Kai sat in a dimly lit room within the grand Li family manor, his gaze fixed on Yanzi as she lay on the bed. The gentle rise and fall of her chest was a small reassurance that she was still alive, but her continued unconsciousness weighed heavily on his heart.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. His eyes traced the delicate lines of her face, the soft curve of her lips, and the way her hair fanned out on the pillow. Memories of their time together flooded his mind, each one a reminder of the love he felt for her.
“Yanzi,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I remember the first time I saw you. It was at that aquarium my family newly opened. You were there, looking so beautiful in that blue dress. I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”
He smiled faintly, recalling the way her laughter had filled the halls, bright and heartwarming.
“I knew right then I had to know you. When we finally talked, it was like everything clicked. You were funny, bold, daring in a nice way, and kind. You made me feel like I was more than just the Li family’s Kai.”
Kai’s smile faded, a look of doubt crossing his face. “I know a part of you probably liked me because of my family background. I mean, who wouldn’t be drawn to wealth and power? But I didn’t care. I still don’t. All that matters to me is you.”
Indeed, young Kai was a genius, but not a hard worker. For as long as many could remember, he was a slacker, never putting much effort into anything. He lived like a playboy, spending money however and whenever he wanted, getting whatever he desired with ease.
He reached out, gently taking her hand in his. “I’ve never been serious about anything in my life. Not really. I coasted through school, relied on my family’s influence, and never had to fight for anything. But with you, Yanzi, it’s different. I’m serious about you. I need you.”
His voice broke slightly, and he swallowed hard, trying to keep his composure. “Please, come back to me. I can’t lose you. Not now, not ever. You’re the one thing in this world that I truly care about, the one thing that makes me want to be better.”
Kai squeezed her hand, willing her to wake up, to open her eyes and smile at him like she always did. “Yanzi, I love you. So much. Please, fight. Come back to me.”
The room fell silent, the only sound was the soft hums of the manor’s air conditioning. Kai sat there, holding her hand, his heart aching with each passing second of her unconsciousness. He would wait as long as it took, hoping and praying that she would return to him.
Kai sat there for a while longer, lost in his thoughts and the quiet of the room. His eyes never left Yanzi’s face, and his mind replayed the events that had led them to this moment. Alister. The name echoed in his mind, a reminder of the crash that had brought Yanzi to this state.
He clenched his fist, his jaw tightening with anger.
“Alister,” he muttered, his voice low and filled with anger. “You’re the reason she’s still like this. I’ll make you pay, no matter what.”
Just as he was filled by these dark thoughts, a knock on the door broke the silence. Kai looked up, startled, and saw a butler standing at the entrance.
“Young master.”
“It’s time for your combat training. Remember, in a few days, you will be participating in a test raid for your membership at the Red Phoenix Guild.”
Kai’s expression hardened, and he stood up, gently placing Yanzi’s hand back on the bed. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and leaned down, whispering softly, “I’ll be back soon. I promise.”
Turning to the butler, Kai nodded. “Thank you. I’ll be there shortly.”
The butler bowed again and left, closing the door quietly behind him. Kai took a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions. He knew he needed to focus on his training, especially with the upcoming test raid, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Yanzi and the promise of revenge against Alister.
Kai walked briskly through the massive corridors of the Li family estate, his thoughts still clouded with the image of Yanzi lying unconscious. As he turned a corner, he nearly collided with a tall, imposing figure. Just like him, this man also had brown hair and green eyes.
“Brother,” Kai said, stepping back to compose himself.
Standing before him was his older brother, Liang Li, the prodigious genius of the Li family. Liang was a member of the Reaper guild, but not just any member; he was on the elite strike team and the vice branch master. His reputation was legendary, and it was practically set in stone that he would be the next head of the Li family.
Liang’s S rank talent, “Overwhelming,” was a source of respect and fear. Many thought his ability allowed him to increase his speed, but they were both wrong and right. In reality, his ability shifted his mind from this dimensional plane to another, allowing the perception of time to be viewed at a much slower rate. To Liang, the world around him slowed to a crawl, and people became dolls, waiting to be broken.
“Oh, look who it is,” Liang said, his tone sounding condescending. “Didn’t expect to run into you, Kai.”
Kai immediately went on the defensive. “You keep making it sound like I’m a stranger. This is my home too, you know.”
“Not when I become family head it won’t be,” Liang replied with a smug grin. “I’ll be sure the first thing I do is kick your lazy ass out of here.”
Kai gritted his teeth, struggling to keep his anger in check.
Liang’s grin widened as he folded his arms. “Oh, I’ve been busy with work at the guild lately,
so I didn’t get to see it, but I heard someone broke your new toy.”
Kai’s eyes flashed with anger at the mention of Yanzi being referred to as a toy.
Liang continued. “I also heard you ran away from the guy responsible, running back to Grandfather to fix it all up so you can play with it again. I knew you liked your toys, but I didn’t expect you’d throw away our family pride by running away like that.”
