At the airport, Li Wenjie and Bai Meixiu sat nervously in the waiting area, holding each other's hands like their lives depended on it. Bai Meixiu's face was pale, her eyes darting to every corner as though expecting their families to appear at any moment.
"Wenjie," she whispered, her voice trembling, "do you think they'll find us?"
Li Wenjie squeezed her hand tighter, his own fear barely hidden behind a brave face. "Not if we're lucky," he said. But deep inside, he knew their luck was running out.
Just then, an announcement blared over the airport speakers:
"Passengers Li Wenjie and Bai Meixiu, please report to the boarding gate immediately."
Their hearts sank.
Meixiu clutched his arm. "Wenjie… They're here, aren't they?"
Li Wenjie nodded grimly. "They wouldn't let us go that easily."
Realizing they had no way out, Wenjie turned to her. "Listen, Meixiu. If they catch us, we'll go back with them—but I promise, we'll stay together. No one will tear us apart."
"But how? You know they'll lock me up again!" Meixiu's eyes brimmed with tears.
"I have a plan," he said firmly. "They love us too much to lose us. We'll threaten to end it all if they separate us."
Meixiu gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Wenjie… that's dangerous!"
"Do you trust me?" he asked, looking into her eyes.
After a long pause, she nodded. "I trust you."
With their decision made, they got up and walked to the VIP boarding gate together, their hearts pounding.
---
Meanwhile, at the airport entrance, the Bai brothers arrived in a flurry of activity, their guards and cars creating a scene. Bai Yichen, the hot-headed second brother, stormed out of the car first.
"If I see that Li brat, I swear I'll beat him until he regrets being born!" Yichen growled, cracking his knuckles.
"Calm down," Bai Jinghao, the eldest, said coldly. "This is no time to make a scene. Focus on getting our sister back."
But even Jinghao couldn't hide the fury in his eyes. His calm exterior barely masked the storm brewing inside. His mind was already calculating how to punish the Li family for their boldness.
When the Li brothers arrived moments later, the tension grew thick.
"Well, look who decided to show up," Yichen spat, glaring at them.
Li Heng, the eldest Li brother, smirked. "Relax. You should be grateful my brother likes your sister so much. It could've been worse."
Yichen lunged forward, but Jinghao held him back. "Not here," he said sharply. "Let's get Meixiu first."
The Li brothers exchanged smug looks but didn't push further.
When the two families found Bai Meixiu and Li Wenjie, Meixiu burst into tears seeing her brothers. "Yichen! Jinghao! I'm fine, please don't hurt him!"
"Fine?" Yichen barked. "You call this fine? Do you have any idea what you've put the family through?"
Li Wenjie stepped forward, shielding Meixiu. "Don't blame her. It was my idea."
"You dare?" Yichen snarled, but Jinghao stepped in.
"Enough. Let's settle this at home," Jinghao said. "They'll both come back with us."
Though reluctant, Li Wenjie agreed. "Fine. But we'll only go if Meixiu and I are together."
"Whatever," Yichen muttered. "We'll see how long that lasts."
The Bai brothers insisted the couple ride in separate cars. Wenjie gave Meixiu a reassuring look as they were led to different vehicles.
---
Back at the Bai residence, tension filled the air as the families gathered in the front courtyard. Old Master Bai and Old Madam Bai stood at the entrance, waiting for their daughter's return. When the cars pulled up, they hurried out, relieved to see Meixiu unharmed.
But relief quickly turned to chaos.
Li Wenjie and Bai Meixiu stepped out of their cars, hand in hand. Before anyone could react, they grabbed pistols from the guards nearest to them.
"Step back!" Wenjie shouted, holding the gun to his own head.
Gasps and shouts erupted from both families.
"What are you doing?!" Old Madam Bai screamed, her voice breaking.
Meixiu pointed her gun at her temple, tears streaming down her face. "If you separate us, we'll die together!"
Old Master Bai's face turned pale as he froze in shock. "Put those guns down this instant!"
"Not until you let us stay together!" Wenjie yelled. "We're not asking for your approval anymore. We're telling you—this is how it's going to be!"
Old Master Li, who had just arrived, broke into a cold sweat. "Wenjie, stop this nonsense! You're going to ruin our family's name!"
"I don't care!" Wenjie shouted back. "If being with Meixiu means ruining the family name, then so be it!"
"Please, don't do this!" Old Madam Bai begged, sobbing uncontrollably. "Meixiu, my daughter, don't hurt yourself. We'll talk this through!"
"Talk?" Meixiu cried. "You've locked me up, threatened me, and forced me to leave the country! Talking was never an option for you!"
Both families stood in stunned silence, unsure how to diffuse the situation. The guards were frozen, afraid to make a move.
"Meixiu," Bai Jinghao said softly, stepping forward. "Put the gun down. No one will hurt you. I promise."
"Don't come any closer!" Wenjie warned, tightening his grip on the gun.
The standoff was tense, every second feeling like an eternity.