When the banquet ended, Akira shooed off her parents to the car with an exasperated smile. She was not going back with them since she had agreed to go to the after-party gathering with Kaito. Unfortunately, her parents could not help but worry.

They were afraid that Akira would not be able to deal with the bunch of second-generation people from Mountain Ridge. Everyone knew how wild those parties could get.

"Akira, did we push you too hard? You don't have to force yourself to make friends if you don't want." Sayaka said with concern.

"It's good for me to get to know people around. Plus, I will be with Kaito." She said with a smile.

The name caused her parents to feel even more stifled.

"You should be careful with that man. He is not a good person." Daiki said with both warning and concern.

Akira laughed. "I know. But I like him. So, don't say anything bad about him."

The two people felt defeated as Akira prompted them to enter their car. How could their daughter side with an outsider so casually? Furthermore, they were not even allowed to criticise him. As the vehicle drove off, they saw the man walking towards Akira from a distance.

"Dear, what should we do?" Sayaka asked nervously.

"What can we do?" Daiki sighed.

Back at the Malachite, Akira turned to return to the hotel, but she found herself facing the subject of her conversation with her parents. She remembered the words she had just said about liking him and felt a little awkward when facing him.

"You look guilty. Did you do something bad?" He tapped her nose.

She scrunched up her nose and glared at him with a huff.

"What do you mean by something bad? I am here defending your honour. If you were nicer, my parents would like you more." She said.

Kaito chuckled awkwardly. He did try to be nicer and greeted Akira's parents politely and with a warm smile during the banquet. But they looked at him like he was the devil incarnate who had killed their ancestors.

There was nothing he could do about it.

"Why do they have a poor impression of me?" He asked puzzled.

Akira coughed a little. "They think you broke my heart."

Kaito's eyes widened in surprise. He did not do anything. How could he have been shot when he was lying down?

"Why would they think that? I am always perfectly behaved." Kaito exhaled in exasperation.

"I am also not sure. But I suspect it is the rumour saying that you left Mountain Ridge after being unable to survive among the elites. It's all on MR Circle." She waved her hand carelessly.

Kaito was speechless. He did not know he had become famous enough to be mentioned on that tabloid-like platform. And why was Akira reading the gossip?

Before he could ask, Wang Che and Shun walked to them. Since Akira and Kaito did not have cars, they were riding with the other two for convenience. The four people met up and got into a limousine together.

"This kind of reminds me of Supreme City, hanging out with Zhong Feng and Hu Lei," Shun said as he rummaged through the mini-fridge.

Akira levelled a side glance at Kaito, and the man shrugged helplessly. Wang Che looked at them and laughed a little with subdued amusement.

"I hear the name Hu Lei quite a lot. What is she like?" Akira asked.

She was not jealous of Hu Lei anymore, but she could not stop the growing curiosity about this girl. It felt like their lives were somehow connected and intertwined. There was a sense of a strange string of fate linking them.

It felt a little eerie.

Shun found a chocolate bar from the fridge and opened it with nimble fingers. He began eating it with happiness on his face. No one would believe that he ate a full-course meal and a lot of snacks just an hour or so before.

"She is cute and explosive," Shun said. "She looks totally sweet and harmless, but she can be quite fierce."

Akira nodded. "Have you known her for long?"

"Not too long. I met her years ago because of Zhong Feng. But then she disappeared for a while. And then she returned." Shun responded.

Akira felt like there was a great secret hidden in those words, but she could not point out exactly what it was. It was as if she was on the verge of discovering something, but it remained out of her reach. She had the feeling of having forgotten an important matter.

"I see." She said.

"Shouldn't you already know about this? Kaito is her godbrother, so he should know more than me." Shun waved a hand as he disposed of the chocolate wrapper in the bin.

When he was about to reach into the fridge for more candy, Wang Che stopped him. If Shun ate more candy, he would probably experience a sugar crash soon. Then, he would probably fall asleep immediately after they got to the after-party.

Akira smiled a little with amusement. "I didn't know they were so close."

"They seem quite tight. Kaito was a bridesmaid at Hu Lei's wedding. It was legendary." Shun leaned towards Akira. "I was on the groom's side, so we went to pick up Hu Lei. And Kaito takes out the Carolina Reaper for Zhong Feng."

Akira's eyes sparkled. She never tasted the Carolina Reaper, but she had heard about its hotness level. She could also not help but be tickled by the thought of Kaito as a bridesmaid. She tried to picture him in a frilly dress and giggled involuntarily.

"And then?" Akira prompted Shun to continue.

"Kaito was guarding the door, so Zhong Feng had no choice but to take the pepper. We tried to stop him, but he just put the pepper in his mouth and chewed it. That was the closest I ever saw Zhong Feng to tears. Truly cruel." Shun shook his head.

Shun continued telling Akira more stories about Hu Lei and Zhong Feng until the limousine arrived at Le Burlesque. As Akira stepped out of the vehicle, she felt amused and refreshed. A little part of her hoped that she would meet Hu Lei.

She did not know that her wish would come true faster than expected.