When it was time to leave, the afternoon sun was shining down harshly. Tang Yuyan opened up a sun umbrella as Xia Lei walked her to the door.
“You should stand under the shade too. The sun is too hot, you’ll get tan,” offered Tang Yuyan.
Xia Lei regarded that with a smile. “I’m a man, what’s a little tan? You can have the umbrella all to yourself, I’ll be fine.”
Yet, Tang Yuyan insisted on scooting closer and hovering the umbrella’s shade over his crown. Xia Lei was about one hundred and eighty-five centimetres tall. Tang Yuyan, on the other hand, was about one hundred and seventy-five centimetres tall. Added with a pair of heels, she was about his height. Walking together side-by-side, they certainly looked like a pair matched in heaven.
Their appearance earned many curious glances. Xia Lei had no idea who they were but everyone else knew who he was. After all, Xia Lei was the most famous figure in China at the moment. Every single action of his had repercussions for the whole of China. However, he wasn’t famous in this special little area for his Thunder Horse Military Factory or the Jing Ke and Phantom drones that had made rounds around local news outlets. He was well known for the fact that he had four wives and four children. All of his women were phenomenal beauties and his children were all scarily intelligent for their age. The babies were already able to talk despite only being one month old. So many women, so many children, yet the man could enjoy familial peace and harmony. Who wouldn’t be jealous of his life and who wouldn’t be curious about the way he lived?
Now, Xia Lei was walking under the same umbrella with a fifth woman. Their proximity and atmosphere were suspiciously intimate, prompting everyone else in the area to cast a few more glances at them.
Fully aware of the attention, Xia Lei felt nothing for he was long used to it. However, Tang Yuyan was blushing and cringing internally at that for she was raised as a sheltered prominent family daughter.
Somehow, the roads around the small residential area felt like it stretched on forever.
“You…” Tang Yuyan’s voice was meek. “Do you not have anything to say to me?”
Xia Lei was aware of what she desired to hear but the man had found it hard to say it out loud. He spared her a glance then fell silent.
Her eyes began to glimmer with a sheen of disappointment. “I’ve already taken care of Long Bing. You know what I’m saying, right?”
Xia Lei mustered out a smile. “Yes.”
“After lunch, Liang Siyao sat me down for a talk. I understand what she’s trying to say. If I wish to be a part of the family, I’d have to leave the Tang family. Even Fan Fan had said the same thing to me. The female decision-maker of your family had always been Liang Siyao but Long Bing could be one as well. It’s just that she’s not very keen on facing conflict and speaking,” said Tang Yuyan. She had left Jiang Ruyi out of it because the woman was one to stick with the majority. Jiang Ruyi was not seen as an obstacle. Truth to be told, she already had a firm grasp over the behaviour of his four wives.
“So you wish to know what I think of it, yes?” asked Xia Lei.
She nodded. “The man I wish to follow is you. If you disagree, nothing I do would matter.”
Xia Lei halted in his tracks and stared into her eyes hard. “I… I honestly have no issues with it but can you meet their criteria? To leave the Tang family will certainly be tough and painful on you.”
There was a beat of silence before Tang Yuyan mustered up the courage to speak, “Yes, it surely will be a tough decision to make. But for you, I’m willing to do anything.”
When the Hattori clan had hired an assassin to take out his family with poisonous gas, Tang Yuyan had used her life to shield Xia Lei’s wives and children. If she was willing to do that, what was there left that she wouldn’t do for his sake?
Those words had moved his heart. He hesitated. “Yuyan, am I even worthy of your sacrifices?”
“You’re absolutely worth it. For you, I’m more than willing to sacrifice anything.” Tang Yuyan was firm.
Xia Lei’s heart was melting into a puddle at this point. He reached over and seized her wrist. “Yuyan, my condition is the same as theirs. Your departure from the Tang clan. But the departure we’re talking about is not about forgetting all about your parents and brother. Our skin and body were bestowed upon us by our parents and your parents had gone through a lot to raise you well. The familial ties and a parent’s kindness flowing through our blood can never and must not be severed. The departure we’re referring to is for you to stray away from all economic or political ties the Tang family has. Those are the things we’re asking you to stay away from.”
Tang Yuyan was stunned. All this while, she had thought Liang Siyao and the rest were asking her to leave her family name behind. She had faced the pressure with a brave face but she was fully aware that when she needed to see her family members physically to get the deed done. Xia Lei was right. Her parents had given her life and raised her. How was she going to sever the ties they shared over a man? It was such a relief and a surprise to hear the actual explanation from Xia Lei. This was much achievable for her. She could definitely get this done.
Tang Yuyan abruptly threw herself against him. Then, she wrapped her arms around his waist tight, letting her soft chest come in contact with his hard chest.
Xia Lei froze and went frantic. “What the hell are you doing? There are people staring at us.”
“So what?” Tang Yuyan’s heart was brimming with so much sweetness that she felt like she was about to explode. Even her words felt like it was coated thickly with vanilla and butter. “They can stare all they want. I’m not afraid.”
Xia Lei sheepishly said, “They all know that I have four wives and four children. You…”
Tang Yuyan pushed her face into the crook of his neck and murmured gently, “Then I’ll be the fifth. My children will also be your sixth child.”
