Chapter 911: The Will
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

At this point, Xia Ling was fairly clear about what had happened.

Her fans were probably unhappy with Xia Yu and found all means and ways to torture her, eventually to her death.

She gasped internally, realizing how Xia Yu had paid her price after setting others up her whole life. “Is no one in prison bothered about this?” Xia Ling asked.

Gu Lin sneered. “Who’d bother? Your fans are among the prison wardens, too. We could count ourselves lucky that they didn’t find trouble with us, but they’d probably be happy to know that we’re being tortured! Let me tell you, your fans are beasts! A whole pack of them! When I’m released from prison after my serving time, I’ll get Dad to take revenge on them!”

She was getting agitated again.

Xia Ling looked at her haggard face and suddenly pitied her—such a rich and pampered missy being tortured so horribly with no one to come to her rescue, it was a miracle she hadn’t gone insane. Xia Ling toned down as she continued asking, “Based on what you’ve said, this isn’t Li Li An’s first time finding trouble with others. But why did she go overboard this time, to actually torture Xia Yu to death? They have the guts to kill someone in prison?”

Gu Lin shook her head and quietly said, “They’ve never killed anyone. At least… not in their records.”

That was strange. Xia Ling simply could not figure out why they’d take such a risk to kill someone who’d be facing the death sentence the following day? Was there…

Some other reason?

She looked at Gu Lin. “Nothing strange happened in the past few days?”

Gu Lin shook her head and remained quiet.

Seeing that she was not getting anything more out of her, Xia Ling sighed. Part of her suspected that this had something to do with Pei Ziheng, but if it really was the case, this man was just too deep and scary.

“Is there anything else you want to ask?” Gu Lin said.

“That’s all for now.” Xia Ling said, “Now, as my form of repayment, you can request something. As long as it’s within my means and not against my principles, I’ll do it for you.”

Gu Lin fiddled with the corner of her top. After a while, she finally swallowed her pride and whispered, “Can you ask Li Li An and the rest not to find trouble with me anymore?” Ever since she entered prison, life had been a living hell. They’d even knocked out some of her teeth, this was unbearable.

But this request was an easy one.

Xia Ling opened her red handbag and took out a pretty little notepad. It held lyrics, musical notes, and little doodles from when she got inspirations while on the go. She tore a piece from it and used an eyebrow pencil to write the words “For Li Li An” before signing under it. It was beautifully written, and that little note seemed like an art piece. She handed it to Gu Lin, saying, “Pass this to Li Li An, tell her it’s from me. Ask her not to make things difficult for you anymore.”

Gu Lin received the note with trembling hands.

She’d suffered beatings and watched Xia Yu die before her eyes. After Xia Yu’s passing, the gang had turned to torturing her for entertainment. What good could this slip of paper do to such a ruthless gang? Gu Lin was uncertain this would not work, and yet, she was full of hope.

Xia Ling did not share her worries. She simply grabbed her handbag and walked out of the interrogation room.

A prison guard was waiting for her outside.

Xia Ling asked, “Is anything the matter?”

The prison guard said, “Miss Ling, we heard that Xia Yu has been chased out of the household and doesn’t have a single kin now. Could you collect her body? Otherwise, we’ll just bury her like she is a nobody.”

It just occurred to Xia Ling about this problem.

She gazed at the long hallway and the dim light at the end of it. “Alright, I’ll collect it.” After all, all the hatred between them would’ve already left when Xia Yu died. Moreover, they were indubitably sisters, what bad could it do to send her on her final journey?

The prison guard heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Miss Ling. This will save us a lot of trouble. Oh right, please follow me for a moment, Xia Yu handed us a letter before she left. She said to hand you this letter if you’re willing to collect her body for her. Otherwise, we are to burn it.”

Xia Ling was curious. What letter could it be?

When she reached home, she kicked her shoes off and settled on the couch cross-legged, all ready to read the letter.

It was a very thin letter, so lightweight it felt almost non-existent. She got the maid to hand her a paper-knife and very cautiously retrieved the slip from the envelope. It was Xia Yu’s handwriting:

[Sister, by the time you receive this letter, I’d have left this world.

[Don’t feel sad for me. Well, maybe you won’t, but I believe that you do feel for me, even just a little. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even have decided to collect my body, right?

[For that, I’ll let you know something—I wasn’t the one who duped you into going to the club to do marijuana, it was Su Tang. Take my word for it, she hates you even more than I do. Since she’s failed to drag your name in the mud the last time, she might find an opportunity to deal with you again in the future—maybe even kill you. A woman can get very scary when she’s dealing with her love rival. You’ve experienced that with me, don’t think that Su Tang would be any kinder.

[That’s all I have to say. It’s up to you to believe it.

[I’m looking forward to your sweet rice. It’s strange how I’ve eaten all sorts of delicacies when I grew up, and yet all I crave before my death is an inferior bowl of rice that tastes like the orphanage.

[Oh, the assets.

[When you passed away in your last life, I inherited all your assets. I guess it’s a cycle, or maybe my karma, but it’s time for me to return them all to you. After managing them wisely all these years, they’ve risen at least two to threefold. You’re so bad at managing your finances, you’d better not lose them all.

[Sister…

[Let me call you Sister one last time, and help me apologize to Little Shaohui on my behalf.]

Xia Yu signed off.

It was a short letter, but Xia Ling read it over and over. She was curled up on the sofa in a daze, letter in hand. Somewhere in the depths of her heart, there was a strange, inexplicable ache. So it was true that people regained their conscience when they were facing death…

She sat on the sofa for a long time.

The maid walked over and looked at her, slightly worried. “Miss, are you alright?”

Only then did she snap out of her daze. “I’m fine.” She got up and went upstairs into the study room. She was just about to keep the letter in a corner of the drawer…

When her eyes rested on the words “it was Su Tang” a moment longer.

Chapter 912: The Wedding
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

It was Su Tang?

She did not know whether to believe Xia Yu. Did she really regain her conscience, or was she still trying to stir up trouble?

In any case, it didn’t hurt to have her guard up. In the evening, when Lin Yunan sent Shaohui home, she told him about Xia Yu’s warning regarding Su Tang. “You have to be very careful when you take Little Shaohui out. I’ll appoint another bodyguard to him.”

Lin Yunan frowned. “What about you?”

Xia Ling said, “I’ll take note, too.”

Lin Yunan asked, “You don’t intend to let Li Lei know about this?”

Xia Ling was a little down. “I don’t have any evidence, and I don’t even know if it’s true, how would I expect Li Lei to believe it? Su Tang is his benefactor, I don’t wish to make things hard for him.” She wasn’t afraid, she just didn’t want to see her beloved man caught between love and loyalty. If she really wanted to go against Su Tang, she’d do it herself.

Lin Yunan shook his head. “How noble, you don’t even know if he’ll appreciate it.”

Xia Ling said, “I actually wish Su Tang wasn’t behind all that. She could just take Li Rui far, far away and live a life by themselves. As long as we don’t cross paths, all is well.”

Lin Yunan said, “She isn’t a simple person.”

Xia Ling replied, “But that doesn’t mean she’s a match for me.” As of now, Xia Ling had had the upper hand in any of their “battles,” be it in terms of status or in getting Li Lei to change his clothes and dressing… Other than the incident Xia Yu mentioned in her will, in which Xia Ling did not take action since she could not confirm Su Tang’s involvement. But even then, Su Tang did not stand to gain from it.

Lin Yunan looked at her a while longer.

Xia Ling snapped. “What are you looking at?”

