RITM - 37

She rose to see him out, but after taking just a couple of steps, he stopped and, with his back to her, asked, “Are you feeling better?”

“Much better. Thank you for your concern, Mr. He.” She flashed a smile that was uniquely hers—a smile so disarming that anyone who saw it would feel compelled to befriend her. Ni Lei had fallen for it too. But he turned his head and gave her a detached glance, seeing right through her ploy. Just like when she was a child, he reached out and flicked her forehead, saying nothing before turning around once more and walking out the door.

She hunched her shoulders, listening as his footsteps gradually faded into the distance until they disappeared completely. Only then did she slowly relax her shoulders and gently touch her forehead. Over the past year or so, their meetings had been few and far between. Yet, why did every parting leave her with a tinge of sadness… She looked down at her open palm, where nail marks had formed deep crescent shapes. The pain had long subsided, leaving only numbness behind.

To hope for more would be ungrateful. It was time to sincerely wish them happiness.

As night fell, Luo Wei was escorted back to her new residence by He Yingze’s driver. Along the way, the car ran out of fuel, and the driver stopped at a gas station. He asked if she wanted to buy something to eat on the way back. She said she’d take a look inside the convenience store herself. He hesitated but ultimately couldn’t override her insistence, so he followed closely behind her like a prison guard, keeping a firm eye on her every move. She wandered through the nearly empty convenience store twice, picking out a few fruits with her basket, not noticing the chime of the doorbell as someone entered. Passing a shelf stacked with snacks, she spotted the last pack of her favorite seaweed and reached for it. With that, an empty space appeared on the shelf, and from the other side emerged the chest of a man wearing a knitted sweater. The man seemed curious about why the snack had suddenly disappeared and leaned down to investigate. Then, she saw a familiar face. His hair was slightly curled, his eyes clearer than the lakes of Zurich. He exclaimed in surprise: “Xinqi, you’re here too…” But before he could finish, he abruptly stopped, as if realizing something. She no longer saw him through that gap, but instead heard the sound of hurried footsteps. Remembering He Yingze’s warning that she must not interact with any acquaintances until the culprit was found, she turned and ran toward the exit with the driver, quickly slipping into the car.

“Luo Wei!” Su Jiannian shouted from behind, “Luo Wei! Is that you?”

Luo Wei frantically patted the back of the driver’s seat: “Hurry, hurry, drive! And remember, don’t let your boss know about this, or we’ll both be in trouble, okay?” The driver was already petrified, nodding mechanically while focusing on driving.

Once home, she felt restless, pacing back and forth in the living room. Eventually, unable to calm herself, she called He Yingze. As soon as he heard Su Jiannian’s name, He Yingze snapped angrily: “What did I tell you?”

“It was just a coincidence—I didn’t do it on purpose!”

“I told you, if you need anything, have them buy it for you. If you want to go somewhere, make sure Chang Feng accompanies you. Are you ignoring everything I’ve said?”

“For over a year, I’ve lived no better than a prisoner. If this continues, I’ll develop depression.”

“No, even prisoners are better off than you. At least they know when they’ll be shot.”

“He Yingze, you’re overreacting. It’s been over a year—can’t you just…” She was utterly exasperated, ruffling her hair into a mess. “No, I’m a healthy young person! I need freedom, social interaction, nature, and entertainment!”

“You can do all those things—as long as Chang Feng is with you.” He showed no understanding of her anxiety.

“I’m sick of seeing Chang Feng’s face. If you’re so determined to imprison me, then come and keep me company yourself! If you accompany me, I won’t complain! But you can’t—you don’t have the time. You’re always busy doing whatever you want, completely oblivious to my suffering!”

“What do you want me to do with you? I can make time.”

This answer caught her completely off guard. She stammered for a moment, unsure how to respond. Just then, she noticed a black car parked downstairs. No license plate. She asked He Yingze to hold on, grabbed a pair of binoculars from the drawer, and peered through the curtains. Inside the car were two young men in their early twenties, each holding a square box—one red, one green. They whispered to each other, pointing alternately at the red box and the green box. Finally, as if reaching an agreement, they tapped the green box, nodded at each other, and stepped out of the car with both boxes. As soon as they exited, the one holding the green box exchanged a glance with the other and pressed a button on the box…

“BOOM!!!” A thunderous explosion erupted, engulfing the area in crimson flames. In an instant, the entire car was blown to pieces.

