#anyways the next part of chapter three is REALLY easy to translate into an investigation segment

[lazycranberrydoodles]

chapter 2 - reincarnation (masterpost here)

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Season 2- Victor and MC- Chapter 4 & 5 (Eng Translation)- Part 3

⌚Warning:⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a chapter that is yet to release in the global server. Don't continue under the cut if you don't wish to be spoiled!(◍•ᴗ•◍)

✧✧ PART 1 || PART 2

-

✧ [CH 4-12] ✧

At BS office: With the help of her subordinates, MC is working on gathering information on Lu Kang, and the mysterious man in black. But the tracker she left on him lost its signal after some time, so the investigation has reached an dead-end for now.

It's also the day Victor will be released from the hospital. So, MC goes to pick him up.

He has changed out of his hospital gown, and returned to his suit and leather shoes.

I sigh inwardly, though Victor has always been very busy, but recently he seems to have become even busier.

MC: You've just been discharged from hospital, don't you want to go home and rest?

Victor: It's not like I was really hospitalized. Besides, I remember that you still have something to report to me.

MC: Now I understand that being a CEO is really not easy.

Victor: If you really want to be considerate of others, improve the quality of your work.

I tilt my face up, and pat my bag while looking at him.

MC: So where does CEO Victor want to test the quality of my work?

Victor: Go to LFG.

-

MC notes that Victor gets in his work mode™ as soon as he enters LFG LOL

MC reports Victor about her findings that Lu Kang once lost a lawsuit against LFG and seemed to hold LFG responsible for the bankruptcy.

Victor explains that the deal with Lu Kang's company didn't proceed because they were found secretly making false accounts and such doings will eventually lead to plummeting. LFG never did or neither do they need to persecute anyone for business competition, and it'll bring more trouble than benefits anyway.

I scrutinize the sharp air exuding from his eyebrows, and can't help but mutter under my breath.

MC: Victor, you've always been so decisive and swift in action. Haven't you made more or less some enemies?

[Note: MC uses the idiom "雷厉风行" which literally translates to- passing like thunder and moving like wind.]

Victor: When there are interests involved, even if you do nothing, there will be enemies. The rules of the game are inherently cruel, and to have people who want to put some tricks to use, is quite ordinary.

MC gives Victor another report which she compiled based on Lu Kang's memory.

MC points out- the lawsuit incident was a while ago and it shouldn't be the reason he attacked Victor. She assumes-- it has something to do with the "game" that was mentioned in his memory many times. Lu Kang and the young man who partnered in the game probably tried to escape halfway, and they were killed because of the "no escapee rule."

Victor takes MC's reasoning under consideration, and specifically points out that all the victims of the murders are Evolvers. MC expresses her assumption that it could be because the authority of the game has some hidden agenda.

We glance at each other, and once again each sink into reflecting on the matter.

After a while, Victor picks up the last page of the report, and flips through it.

Victor: The trail for that killer is broken?

MC: Yes, should be. We suspect that he threw away the tracker.

Victor looks at the contents of the report repeatedly, then presses it on the table, and taps his fingertips on the last spot tracked by the tracker.

Victor: This place, you've only checked the public webpage. So the trail is not completely broken yet. Let them use the internal channels to investigate again. Don't waste the first-level authority I gave you.

Victor raises his eyes and looks at me, then puts the report back in my hand.

MC: Do I need to investigate that game altogether?

Victor: No need. I will send someone specialized to investigate. Remember, everything you just said is only a conjecture.

Victor: Without my permission, do not voluntarily investigate in private.

MC: Yes, BOSS.

The worries that have been clogging up in my chest for days, finally dissipates in several degrees. Even if I sympathized with Lu Kang, this action to get back at someone is never the right thing to do.

MC: Fortunately, this car accident is not related to the Evolver assassination. Just as I said, who would be so courageous, that he dares to pick a fight with CEO Victor?

Victor: The "bodyguard" is finally relieved?

MC: Relieved!

Victor: Go back when you feel relieved. Start concentrating on your task next week.

I grab the report, preparing to leave, just then Victor calls me again. I look back, and see that he seems to have sent a message to someone.

He halts for a moment, then stands up with one hand propped on the tabletop, his deep gaze falling on my face.

Victor: Thank you for these few days.

I stare blankly at him for a while, and quickly perk up with an even bigger smile.

MC: No need to be polite, Mr. Victor. Just let me book a free pudding from Souvenir!

I turn around at Victor's momentary expression of helplessness, running out of the office like a wisp of smoke.

Ever since confirming his safety, I feel that every time we see each other, it all becomes much more relaxed.

Behind the current life, there are still bubbling up unsettling factors in motion.

But precisely because things being as such, is what makes me want to cherish the rare tranquility all the more.

-

✧ [4-13] ✧

Just a moment after walking out of the LFG building, I suddenly remember that I've forgotten one thing, and rush back to the lobby.

After talking to the administrative staff at the front desk, I dial Victor's number.

Victor: Hello?

MC: Victor, I forgot one thing just now. To congratulate you on your 'discharge', I've prepared a small gift for you. The staff will deliver it for me later.

Victor: ....I've said I wasn't really hospitalized. What are you up to again?

MC: Just treat it as a blessing. You must accept it! That's all.

Victor: Hold on.

MC: Is there anything else?

Victor: Help me think of a name.

MC: What kind of name? A kitten, a puppy or a relative's child?

Victor: ....Common name, male.

MC: Why are you asking this all of a sudden?

Victor: Because your imagination is comperatively rich.

What kind of answer is this...

I complain inwardly, but still give it a serious thought.

MC: Let me think. How about this one!

(Players get to choose a name from the three options)

Victor: What kind of strange name is that...

Victor's helpless sigh comes from the other end of the phone.

Victor: Never mind. I shouldn't have had any expectations. I'll accept your gift. That's all.

After hanging up the call, I'm still a little baffled by the request.

He abruptly asked me to help think of a name, and also a male's name. Could it be that he is going to use it himself?

Could it be that there is something that requires a disguised identity?

But does he even need to disguise.... aren't the six letters "Victor" the best pass in itself.

Anyway, the name I gave him off the top of my head, he definitely won't use it.

I shake my head, my train of thoughts returning to the gift I've left behind just a moment ago, and can't help but look forward to it.

I wonder when the Victor of now receives this gift, what will the expression on his face be like?

-

✧[POV back to Victor's office]✧

Closing the last document, Victor leans into his chair, gently pinching his brows.

Opening his eyes, the pink-colored gift box on the corner of the table enters his line of sight again. The lofty color seems to be urging him to open it as soon as possible.

Victor unwraps the box, and inside lies a round Shiba Inu doll, appearing a little old.

He wrinkles his eyebrows, takes it out, and sees a small folded note also being pressed onto the bottom of the box.

He patiently unfolds the note again, the carefully and neatly written calligraphy greets his eyes.

Victor: (reading the note) "Congratulations on your 'recovery,' and here's a small gift for you. This is the doll that has accompanied me for many years. I wish you well and hope you're happy." - MC

Victor: ....Childish.

Victor subconsciously says a word, and falls silent again.

