, who tend to act like a total jerk sometimes. "Well, I also need a reason to reject you. So I just admitted that you are already in a relationship with the good for nothing son of the Han family. By the by, did you make up with your boyfriend? That day, Cai Hong made quite a daring revelation." Han Ze Min stated as he recalled Cai Hong''s words about his cousin and Zhi Lan''s relationship. In front of everyone, Cai Hong revealed that Wan Yi Jun never reciprocated Zhi Lan''s feelings even after all these years. "Does it gives you immense pleasure to see others in pain?" Zhi Lan, whose eyes glinted in anger and pain, harshly refuted the man who stood before her, seemingly mocking her. "Hey...I''m not a sadist," Han Ze Min shrugged his shoulders as he opposed her accusation with a smile, "Well, at least not to you. How can I hurt you, Lanlan? You are supposed to become my sister in law." Watching him pretending that he had never considered her as a potential partner, Zhi Lan seethed in anger. "Sister in law?" Her reddened nostrils flared as if she heard something alien, "If you could have made it clear to my dad that you are not interested in me in the first place, none of these wouldn''t have happened." She continued to rebuke him for taking things far, "Why should I tell your father? You are the one who told me that you like Wan Yi Jun. You could''ve told your father about him. But you didn''t and agreed to meet me for a potential matchmaking date." Once Han Ze Min realized that Zhi Lan was blaming everything on him, he didn''t hesitate to refute her in the same tone. "I know that you love your father, but it is your life. Everyone knows that you love my cousin, including your father. Yet he forced you to become my fiance. So you should talk to him and figure out things." Just as Han Ze Min explained his side of the story, Zhi Lan''s anger finally faded out. To be honest, she was the one who struggled to choose between her father''s wishes and Wan Yi Jun. Even though she tried to inform her father about her feelings towards his junior officer, he has always avoided that conversation for some reason. The same thing happened with Wan Yi Jun too, whenever she mentions taking their relationship to next level, he always hesitates. And when she finally made a declaration, Wan Yi Jun refused her, quoting that he doesn''t want to be with her. "But Yi Jun said that...he doesn''t..." Zhi Lan''s words broke when she remembered how mercilessly Wan Yi Jun refused her after keeping her waiting for almost a decade. "Oh please, I know him more than anyone else. Though he acts like a lone wolf, without anyone''s companionship, he actually is a homeboy who cares a lot about family and their feelings. He hesitates because of your father." Han Ze Min added with an enigmatic smile and gently leaned onto the bonnet of his car, as if he was trying to lead the conversation for a bit longer, "I don''t know what went wrong with him and your father, but somehow your father hates him." "You also know about this?" Zhi Lan asked in a shocked tone, only to receive a similar reply from Han Ze Min, "Yi Jun did tell me that my father..." She paused in the mid-sentence as an unknown pain suddenly washed over her, "...dislikes him and never approve our relationship." Hearing her sudden confession, Han Ze Min''s forehead creased in puzzlement. "I told him that I will talk to my father and change his mind. But whenever I try to speak about Wan Yi Jun he either changes the topic or brings your name. Nowadays, I''m just wondering whether he has already made an appointment to officially meet your parents." When Zhi Lan felt that Han Ze Min was willing to lend her an ear, she let out all of her worries to him. "See, Lanlan. You are the only person who could solve this issue between your boyfriend and your father." "As long as that conflict lasts, you will have no luck becoming the Wan family''s daughter in law." So good luck solving that." "Also, aunt Sienna is coming home, and I and my grandma has been forcing her to visit your father. So it''s better that you take charge and hurry things. "Ahhh...also say Hi to Xie Na. It''s been a while since I saw her, even though we practically live next door." "Bye then, I have to rush." can just go and search there just Chapter 96 - The Girls Party UNEDITED: Just as Han Ze Min''s car drove past Zhi Lan in the parking lot of Skyline condo, another one abruptly stopped in front of her, and a masked woman got down. "Oh, finally!!!" Zhi Lan heavily sighed as she looked at Cai Hong, who dressed up to avoid paparazzi. Removing her sunglasses in hurried motions, she almost dragged Zhi Lan behind one of the concrete columns in the parking lot. "What are you-" Even before Zhi Lan could ask something, Cai Hong silenced her with a bunch of questions, "Was that Han Ze Min? Why is he here? Did he come here to ask about me?" Cai Hong inquired while looking in the direction where Han Ze Min''s car went. "Hey, hey, cool down. He lives here," Zhi Lan tried to calm down her friend who started panicking at the mere glimpse of a police officer. Though Cai Hong pretended unaffected during the interrogation, she was indeed frightened by Han Ze Min''s wrath. "Here?" Cai Hong asked and glanced around the parking lot. Skyline apartments were home to the elites in the imperial city and she couldn''t help but wonder why Han Ze Min who was rich enough to buy a hundred such skyline penthouses chose to live here, like a nouveau riche. "Hmm... opposite to Xie Na''s penthouse" Zhi Lan calmly informed and took a step away from the column, intending to walk away from the parking lot. "What? I thought he lives in the Han family''s mansion...when did he move out?" Cai Hong asked while following her friend to the elevator, hiding herself in the shadows of columns and cars as if she was on some undercover mission. "He moved out last year, I guess... Let''s go up, otherwise, we will be late." Zhi Lan reminded as she pressed the top floor button on the elevator. "Do you think this is going to be safe? Xie Na and Han Ze Min are neighbours, and we are doing something illegal right under his nose." As soon as the elevator went upwards, Cai Hong began to worry about unnecessary things. Watching such a reaction from Cai Hong, who always acted as the momma bear of their friend circle, someone who always taken care of others, Zhi Lan couldn''t help but scold her friend, who was out of her mind, "Are you kidding me, Cai Hong? Did you forget your brain at home or what?" Zhi Lan didn''t even control her mouth as she spoke to the other. She couldn''t believe Cai Hong would stoop down to this pathetic level under fear. "I''m just worried...what if something happens to me..." Cai Hong said while biting her nails in nervousness. "Didn''t Xie Na tell us that we can rely on her for things like this? She got a team to handle this without gathering any police attention. So please don''t worry. She will manage it." Zhi Lan once again reassured Cai Hong as the elevator hit the top floor of the building. "Hmm... I hope she agrees to do it." Zhi Lan added as she followed "Were you sleeping?" "Hmmm... I barely slept." "That can be seen on your face," "Who was it?" "One of my clients.." "You are sleeping with your clients?" "What can I do if they are willing to sleep with me? Coffee?" "Well, at least one of us is getting laid. Good for you." "So tell me, what help do you want from me?" "I want you to look for someone on run after committing a crime." "Who?" "I don''t know his name." "Photograph?" "Nope." "It''s the culprit who murdered a girl on new years eve." "I thought police department...Lanlan''s boyfriend is investigating the case?" "Yes, but can you ask your people to search him and if you can...catch him before the police?" "What''s it, Cai Hong? What did you do this time?" "Why...why are you doubting me? Do you also think that I killed that b*tch?" "So, that''s what happened. Did captain Wan summon you to interrogate?" "Yes." "Well, if you haven''t done anything wrong, you shouldn''t waver before anyone." "I assume that you did something?" "Police have some footage of me bullying that girl." "Don''t you have a little bit of common sense? You are a celebrity and-" "It just happened, if the police don''t find the murderer, they will sue me instead," "Who told you that rubbish? Police just can''t sue anyone without any evidence." "They have enough evidence to sue me. That''s why I''m here." "Just, tell me, what should I do? appear for you in the court or look for the real culprit?" "Well, essentially it is the same thing, isn''t it?" "Nope, one is legal, and the other is illegal and expensive." "You really keep your personal life away from your profession, don''t you?" "Of, course." "Xie Na, where are you? Oh, Hi..." "I hope I''m not interrupting anything." "No, you are not. Are you leaving, miss Chun? Stay for breakfast." "No, no. It''s okay...you are having guests." "They are about to leave." "Yes, please stay for the breakfast." "Hmm, thanks." "Don''t worry. I will take care of it, if it''s in the court or not, I will make sure ..." "Don''t you think Xie Na''s taste is a bit-" "Don''t you dare to judge her for sexual orientation?" "Hey no...I''m not...I''m totally fine with my best friend being a lesbian...I was talking about that woman, doesn''t she have a husband?" "Yes, also a million-dollar company shares which she is supposed to receive as alimony. She found her husband cheating with his private secretary, and Xie Na''s firm is handling the divorce settlement." "And she is completely fine with sleeping with her client?" "Didn''t you hear what she said?" "To be very honest, I thought she was not interested in dating and marriage or anything that requires commitment." "Actually, she wasn''t like this...she went through a huge loss." "Who died?" "Nobody died. She just lost a deal, and after that, her entire personality drastically changed." "It''s just a deal..." "Nope...It wasn''t just a deal...It was a girl..." "Hmm...a courtesan girl...Xie Na tried to bring her home, but she just ran away with a schoolboy." ust as Han Ze Min''s car drove past Zhi Lan in the parking lot of Skyline condo, another one abruptly stopped in front of her, and a masked woman got down. "Oh, finally!!!" Zhi Lan heavily sighed as she looked at Cai Hong, who dressed up to avoid paparazzi. Removing her sunglasses in hurried motions, she almost dragged Zhi Lan behind one of the concrete columns in the parking lot. "What are you-" Even before Zhi Lan could ask something, Cai Hong silenced her with a bunch of questions, "Was that Han Ze Min? Why is he here? Did he come here to ask about me?" Cai Hong inquired while looking in the direction where Han Ze Min''s car went. "Hey, hey, cool down. He lives here," Zhi Lan tried to calm down her friend who started panicking at the mere glimpse of a police officer. Though Cai Hong pretended unaffected during the interrogation, she was indeed frightened by Han Ze Min''s wrath. "Here?" Cai Hong asked and glanced around the parking lot. Skyline apartments were home to the elites in the imperial city and she couldn''t help but wonder why Han Ze Min who was rich enough to buy a hundred such skyline penthouses chose to live here, like a nouveau riche. "Hmm... opposite to Xie Na''s penthouse" Zhi Lan calmly informed and took a step away from the column, intending to walk away from the parking lot. "What? I thought he lives in the Han family''s mansion...when did he move out?" Cai Hong asked while following her friend to the elevator, hiding herself in the shadows of columns and cars as if she was on some undercover mission. "He moved out last year, I guess... Let''s go up, otherwise, we will be late." Zhi Lan reminded as she pressed the top floor button on the elevator. "Do you think this is going to be safe? Xie Na and Han Ze Min are neighbours, and we are doing something illegal right under his nose." As soon as the elevator went upwards, Cai Hong began to worry about unnecessary things. Watching such a reaction from Cai Hong, who always acted as the momma bear of their friend circle, someone who always taken care of others, Zhi Lan couldn''t help but scold her friend, who was out of her mind, "Are you kidding me, Cai Hong? Did you forget your brain at home or what?" Zhi Lan didn''t even control her mouth as she spoke to the other. She couldn''t believe Cai Hong would stoop down to this pathetic level under fear. "I''m just worried...what if something happens to me..." Cai Hong said while biting her nails in nervousness. "Didn''t Xie Na tell us that we can rely on her for things like this? She got a team to handle this without gathering any police attention. So please don''t worry. She will manage it.." Zhi Lan once again reassured Cai Hong as the elevator hit the top floor of the building. Chapter 97 - You Go Girl UNEDITED- PLEASE WAIT FOR SOMETIME As soon as the morning broke in the Imperial city, painting the skies in the brightest shades of yellow, Han Ze Min left his penthouse in the Skyline condominium, getting all ready for their trip to Gui Xiang. Even though he couldn''t fall asleep last night, he seemed to be in high spirits as he got inside the elevator, dialling Ming Yue''s number. All night, he was thinking about her, to be honest, he was worried about her staying alone with Wan Yi Jun. No matter how many times she had refused their relationship, Han Ze Min couldn''t ease his mind as he felt that there might be something fishy going around in that house. Even at midnight, he woke up multiple times, thinking about returning