The scene reminded her of the accident from a year ago. Startled, her hand trembled, and her phone slipped from her grasp, crashing to the floor. Shaking, she picked it up, only to find it completely broken and unresponsive. Within a minute, heads popped out of windows as residents checked the commotion, many calling the police. Staring at the smoldering ruins where no trace of bodies remained, she recalled their earlier gestures and conversation. Suddenly, a chilling realization struck her—it seemed to be a failed murder attempt: these two young men had been sent to kill someone. Their leader had told them that the red box contained a bomb, while the green box held something for cover—perhaps a smoke bomb. They were instructed to plant the bomb in a specific house and use the smoke bomb to escape. But they were too scared to leave after planting the bomb, so they prepared the cover first before detonating it. What they didn’t realize was that both boxes contained bombs. Their leader intended to eliminate them afterward to destroy the evidence. So, who was the target? Realizing her deduction made perfect sense, Luo Wei grew increasingly frightened. She paced around the room several times, wanting to go downstairs to check the situation, but feared encountering another unexpected danger. Left with no choice, she sat down to repair her phone, hoping to contact He Yingze as soon as possible.

More than ten minutes later, loud knocking echoed at the door. Startled like a bird fleeing danger, she jumped up and looked for a place to hide. But before she could, the person burst in—it was He Yingze, of course; only he had a key to her apartment. Yet, she had never seen such an expression on his face. He was slightly out of breath, his complexion pale, his features frozen in shock, strands of hair plastered to his cheeks by cold sweat.

He had always treated her with detachment, making her almost forget the scene when she regained consciousness after being shot a year ago. Back then, he had suddenly appeared at the hospital door, rushing over with a panicked expression—just like now. But he had always been calm and composed, so at the time, he simply placed his hands on his hips, catching his breath before walking over to ask how she was feeling.

At this moment, his expression was no different from that day. She wanted to say something, but before she could, he strode over and roughly grabbed her arm: “Luo Wei, do you realize how close you came to dying?! If they hadn’t been betrayed by their own people, you’d already be blown to pieces!”

Her arm hurt from his grip, and she trembled, shrinking back slightly: “I’m sorry...”

He showed no sympathy, instead pulling her closer to him, nearly causing her to stumble and fall. “You are absolutely forbidden from acting recklessly like this again! Whatever I tell you to do, you do it. Wherever I tell you to stay, you don’t move an inch! Do you understand?!”

“Y-Yes...”

She had intended to apologize again but noticed his brows furrowing even deeper. Before she could react, he reached out, pulling her into his arms.

Her mind went blank. Luo Wei gasped softly, her breath stolen by the embrace. Was she really being hugged by He Yingze? The sensation felt so surreal, as though she were dreaming. But as his hold tightened, pressing against her painfully and making it hard to breathe, it became clear this was no dream. He clung to her as if trying to confirm her existence.

His arms were trembling slightly...

This reaction was nothing like the bold, daring He Yingze she knew—it was more like that of a frightened child.

Why was he so shaken? Was it because he was terrified she might have died? Even without love, he still cared deeply for her, didn’t he? Thinking about these possibilities brought a sharp ache to her nose, and she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and cry. But she controlled her emotions, gently rubbing her cheek against his and forcing a smile: “Xiao Ying, your face feels so cold. Let me warm it up for you.”

He ignored her words, and after calming himself, he finally released her. “I won’t allow something like this to happen again. Come with me.” With that, he grabbed her wrist and headed toward the door.

And just like that, she was taken back to Zhenji Royal City. After hearing her explanation of what had happened, he simply said, “Stay here for a while,” before locking her in a luxurious room. No matter how much she knocked on the door, he paid no attention. It wasn’t until the next morning, after a restless sleep, that He Yingze finally opened the door, returning to his usual composed self: “Bring your original ID card. We’re going to get something processed.”

Having been confined all night, she dared not ask any questions and quickly nodded in agreement, following him out. When his car stopped in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau, she let out a nervous laugh: “You’re not planning to get a marriage certificate for me, are you?”

“Yes.”

It felt as though a metal hammer had struck her head, knocking her intelligence into negative numbers. She stared at him in shock: “Wh-What? Who am I marrying?”

“Me.”

“...”