Unknowingly why, but he always feels that he's somewhat familiar with this scene, but he also can't amalgamate the impression any further.

Even just the silly Shiba-Inu doll on the table, brings him a trace of intimacy.

[Note: This is the same Shiba-Inu doll MC's dad gifted her as a kid, and she gave it to Victor in S1 "Rooftop Date," when she wanted to comfort him realizing how much he misses his departed mom.]

It seems as if, ever since meeting her and getting acquainted with each other, this strange feeling often arises.

Is it because she has an Evol associated with memories?

But again, Victor is also very clear that her Evol doesn't have effect on himself.

Or is that, it's simply owing to her?

Victor blankly stares at the doll for a while, and by the time he circles back to his senses, it's already somewhat late.

He pulls open a locked drawer next to his desk, puts the doll inside, and catches a glimpse of the document marked with a sharp " S " symbol underneath.

"Illegal psychoactive drugs", " CORE", "has the potential to stimulate Evol"...

Several eye-catching keywords are marked in red, even in the twilight, which are still clearly identifiable.

The information the girl has reported to him once again surfaces in Victor's mind.

She has organized it very meticulously, but after reading it all thoroughly, the dense fog before his eyes hasn't dispersed.

Those layers of crisscrossing threads seems to have already involved all the parties, standing in different positions, making the situation chaotic.

And all these disputes still ultimately point to the same source--

BLACK SWAN CORE.

When it's all said and done, is this situation because everyone is eager to obtain it, or is there an unknown force hiding in the depository, pulling the strings?

There are still numerous issues that needs to be resolved, and one can not always watch the fire burning across the river.

Victor locks the drawer, and glances at the clock on the wall.

The phone rings at the right time, it's an encrypted email from BS.

Mail: "BOSS, as per your requirements, the relevant information has been sent to the other party."

Victor simply knocks down a reply, gets up and puts on his jacket, preparing to leave.

A pile of events is connected into a ring, and each angler, too, is bait for another.

He is looking forward to what kind of prey can be hooked this time.

-

✧ [CH 4-15] ✧

Victor meets Lucien at the research center, who hands him the report of a research.

Victor says the results are clear but Lucien says they only confirmed their guesses, and that CORE has been the focus of everyone after Evol was publicized, but there are perhaps other things affecting the world. Lucien asks if Victor feels that the world is not quite right and that every civilization circulates within a box, the time they have is likely more limited than expected.

Victor says it depends on how an individual views the matter, there's no need to pre-determine an outcome.

Lucien asks Victor if he believes he'll be able to get out of the box. Victor replies, "Not believe, it's a must."

After Victor gets in the car, he receives an email: "Dear Mr. [the name MC chose for him earlier], thank you for your support towards Hunter Games."

The rest of the email is basically explaining the rules of the game.‶

-

✧ [Victor scene in CH 5] ✧

Victor is returning from a business trip. After giving Goldman some instructions, he glances out of the window of the helicopter. Even though everything is peaceful, to him something always seems amiss.

He receives an email containing only one word, "Advanced." His expression doesn't change much since he already expected this outcome. The mail disappears, and he taps on another anonymous email with the instructions- He'll be entering the betting venue in 15 minutes and he should get prepared.

When the helicopter is about to land on the LFG rooftop, he glances out of the window once again and observes the people of the city living their day to day peaceful lives.

The noise-reduction headset cuts out the sound of the outside world, but the mere information sent back to him by his vision, is sufficient to prove the tranquility of the world before his eyes.

The helicopter lands. He settles some works with the staff.

Victor raises his hand to look at his watch, the gray clouds being reflected on the dial, slightly blurs the trajectory of the clock hands.

In a split second, along with lowering his arm, an inconspicuous red light suddenly streaks across the dial.

There's still ten minutes to enter the "betting venue".

The staff turns around, walking towards the elevator, cold wind blows on Victor's face, fluttering the hem of his coat.

Somewhere directly opposite, a small cross hair has always been aiming at the position of his heart.

??: "Code L" elimination plan in progress, target locked.

A second before the trigger is squeezed tightly, the person behind the lens suddenly lifts up, raises his head, looking straight into the set of deep eyes in the distance.

The clamors of the city conceals much of the noise, the discharge of bullet muffles in the silencer, so much so that in this shattering rain, it doesn't even make a crisp sound of snapping a branch.

A dispute between the light and the dark, seemingly has arrived to its conclusion.

[Trivia: The call that comes with the Chapter karma card-- is actually Victor nagging with MC on her report over phone inside the helicopter-- before it lands on the LFG rooftop!]

[brandyllyn]

In our own image... (01)

Chapter 1

(Poe Dameron x OFC)

Other chapters...  My Masterlist

Word count: 2200. Read it on AO3.

Rating: Teen & Up (PG) language.

Poe Dameron, Commander in the Resistance Army, hands down the best pilot in the fleet, hero of D’Qar, and one sexy guy - although admittedly that one might be just in his own head - was having a shit day.

It started when he fell out of his hammock that morning. He fell out every morning, but this morning was especially bad because he had somehow missed putting his foot down correctly to catch his fall and whacked his head on his table on the way down. Despite having strung up his hammock in a private little stand of trees, canvas tarps providing a roof from the rain and some additional privacy, he still cursed loudly enough to wake up several people nearby. Which on its own wouldn’t have been that bad either except one of them was Snap which meant Poe was never going to hear the end of it.

It had been downhill from there. Breakfast was leftover rations from the night before. There were no flight maneuvers on his schedule today, just endless strategy meetings. No mission in sight to get him out of this jungle either.

And they were running low on caf - so low the pots were being brewed less than half strength, weak and watery. Barely worth drinking even though he savored what little jump he could get from the murky beverage.

By the time lunch came around Poe was ready to throw in the towel. The day was not going to get better and to top it off, BB-8 was mad at him. They’d been arguing for nearly ten minutes while Poe was trying to eat lunch. A few other people had come and tried to make conversation but Poe’s bickering with BB-8 had made most of them quickly move on to other tables.

"Come on buddy," Poe pleaded with his droid. "I’m sorry, I know you don’t like it. But I can’t fix it right now either." BB-8 beeped at him with exasperation, ending on a trilling note that Poe would have called insubordinate if it hadn’t been paired with a sad whistle. "I know, I know. The moment I can get somewhere that sells the tools I need we’ll fix it I promise."

"What’s up with Beebs?" Jessika Pava asked, sitting down at the table next to Poe and clutching a mug of tea. Poe eyed the beverage dubiously. Last he heard they were on their third or fourth use of tea leaves and her drink didn’t look much better than his caf had that morning. But if the Black Squadron pilot wanted to pretend she was holding more than the dregs of what used to be tea he wasn’t going to say anything about it.

"Someone pushed him down a cliff and now he’s got sand in his circuits," Poe replied, eyes carefully avoiding the man sitting across from him.

Finn heard him anyway. Obviously. He was sitting less than two feet away, he couldn’t help but hear Poe. "I’m not the one who got us crashed on the sand dunes."

"I’m not the one who-" Poe started but was cut off by a mournful whistle from BB-8. He sighed, "I know buddy, we’re both really sorry."

"Real sorry Beebs," Finn echoed, rocking the droid affectionately with his foot.