to Wisteria gardens. Even he doesn''t know how many times he cursed his decision not to stay with Wan Yi Jun. It''s fascinating for him to realize that Ming Yue has made her way into his heart after a long time. The way she talks, more precisely, she argues and fights. It was impossible to believe that she was a maid. If they met each other in some other circumstances, he would have definitely mistaken her as a headstrong young miss of some wealthy family, a perfect match for him. If he had met Ming Yue before Wan Yi Jun, he would have already taken her to the civil bureau to register their marriage. But unfortunately, he had to win her over. With a hum on his lips, Han Ze Min dialled Ming Yue''s number, hoping to start his day on a good day. After two rings, the call got connected and Ming Yue''s tired hello was heard from the other side. "Did you decide?" It was the first thing Han Ze Min asked even before greeting her properly, "About our deal? No, I couldn''t sleep well, that''s why I''m calling you early in the morning. There is going to be an important function in my family, so I should have a girlfriend by that time. I told you to take your time to think properly. Bye then, see you soon." Just as he walked towards his car in the parking lot, a car harshly pulled before him and an angry Zhi Lan got out of the car, "Oh, Hi, good morning, Lanlan." Han Ze Min waved his hand while flashing a big fat grin at her, However, other than shooting fuming glares at him, she spoke nothing. "It seems like your morning is not that good. Tell mem Zhi Lan, which one of your friends got into trouble this time? Don''t tell me, it is Xie Na." He teasingly added while pointing upwards, "I haven''t seen her in a while. She didn''t kill anyone, right? "Why didn''t you tell your family that you are not interested in the engagement?" Zhi Lan tried hard not to lose control as she listened to his scornful words about her friends. Actually, she came to visit Xie Na, who lives in the same building as Han Ze Min. However, she didn''t expect to run into him, and the very first moment she saw his smiling face, all of her frustration just erupted like a volcano. Watching her reaction, it took a moment for Han Ze Min to gather his thoughts about their alliance. "I did tell my family, and my mother even started to look other proposals for me. I thought my uncle might have informed your dad. He didn''t?" Han Ze Min replied in a playful tone, only to receive silence from Zhi Lan, who appeared agitated. It seems like the Zhi family is not aware that Han Ze Min has backed off from being a potential suitor for their young miss. "Ah, whatever. I''m seeing someone. So I will be officially out of the list, and you will be free from this arranged marriage or whatever our family wants us to do." For some reason, Han Ze Min''s words put Zhi Lan''s mind at peace as she agreed with him with a gentle nod. "Maybe my uncle must have considered his other nephew as your suitor. Maybe that''s why he didn''t technically call off the alliance," As soon as those words fell from Han Ze Min''s mouth, Zhi Lan felt she got struck by a bolt of lightning. "You told uncle about Yi Jun?"She asked in a puzzled tone, unable to trust Han Ze Min, who tend to act like a total jerk sometimes. "Well, I also need a reason to reject you. So I just admitted that you are already in a relationship with the good for nothing son of the Han family. By the by, did you make up with your boyfriend? That day, Cai Hong made quite a daring revelation." Han Ze Min stated as he recalled Cai Hong''s words about his cousin and Zhi Lan''s relationship. In front of everyone, Cai Hong revealed that Wan Yi Jun never reciprocated Zhi Lan''s feelings even after all these years. "Does it gives you immense pleasure to see others in pain?" Zhi Lan, whose eyes glinted in anger and pain, harshly refuted the man who stood before her, seemingly mocking her. "Hey...I''m not a sadist," Han Ze Min shrugged his shoulders as he opposed her accusation with a smile, "Well, at least not to you. How can I hurt you, Lanlan, you are supposed to become my "If you could have made it clear to my dad that you are not interested in me in the first place, none of these wouldn''t have happened." "You could''ve told your father that you like Wan Yi Jun. But you didn''t. I know that you love your father, but it is your life. Everyone knows that you love my cousin, including your father. So you should talk to him and figure out things." "But Yi Jun said that...he doesn''t..." "I know him more than anyone else. Though he acts like a lone wolf, he actually is a homeboy who cares a lot about family and feelings. He hesitates because of your father." "I don''t know what went wrong with him and your father, but somehow your father hates him. "You also know about this.?" "Wait a minute, you don''t know about this?" "Yi Jun did tell me that my father...dislikes him." "See, Lanlan. You are the only person who could solve this issue between your boyfriend and your father. As long as that conflict lasts, you will have no luck becoming the Wan family''s daughter in law. So good luck solving that." "Also, aunt Sienna is coming home, and I and my grandma has been forcing her to visit your father. So it''s better that you take charge and hurry things. "Ahhh...also say Hi to Xie Na. It''s been a while since I saw her, even though we practically live next door." "Bye then, I have to rush." can just go and search there just "Something might have happened to the perpetrator''s family¡­or to someone he loved and cherished more than anything else in this world¡­. That''s his reason." Though Wan Yi Jun spoke as if he was talking about the perpetrator of the murder, nobody knew that whatever he said was meant to Han Ze Min, too. Just like Shu Li Li''s case, Han Ze Min''s motive to kill his cousin would be personal vengeance- to avenge the death of his first love. If it wasn''t for their family, he would have killed Wan Yi Jun long ago, "You mean the perpetrator murdered Shu Lili and created havoc in the imperial city, just because he lost someone he loved?" Lao Yating added in a doubtful voice. As he thought more about it, his face got crooked as if heard something weird and looked around to check whether everyone think the same. "Well. For some people, family is all it matters, and they will do anything...even if it is a murder." Ming Yue added so casually, without even a slight change in her face, "I would do the same if I ever meet those people who destroyed my family..." Her sharp eyes narrowed on the mere thought avenging her parent''s death, "But there is a judicial system in this country, there is a law and order system...If everyone decides to take the weapon and avenge their loss," Lao Yating argued to the woman, who sounded as if she was in support of violence. "What if you lost his trust in the judiciary and the so-called law and order system? Someone who had no other option, no one to help him bring the justice his family deserves, you cannot simply blame him if you have a heart." Ming Yue didn''t hold back as she ran her mouth to present her side like an experienced lawyer, without even caring about others'' reactions to her. "Yes, we need to find the culprit before we start talking about justice and injustice," Holding, Lao Yating''s shoulder, Fei Yan also tried to ease the heated air in the room. "These are mere guesses.." Han Ze Min spoke as if he was the mediator of the debate and tried his best to save themselves for another awkward moment. Chapter 98 - The Devils Den UNEDITED: PLEASE WAIT FOR SOME TIME Just "Do you mind If I ask why you are interested in Hu Geng Xin, officer? He is just a nameless guy who barely talks to anyone." "Do you know where he is right now?" "I just heard that he went to the city for a better job?" "Better job? What was he doing here?" "He used to do all these petty jobs in the village...from working in the fish market to the gatekeeper of the church cemetery...he literally did everything." "As I told you earlier, he was the one who helped us to dig out the skeleton from the mountain." "Do you know where did he go? Or does he have any friends, here?" "Not really. He never talks to anyone. Ahhh, maybe if you talk to Elder Mao, you might get some details." "Where can find elder Mao?" "He lives next to the place where you are going to stay tonight. I will send him a word." "Thank you for your co-operation, officer." "It''s a shame that you came here as part of the investigation otherwise, it is a nice vacation spot for people from imperial." "We will come back again. See you tomorrow, officer Pei?" "This place is a hell hole with criminals and injustice, and he wants us to come here again. Sorry, I''m out." "I''m not even getting proper signals. Does your phone have signals?" "Yes, then can you lend me your phone? I have to make a quick phone call," "Oh, sure." "Did you make up your mind?" "What''s happening wrong with officer Han? He was on his phone all day. I saw him giggling at his phone," "Did he has a girlfriend?" "Oh please, don''t start." "Can we go then?" "Yes, captain." The local police team left in the evening after arranging accommodation facilities for the eagle team members in a nearby guesthouse in the village. Since it wasn''t a town big enough to have huge buildings and hotels, the place where Wan Yi Jun and his team stayed was a beach cottage owned by one of the villagers for tourists. After making sure that everyone settled down in their respective rooms, Wan Yi Jun picked up his phone and walked out the balcony, "How are you, miss Ming? Is everything alright? He called you, when? Just block him. I will take care of it." "I hope everything is according to your likes, sir." "Yes," "Who lives there?" "Nobody lives there, now." "It looks so beautiful." "Yes, But no one goes there. It''s notoriously known as devil''s den." "Devil''s den?" "Many people died over there, either falling into the sea or hitting the head on the rock." "as Han Ze Min''s car drove past Zhi Lan in the parking lot of Skyline condo, another one abruptly stopped in front of her, and a masked woman got down. "Oh, finally!!!" Zhi Lan heavily sighed as she looked at Cai Hong, who dressed up to avoid paparazzi. Removing her sunglasses in hurried motions, she almost dragged Zhi Lan behind one of the concrete columns in the parking lot. "What are you-" Even before Zhi Lan could ask something, Cai Hong silenced her with a bunch of questions, "Was that Han Ze Min? Why is he here? Did he come here to ask about me?" Cai Hong inquired while looking in the direction where Han Ze Min''s car went. "Hey, hey, cool down. He lives here," Zhi Lan tried to calm down her friend who started panicking at the mere glimpse of a police officer. Though Cai Hong pretended unaffected during the interrogation, she was indeed frightened by Han Ze Min''s wrath. "Here?" Cai Hong asked and glanced around the parking lot. Skyline apartments was home to the elites in the imperial city and she couldn''t help but wonder why Han Ze Min who was rich enough to buy a hundred such skyline penthouses chose to live here, like a nouveau riche. "Hmm... opposite to Xie Na''s penthouse" Zhi Lan calmly informed and took a step away from the column, intending to walk away from the parking lot. "What? I thought he lives in the Han family''s mansion...when did he move out?" Cai Hong asked while following her friend to the elevator, hiding herself in the shadows of columns and cars, as if she was on some undercover mission. "No proof of existence?" Lao Yating''s eyes widened in shock as his brain slowly processed the piece of unexpected information that shot directly at them, "Are you saying that he is also missing like Song Jia...for the last two years? Is he alive or-" "Maybe, maybe not." Wan Yi Jun gave a vague reply to his team members, crushing their hopes all at once. "We tried to issue an interrogation and search warranty in the address he had given, and the data showed that someone else is staying there." "Just because he moved houses doesn''t confirm-" "The number he has given as his contact in the agency went inactive, two years ago, and its last tower location was around Jing university, to be more precisely, next to Shu Li Li''s apartment," Shen Junru added as a matter of fact, "We don''t know the exact date when he met Shu Li Li, but on 9th of December, he suddenly disappeared without even collecting the salary." "Well, if he had plans to move cities, no matter how busy he was, he would have made sure to get his salary before leaving the city." "As we said earlier, there is no evidence of his existence, no medical records, call records or anything that proves that a man named "Hu Geng Xin is alive." "Are we hitting another dead end?" The moment, those words fell from Lao Yating''s mouth, Bing Wen unknowingly covered his ears and yelled like a worried "Sir Lao, don''t jinx it." "Where did Hu Geng Xin live? Is it possible for us to search?" "Still, we should at least try." "How about we go and search Hu Geng Xin''s house in Gui Xiang?" "It''s Gui Xiang you are talking about, we can just go and search there just because we doubt that he is related to Shu Lili." "Hmmm. I will talk to Chief Wu and try if we can talk to someone who investigated Song Jia''s missing case." "Are we going to reopen that case, too?" "If it is necessary, we should do it." "This case is getting complicated day by day...even I lost the count of people and cases related to this case." "We investigated the drug deals in Rising Ravens, the enemies of Qin Kai, bullying