CHAPTER 1
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Lei Zhang gritted his teeth as his eyes moved to his suit jacket, which was folded beside him and still stained with blood. He felt his chest tighten with regret.
The doors finally opened, and the doctor stepped out.
Lei Zhang was on his feet instantly.
"How is he?" he asked.
The doctor paused.
That single second of silence should have already told Lei Zhang everything, but he still wanted to believe Xu Jin was fine.
"I'm very sorry,"
the doctor said quietly.
"We did everything we could, but his injuries were too severe. He went into cardiac arrest, and we couldn't bring him back."
Lei Zhang felt the world around him go still.
As the words struck him, he simply stood there, blinking for a long moment without making a sound or moving.
Then he shook his head.
"No. No. No."
His voice cracked as more tears rolled down his cheeks, reached his jawline, and dropped to the floor.
"I'm sorry,"
the doctor said again before quietly leaving.
Lei Zhang's chest rose and fell faster as more tears came rolling down his face.
He limped toward Xu Jin's ward, still refusing to believe what he had heard.
The other doctors quietly left him alone.
He walked up slowly, each step harder than the last, until he stood beside the bed, staring down at Xu Jin.
He hoped for something—a twitch, a breath, anything.
But nothing came.
His trembling hands slowly reached for Xu Jin's hand. He held his palm, which felt cold, and for a long time, he didn't move.
He simply stood there, holding Xu Jin's cold hand as tears continued sliding silently down his face.
Finally, in a voice barely above a whisper, he called,
"Xu Jin... Xu Jin."
He called his name again and again, his throat tightening with every call.
But there was no reply.
Years' worth of emotions buried beneath success, power, long nights, and silent pride washed to the surface.
His throat tightened even more.
His vision blurred as his shoulders trembled, and the dam he had held together for years finally cracked open.
He leaned closer, lowering his head, tears pouring through gritted teeth as memories of their childhood—muddy shoes, shared snacks, midnight dares—flooded through him with crushing force.
The vacation plans had definitely ended.
His brothers were probably still waiting for him to get home.
What the fuck was he going to tell them?
His tears gushed out even more.
All of this was unexpected.
He had just finished a celebration, and this was what came next?
He just hadn't seen it coming.
He hadn't known Yang Zhi would go this far.
But Yang Zhi had come for him, not Xu Jin.
If only he had been the one in the driver's seat.
His breathing became heavier as he shut his eyes tightly, more tears flowing down his face as he felt the weight of guilt crushing him.
*********************************
TWO YEARS EARLIER
The Sunday evening was quiet, lonely, and empty for Lei Zhang, who stood alone in the graveyard, staring at his father's tombstone.
The funeral had come to an end, but Lei Zhang still remained in the graveyard, staring at Lei Wang's name written on the tombstone.
His father was a Christian and wanted his ashes buried in the church's graveyard when he died.
He exhaled as a cold wind blew, making his platinum-blond hair dance.
The funeral had started and ended without him shedding a single tear.
Five years of crying by his father's side while he was in a coma had already taken every tear that needed to be shed.
That was it.
The last person he could ever trust in his life was gone.
There really was no one else left.
"He is in a better place now."
He heard a familiar voice behind him and turned around.
A guy of the same height as him stood a few feet away. His brown hair danced in the wind, and his silver eyes looked at Lei Zhang with concern.
"I thought you'd left already," Lei Zhang said.
The guy was Xu Jin, his childhood best friend.
"I can't leave unless you let me know if you're spending the night here," Xu Jin said.
Lei Zhang scrutinized him, and his eyes stopped at Xu Jin's palms.
Looking at the chain-mark scars on his palms, Lei Zhang exhaled.
He was wrong.
There was still one person left whom he could always trust.
And it was the guy standing in front of him.
"Let's go," Lei Zhang said.
They walked out together, heading toward the Bugatti parked at a corner.
Suddenly, a Lexus drove toward them and stopped a few feet away.
Lei Zhang's expression changed, and the temperature seemed to drop around him the moment he saw the two women stepping out of the car.
His mother, Nalan Yu, and his sister, Lei Xue.
They weren't even wearing black.
Instead, they wore loud colors—pink furry coats, white shirts, and a white skirt.
It was almost as if they had come there to mock him.
"Why are you here?"
Lei Zhang asked, completely irritated by their presence.
"Oh, Zhang dear, I just came to pay my respects,"
Nalan Yu said, reaching for Lei Zhang's hand.
But Lei Zhang was quick to knock her hand away.
Xu Jin immediately pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Lei Zhang.
