39 The Lost Ring

Tears trickled down the mighty Emperor's face as he stared at his wife in the silent dark room, alone. As soon as everyone left him, the pain and guilt he had been suppressing broke loose. He had waited far too long to have her in his grasp, and yet he had allowed such a thing to befall her. He felt so darn useless and weak for allowing such a thing to happen. They all called him the emperor but that title suddenly felt ridiculous to him.

He's no Emperor, but a husband so terrified of losing his wife to the point of losing his mind.

All this negativity surrounded him as he blamed himself for missing such a thing. He was busy luring out his snake uncle that he made a mishap with his wife's safety. This incident had no one to be blamed but him. If he had just managed everything precisely, this wouldn't have happened.

He was holding her hand, caressing it softly after planting a kiss on it. This felt like the past. He remembered his treacherous self that only brought catastrophe to her life. The what-ifs that had long been buried resurfaced again.

"I lost sight of what I had to protect, I'm sorry" he said, his voice a whisper on the wind.

"I thought that if I dealt with my uncle faster, this whole secrecy will not prolong. I wanted to destroy him faster so I could reveal myself after the preparations and time I allotted for you to get used to living with a husband. But I overruled the possibility of other dangers, confident that no one would dare with Fang around"

Like a dam broke loose, Ji Li Zhao said all of this, his face filled with tears and sorrow. "I'm sorry, honey. I'm sorry I neglected your safety for a moment"

He drew his face closer as he buried himself in her hands. "And I'm sorry for disappointing you over and over again. I'm really sorry for not trying my best to let you remember in the past and for my inability to protect you from my inner demons"

Everything that happened to her, be it the past or the present, had something to do with his inability to act. He was mighty, but he hates himself for his inability to protect the one thing he loves.

.....

10 years ago...

The hallway was already barren as the sun began to set. All that remained of the school was the teachers who were still busy computing grades and checking projects for those who almost failed. Paper flipping, button pressing, and pen clicking, all of this can only be heard in the busy faculty room. The other places were silently reserved for those who enjoyed staying late for peace.

One of those was the college student who was cold as ice, Mr. Ji Li Zhao.

He was gazing out the wonderful view from the rooftop. The most adoring sight lays before him, and it was no one else but Hou Wei Yan singing on the big old sakura tree. She was strumming her guitar, looking for the right tune for the poem she had written of the first love she cannot remember.

Yes, he was stalking! or more like watching over his lover.

Every now and then, Hou Wei Yan would stay behind to write her songs at the back of the school. He guessed that she must have a lot of inspiration and energy when around their mysterious big fat sakura tree. Whatever her reason was, he liked her place because he can gaze at her all the time without being caught. He didn't want to disturb her with his presence, so he remained hidden, guarding her.

He sighed as Hou Wei Yan smiled from the idea that came to mind. "I hope you wrote a song about me" he whispered.

Hou Wei Yan who was writing some notes on her poem suddenly heard and looked up as she heard a noise. When she saw no one was there, she just shrugged her shoulders and continued tuning her poem.

A sigh escaped his tightly sealed lips. Ji Li Zhao suddenly felt grateful for his agility. His grandfather was right, it did save him from danger!

He was crouching while covering his face like a criminal on the wanted list with the police just right out his door. His crouching position was barely tolerable, but his face was beyond redemption. He was redder than a ripe tomato!

After stabilizing his heartbeat, Ji Li Zhao managed to gather his courage and take a peek at Hou Wei Yan. He felt slightly disappointed as the spot where she sat was now empty. She had already left, now it was time for him to leave as well.

"See you again, love" he muttered as he took one final glance at her favorite spot. Realizing his stupid cheesiness, Ji Li Zhao blushed once more and quickly left. He thought that it was the last glimpse of her for the day.

But man, how wrong he was.

Around 6:30 in the evening, a text message from young little Hou Jun Shen whom he managed to persuade as his spy under the identity of Hou Wei Yan's savior came in and its content greatly surprised him.

"Master! Help!"

Ji Li Zhao who had just finished dinner felt cold run down his spine. Something terrible is brewing. "Details" he immediately replied as he ran to his room.

"Sister got kidnapped! Men in Black took her away while we went out!" as he received the message, his world felt torn. Kidnapped!

Rage suddenly fuelled his emotions as he repeatedly stared at his phone. Who the fuck dared lay their fingers on her?! He's going to kill them!

Everything around him suddenly felt chilly as he opened his drawer and took out a Katana. Bloodlust! Nothing was fitting enough to describe him but a bloodthirsty monster!

.....

"Boss" Fang called out as he slightly shook his boss. It was already afternoon, and the effect of the drug might wear off. "Boss, it's already time"

Ji Li Zhao opened his eyes immediately as he got pulled out of his nasty past. The past was where all his nightmares began. Upon gaining consciousness, the first thing he wanted to see was his wife.

He gazed at her tenderly as he saw that her mask was already taken off. "She's fine now, right?"

Mao Chen who was already present since morning to check on her nodded his head. "We're only waiting for her to open her eyes"

"She's gonna open her eyes, right?" he asked worriedly. Mao Chen cannot help but smile at this side of him.

"She will. I assure you, she will" he said as he looked at his patient. As he stared at her, he began to wonder about the Xing.

Their family was known to be animals. When one of their relatives gets hurt, everyone in their family feels the pain. The retribution of those who inflicted the pain doesn't come from one as well, but from everyone who can contribute to the revenge. If they find out about this, he was sure the news would be filled with their massacre.