scandal with that model, now this missing cases...it is nothing but a mess." "Let''s try to look into Hu Geng Xin''s contacts in imperial. As per what we have gathered about him, he is an introvert with an eccentric personality, so it is pretty difficult for him to find a place to live or work in the city. So there will be someone who helped him." "Will look into it." "Can I suggest something, captain?" "Even if we somehow managed to prove the relationship between Shu Li Li and Hu Geng Xin, I damn sure that they are just pawns in this case. There is someone, a genius perpetrator behind all this." "Someone who knows how to tangle everything and make himself safe from the mess." "Do you have anything to say in it?" "If there is a perpetrator in it, he holds a huge hatred towards Shu Li Li and what will be the reason for it." "If it was jealousy, then he or she would aim to ruin Shu Li Li''s career, not to kill her." "It was personal vengeance, but what would have made him?" "He moved out last year, I guess... Let''s go up otherwise we will be late." Zhi Lan reminded as she pressed the top floor button on the elevator. "Do you think this is going to be safe? Xie Na and Han Ze Min are neighbours and....we are doing something illegal right under his nose." As soon as "Are you kidding me, Cai Hong? Did you forget your brain at home?" "I''m just worried...what if something happens to me..." "Didn''t Xie Na tell us that we can rely on her for things like this? She got a team to handle this without gathering any police attention." "Hmm... But still," "Were you sleeping?" "Hmmm... I barely slept." "That can be seen on your face," "Who was it?" "One of my clients.." "You are sleeping with your clients?" "What can I do if they are willing to sleep with me? Coffee?" "Well, at least one of us is getting laid. Good for you." "So tell me, what help do you want from me?" "I want you to look for someone on run after committing a crime." "Who?" "I don''t know his name." "Photograph?" "Nope." "It''s the culprit who murdered a girl on new years eve." "I thought police department...Lanlan''s boyfriend is investigating the case?" "Yes, but can you ask your people to search him and if you can...catch him before the police?" "What''s it, Cai Hong? What did you do this time?" "Why...why are you doubting me? Do you also think that I killed that b*tch?" "So, that''s what happened. Did captain Wan summon you to interrogate?" "Yes." Chapter 99 - Han Ze Min Is Missing Unedited: "That Jerk!!!" Wan Yi Jun gritted his teeth as he ended the phone call with Ming Yue and tightened his grip over the phone in absolute anger. No matter how hard he tried he couldn''t understand why would Han Ze Min would call...Nah...irritate Ming Yue over phone calls. By the way, who the hell calls someone every hour, just to check on them? Ming Yue even said that she tried to ignore his phone calls, but he spammed her with his messages, all day. Is he trying to look for new ways to torture his cousin, now that Zhi Lan is out of the picture? "How dare he?" Wan Yi Jun mumbled in utter dismay as he thought about the possibility of Han Ze Min disturbing Ming Yue just because she is closer to him. He quickly turned around and stomped towards the room where his good for nothing brother stays. He can''t take any chance when it comes to Ming Yue''s life, there is no way he would sit back if Han Ze Min drags her into the mess how he did with Zhi Lan. However, on the way to the room, Wan Yi Jun ran into Zhu Yahui, the caretaker of the guest house, "Do you need anything, sir?" He asked the young man who was hurriedly walking around the corridors, like a raging bull. "No. I don''t need anything." Wan Yi Jun replied and give a slight bow, before walking past him, "Sir, are you going to meet officer Han?" Zhu Yahui suddenly asked when he noticed that Wan Yi Jun was storming towards the room where Han Ze Min stays and stopped the other, "He went outside." "Outside?" Wan Yi Jun stopped in his tracks when he heard those words, "Where did he go?" "He wanted to get something from the shop...I did tell him that, I will get it for him, but he refused it." "Hmm..." Wan Yi Jun gave a meaningful hum and dialled Han Ze Min''s number to check upon him. However, he heard that Han Ze Min''s cell phone was switched off. "I know our village doesn''t have every facility that is available in the city, If you find something which is not fitting your likes, please do tell me." "Yes, thank you" "Who lives there?" "Nobody lives there. It''s just there for years," "It looks so beautiful." "Yes, But no one goes there. It''s notoriously known as devil''s den." "Devil''s den?" "Many people died over there, either falling into the sea or hitting the head on the rock." "Did someone recently die there?" "Shu Lili," "Last time when she came home, elder Mao saw her going there, she was kind of in a trance." "Please, don''t go over there, officer." "No, I won''t." "Are you familiar with Shu Lili?" "Yes, before going to the city, she used to come here. When there are some foreign tourists comes here or someone from the city is here. She used to be the top scorer of the school, so she often talked about going to the city and enjoying the life over there." "Does she comes here alone?" "Most of the time she comes here alone and talks to elder Mao," "Were there any regular workers in this cottage?" "No. It''s just me. Back when Hu Geng Xin used to come here to help me with chores." "Do you know where he went?" "City," "There are lots of cities in this country," "I really don''t know, sir. Maybe he might have gone to dragon city. Lots of Zhi Ruo people live there." "He just went there alone? With no help?" "I don''t know about it. You should talk to Elder Mao?" "Yes, sure. Officer Pei said that he will send a word to him." "He might be preparing to go to the sea, now. Most probably he will come to visit in the morning." "What do you think, will we be able to find evidence?" "There is something mysterious going around this place. My gut feels so." "It''s because you just fill your stomach with everything on the table." "Was that a joke? Should I laugh?" "Guys, focus." "I also felt the same, captain. From whatever he heard from the local police, it wouldn''t be a wonder if they have their own set of rules and laws which prevents anyone to go out from this place and get their own life." "That''s also a possibility. Especially since she got famous and fell in love with someone like Ken Wong." "Like Honour killing?" "Honour killing, in this country? We have never heard about it?" "Have you heard racism and apartheid in this country in any recent times?" "We are hearing some nasty things today." "Don''t you feel something left out?" "It feels awfully quiet." "Where is Han Ze Min?" "Money is not a problem for me. You just have to name it, I will pay you," "Han Ze Min did say that he keeps his personal life separated from his profession, so we might...." But Cai Hong strongly opposed that idea even before Zhi Lan could complete her statement. "No. He won''t...you don''t know him...He really holds grudge against everyone who bullied that wretched b*tch." She snarled like a hurt beast when she remembered the murderous glint she saw on Han Ze Min''s eyes when she mentioned his dead girlfriend. "Good lord, Cai Hong...try to use names next time." Xie Na tried to remind her friend who tend to address everyone she hates by a curse word, "Han Ze Min holds grudge against each and every student in Silver Oak who bullied his beloved Tsuki, especially me who started calling her as a monster." Cai Hong emphasized each and every word, frustratingly rephrased her statement once again. "These men and their first loves." Xie Na''s eyebrows knitted together when she recalled that the entire case is based on love and hatred. "You don''t have to worry, we can argue that Han Ze Min is trying to accuse you due to his personal agenda as a last resort." "I have a slightly better relationship with Han Ze Min than Wan Yi Jun. Should I talk to him on behalf of Cai? Zhi Lan suggested after contemplating for a while, only to get refused by Xie Na. "Zhi Lan, it is better that you stay out of this case. You are not only risking your life, but also your father''s career." Xie Na adviced when she saw that Zhi Lan was ready to help others without any second thoughts. "I know that you are helping out a friend. It''s a good thing, but in this case, it will be a loss for both of you. Sometimes it''s better to keep your personal life away from other things and you, Cai Hong," Xie shifted her gaze to Cai Hong who silently listened to her friend with a guilt ridden face. "Please stay away from trouble, from now onwards, you can''t afford to make any mistakes." "Hmmm...I will do that." "For now, let''s keep this deal hidden and let''s see if Han Ze Min makes his first move. By the time I will ask someone to look for the real culprit." Just as Xie Na concluded, the heard some faint footsteps from the bedroom, which is followed by a melodious female voice, "Xie Na, where are you?" The moment Cai Hong and Zhi Lan shifted their attention in the direction of the voice, their eyes met with a familiar beautiful blonde woman infront of Xie Na''s bedroom door. Even though she was in her early forties it was evident that age was a number for her. "Oh, hi...I hope I''m not interrupting anything." She apologized beforehand and looked at Xie Na as if she was silently seeking permission from her to carry on. "No, you are not. Are you leaving, Rose? Stay for breakfast." Xie Na smilingly added and stood up from the seat. "No, no. It''s okay...you are having guests." The blonde woman tried to be as polite as possible as she urged to leave the house before it''s too late. "They are about to leave. Aren''t you guys?" Xie Na asked to her friends, signalling them to leave as soon as possible. Cai Hong who understood the message, sprang up from the couch and even pulled a baffled Zhi Lan with her, "Yes, please stay for the breakfast. We are leaving, then. Bye...See you soon." She somehow stormed out of the penthouse without even waiting for Xie Na''s reply. "Damn!!! I thought she is banging some random woman ...but my goodness that''s Rosalie Jung for god''s sake!!!!" Cai Hong almost screamed when she finally realised the person whom their friend slept with was the former supermodel whom everyone treated as an fashion icon. "Don''t you think Xie Na''s taste is a bit weird." Zhi Lan''s doubtful words destroyed Cai Hong''s fan girl moment with no delay. "Don''t you dare to judge her for sexual orientation." Cai Hong harshly warned as soon as her brain picked up the word "weird" Even though same sex relationships were allowed in the country, it was still considered as a taboo topic among a wide majority of the citizens. "Hey no...I''m not...I''m totally fine with my best friend prefers women...I was talking about Rosalie, doesn''t she have a husband?" Zhi Lan asked in confusion. "Yes, also a million-dollar worth company shares which she was supposed to receive as alimony." Cai Hong reminded her with a smirk, as they walked towards the elevator. "She is getting divorce?" Zhi Lan stopped in her tracks when she heard something unexpected, "Which world are you living, Zhi Lan? It''s all over in the internet, a couple of weeks ago. Or you only care about things revolve around Wan Yi Jun?" Watching her puzzled state, Cai Hong couldn''t help but half jokingly pointed out. "I''m sorry. I wasn''t really catching up with the celebrity gossips." Zhi Lan honestly admitted. While following Wan Yi Jun all around the country, she did miss a huge portion of things which normally people enjoy. "Rosalie found her husband cheating with his private secretary, and Xie Na''s firm is handling the divorce settlement." Cai Hong gave a brief outline of what exactly happened to the woman who they just met. "But that doesn''t make any sense with whatever we saw there?" Zhi Lan who still had a difficult time adjusting with the sudden shock, asked again. "It''s just a one night thing. Trust me, they are going to act like nothing happened between them. No matter how beautiful and successful her partner is, there is no way Xie Na is going to take it serious and start dating." Cai Hong argued back when she listened to Zhi Lan''s doubts. "No...I mean Rosalie is straight and she..." "It''s people, Zhi Lan. They have different tastes and preferences. It can change anytime. How can we be so sure that Rosalie was into men from the very beginning? Maybe she just pretended for the sake of her career or she was looking for a change...or preferably, Xie Na must have seduced her." Cai Hong gave a full fledged lecture while they waited for the elevator to come to the top floor. "It''s crazy whenever I think about it. Every men in her life, whether it''s her colleagues or clients, everyone fancies her and even planning to court her into marriage. And she is on the other hand, just having fun with her ladies." Zhi Lan sounded bemused as she spoke about the head-strong girl in their gang. If Cai Hong was the momma bear, then Xie Na would be the grumpy but self efficient elder daughter of their gang. "Actually, she wasn''t like this before..." Cai Hong pointed out as she stepped inside the empty elevator. "You mean she was into men?" "Not really. Back then when she moved to imperial from Itaria, she didn''t hate men as much as she does today." "What happened?" Zhi Lan curiously asked, "She lost a deal to a man and after that, her entire personality drastically changed." "It''s just a business deal..." Zhi Lan