Mingxia reacted quickly, climbing into another car in the garage. She followed his car trails for a while and ended up in a deserted, burned-out area. She coughed away the dust that filled her nostrils. Hanging around, she spotted Lixin on the ground. She strode to his side and kept calm, observing him closely.
As far as she was concerned, he was not hurt. Mingxia heaved a sigh, cleared the ground, and sat down on the floor. She crossed her legs as she glanced at Lixin, who remained quiet, although he knew she had chased him here. He rolled his eyes, furrowing his brows. His freezing glare fell on Mingxia's face.
"What an irony. I told you not to be weak, yet I am the weak one. Mingxia reached out for his hand, placed her slim, petite hand into his, and covered it. "I am sorry if I disturbed you."
Somehow, he found himself apologizing to Mingxia. He was too sour to talk about what happened. It seems like he was the villain in the end and had accused Suyin of being the culprit for her mother's death. She was innocent all this time. Lixin rested his back on the wall. They were in front of the house where Lixin grew up. After the fire razed the place, Lixin never returned there; on the other hand, he found himself unconsciously driving here when he was in a bad mood. The memories of being loved tugged at his heart. He groaned, got up, and looked down at Mingxia.
"Let us go. It is not safe for a lady to be out in the night. Just when Lixin stated it, he realized that the night had arrived and the day was gradually fading away. Lixin gazed into the pitch-black sky and muttered some incomprehensible words. The chilly wind blew on Mingxia. She shivered a bit, attempting to make herself cozier. "You are cold. Let us head back. Lixin dragged Mingxia back into the car, strapped her seatbelt, and did the same for himself. He removed his long, thick, black coat from his shoulders, wrapped it around her, and started the car.
"You can talk to me, Lixin. I am here. Mingxia found herself opening herself up for him. Before she left the penthouse, Suyin told her what happened, and naturally, she understood where he would drive next, and her guess was right: Lixin revisited the house where he grew up in the past before moving to Beijing to settle down. "Whatever you are thinking of, you did not cause it. All these are within our reach. If it is fate, then it is fate."
"Fate?" Lixin sardonically declared, holding himself back from laughing out loud. It was pretty funny that he forgot about that hopeless word called 'fate' that everyone had no control over. The power, wealth, and might he acquired over the years from his hard work were not even enough to change his ugly fate. "How long should I succumb to my ugly fate? I have every right to change it!"
He retorted, parking his car in the garage and making his way to the bedroom. Ever since then, Lixin has never come out, not even when it was time for dinner. Suyin and Mingxia could only wish the best for him and let him be. He did need alone time with himself so he could face the truth.
It was best he braced himself for the future. Meanwhile, in his room, Lixin stood outside the balcony with a cigarette stick lit up and a glass of red wine in his right hand. He gazed at the stars and let out a fatigued chuckle. Life was daring him to bring out the worst part of him. Lixin skimmed through the pictures on the table, sipped some wine, and continued looking through them. Most of them were pictures of his childhood and birthdays. He brought out a lighter and burned all of them. Starting today, he was going to surrender himself to fate and, in exchange, have his revenge. Those who hurt him would be paid back in millions.
There was no more need to wait on Karma!
............…..
Next Day,
Waking up to the hot, blazing rays of the sun, Lixin opened his eyelids tiredly to find himself properly tucked in bed. The warm blanket was raised to his neck. As he was about to rise from the bed, he felt a bit of restriction on his arm. He squinted to get a hold of the woman next to him. Her petite figure rests on Lixin's left arm. He crouched down, attempting not to wake her up. She was a bit peaceful and cute when sleeping. Lixin gently took her head away from his arm and put it on the bed. His fingers caressed her streamlined chin. He stared at her face for a while and was filled with warmth.
… Did she sleep here?
Lixin stood up from the bed and showered, and the moment he pulled the doorknob to walk out, Mingxia flew up. She rubbed her eyes groggily, rising from the bed and yawning. She walked towards the mirror, saw her messy self, and blushed.
"You awake?" Mingxia asked once she finished fixing herself up. It was humiliating knowing he was watching her deeply as she arranged her hair into a ponytail. Her entire action was under his surveillance. "Are you hungry? Yuming must have made breakfast."
"Not interested." He declined her kindness, picking up his laptop pouch. He turned the doorknob and left the room. Mingxia was able to catch up to him before he left the house. She stopped to catch her breath. "What do you want? Lixin asked in exasperation.
"Be happy!" Mingxia smiled, rushed over to his side, pulled him closer, and dropped a kiss on his cheeks. She ran off into the house like a little child, ditching Lixin on the sideway. His fingers remained plastered on his face as Skyler smirked at Mingxia's attitude.
He led Lixin into the car and drove off. He tilted to meet Lixin, whose aura improved drastically, which is usually not the norm. Monday morning was typically a rush hour for the both of them and because of this, Lixin arrived late and angry. But this time around, the boss was elated and had no cause to shout or yell at him for being slow. Skyler exhaled in relief and relaxed a bit.
"You look happy, boss." What is on your mind? Skyler chipped in. He was more concerned to know what Lixin had in mind and what exactly went on between the young madam and the boss himself. She kissed him on the cheeks, and the boss liked it. "I can see you have grown fond of young Madam Zhou."
"Keep your mouth shut and drive."
.................
In Mu Corps.
"Did you make an appointment with the Tangs?" Skyler questioned bringing him the last file for today. He had gotten a call from his colleague that a woman named Songyun had come looking for the boss. Lixin raised his head, gulped in his sparkling water, and gazed at Skyler for a while.
He had no memory of him making any appointment with Miss Songyun or anyone from the Tang family. The Mu and Tang were not on good terms after Jialing settled scores brutally with them. He confiscated their mining land and handed it over to Lixin at the old master Tang's burial. Since then, the Tangs and Mus never saw each other and, more so, resented each other for decades.
"Let her in.