The Villain And His Sweet Wife

Both Long Mei and Jin Qing were silent, but the youngest Long sibling had stepped forward and said. "I'll do it. But I don't want to pressure Mr. Jin. It's a lot to ask of him." 

Jin Qing was stunned by her response, but something like conflict and wariness clouded his expression. He ran a palm over his face. "Fuck. I'm in for it too, and perhaps people can stop looking at me like I'm some abandoned puppy." Jin Qing hated the pity. The rumours and the press too. 

Long Ken smiled at his response, as if he had won an argument and got everything he wanted on his fingertips. 

"You know you can be a bit of an ass, big brother," Long Xia said with a strangled voice from the bed. 

"Yet you all love me anyway," he said before he stalked across the room. "Glad you're better, sis. I will visit you again soon." Then Long Ken made his exit.

A nurse stepped into the room after to do a quick check-up. Shao Lin and Long Yat-sen said their goodbyes to Long Xia and left. Soon, the rest of them followed until her father fell behind. 

He approached her bedside, looking at her with the same eyes as hers, and said, "Ever since you were small, I had no doubt in my mind you were the strongest, even more so than your brothers. It sometimes frightened me because I would think there was too much of Long in you." 

Long Xia was well aware of their history. Though some of the Long's were good and brave. Not all of them were. Most were power-hungry, abusive, cold as the polar ice. He was afraid of what she'd become. 

"But you're my daughter. My sweet princess. And you always thought about how you can help people. I'm proud of you." 

Long Xia smiled warmly. She remembered he used to call her that as a child before he carried her over his shoulders to run around. She knew Long Jie tried not to show favouritism within the family, but he spoiled her more than the others. 

"Thank you, father." 

He smiled, leaning over to press a kiss on her forehead. He gave her a lasting look before he caught up to his wife, taking her by his arm. 

When they left, Shi Yen pushed the curtain that divided the room aside. "How are you feeling?"

She asked. 

Long Xia exhaled. "Better." She then glanced at Shi Yen shyly. "Can you help me with something?"

Shi Yen nodded, knowing exactly what she needed. "Shun," she called out to her husband. 

Yuan Shun found them. "Yes?"

"Can you carry Xiatian and place her next to Bojing on the bed?" 

"Of course," he responded. 

Long Xia then felt Yuan Shun wrap his arms around her body before he lifted her effortlessly. He carried her across the room and placed her next to the resting Yuan Bojing. She wanted to be there when he woke up.

When she saw him up close, she could see the bruises and cuts over his body that'd leave scars. 

Shi Yen then sat next to Yuan Shun on a couch, resting her head on his shoulder. 

Long Xia looked at them, still finding it hard to believe they were the couple behind the masks, a mystery for so many years. "Can you tell me a few stories about your life before you had Yuan Shun?"

Shi Yen and Yuan Shun both smiled before they looked at each other. "We have plenty to tell," Yuan Shun began. 

…

Yuan Bojing wanted to keep sleeping, but his body felt well-rested and alert. The pain and discomfort came to him at once, but once he felt someone next to him, careful not to put their weight on him, he opened his eyes. 

Long Xia was dozing off in front of his face, her long raven hair framing her beautiful skin. It sometimes hurt to look at her.

He watched her breathe in and out softly, and Yuan Bojing felt like he could do this forever. 

"Xia," he spoke.

Her eyes flew open wide, filled with shock and relief. "Bojing." 

"You're alive."

"So are you," she said, smiling. 

"How?"

"Your mother intercepted. She scared the other bosses and said they'd have to accept me even if you aren't dead." 

Yuan Bojing nodded. "I didn't want her to do that," he said. "It's a risk, but…" he then looked at her. "Wait, you know what my mother is?"

Long Xia grinned wide. "She took off her mask in front of everyone. So did your father."

Yuan Bojing stared at her wide. "I wondered if they were ever going to do that."

"I thought it was cool," Long Xia continued. "But I hate myself for thinking that your connection to the Empire was to spite me, but it's because you were the son of the fucking Empress, and I didn't know." 

"I'm sorry I did not tell you," Yuan Bojing said. 

"Hush," Long Xia said. "It's not a secret you can share lightly. I would have kept it to my grave if I were you."

He chuckled. "That was my intention. I'd do anything to protect my family." 

She smiled. "I can see that." 

Yuan Bojing glanced at her. "I wanted to tell you everything so badly," he started again, "but I couldn't. And what this week has taught me is that I don't want to waste any more time. I want to be with you, Xia. In every way, we can. I've always loved you." 

Long Xia was tearing up. "Even all those years ago when we stopped being virgins?" she laughed with a stuffy nose. 

"Before then," he confessed. "Always. Xia. I don't even know when it started, but I became more aware of it when we were teens. When I saw you and my heart would beat wildly; when I was always thinking about you and couldn't stop." 

Long Xia's chest rose and fell. She stared at him, tracing the lines of his features with her index finger. She bent over him to kiss him gently, but then he deepened the kiss, hard and fast, robbing her of her thoughts and breath. He then pulled her on top of his body to straddle him.

Long Xia's eyes widened, looking down at him. "Bojing, we can't." 

"You can ride me. You won't hurt me." 

"No, I mean we can't because your parents are here, behind me." 

Yuan Bojing glanced behind Long Xia, who was still atop him. 

His parents, Shi Yen and Yuan Shun, were looking at them with amused expressions. "Glad to know you're okay, son," Yuan Shun began. "And fully functioning."

"I want to die," Long Xia said as she lowered herself from Yuan Bojing, burying her head in his chest, wanting to disappear. 

Yuan Bojing rubbed her shoulders. "You two are always deathly silent. It freaks me out when you come from nowhere," he spoke to his parents. 

"We were always here," his mother said. 

"That's what I mean," Yuan Bojing stated. "I haven't forgotten the amount of jump scares I had as a child. That's what I get for being the son of two ninjas."

"We aren't ninjas," Shi Yen told him. 

"Yeah I know," he answered. 

His mother smiled. "I'm going to call the nurse." 

The nurse came and went, speaking with the doctor, assuring them that Yuan Bojing was going to be all right. 

Long Xia stayed with Yuan Bojing during his recovery process until they went home together.