Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Meng Lianling gently smiled as she looked toward the horizon. Like her face, the sea was calm. She turned to look at Ye Wei and said, “You’re wrong. It’s not me who wants her dead, but ‘we’ who want her dead.”
The sea breeze messed up Ye Wei’s hair and blurred her vision. Ye Wei seemed to see a woman’s vicious face somehow appear. After the sea breeze passed, Ye Wei’s hair straightened and she was able to see clearly. Ye Wei did not see anything else save her gentle and animated face.
Ye Wei looked back and coldly said, “I’m unable to know how the past me was, but the only thing I know is that I do not like killing people now, whether enemies or benefactors. As long as she does not cross me, I have no need to kill her.”
Meng Lianling smiled and said, “You’ve forgotten that you will be the top international killer once you kill her.”
“I can still be number one even if she does not die,” Ye Wei rebutted calmly. She sharply pointed out that Meng Lianling’s question was not quite a question. “These are not important to me. You are telling me what’s happened, but I do not know the truth and I’ll accept whatever Gorgeous Mo Jue and you tell me for now, accept it for now, and rebut them as and when I deem fit. This does not mean that I agree with what you are telling me, and I have to decide for myself what is right and wrong.”
“Do you think that we will lie to you?”
Ye Wei shook her head. “No. Regardless of who told me what, I have to accept it for now and take it as a reference. Even if a hundred of you tell me the same story, it’s still futile as long as I feel that it is unreliable. It’s nothing personal, and it applies to everybody. Lianling, I hope that you can understand the challenges and uncertainties that a person with no memory has to face. Please stop telling me about the past. When I just woke up, I did want to know who I was and why I was here. Gorgeous Mo Jue told me that I am married to him, and I’ve been asking myself whether I should trust him. I did really, for a moment, want to find out what exactly happened to me, why I lost my memory, and who else was once in my memory. But as of now, I do not want to know that anymore. Instead of hearing you tell me who I am, I’d rather recall them myself.”
Meng Lianling could hear the hidden meaning in Ye Wei’s words. Apart from herself, she would not believe anybody else because it was the best way to protect herself.
Meng Lianling smiled understandingly and could not help but ask, “But you trust Brother Jue, no?”
“Him? Which event are you talking about?” Ye Wei asked in return and secretly smiled coldly. How could she selectively trust Mo Jue?
“Brother Jue said that you are married to him, and you believed that.” Meng Lianling maintained her perfect and friendly smile.
“Aren’t we?” Ye Wei asked in return and looked at her teasingly despite the lack of happiness in her eyes. A hint of cold flashed in her eyes.
“Definitely!” Meng Lianling answered, seemingly honest, and pouted. “I am just protesting unfair treatment. How could you believe Brother Jue but not me?”
Ye Wei turned her head around and her displeased look disappeared to give way to a gentle smile. “I believe him. I just feel that he has that sincerity and honesty. If that isn’t the case, why should I take that risk?”
People like them knew how to protect themselves best. Even if they lost everything, some instinctual skills remained and could not be wiped out as one wished. Meng Lianling and Mo Jue were just different.
“Fair enough.” Meng Lianling smiled. “In that case, we’ll stop talking about the past then. If you want to know anything, just ask Brother Jue lest I say the wrong words and get scolded by him. But I have one last question. Do you really have no impression of Eleven?”
Ye Wei shook her head and looked at her in disbelief. “What deep-seated hatred does she have with you to the point you are looking for her so urgently? Did she raid your ancestor’s grave and hence earned a spot on your hit list?”
Meng Lianling’s smile froze. As Ye Wei was a straight talker and did not check her voice, she was no longer afraid of Meng Lianling getting angry. To Ye Wei, Meng Lianling was not a familiar person and she would not be responsible for their emotions.
“This person is of extreme importance to me. I must find her.” Meng Lianling replied. She had searched for years and almost considered using the Mo brothers to kill them. She, however, could not find an excuse.
With Ye Wei and Eleven’s traces a secret, she wanted to kill Eleven and the Mo brothers had no idea about it. She never let them in on it, and hence secretly searched. Searching for Ye Wei and Eleven became a lot more difficult without the two brothers’ help.
She carefully avoided Big Boss Mo, who was tracking them down and could not locate them despite going around the world. The tussle between the terrorist organization, Dragon Gate, and the Mafia was well-known and she hence had exact information. Unless she created the false impression that Ye Wei and Eleven had injured her, it was impossible for her to mobilize Mo Ye and Mo Jue to kill Eleven.
But she never had the opportunity. Even though she knew they were in City A or London, the Mo brothers interfering meant that Meng Lianling could not afford to be too high key but secretly assisted Louis so that Louis would eventually step down. She even revealed information about Louis several times so that Ye Wei and Eleven would hunt Louis down. Them hunting Louis down would create the perfect opportunity for her to strike, but that wish never came true.
Until this once, the Mo brothers laid a trap and captured Ye Wei. When she caught wind of that, she immediately headed for the island only to discover Ye Wei. And to think that Mo Jue even treated Ye Wei as his darling and nobody could lay a finger on her. While she was not concerned about Ye Wei, she was concerned about Eleven. Mo Ye, however, warned her that Eleven had escaped from the castle and was not in their hands.
