Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Old Master Li glared at him. “I will not regret this.”
The sea breeze swept past them as Li Lei stood on the edge of the deck with her in his arms.
He had backed off to a dead end, and Old Master’s men were still inching forward.
They had cornered him successfully and now had their eyes on the wan. Although Li Lei could make it out of the sea well and alive, Xia Ling was already badly injured, and jumping off the deck was just courting death for her. The circle around him was getting smaller and smaller, and they were almost within arm’s reach.
Xia Ling was still grasping the key that had injured Li Feng; it was now stained with blood, and she had no idea if it was Li Feng’s or hers.
She felt threatened beyond measure.
She knew that if she died here today, these people would not receive their punishment, and the guests and employees who’d witnessed the scene would not say a word for her either. Her only hope was Li Lei.
She looked up at Li Lei.
He looked colder than she remembered him to be, and his body was arched slightly forward in an aggressive stance. Even so, they continued getting closer.
She suddenly laughed.
Old Master Li looked somber. “What are you laughing about?”
Her laughter gave him a bad feeling.
Xia Ling did not respond to him, but rather, continued keeping her gaze on her man. “All these years, I’ve been mean to you.”
This statement came out of nowhere, and yet, Li Lei seemed to understand her completely. With eyes still on his enemies, he said to her, gentle as ever, “Yup, very mean.”
“It seems like I won’t have the chance to be good to you in the future.”
Li Lei said, “No, don’t talk like this.”
She smiled even more sweetly now, knowing full well that he didn’t want her to die just then. But, what choice did they have? She wanted to live too—she was still young, was a Diva, and her reputation was wonderful as it could be… and there was Shaohui, someone who had all the time in the world. And yet, with her serious injury, Li Lei’s depleted energy, and a crowd of enemies that wished her dead, it was silly to even harbor the thought of living.
Her voice was getting softer and weaker. “When I’m gone, don’t tell Shaohui the truth. And, you cannot marry another woman.” Destiny was a complicated thing; maybe she could come back to life and find him again just like she had with Pei Ziheng. If there was a next life, she would definitely live blissfully with him, happily ever after.
Li Lei dared not look down at her. He was afraid that the moment his eyes left theirs, they would all pounce on him and Xia Ling. He said, “Don’t you dare leave. If you do, I’ll marry many women.”
Tears welled up in his eyes as his voice went hoarse.
She coughed again. Her rib had been broken for a while now, and she was beginning to shiver from the cold. “Protect Shaohui well,” she said. “If… if… something happens… to Shaohui, I-I’m… n-not coming back…”
Blood spewed out of her mouth, contrasted against her discolored lips.
Li Lei suddenly realized something: even if Old Master Li and his men did not toss Xia Ling into the sea, given her injuries and how weak her body constitution was, could she even hold out?
He carefully placed her on the ground against a pillar.
“Hang in there.” he gently whispered. He then straightened up and faced the army before him coldly. He glared at them with hatred, the same way he had done for years on the battlefield. He could not care less that these people included his elders who had watched him grow up.
“Li Lei! You’ve turned against your people!” Old Master Li was enraged.
Li Lei was already approaching them and positioning himself. Not too far away, some of the spectating guests were getting increasingly tense from watching them, as some of the Paradise employees joined Old Master Li’s force.
Li Lei shouted at the Paradise employees, “Are you making yourselves my enemies too?”
The Paradise employees looked at each other before taking a few steps back.
Much as they wished to help Old Master Li, they did not want to offend Second Young Master Li. Who knew, in the decades to come, he might own all of the Li family’s assets and properties. Backing out now would make Old Master Li unhappy, but that was all. If they went up and hurt that girl, it wouldn’t just be unhappiness with Second Young Master. It would be hatred.
They had weighed their options before coming to a quick decision.
Old Master Li was extremely put off by their actions, but there was nothing he could do right now.
With one hand on his walking cane, he said, “Take the bastard down!”
The army went forward—some planned to attack him while others tried moving him away from Xia Ling so they could take her.
Li Lei was agile in his defense. He ducked from those who attempted to assault him while managing to fend off the people who tried getting to Xia Ling. It did not take him much effort to toss some of them into the sea.
He had already regained some of his strength and energy from the walk to the deck. Although it wasn’t all that easy to take on so many at once, it wasn’t uncommon for his enemies to lose their footing during their attack and fall into the sea.
“Second Young Master Li really is as good as they say.” Some guests began whispering.
Among them were government officials and businessmen who knew nothing about fights. Although Li Lei’s duel with Li Feng was already world-class, the average person wouldn’t be able to tell. But now, Li Lei was taking on so many people at once, it became obvious just how good he was.
Old Master Li’s expression darkened.
He knew his grandson best. Once he was pushed to a corner, his combat effectiveness would peak to an alarming level that was hard for anyone to take on. He had come in such short notice this time and hadn’t brought enough men with him. If the current situation persisted, this unfilial grandson could possibly toss everyone into the sea and leave successfully with Xia Ling!
Old Master Li put his walking cane aside and walked towards the battlefield.
“Look, Old Master Li is joining the fight!” The guests were getting agitated.
“Old Master?” Another asked. “Can he do this?”
“Don’t belittle this old man,” said a third person. “When he was younger, he was known to be the most ruthless man around. His hands are stained with the blood of countless people. Today, he’s out to teach his grandson a lesson personally!”
Everyone was practically holding their breaths. They had witnessed Li Lei’s prowess—in this short time, a number of them had been tossed into the sea, while some were lying on the deck, heavily injured and with no motivation to fight on. Only less than half was still on their feet to take him on.