Lin Yunan smiled. “Actually, Su Tang is way more scheming and calculating than you are. It’s strange how she hasn’t managed to outdo someone who doesn’t even take her brain out with her.”

“Who are you referring to, not bringing her brain out with her?!” Xia Ling glared at him.

Lin Yunan raised his hand as he laughed, patronizing her. “Sure, you bring your brain along. Today’s the day you do it best.”

He said his farewell and whistled as he walked off.

Although Xia Ling had already mentioned she wouldn’t bother Li Lei with this, the whole issue revolving Su Tang still weighted on her mind. She went to look for her brother instead. “Is there a way for us to check whether Su Tang was behind it?”

Xia Moyan was calm as usual. “Is it important?”

“Of course it’s important!” Xia Ling looked at him with a serious expression. “Only then can I find out how mean she is! I need to know how much she’ll hurt Shaohui and me!”

“Her destiny is bound to clash with yours, it’s long been the case.” Xia Moyan was composed. “I’d be finding it strange if she didn’t try to hurt you.”

Xia Ling was speechless.

“But don’t worry,” he added. “You have the life of a Phoenix, the worst you ever have to face is already over. From now on, everything will get better, she doesn’t have any way of actually hurting you.”

“How about Little Shaohui?”

“That child is way smarter than you.”

Xia Ling felt like punching someone. Why was everybody hinting that she wasn’t intelligent? She swung her head aside. “Hmph, I’m not inviting you to my wedding anymore.”

“That little bastard wouldn’t dare to not invite me.” The Preceptor said calmly and certainly.

Poor Li Lei, how would he ever dare to offend this ruthless brother-in-law of his!

Xia Ling felt pathetic, too. Why did her husband appear so small before her brother?!

She had no choice but to send him an invite.

The wedding day finally arrived.

Guests came to give their blessings.

Countless media representatives from all over the world reported it in real-time. Dressed in a white wedding gown, she slowly made her way out of the red-brick villa. The pearls studding her gown gleamed and glistened in the sunlight, leaving an afterglow in her tracks. Equally well dressed were her bridesmaids, friends, and family, whose eyes followed wherever she went as they wished her well. Meanwhile, she glowed with a radiant smile that shone even in her eyes.

“Xiao Ling… Our Xiao Ling is finally getting married…” Tons of her fans stationed themselves before the television, watching the live telecast more agitated than Xia Ling herself. A number of young girls even held their best friends as they teared with joy. “Xiao Ling and Li Lei had it so tough and went through so much. They can finally be together, I envy them so much…”

They laughed and cried, and exclaimed in both delight and envy.

When Xia Ling finally exited the villa, she turned around and took a look at this place she’d resided in for many years.

This building was a “gift” from Old Master Li. Back then, this was his compensation to her when he asked her to leave Li Lei for good. He had forced her out of the house and into this new villa under the watch of several bodyguards. She had been so miserable at that time, lacking money, status, and the support of her powerful household. All she had was the little popularity as a singer and her love with Li Lei, and even that was robbed from her. Old Master Li had told her: [Live here for three full years and I’ll agree to you and Li Lei’s relationship.]

But too much had happened in these three years, a wave of peril after another.

But it was all in the past, and there was a sense of detachment now as she looked back.

“Goodbye, villa.” She quietly said to the house.

People crowded around now, yelling words of congratulations and blessings. The matron of honor hurried her up the bridal car. “The bride should get in the car now, it’s an auspicious time—”

Hence, she turned away from the villa and walked towards the car.

The leading car was the SUV that Li Lei often drove. It was decorated according to tradition—a floral bouquet in the front, red ribbon all around, exuding an air of festivity and celebration. Li Lei was dressed in an extravagant suit and standing by the car. With that perfect smile on, he appeared even more handsome than usually.

Many of the ladies stole glances at him.

But he only had eyes for Xia Ling. He opened the car door for her and carefully helped her into the car. The camera shutters were going off nonstop, as with the flashes the cameramen jostled to get the best shots. The matron of honor recited well wishes as she tried her best to speak over the chattering between the flower girl and flower boy. It was a joyous occasion.

Before the television, some of the fans even tugged at their partners. “Li Lei is so handsome, and Xiao Ling is so beautiful today.”

“That’s true. But why are they using his SUV as the leading car?” Li Lei’s SUV was used for his day-to-day transport, and it was getting a little old. Moreover, it wasn’t branded or luxurious. Hence, no one understood why this was the case.

The commentator for the live telecast quelled their curiosity. “As you can see, the choice of their leading car has shocked us, but they have a good reason for it… We’ve interviewed Mr. Li, asking why he chose this car as the lead. He said that he had driven this car for his first date with Xiao Ling, and from then on, it has been a part of their lives, in good times and bad, in both major and trivial incidences. It holds a lot of memories. Hence, they decided that this was the perfect vehicle for all of their shared moments.”

Chapter 913: I’ll Marry Mom When I Grow Up
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The viewers were touched beyond words.

Li Lei and Xia Ling sat in the SUV, smiling at each other. They were amongst the richest people on the planet and didn’t have to take so much into consideration. Even if they used a tractor as their lead car on their wedding day, no one would think that they couldn’t afford it.

The fleet of cars set off.

Following right behind the lead car were the bridesmaids, best men, parents of both the bride and the groom, flower boy and girl, and many more.

Further back were the cars carrying the dowry gifts, including furniture, decorative ornaments and the like. In the past, the bride’s family often prepared extravagant items for display in order to show their power and dominance as a form of backing for their daughter in the new family.

Today, the piles of dowry gifts were considerably extravagant. Fans lined up across both sides of the streets with fresh flowers, tossing them at their own will as if the road was the aisle of the ballroom.

Xia Ling leaned her head on Li Lei’s shoulder.

Li Lei held her hand firmly but tenderly.

How lucky she was to be able to spend her life with her beloved this time around.

While everyone was busy celebrating, no one noticed that the villa just next to Xia Ling’s was locked shut as a man kept himself in the basement alone, cut off from the festivity of the world.

Pei Ziheng knew that this was Xia Ling’s wedding day.

He did not attend the ceremony, nor gave his blessings. He did not even prepare a gift for the newlyweds.

He gulped alcohol like it was water and got himself drunk the same way he did when she fell off the stage to her death. She was now gone, and she had robbed him of all hope.

How cruel.

Pei Ziheng whimpered ever so softly as he sank into the cold, hard ground.

Outside the villa, a number of reporters who did not trail behind the newlyweds arrived at his doorstep instead and asked Nanny Zhou, “Is Mr. Pei at home? What is his take on Mr. Li Lei and Miss Ling’s wedding?”

Nanny Zhou shook her head. “Please do not bother us.”

She refused to let out another word.

After Nanny Zhou finally got rid of the insistent reporters, she decided to go to the basement to take a look at Pei Ziheng. But the door was locked from the inside, and she could hear a strange sound—a cross between a howl and a cry. He sounded like an injured animal.

Mister…

Nanny Zhou was worried about him, but there was nothing she could do.

On the other end, the substantial fleet of cars arrived at their destination at a private pier. Li Lei helped Xia Ling down the car as they took slow, steady strides towards a grand cruise.

“Apparently, the manufacturing cost of this cruise was in the hundreds of millions, and it was customized by an Italian black triad leader for his grandson’s wedding gift. The entire cruise was intricately designed with a vintage touch—for instance, the wooden planks on the deck were personally nailed in one by one by more than a hundred carpenters.” The commentator was evidently excited by what he was reporting. “Many of the invited guests consider the fact that they could enter this cruise an honor in itself.”

