Chapter 23 - power {edited}

Vesna and Zeyan stood in the hallway that led to their apartments. Vesna awkwardly scratched the back of her head as she looked at her door and then at Ziyan's. 

"So…" she began hesitantly, turning to Ziyan."Since we're married now, am I supposed to move in with you, or… should I stay at my place?"

Ziyan tilted his head, his expression a mix of amusement and mild exasperation. It was as if he were silently asking, 'Isn't this obvious?' When he didn't get any reply from her, he internally rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand. 

"Come on, wifey, we got to celebrate our wedding night," Ziyan said with a playful grin, leading Vesna towards his apartment.

Vesna blinked after she heard the words 'wedding night' while she let Ziyan pull her along with him. A moment later, she looked at Ziyan, running her gaze over him before her eyes settled on his handsome face. 

"A wedding night does sound nice," she murmured, her voice soft but clear enough for him to hear.

Ziyan couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head in mild disbelief, wondering what kind of woman he just married. In just one day, not only did he find out that his wife held a high position in Kiaros, and had mad driving skills but also that his wife was a pervert. 

The two went inside his apartment and had just taken a few steps before Ziyan stopped in his tracks. Vesna noticed the sudden stop and, with an amused expression, looked towards the living room. There in the middle of the living room was a table, surrounded with roses with the only source of light being the candles on them. An expensive bottle of wine stood in the center, accompanied by two glasses. A card was placed neatly in the middle of the setup.

"Why did you stop?" Vesna questioned as she pulled her hand away from his and walked close to the table. 

Ziyan mentally cursed the culprit behind this before he answered. "I might be blind but my sense of smell works perfectly fine." 

Vesna quirked her eyebrow. Indeed the smell of roses was too strong in this place. She picked up the card only to find a box of condoms behind it with a red bow on top. She stared at the box for a moment before she read the card. 

'Have fun and use protection — RX' 

She picked up the box and turned to Ziyan with a curious look. "Who is RX?"

"That would be my younger brother, Rowan. Why? What did he say?" he asked though he already knew the answer, his eyes already fixed on the box in Vesna's hand. 

"He left us a gift," she answered. Her eyes looked down at the box and grinned, "a very useful gift." 

Ziyan's cheeks flushed a subtle pink as he rubbed the back of his neck, a bit embarrassed by the unexpected "gift" from his younger brother. He cleared his throat and tried to regain his composure. 

Vesna put the box away and picked up the wine bottle. "So, want some drink to celebrate our marriage?" 

Ziyan, still a bit flustered but smiling, nodded. "Sure, why not?"

Vesna uncorked the bottle and poured the wine into the glasses, the rich, red liquid swirling inside. She then handed one glass to Ziyan. 

"To us," Ziyan said, raising his glass.

"To us," Vesna echoed, clinking her glass against his.

The newly wedded couple soon found themselves sitting around the table, the wine bottle spinning in the center. They have been doing this for an hour now, asking a variety of questions from their hobbies to their first crush. Of course, it was Vesna who suggested it saying they could get to know one another better. 

"Your turn," Vesna exclaimed when the bottle stopped in Ziyan's direction, "Why aren't you asking me about what happened earlier?" 

"About how you drifted the car through the busy roads?" he questioned. 

Vesna nodded her head but realized he could not see so she said, "Yes." 

"Because I know the woman I marry would not be someone ordinary," he shrugged as if it was obvious. 

"Huh?" Vesna tilted her head, looking confused. 

"I am no ordinary man, Vesna. Of course, my wife won't be ordinary either," he replied cheekly. 

Vesna scoffed but didn't say anything further. Instead, she turned the bottle again. This time, it landed on her. 

"My turn," she told him. 

"Why did you choose me?" Ziyan asked. "Why out of all people, did you choose me to marry you?"

"Didn't you just say you were no ordinary man?" she questioned. 

"You know what I mean," 

"Hmm," Vesna hummed as she sipped on the wine before she answered him. "Because you are a Luo. And the Luo have power not just in city S but in the capital as well."

"You are aiming for the capital?" he asked in surprise. 

"Something like that," she nodded her head. She was aiming towards the underworld network in the capital city. 

"But I got no power in the family...at least not anymore," he told her. 

"We can change that," she shrugged. She put her elbows on the table and interlocked her fingers before resting her chin on them. "But it depends on whether you want that power or not."

Ziyan stared at her through the glasses, not answering her question. How could he when he did not have the answer himself? 

"Ziyan Luo," Vesna called him out. "Do you want to regain the power you once had, or are you going to spend the rest of your life as a useless blind man?"