Pava snorted, hiding a smile behind her mug when Poe glared at her. "Why don’t you take him over to the droidsmith," Pava offered.

Poe turned to her in confusion, seeing BB-8 do the same at his feet. "The who?"

Pava tilted her head at him and then blinked, "Oh yeah, you’ve been gone a while. We’ve got a droidsmith. Set up over on the south side next to the Mu."

"When did a Mu shuttle arrive?" he asked.

Pava rolled her eyes, "With the droidsmith."

"Yeah Poe," Finn mocked, "with the droidsmith."

Poe glared at him. "What do you know about the droidsmith?"

"I know he’s over by the Mu shuttle," Finn retorted.

"She," Pava muttered under her breath and Finn gave her a glare before correcting himself.

"She’s over by the Mu shuttle, everyone knows that."

"Mmhmm," Poe grunted, looking down at BB-8 who was blinking up at him hopefully. "Right after lunch, I promise."

Without the constant interruption from BB-8 Poe managed to finish his meal in peace, Pava falling into step beside him after he pushed back from the table. She led him past the Command center and a string of X-Wings, then pointed out where the shuttle was settled next to a large canvas tarp strung between three trees. From where he was standing, it looked like it was covering nothing but crates.

He took a step forward and then frowned when he realized Pava wasn’t with him. "You’re not coming with me?" He asked

Pava shook her head, "It’s probably best if I don’t. She doesn’t like me much."

Poe glanced at the shuttle, then back at the pilot. "Why not?"

"Me? The Great Destroyer? Why do you think a droidsmith might not like me?" She asked sarcastically.

Oh yeah, Poe thought, that. It wasn’t that Pava tried to get her droids shot, exploded, imploded, or short-circuited. It just always seemed to happen to droids that were near her for more than a few minutes. BB-8 flatly refused to fly with her, even when Poe had directly ordered him to once.

BB-8 was ahead of them both, rolling across the ground and investigating the new ship. Poe looked back at Pava, "Do you at least know her name?"

Pava shrugged. "I’m told she doesn’t speak Basic. She’s got a little translator droid you can talk to though. Name’s K-0."

"Great," Poe muttered as he watched her walk away. When he turned back, it was just in time to see BB-8 disappear around a stack of crates. "Just great."

Judging from the size of the roof tarp, the droidsmith’s shop covered several hundred square feet. She had stacked crates around several sides to create the illusion of walls and there was covering on the ground to keep everything out of the inevitable mud after the rainstorms. Poe ducked under the tarp, his boots making a hollow thunking noise on the ground cover.

He waited a minute for his eyes to adjust to the shadows and then raised an eyebrow. In front of him was a table, set fairly low to the ground, with a ramp leading up to it and an R4 unit in two pieces on top of it. The droid whistled at him as he went by and he gave it a nod. From that table there was another ramp to a higher table, this one scattered with a variety of parts. It took a moment before Poe realized the benefits of the arrangement. Different droids would need to be at different heights for repairs. And the ramps made it easy for them to roll where they needed to be.

He walked past the second table and around a corner made of boxes and entered a larger, enclosed area. The ceiling was tall, at least fifteen feet, and he could see various parts hanging from the poles that held the tarp up. Light filtered through the opaque fabric but the interior was mostly lit by a variety of battery operated lanterns and lights strewn around. He idly noted a hammock in the corner, and a stack of crates leading up to it. Falling out of that one could cause serious injury. On a table near to it, at a normal height, Poe got his first look at the droidsmith.

He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. He’d met a few droidsmith’s over the years. One had been a burly Snivvian, another an elderly human woman. Enough to know that there was no one kind of person who was drawn to the profession. It required smarts, quick fingers, and mechanical know-how - but once you had those the possibilities were endless.

This droidsmith was… there was no other way to describe her than stunning. Skin a dark golden color, a few shades darker than his. She had large irregular shaped spots framing her face, extending along her hairline behind her ears and down the sides of her neck, underneath the wide leather choker she wore. They continued on, disappearing into her clothes and he wondered briefly how much further they went. She was Chasinian, Pava hadn’t mentioned that. One side of her dark hair was cut shorter than the rest - the rest falling over her shoulder.

Poe felt an instant jolt of attraction. It wasn’t just that she had striking looks, but the entire picture she presented seemed to be tailor-made for him. She was sitting on the table, knees spread wide and feet touching, BB-8 nestled in the gap of her legs like a small child. As he watched, she pulled off the sturdy work gloves she was wearing to reveal long fingers. She immediately began running her hands over the droid, pressing on sensors and caressing the edge of his panels with soft, graceful touches. For just a moment, Poe was irrationally jealous of his friend. He shook the thought off quickly. He heard BB trilling happily, popping open ports to show her the array of gadgets and mechanisms Poe had installed over the years.

As she stroked the droid, Poe could see her muscles moving. The white tank she wore left her arms bare, and she had a streak of grease along the outside of her forearm. She looked like someone who could not only kick his ass in hand to hand combat - but like she’d steal his X-Wing while he was still trying to catch his breath.

Poe had a type. He’d admit it. And that type was "could kick his ass and steal his ship." It had gotten him into trouble too many times to count in the past, and yet here he was. Suddenly lusting over a perfect stranger based on the way she was touching his droid and the mental fantasy he had drawn up based on no more than a twitch of muscle and streak of grease.

Then again, there was also the fact that she didn’t report to him. Or he to her. That was… on a military base that was maybe the sexiest thing of all.

He shifted his feet, his boots making the flooring creak and she looked up at him. Her eyes were deep brown, almost black, and she cocked an eyebrow and then tilted a head down at the droid. He flushed at her perusal and quickly coughed, trying to cover his face with his hand.

"Yeah, he’s a little beat up, someone rolled him down a cliff." Her expression didn’t change and he quickly added, "Not me." He gave BB-8 a hard look, silently begging the droid to not rat him out to this woman. "Is, uh, is K-0 here? To talk to?"

The droidsmith gave him a confused look and made a clicking noise with her tongue.

Poe heard a rustle and a small single-wheeled droid, barely bigger than his two fists, rolled out from under a table. "I am K-0," it intoned, tilting a sensor array back to look up at him. "What need?"

Poe looked between the droid and the droidsmith before nodding. "Okay, well K-0. That’s BB-8," he pointed to the orange droid as though there might be some confusion and then grimaced, abruptly halting the motion and running his hand through his hair instead. "He’s uh, he’s had a rough time and he’s got sand in all his gears. I also think he’s got a sensor loose. I could fix it but I…" he glanced around the workshop. "I don’t have the tools. I was thinking I could borrow-"

As he was talking the little droid beeped and whistled in binary, aiming it at the woman holding BB-8. When Poe got to his last sentence he saw her shake her head vehemently, giving him an annoyed look. Or maybe a skeptical one. Or possibly some mix between the two. Whatever it was it wasn’t a look he had hoped for. Certainly not from her.

"Okay," he continued, listening to the little droid translate, "no tool borrowing. Would you be able to…? I mean, I was told you’re a droidsmith so I was hoping maybe…"

She was nodding, smiling at BB-8 and ignoring him entirely as she pried one of the panels off with her fingernails and set it gently on the table next to her. He heard her make a soft tsking noise and BB hummed contentedly back.