“It’s so beautiful…” Many of the viewers were awestruck by the cruise.

Xia Ling and Li Lei posed on the deck for photos, and before long, Shaohui and the flower children had their chance to be the center of attention as well.

“Dad, Dad, can you not marry Mom anymore?” Little Shaohui’s words were shocking.

Everyone turned to look at him. Li Lei asked with a smile, “Why?”

Shaohui was in an adorable little suit. He tilted his head slightly and said, “Mom looks beautiful today, I really like it. When I’m older, I can marry her! Dad, can you marry someone else instead?”

Everyone around started laughing.

Li Lei looked at his son helplessly and pouted. “I wouldn’t have expected that after beating all my love rivals, I still have to get through my son.”

Some others played along. “Young Master Shaohui is a threatening love rival, indeed.”

Li Lei pinched his son’s chubby cheeks and smiled. “You want to marry Mom? When you grow up to Dad’s height and can defeat me, we’ll talk about it.”

Little Shaohui blinked his eyes and nodded in all seriousness. “I will work hard.”

The people around laughed their hearts out.

The cruise set sail slowly in the direction of the Li family headquarters. The weather was perfect, white clouds drifting across blue skies while seagulls danced in the background. It was a long journey in the open waters, but plenty of refreshments and drinks were provided, allowing guests to talk over their meals and rest freely.

This wedding was considerably unique. While the cruise was on its way, Xia Ling and Li Lei took the opportunity to mingle with the guests. Those invited were the couple’s close family and friends. Hence, there was no awkwardness or tension, just lightheartedness and shared joy.

Xia Ling carefully held her gown up as she made her rounds. Many of the guests gave their congratulations and she smiled in acknowledgment. All of a sudden, she saw a man approaching her. He was in an exquisite best man suit and looked extremely handsome against the clear skies.

“You really scared me,” said the man said. “You actually come from such a powerful background, the daughter of the Xia family. No wonder you always pulled off such an aura, now I see that you could afford to.”

“Du Yunfeng.” Xia Ling smiled. “Back when I asked to be your godsister, you still seemed pretty unwilling. Do you feel like you’ve benefited now?”

“Sure, I benefited lots from it. This has been the best transaction of my life.” Du Yunfeng laughed. “On account of everything that happened in the past, I’ll offer my apology. In the future, we’ll be family. Keep in close contact, shall we?”

“Who’s your family now?” It was Li Lei’s voice. He came over and nudged Du Yunfeng while holding his wife tight. “Let me set this straight, don’t you even take an interest in my wife. I’ve enough love rivals now, just dealing with Little Shaohui alone is enough. Don’t make me busier.”

“Wow, my godnephew is so impressive?” Du Yunfeng laughed. “When he succeeds in the future, I hope he’ll remember his goduncle.”

“To hell with that.” Li Lei jokingly teased. “Back when he was to acknowledge you as goduncle, you were so unwilling to give up even one bead bracelet. Such a stingy uncle!”

“Come!” Du Yunfeng was more than generous now. He couldn’t afford to offend the Xia’s. “The Du family’s treasure chest is wide open. My godnephew can take his pick from the mountains of treasure.”

Chapter 914: The Pirates Are On Board
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Li Lei rubbed his fists and palms. “When Xiao Ling and I are done with our honeymoon, we’ll arrive with a box to take our pick.”

Du Yunfeng’s eyelids twitched. A box? Who was treating the other as an outsider now? He smiled stiffly and said, “Well, your wife and my godnephew can keep in contact with me. As for you, we can forget about it.”

Li Lei scoffed at him for being petty before telling his wife to pick the most valuable item on his behalf.

They joked and teased in the sea breeze as the pearls and seashells studded on Xia Ling’s gown glistened in the sun. All of a sudden, someone yelled—

“Look, a pirate ship!”

Everyone swung their heads towards the sea and saw that a cluster of pirate ships had emerged across the blue horizon. All the ships had huge sails and were equipped with canons. They got into formation and approached the wedding cruise at high speed.

“So many pirates!” said a voice full of fear.

Everyone on the deck began panicking. Most of them grew up in a wealthy family and were sheltered and protected throughout their lives, who would have ever encountered true pirates? Yet, their upbringing was put to good use now—as worried as they were, they did not scream in shock or act evidently flustered, even with their pale faces.

However, the emcee was in a panic. Seeing the approaching ships, his voice trembled as he reported, “Pirates! Oh my, why are there pirates in this area of the sea?! This logo… Somali! These are the notorious Somali pirates! How did they end up here?! I’ve never known them to venture into open seas so far from their homeland! Do they have something against Li Lei?!”

The emcee sped through his report as he tried not to tremble.

Many of the television viewers dropped whatever was in their hands when they witnessed this scene. Gosh, were they real pirates?! The ships were getting closer and everyone could see the cold, ruthless expressions on each pirate. They looked like they were out to kill, it was too real for any actor to portray!

“Oh my gosh!” The fans started to get worried. “Will Xiao Ling be alright?!”

Li Lei kept this pirate-themed wedding from everyone, including Shaohui. Everybody expected this to be a usual cruise wedding, not something so horrifying!

Back at Skyart’s training camp, the trainees were huddled together to watch the live stream.

When the pirates appeared, a girl named Liu Li grabbed Ye Xingfei’s arm and said in a shaky voice, “Gosh, there are actually pirates?! Will Xiao Ling and the rest be alright?”

Ye Xingfei was a little pale as well as she focused on the progression on television.

Liu Li said, “What if something really happens to Xiao Ling? I really like her!”

Ye Xingfei snapped out of her worries and remembered that that woman was no longer her sister. She coldly said, “Even if something happens, she deserves it. She was the one who turned against her biological parents for money and luxury. This is her retribution! The pirates should just take her away!”

“How could you say this?!” Liu Li glared at her with eyes wide open. “Xiao Ling is the incarnation of Xia Ling, it makes perfect sense for her to return to the Xia family. Moreover, she’s been forking out most of the money for your medical bills and school fees—she’s done a lot for you!” As her friend, Liu Li knew quite a bit about the Ye family. She knew that they could not possibly afford these, and hence, Xia Ling had been offering help this whole time.

Ye Xingfei was even more frustrated now. “Don’t talk to me about this!”

The medical bills and school fees had always been a sore point for her. She hated this woman so much, and yet could not deny that she had received much help from her before, such that she could not go against her as an ingrate. Ye Xingfei had told herself that once she was successful, she would earn more than enough money to return to Xia Ling!

Liu Li stopped talking.

She knew what her good friend was like. Ye Xingfei was a nice person, but she just had something against her sister. But what could she do? Nobody else could talk her out of it, she had to think it through herself. Liu Li turned back to the screen and kept her eyes on it. “The pirates got on board!”

In the time they spent talking, the pirates had surrounded them all on the cruise and the rest made their way up. They pointed their guns at the guests and yelled in English, “Don’t move!”

Shrill screams filled the air.

The photographer shook from fear and the equipment slung over his shoulder almost fell. But a scarred-face pirate shouted at him, “Hold your equipment up and continue filming!”

With that, he pointed a long sword at his face.

The photographer picked the equipment up with shaking hands and continued filming silently. However, the camera was shaking as his body trembled, and the viewers could sense his immense fear from the footage. A few other photographers faced the same situation but went on filming, afraid that their survival would be compromised if they did not abide by them.

On the deck, Li Lei shielded Xia Ling.