Lei Zhang used it to wipe the exact spot Nalan Yu had touched.
Lei Xue, seeing the action, was clearly pissed and glared at him.
"How can you treat your own mother like that? You're such a monster!" Lei Xue said.
"Lei Xue, do not talk to your brother like that," Nalan Yu cautioned.
Lei Xue rolled her eyes, clearly sick of pretending to be nice.
"Haven't I told you to change your surname? You're no longer part of the Leis," Lei Zhang said.
"Wasn't he my father too? How dare you tell me to change my surname? Are you—"
"Haven't you done it before, Sheng Xue?" Lei Zhang interrupted.
Lei Xue finally stopped talking and looked away.
"Listen, Zhang dear, I'm still your mother, and I really—"
Nalan Yu couldn't complete her words because Lei Zhang ignored her and got into the front seat of his car, clearly not wanting to hear her pointless speech.
"You two need to give up and stop being so desperate,"
Xu Jin said.
Lei Xue glared at him.
"And who do you think you are? Don't be so full of yourself. You're just his errand puppy,"
Lei Xue said before turning and walking toward their Lexus, with Nalan Yu following behind her.
Xu Jin watched them drive away before joining Lei Zhang in the Bugatti.
He was still buckling his seat belt when Lei Zhang called his name.
"Xu Jin."
Xu Jin looked at him with a raised brow.
"You know you're not my errand puppy," Lei Zhang said.
He had heard what Lei Xue called him, and he wanted to make sure Xu Jin didn't take those words to heart.
Xu Jin scoffed, his eyes concentrating on the road as he started the car.
"You should know it takes deeper words to have me moved,"
Xu Jin said as he began driving, moving the car onto the road and zooming off.
"Your mother and sister's appearance seems really suspicious. Are they really trying to get on your good side with that look?" Xu Jin asked.
Lei Zhang exhaled.
"Every woman seems to have the same gene," Lei Zhang said.
But Xu Jin shook his head.
"You've got to stop saying that. Not all women are the same,"
Xu Jin said, his eyes still fixed on the road as he handled the steering wheel.
"Just focus on the road and end this subject," Lei Zhang said.
Xu Jin heaved a sigh.
"I just wish what happens in C-dramas could happen to you. A sweet girl melts the heart of a cold-hearted CEO," Xu Jin said.
"Sadly, those only happen in movies. This is real life," Lei Zhang replied.
Xu Jin exhaled.
*****************************************
"Xiao Yanran! Xiao Yanran!"
Her name was yelled out, and she immediately jolted awake.
"Do you plan to spend the night on my counter?" the woman yelled.
Xiao Yanran, who had fallen asleep on the counter, sluggishly straightened herself.
She heaved a sigh, took her purse, and bowed respectfully to the woman, who was her boss, Mrs. Gao.
She walked out of the restaurant and stood by the roadside.
She took out her phone, searched through her contacts, and finally tapped on the name Li Wen.
"Hello, Yanran."
A voice sounded from the phone after the call went through.
"Wen, come pick me up," Xiao Yanran said.
"Hang on. I'll be there in a jiffy," Li Wen said.
Before Xiao Yanran could end the call, Li Wen hung up.
She heaved a sigh, put her phone back into her purse, and began staring at the busy road.
She looked at all the taxis and less luxurious cars that passed by. It was hard to see a luxury car in the local parts of Fengxian District.
She gasped when she suddenly saw her dream car pass by.
A Bugatti La Voiture Noire.
Her eyes remained fixed on the disappearing car until a motorbike stopped in front of her.
The biker was wearing a black helmet that covered her face entirely.
She removed her helmet and rolled her eyes.
"That Bugatti has long gone. Are you really going to keep staring?" the girl said.
Xiao Yanran finally turned to her.
"That was fast. I called you only a few minutes ago," Xiao Yanran said.
"I was at a convenience store nearby. Now hop on," Li Wen said.
Xiao Yanran got on the bike, wrapping her arms around Li Wen's waist.
"But you saw the car, right? Gosh, sometimes I picture myself riding in it," Xiao Yanran said.
Li Wen scoffed before stepping on the kick lever, pushing it down with her foot and starting the bike.
"I'd advise you to picture yourself in college because, with your awful grades, there'll be no college. And with no college, there'll be no Bugatti. Instead, you
'll be selling street snacks for the rest of your life," Li Wen said.
"Geez, Li Wen, that's harsh," Xiao Yanran said.
"That's my way of looking out for you," Li Wen replied.
She zoomed off, leaving a trail of dust behind them.
T.B.C.