K-0 tilted to look at him. "Will fix. Do good."

"Thanks?" Poe looked between the three of them again. "I’ll be back in-"

"Two day," K-0 intoned solemnly.

Poe nodded and backed out of the workshop, feeling suddenly like he was intruding in a moment he wasn’t meant to see. She looked up at him as he went, those dark eyes meeting his before she leaned back over BB-8 in apparent fascination.

Poe stumbled back out into the light, putting one hand out to catch himself on a crate and turning his head toward the sun.

"Sithspit," he muttered.

He wasn’t an expert, but he was pretty sure that hadn’t gone particularly well.

=

Chpt 2

[shijiujun]

[ENG] History3: Trapped Manhua - NEW EPILOGUE!

DREAMS DO COME TRUE GUYS MORE CONTENT?! It’s written by the same author as the novel and the chapter is focused on like smut, we all know how that all goes but oh wells I’m just happy to see some new content for now XD

－ Summary: Shao Fei and Zhao Zi get hurt in two separate occasions, their boyfriends find out and drag them home for a discussion (in bed). This is set after Epilogues 1 and 2 from the main novel (i.e. Tang Yi is already out of jail, Shao Fei is Captain etc.)

－ Translated Manhua FOR THIS EPILOGUE (PG13 scenes only): HERE

*Translations for both are mine, don’t own the content or stuff, only the translations!

=======

In which those handcuffs make a cameo for TangFei, and Jack, despite saying that he’s gone all legal now, still has some brothers under him at his command XD

Both couples have already been together for 7-8 years at the point of this epilogue

Highlights: Tang Yi buys underwear for Shao Fei apparently, and Xing Tian Meng is still well and alive (although mostly legal and low profile now), Jack still has a bunch of minions working for him 

Warnings: Firstly, this is written by the same author, who’s really not that good at smut (I see SOME improvement) and she obviously has a formula for the smut, and you’ll get what I mean because translation is one thing, but the smut for TangFei and LiKe are not varied because... it’s a formula XD ⇨ Okay not sure if it’s counted as dub-con because Shao Fei & Zhao Zi do say ‘no’ a few times but I don’t know if their heart was in it and anyway, this is just for safety! ⇨ Also Jack is a tad bit unsanitary and you’ll get what i mean when you venture into the smut, and I don’t how I feel about that smut scene to be honest, just treat it as PWP and don’t think too much into it (advice I should take myself)

Notes: I’ve adjusted some phrases for smoother transitions by personal choice. Also, Jack is referred to as Fang Liang Dian, his birth name throughout the chapter, but I’ve changed it to Jack for easy reading as well.

Full chapter under the cut

===

Ximending

Under a building veranda, a tall and handsome man stands next to a pillar in the pedestrian zone and ignores all the stares full of open admiration and envy coming at him from his surroundings. He looks at the watch on his left wrist and frowns.

“Tang Yi!”

A refreshing, clear voice sounds from afar and the man’s wrinkles from the frown he has on his face finally eases as he stares at the other, reminding someone that he is late.

“Seven minutes.”

Meng Shao Fei grins at him and says, “Sorry, sorry, I was delayed a few minutes by a part-timer’s survey. How about later after dinner I’ll treat you to your ‘elderly’ tea, the one that is expensive and takes a long time to savour.”

“That’s called taste.”

The person who was originally standing in front of Tang Yi suddenly furrows his brows, then takes half a step back to the side, intentionally putting some distance between them both before saying, “Let’s go, I’m starving.”

“Mnn,” Tang Yi does not notice the movement, only nodding his head and making a noise of assent.

“Thief!”

Just as they are heading towards the restaurant where they have a reservation, a woman’s screams sound in the bustling pedestrian walkway. The people who are near her startle and begin to look around them. Just as the thief is about to blend into the crowds, taking the opportunity to escape, two figures from two different directions rush towards him. One of them strikes him in the abdomen, while the other takes out a pair of handcuffs and cuffs him around his right hand, which is holding onto a butterfly knife.

“Police! Don’t move!”

The shorter one with the handcuffs shouts at him, and once the thief hears these words, he goes white with fear immediately. He thought that he could easily get away but who knew he would be caught red-handed by the police?

“Zhao Zi?”

Shao Fei picks up the pink-coloured handbag from the red cobblestone walkway, patting at it a few times to get rid of the dust and looks at the other person who has helped him to restrain the thief, stunned.

“Huh? Shao Fei? What are you doing here?”

Zhao Li An is also looking at Shao Fei in surprise, not expecting to meet the Captain of Investigative Team Three here.

“I should be the one asking that question, what are you doing here?”

Zhao Zi immediately scratches at the back of his head and laughs, “Jack said that there’s a pretty good restaurant around here, so...”

Shao Fei points behind him and replies, “Tang Yi also said that there is a restaurant here that is famous for its Sichuan cuisine, could it be... the same place?”

“Chuan La Zi restaurant?”

“Damn, it really is the same one!”

“...”

The perpetrator who has been cuffed looks at the person on the left, then looks at the person on the right and his heart feels as if thousands of horses are speeding through, thudding hard. Fuck! How is he this unlucky? Not only has he run into the police, it’s two police officers at the same time.

“Shorty, you actually dare to leave me? ... huh? Ex-boss? Officer Meng?”

An eye-catching mop of red hair finally pushes through the crowd as Jack comes up behind Zhao Zi, seeing two familiar faces before he can even protest against his lover’s actions of abandoning him to rush over and arrest a robber.

“...”

Tang Yi stands at the front of the crowd that has gathered, his expression terrible as he glares at Fang Liang Dian, who has actually reserved the same restaurant as he. 

A brief opportunity arises seeing that the two officers are distracted by the sudden situation before them, the thief tightens his grip around the butterfly knife in the hand that is locked in the cuffs, the knife that Zhao Zi has forgotten to disarm from him. He mercilessly slashes at Zhao Zi’s arm and shoves him away hard, before rushing into the crowd and disappearing.

“Uwah!”

“Zhao Zi!”

Shao Fei immediately reacted after being shoved aside, but he is still one step too late and all he can do is watch as the thief disappears into the crowd.

“Shorty! Are you okay?”

Jack holds onto Zhao Zi, who’s pressing a hand over his wound to stop it from bleeding and he cannot be bothered to chase after the culprit, who has already made it a distance away. He has already committed that face to memory anyway, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s caught.

“I’m fine.”

As his supervisor, once Shao Fei has made sure that his stupid junior is alright, he lightly slaps Zhao Zi on the back of his head and angrily says, “Go back and write your reflection essay 50 times! Let’s see if you’ll still dare to not follow protocol and not be prepared to disarm the culprit!”

“50 times? Hey, Ah Fei, how can you be like this? You were also the same the last time-”

“Last. Time?” the Xing Tian Meng leader at the side asks coldly before Zhao Zi has even finished speaking.

“That’s right, the previous supermarket robbery case, Ah Fei was also punched by the robber.”

“Zhao Li An, shut up,”  Shao Fei says in a low voice as he crazily waves at him for a pass, but is still unable to keep his stupid junior from exposing him.