rolled her eyes as if she heard something totally unreasonable. She knew that Xie Na hated losing, whether it is in the court or real life. "Nope...It wasn''t just a business deal...It was a girl..." "A girl?" Zhi Lan almost shrieked out in horror when she realised that the business deal they spoke was human trafficking. She heard about Xie corporation having some dealings with the underworld back when Xie Na''s father was alive, but this information just blew her mind away. "Hmm....Xie Na fell for a courtesan girl and tried every way to bring her home, but unfortunately that girl ran away with a school boy, just adding another reason for Xie Na to hate men." Chapter 100 - The Wrong Information UNEDITED: PLEASE WAIT FOR SOMETIME "I swear I will kill him if he gets into some trouble." Wan Yi Jun cussed out as he sprang up from his seat. He was already frustrated by Han Ze Min''s reckless decision to go out in the evening without informing anyone. "He is not in the room" "Or in the balcony?" "He was there with me during the dinner and suddenly he just disappeared." "Where did he go?'' "He said he want to make an important call." "His phone is engaged." "Didn''t he say that his phone doesn''t have any proper network, he must have been gone outside." "Damn it!!!" "Han Ze Min," "Officer Han" "Senior Han" "Ze Min! Minahhhh!!!!" "Yaaa...what the hell are you doing?" "What the hell are you doing here? Who do you think you are? Wandering around in the darkness? What if something happens to you? What if you get killed?" "Yaa...I''m not a kid..." "Oh yeah...even kids won''t be this dumb." "What''s wrong with you?" "What''s wrong with you, you stupid little prick?" "Just go inside, if I ever see you wandering alone in the night, I swear I will kill you." "Yaa...yaaa...where are you going?" "Just go to bed." "What''s wrong with him?" "Captain got scared when he found that you are missing..." "I just went looking for a signal, nothing else. What-" "We were saying that there is something mysterious going around here." "He really got worried about you," "Hmm, I have never seen Captain so worked up..." "This place and people don''t seem so nice. Maybe that''s why?" "I even heard him calling you Minah, is that your pet name, officer Han?" "Did you find the " After stopping in front of the penthouse door that carved the number "5202" Zhi Lan took a deep breath and gave a nod of approval to her friend before pressing the doorbell. However, even after ringing the bell for few more times, they heard no response from the house owner. "Is she sleeping in?" Zhi Lan asked and looked at her wristwatch, they came early in the morning so that they won''t disturb Xie Na''s schedule. "Let me try calling her," She purposed while dialling Xie Na''s contact number. But even before the call got connected, the penthouse door pulled open by a half-asleep Xie Na, "You guys came early," Xie Na sluggishly spoke as she let her friends inside the penthouse. "We came at the right time. You are the one who woke up late." Zhi Lan added as she took a seat on the couch as if it was her own house. "Hmmm... I barely slept last night." Xie Na replied while tying her unkempt hair into a high bun, "That can be seen on your face," Zhi Lan teasingly commented when she noticed the hickeys that were wide visible on Xie Na''s fair skin like cherry blossoms. Well, it was evident that Xie Na was busy enough last night that she had to cancel their usual girl''s night out. "Who was it? Don''t tell me you slept with that newbie in your firm?" Cai Hong, who forgot her worries when she heard the surprising news, asked in a bewildered voice, "One of my clients.." Xie Na casually added as she walked towards the coffee maker as if it was not a big deal for her. "You are sleeping with your clients?" Cai Hong couldn''t help but spring up from the couch even before she could properly sit. In their friend circle, Xie Na was the only one who was against the entire idea of dating and marriage as she considered herself a free bird who always prefers to fly high instead of sitting idle somewhere safe. However, none of them imagined that she would actually sleep with her client nonetheless and be totally cool about it. "What can I do if they are willing to sleep with me?" Xie Na, who completely overlooked their shocked expressions asked as she turned on the coffee maker, "Coffee or something else?" "Coffee is the biggest topic here? Tell me whom did you sleep last night?" "Seriously, Cai? That''s your biggest worry now? I thought you were dead inside?" Zhi Lan couldn''t digest the change in Cai Hong''s behaviour, chided the nosy friend who acted as if she was going to die before stepping inside the penthouse. "She got laid after a long time. Don''t you think it''s something to be celebrated?" Cai Hong refuted back when she heard Zhi Lan''s complaints. Since both of them recently got rejected by the men they loved and broke their hearts, she felt it was necessary to congratulate Xie Na for taking a great decision to say no to love and commitment. "Well, at least one of us is getting laid. Good for you, Xie Na. I''m proud you." "You made it sound like she has accomplished something huge, just shut up." Zhi Lan immediately shut Cai Hong who was unnecessarily running her mouth, discussing something Xie Na had no intention to speak aloud. Even though they never kept secrets from each other and almost discussed every single thing happened in their lives, Zhi Lan felt that it was impolite to inquire about someone''s personal lives. "It''s just nothing...we met over a dinner/ meeting, had few drinks, felt some spark, went on another round and bang... that''s it... nothing else." Xie Na gave a vague explanation and served freshly brewed coffee for her friends before sitting down. "So tell me, what is that favour you want from me? She took a sip from the hot coffee and asked Cai Hong whose mind was still wandering about the person who shook Xie Na''s heart after a while. "Is it something related to your agency? Contract settlement or something like that?" Xie Na who switched to her working mode, asked for the purpose of their visit. As soon as Xie Na''s question hit her hard, Cai Hong''s fantasy bubble broke in a glimpse and she was pulled back into the reality. "I want you to look for someone on run...after committing a crime." She requested in a wavering voice, clearly depicting the seriousness of the situation. "Who?" Xie Na''s question came quickly, "I don''t know his name." "Photograph?" "Nope." Cai Hong answered in a frail voice, But when Zhi Lan noticed that her friend was beating around bush without mentioning the real problem, she cut Cai Hong''s words and told the truth. "It''s the culprit of the murder on new years eve." Just as she heard the sudden confession, Xie Na carefully kept her coffee cup on the table, and shifted her curious eyes to Zhi Lan. "I heard the police department, your captain Wan is investigating the case?" "Yes, but can you ask your people to search the murderer and if you can...catch him before the police?" Zhi Lan made a relentless request on behalf Cai Hong who finally managed to regain her composure, "What''s it, Cai Hong? What did you do this time?" The tone which Xie Na had spoke, sounded off as if he got pissed by the revelation. "Why...why are you doubting me? Do you also think that I killed that b*tch? Or I hired someone to kill her?" Zhi Lan immediately exploded in anger and frustration when she received somewhat unexpected reaction. "So, that''s what happened. Did captain Wan summon you to interrogate?" "Yes. He did and even threatened me." Cai Hong repeated to save herself from Xie Na''s teasing words, "Well, if you haven''t done anything wrong, you shouldn''t waver before anyone." Xie Na made a valid point, only to receive silence in return which evidently gave off the vibe that Cai Hong did something wrong. "I assume that you did something, Cai?" "Police have some footage of me bullying that girl. It just happened, if the police don''t find the murderer, they will sue me instead," Cai Hong admitted after a long minute of silence, "They have enough evidence to sue me. That''s why I''m here." Since she felt that Xie Na would help her, Cai Hong confessed whatever she did so far and came out clean before her "lawyer" without leaving anything behind. After listening to everything, Xie Na finally asked a question to clarify what all things she was supposed to do for her friend for now. "Just, tell me, should I appear for you in the court or search for the real culprit?" "Well, essentially it is the same thing, isn''t it?" Zhi Lan asked as a matter of fact. "In order to save her from trouble isn''t it better to catch the culprit and bargain with police?" "You are suggesting to do something illegal and risky, Lanlan. Let''s say we found the culprit, but the moment media gets informed that you are related to this case, your career is over. And as you said earlier If Han Ze Min is the type of guy who keeps tabs on someone, then there is a high chance that he will use this opportunity to get back to you." Xie Na explained in crystal clear voice, just add horror to Cai Hong''s mind, "More than a murder case, it''s seems like a trap," Chapter 101 - How Much Do You Know? "Zhi Ruo, it''s a no man''s land. Crimes, borderland disputes, poverty, death...it''s literally a hell on earth. Only very few people were able to escape that place, but wherever they go their identity as a Zhi Ruoan native makes them nothing but a third class citizen in the mainland or even worse," Pei Zhi spoke as if he was giving a lecture to a bunch of students, who are very much interested to know the unexplored history of the land they live and a toxic culture they were part of. "Why is this brutal discrimination towards Zhi Ruo...the world has already moved ahead and why do you even discriminate human beings?" Lao Yating harshly spat out those words which are his brain alive, It took nearly four hours for the eagle team to reach the west Gui Xiang town even after using the quickest route to travel. Since they left imperial in the early morning, most of them were asleep during the travel and only woke up once they reached the coastal town. The local police team and the special investigation team who handled Song Jia''s missing team was already waiting for the eagle from the imperial as per the notice from higher-ups. "Thanks for arranging such a meeting on short notice. I''m Wan Yi Jun, the chief investigator in charge of the Rising Raven murder case. Nice to meet you all," Wan Yi Jun warmly introduced himself to the small group of police officers who gathered before him, who looked at him in utter confusion. "Some of you might have wondered why we are having such a meeting with officers who are not part of this case." He paused for a second to study the curious faces before him. Most of the officers were either older than him or younger, creating the perfect balance of experience and excitement to work together. "While pointed towards another missing case reported in this town six years ago." "Are you talking about Song Jia''s case, officer? Isn''t it closed?" "Yes, but we are planning to reopen it." "We were the one''s investigated that case officer, but we couldn''t find any lead even when we reopened the case when we got the skeletal remains." "Were you able to identify it?" "No. The DNA didn''t match any of the samples from the database." "Not even the missing cases reported in other stations." "No sir, since lots of illegal immigrants come here for work...including women from disputed lands and Daisun, we really don''t have a proper database. During that time, they used to work in illegal brothels and no one really cared whether they lived or not." "We tried our best, but couldn''t find anything to solve that missing case." "Shu Lili was the last person who saw Song Jia on the day she went missing and Hu Geng Xin is the person who was Shu Lili''s alibi. Did it came to your knowledge that these there might share some relationship?" "Relationship? No I don''t think so. Those there are different from each other so much. There is no way that they could be together." "Shu Lili and Song Jia were in the same classroom." "But sir, how can a high school delinquent and a top scorer be friends with each other?I still remember their class teacher''s words, inorder to improve Song Jia''s grades, she had grouped miss Song with the top students in the class. Even after Shu tried her best Song Jia continued act like a ship wreck and even threw a fit at Lili for being the perfect." "What about Hu Geng Xin?" "He is the most eccentric person we have ever seen. Since he also grew up enduring abuse, he never wasn''t good with his social life. He is just there... that''s it. Nobody knows what exactly happen in his life." "But they lived in the same neighborhood, right? Block D and E?" "He is also an immigrant? From Daisun?" "No. Zhi Ruo. Zhi Ruo will never be treated as equal as the mainlanders or the Daisunese immigrants." "What did they do wrong to endure such a harrowing and miserable life?" For a moment, Wan Yi Jun''s mind wandered back to the memories of the night when he talked to Ming Yue about her family, how she was abandoned to a faraway land like junk. "The world must have changed, but the people and their stories and beliefs are still the same. Whoever knows the history of Zhi Ruo, treats it''s people as filth, a generation born with the worst possible genes... absolute filth." Pei Zhi instantly paused when he noticed the conflicted looks on the faces of eagle team