He looked at the pirate captain and said, “Jack, the Li family has no grudges with you, what’s the meaning of this?” Others were genuinely frightened, but he was just going according to the script. He even found it interesting and thought about how fun it must be to be an actor.

The pirate captain laughed out loud, enjoying the performance as well. “When the Somali pirates want somebody, do you think we even need a grudge as a reason? Li Lei, I heard you’re getting married. My brothers and I are happy for you, we wish to be a part of this!”

Right after those words were uttered, a few pirates dashed towards Xia Ling!

In his dashing suit, Li Lei smashed a wine glass on a pirate’s shoulder while kicking another off, stalling three of them at a go. Even so, it was impossible for him to tackle so many of them at once. A few other pirates sped forward and pounced on Xia Ling!

Du Yunfeng intuitively fended one off. He did not know that this was staged, but he was clear that he couldn’t let his buddy’s wife get injured, and decided to give his all.

The photographers shook uncontrollably but tried their best to point the cameras in their direction. They had to capture such heroic moments for the viewers.

“Li Lei is so suave! I want to marry him!” A girl shouted before the television.

“Silly, he’s married!”

“Then I want to marry Du Yunfeng!”

This conversation was common across the different households.

Although it was said to be a live stream, the program on television actually had a five-minute delay. The overall director was one of Li Lei’s men and was one of the very few who knew about this idea. He was to edit the footage such that only the faces of those who appeared calm and fearless were captured for the audience, while those crying, wetting themselves, or whose image was in any way damaged were to be kept off-screen.

Chapter 915: Heroic Little Kid
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Shaohui’s performance was also very heroic.

He grabbed the pirate with his two small hands and tried to hit his legs as he screamed, “Bad man! Don’t touch my mom!” The videographer captured his anxious expression and showed the recording on the screen.

The middle-aged mothers sitting in front of the camera were very touched, and one even wiped her tears and said, “Seriously, he’s so pitiful. How could such a filial child be struck with this sort of unfortunate situation?”

They did not know that this was actually Shaohui’s wish. If this child did not whine about wanting to see pirates, why would Li Lei plan a pirate-themed wedding? Before the wedding, Xia Ling asked Li Lei a little worriedly, “This child is so small. What if he gets scared?”

Li Lei flashed a toothy smile. “How could a son of the Li Family be so weak? If he’s scared of pirates, how can he take over the family business in the future? It’s time that he receives some training.” Thus, they did not tell Shaohui the truth. However, Xia Ling still felt that it was revenge because some time ago, their child did not play with them.

On the deck, Xia Ling was heartbroken when she looked at Shaohui, who was a few steps away, and wanted to rush over. She screamed, “Don’t touch my son!” Although she knew that it was just a performance, when Shaohui fearlessly rushed forward to protect her, she was really nervous and worried that he would encounter danger.

A pirate stopped her and laughed. “Don’t think about running away!”

On the other hand, Shaohui was already kicked to the deck by a pirate and his faced was covered in dirt. In reality, that pirate did not use much strength. He did not dare to really hurt his Boss’ brother’s son. Furthermore, Li Lei was one of the top mafia bosses in the world and had a mafia background. Xia Ling was also the pride of the Xia Family.

He honestly only kicked him lightly.

However, Shaohui did not suffer a light injury. Some of his skin tore, but he ignored the pain and climbed back up with the intention of charging forward. As he ran, he yelled, “Mom! Mom!” He saw that his mom was being surrounded by a few pirates. One of the female pirates smirked, picked her up, and was about to agilely enter the pirate ship.

Anxiously, Shaohui also ran in that direction.

Suddenly, his back collar was caught by a huge hand. It was the head of the pirates, Jack. He grinned. Like an eagle that caught a chick, he threw the child back to a safe place on the deck. “Little kid, don’t mess around. Tell your father to bring the ransom money.” After that, he whistled and all the pirates retreated back to their own boats.

With a group of bodyguards, Li Lei chased after the pirate ship on a boat.

Shaohui anxiously called, “I also wanted to save mom!”

Li Lei glanced at him and really brought him along. The audience in front of the TV and the people on the deck was about to go crazy. It was such a dangerous rescue mission. Why did he bring his small child along? However, some smart people already realized what was going on.

During the scene on the deck, Feng Kun silently took a cocktail for himself.

Beside him, Wei Shaoyin cursed at him. “Do you have any humanity?! Xiao Ling is already captured but you’re still in the mood for a drink?! What sort of friend are you?!” Just now, when the pirate captured Xia Ling, Wei Shaoyin also tried to save her, but sadly, how could a music producer win against a ferocious pirate?

While he burned with anxiety, he did not expect the guy next to him to be in the mood for a drink.

Feng Kun smiled elegantly. “This cocktail has a delicate taste and rich layers. It must have been made by someone famous. Do you also want a glass?”

“As if!” Wei Shaoyin almost wanted to kick him.

In front of the TV screen, countless people wanted to kick him, too. “True personalities are revealed during key moments. Why is Feng Kun’s personality so bad?! Everyone holds him in high regard in the industry and his reputation is so good, but it turns out that everything is a lie!”

However, some fans said, “There must be a reason why our Ah Kun is doing this!”

Wei Shaoyin’s fans sneered. “Reason? He’s just showing his true colours. Our Ah Wei is so loyal. He is truly the number one music producer in the universe!”

The fans started arguing on the internet.

Everyone’s greatest concern was still Xia Ling’s situation. After being kidnapped by the pirates, Xia Ling’s hands were tied to her back. Her long bridal headdress dragging behind her fluttered in the sea breeze. She still looked so beautiful.

Pirate Jack stood beside her and smiled. He secretly lowered his voice and told Xia Ling, “Little beauty, don’t be afraid. Li Lei and I are friends, I won’t hurt you.”

Xia Ling also lowered her voice. “Look after my son.”

Jack continued to laugh. “Li Lei’s son? That small kid is really spirited and almost pulled down my pants. In the future, he will definitely be a good fighter.”

She did not want him to be a fighter. She only wanted him to be safe.

She anxiously looked around and saw that Li Lei had already caught up. He was fighting alongside Shaohui and dealing with the pirates who were in their way. In the luxury cruise ship, away from the threats, the cameramen became excited. They followed the action with their lens and were afraid of missing the action.

“Li Lei… Come on….” In front of the TV, the countless viewers prayed.

Shaohui became braver and braver. Somehow, he managed to pick up an assault rifle that a pirate dropped on the ground. It took some effort, but he lifted it and pointed it at his opponent. In reality, he never thought of firing it and only wanted to scare the pirates away so they would let his mother go. “Let us through! Otherwise, I will fire the gun!” He screamed.

All of the pirates were startled. Pirate A nudged pirate B who was beside him. “Hey, isn’t that gun yours? When did you drop it?”

Pirate B was dumbfounded. “I didn’t think that the kid would be so fierce. It hurts when he hits me. My gun accidentally dropped when I was avoiding his punches.”

Pirate A quietly rolled his eyes at him.

Although this was not a real kidnapping and the pirates were not really serious, they were veterans who had experienced many battles in the past. It was quite impressive that such a small child could steal his opponent’s gun. If it weren’t for the fact that the act was not finished yet, they all wanted to cheer for Shaohui. Now, they all pretended to look fierce and said to Shaohui, “If you dare to shoot us, we will shoot your mom.”

Shaohui’s face tightened and he held the gun without moving.

While he made the threat, the other pirates already surrounded him and his dad. All of them raised different sorts of guns and pointed their weapons at them.

The pirate boss, Jack, continued to joke with Xia Ling in a low voice. “Your son is really awesome. This is his first battle, but he’s not afraid of facing death. He’s truly worthy of being the son of prestigious families.”