She had people secretly locate Eleven, but the information she gained were all useless. Even Eleven went missing.
While Meng Lianling was always cautious and meticulous, she would not take risks for things she was not confident in. This was the only time she fought a battle she was not confident in. As long as Eleven was not dead, the demon in her heart would still roam.
Ye Wei was the only person who could give her clues.
People who were in the business for a slight moment would definitely have heard of Ye Wei and Eleven’s friendship, and their friendship was a level above romance, kinship, and friendship. If Eleven were outside, Eleven would definitely come to Ye Wei’s rescue.
She had to think of ways to win Ye Wei’s trust. In reality, Ye Wei was much harder to tangle with than she had thought.
As Ye Wei looked at her lively face, she secretly thought to herself how much Meng Lianling hated Eleven just from a glance at her. Although Ye Wei did not quite want to know what went on between Meng Lianling and Eleven, she was curious. “Why don’t you have Big Boss Mo look her up for you?”
“No way!” Meng Lianling immediately denied. She denied too quickly and sounded as though she was guilty of something. Ye Wei was amazed. Things were starting to become cryptic. Meng Lianling felt that she had sounded different and broke into a forced smile. “If you have no impression of her, that’s fine. That’s my personal affair and I do not want Mo Ye to know about it. Can you promise me that you will not tell Brother Jue about it?”
Ye Wei shrugged and did not seem too concerned. “Don’t worry. I’m no gossip.”
Meng Lianling was at ease. She must not push her hand too hard. Ye Wei was a smart person. She would naturally understand that. She smiled and tapped Ye Wei’s shoulders and said, “Let’s go shopping on the island.”
“Whatever the host says.” Ye Wei smiled.
In the mountaintop dungeon, Doctor Claire injected a curled up Eleven with sedatives and she slowly calmed down and slipped into darkness while her body remained curled like an abandoned beast. There were several additional blood marks on the mirror surface. Mo Ye knelt and looked at Eleven, who was deep asleep. He asked, “Why did she suddenly become like this?”
Doctor Claire had no idea. Ding Ke pondered and said, “Was she suddenly triggered?”
Mo Ye looked down and saw the rose on his chest. It was a tattoo he had since he was young. Save Mo Jue, Meng Lianling, and Ding Ke, nobody else knew about it. Why did Eleven flip out when she saw the rose?
He could not make sense of it, and Ding Ke did not say much when he saw his expression. Mo Ye asked Doctor Claire, “How is she?”
“Her blood and chi flow is slightly disrupted, but she will be fine. However, she is unable to tolerate the toxins in her body, and her body is deteriorating quickly and severely. God knows what will happen to her. Although I’ve told Big Boss Mo about this, he either chose to ignore— or to put it differently, not be bothered about it.”
Mo Ye acknowledged and said, “Ding Ke, get somebody to put a bed here.”
Ding Ke was slightly shocked. Doctor Claire and he looked at each other in the eye and did not protest it. Doctor Claire, aware of what was going on, backed out. He looked at the two of them. One was lying down, while the other was standing. Why did the two of them, who would never seem to talk to each other, give him such vastly different impressions?
It seemed as though…
He shook his head and followed Ding Ke up and turned off the speaker. With the bottom formidable and the temperature too cold, extremely few people would go down as it was a place to incarcerate important convicts. With the only surveillance camera destroyed by Eleven, only speakers were available to communicate from above to below.
Mo Ye looked at Eleven coldly and knelt. He carefully rolled her. She had lost a lot of weight. He heard Doctor Claire mention that she did not eat anything, and her immune system was weak. It was only when he touched her forehead did he realize she was running a fever that he did not discover when they were tussling. He slightly frowned and looked at her face deeply.
Her chin became sharper and she had bitten her upper lip beyond recognition. Her cheeks had caved in and her cheekbones were showing. She was rapidly losing weight and was no longer beautiful. When he touched her, he could only feel the bones in her arms and shoulders. Eleven was not stout but thin. Such women would often stir a desire in men to protect and cherish them.
But she did not. Perhaps it was because he was used to her cold look and tough and cold character. The weakened and scorned Eleven seemed to be another person who had Eleven’s face.
His past impression of her stuck in his mind, and Mo Ye secretly thought to himself that he had to harden his heart. He did not have any compassion until he saw somebody like her until he saw her tears.
Mo Ye thought his mind was playing tricks on him. Eleven had actually cried. In his impression, even the toughest men would cry someday but she would not cry.
He reached out with slight hesitation and wiped the tears away. The coldness and moisture on his fingertips reminded him that it was all real and not a figment of his imagination. She had actually cried.
When she called Ye Wei’s name earlier, the longing, thought, help, and even implicit collaboration… Nobody could come between them. Was she calling for Ye Wei as she cried?
‘Eleven, do you miss her?’
‘Are you hoping for her to save you?’
‘But it’s a shame she is in dire straits too. How would she save you?’
‘However you scream, she will never appear. You will also never get to leave here, so…’
‘Just admit your fate!’