members. "I''m sorry, I skipped away from our topic...what were we talking? Ah, Hu Geng Xin...he and his father were treated the same... obviously not everyone is included in it....some traditionalists....some old people who still can''t accept the fact that they are indeed human beings...just like you and me..." "Hmmm...." Wan Yi Jun faintly hummed as he failed to speak a word after knowing a clear picture of Zhi Ruo, something ten times brutal as the image portrayed by Ming Yue. "Do you mind If I ask why you are interested in Hu Geng Xin, officer? You know, he is just a nameless guy who barely talks to anyone." Pei Zhi suddenly asked. However the one who responded to his question was Han Ze Min who understood the meaning of Wan Yi Jun''s silence. "Do you know where is he right now?" He asked just to deviate Pei Zhi from probing more, "I just heard that he went to the city for a better job...I''m not sure, though," "Better job? What was he doing here?" Han Ze Min''s eyes narrowed down as he looked at the possibility of hearing the word "Sanitation worker" from the other person. However the reply he received was unexpectedly expected. "He used to do all these petty jobs in the village...from working in the fish market to the gatekeeper of the church cemetery...he literally did everything." Pei Zhi refreshed his memory and shared everything he knew about Hu Geng Xin, What did the even expect from a person like Hu Geng Xin who tried hard to survive in this twisted world? "As we told you earlier, he was the one who helped us to dig out the skeleton from the mountain." One of the officers reminded all of a sudden, "Do you know where he might have gone? Or does he have any friends, here?" Han Ze Min inquired without loosing his hope, "Not really. First of all, he talks to nobody...secondly nobody talks to him due to his lineage. Ahhh, maybe if you talk to Elder Mao, you might get some details. He was the only person whom treated Hu Geng Xin a little better than others." "Where can find elder Mao?" Wan Yi Jun who finally regained his composure, inquired in an indifferent tone, "He lives next to the place where you are going to stay tonight. So if you are planning to meet him, I will send him a word." "That would be great. Any way, thank you for your co-operation, officers for today." Wan Yi Jun quickly wrapped up the meeting when he realized that they have already exceed the time limit. They came here for a short period with an elaborate plan to gather as much evidences to solve the mystery. "It''s a shame that you came here as part of the investigation otherwise, Gui Xiang is a nice vacation spot for people from imperial city." Pei Zhi disappointedly added as he stood from the seat. "We will come back again to enjoy a nice vacation. Any way, see you tomorrow, officer Pei," "This place is a hell hole with criminals and injustice, and he wants us to come here again. Sorry, I''m out." "I''m not even getting proper signals. Does your phone have signals?" "Yes, then can you lend me your phone? I have to make a quick phone call," "Oh, sure." "Did you make up your mind?" "What''s happening wrong with officer Han? He was on his phone all day. I saw him giggling at his phone," "Did he has a girlfriend?" "Oh please, don''t start." "Can we go then?" "Yes, captain." The local police team left in the evening after arranging accommodation facilities for the eagle team members in a nearby guesthouse in the village. Since it wasn''t a town big enough to have huge buildings and hotels, the place where Wan Yi Jun and his team stayed was a beach cottage owned by one of the villagers for tourists. After making sure that everyone settled down in their respective rooms, Wan Yi Jun picked up his phone and walked out the balcony, "How are you, miss Ming? Is everything alright? He called you, when? Just block him. I will take care of it." "I hope everything is according to your likes, sir." "Yes," "Who lives there?" "Nobody lives there, now." "It looks so beautiful." "Yes, But no one goes there. It''s notoriously known as devil''s den." "Devil''s den?" "Many people died over there, either falling into the sea or hitting the head on the rock." Chapter 102 - Homerun It took nearly four hours for the eagle team to reach the west Gui Xiang town even after using the quickest route to travel. Since they left imperial in the early morning, most of them were asleep during the travel and only woke up once they reached the coastal town. The local police team and the special investigation team who handled Song Jia''s missing team was already waiting for the eagle from the imperial as per the notice from higher-ups. "Thanks for arranging such a meeting on short notice. I''m Wan Yi Jun, the chief investigator in charge of the Rising Raven murder case. Nice to meet you all," Wan Yi Jun warmly introduced himself to the small group of police officers who gathered before him, who looked at him in utter confusion. "Some of you might have wondered why we are having such a meeting with officers who are not part of this case." He paused for a second to study the curious faces before him. Most of the officers were either older than him or younger, creating the perfect balance of experience and excitement to work together. "While pointed towards another missing case reported in this town six years ago." "Are you talking about Song Jia''s case, officer? Isn''t it closed?" "Yes, but we are planning to reopen it." "We were the one''s investigated that case officer, but we couldn''t find any lead even when we reopened the case when we got the skeletal remains." "Were you able to identify it?" "No. The DNA didn''t match any of the samples from the database." "Not even the missing cases reported in other stations." "No sir, since lots of illegal immigrants come here for work...including women from disputed lands and Daisun, we really don''t have a proper database. During that time, they used to work in illegal brothels and no one really cared whether they lived or not." "We tried our best, but couldn''t find anything to solve that missing case." "Shu Lili was the last person who saw Song Jia on the day she went missing and Hu Geng Xin is the person who was Shu Lili''s alibi. Did it came to your knowledge that these there might share some relationship?" "Relationship? No I don''t think so. Those there are different from each other so much. There is no way that they could be together." "Shu Lili and Song Jia were in the same classroom." "But sir, how can a high school delinquent and a top scorer be friends with each other?I still remember their class teacher''s words, inorder to improve Song Jia''s grades, she had grouped miss Song with the top students in the class. Even after Shu tried her best Song Jia continued act like a ship wreck and even threw a fit at Lili for being the perfect." "What about Hu Geng Xin?" "He is the most eccentric person we have ever seen. Since he also grew up enduring abuse, he never wasn''t good with his social life. He is just there... that''s it. Nobody knows what exactly happen in his life." "But they lived in the same neighborhood, right? Block D and E?" "Just because all of them live in the same neighborhood doesn''t mean that they grew up together or had the heart to accept someone who was not from their social status." "Even if it is a tiny coastal Village they also have their own societal divisions and social stigma. If Shu family is on the top tier of the pyramid, then Hu Geng Xin and his immigrant parent is on the bottom level...maybe even below that..." "That Jerk!!!" Wan Yi Jun gritted his teeth as he ended the phone call with Ming Yue and tightened his grip over the phone in absolute anger. No matter how hard he tried he couldn''t understand why would Han Ze Min would call...Nah...irritate Ming Yue over phone calls. By the way, who the hell calls someone every hour, just to check on them? Ming Yue even said that she tried to ignore his phone calls, but he spammed her with his messages, all day. Is he trying to look for new ways to torture his cousin, now that Zhi Lan is out of the picture? He can''t take any chance when it comes to Ming Yue''s life, there is no way he would sit back if Han Ze Min drags her into the mess how he did with Zhi Lan. However, on the way to the room, Wan Yi Jun ran into Zhu Yahui, the caretaker of the guest house, "Do you need anything, sir?" He asked the young man who was hurriedly walking around the corridors, like a raging bull. "No. I don''t need anything." Wan Yi Jun replied and give a slight bow, before walking past him, "Sir, are you going to meet officer Han?" Zhu Yahui suddenly asked when he noticed that Wan Yi Jun was storming towards the room where Han Ze Min stays and stopped the other, "He went outside." "Outside?" Wan Yi Jun stopped in his tracks when he heard those words, "Where did he go?" "He wanted to get something from the shop...I did tell him that, I will get it for him, but he refused it." "Hmm..." Wan Yi Jun gave a meaningful hum and dialled Han Ze Min''s number to check upon him. However, the only thing he heard from the other side was the notification that Han Ze Min''s cell phone was switched off. "I''m sorry...It''s just...I did tell him to call me if he plans to go out...I also need to get something from the shop...Anyway, just leave it." Wan Yi Jun shot a random excuse that popped in his head. "I will get it for you," Zhu Yahui offered to help the man who appeared visibly frustrated for some reason. "No, Mr Zhu. It''s nothing necessary. I will take leave then," Wan Yi Jun tried his best to walk away from there without continuing the conversation any longer. However, just as he turned around, Zhu Yahui stopped him from behind, "I know our village doesn''t have every facility that is available in the city, If you find something which is not fitting your likes, please do tell me, sir." "Yes, sure." Wan Yi Jun smilingly added while fervently looking for something to change the topic and his eyes fell on an old building on the cliff next to the beach, "Mr Zhu, who lives there?" He pointed at the hauntingly beautiful gothic mansion, "That old castle? Nobody lives there. It was situated there even from my grandfather''s time." "It looks so beautiful." "Yes, But no one goes there. It''s notoriously known as devil''s den." "Devil''s den?" "Many people died over there, either falling into the sea or hitting the head on the rock." "Did someone recently die there?" "Shu Lili," "Last time when she came home, elder Mao saw her going there, she was kind of in a trance." "Please, don''t go over there, officer." "No, I won''t." "Are you familiar with Shu Lili?" "Yes, before going to the city, she used to come here. When there are some foreign tourists comes here or someone from the city is here. She used to be the top scorer of the school, so she often talked about going to the city and enjoying the life over there." "Does she comes here alone?" "Most of the time she comes here alone and talks to elder Mao," "Were there any regular workers in this cottage?" "No. It''s just me. Back when Hu Geng Xin used to come here to help me with chores." "Do you know where he went?" "City," "There are lots of cities in this country," "I really don''t know, sir. Maybe he might have gone to dragon city. Lots of Zhi Ruo people live there." "He just went there alone? With no help?" "I don''t know about it. You should talk to Elder Mao?" "Yes, sure. Officer Pei said that he will send a word to him." "He might be preparing to go to the sea, now. Most probably he will come to visit in the morning." "What do you think, will we be able to find evidence?" "There is something mysterious going around this place. My gut feels so." "It''s because you just fill your stomach with everything on the table." "Was that a joke? Should I laugh?" "Guys, focus." "I also felt the same, captain. From whatever he heard from the local police, it wouldn''t be a wonder if they have their own set of rules and laws which prevents anyone to go out from this place and get their own life." "That''s also a possibility. Especially since she got famous and fell in love with someone like Ken Wong." "Like Honour killing?" "Honour killing, in this country? We have never heard about it?" "Have you heard racism and apartheid in this country in any recent times?" "We are hearing some nasty things today." "Don''t you feel something left out?" "It feels awfully quiet." "Where is Han Ze Min?" "He is also an immigrant? From Daisun?" "No. Zhi Ruo.. Zhi Ruo will never be treated as equal as the mainlanders or the Daisunese immigrants." Chapter 103 - The Secrets Of Gui Xiang UNEDITED: Please wait for some time No one was perfect. No individual in this world was ever known as a man who made no mistakes. It was the same for the Wan family. While a majority of the population of the country believed and treated the Wan family as the nation builders, the rest had a different opinion, questioning the integrity of the ruthless warriors who did everything in their power and authority to make their country the greatest in the world, without thinking about the right and wrong. Unfortunately, Wan Yi Jun had only met the very few people who saw his family in a negative light. Even after moving to another country, he couldn''t escape from his fate. "Let''s go." Han Ze Min grabbed Wan Yi Jun''s arm and dragged him away from the foul-mouthed Oldman, who blamed his cousin. No matter how much he hated Wan Yi Jun, he never allowed a stranger to hurt his cousin. "You were, right. We were indeed silent spectators of terrible things that happened here." Zhu