The Li Family, Xia Family, and families of the triad.

However, Xia Ling was very nervous. “That gun is not loaded, right?”

Chapter 916: Entertaining Showdown
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Jack smiled. “Li Lei didn’t tell you?”

Xia Ling asked, “Tell me what?”

Jack snickered as he rushed towards the pirates surrounding Li Lei and made a hand signal. The pirates immediately removed the safety catch on their guns. Danger lingered in the air.

Li Lei lifted his head and saw Jack in the crowd. This was not part of the agreed script!

Jack shrugged his shoulders and hollered. “Initially, I wanted to let you all off, but your son just had to steal our gun. Now, I’m really angry, and the consequences will be severe.” As he spoke, he waved his hand and all of the pirates suddenly fired their guns.

Shaohui also did his best to fire his gun at them.

Everyone on the cruise ship screamed. Two timid girls fainted. Wei Shaoyin grabbed Feng Kun’s arm tightly and almost forgot how to breath. In front of their TV screens, the entire world was horrified.

Shaohui thought that he was about to die. It was impossible that he could survive after being surrounded by so many guns. Unexpectedly, the darkness and pain that he imagined did not happen. Instead, colourful confetti exploded everywhere and landed on his small head and handsome suit.

Shaohui was startled. Even Li Lei was startled. Since when did Jack bring so many fake guns on board filled with colorful confetti? In front of the TV, the audience stared at the confetti and was about to explode. “What is the situation now? Did these pirates take the wrong guns?!”

On the cruise ship, only Feng Kun was calm. He quietly saved his arm from Wei Shaoyin’s death grip and continued to drink his cocktail.

“You…” Wei Shaoyin looked in the direction of the pirate ship and then at his companion. Only then did he had an epiphany. “You knew that the kidnapping was fake a long time ago, right? Those pirates were colluding with Xiao Ling and this is part of the wedding! Did Xiao Ling tell you in advance? She didn’t even tell me!”

Looking at his indignant expression, Feng Kun slowly said, “It’s simple reasoning. Somali pirates would never fight so arrogantly. Furthermore, the Li Family is of extraordinary status and the Xia Family is not someone they would dare to mess with. Why would the pirates have a death wish?”

Wei Shaoyin blinked.

Feng Kun continued to drink calmly.

After some time, Wei Shaoyin suddenly reacted and roared at Feng Kun. “What’s with your scornful tone just now?! Are you looking down on me?! What’s there to look down on?!”

Feng Kun smiled at him warmly, as if to say he knew that Wei Shaoyin’s IQ was low but he would not comment on it.

The internet also blew up. Most people were talking about the confetti and petals that suddenly popped up on the pirate ship, but there were also some people protecting either Feng Kun or Wei Shaoyin. They tirelessly argued. “Just now, who said that our Ah Kun had a poor character? I think it’s just that Wei Shaoyin has a low IQ! Our Ah Kun saw that the kidnapping was fake a long time ago! Hahahaha…”

Wei Shaoyin fans cursed back.

On the pirate ship.

Shaohui also recovered from the commotion. He threw aside his confetti gun and lifted his head to look at his mom and the pirate head. After that, he looked at his dad. “Were you trying to fool me?”

He said in a very cute yet indignant voice.

The audience’s hearts melted. Some middle-aged mothers began to wipe their tears. “Shaohui is so cute. Seriously, how could Li Lei and Xiao Ling bear to lie to him? Why isn’t he my son? I would definitely never lie to him and love him dearly.”

Shaohui did not know this, but if he knew that so many audience members wanted to adopt him, he would definitely think about changing his parents. With teary eyes, he looked at his dad, awaiting an answer.

Li Lei was very calm. “When did I lie to you?”

“You…” Shaohui initially wanted to say that he lied about the pirates, but was then rendered speechless. Besides, his dad never told him anything about the pirates. He just did not tell him the complete truth.

Li Lei was delighted. His young brat wanted to fight with him? Dream on!

He said to Shaohui, “Don’t you like looking at pirates? These are all real pirates, you can look at them as much as you want. The next time you want to see them, don’t look for Uncle Lin Yunan, just look for your dad directly.”

Lin Yunan, who was on the cruise listening to the conversation, was speechless. He saw that Li Lei was deliberately getting even with him. This really made his hair stand on end. He couldn’t believe that he was able to do this to such a small child.

Shaohui also saw it. He blinked and looked even more indignant.

Li Lei messed his short hair and the soft confetti fell to the floor. “These pirates are dad’s friends. Quickly greet Uncle Jack and the other uncles.”

Shaohui grievously addressed them all as “uncle.”

Thinking about it again, he was very happy. His mother’s safety was more important than anything else.

Furthermore, the pirates were really handsome!

The young child’s mood improved. In a flash, he already forgot about his dad’s scheme and looked curiously at the pirates. “Uncles, you’re all so awesome! When I grow up, I want to be a pirate too.”

Jack laughed. “Sure, join us!” He turned around to look at Li Lei. “Brother, I’m sorry but your son really has a lot of affinity with me. In the future, let him join us. As for the successor of the Li Family? You and your future wife can have another child.”

In a few words, he summed up Shaohui’s future.

Li Lei was a little annoyed. “You aren’t allowed to have any ideas regarding my son. Oh yes, quickly release my future wife.”

Since the act was over, he ordered them to let Xiao Ling go.

Jack smiled and said, “Do you think I would let her go just because you asked me to? How embarrassing would that be? You have to at least win a fight with me.” He rolled up his sleeves and was about to go to the deck to fight with Li Lei.

Li Lei also smiled. “You were already defeated but you still want another fight?” A few years ago in Somalia, the two had a famous battle. Li Lei defeated Jack, winning the respect and friendship of all the pirates.

Now, Jack said, “After losing to you I have worked hard. This time I will definitely win.”

Li Lei was not afraid of him. He shook his arms and was really about to fight with him. All of the cameras were pointed at them. Even Xia Ling was ready to watch the entertaining showdown.

However, at this moment, there was a sudden change!

A masked man wearing all black came out of nowhere when everyone’s attention was focused on Li Lei and Jack and dragged Xia Ling into his arms at lightning speed!

“Ah—” Xia Ling’s exclamation left everyone shocked.

Chapter 917: Snipers and Sharks
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The person wearing all black looked to be a man. He was tall and his seductive eyes were exposed. His gaze was intimidating. He held a dagger against Xia Ling’s neck in one hand and looked at everyone with a faint smile. “How exciting. Stealing the bride is such a fun game. Why didn’t you invite me… Xiao Lei?”

“Li Feng!” Li Lei recognized him and did not even care about addressing him as his brother. “Let go of Xiao Ling. You can seek revenge on me.” They had an entrenched hatred and had long forgotten about their blood ties. In fact, there were already many security measures in place for this wedding cruise to prevent Li Feng’s interruption. But unexpectedly, instead of sneaking into the wedding cruise, he snuck into the pirate ship.

Li Feng gave an enchanting smile. The sea breeze blew his mask away, revealing his face.

The other people saw his face and sure enough, it was Li Feng, Li Lei’s biological brother! They drew a cold breath. What exactly was going on? Was this planned? Or was this another conflict between the brothers?

On the ship, Xia Moyan said to the live-stream director, “Stop shooting.”

Startled, the director quickly told all of the videographers to turn their cameras off. Soon, there was an uproar among the TV viewers, who started asking questions like “What’s going on” and “Is the reception bad.”

