Lazily Yours.

"No. Not one from the Ye's." Xu Jihan said. "However, I am not confident about these findings. You know how cunning they are. She had white hair. Once you try to trace her history, you would know that she is a Ye. Even from the direct lineage. Knowing those people, they would never let this opportunity go."

The Ye Family are considered the Royals in Du Empire. They handle international relations but don't really manage the country. The current monarch, Nicholas Ye, was a cunning King, a strict father, a scheming friend, and a very dangerous enemy. Despite all the smiles, he was known for his cruel actions to benefit his own country.

For instance, asked the prime minister to focus more on the military and used this advanced military system to intimidate other countries. The man wasn't a dictator, but he was very clear on the things that he wanted. And that is to make his country the number one.

It is undeniable that the country is considered the most expensive and one of the world's top three wealthiest countries. If Nicholas wanted Lyca to work with their government, he would surely do everything to achieve this goal.

"Monitor all entrances in the country. I want to know if he would send a representative on Old Man Tang's birthday. Also… I want to change the gift. I wanted to give the old man that painting."

"The… wedding painting?" Xu Jihan asked. Xu Ke had been very obsessing with a painting of a bloodied man and woman in a traditional red wedding dress. The painting didn't show the couple's faces, but it was clear that the woman in the man's arms was already dead as he carried her in the middle of the woods.

"Precisely."

"Cousin… you are going to a birthday party. Why would you give such a bloody painting?" That painting was full of blood. There was even an arrow stock in the bride's legs. Plus, you can see traces of blood everywhere. Why would he want to give this painting to the birthday celebrant?

A sigh escaped Xu Ke's lips. "You are right. Just … Just hide the painting for now." Sometimes, he would get impulsive and do some strange things when it comes to his woman.

Meanwhile, Long Yi is not as relaxed as Xu Ke and Xu Jihan. Right now, he was pacing inside his room. Both of his hands were holding two different phones. One was his business phone, while the other was his personal cellphone. The large bags under his eyes, coupled with his pale face, made him looked a little…dead.

The ring in his phone stirred him out of his stupor.

"How dare you!" Long Yi hissed. His face turned darker when he heard Shen Qui chuckled in response.

"Good Noon… Mr. Long. How may I help you?"

Long Yi let out a couple of curses. At first, he thought Shen Qui would never give the news to the media. After all, he still owns a big chunk of shares in the company. He was wrong— oh! He was so wrong!

Shen Qui was actually a cunning fox!

He waited for the prices to bounce back before selling his shares. Then… he released the news. All this happened in one day. It made Long Yi conclude that this was deliberate. The timing was so perfect, he knew that Shen Qui must have been planning this revenge for a long time.

Shen Qui didn't get what he wanted. So he is pulling him down! "What the hell do you want from me?" Shen Qui's voice was light. It was as if he just finished laughing.

"Nothing," Shen Qui said. "I already have everything that I need."

"If you want the patent… then I will give it to you!"

"How do you like the news?" Shen Qui answered almost immediately.

"Shen Qui, I am telling you… many people would— "

"Guilt-tripping me won't work." Shen Qui interrupted him. "It only works on good people. I'm not one of those."

"You— "

"Instead of trying to see me… why don't you focus on your debts instead? I heard you already owe the government a few hundreds of millions?" There was mockery in his tone. At the end of the day, life is still like a wheel. It would always turn.

Last time, Long Yi and the Long Family were considered on top. The wheels turn, and now… he was at the bottom.

Instead of blowing up, Long Yi let out a deep chuckle. He never thought that one day, he would actually lose this fight. His father is still in a coma. His friends and family instantly left him the moment the government announced the verdict about those bullets. Everyone else is either laughing at him or hiding from him, pretending not to know his current predicament.

All this time, Long Yi achieved everything because of his connections. He and his father took advantage of this as they conquered and oppressed smaller businesses. All those people celebrated with them. They gave them gifts and accepted the Long Family's bribes in return for their help.

Right now, all those people vanished. They left him. Alone. "You must be enjoying this…" His voice contained the defeat that was showing in his eyes.

"I am." Shen Qui answered without batting an eyelid. "My wife said she liked it. She thought it was like watching some Drama. It was very entertaining."

"Lyca…" Long Yi dragged Lyca's name on his tongue. Yes. Lyca. It was her. If he married Lyca, this wouldn't have happened. Lyca would have been standing by his side now, creating those weapons for him, treating him as her king.

But this did not happen.

Just as Long Yi was thinking about all this, Huang Xiaoxuan walked inside the room. She was wearing a long white off-shoulder dress. Her face was still pale. The smile on her lips was weak, but it was there. It had a promise of tomorrow, a promise of company despite the dark times.

But Long Yi's gaze was already dark.

"Our child…" Huang Xiaoxuan's smile had a hint of relief. It was gentle and beautiful. "The doctors said they would sign the release— "

"It's your fault!" Long Yi hissed.

"Yi?"

"This— Everything is your damn fault!" Long Yi suddenly yelled at her. He ended the call and glared at the frozen Huang Xiaoxuan. "You seduced me. You drugged me. You made her think that I like you! I never liked you, and I never will!" He took a step towards her, his hands balled into tight fists. He was fighting his inner demons, trying his best not to hurt her delicate face.

"Yi? What are you talking about?" The smile on Huang Xiaoxuan's face froze. She took a step back as he took another step towards him. "You— Are you alright? Did— Did something happened?"

"What a foolish question. You didn't even know what happened to me?"

"I— I don't— I was at the hospital, I wasn't looking at my phone— I was— "She was just staring at their child, crying and praying. "I didn't mean to— "

Long Yi snorted. "Foolish!" By now, Long Yi was already two feet away from her. He squinted his eyes. "Since I met you… all the bad luck started happening in my life. I always thought it was my fault. But then I realized… it was yours!"

"You— "Tears were already streaming in Huang Xiaoxuan's eyes. Since giving birth, this was the first time that she came home and met him. This was the first time that she saw him. She thought he would be different. After all, their child was already safe. How could he still treat her like this? How could he blame her for everything? She did nothing but love him! She only loved him!

Before she could say anything else, Long Yi's palms already landed on her cheeks. She staggered and clutched her cheeks. Despite all the abuse and ill-treatment, this was the first time that he did this. "What are you doing? Long Yi... I just gave birth! How could you hurt me like this?" She instantly reminded him of the fact that she gave birth to his child!

She was the mother of his child!

How could he still hurt her?

"Hurt you? Huang Xiaoxuan... I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Long Yi said.

And that was the last words that Huang Xiaoxuan heard before she felt his hand clutched her throat.

....

This was a long chapter.