Chapter 1022: Because you’re not others

Leaving Liu Shan’s condo that night, Xu Long found himself caught between loyalty and a promise he was already beginning to regret.

The night air was cold, carrying the lingering chill of Imperial’s winter.

He stood at the curb with both hands tucked into the pockets of his coat, waiting for the taxi he had called.

His mind, however, remained inside the condo.

Liu Peng was alive.

That alone was enough to warrant an immediate report to Lu Tian.

But now, there was Choi Li Sun.

A man who had somehow changed his face to resemble Lee Shin—the man who was important in the lives of his new family.

And Choi Li Sun had been meeting with Liu Peng.

Xu Long lowered his gaze.

He understood why Liu Shan, Lin Hui, and Qi Li wanted to keep the matter from Yue Ling until they knew more. Showing her the surveillance footage now would accomplish nothing except drag her into another investigation when she was already dealing with Grandfather Ji’s deteriorating health and the couple were preparing for their wedding.

But Lu Tian was another matter.

Xu Long had worked beside the man for years.

He had never deliberately withheld something this serious from his boss.

If Lu Tian discovered that Xu Long had known about Liu Peng and Choi Li Sun and had chosen not to say anything—

Xu Long almost shuddered.

The King of Hell would not be pleased.

He glanced back at Liu Shan’s condo.

The lights were still on.

He stared at the building for a long moment.

One day?

Three days?

How much time could he reasonably give them?

His lips pressed into a thin line.

"One week."

The word disappeared into the cold night.

He would give them one week.

If Liu Shan and the others uncovered something concrete before then, they could decide how to proceed together.

If they found nothing—

Xu Long would tell Lu Tian himself.

His decision was influenced by something else he had learned that evening.

The wedding.

Lu Tian and Yue Ling had decided to move it forward.

Grandfather Ji’s condition had worsened, and they wanted him there when they exchanged their vows. The engagement party, the elaborate ceremony, the endless preparations Madam Lu had been planning—all of it had been pushed aside for something smaller and far more meaningful.

Xu Long looked toward the dark sky.

Bringing Liu Peng and Choi Li Sun into their lives now could change everything.

Yue Ling would investigate.

Lu Tian would become involved the moment he sensed a threat to her.

And the wedding would inevitably be pushed aside.

After everything the two had endured, Xu Long could not bring himself to be the one who placed another obstacle in front of them without knowing whether it was necessary.

Headlights approached.

A taxi pulled up beside the curb.

Xu Long opened the rear door and climbed inside.

"Jade Condos, please."

The driver nodded and pulled away.

As the city passed beyond the window, Xu Long finally allowed his thoughts to turn elsewhere.

Zhao Ya’Er.

She had messaged him several times after arriving home safely, and although he had assured her that he was fine, he knew she was probably still worried.

He checked the time.

It was getting late.

A faint smile touched his lips.

He should have been spending the evening with her instead of chasing fugitives through alleys and fighting men twice his size.

He leaned his head against the seat.

He would make it up to her.

Tomorrow, perhaps.

Provided nothing else went wrong. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Considering the people around him, that was becoming increasingly unlikely.

Completely unaware of what was unfolding elsewhere in Imperial, Yue Ling and Lu Tian returned home after having dinner with Grandfather Ji and Ji Jingxu.

However, only two figures stepped through the front door.

Inu had stayed behind.

Yue Ling had tried several times to coax the Samoyed into coming home, but the stubborn little guy had refused.

The moment she called for him, Inu merely lifted his fluffy white head from where he lay beside Grandfather Ji’s chair, looked at her, and then rested his chin back down.

Even treats had failed.

In the end, Yue Ling had surrendered.

The little guy wanted to stay with Yeye.

And some quiet part of her understood why.

Yue Ling slipped off her coat and hung it near the entrance.

The moment she stepped farther into the house, she stopped.

Something felt different.

Empty.

Her bluish-green eyes swept across the familiar space.

No clicking claws against the floor.

No fluffy white head appearing from around the corner.

No Inu charging toward her as though she had been gone for months instead of seconds.

No irritated growl whenever Lu Tian got too close to her.

Yue Ling sighed softly.

"It’s so quiet."

Lu Tian had just removed his coat when he heard her.

He looked over.

"What’s wrong?"

Yue Ling glanced toward the living room.

"It’s quiet without Inu."

A pair of arms circled her waist from behind.

Lu Tian drew her back against his chest.

Yue Ling immediately relaxed into him.

Lu Tian looked around the house.

Now that she had mentioned it, he noticed the difference too.

He and that beast rarely agreed on anything.

Inu had a habit of inserting himself between him and his wife whenever he decided his human was receiving too much attention.

He would even sometimes steal Lu Tian’s side of the bed.

Occupied his seat.

Glared at him from across rooms.

And behaved as though Yue Ling belonged exclusively to him.

Yet somewhere along the way, Lu Tian had grown accustomed to the irritating ball of white fur.

Without Inu, the house really was quieter.

Too quiet.

He lowered his head and kissed the top of Yue Ling’s hair.

"He’ll be fine."

Yue Ling rested her hands over his arms.

"Mm."

"Your grandfather needs him right now."

The words were meant to comfort her.

Instead, Yue Ling’s heart clenched.

Her smile faded.

Inu had always possessed an unusual fondness for Grandfather Ji. Even during the days when he remained wary of almost everyone else, he had accepted the old man without hesitation.