They worriedly and anxiously waited. Unexpectedly, advertisements started before the live stream was over.

The sea breeze lightly blew on the deck. Xia Moyan looked at his sister being held captive from afar coldly. He looked to one of Li Lei’s subordinates and asked, “Do you have a sniper rifle?”

The subordinate quickly answered, “Yes! This time, to ensure the safety of the cruise ship, many guns and ammunition were prepared. There is one in the storage, I will take you there now.”

Before Xia Moyan was about to follow him, Old Master Li quickly stopped him. His look was stern. “Preceptor, what are you doing?”

Xia Moyan coldly said, “Get lost.”

Old Master Li was taken aback. He did not think that someone would dare to speak to him like that. However, the person who spoke was the Xia Family’s Preceptor Xia. He was qualified. He resisted the anger in his heart and firmly said, “Preceptor Xia, please show some mercy. That’s my grandson! Li Lei’s biological brother! God forbid anything should happen to someone, Li Lei won’t feel good. And do you think our families can be on good terms after that?”

Xia Moyan squinted his eyes and glared murderously at Old Master Li. He had no time to waste, so he pushed Old Master Li away and strode towards Li Lei’s weapon storage.

Old Master Li wanted to chase after him, but two of Li Lei’s trusted subordinates held him down.

“Preceptor! Please show mercy!” Old Master anxiously screamed from afar.

Xia Moyan walked forward without looking back.

Many people on the cruise ship heard this argument and a commotion started at once. Was this bride stealing real or fake? Was The Preceptor really about to kill Li Feng?

Immediately, everyone started to panic.

Feng Kun frowned. This time, he finally put down his cocktail glass.

Wei Shaoyin looked at him and asked worriedly, “Will Xiao Ling be fine?”

This question was too difficult to answer. Feng Kun knew that in such an isolated environment, it was very hard for him to get away with kidnapping Xia Ling. Unless he was about to kill her on the spot and escape.

Xiao Ling’s situation was not optimistic.

However, he was unwilling to scare Wei Shaoyin. These things were better left unsaid.

Wei Shaoyin became more nervous. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Feng Kun consoled him by patting his shoulder and then turned around to look at the pirate ship a distance away.

Over there, Xia Ling only felt something painfully poking her neck. A warm liquid slid down her skin, which seemed to be blood. She did not dare to move or speak because she was afraid that the dagger might pierce her deeper. She could see that Shaohui was so anxious that he was about to cry, and Li Lei was trying his best to remain calm despite the stressful situation.

She heard Li Feng say, “Long time no see, Xiao Lei.”

In his calmest tone, Li Lei said, “Brother, I’m really happy that you attended this wedding. I prepared many wines and desserts on the ship, and I even reserved a room with a sea view for you. Move there to enjoy them. Let go of Xiao Ling. The bride stealing was a joke by Jack and the event is already over.”

He sent a wedding invitation to Li Feng before because he was still a family member and he did not want to antagonize Li Feng. The best way to monitor him was to invite him into his territory. He ensured that there was a state of the art security on the ship and left the room with a sea view for Li Feng. It was made of bulletproof material, had multiple password locks, was situated away from the other guests, and was easy to supervise.

Unfortunately, Li Feng did not come.

He deliberately wanted to mess up the wedding. Now that he was here, he did not have any good intentions.

With an enchanting smile, Li Feng dragged Xia Ling across the deck. “It’s over? Why do I think that this bride stealing event is more fun than drinking? Can’t we just play a little longer?” This time, he dragged Xia Ling to the edge of the deck. The deck of the pirate ship was not high, it only reached a person’s thighs and one could easily be pushed over.

Li Feng smiled more brightly. “Xiao Lei, look at what’s in the ocean?”

What else could there be in the ocean? Li Lei had been in charge of many shipping transactions recently and knew the seas by heart. This was the place with the most sharks! In a flash, he understood that Li Feng deliberately waited for them to cross this ocean before causing trouble! “Brother.” He took a deep breath and slowly called Li Feng. “I have no interest in looking at the sharks.”

This time, all the guests on the ship also realized that something was wrong. One of them pointed at the pirate ship and exclaimed, “Look! So many sharks!” A group of sharks had gathered below the pirate ship. They were swimming around as if they were snatching some food and blood was scattered in the ocean.

“Oh my god!” Two weak girls fainted.

Xia Ling was too close to the edge. In the corner of her eye, she could clearly see the fierce sharks. Her stomach turned and she shuddered. Could it be that Li Feng was about to throw her into the sea?!

She really guessed it. Li Feng smiled and said, “Is it fun? To lure the sharks over, I tied three bodies to the bottom of the boat. Jack, your pirates are all trash. It’s not even challenging to kill them.”

Jack was horrified. He turned to look at his subordinates.

One pirate yelled, “Johnny is gone!”

Another also shouted, “An Dong and Johnson are gone, too!”

They were shocked and glared at Li Feng furiously. “We will kill you!”

Chapter 918: Thoughts in the Deep Sea
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Li Feng let out an unbridled laugh. “You guys are trash! Do you think you can do it?”

The pirates had a splitting headache. They wished they could rush up and crush Li Feng’s body. However, he had a hostage and Jack stopped them.

He looked at Li Feng. “Let go of Xiao Ling. If you’re a man, then fight with me!”

Li Feng smiled even more arrogantly. “Jack, do you think I’m dumb? Do you think you can save this woman like this? Don’t fret. After I’m done with her, I will get payback from you.”

Li Lei quietly walked forward. “Brother, let go of Xiao Ling. I’ll agree to any condition you state.”

Li Feng looked at him and smiled. “How touching, Xiao Lei. What if I want to be the head of the household?”

“I’ll give the title to you.” Li Lei replied without hesitation.

Li Feng smiled again. “What if I want your life?”

“I will also give it to you.” Li Lei said without hesitation.

However, Xia Ling started screaming. “No! Li Lei, I won’t allow you to exchange your life for mine!” She was very emotional. Due to her negligence, the blade deepened the cut on her neck and fresh blood streamed out.

“Xiao Ling, calm down and don’t speak!” Li Lei looked at her worriedly.

However, Xia Ling said, “You aren’t allowed to die!” The bleeding was worsening.

Anxiously, Li Lei replied, “Ok, I won’t die.”

“You won’t die? Then let her die!” Li Feng laughed gleefully. “Your love for each other is really deep, and I almost can’t bear to do this. How about I help you out?”

As he spoke, before anyone else could react, he pushed Xia Ling off the deck.

“Xiao Ling!”

“Mom!”

Li Lei and Shaohui yelled.

At the same time, there was a gunshot. There was a patch of red blood on Li Feng’s chest and his body fell to ground weakly.

Xia Ling only felt that the weight behind her body was gone in a flash. However, most of her body was already off the deck. Even if Li Feng fell down with her, it could not change the fact that she was about to fall into the ocean. It was a critical moment. She looked at the ferocious sharks and turned her body away from them instinctively.

The pirate ship was very tall. Although it looked like it only had a short distance from the sharks at first, when she really fell into the ocean, there were only a few meters between her and the sharks.

They were just a few meters, but they saved her life!

Xia Ling was not immediately eaten by the sharks. She sank deep into the ocean. Only then did the sharks react and sawm over.

The ocean was very quiet.

Xia Ling’s eyes widened in fear and she looked up. Above her, golden sunlight streamed through the layers of the blood-stained blue ocean. It was beautiful, but it was quickly covered by a large number of approaching sharks. From her angle, she could only see their white bodies and sharp teeth.