Yuhai admitted as he watched the two young men walk away from him. Hearing such a confession from the man who kept provocating others, letting down his guard before everyone else, Han Ze Min unknowingly stopped in his tracks, "Hmm?" Han Ze Min raised his eyebrows in confusion, "Everyone in this village was involved until the day fire broke out in the asylum." "Elder Mao!!!" Zhu Yuhai almost screamed in fear when he heard the village elder confessing the secret they had hidden from the world for all these years. "What did we achieve after hiding it from everyone? Nothing. So please, keep your mouth shut." And the patients?" "We could only rescue a few of them, and the rest either burnt to death or fell into the sea." "What about the people in charge?" "The chief in charge and half of the workers died in the fire breakout itself." "Any survivors?" "No, most of the workers were from Zhi Ruo." "Were Hu Geng Xin was a part of it?" "His father was, but he died when Hu Geng Xin was around fourteen or fifteen. He just lived in that hut, did every work he could find and lived like if he wasn''t part of this world." "How come you two share a special bond? As far as we know, natives from Zhi Ruo was looked down upon by everyone here." "He was different. He wasn''t spiteful like his father or anyone else in this village." "Until someone makes him the monster he doesn''t want to be." "Hmm. He was nice but could be the worse if he got pushed into his limits." Do you know where did he go?" "I don''t know." "You were like a father figure to him." "He found a friend, a delivery van driver who used to take fish to imperial." "Do you know his name?" "Ren Xianqi, both of them went to the imperial together." "One last question, the one who pushed him to limits, who was it? Shu Lili or Song Jia?" "I swear I will kill him if gets into some trouble." Wan Yi Jun cussed out as he sprang up from his seat, with his handsome face flaring in anger. He was already frustrated by Han Ze Min''s reckless decision to go out in the evening without informing anyone, but going out at the night cannot be encouraged, especially at a place like this. "I will go and check his room." Shen Junru volunteered to lead the searching party and immediately stood up from the seat, "Or you could look in the balcony? I saw him there when I came out for dinner." Bing Wen added just as he saw Shen Junru going upstairs to look for Han Ze Min. "He was there with me during the dinner, and after that, suddenly he just disappeared." Fei Yan spoke in a doubtful tone and tried to recall what Han Ze Min said before leaving his side. "Ahhh...now I remember, he said that he has to make an important call." Just as those words fell from Fei Yan''s mouth, everyone took out their phones and began to call Han Ze Min, who went missing. "His phone is engaged." Bing Wen informed them and checked his phone''s screen once again, "Didn''t he say that his phone doesn''t have any proper network? He must have been gone outside." "What the.. bloody actual..F!!!!!" Wan Yi Jun cursed again and stormed outside, leaving his bewildered team members behind. "Please tell me I''m not the only one who heard it." Bing Wen asked his fellow teammates, who had the same mortified look on their faces, upon hearing something unexpected. "Of course, he curses." Shen Junru robotically stated as he stared in the direction where Wan Yi Jun went out, " People curse when they are under stress or disappointed..." "Or angry." Lao Yating added and quickly exchanged glances with his teammates, only to run after Wan Yi Jun. "Oh God, please save officer Han." Bing Wen prayed and bolted out of the guest house. "Han Ze Min!!!!" Wan Yi Jun yelled at the top of his lungs as he walked into the darkness. Unlike the daytime, the guest house and its surroundings appeared eerie and empty in the night, giving off a spooky vibe in the air. Under the tiny stream of their phone''s flashlight, the rest of the eagle team, who was a bit late to follow their captain, loudly shouted Han Ze Min''s name. Lao Yating and Bing Wen followed Wan Yi Jun, who almost sprinted towards the beach as if he was a front runner aiming for the championship. "How can he run so fast?" Bing Wen, who couldn''t catch up with Wan Yi Jun, wondered as he panted while running through the soft sand on the beach. "Han Ze Min!!!!! Ze Min !!!!! Minahhhh!!!!" Wan Yi Jun''s desperate voice echoed in the empty beach with the sound of hustling wind and crashing waves. Under the faintly lit sky, his eyes subconsciously darted at the eerie outline of the old building on the cliff and the Zhu Yuhai''s words, "Damn it." Even Wan Yi Jun knew what came into you, he quickly leaped in the direction calling out loud for Han Ze Min. If something happens to Han Ze Min, too, he won''t be able to live the rest of his life in peace. "No, that won''t happen." Wan Yi Jun mumbled in his head and glanced around for any human presence, "Mina-" His voice broke when he noticed a tiny bluish-white streak of light, not so far from him. For a moment, Wan Yi Jun''s brain stopped working when he saw a silhouette sitting on the sand dunes, talking over the call. "Woman, why it is so hard to impress you?" Han Ze Min''s sulky voice echoed in the shore, calming Wan Yi Jun''s heated nerves for a mere second, "Didn''t I assure that you don''t have to worry about thing...I will marry...that''s-" Even before Han Ze Min could complete his words, Wan Yi Jun grabbed his collar and lifted the guy on call with no delay, Han Ze Min who didn''t expected anything like that, almost elbowed Wan Yi Jun in the ribs, thinking that he got attacked by a random stranger. "Yaaa...what the hell....are you doing?" He shouted at the man who was glaring at him with murderous intent. "Have you gone mad?" "What the hell are you doing here?" Wan Yi Jun didn''t hesitate as he retorted and snatched the earphones from the other. No wonder, Han Ze Min didn''t hear the hassle that was going around him. " Wandering in an unknown place, that too in the darkness? What if something happens to you? What if you get mugged or kille?" Wan Yi Jun couldn''t even control his anger as he began to scold his cousin, so harshly that even Han Ze was left dumbfounded by the action. "Yaa...I''m not a kid...I can take care..." Han Ze Min tried to reason his decision to take walk before going to bed. However that wasn''t enough to convince Wan Yi Jun who was shaking in fury. Even though they treat each other coldly, there was a bit of care and affection left in them, which voluntarily made the brothers look out for each other other. "Oh yeah...you are not kid....even kids won''t be this dumb." Wan Yi Jun spat out an insult at the man who had no idea why is he getting scolded. "Enough with your wander. Go back to your room..." "What''s wrong with you? Acting so bossy and ordering around?" Han Ze Min who couldn''t comprehend the sudden change in Wan Yi Jun''s aloof character, seethed at him in the same tone. "What''s wrong with you, you stupid little prick?" Wan Yi Jun let out his mouth run without any control and cursed at the other, once again. Chapter 104 - Something Fishy The next day, Wan Yi Jun woke up earlier since they got a busy schedule for the day. The higher-ups have only given them a very short time to carry on with the investigation in GUI Xiang. However, even after he woke up and got ready for the day, Han Ze Min has still buried himself under the blankets. Last night, he wasn''t really thinking about letting his nosy cousin sleep in the same room after what they have been through. But when Han Ze Min mentioned his insomnia, he couldn''t help but soften a little bit. But to his surprise, it was Bing Wen. Most of the tech-savvy people he knew personally belonged to the category of "night owls", who became active only when the sun go down. "Oh hi...good morning, Captain, I see that you are up and ready," Bing Wen stuttered as he tried to keep eye contact with Wan Yi Jun, who had a strong and overbearing presence which literally intimidated him "I have something to say...please don''t get angry...or panic." Upon listening to Bing Wen''s bizarre way of talking, Wan Yi Jun couldn''t help but worry a little bit. "What''s it, Xiao Bing?" He inquired in a gentle voice so that Bing Wen could loosen up, "Officer Han, it...it...seems like...he went missing again." "Huh?" Wan Yi Jun''s blankly stared at Bing Wen as if he was talking some alien language. "I went to check him in the morning, but his room was locked, and his phone was switched off, so I went outside and checked, but I couldn''t find him anywhere... that''s why I came here and to tell you-" "Hold on!!!" Wan Yi Jun interrupted him for a second and pulled his door wide open before Bing Wen, who happened to be fretting over Han Ze Min, "Are you talking about him?" As soon as Wan Yi Jun''s question floated in the air, Bing Wen peeked inside the room and found Han Ze Min calmly sleeping on the bed, like an innocent baby. "Oh!!! He slept with you?" Bing Wen''s eyes widened in astonishment when he figured out that both of them had sorted out their argument and slept peacefully. "Yaa...wake up!!!" Wan Yi Jun gently tapped Han Ze Min''s pillow as a not so effective way to wake him up. It seemed like he was just trying with no intention to disturb Han Ze Min''s sleep. "Hmmm...Five more minutes, Yi Juniee..." Han Ze squirmed like a baby and turned to another side as if it was a normal thing to do, "Wake up or stay in bed all day," Wan Yi Jun reminded the man who found his shelter under the warm and soft blanket while cuddling to the pillow. "Five more minutes." He pleaded in a hoarse voice and went back to sleep. "Min wants to sleep." As soon as Bing Wen heard their conversation, which happened to be different from whatever he had witnessed so far, he couldn''t help but break into a peal of laughter. Wan Yi Jun, who embarrassingly shot a glance at Bing Wen, just grabbed a pillow and threw it at the sleeping person, Even though it was just a gentle blow, Han Ze Min, who just slipped back into his dream world, jolted awake in a glimpse of a moment. "Wake up." "Ahhh...what''s wrong with you?" Han Ze Min, who got forcefully woken up from his sleep, whined at the irritating fellow who stood next to the bed. "Twenty minutes and I want to see the entire team at the dining table." Wan Yi Jun ordered as he picked up his wristwatch from the bedside table, "Hurry, if you don''t want to sit cooped up in the room all day." He took out his best weapon to get Han Ze Min out of bed, "Why are you so mean?" Han Ze Min muttered under his breath and finally managed to sit straight on the bed, clearly annoyed by his cousin. "Will you leave on your own, or should I just kick you out?" Wan Yi Jun threatened once again, and Han Ze Min robotically rose to his feet in a half-awake state. "Anyway, we are sleeping together. Then, how about I just shift my things to this room?" "Leave." "Uffo, I''m leaving..." He grunted and trudged out of the room as if he was going to sleep again. "Oh, hi Xiao Bing," He waved his hands when he saw a glimpse of grinning Bing Wen through his half-opened eyes and returned to his room like a zombie. "Gosh, these two are just pretending to be rivals!" Bing Wen under his breath and turned to face Wan Yi Jun, who happened to be listening to his comments. "This mouth!!!!" He couldn''t help but curse himself. Luckily, Wan Yi Jun just pretended not to hear that and pointed in the direction of stairs, "Are you ready to go down, or do you have anything else to do?" "Let''s go, captain." Bing Wen excitedly said and led the way. Even though it was only seven in the morning, Zhu Yuhai had already prepared the breakfast for the team. By the time they sat down at the dining table, the rest of the team members joined for an early start. "So what''s on our schedule today?" Wan Yi Jun inquired as he sipped on his coffee, "We are meeting Shu Li Li''s parents, elder Mao, and visiting Hu Geng Xin and Song Jia''s houses." Lao Yating reported their schedule for today and glanced at Wan Yi Jun, who seemed to be contemplating over something as he silently listened to it. "Is everything alright, captain?" Lao Yating couldn''t help but ask when he recalled last night''s events and stared at the empty chair at the dining table. "Is he still fretting over officer Han?" He wondered for a moment and decided to clear his confusion. However, even before he opened his mouth, Wan Yi Jun made a random suggestion. "Let''s start our day visiting that spooky building on the cliff." The very instant that wicked suggestion leapt Wan Yi Jun''s mouth, a teacup fell from Zhu Wuhai''s trembling hands, startling everyone all at once, "I...I...just...my hand just slipped...I''m sorry. I will get a new one," Zhi Wuhai apologized and rushed back to the kitchen as if he was avoiding their scrutinizing eyes. However, just as Wan Yi Jun went ahead with convincing his team members about visiting the old castle on the cliff, Zhu Wuhai came back in protest, "Officer, please don''t go to the castle...didn''t I tell you? It''s a devil''s den. It''s haunted with ghosts..." He tried to infuse fear on them, by quoting the unfortunate events in the village and villagers associated with the old castle. "Have you seen any ghosts, Mr Zhu?" All of a sudden, Han Ze Min''s voice directing an unexpectedly expected question to Zhu Wuhai heard in the room as he casually came over for breakfast. "Listening to your stories, it seems like you have seen "No...no...I always carry this token with me...in fact, everyone in the village has one." "I