Ji Li Zhao suddenly stood up from his seat and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "I'll make them pay, tenfold" he muttered before writing something on a piece of paper and placing it on her bedside table. "Guard her well. I'll be sending in our maniac to deal with those men so focus on your task"

"Yes, boss" all of them inside who were tasked as her guards replied in a whisper, too afraid to wake their sleeping beauty and offend the beast.

.....

"Hmmmm"

That was everything she can mutter. Her mouth gang dry and her eyes were a bit difficult to lift. She tried remembering what had happened and felt alert as fragments of her last memory surfaced.

[ Ao Cheng! That psycho! ]

She can clearly remember his nasty smile before losing consciousness. With this, she gathered all her strength to open her eyes and bolt up. [ I need to get away! This is dangerous! ]

"Miss Hou. Please calm down" Mao Chen said all of a sudden when he realized what was happening. She's confused! She's reacting to her last memory which must have been the perpetrator's face. "You're back home. I'm a doctor. You're safe"

Hou Wei Yan looked around the room and felt the familiarity and warmth. [ This is my room! How did--- ]

"Madame, Boss took you home" Fang said as he went out of the shadows. Hou Wei Yan immediately turned around to face him curiously.

"My husband was there?" she asked, her heart beating a bit wildly. Oh dear, he was there?! She was wasted at that time! Did he see that?! "He left a note"

Hou Wei Yan ran to the table where Fang had pointed at lightning speed. She was praying it was not something awful like divorce!

[ Oh no! What if he really files a divorce?! ]

Her hands were a bit shaky and her breathing was a bit hitched. As she slowly opened the paper, all she can ever hear was the wild beating of her heart. She was expecting a divorce but she found herself dumbfounded by his note.

"Drink Moderately" she muttered. Wait. He's scolding her right? But she's still allowed to drink? After what he clearly saw, her awful wasted side, he's still okay with her drinking?

Oh dear, what a husband she's got here!

She can't stop herself but smile and reach out for the ring he had given her. During such happy times, all she can do to express it was to touch the ring he had personally placed on her hand. It was the memento of their wedding. It's something that marks the most important day of her life and the only token she felt connected with her weird and mysterious husband.

"Hmmm?"

Something's wrong. Hou Wei Yan immediately placed down the note and looked at her hands. It's bare! There was nothing there!

All of a sudden, she felt panic rise up her system. [ My ring! Where is my ring?! ]

She touched her neck in hopes that they had placed it on a necklace but it wasn't! "Fang!" she called out in a panic.

Fang approached her with confusion and worry in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"My ring. Where did you place my ring?" she asked as she began opening the drawers of her bedside table. "Where is it?"

Everyone in the room looked at each other as they saw her scavenging for the ring. "Ring?"

"My husband gave me a wedding ring! It doesn't have a diamond but an emblem on it and it doesn't look much like a wedding ring. It's the only ring I wear on my fingers!" she hysterically said as she looked through the bed in hopes of finding it there.

[ I can't lose it! It's very important! ]

"I was the one who checked on you yesterday, and there was no ring on your fingers" Mao Chen said out of the blue making Hou Wei Yan stop her search. She looked at him seriously making him raise his hands up. "I assure you, Madame, there was nothing on your fingers, and it's clearly not with me"

Suddenly, Hou Wei Yan felt cold. It was not with her when she returned. It must be in the car!

But wait, Gu Man washes the car daily and he has his men check on it as soon as it returns. If they saw her ring, they must have returned it already. So she can only overrule such a possibility.

Then that must mean, it's either in her office or bag.

But that's not possible as well. She clearly remembered touching her ring on the bar when the conversation heated up toward marriage. That's the only place where her ring can be!

"Fang, it's in the bar! I must have dropped it there!" she said making Fang look at her seriously.

Oh no! This ain't good.

"If you're planning on going there---" he was halfway through his words when she cut him off with an unexpected remark.

"Call my husband!" she ordered after analyzing the situation.

She doesn't know what happened but the size of her guards had grown. The possibility of them encountering a fight yesterday is high. Her body is a bit weak from whatever she had taken in so personally handling the matter is dangerous and perilous for her. All she can do now is trust her gut feeling that her husband can do what seems impossible for her right now.

When they stared at her after this, Hou Wei Yan raised his brows a bit. "What? You want me to go there personally?"

The men immediately shook their heads. [ No way. God forbid! No! ]

They were just taken aback. She was in a panic earlier, clearly in a rush that her room is now messed up. But then she called out such a shot.

"Call him" someone said and reminded Fang who was still a bit shocked.

Fang immediately dialed his master's number and went out. "Boss, we have a bit of a situation here" he said, unaware that his boss was in an important meeting.

When he heard this, Ji Li Zhao immediately looked at the one who was proposing their new product with a cold gaze indicating for him to shut up. "What happened?"

"Madame's wedding ring was lost. She said that it must have dropped on the bar. She asked me to call you"

Ji Li Zhao cannot help but slightly smiled as he heard this. He felt good that his wife is entrusting the decision-making to him and indirectly ask of him to make a move on those men.

"Send the devil to retrieve it. A maniac for them is just merciful" he said before hanging up and proceeding with the meeting like nothing happened.

The people in the room looked at each other. What did they just hear? Devil? Maniac?

"If you want to keep your tongue, don't ask about it and proceed" Assistant Huang said all of a sudden making all of them shut up.

The man who was proposing felt a shiver run down his spine. Oh lord. He just hopes he makes it through the proposal! It was already said that their boss has beasts, and now he's sure to be fed if he doesn't do well! Ahhh, he humbly prays that his meat won't be good enough for those beasts so he can be spared!