"I"ll be right there.", the girl sighed, making her way to Mo Zixuan, upon the stage. She wasn"t even shocked anymore. This was her life, after all. A pinch of drama in everything around her was literally, a necessity. "You have the bomb squad equipments, right?""Yeah. I have everything else.", Ashfakh Ali answered, glancing at the black bag in the backseat. through the rearview mirror.
Rong Xinghe reached the stage and disconnected the call as she whispered into her brother"s ear, "I will have to leave for an hour or so. Will that be okay, Bro Mo?"
"Where are you going? You can"t just bail on me, on my wedding day, Xinghe.", Mo Zixuan frowned.
"Um... Kind of an explosive emergency.", the girl scratched her head awkwardly, "Moreover, you have been p.r.o.nounced husband and wife already. How much more of a wedding do you want?
"I will be back before the wedding dinner, okay? Promise."
"Screw the wedding.", Mo Zixuan stared right into the girl"s eyes, "What is it about the emergency?! Xinghe... you-"
"I will return back alive, brother.". the girl rubbed the man"s shoulders, smiling at him confidently, "Don"t worry about that. But if I don"t go now, we might have to celebrate the wedding dinner in heaven. Or h.e.l.l. Whatever."
Mo Zixuan looked at the girl worriedly for a few seconds before he finally pulled her in for a warm hug, "Just be safe, alright?"
"I will be fine.", the girl comforted.
________________
4:30 p.m.,
"All I am saying is "Do not come to the wedding. Stay wherever you are." Which part of that do you not understand, Mr. Xi?", Rong Xinghe walked into the Stark Square building, adjusting her Bluetooth earpiece.
"I am already here, Xinghe.", Xi Yuan laughed, "What"s wrong?"
"I had to leave the wedding a few minutes ago. Bro Mo will fill you in on it, okay?"
"Military emergency? Again?", the man rolled his eyes, "Just come back in one piece."
"I will."
"I love you."
"I love you too.", the girl smiled, nodding lightly at the team of officers approaching her, "I got go now. Bye."
:::::::::::::::::::::::
Rong Xinghe followed Ashfakh Ali into the bas.e.m.e.nt of the building. One could, very clearly, hear the sound of water drops. .h.i.tting against the cement floor beneath the pipes. Cutting through the awful silence, that was the only sound audible there, actually.
"So where"s the bomb?", the girl looked at Ashfakh Ali with a muddled expression.
"You are standing on it.", the man smiled meaningfully as he strode towards the main electrical service panel. The man then opened the system box and placed his hand upon one of the switches. "Move a little away, Alpha.", he said.
Rong Xinghe took four steps backward and clenched her fists, her gaze fixed upon the tiles where she was standing seconds ago. They were indeed different. Almost new. Clean, unlike the other dusty ones. Ashfakh Ali pressed the switch and as a result, the two tiles slid over one another, disappearing beneath the old ones.
"f.u.c.k.", Shou Wu gasped and pulled out his handkerchief, patting his head with it. The set-up looked pretty complicated. It was nothing like the ones he had ever seen. How could Rong Xinghe operate on that one, he wondered.
Rong Xinghe crossed her arms and looked up at her old a.s.sistant, wiggling her brows at him with a smirk across her lips, "At least, something in this world could make the righteous Mr. Shou, swear! Maybe missing out on my brother"s wedding wasn"t that much of a loss."
As he took in the girl"s solemn and indifferent expression, Ashfakh let out a chuckle too. Clearly, this was barely a "trouble" for her. "There"s a timer of 15 minutes set. Will you be needing me?", the man asked.
"Nah.", Rong Xinghe shook her head, pulling up the lacy sleeves of her long maroon dress.
"Okay. Should I entertain you while you diffuse the bomb, then?", Ashfakh Ali sat down on the ground, crossing his legs at ankles, like a little child, "Cause I am not leaving you here."
"Please. No!", the girl grunted.
"Please. Yes!", the man smiled, goofily.
____________________
5:00 p.m.
"President Xi, may I have a word with you?", Xi Yuan was walking around in the silent hallway, rubbing the back of sleeping Zhi Taio. Xi Wei and Xi Fang were sitting on a couch close by too, playing with Lu Alix. Since the kids were getting impatient and grumpy amid all the guests, the Xi men had volunteered to put them to sleep. Superfamily, of course, trusted Xi Yuan with Lu Alix and Zhi Taio, so they had no issue with the proposal, whatsoever.
"Ms. Huang.", Xi Yuan turned around and acknowledged the woman in a tone of propriety.
"I... um...", Huang Biu felt her heartbeat racing and heat rising up to her cheeks, as she looked at the man standing so close to her, "I..."
"Yes?"
"I wa... wanted to tell you something.", the woman finally said.
"Sure. Just a second.", Xi Yuan nodded, "Ying. Keep swinging him in your arms. He won"t wake up then."
"Okay, brother.", Xi Ying smiled, taking the child from Xi Yuan carefully.
"What is it?", Xi Yuan unb.u.t.toned his suit, stretching his neck tiredly.
"I wanted to confess something.", Huang Biu sighed, "I am not sure if that was a coincidence or destiny, but we"ve been to the same high school. I saw you in the fifth grade for the first time. And since then-"
"And since then, you"ve been in love with him.", at this time, a soft yet sharp voice echoed througg the entire hallway, "I know that."
Xi Yuan tilted his head and looked at the person hurrying towards him. "h.e.l.lo there, Mr. Xi!", the girl smiled.
"Come here.", Xi Yuan spread his arms wide open, allowing the girl to hug him tightly. He then wrapped his arms around her waist, placing a soft kiss against her forehead. "How was the mission?"
"Just saved the world.", the girl laughed, "I could really use a drink, you know?"
"I will get it for you, Sister-in-law!", Xi Wei stood up to leave, "Whiskey or wine?"
"Bourbon."
"Sister-in-law...", Huang Biu stared at the girl, taken aback by Xi Wei"s words.
"This is going to be interesting.", Xi Ying giggled, pinching Zhi Taio"s chubby little cheeks, "Your Auntie is going to kick some a.s.s now, Honey. It"s a shame you are so little, that you are least concerned about the most savage side of her."