Tang Yi grabs onto Officer Meng’s wrist with a somber expression, “Go back with me.”

“I’m so hungry, can you let me eat my fill first and then I’ll go home and let you scold me, okay?”

“Not okay.”

“It’s so embarrassing for me like this, let me go and I can walk myself, hey, Tang Yi... Tang Yi... Tang...”

The strategy of crying for mercy not effective, Team Three’s Captain is dragged away from the pedestrian zone under the eyes of the audience from the crowd.

“Haha, he deserves it,” Zhao Zi laughs gleefully, but his smile falters once he remembers the punishment he’s about to face and complains under his breath, “50 times... a reflection essay...”

“Shorty.”

“What?”

“I’ve cancelled our reservation at the restaurant.”

“Why?”

Hearing that the delicious feast he was anticipating has now been cancelled, Zhao Zi immediately turns around and glares at the smiling man in anger.

Under Jack’s charming smile, a chill runs down Zhao Li An’s spine as he shudders, and the man says, “I think we too have to go back, and have a really good discussion.”

After so many years, Zhao Li An immediately realizes that something is amiss with the current atmosphere hearing the heavily-stressed response. Just as he’s about to make a run for it, his tall and handsome lover catches him around the waist and lifts him over his shoulder. Under the watchful gazes of the crowd, he walks back to where his bike is parked.

===

Shao Fei’s Home

“Tang Yi, mmm... mm-nn...”

Inside the bedroom, the furious man decides to just use his own lips to block the words continuously coming out of the other man’s mouth. All that comes out of his mouth are excuses anyway and it’s nothing that Tang Yi wants to hear, so Shao Fei might as well shut up and make the noises that Tang Yi likes to hear instead.

“Tang Yi, listen to me...”

⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇

Read the complete chapter in Google Drive - Link in Source

[Do read the warnings above before venturing into this!]

[jokertrap-ran]

(未定事件簿) 莫弈 [剧情: 第2章] [Tears of Themis] Mo Yi Private Story Translations (Chapter 2-7)

*Tears of Themis Masterlist / Mo Yi’s Masterlist / Mobile Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Mo Yi’s Private Story tag is #Tears of a Personal Psychiatrist. *Chapter 1 can be viewed here!

Location: Mo's Mental Health Research Center

After confirming Li Yu's identity, Mo Yi rejected my request to continue taking part in the investigation.

MC: Why!?

MC: It wasn't easy for us to get this far, Dr. Mo! There's no way I can just give up on this so easily!

Mo Yi: …...

But Mo Yi only continued staring at me in silence, a thoughtful look on his face.

Mo Yi: ...Before we put this discussion on the table, please answer me this honestly: Have the PUAs come to you for revenge?

MC: Oh...No… They haven't; why do you ask…?

His sudden question caught me by surprise. I hurriedly avoided his eyes, pretending not to understand his question.

Mo Yi: I'm supposing that the "spam message" you received the other day was actually an SMS they'd sent as harassment.

Mo Yi: And recently, the actions that these people have been taking have been getting more and more aggressive; essentially having even affected your daily life to a certain extent.

Mo Yi: That's why you said they were "arrogant"; am I right?

MC: !!!

MC: ...Nothing gets past you after all.

I couldn’t help but to sigh, deciding to come clean about everything that I’d been hiding from him recently.

MC: Yeah. Some PUAs have been verbally harassing me with threats lately.

Mo Yi: When did this start?

MC: Probably not long after the “Anti-PUA” Club turned into a mutual aid group. Someone had suddenly added me as a friend one day.

MC: They asked if I was the Lawyer who’d helped Lin Yunyun, and I thought that they were also a fellow victim, so I replied in the affirmative; but in the end...

I couldn’t stop all the many different sorts of harassment messages that I’d received recently from popping back up in my mind at the thought of it.

Those messages, not fit to be shown to anyone at all, were always sent to my phone at fixed timings. There were countless, so many that I could never delete them all even if I tried. It gradually became a personal living hell of nightmares.

MC: There were only a few people who did it sporadically at first, so blacklisting and blocking them worked like a charm; but then the number of people doing it increased...

MC: Why do they always choose to bombard people during sleeping hours!? Don’t these people need sleep too!?

However, I’d failed to notice how Mo Yi’s face was twisting itself into an increasingly unsightly look at this moment in time.

Mo Yi: ...Why didn’t you tell me? How were you planning to put up with this alone, if I hadn’t asked today?

MC: Well… It wasn’t anything big at all. They only sent me a couple of unpleasant texts, and it didn’t really cause a big impact on me or anything like that.

MC: Anyway, let’s not talk about this anymore and get back on the topic of how to continue our investigation. I—

Mo Yi: I apologize, but my stand is still the same; it’ll be for the best if you don’t take part in the upcoming course of action.

MC: ……

Mo Yi: ……

That was how Mo Yi and I faced each other in a stand-off; neither of us saying anything, neither of us willing to back down.

The air came to a stand-still, the damning silence that would make anyone hold their breaths accompanied by the faint scent of “gunpowder”, as figurative sparks filled the air.

MC: Then, could you tell me a reason why I should not? I can’t give up on this just because you tell me to, Dr. Mo.

Mo Yi: ……

Mo Yi: I have three reasons for this.

Mo Yi: Firstly, although Li Yu’s story was created from one big patchwork, Wang Chen is still an experienced PUA, from what we can glimpse from the credible parts of her story.

Mo Yi: I cannot allow you to interact with him alone, considering how you’ve not received the relevant training.

Mo Yi: Secondly, although our actions have not been fully exposed yet, the fact that the other party retaliated against you means that they’ve already got their eye on you.

Mo Yi: If this goes any further, it will only escalate; and when the time comes, it won’t just be merely verbal words of threat.

Mo Yi: They will attempt to break through your psychological defenses from all angles, thus, endangering your very life itself.

Mo Yi: And lastly…

He placed the teacup in his hands down, his gaze dropping to my face, an inexplicable emotion within his golden orbs.

Mo Yi: Just what’s in your mind, as you do these things?

Mo Yi: Is it to uphold justice? To deter the other members of the PUA Group? Or is it to save all of the girls who’ve been harmed by it?

Mo Yi: Can you really do all of this?

Mo Yi: Even if we did settle this matter with Li Yu along with all the other people backing her, there’ll still be other PUA Groups in this world who lurk in the dark.

Mo Yi: They’ll continue hunting girls, and even go so far as to treat you as a right thorn in their side, using various methods to retaliate against you to no ends.

Mo Yi: And at the very end of it all, not only will you fail to protect others; You might also very well be unable to protect yourself.

Mo Yi: This fairness and justice you seek might not be able to see the light at all.

Mo Yi: Now, with all that considered; are you still willing to continue on?

He waited quietly for my answer after finishing.

He had a look of utter seriousness on his face, so focused he was. However, the corners of his eyes and his eyebrows still presented the same calm he’d always displayed. Hence, I couldn’t tell just what exactly was going through his head.

But none of these mattered anymore. I don’t even need to think to answer this question of his.

MC: Of course. Even so, I still wish to continue as usual.