Just one bite was enough to tear her body into pieces.

Would she die here?

Xia Ling struggled to no avail, remembering that she could not swim. Many years ago when she had a shoot near the water, Pei Ziheng coldly abandoned her in the water. She once thought of learning how to swim before. However, whenever she entered the water, she would feel uncontrollably scared. Thus, until now, she was still unable to swim.

Even if the sharks weren’t there, she would still drown.

Xia Ling laughed at herself. Her body sank deeper and the sharks were getting closer. In her hopelessness, she wondered if she would die by drowning or being eaten alive by the sharks.

Her neck hurt and she could not breathe anymore.

In front of her eyes, scenes from her life flashed past. Her rebirth, meeting Li Lei, having a child, getting married… They had been through so many ups and downs together.

It was a pity that she could not accompany him and Shaohui for their remaining lives…

Above her, the sharks seemed to scatter. The sunlight penetrated into the ocean. In the ocean, the shadows of an adult and a child appeared. They moved swiftly in the water and were about to reach her.

Li Lei… Shaohui?

Why were they here? Weren’t they safely on the deck? Did they know how dangerous the ocean was?! There were so many sharks! However… it must be her imagination… It must be her imagination…

How could they bypass the sharks?

The sharks swam around the two of them. One of them opened its mouth to bite Li Lei, but at this time, Shaohui placed his hand on Li Lei. The child was still young and perhaps had insufficient strength or was not used to the pressure of the ocean. Suddenly, he could not swim any longer and struggled helplessly in the water.

Li Lei held him steadily with one hand. With such a powerful grip it allowed the child to calm down.

The shark that tried to bite Li Lei retreated. It seemed to have some misgivings about the father and son pair and continued circling them with the other sharks. After a few more seconds, the entire group of sharks dispersed.

Xia Ling was in disbelief.

Imagination. It must be her imagination. Why didn’t the sharks bite anyone?

In a flash, she remembered what happened in the snow-capped mountains. When the ferocious serpent faced Shaohui, it showed cautiousness.

[Animals all like me.]

What the child said rang in her ear.

Could it be that the sharks let go of the family of three on Shaohui’s behalf?

Her mind was in a mess. In front of her, Li Lei and her child were getting closer and closer…

There was a lot of water in her lungs, and her brain was seriously deprived of oxygen. Xia Ling did not know if the figures of Li Lei and her son were real or an illusion caused by her strong desire to survive. She only reached out instinctively and held Li Lei’s strong and powerful hand that was extended to her.

The two hands intertwined.

A very secure feeling arose from the bottom of her heart.

Li Lei changed his position and carefully lifted her with one hand. As he had to swim, he let go of Shaohui. The child seemed to have recovered. He continued to struggle in the water but was more stable now.

Using the last of her strength, she firmly grabbed her child. Under Li Lei’s lead, the family of three swam towards the surface.

“They’re out! They’re out!” On the pirate ship and the deck of the wedding cruise ship, people gathered anxiously for their news. Once they saw them coming out of the ocean, deafening cheers erupted everywhere.

“My god, this is really a miracle!”

“The sharks didn’t eat them. Unbelievable!”

Chapter 919: Beat Him to Death
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The crowd was boisterous as they cheered in celebration of their survival.

The lifeboat had been released a while back, and the lifeguards were now helping the three of them back up onto the cruise. Xia Ling was drenched and her soaked gown was a little translucent, emphasizing her great figure even more. She looked just like a mermaid out of the water, but she was extremely weak.

She coughed out some water and panted heavily, using her last bit of strength to check for Little Shaohui’s breath. The child had fainted and his face was pale. She reached out towards his nose with a trembling hand, and after what seemed like an eternity, she finally felt his weak breathing.

Only then did she heave a sigh of relief, before passing out too.

“Xiao Ling!” Li Lei called out to her. At that moment, he didn’t have the heart to care that he was exhausted as well, or that he was dripping wet. He immediately did CPR on her before managing to get some water out of her. He gave her chest many more pumps before her breathing stabilized.

Li Lei picked her up and strode towards the cabin. “Where’s the doctor!”

The doctor on board hurriedly caught up with Li Lei. On the other side, Little Shaohui was already out of the woods after treatment from the lifeguards. He was brought into the cabin not too long after.

Xia Ling had no idea for how long she was unconscious.

She had a long dream, in which a vast ocean and the dim light of the sun appeared in the distance. She dreamt a group of sharks was chasing Li Lei; she tried to save him but to no avail, and eventually had to watch as the sharks ripped him into shreds…

“Ah!” She woke up screaming.

“Xiao Ling!” The man keeping vigil looked up at her, overcome with joy. “You’re up? How do you feel? Are you hurting anywhere?”

She looked at him, stunned for a few seconds, before proceeding to hug him and wail like a child.

Li Lei was caught off guard. “Xiao Ling? Xiao Ling, what’s wrong? Where are you hurting? Don’t scare me!”

She continued crying without giving an explanation. But soon after, she began chiding him between sobs. “Li Lei, you jerk! Why did you jump in to save me?! What if you got eaten by the sharks?! If you die, what am I to do?!” She cried even harder now and was barely catching her breath.

Li Lei finally understood why she was so upset. He hurriedly explained, “Xiao Ling, be good, don’t cry… Aren’t I doing fine now? I couldn’t think so much just now. The moment I saw you were in trouble, I just had to jump in.”

He kissed her forehead. “Don’t cry. Don’t cry, alright.”

But she could not stop her tears. “Who allowed you to jump in? Who allowed you to jump in! If not for Shaohui, you would’ve been killed by sharks! W-Why did you bring Shaohui down with you?! He’s so young, how could you be so cruel!”

Li Lei felt so wronged. “I didn’t take him along, he chose to jump in with me. If we weren’t in the water, I would’ve bashed him up! Yes, once he’s recovered I’ll teach him a good lesson!”

Xia Ling reached out to hit him. “I’ll teach you a good lesson first! Why would you dare jump in on your own if you didn’t bring him along?! Did you think about the consequences? If he didn’t follow you, you’d have been dead!” She hit him over and over again, but because she was still weak, Li Lei did not feel any pain.

Li Lei did not evade her beatings at all. After taking them for a while, he tried to coax her again, only to realize that whatever he said was wrong anyway. He had no other choice but to hold her in his arms gently, pat her back, and speak to her calmly and tenderly. When she was finally tired from the crying and from hitting him, she stopped.

He got some tissue paper and wiped her face. “It’s alright now. Look at us, isn’t our family of three doing just fine? You’re my Phoenix and I’m your parasol tree, nothing will go wrong as long as we’re together.”

Xia Ling felt like crying again. He’d saved her life countless times all these years, and she had lost track of how many lives she owed him. She sniffled and glanced at Shaohui, who was sleeping on the bed beside her. His breathing was slow and steady, and he seemed to be smiling as if he was having a sweet dream.

Li Lei followed her gaze and looked over, too.

“Our son is brave.” He comforted her. This time, it was Little Shaohui who saved both their lives.

“Beat him to death!” Xia Ling said sulkily. Their son was so young and was already getting defiant. The sea was full of sharks and he actually dared to jump? When she saw him struggling helplessly in the water, her heart practically broke—this time they were lucky to escape unscathed, but what if they hadn’t been?

Evidently, Li Lei was finally singing the same tune as his wife with regards to this issue.

Their son was brave indeed, but he was also asking for it!

Li Lei, who’d survived yet another calamity, was already thinking of how to give his child a piece of his mind.