“Huh? Sixth?”
“I wish to give you two children. One son and one daughter. You better have me pregnant with both in one go.”
Xia Lei was speechless.
“When are you going to marry me?” Tang Yuyan’s stare felt like it could melt even the toughest heart.
Xia Lei took in a deep breath. “Yuyan, if…”
“If what?”
“If I’m only left with one more year to live, would you still be keen to marry me?” Xia Lei popped the question.
“What the fuck are you bullshitting about?” Tang Yuyan’s heart began to thunder loudly.
“I’m serious. If I’m only left with one more year to live, would you still be keen on marrying me?” Xia Lei repeated.
“Forget about one year. Even if you’re left with one more day to live, I’ll still marry you in a heartbeat!” Tang Yuyan let go of her umbrella and clasp both palms around his cheek. “Tell me, what happened?”
Xia Lei smiled bitterly at her. “Nothing much you can help with, honestly.”
“Is that why you moved your family here?” It didn’t take long for Tang Yuyan to piece information together. She was an extremely intelligent officer after all.
Xia Lei said nothing but confirmed it with his silence. What use was there to tell Tang Yuyan? None. With Zhu Xuanyue and the prehistoric chosen one as his nemeses, even the country couldn’t save him.
“I never knew what I really wanted in the past. All the things I fought for and pursued were all for the sake of my family until you came into my life. Now all I want is you. I can’t live without you. Without you by my side, I question the meaning of my existence. All I can only think of is you every waking moment and even in my dreams. I love you and I wish to be your woman, even if just for a day. I mean my words. So no matter what difficulties you’re faced with, I will not be afraid. Anything you need help with, I’ll gladly do for you. If I can’t help you, I’ll be like Siyao, Ah Bing and the others. I’ll wait for you to come home in supportive silence. Do you understand my feelings now?”
Xia Lei nodded.
Tang Yuyan whined a little and seized his lips.
Everyone around them froze in surprise. A man with four wives and four children was out here in broad daylight kissing some other woman right outside his door! This was completely unheard of!
Even if other men dared to pull that, chances are it wouldn’t be with such a beauty. The women that flocked to Xia Lei’s side were all considered to be top class women. For a regular man to even marry one was already great luck, let alone marrying five of them.
To kiss Tang Yuyan in public was a first for Xia Lei too. The man was initially nervous but quickly calmed down later to return the favour with greater ferocity. The feelings he harboured for Tang Yuyan was complex and difficult to dissect. Once upon a time, he had liked her and then he had despised her. Yet, he was melted into a puddle of sappy love in the very end. Frankly, his heart had already accepted her fully since the time she had almost died from rescuing Long Bing, Liang Siyao, Jiang Ruyi and Fan Fan from danger.
They kissed till their tongues went numb. It was only then when the discomfort seeped in that Tang Yuyan was willing to let go of Xia Lei. Tears of happiness escaped through the corner of her eye. “I’ve been waiting for this kiss for a very long time.”
Xia Lei smiled at her tenderly and pulled on her arm to continue their trek. The curious gazes were too much to bear.
Exiting the gates, Xia Lei walked her to her car. Unable to suppress the heat of love growing inside of her, Tang Yuyan once again enveloped him with her arms and delivered another wonderful kiss by the street. Love was just that powerful.
Her passion too had ignited the fire within Xia Lei’s soul. The tingling warmth of her kiss and her lust-filled body allowed him to forget his troubles. At that moment, he had forgotten all about the stresses Zhu Xuanyue, the prehistoric chosen one and Lockheed Martin’s Dragon Slayer Project had inflicted on him. All his brain could focus on was Tang Yuyan’s lips and her warm, plush body. He really needed a distraction like this, even for a short while.
“Uh… What is this?” Tang Yuyan released Xia Lei abruptly and hovered a finger over the top of Xia Lei’s thigh. It was a pocket that was near Xia Lei’s groin. Perhaps she was reaching for something subconsciously in the heat of the moment but had touched something else.
Xia Lei reached into his pocket and produced an alloy necklace with a dangling pendant.
“You’ve been carrying this around since I first met you. Why did you take it off?” She asked.
Xia Lei answered, “There is a capsule inside this pendant.”
Tang Yuyan was surprised. “What capsule?”
Xia Lei paused for a moment and then whispered into her ear. “The AE capsule.”
“Huh?” Tang Yuyan’s lips were agape with shock.
Xia Lei only offered a silent stare. This final AE capsule had always been a secret of his. Since Tang Yuyan was willing to sacrifice herself to save his family, the least he could do was to offer her some honesty. Plus, he was already prepared to take the last AE capsule. This was just to make appropriate arrangements for after he was ‘gone’.
Tang Yuyan broke into a light giggle. Xia Lei had chosen to tell her a very important secret. This made her happier than the feverish kiss they shared earlier. This was a clear indication that he had now seen her as one of his women.
They locked gazes, a new kiss seemingly brewing in the background.
But right at that moment, a military off-road vehicle screeched to a halt beside the couple.
Tang Bochuan popped his head out of the window with a grin. “Oi! Sister, are you not afraid that his four female tigers will come after you with claws?”