Mo Yi: Why?

MC: You just asked me what’s in my mind as I do this, right? I’m actually not thinking of anything at all; no thoughts, head empty.

MC: I’ve never held onto any pipedreams, nor have I ever thought of using this PUA Group to go fight against the other PUAs.

MC: Granted, trying to rescue all the girls who’ve been victimized is an even bigger delusion.

MC: I’m only trying to do what I can as one, ordinary, Lawyer.

MC: That being said, there’s one thing that I know for certain. And that is that I cannot ignore the crimes that appear before me.

MC: I cannot allow the group that’s backing Li Yu to go scot-free, let alone allow them to challenge law and threaten justice as they so wish to.

Mo Yi: You...

MC: Secondly, you said that I “cannot protect others”; but there isn’t only just one fixed way of protection.

MC: Don't all the girls in Lin Yunyun's mutual aid group learn a lot about all sorts of things pertaining to PUA?

MC: All that's requires is for one of those girls to understand these through what I've done; so that they'll keep their guards up and watch out for these things.

MC: If so, then everything I've done up till today have already served some sort of purpose in protecting them.

MC: And lastly, about their cars if revenge…

I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes at the mere thought of those less than savory messages I'd received.

MC: I've already been prepared to face all sorts of people, who come up with all sorts of retaliation methods, since day one of being a Lawyer.

MC: But if really does come down to the point where it gets as serious as you've described, then that's when I'll wield the Law as my weapon and protect my own rights.

MC: The road to justice will always be a rocky one, but no one can stop me so long as I refuse to give up.

Mo Yi: ……

I blurted out everything that I had in my mind, even forgetting to check just what sort of expression Mo Yi currently wore.

It was only until I had regained my bearings that I looked back up at him. He was still looking at me with a serious look on his face, yet his eyes were like that of stormy seas.

Mo Yi: You… You’re really different from everyone else.

He suddenly laughed.

MC: What are you laughing about, Dr. Mo?

Mo Yi: Nothing. I’m just feeling slightly fortunate, and a little happy.

MC: Fortunate? Happy?

Mo Yi: Yes. Fortunate, that I chose to stay back then; and happy, because… I met you.

Mo Yi: You always never fail to surprise me.

MC: ……

He spoke slowly, but that didn't fail to impede the strength and impact that each word brought.

It was almost as if he had just conveyed some sort of inexplicable feeling to me through mere words. It was hot, yet full of possessiveness, almost engulfing me whole.

MC: Does this mean that… I can take part in the continuing investigations?

I hurriedly changed the subject upon seeing how the air around us was starting to turn increasingly warmer.

Mo Yi: Do I have any other reason to be denying you?

MC: Great! Then let’s hurry and get started!

MC: Do you need me to contact Wang Chen? Are we still going to be using our previous tactic?

Mo Yi: Don’t rush, for starters. I’ve got even better ideas.

☆⋅⋆…⋅─────────── ⋆⋅✾⋅⋆ ───────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Previous Part: (Chapter 2-6) | Next Part: (Chapter 2-8)

[lambroseforlife]

Hi! I saw your post asking for ideas for one shots, here's mine: Lambrose finally discussing what bothers them in their relationship (each one of them tries to defend their point). Thanks!

Hmm so for this one, I feel like this should have really been addressed at the beginning of book 5 since it had the setup. Of course, it didn’t happen but it can happen in this prompt :) This oneshot is a rewrite of Hunting for Silence, Chapter 11: “Return of the Yellow Piggies”, in Lilly Linton’s POV.

⚠️⚠️ If you haven’t read the original chapter and want to avoid spoilers, then DON’T read this oneshot since it contains potential SPOILERS. If you read beyond this then it’s at your own risk and I claim no responsibility. Consider this a FINAL warning. ⚠️⚠️

— — —

Considerably slower than usual, I arrived at Mr Ambrose’s door. I halted. Or, I tried to. My feet delayed in their response and I stumbled. My head thumped against the door.

‘Ow!’

I reeled back and my hand reached out. To my luck, I grabbed onto the correct doorknob out of the three in front of me.

‘Gotcha!’

My hand twisted and the door opened, taking me into the room along with it. I swayed but like a reliable doorknob, it didn’t let me fall. Good doorknob. Nice doorknob. Maybe it could be a fellow advocate for women’s suffrage. Maybe even—

‘Mr Linton.’

I looked up to see who had interrupted my bonding with the nice brass knob. Four tall and dark figures stood by the window. Familiar figures.

‘I assume you’ve finished today’s interviews?’ Strange. I heard only one voice. Maybe one of the four Ambroses decided to speak?

‘Yessir!’ I saluted with my free hand but they couldn’t see. Not with their backs to me.

‘Well? What did you find?’

I could only see one Mr Ambrose now. Funny. The other ones suddenly disappeared. 

‘I found t-that F-French singadingers have s-strong stub— stuffs.

He froze. There was a moment of silence and then…

‘Oh no. No. Not again.’

He turned around slowly. So slow I could count the seconds. 

One…two…seventeen…nine… 

Wait. That didn’t sound right. Oh well. Even for someone as experienced with sums like yours truly, math was still tough.

His dark eyes bored into me, raking me from head to foot. Actually, feet. Luckily for me, I still had both intact.

Using them, I wobbled closer to him, tightly grasping the door handle. His eyes narrowed and his stiffened posture became petrified.

In the literal sense, of course. Not the emotional sense. People like Mr Ambrose didn’t have emotions, right?

As if in protest, a barrage of memories flooded my mind. Good memories. Bad memories. Happy ones. Painful ones.

Memories from months ago. All in another time, in another country. All which felt far away from here and now.

Something painful tugged at my chest. Perhaps I had drunk too much after all…

An indignant squeak within the room voiced agreement.

‘Oh, be quiet!’ I snapped.

‘Mr Linton, I haven’t said a single word for the past minute.’

‘I wasn’t t-talking to you! I was referring to them.’ My chin jerked towards the smirking yellow piggies in the corner. They stood up and began dancing a jig, smiling at me. I reluctantly smiled back. I couldn’t help it, I hadn’t seen them in a while.

Mr Ambrose’s eyes cut to the corner then slowly travelled back to me.

‘Mr Linton, have you consumed—’ Shaking his head, his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose.

Some time passed before I heard his voice again. ‘Mr Linton, exactly how much alcohol did you drink?’

My head turned from the lively dancing piggies to look at him. I grinned.

‘Enough to be piss drunk.’

‘Mr Linton!’

‘Where did that phrase come from anyway? Piss drunk? Can piss be d-drunk? Perhaps it can? I’ve never seen that. Someone should check that out. But th-they have to close their nose. It would smell pretty bad.’

‘Silence, Mr Linton!’

‘What? Why?’

‘Because I said so.’

‘That’s n-not a good enough reason to.’ I threw my hands in the air exasperatedly. ‘Who do you think you are, telling me—’

In my protest, both hands had let go of the door knob that was keeping me upright. I stumbled and in the next second, the floor decided to make its existence known.

‘Ouch!’

The evil floor had struck again! The coward had waited over a year to make its attack. I shouldn’t have underestimated its capabilities. I should have—

I felt something solid lift me up and support me against something even more solid.

