CHAPTER 145: LARGER RAINSTORM IS APPROACHING

Xu Si followed that command and began to imagine a scene in her mind.

All those who were guilty of heinous crimes atoned for their sins in different ways.

Just thinking about it, those long-suppressed secret pasts seemed to truly loosen, and she could feel a trace of solace.

Only the last one... the bewitchingly handsome man, whether with silver or black hair, did not.

She couldn’t bear it.

Or rather, she had no choice at all. Once she recognized his face, fate descended upon her, and not for a second could she choose for herself.

The voice that flowed into her heart through her ears was still continuing.

"You should have some pleasant dreams now."

"If it’s still a nightmare, don’t be afraid. Just get a good sleep, and as long as you wake up, you’ll find that someone loves you, loves you very much—ever-increasing, never quiet."

The word "love."

Too heavy.

Every time Xu Si heard it, she would always get the illusion of shuddering from deep within her soul. The nightmares were instantly extinguished, leaving behind a dreamscape derived from that handsome face, scene after scene like high-quality movie close-ups, replaying the recent moments that stirred her thoughts and made her heart race uncontrollably.

The night should have been chaotic and unbearable.

Yet, under the whispers, Xu Si surprisingly slept exceptionally peacefully.

In her dreams, by her ears, someone had said "love" hundreds of times.

Subconsciously, she wanted to sleep until dawn quickly, to see who it was that loved her so.

「...」

「The next day.」

Sunlight peeked through the gaps in the checkered arched window curtains. Winter in the Underground City was approaching, each day colder than the last, but the room was as warm as a heated spring.

When Xu Si woke, she instinctively tried to prop herself up but heard the clear clinking of chains.

She slowly opened her heavy eyes.

The first thing she saw were those gray eyes.

Pei Zhen was against the light, his eyes open, his arm bent to prop up his chin. He watched her with a faint smile, his face showing no trace of exhaustion from not sleeping the whole night, as if he had only sat on the chair for a few minutes.

His lips curved slightly. He took out a key, his cool fingertips holding her wrist as he unlocked the shackles for her.

His voice was slightly hoarse. "Did you sleep well?"

Xu Si was in a daze, captivated by such a beautiful scene for three seconds.

The phrase instantly popped into her mind.

As long as you wake up, you’ll realize someone loves you enough.

The essence of love is being seen.

At this moment, Xu Si seemed to truly see that heavy love.

"I slept very well," she said, her gaze trembling. She glanced at the time, her voice holding a hint of an unclear, misty quality. "But why didn’t you sleep?"

The bed was clearly big enough for two.

Pei Zhen shook his head with a smile.

"I don’t need much sleep, and..."

His slender finger reached for Xu Si’s face, pinched a stray strand of hair, and tucked it behind her ear. Then he stood up, his voice clear and lightly detached as he said, "I said I would protect you, and I won’t go back on my word."

「...」

After coming out from the room on the top floor, Xu Si was unusually distracted. She kept thinking about the scene from just now as she walked, her heart racing. After having nightmares for two days straight, only today had she truly slept well. The only variable was him being by her side.

The feeling was very peculiar.

Lonely for most of her life, this was the first time someone had stayed by her side as she fell asleep.

Just as she arrived at the second-floor terrace, she saw members of the Triad Society frequently entering the elevator.

She occasionally heard their murmurs.

They were all talking about matters outside the Underground City.

Xu Si listened for a moment then deliberately avoided hearing any more.

As a merchant from Hong Kong Island, of course, the less she knew about the affairs of these organizations in the Underground City, the better.

During breakfast, Xu Si casually chatted with a servant and learned that the berry trees on the Triad Society’s outskirts had all died. They were plants that shouldn’t have been in this district in the first place, and when they died, not even the roots remained.

A hint of regret surfaced in Xu Si’s eyes.

The servant immediately added, "If you wish, Big Sister, we can buy a batch of fruit trees right away and transport them back to the Underground City as quickly as possible."

Xu Si declined, "No need. It’s too much trouble."

She wouldn’t stay in the Underground City for long.

Besides, even if she replanted berry trees, they wouldn’t live long. It really wasn’t necessary to go to such lengths.

「By afternoon.」

Xu Si was on the phone with Anshi as usual, discussing plans for the new hotel’s construction. She wasn’t on Hong Kong Island, but she still needed to keep abreast of all aspects of the company’s development.

That’s what doing business is like.

No matter where one is, as long as one is mentally alert and conditions allow, one can never truly put all work aside and completely relax and enjoy life.

Suddenly, the call was interrupted.

Someone knocked on Xu Si’s door.

Xu Si said a word to Anshi, placed the receiver on the desk, and went to open the door.

Standing outside was a servant in a black suit. He held a letter with no postage marks and said with a polite smile, "Big Sister, someone from outside the Triad Society community delivered a letter for you. According to the rules, the person didn’t come in, but the letter was received. Do you want to examine it or have it destroyed?"

"Examine it, thank you."

Xu Si’s expression flickered. Recalling the task she had given to Thief the day before, she took the letter without hesitation. She turned, walked back into the room, closed the door, and slowly opened the securely sealed envelope with a paper knife.

As expected, there was a folded list inside.

Judging by the handwriting, these were all names of people from Hong Kong Island.

It seemed the Thief she had found had a wide network of contacts. In just a day’s time, the information she wanted was delivered into her hands.

The cold outside hastened the lingering of the fog, making visibility unexpectedly low.

Xu Si unfolded the list and meticulously scanned the names. Her face was calm and composed, her eyes gentle as they swept over the list, and her lips curled slightly in a smile. Once she had a grasp of the situation, she picked up the receiver again and spoke to the waiting Anshi, "Put aside what you’re working on for now and help me check the backgrounds of a few people. They’re all from Hong Kong Island, so it shouldn’t be too difficult."

"Yes, Miss."

Xu Si read out the names on the paper. After Anshi finished taking notes, Xu Si stuffed the paper into the fireplace and burned it.

She couldn’t wait to find out who was scheming behind her back.

That was Hong Kong Island.

Not the Underground City, where she was powerless.

「...」

Xu Si really hadn’t expected the list to arrive so quickly. The feeling of being secretly stabbed in the back would soon be over, and she was in a wonderful mood.

Once Pei Zhen finished his work, Xu Si, while applying makeup, made a phone call to the top floor.

The call was answered slowly.

The voice on the other end was somewhat indistinct, relying on an excellent vocal tone to make the words clear.

"Who is it?"

Xu Si’s lips curved into a smile. "Me."

Pei Zhen’s subtle gaze swept over the receiver, his tone tinged with a hint of amusement.

"If you have something to say, why not come up and say it?"

Xu Si lowered the hand applying her lipstick, her voice soft and clear. "I’m busy."

The person on the other end hummed good-naturedly. "Well then, since you’re so busy, what’s the matter?"

Xu Si curled her fingertips, resting them on the mirror in front of her as she gazed out the window.

"Are you free to go shopping with me?"

The deep blue sky was still fairly clear, with a large moon illuminating everything. Only in the distant west were a few thick layers of cumulonimbus clouds visible, faintly glinting with lightning.

She watched for a long time.

Sensing the impending storm, she only hoped it would arrive later.