*Knock knock*

No answer. ​​

*Knock knock*

"What the fuck is it!?" Jiang Li coldly lashed out at the annoying person persistently knocking on his room's door.

"Room service."

"I didn't call for one. Get out."

"Sir, apologies. But we got a report of some gas leakage. To ensure safety, we are checking all the rooms for any hazard."

Jiang Li gritted his teeth.

"What the fuck is wrong with your hotel!? Can someone not live in peace for one night!"

"Apologies, Sir. But we really cannot miss any room. It's about everybody's safety in this hotel."

He combed his hair in frustration and opened the door. He saw a young man standing in front of him who slightly jolted. He had a moustache and was dressed in a waiter's uniform. He had messy hair and a few bangs of it slightly covered his forehead and eyes.

"Do it quickly and get the hell out of here."

"Y-Yes, Sir."

The waiter stepped in and slowly shut the door behind him.

Jiang Li sat back on the couch and shut his eyes as he tiredly rested his head behind. A few minutes later, he asked, "Are you done?"

Silence.

He frowned. "Are you done or not?"

No answer.

Jiang Li opened his eyes and saw the waiter quietly standing in front of him, clasping his hands in the front.

"Why are you standing like a statue? Leave if you are done."

"...It's me Li," a soft voice spoke.

He froze.

The waiter slowly removed the fake moustache and wig from his face. Jiang Lanying's long hair fluttered open.

Jiang Li sprang on his feet and stared at her in shock. "Lanying…what are you doing here?"

"I came here to talk to you."

He clenched his fist. "So this was all an act!"

"Li please don't-"

He stormed off without listening to her and opened the door. But it didn't budge.

He blinked his eyes. He twisted the knob again and again but to no avail. "Hey! Why is the door locked? Open it!"

"Nobody will open the door until you talk to Jiang Lanying," He heard Lihua's voice from outside the room.

Jiang Li stiffened.

"You…"

"Hahaha! Yes, it's me! Jiang Lixue. Your most favorite sister-in-law!"

His mouth twitched.

What favorite? Right now I just want to kill you…

"Oh be careful of the killing intent you are oozing out or you know how your cousin is right~"

The mention of Wei made him press his brows.

"Jiang Li. Don't be any more of an idiot than you already were in the past. Until Jiang Lanying confirms to me that you two have talked it out, you will stay locked up in here as long as it takes. Goodbye!"

Jiang Li banged his fist on the door in frustration.

"Damn it!"

He walked towards her and said, "Tell her that we have talked a few minutes later."

"I won't lie to her. Everything will be meaningless if I lied."

He bit his lip. "Fine. Suit yourself."

He walked towards the window and rested his hands on the railing. He let out a deep breath and shut his eyes.

Suddenly, he felt a soft sensation envelope him from the back and he froze. Jiang Lanying gently wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

Jiang Li shivered. "Leave."

She didn't.

"Let go!"

Instead, he heard the sound of her sniffling and sobbing. He looked down and saw her hands trembling as she held him.

"Li. It must have been so hard for you...I-I am really sorry. You were suffering all this time and I couldn't do anything to help you…"

He trembled.

"Why did you hide it from me, Li? Why did you have to keep everything to yourself?"

Jiang Li looked away.

"Li…do you...do you really think so less of me? Why do you always think that you cannot share your troubles with me? I-If you feel that I am not worthy of supporting you then…" she gasped, "why did you marry me?"

Silence.

"I just want to be there for you Li…I am your wife and-"

"And you want a child, right?" He self-deprecatingly laughed.

He turned and grabbed her arms. "Tell me, Lanying. You want a child, right? A child that I cannot give you!"

"Li…"

"No, Lanying! You wanted to talk, right? So, let's talk. Let's talk about how I have let you down. Let's talk about how I knew about my condition for eighteen months but I didn't tell you a word about it. Do you know why? Do you know why I hid it from you? It has nothing to do with whether you can support me in my troubles or not. It has nothing to do with you being not trustworthy. It's about you not leaving my side despite knowing that I might never be able to give you a child."

Jiang Lanying stared at him in a daze. "Li, I don't understand…Why will I leave you?"

"Because how long will you live with a man like me who cannot give you the joy of motherhood?"

A dangerous smile laced his lips and he pulled her towards him.

She trembled upon seeing a different emotion swirling in his gaze that she never saw before.

What is that…

"Lanying," his voice was extremely low as he spoke. It carried the same hint of that dark feeling riling in his black orbs. "Lanying, do you have any idea how much I love you?"

She froze. She blinked her eyes in disbelief and felt her ears buzz.

He lifted her chin and narrowed his eyes that seemed to see through her soul. She couldn't help but shudder.

"I have loved you since the moment I met you at the banquet two years ago. My eyes fell upon you, and I just knew that you had to be mine at any cost. I don't know why I felt so strongly possessive of you. Maybe it's just like how Ruiling feels for Shen Yang or how cousin Wei feels for Jiang Lixue. But the only thing that I knew was that you had to be my wife. You cannot belong to anybody else."