‘Mr Linton.’ A voice breathed into my ear. A cold voice. One that made me feel all tingly inside.

‘I’m all right. The floor attacked me.’

‘All right? All right is not how I would currently describe you, Mr Linton.’

‘How would you describe me then?’ My muffled voice spoke against his tailcoat.

‘Fully inebriated to the point of being physically uncoordinated.’ Ice shards lined his voice. ‘Tell me, Mr Linton. I gave you a job — an extremely crucial one for an investigation, did I not? But here you return, completely drunk.’

‘I’m not that drunk!’ With considerable effort, I freed my head from the confines of his firm chest so I could look at him directly. ‘Also, h-how do you know I didn’t make progress on your indicat…instiga…inspiration?’

His sea-coloured eyes darkened as they inspected me intently.

‘Let’s say I have a hunch.’

‘Bu-But that’s where you’re wrong, Sir!’ My finger jabbed against his chest. Fortunately, it didn’t break. My finger, that is. ‘I did start on the task you gave me!’

‘Is that so, Mr Linton?’

‘It is, Mr Ambrose!’ I triumphantly exclaimed. ‘One of your female staff will translate my interviews tomorrow.’

‘How did you manage that?’

‘Just a small, friendly bet. If I could beat her at drinking, she agreed to translate. And beat her, I did. Boy it wasn’t easy! French people, especially singers, sure can drink!’

‘I’m certain they can.’ His face was expressionless. ‘So you drank during the job to start the job?’

‘That I did, Sir!’ I smiled in a fabulously impish manner. ‘Now I have a translator and tomorrow, I’ll be able to work on the…on the…what was that word you said? Oh right, the irritation. I can irritate. Starting with the staff early in the morning.’

‘I’m sure you will, Mr Linton.’

‘Thank you, Mr Ambrose.’ I beamed at him. If only he could be this encouraging more often.

His grasp on me tightened as he pulled me to my feet.

‘However, I want to add that I’m not so sure it will be early. Given your current state…you might be busy attending to other matters when you wake up.’

My brows furrowed. I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant when the floor took the opportunity to strike again. I stumbled.

That was enough! The floor wouldn’t leave me alone already, the nefarious villain!

‘Stupid floor!’ I stamped my foot to kick it. ‘How d-dare you!’

‘Mr Linton?’

‘What did I ever do to you? Besides walking all over you?’ I glanced at the yellow piggies, now sitting down and playing cards. ‘You better not hurt them either! They’re my precious friends, do you hear?’

‘Mr Linton…what are you doing?’

‘Talking with the floor, can’t you see?’

‘Mr Linton, I better escort you to your room upstairs.’

‘It can wait. This floor needs a serious scolding!’

‘That’s it.’ Leaning down, he swept under my legs with a swift kick and held me up with his strong arms. ‘Upstairs. Now.’

He moved too fast for me to discern and before I knew it, we were already out the door.

‘Hey! Put me down!’ I protested.

‘Why? So you can continue to yell and wake the rest of the residents in your drunken state?’

I scowled. ‘In my defence, the floor had it coming.’

He chose to not reply, moving stealthily through the darkness as we reached the stairs. He started up them effortlessly, my considerable weight not slowing him down in the slightest. 

The only noise I could hear in the empty hallway were his faint steps. Surprisingly, the even rhythm of them as we ascended the stairway was comforting. Unwillingly my head slumped against his chest, unable to resist the warm firmness emanating from him.

I sighed. ‘You’re a blasted chauvinistic miser, you know that?’

‘Yes. I’m well aware from how you’ve informed me on numerous occasions.’

We both settled into silence as he reached the last stair. Marching down a corridor, he finally spoke again in a low tone. I had to strain to hear his words.

‘Is that why you said no? Back in Battlewood?’

My eyes flew open. There was no need to ask what he was talking about. I already knew.

I blinked hard as I tried to push the drowsiness out of my eyes. I glanced up at him to see his gaze focused straight ahead. His expression betrayed nothing save the tension in his clenched jaw.

I bit my lip, trying to think.

‘Yes. Also no.’ I stated after much deliberation.

‘Logically, that doesn’t make any sense.’

‘I’m not a logical person, Mr Ambrose.’

‘But you should be in this situation.’ His eyes cut down to me as he stopped in front of a door. My eyes met his, trapped and unable to look anywhere else but at the icy force resonating from them. My breath hitched in my throat. ‘I know you love me — you made that quite clear already. Back in England, I meant it when I told you that you would be mine, fully and completely.’

‘There it is!’ I crossed my arms, frowning. ‘See, this is exactly what I mean by chauvinistic! When a woman says no, you can’t act otherwise.’

‘Really?’ His frosty stare was relentless. ‘Even if said woman didn’t mean it?’

‘What makes you think I didn’t mean it?’ I glared back. ‘I said no for exactly this reason.’

He grumbled something under his breath too low for me to hear then pushed the door open. I was about to continue my argument when I saw the view in front of us.

The ceiling was high, with an intricate system of wooden rafters. But that wasn’t the best part.

The best part was the view the expansive window offered.

In front of me lay the city of Paris, illuminated by the countless shining lights that extended out into the horizon. I could even see the glimmering waters of the Seine, reflecting the moonlight that extended beyond into the room itself.

I inhaled sharply, unable to take my eyes off of the resplendent scene.

‘Where are we?’ I breathed out.

‘The attic. You’re going to be stored with the rest of the cleaning supplies here.’

I looked around but on the contrary, I could only see a broom in the corner. Faint dust lined the floor and glittering cobwebs hung from the rafters.

Not that I minded. The small things didn’t diminish the beauty I saw. Not in the slightest.

‘I take it that you find the place suitable?’

I managed a nod.

‘Adequate. This is where you will be staying for the time being.’ My eyes looked up to meet his intense gaze. ‘You won’t disturb anyone and this place comes with a lock to prevent you from causing problems.’

My fingers slowly reached up and gently traced his cheek. ‘I appreciate the gesture, Sir. But you already know it takes more than a lock to shut me in.’

He snorted. Still holding me in his arms, he strode over to a cot placed by the window. Unlike the other objects in the room, this one looked recently prepared.

Warmth bloomed when I realised that he had already readied it for me earlier. Much before I had stumbled back into his office after drinking. I looked back at him in awe only to see guarded coldness in his eyes. He looked away and my eyes narrowed.

He slowly set me down on the cot. In one fluid motion, he tugged the blankets over me. ‘There. Now sleep. You need to be ready for tomorrow to continue investigating.’

With a glance in my direction, he rose and turned to leave. That is, until something made him stop. He looked down and pivoted on his heel to face me.

‘What is it?’

Releasing my grip from his tailcoat sleeve, I withdrew my fingers.

‘Why…’ I rasped out. I swallowed and tried again. ‘Why aren’t you looking at me? Do you not want to be with me?’

His jaw tightened as he glared at me. ‘That’s what I want to know from you. Why? Why did you say no, Lillian?’

I recoiled as his words pierced deep. Something tugged at my chest and I had to blink away moisture.

‘You already know why.’ The words were no louder than a whisper.