Mo Ye could not quite put a finger on how he felt. He was a little jealous, a little regretful, and a little hating her. These emotions came together in a complex bind, like the claws of a cat that wrapped around his heart forcefully.
He suddenly stood up and took a few steps back. The atmosphere in the room was so oppressive that he could not catch a breath. He charged out of the room and did not look at Eleven, who lied on the floor.
Ding Ke quickly prepared a bed and blanket for Eleven so that she would be slightly more comfortable in the cold underground air. Since Mo Ye left in a hurry, Ding Ke had to carry Eleven onto the bed so that she could lie on it. Doctor Claire ordered a few assistants to tidy up the glass room and close the door. The dungeon resumed its calm.
In the research lab, Mo Ye was waiting for Doctor Claire to come up. He had already read through the latest research report as well as Eleven’s and Meng Lianling’s reports. Having scanned through both reports, everybody was waiting for Mo Ye to make a crucial decision.
Mo Ye frowned. He said to Claire, “I don’t care what methods you use. Develop the antidote while keeping her alive.”
Ding Ke was shocked.
Doctor Claire seriously asked, “Should the dosage be increased?”
Mo Ye remained silent. He silently agreed!
Claire sighed. “If you do this, you will be able to increase the probability of the antidote being developed. I, however, cannot guarantee that she will survive the process. First master, are you sure that it’s okay?”
Claire’s straightforwardness seemingly provoked Mo Ye. Mo Ye looked at Claire dangerously and said, “If you cannot keep her alive, I won’t get the antidote from her. If she’s dead, there is no antidote and you can die with her!”
Mo Ye walked away, flustered. Ding Ke followed in trepidation. Outside, the gentle sun dispelled the sullen atmosphere of the underground dungeon and made the surroundings comfortable. Ding Ke wondered to himself the number of days she had gone without the sun.
It must have been very long…
Big Boss Mo got into the car, and Ding Ke followed. The driver drove the car away from the mountain and toward the seaside mansion. Mo Ye looked out the window and one had no idea what was on his mind. He had a malicious and insidious look that made the atmosphere in the car even tenser. Ding Ke realized that accompanying a leader was akin to accompanying a tiger. It felt way worse than worst. He wanted to stand up for Eleven, but he could not say anything in such an atmosphere.
There was little for Big Boss Mo to be displeased with since he made the decision and choices himself without duress.
“Ding Ke, do you think she will die?” Mo Ye asked, looking out of the car and not at Ding Ke. He sounded as cold and indifferent as he always was.
Ding Ke felt a chill and said, “I do not know. Doctor Claire said that the odds of her dying are extremely high. Big Boss Mo, if you ask me, I would suggest you take Doctor Claire’s advice to heart.”
Mo Ye remained silent and did not speak.
Ding Ke could not see his expression, but he could sense that he was in an extremely bad mood. He could not help but ask, “Big Boss Mo, have you thought about it? Given that the toxins in Miss Lianling’s body have accumulated for over ten years, there may simply be no antidote. Eleven could die in vain.”
“Shut up!” Mo Ye coldly ordered. “Lianling will be fine!”
‘She… will not die!’
Mo Ye’s mind was a little scrambled, and he closed his eyes to get some rest. As the car got off the hill and reached the highway, Mo Ye asked, “Do you think she knew me from before?”
“I feel that she is a little familiar, but I cannot recall where I had seen her before.”
Mo Ye suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Ding Ke steely. “Are you serious?”
“Boss, it’s just my instinct. You’ve never believed in them until now, have you?”
Mo Ye was at a loss for words, and Ding Ke did not mention another word. Mo Ye pieced together the memories from recent years but was unable to recall why he found her familiar.
Mo Ye recalled Eleven’s eyes earlier and the emotions that flashed through them. Panic, shock, disorientation, hatred—it was as though she would break down in front of him anytime.
What made her have such a look in her eyes?
He looked down at the rose on his chest. What special significance did that rose have to her? When she saw the rose, she called for Wei Wei. Hmmph, Ye Wei. Did the rose remind her of Ye Wei and trigger her emotions?
As Big Boss Mo thought otherwise, Ding Ke quietly observed the gamut of emotions on his face and secretly gawked. Having followed Big Boss Mo for so many years, he had never seen his emotions fluctuate so violently, and especially over such a short period of time.
It seemed that he was not as indifferent as he seemed. It was just that that woman was not as significant as Meng Lianling. Or perhaps…
Ding Ke broke into a bitter smile. He hoped reality was not what he made it up to be.
Irritated, Mo Ye waved his hand and said, “Forget it. This is decided and let’s not talk about it. Also, do not let Lianling know about this.”
“Why?” He could never understand why Mo Ye did not want Meng Lianling to know that Eleven was in the dungeon.
“I am not sure if we can produce the antidote, and she cannot afford huge emotional fluctuations that will accelerate the onset of the toxin. It will be better not to mention it lest she become hopeful and then disappointed.
Ding Ke coldly smiled and said, “Boss, you sure are thoughtful. Miss Lianling is indeed fortunate.”