lived in a ghost house when I was a child and even got possessed by one." "What?" "In fact, both of us grew up with ghosts...so it is no big deal for us." "Even if we have a search warrant?" "Search for what? What will you find in a place which remained closed for hundreds of years? Treasure boxes?" "I...I will get the door." "Captain Han, what are you planning? Why do you have to visit a ghost castle." "Xiao Bing, do you know how these ghost castles are created?" "I don''t quite get you..." "It has a pattern, one unnatural death, then a bunch of rumours." "That castle got something to do with this case and this village. I''m damn sure about it." "Zhu Yuhai said that you want to search the old castle. Why are interfering with dead people, officers? You may not be able to leave this village alive after visiting the castle." "I don''t know whether you are trying to scare me with your words. But I''m sorry, elder Mao. I''m completely willing to die. If I get killed in the ghost house, by the hands of deadly ghost, I would even appreciate it.." "Officer, please don''t joke about it... playing with forces and energies that are out a mere human being''s perception... that''s not great." " I seriously want to see a ghost before I die...once again," "Again...I see...so you have already experienced it...let me see, who? Someone you loved, a girl perhaps?" "Elder Mao, I would appreciate it if you cooperate with us." "You are..." "I''m Wan Yi Jun, the investigator-" "Are you from the Wan family...or anyhow related to the Warriors of Wi-" "Wisteria gardens, yes," "You are Wan Qi''s?" "My great grandfather?" "He...the castle.. it used to be a mental hospital, actually for soldiers, and he is the one who ordered to build it. But later on, it became a mental asylum." "Well, I do agree with that, but there used to be a mental asylum." "No... There wasn''t." "There was a mental asylum and I think fourteen years ago, there was a huge Chapter 105 - The Unexpected Couple UNEDITED: PLEASE WAIT FOR SOMETIME "Shu Li Li and Song Jia? Those dead girls...you think he did something to them?" "He killed...them?" "Nope...I''m just asking who is likely to get into Hu Geng Xin''s nerves." "Officer, please be honest with us....because there is no way these three get to associate with each other." "Are you sure about that?" "Yes. There were no instances in my memory where I saw these three together." "I wanted to ask you earlier, why are you searching about Hu Geng Xin in the first place? Do you think that he did it?" "No. We are planning to reopen Song Jia''s missing case, too." "Song Jia? What about her? Didn''t she elope with some delivery guy?" "Technically speaking, Song Jia is still missing and apparently two witnesses who that case was found killed or gone missing." "Missing? Who went missing?" "Hu Geng Xin has gone missing for two years." "What?" "He said that he is going to imperial and Zhu Yuhai couldn''t help but stare at the arrogant young man in incredulity. Even though he wasn''t one of the richest villagers, Zhu Yuhai had a quite bit of reputation among the people. No one ever tried to fool around him, even his own children. But this officer just got into his nerves so quickly. Zhu Yuhai was about to retort when he heard the doorbell and using it as an excuse, he left the room, holding in his anger. "Xiao Bing, do you know how these ghost castles get created in the first place?" Bing Wen, who still couldn''t digest the joke, stared dumbfoundedly at his seniors as if they understood it or not. "Anyone?" No one had an answer for his question, or more precisely, nobody wanted to reply. They would rather remain silent than share their opinion after Han Ze Min made a huge accusation that Wan Yi Jun live in a haunted house even as a joke. "It has a pattern. One unnatural death and some stupid sees a shadow, then a bunch of rumours created by near and dear and Voila, new ghost house in the scene. Once the news goes out in the public, the land cost drops and people starts to leave. Finally the major real estate corporations steps in and buys the entire place in a low cost." Han Ze Min dramatically declared and broke into a bitter laugh, as if he was familiar with the entire idea. But still no one joined the discussion as if they were hesitating to speak. "He is right. Even yesterday Zhu Yuhai was trying very hard to convince me that it was a haunted building and to be honest, I believed him, too." Wan Yi Jun admitted in a slightly embarrassed tone, When the eagle team listened to their captain''s confession, they finally understood the reason for last night''s commotion. Wan Yi Jun was actually worried that Han Ze Min would have gone to the haunted house and got himself into some trouble. "That castle got something to do with the case and this freaking village. I''m damn sure about it." Han Ze Min''s grumbled as he tried to recall everything he had heard about Gui Xiang and looked for a hint to solve the mystery. "Officers, Elder Mao is here to meet you," Zhu Yuhai who went to answer the door with a darkened face, returned with a flashy grin and an Oldman who seemed to be in his mid seventies. "Mao Bai, the village elder," The eagle team stood up from their seats and greeted the elderly man with no delay. However, instead of returning their greetings, elder Mao straight away jumped into a question as if he got much more important job than knowing their names. "Zhu Yuhai said that you want to search the old castle. Why are interfering with dead people, officers? You may not be able to leave this village alive after getting associated with that castle." Mao Bai didn''t even think twice to speak to a bunch of police officers in a scolding tone. "So, do what you came here for and go back to your city... ALIVE..." As soon as Elder Mao''s warning resonated in the room, it felt like a dark cloud just shrouded over the entire eagle team, hinting that something bad is going to happen. "I don''t know whether you are trying to scare us by quoting death, but I''m sorry to disappoint you, elder Mao, I''m totally cool with dying early." Obviously, Han Ze Min who never cares about the gravity of situations, stepped in with a his usual mockery. "It''s him." Zhu Yuhai whispered in Mao Bai''s ears as if he had already mentioned the arrogant officer in the team. But who cares? Han Ze Min just overlooked their sneaky interaction and shrugged his shoulders as if he was very much familiar with the situation. "If I get killed in the haunted house, I would even appreciate if I die by the hands of a deadly ghost who is nothing but evil..." He threw a haughty remark at the Oldman who looked seemingly annoyed. "Officer, please don''t joke about it... playing with supernatural forces and evil energies which are out of an ordinary, unworthy human being''s perception, I swear it won''t do any good." Mao Bai added bit harshly as he scanned Han Ze Min with his wrinkled eyes, "I know it won''t do any good. But I seriously want to see a ghost...once again," Han Ze Min casually spoke as if it was no big deal for him. "Again? Ahhh...I see...so you have already experienced the dark energy of dead...no wonder you seem a bit..." Mao Bai paused in the mid sentence as a condescending smirk bloomed over his face and took a step closer to the Han Ze Min who stood nonchalant. "Let me see? Blood shot eyes, pale skin, ahhh...It must have been difficult to fall asleep, every night." Mao Bai elaborated as he stared deep into Han Ze Min''s brown eyes, "What else do I see? Fear, Grief, Anger....guilt? Do you think it was your fault that she dead, young man?" The moment, Elder Mao made that statement Wan Yi Jun who silently listened to their weird conversation, stepped up to call it a quit, before it''s too late. "That''s enough, elder Mao, it would be appreciable if you answer our questions." Wan Yi Jun sternly was suggested as an effort to shift Mao Bai''s attention from Han Ze Min, so that his cousin who had a terrible anger management would do something that he might regret later. And fortunately, Wan Yi Jun''s idea worked out. "You are..." Mao Bai''s eyes narrowed as he looked at Wan Yi Jun in puzzlement. "I''m Wan Yi Jun, the investigator-" Even before he could complete, the Oldman''s eyes widened in shock as he rushed towards Wan Yi Jun in lightning speed. "Are you anyhow related to the Wan family, the warrior clan of Wisteria clan?" Mao Bai''s voice quivered as he spoke to the young man who stood before, looking so overbearing and intimidating like an emperor. Wan Yi Jun exchanged a thoughtful glance with Han Ze Min who remained slightly bothered with this Oldman dropping truth bombs on them. "I think you are mistaken. I don''t know what you are talking about, sorry." Wan Yi Jun surprisingly acted as if doesn''t know what the Oldman was talking, only to confuse the rest of the people in the room. It was only yesterday, they visited the wisteria gardens and learned that their captain was not just a corporate heir, but actually belongs to a family that acted as the pillars of this country. He was born into pedigree that bears heroes of the nation, something he must be proud of, but still Wan Yi Jun choose to lie. "The castle.. it used to be an army medical facility for the imperial naval fleet. It was Wan family who build it here. My grandfather used to work there as physcian and he had said that it wasn''t just a hospital, but a secret prison for Daisunese soldiers and pirates." "Of course, in the end it always comes down to the global agenda of ''blame it on the government''. Now that Wan family is nearly dead, go ahead and blame them for ruining your village''s reputation." Han Ze Min scoffed when he couldn''t no longer stop himself from responding to Mao Bai''s allegations. "You....you don''t interfere when I am talking!!!" Mao Bai snarled at Han Ze Min who started bickering, "I''m talking to young master Wan, keep your mouth shut." "Oh shit." The entire eagle team who remained as silent spectators of this highly random conversation, couldn''t help but gasp when they heard Mao Bai''s rude orders. "You must be kidding me." Han Ze Min tutted as he lazily walked towards Map Bai''s side and stood between the Oldman and Wan Yi Jun, like a faint mountain. "Your Oldman taught you only about Wisteria gardens, elder Mao Bai? What about "Peony mansion or Azalea quarters or Chrysanthemum caverns? Or what the golden lotus of imperial? Did your father only taught you to politely speak to your lordships and royal families?" He bursted out in anger, "He doesn''t know.. Stay out of it." Chapter 106 - Azalea Quarter UNEDITED: PLEASE WAIT FOR SOME TIME, "Shu Li Li and Song Jia?" Elder Mao sounded puzzled as he responded to Han Ze Min''s question and looked at Zhu Yuhai as if he was trying to recall someone named Song Jia. On the other hand, the eagle team was actually worried when they heard Han Ze Min blurt out a confidential secret. Only the local police team knew about the eagle team''s hypothesis of the link between these two cases. "Song Jia? Isn''t it that delinquent girl? Why are you asking about her? The expression on Zhu Yuhai''s face looked extremely doubtful as he probed more, "Do you think Hu Geng Xin did something to them?" Even after Han Ze Min understood that he made a mistake by spilling a secret, he remained unaffected without giving anyone a chance to get a gist of what he was actually planning, "Nope...I''m just curious. From whatever you said earlier, we can conclude the chances of Hu Geng Xin being a mentally unstable person who acts out even for silly reasons. So I just want to know that who is likely to get on his nerves. Is it Shu Li Li or Song Jia? Or just both?" Han Ze Min sounded rather casual about it. "Officer, please be honest with us....because there is no way these three get to associate with each other." Zhu Yuhai refuted their claims once again, "Especially Xiao Li Li. She knows her family and her father''s reputation, she will never get involved with the other two." Listening to Zhu Yuhai''s stern denials, Han Ze Min''s eyes narrowed a little when he felt something amiss, "Are you sure about that?" "Yes. There were no instances in my memory where I saw these three together." No matter how hard he tried to recall, he couldn''t find anything that supports Han Ze Min''s accusations. "I wanted to ask you earlier. Why are you searching for Hu Geng Xin in the first place? How is he related to this murder case?" Zhu Yuhai asked when he finally picked up the absurdities in this entire conversation. He was told that the police team from the imperial was here to investigate Shu Li Li''s case, but he didn''t understand why they were suddenly inquiring about Hu Geng Xin and Song Jia, two individuals who got nothing to do with Shu Li Li. "Well, we are reopening Song Jia''s missing case with this case." "What about her? Didn''t she elope with someone years ago? It was a huge hassle when they found that skeleton in the forest, people even assumed it was her skeleton. And what happened in the end? It was someone else. Don''t make the same mistake as your predecessors did. That girl is long gone." Mao Bai spoke in a criticizing tone as if he was judging Han Ze Min for his imprudent behaviour, Hearing the old man targetting him once again, Only Han Ze Min knew how he controlled his urge to rebut. The conflicting sparks were so evident that even the onlookers could figure that these two would never treat each other normally, from now on. "Technically speaking, Song Jia is still missing since there is no evidence of her existence. And recently, two