He bent down to a half-kneeling position by the cot, bringing his face closer to mine. I could see the cold fury slipping from his controlled facade.

‘Because of a few silly words from a wedding vow? Honour? Obey?’

Tugging away the covers, I pushed myself to a sitting position. My face was now merely inches away from his.

‘They’re silly to you because you don’t have to follow them. But can you deny that you wouldn’t make me do so?’

Silence. His eyes didn’t leave mine. Nor did mine from his. This was the closest we had come to discussing the issue. Deep down, I suspected that the alcohol was making me…chattier than usual.

‘You knew…’ I croaked out. ‘You knew for a long time that I didn’t want to marry. I told you I valued my freedom above all. Being an appendage to a man, being dictated on how to live, how that’s what I detest the most.’

He still didn’t speak and I continued. ‘But…I would have reconsidered marriage if the man would respect my wishes. If he would let me be myself. If he guaranteed that I could keep my freedom. If he wouldn’t try to control me. He’s not obligated to obey me so why should I to him?’

My eyes bored into his, unblinking. ‘Marriage should be a union between equals. Partners for better or worse. But that’s not what you want, is it? So far, you have shown that you would be no different from a typical husband that dominates his wife. You don’t even trust me to make my own decisions!’

I chuckled humorlessly. His head cocked, like a panther ready to pounce on its prey. 

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Captain Carter,’ I glowered at him. ‘Do you remember him?’

By the way his eyes flared, I knew he remembered him. All too well.

‘And…what about the good captain?’

The frigid set of his tone sent warning bells through my spine.

Mayday, mayday! Pull back, Lilly!

I ignored it and did something I would normally never do while sober. I decided to answer his question.

‘Remember everything you did in your parents’ estate? How you prevented him from seeing me by any means necessary? Including using your bodyguard?’

He remained unmoving, a personified statue hewn of polished granite.

‘But even that wasn’t enough for you.’ I continued bitterly. ‘Even though I turned down his proposal, you still decided to send him away. Straight into a war zone.’

‘The Captain made that decision and accepted the offer of his own volition.’ He ground out. His tone hardened even further. ‘Why are you bringing him up again after all this time?’

‘Because we didn’t address it before fully.’ I fired back, scowling.

‘So why now?’ He glared at me. ‘Any lingering feelings for him?’

‘I never had any feelings like that for him to begin with. I never saw him that way.’ I insisted. ‘I told you that clearly.’

‘Oh, but you didn’t.’ He rose and strode over to the window, standing by it.

‘What?’

‘I kept asking what he meant to you. You never gave me an answer. You even went as far as to make a deal with me to protect him. What else could I assume?’

I glanced down to see that his hands were balled into fists.

‘Because you kept treating me like a possession!’ My head felt woozy and my palms were shaking. I clutched at the blankets to stay upright. I wouldn’t back down, not now! ‘I’m a free woman! I can go wherever I want, with whomever I want.’

‘Physically you can…but with freedom comes responsibility.’ He simply said.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘You know what it means.’ He sent me a look before facing the window again. ‘With actions come consequences.’

I stared at the back of his head.

‘You speak about trust,’ he continued while looking out the window, ‘but how can I trust you in the first place? You want to be free, to the point of irresponsibility. It doesn’t work that way.’

‘And you want to control, as far as complete dominance.’ My voice trembled. ‘It doesn’t work that way either.’

Silence.

‘You expect me to give up my principles, my values for you. While you keep yours.’ I whispered. ‘Why should I compromise for you if you can’t compromise for me?’

Still silence. It hung heavily in the air, tainting the space between us. Hurt and pain of unresolved issues filled the gaps, constricting our lungs as neither of us seemed to breathe. Even the yellow piggies in the corner were silent, raptly watching us.

I finally exhaled, once dark splotches started to cloud my vision.

‘Just tell me one thing. Why did you go?’

Was that a pleading tone in my voice? Certainly not! It couldn’t be…

The silence stretched on. My heart felt ready to plunge into further despair with each passing second.

‘When you refused me, I…’

His voice was hoarse to my utter shock. I urged him to continue.

‘Yes?’

‘I felt angry. So angry to the point where I wanted to take it out on someone else. My urges felt more physical. It’s not the first time I felt that way towards others but violence is a waste of both time and effort. The fact that my mind kept telling me to direct it towards you, I wanted to do nothing more than hurt myself.’

I watched him with widened eyes as his back rose and fell. Almost as if he were breathing heavily.

‘I couldn’t stay any longer. I took the first file from my “business problems” stack and it brought me here. Coming here didn’t work either. Do you know what it’s like to sit through and listen to overly dramatic romance operas all day? All it did was make me think of us and what I had left behind. It became a painful reminder.’ He growled out.

Slam!

I glimpsed a flash of something colliding into the wall next to the window. Was that…was that his hand? Did Mr Rikkard Ambrose actually slam his fist into the wall on purpose?

‘It…hasn’t been easy for me either.’ I murmured. ‘You left behind something conspicuous. Rather, someone conspicuous. Do you know what it’s like to have someone trailing you at nearly all times for the intention of your protection?’

‘I do.’

‘Do you know what it’s like to make up excuses so that your lady friends do not notice said person while you’re meeting them at the park?’

‘I…do not.’

Silence settled between us again. But this time, it felt more familiar. It seemed like something had changed, growing into a warmer feeling.

I nervously licked my parched lips. ‘I…I missed you.’

Silence. He turned to face me. And then…

‘I missed you, too.’

Across the faint moonlight, his eyes met mine and something exchanged between us.

‘Come here.’ I heard myself say.

He did, pulling me into his arms. My arms wrapped around him and I felt secure, snuggling into the heat his firm body provided. His fingers weaved into my hair and I felt him crush his lips against several strands.

After a moment of blissful silence, I spoke up again.

‘This still doesn’t fix anything between us.’

His fingers tightened their hold. ‘I’m well aware of that.’

‘So,’ I whispered, ‘what now?’

He knew what I meant. ‘We…could try what you mentioned earlier. Finding a compromise.’

‘How do we do that?’

‘First thing, you need sleep. Right now, you’re in no state to make rational decisions. Then when we have time, we will talk.’

‘When will that be?’

‘Eventually.’ 

‘But when?’

‘Eventually.’

I decided to not push any further. ‘Will you stay with me?’

After some deliberation, his chin jerked forward. Move over.

I did, making space for him. He lifted the blankets over us and drew me to him again. From his warmth, the drowsiness was becoming impossible to fight.

‘How do I know you won’t pretend this conversation never happened? You did that the last time I was drunk.’ My words were slurring together and my eyes were closed.

He sighed. ‘I won’t.’

‘Promise me.’

The last thing I heard before unconsciousness took me under was his words.

‘I promise, Lillian.’

— — —

Well, that was certainly such a pleasant, light discussion wasn’t it? On a less sarcastic note, I found it weird that a majority of the issues from book 4 were never brought up again and fully discussed in book 5. Almost as if someone decided to sweep it all under the rug and pretend that it never happened. Maybe forgot?

Similarly to my other chapter rewrites, I did try to make this chapter parallel the original but added several alterations I feel that give more depth and address the prompt.