Meanwhile, Little Shaohui was still soundly asleep and oblivious to his parents’ plans. He turned over and began sucking on his thumb, as if he’d dreamt of some delicacies.

Seeing how blissful his son looked, Li Lei couldn’t help but hug his wife even tighter.

He kissed her on the forehead again and whispered, “Shall we have another child?”

Xia Ling leaned against his sturdy shoulder and watched her son sleep as well. She whispered back, “One is already enough to worry us, what if we can’t manage with two children?”

Li Lei smiled and began unbuttoning her top. “We can have a little girl this time, she can’t be as mischievous as this little brat.”

Xia Ling gasped a little. “Our son is right here!”

But he couldn’t be bothered. He pinned her under his weight…

It was probably because of the near-death experience, or that they were too afraid of losing each other again, but this time they cuddled for a long, long while. When it was over, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Accompany me.”

He gently snuggled back into her embrace.

Feeling his breathing and the warmth of his body, she gradually felt more secure. It was almost as if the incident in the sea had become nothing more than a fictitious story, a false memory.

“The night sky is beautiful,” she murmured as she looked out the window.

Before they knew, the night had come.

Li Lei looked up at the stars with her and said, “The wedding will be delayed slightly. We were supposed to reach the island today for the banquet, but we’re only doing that tomorrow now. The guests are all being very nice; they didn’t have a single word of grievance about this. Anyway, there’ll be a party on the cruise tonight, and the wedding will resume tomorrow.”

She nodded. It was so good to have him around, he always ensured everything was properly dealt with.

Out of the blue, she thought of someone. “How’s Li Feng doing?”

Chapter 920: Completion of the Wedding
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Li Lei’s expression darkened upon hearing this name.

Xia Ling wrapped her arm around his waist and looked up at him. “Did Li Feng run away?”

“No,” Li Lei said. “He was sniped by your brother and the gunshot wound was only one centimeter away from his heart. He almost lost his life. I’ve already kept him under arrest with his arms and legs tied up. He can’t run.” Until now, Li Lei did not know whether his brother-in-law had missed the target or if he was extremely accurate in his shot and deliberately spared Li Feng’s life. In any case, he dared not ask.

His brother had finally gotten a bit of teaching.

“How do you intend to deal with him?” Xia Ling asked.

Li Lei said, “I’ll keep him locked up first until he recovers from his injury. I’ve looked up the Wei family and will be purchasing a new kind of medicine that will slowly degenerate his intelligence and turn him into an idiot gradually.” He did not want to do this to his brother, but as of now, this was the best case scenario possible. In the past when Li Lei was single, he could let him off on account of their blood ties. But now that he had Xiao Ling, he could not put her in any danger.

Xia Ling asked in a whisper, “Are you sad?”

He did not expect her to ask such a question, and somewhere in his heart, he felt an ache. He stroked her hair before saying, “There are a lot of things that make us sad in this world. We have to give something up, to protect what’s more important.”

She felt a strange ache as well and hugged him closer.

Both of them fell asleep in each other’s arms. The next morning, Little Shaohui woke up and the family of three changed into their outfit and got their makeup done. They were on to the next segment of the wedding.

The cruise stopped at an island.

It was the Li family’s private island and it was now beautifully set up for the wedding. Colorful balloons and white flowers filled the place as uniformed employees served the guests.

It was as if the little hiccup the previous day had not happened at all.

On the island, Xia Ling changed into a more formal wedding gown. It was an extravagant bare-back design with a stunning 10-meter long drag on her gown. Along with the flow of the music, her father—the Xia Family Head—personally walked her down the aisle towards Li Lei, who was waiting at the floral gate, smiling.

The Xia Family Head handed her daughter to Li Lei.

Li Lei politely received her. She was wearing a lace glove which cast beautiful shadows over her slender hand; she looked just like a fairy.

“Take good care of her.” The Xia Family Head said as he tried his best to conceal his reluctance to part with her.

Li Lei looked at him sincerely. “Dad, I will take good care of Xiao Ling. I’ll protect her and keep her blissful for the rest of her life. You don’t have to worry.”

The Xia Family Head nodded his head solemnly and revealed his longing to his daughter.

Li Lei led Xia Ling towards the floral gate and was about to walk through it when Xia Ling suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned around, and gave her father a hug. “Dad!” She choked.

Her life had been a tough one. Since she was young, she’d never known who her parents were. When they finally acknowledged each other, she was about to marry into another family before she even had the chance to fulfill her filial duties to her parents. It wasn’t just her father who was reluctant to part with her, she felt the same… She wrapped him in her arms tightly and sobbed.

The Xia Family Head was initially trying to keep up his tough front, but at this point, his eyes had turned red. “My dear daughter,” he said, his heart aching. “Be happy with Li Lei. Without Dad by your side, you have to take good care of yourself. Come back and visit us when you’re free, alright?”

He could not go on any further as his voice went hoarse.

A number of guests shed tears as well. They had practically forgotten that the person standing before them was none other than Xia Family Head—a man who could change the world as he wished. His role now was solely a father, one who was similar to all other fathers and who could not bear to part with his daughter.

Xia Ling nodded her head vehemently as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Xia Family Head coaxed her. “Don’t cry, it wouldn’t be good if your makeup smudges. It’s your big day today, Xiao Ling. Lighten up, okay?”

She nodded, but her tears never stopped.

Li Lei took a few steps forward and gently pulled her away from her father and into his arms. “It’s alright, it’s alright.” He coaxed her tenderly. “I’ll come with you to visit your parents and brother often.”

Only then did she feel better and obediently held his hand as they walked towards the stage.

The bridesmaids and best men followed behind them, while the flower boys and girls tossed flower petals.

When they reached the stage, the emcee made the necessary statements and the two of them exchanged their vows and rings. When the glistening titanium ring was worn on her finger, her tears came again.

“Little crybaby.” He teased her before bending over to kiss her.

The scene in which they exchanged kisses seemed like the most beautiful portrait on the planet. Reporters just off the stage could not stop snapping photos, trying to capture the best moment for eternity.

The audience roared with applause as the official ceremony came to a beautiful close.

She was finally his bride, finally the official Mrs. Li. From now on, no one could call her the third party or any other names; it was all official.

Meanwhile, the one who was “unofficial” was another woman, Su Tang.

Su Tang did not appear at the wedding.

It wasn’t a bad thing that she did not attend. Li Lei had not forced her, and even Old Master Li agreed with his grandson’s stand this time. Well, the bride came from a mysteriously powerful family, it’d be bad if her appearance offended them in any way. Moreover, compared to the bride’s identity, Su Tang was… insignificant.

Old Master Li had said to Su Tang, “Ah Tang, you’re a good girl, you have to tolerate this. Even though you don’t have an official title, you’ll always be the Li family’s granddaughter-in-law in my heart.”

Su Tang agreed sadly but was fuming on the inside. The granddaughter-in-law in your heart? So what! Who are you when your words don’t even mean a thing to Li Lei!

What she wanted was the official status of Li Lei’s wife!

Since even Old Master was unwilling to help her out, she had no choice but to help herself!

She cooped herself up at home and was practically torturing herself by watching the live stream of the wedding. She had to learn as much about her enemy as possible to come up with a flawless plot against her.

The more she watched on, the more irksome the program became.

Ever since the bride left her house the previous day, flames had been rising in her heart. It was incredibly hard to control her emotions and she wished so much to jump into the TV screen and rip Xia Ling apart. After that, the signal was lost and her intuition told her that something was wrong. She was so happy she knelt down and prayed for Xia Ling to die a terrible death.