witnesses of that case were found dead or gone missing." "Who is dead, and who went missing?" Mao Bai abruptly retorted and turned to face Wan Yi Jun, totally ignoring a bickering Han Ze Min as if he was an eyesore, However, Wan Yi Jun, who noticed it, simply remained silent and let the other carry on, "Hu Geng Xin had gone missing for two years. And then, there is Shu Lili-" The moment those words fell from Han Ze Min''s mouth, Mao Bai couldn''t help but gasp in shock. "Geng Xin...what happened to him? He said that he was going to imperial and...and," Mao Bai''s word''s broke when he recalled that Hu Geng Xin never came back to Gui Xiang even for his mother''s death anniversary. "He did reach imperial and worked for a while in the capital. Then one day, he just disappeared. We thought he might have returned home, but apparently, he''s not. We came to know that he met Shu Li Li before he went missing," Han Ze Min explained with an expressionless face. "When he came to see me before moving to Imperial, I did ask him whether he would be settling down in the city. But he said that he would return for his mother''s death anniversary and even requested me to keep an eye on his house. But he never came back." "His house, is it near?" Wan Yi Jun asked without even looking at Mao Bai as if he was purposefully avoiding him. "Yes, it''s right over there." Mao Bai pointed in the direction of a small hut on the cliff, not so far away from the last alley in the village settlements. "Then, let''s go and take a look over there." Wan Yi Jun suggested as he concluded the rest of the interrogation without wasting a moment. "Captain, then what about searching the old castle?" Bing Wen suddenly pointed, "We can just divide into two teams and try to finish it as soon as possible and search the castle." "Hmm, I think that''s better. I will go with Lao Yating and Bing Wen to Shu Li Li''s house, and you guys cover Hu Geng Xin''s house and Song Jia''s house if it is possible." Han Ze Min suggested an idea that was quickly agreed upon by everyone. Wan Yi Jun quickly wrapped the interrogation by thanking elder Mao and Zhu Yuhai and walked out of the guest house. However, just as they stepped outside of the guest house, Wan Yi Jun stopped in his tracks as if he recalled something and returned to Mao Bai, once again. "What''s it, young master Wan?" Mao Bai smilingly inquired when he felt that Wan Yi Jun got something to ask him. "It must be about my relationship with the Wan family, or maybe to get some blessings from an elder." Mao Bai''s brain built several colourful dreams in a glimpse. However, Wan Yi Jun who stood before him, in his all glory, said something that the old man never even saw coming, "Elder Mao, I''m not quite sure why you did that...but disparaging people in front of me, that too, targetting one of my team members, it will not be overlooked next time." Wan Yi Jun warned in a stern tone and gave a fierce glance at Zhu Yuhai, who stood next to Mao Bai, "But young master, that officer...he was being rude..." Zhu Yuhai, who unknowingly addressed so politely, made a vague effort to hide the fact that it was him who spew non-sensical things about Han Ze Min. "We are taught to treat people respectfully and, naturally, we expect others to show the same to us. If you feel that we mistreated your fellow officer, then I must say that it''s what he asked for it." Mao Bai said as a matter of fact. "I don''t think so, elder Bai," Wan Yi Jun added with a haughty scoff and leaned towards the old man as if he was about to whisper something. "I know it''s solely because of the Wan family." "Oh dear, young master. There is no need to whisper about it. We are extremely honoured to meet you. You know, my grandfather worked for your great grandfather." Mao Bai excitedly shared the information he wanted to tell from the very moment he heard that the police captain actually belonged to the Wan family. "Then you must have known how important was Han family to my ancestors." "Of course, I know it. My grandfather said that the Han family of the Azalea Quarters were equally powerful as the wisteria gardens." Mao Bai proudly showed off his knowledge of the imperial factions. "You are quite a knowledgeable person, elder Mao Bai, no wonder these villagers treat you as their elder. It makes me reminds me of an idiom- the blind leading the blind." As soon as those words entered Mao Bai''s ears, the colour on his face lost as if he saw a ghost. "You are the elder, you should have taught them it''s extremely wrong to judge before you know who are they." Even though Wan Yi Jun''s voice sounded aloof, the look on his dark eyes clearly appeared cold and deadly. " "Their houses remain so close to each other, then why are they kept saying that there is no chance for them to get associated with each other? Either it''s their social status or maybe it''s out of fear." "To be very honest, I was literally irritated by this village''s power dynamics." "What if someone is a migrant? They do treat us better because we came from the capital city, right?" "Money and authority play an important role in these people''s lives." Chapter 107 - Solving The Mystery UNEDITED: PLEASE WAIT FOR SOMETIME "Should we break it?" "Let me try opening it." "You know how to pick a lock." "Since he is not so close with others, the chances that we might be able to collect different fingerprint samples will be very less. Let''s try our best." "It seems like he only took his clothes." "The rest of things are here only." "What''s it, captain?" "It''s a hair strand...a long one." "A woman?" "Totally. Otherwise, it should be some man who got long hair." The view is pretty nice from here." "It seems like he used to burn plastics in it. No matter how ignorant you are, how can someone burn plastics on a stove inside the house." "Damn....is he running a shop or what?" "You are done?" "Captain, officer Han wants to talk to you." "Ya, how many cigarettes do you smoke in a day?" "What?" "You are the only chain smoker, I know." "This is no time to joke." "We have found nearly ten packets of cigarettes from Shu Lili''s secret chamber. It''s called Morbius," "Morbius? That''s a Daisunese brand. I don''t think they sell it in this country. How come it''s with her?" "Woahhh, you can even tell the country just by listening to the brand." "Captain," "Damn!!!" "What happened there?" "Nothing. We will wrap it as soon as possible and join you." "Shen Junru, I don''t know what you do or how you do... collect every single fingerprint you can gather from here. Even those on the packages." "Were you aware of the fact that your daughter used to smoke?" "No. She said that someone else might have put the cigarettes in her backpack." "Apparently your daughter happened to be a smoker. It doesn''t seem like she is an addict. She just wants to play around." "Mr Shu, this is your chance to speak. If you remain silent, we will be missing a clue that might point towards the daughter''s murderer." "So tell us the truth, what was the real reason to kill Hu Geng Xin." "Kill, I didn''t kill anyone." "Really, you want me to believe that?" "I would have killed him if Ran Xianqi, didn''t meddle between me and that wretched bastard," "Wretched bastard, that''s some serious allegations you are putting on someone." "You don''t know what he did to my daughter and our family." "He took advantage of my little girl and wanted to marry her? How dare he?" "Before going to imperial were there any changes on him? Did he looked scared or worried or anything?" "No. I don''t think so. He looked the same." "Did he fight with anyone or anything like that?" "No..no.. absolutely not. Why would someone fight with him? He was someone who often worked with police. Even before going to imperial, he dug that skeleton for officer Pei." "What Ran Xianqi? Did he came back here?" "No. He actually found a job in imperial." "Hmmm. Is there anyway we could get Ran Xianqi''s contact details?" "He used to do business with village head, so maybe he can help you." "Does anyone have other questions?" "You said that "So another character?" Wan Yi Jun''s eyes darted towards his team members and signalled them to take note. The number of witnesses and suspects on their list was growing more and more as their investigation advanced further. Before they could lose another important piece of evidence, Bing Wen quickly opened his laptop and searched for the name Ran Xianqi on their suspect list. Unfortunately, there weren''t any. "Do you know his contact number or address or anything?" Wan Yi Jun asked the men who sat before him with a docile look on their faces. "No. We know nothing about Ran Xianqi apart from the fact that he was also an immigrant from Zhi Ruo." Mao Bai answered every single query of Wan Yi Jun so obediently that everyone forgot the earlier incident when he treated two police officers like nobody. After listening to both Mao Bai and Zhu Yuhai''s experience of encounter with a random delivery man, Wan Yi Jun put an end to their topic with an atom bomb. "How far is Zhi Ruo?" "Good lord, why?" Han Ze Min shrieked and tightly shut his eyes as if he encountered something he utterly disliked. "Please don''t tell me we have to go to Zhi Ruo now and track this Ran guy." To be very honest, his heart and mind were involved in a continuous conflict since last night. His heart wanted to return to imperial and meet Ming Yue to persuade her to sign the deal whereas his mind argued to stay back and solve the crime. He was hoping to wrap everything in Gui Xiang within two days and return to imperial, but Wan Yi Jun and his simple question just poured dirty water over his plans with Ming Yue. "I told you before," Wan Yi Jun tried to remind Han Ze Min of his earlier words about going to any extent to find the truth and overlooked the sulky faces of his team members before continuing with the interrogation. "It is really far if you go by road. But only take two hours if you take the sea route." Mao Bai informed them and watched how Wan Yi Jun sought his teammate''s opinion through simple gestures and glances. For some reason, the way Wan Yi Jun behaved with others surprised him. He was really the heart and soul of the team, yet he didn''t act like a highly controlling and narcissistic superior. "Are we planning to go there, captain? Should I adjust our schedule?" Lao Yating asked without any hesitations. As someone who was hellbound on getting to the end of this maze, Lao Yating was even ready to swim across the east sea and go to Zhi Ruo to find any leads. "No. I was just curious to know why migrant workers from Zhi Ruo comes to Gui Xiang. As far as I know, east dragon city got more opportunities than an ordinary fishing village." Wan Yi Jun cleared their doubts in a flash of a moment and affirmed that he got no intention to extend their investigation to Zhi Ruo. "There are several reasons for it, but the major one is that the route to Gui Xiang is easier than going to East dragon city." "That doesn''t sound so logical to me. If there is a path that connects an island to the city, I swear people would use it more frequently. Even government would try to develop infrastructure to facilitate trade and other things between these two places." Han Ze Min doubtfully added, "We are talking about Zhi Ruo here, not only a place involved in borderland dispute, but also the breeding ground for pirates and mafia. If our country or Daisun tries to do something to improve the path to Zhi Ruo, it''s often considered as an act of asking for a war." Mao Bai explained the weird political scam happening on the far east side of the mainland. "I don''t understand. Are we living under some kind of rock or what? How come we never heard about this?" Han Ze Min whined in protest when he heard something unexpected. He was a government officer, a policeman who was supposed to protect and maintain peace in his country and citizens. But what''s this weird contradiction that almost felt like he was hearing about some third world country. "It''s definitely a different world, and people like you might not understand it." Mao Bai, who finally got a chance to get back to Han Ze Min, didn''t hesitate to retort, "Also east Dragon city is collapsing after the law amendments. People either move to other places or get into crimes to make a living." "And still Zhi Ruo people go there?" Wan Yi Jun doubtedly asked when he recalled Ming Yue''s words about her hometown. "Yes, especially people who live in the south and west Zhi Ruo. There are some ships and boats that sail from there to dragon city once in a while. But you need to give a hell lot of money. That''s why nowadays people prefer to come here." "What about Ran Xianqi? Did he come back here after taking Hu Geng Xin to imperial?" "No. I don''t think I have seen him in the harbour after that. Do you remember seeing him, Yuhai?" Mao Bai averted his eyes to the burly man who sat next to him and inquired, "No. I haven''t seen him, either." "Should ask him to come here?" Zhu Yuhai asked when he suddenly noticed the doubtful look on the chief investigator''s face. "No. We already have an appointment with Mr Shu." Wan Yi Jun refused and looked at his team members for a second, "Does anyone have other questions? Or we can leave." Officer, please be honest with us....because there is no way these three get to associate with each other." "Are you sure about that?" "Yes. There were no instances in my memory where I saw these three together." Mao Bai, who got impressed by the polite Shen Junru, gave a radiant smile before answering his question. "