Chapter 26: Revenge Part 2

“What does that mean?” Yan Xinfeng stared at his profile, eyes wary. “My request might be a bit excessive, but this is normal emotional exchange between spouses. I won’t accept you proposing divorce just to hide from me.”

Wei Tingxia: “…”

Yan Xinfeng continued, “Besides, we’ve been married less than a month, so you won’t get any of my assets. The court won’t rule in your favor.”

The psychological preparation he had just built nearly evaporated from anger. Without another word, Wei Tingxia raised his hand and elbowed Yan Xinfeng hard in the ribs.

This one was full force and really hurt. Yan Xinfeng grunted and behaved himself.

“I didn’t tell you before because I thought it unnecessary,” Wei Tingxia said calmly. “If you really want to know, it’s not impossible, but now’s not the right time.”

Before his words finished, he propped himself up, reached over Yan Xinfeng’s lap for the phone, glanced at the time, and asked, “Are you free tomorrow night?”

Yan Xinfeng did not even think. “Yes.”

In truth, he had no idea if he had plans tomorrow night, but nothing took priority over this. Yan Xinfeng would clear his schedule no matter what.

“Great,” Wei Tingxia nodded. “Let’s have dinner together tomorrow. I’ll tell you then.”

He needed to warn Anders beforehand, to let him know what to say and what not to.

Hearing this, Yan Xinfeng’s heart skipped. He had no objections. He had thought prying open Wei Tingxia’s mouth would take endless effort, but the other had proactively relented.

Resolving the puzzle was one layer; what shook him even more, even stirring a faint sour tenderness in his heart, was the subtle sincerity buried behind Wei Tingxia’s promise.

“Alright.”

Seeing him agree, Wei Tingxia relaxed. He flipped over and rested his head steadily back on Yan Xinfeng’s thigh.

He left at three in the morning and walked back at five. The sky was already growing light by then, and Wei Tingxia’s eyelids drooped heavily. Just as his consciousness was about to sink into darkness, a question pierced through his drowsiness without warning.

How had Yan Xinfeng found him?

From the time he left until Yan Xinfeng noticed, at least half an hour had passed. By all logic, Yan Xinfeng could not have reached this remote dock within an hour, unless…

At that thought, Wei Tingxia kept his eyes closed, but his voice was unusually clear: “You installed a tracker in the car.”

“Yeah.”

Yan Xinfeng admitted it frankly. He carefully brushed aside the stray hairs on Wei Tingxia’s forehead, his fingertip pressing lightly on his temple.

Wei Tingxia: “Why?”

“Afraid you’d run off,” Yan Xinfeng answered just as flatly, his massaging pressure unchanged. “Satisfied with the answer?”

Wei Tingxia was far from satisfied. The tracker made him feel like a bird fitted with an electronic ankle monitor. But exhaustion surged through him now, and he was too weary even to get angry. So he simply kept his eyes closed, raised his hand casually, and precisely flipped Yan Xinfeng the middle finger.

Yan Xinfeng laughed, though.

“Good night.”

He leaned down and planted a light kiss on Wei Tingxia’s forehead, locking away all the surging doubts, confusion, and irritation deep in his heart. He left only the most tolerant and gentle facade, adopting the posture of the ideal husband.

……

……

Wei Tingxia did not contact Anders right away. He slept until the next afternoon, then sat cross-legged on the bed with a messy head of hair and grabbed his phone to make the call.

It connected after half a second.

“Hello?” Anders’s voice sounded full of energy. “You okay?”

“Not dead. Does that count as okay?”

“Very okay!” Anders said loudly.

He clearly knew the previous night’s events were no small matter and feared Wei Tingxia would settle scores later. Before the words even landed, he hurried on: “I’m planning to leave tonight. Someone else will handle the follow-up cooperation. I guarantee I won’t show up in front of you again. Sound good?”

His survival instinct was on blatant display. A soft hum escaped Wei Tingxia’s nose as he refused: “No, you can’t leave.”

“…”

Only static hissed from the receiver. After a long moment, Anders said slowly: “I can make more concessions. About last night, I apologize. Whatever explanation you need, I’ll cooperate.”

He liked bending the rules, but that did not mean he was willing to risk everything he had built over years of effort. His retreat made sense, and the stale lump in Wei Tingxia’s chest finally eased a bit.

He leaned lazily back against the headboard: “Relax, you won’t die.”

Silence fell on the other end, clearly waiting for more.

“But I need you to have dinner with him tonight and tell him everything about who Wei Tingxia really is, start to finish.”

“…Why not tell him yourself?”

“Why should I?” Wei Tingxia shot back, a hint of cold edge in his tone. “This mess has nothing to do with me from start to finish. It was your damn curiosity that caused it, so of course you have to clean it up yourself.”

Besides… Wei Tingxia himself did not know how to broach it.

In the end, he was just a tasker. His sense of belonging to this world was thin as smoke; he could not even be bothered to dig into the backstory the system had given him. Anders, on the other hand, seemed to know more about the story behind this body than he did.

“For tonight’s dinner, I have only one demand,” Wei Tingxia’s voice grew softer, but every word was clear. “Say everything that needs to be said, word for word; keep quiet about anything that shouldn’t. Do that,” he paused, “and I guarantee you can spend the rest of your life comfortably in Northern Europe.”

