Azure Woods, Supreme City

Zhong Feng entered the house while the sun was still shining. Summer was almost over, but it was still hot. In this weather, he worried about Hu Lei because she never seemed to get enough sunlight. If he did not warn her several times, she would probably roast herself in the outdoors from morning to evening.

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He did not know if it was the trauma of being locked up in Antarctica for so long. Or perhaps, it was something her father did when he was experimenting on her. Either way, she could withstand low temperatures without sustaining harm.

However, her cold constitution made her uncomfortable. She did not like being cold, even for a moment.

As expected, he found her on the deck at the back of the house, stretched out on a chaise lounge. At least, she had not retracted the ultraviolet polycarbonate shields around the space. Zhong Feng had placed the motorised screens after realising that Hu Lei would not stop her bad habit of basking in the hot sun.

He sighed as he looked at her.

"Do you remember what I told you?" Hu Lei asked without sitting up or even looking back at Zhong Feng. "Sighing gets rid of happiness. Do you want to become sad after finding a wife with so much difficulty?"

Zhong Feng smiled a little when she mentioned that matter. He could not forget the words Hu Lei said on that occasion, even though it was years ago. After all, it was on that day that she had offered herself to be his girlfriend.

Even though there was a lot of pain in between, they had made it to a point of blissful happiness. And there was more happiness coming…

"If you don't want me to sigh my happiness away, come back into the house." Zhong Feng had a helpless expression as he walked to her.

"I just stepped outside a little while ago." She said defiantly.

"Is that true?" Zhong Feng asked.

Hu Lei heard the hint of the cold and evil emperor seep into the voice of her indulgent husband. She knew that tone did not allow her to lie. She pouted because she both liked and hated when he showed that meanie side.

"Fine, I have been here a while." She confessed. "But I used sunscreen and drank a lot of water. And as you can see, the screens are still in place."

Zhong Feng sighed again before he pulled her up from the lounge. She retained her exaggerated pout as if she was unwilling to talk to him. He knew that her stubbornness was often just there for the sake of it. She did not like capitulating to his will easily.

He leaned and kissed the pout. Those plump lips were as delicious as the first day he tasted them. He kissed her a few more times, but she did not change her defiant expression.

"Stop making the ridiculous face. It makes me want to kiss your silliness away." He laughed while patting her head.

Hu Lei's face became red. Even though she was now an old married woman, she could still not resist it when Zhong Feng became seductive. She pushed his face away and started walking back into the house, hiding her embarrassment.

Zhong Feng smiled as he watched her quick retreating steps before following behind her without a hurry. She went to the kitchen and began making a cup of tea. He watched her practised movements with indescribable happiness.

Every day, Hu Lei would make him a cup of tea. It was never at the same time of the day, and the specific tea would depend on her mood. However, she never failed to make him a cup of tea. And he could never get enough of it.

As he watched her, he remembered the matter that had been bothering him through the day.

"I am a little worried about your senior brother." He said with a frown.

"Kaito? Why?" She asked.

"I have not heard from him since he called me that morning." Zhong Feng said. "I think something might have happened to him."

"I would not worry about him too much. He tends to disappear for months on end before appearing out of nowhere." Hu Lei said with a laugh. "This one time, I was in Congo forest with my father looking for some herbs. It was a turbulent time because of a tribal war."

"I had not seen Kaito for so long that I almost forgot that he existed. And out of nowhere, he drops down from a tree and into our camp. I almost killed him. You know I might be stronger than him, but he is like a phantom. He can disappear whenever he wants."

Zhong Feng looked at Hu Lei with some exasperation. She sensed the look on her and turned to him. She understood the gaze, so she rolled her eyes. Ninjas were not taught to be pack animals. Their life was like a wild jungle where each solitary animal fended for itself.

Apart from their childhood rivalry, her good relationship with Kaito had come from an exchange of favours. Most relationships among their kind were like that. Unless he asked for her help, she would not meddle in his life.

Of course, it was a different issue if she had proof that his life was in danger…

"Fine. What do you think happened to him?" She capitulated. "But you should know that the guy is like a cockroach. He will not die easily."

Zhong Feng frowned a little. "Do you remember when he asked about a place called Martial Island?"

"Yeah. But we have both never heard of such a place." Hu Lei handed Zhong Feng a cup of tea before pouring herself a cup of warm water. She made a face as she sipped on it.

"I have been digging a little into it. I found nothing about it until today. And the mention I found was in an unexpected place." Zhong Feng paused for a moment as if hesitating.

"Just spit it out." Hu Lei could not bear the suspense.

"The former Chairman of the International Health Alliance was searching for it on his phone." Zhong Feng finally said it. "Once the search was executed, all the data disappeared. I only got a hit because I set a keystroke log for IHA board members as well as a continuous background search for Martial Island."

Hu Lei looked at him with a lifted brow.

"Didn't you tell me that you have stopped your investigations into IHA?" She asked.