Now he refused to leave his side.

It was difficult not to wonder whether the animal sensed something the rest of them were desperately trying not to acknowledge.

Lu Tian felt her body stiffen.

He immediately knew where her thoughts had gone.

Without saying another word, he loosened his embrace and took her hand.

"Come."

Yue Ling allowed him to lead her into the living room.

Lu Tian sat on the couch first.

Before she could sit beside him, his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her directly onto his lap.

Yue Ling blinked.

She did not protest.

Instead, she settled against him.

Lu Tian rested one hand at her waist.

"How did it go with the dress?"

Yue Ling looked at him.

He had wanted to ask during the drive home.

She knew it.

But he had deliberately waited because he understood that seeing the dress had been more than simply choosing what to wear for their wedding.

It had been the dress her mother wore.

The dress her grandmother created.

And the dress her grandfather had preserved.

A soft smile slowly appeared on her lips.

"It was beautiful."

Lu Tian watched the warmth return to her eyes.

Yue Ling leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Really beautiful."

She thought about the gown inside the glass case.

The delicate lace.

The high neckline.

The long sleeves.

The elegant silhouette her mother had designed and her grandmother had painstakingly brought to life with her own hands.

Her smile softened.

"So beautiful that I’m actually scared to wear it."

Lu Tian lowered his gaze toward her.

"Scared?"

"What if I damage it?"

Her fingers unconsciously intertwined in her lap.

"It’s my mother’s dress. Yeye took such good care of it all these years. My grandmother made it with her own hands, and my mother designed it. If something happened to it because of me, I—"

Lu Tian gently pinched her chin.

Her words stopped.

He turned her face toward him.

"That won’t happen."

Yue Ling stared into his dark eyes.

His expression softened into a small, reassuring smile.

"With the way you are, you wouldn’t allow it."

Her lips parted slightly.

Lu Tian leaned forward and gave her a brief kiss.

Then he relaxed against the couch again, taking her with him.

"If you want, I wouldn’t mind carrying you the entire time so the dress doesn’t get dirty."

Yue Ling stared at him.

Then she laughed.

The sound immediately warmed the quiet house.

"You haven’t even seen the dress."

"I don’t need to."

"What if it’s a short dress?"

Lu Tian shrugged with complete indifference.

"Then I’ll still carry you."

Yue Ling laughed again.

"You’re ridiculous."

"Probably."

He tightened his arms around her and rested his head against hers.

"I don’t need to see the dress."

His voice lowered.

"I just need you."

Yue Ling went still.

The teasing response she had prepared disappeared.

Warmth spread slowly through her chest.

After everything that had happened, it still amazed her how easily this man could reach parts of her heart she kept guarded from everyone else.

She sat upright and turned her head to look at him.

"You know..."

Lu Tian met her gaze with a slightly arched brow.

"You sure know all the right words to say for someone who doesn’t seem to care much about other people."

His dark eyes held hers.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then he leaned forward.

The distance between them narrowed.

Three inches.

Two.

One.

"Because you’re not others."

Yue Ling’s heart skipped.

His gaze dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her bluish-green eyes.

"You’re my wife."

He closed the remaining distance.

Their lips met.

The kiss began softly.

A gentle brush.

Warm and unhurried.

But the moment Yue Ling instinctively leaned into him, something shifted.

Lu Tian’s hand moved from her waist to the small of her back, drawing her closer as the kiss deepened.

Yue Ling’s fingers curled against his shoulders.

The silence that had bothered her only minutes earlier no longer felt empty.

Now it seemed to surround them, shutting away everything beyond the two of them.

Grandfather Ji’s illness.

The wedding preparations.

Their responsibilities.

All of Imperial.

For this brief moment, none of it existed.

There was only him.

Only her.

When they finally pulled apart, neither moved far.

Their foreheads nearly touched.

Yue Ling’s breathing had grown heavier.

So had his.

For several seconds, their gazes remained locked.

Then Lu Tian’s expression changed.

Yue Ling immediately recognized the heat entering his eyes.

Her own narrowed suspiciously.

"Tian..."

Without warning, one of his arms slid behind her back while the other moved beneath her knees.

"Tian!"

The room suddenly shifted beneath her.

Yue Ling yelped as Lu Tian stood with her securely in his arms.

Her hands flew around his neck.

His low chuckle sounded beside her ear.

"You could warn me."

"I could."

"But you didn’t."

"No."

She stared at him.

Lu Tian started toward the stairs as though carrying her required no effort whatsoever.

Yue Ling tightened her arms around his neck.

"Where are you taking me?"

He glanced down at her.

"To bed."

Her cheeks warmed.

His mouth curved faintly when he noticed.

Yue Ling narrowed her eyes.

"That smile is suspicious."

"I’m smiling?"

"You know you are."

Lu Tian continued climbing the stairs.

Yue Ling rested her head against his shoulder, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Let’s get ready for bed," he murmured.

She lifted her head.

"That sounded far too innocent."

This time, he did smile.

And somehow, that was even more suspicious.

Yue Ling shook her head, but the smile on her lips betrayed her.

As Lu Tian carried her toward their bedroom, neither of them knew that elsewhere in Imperial, four men had spent the evening staring at a face connected to a past that should have remained buried.

For tonight, however, that secret remained far away.

There would be time enough for storms.

Tonight belonged to them.