Talking to smart people saved effort. Anders grasped it all the instant the words fell, a relieved laugh creeping into his voice: “Good little brother, don’t worry. I’ll be there on time.”

Wei Tingxia hung up, rolled out of bed, and went to wash up.

Yan Xinfeng was not home. An early morning call had summoned him away. Wei Tingxia had not paid close attention to the content, but he vaguely caught a few words—something about the Old Mansion.

Father Yan had died unexpectedly, leaving behind a widow and orphan. Yan Xinfeng doted on his mother and rarely went against her wishes, except for one thing.

Wei Tingxia picked a restaurant, sent the address to both men, tossed his phone aside, and spent the afternoon in the media room watching movies.

When the time was about right, Yao Ling knocked on the door to remind him they could head out.

Tonight was not a formal date; it was basically a courtroom trial, with plaintiff, defendant, and judge. As the judge, Wei Tingxia would be called graceful and elegant even in rags.

So he casually picked out a shirt and long pants, got in the car, and set off.

The meeting was at an exclusive private restaurant with reservations only. For non-members, bookings were backed up a year. Wei Tingxia tossed his car keys to the valet, stepped inside, and spotted Anders waiting on a sofa in the corner of the lobby at a glance.

This time, he had come alone, without his bodyguards.

Wei Tingxia raised a brow: “This early?”

“Wanted to go over lines with you first,” Anders answered sincerely. “I’ll try not to piss you off again.”

It had been five years since they last met, and Anders had briefly forgotten Wei Tingxia’s intimidating presence. Last night’s events dragged him right back into that cold terror of life hanging by another’s whim.

Someone sharing half your blood could bypass all iron walls and slip silently into your room, while everything about him remained shrouded in fog. The fear was primal and sharp.

Anders knew exactly what to do now.

“Good.”

Wei Tingxia nodded in satisfaction, no longer pressing him, and led the way to the private room.

“My only demand is to clear up his doubts,” Wei Tingxia reiterated as they walked. “I don’t want us fighting over crap like this anymore.”

“Is this marriage?”

Anders asked curiously. His parents had been a pure breeding match: his mother picked a man worthy of her, bore Anders, and that was it—no real feelings. So Anders knew little about normal marriages.

Wei Tingxia sighed: “Yeah, this is marriage.”

It meant irrevocable commitment, surrender, life and death together.

The private room Wei Tingxia booked was on the fourth floor. The server led them through a corridor where flowering trees bloomed quietly in the corners, their faint fragrance drifting.

Just then, the door to a private room opened. An elegantly dressed noblewoman stepped out, a slim ladies’ cigarette between her fingers, a touch of irritation between her brows as if seeking a quiet spot alone.

Her gaze drifted idly over the intricately carved wooden handrail, then froze abruptly as it caught the three people passing by ahead. It locked dead onto one of their backs.

That back was very familiar. The noblewoman was sure she had seen it before.

Wei Tingxia.

Years ago, the Yan family’s sole heir had loved a man to the point of life and death. Every prominent family with ties to the Yans knew the story; the noblewoman had overheard bits and knew the man’s name.

“I thought he wouldn’t come back…”

The noblewoman murmured to herself, drawing deeply on her cigarette. The tip glowed bright red.

…

Meanwhile, the last to arrive, Yan Xinfeng, pushed open the private room door and saw the two men seated at opposite sides of the table at a glance.

Anders still wore a polite smile, while Wei Tingxia’s face was cold, as if someone owed him a fortune.

The low pressure was almost tangible. Yan Xinfeng paused mid-step, unsure whether to sit.

After just two seconds of hesitation, Wei Tingxia stood first.

“You two talk.” He was concise. “I’ll step out for air.”

With that, he walked straight past Yan Xinfeng toward the door. Just before closing it, he paused, turned back, and pointed at the two from afar.

“I hope when I get back, there are no more issues.”

Anders nodded with a smile, fully cooperative: “I’ll tell him everything seriously.”

Wei Tingxia said no more, shut the door, and paced out to the viewing platform alone to wait for the showdown to end.

The night breeze blew gently, laced with faint fragrance. Setting aside that unavoidable confession, it was a pleasant evening. But the thought lingered in Wei Tingxia’s mind for less than half a minute before laughter rang out from behind him.

Laughter so familiar it was disorienting.

Wei Tingxia turned. The world darkened for an instant as his gaze landed on a woman passing by.

She was beautiful and happy, her skirt like spring flowers, eyes curved in smiles amid her gaggle of girlfriends as she chattered about something fun.

It should not have been a hateful scene—if she had not once borne the title of Yan Xinfeng’s fiancée.

[This isn’t her fault,] System 0188 spoke up timely in his mind. [She was used.]

Wei Tingxia took a deep breath, suppressing the sudden surge of negative emotions.

“I know,” he answered steadily. “The real culprit’s already dead. I can’t dig him up to blame him again.”

Wei Tingxia had never been so thoroughly fooled in his life. Just thinking about it filled him with shame. Yan Xinfeng always got heartbroken over his unannounced departures, always imagining Wei Tingxia could not endure hardship or had some compelling reason. But in truth, Wei Tingxia had been deliberately getting revenge.

Revenge for Yan Xinfeng treating him like a toy, revenge for Yan Xinfeng daring to betray him.

Revenge for Yan Xinfeng daring to use marriage as a stepping stone to sell him off for a good price.