Eight years earlier, he had decided to accompany Shàng Wèi to England. For once, his parents had not opposed one of his follies. Perhaps they too, like Uncle Lin, had hoped that he would settle down and attend such a prestigious university. However, the change of scene had not contributed to the shift in attitude as their parents had hoped. Before long, he and Shàng Wèi had created a new group to party with, just as they had in Beijing. Within weeks of their arrival, they learned that Ming Chun Chu's nephew was also studying at the same university. This news clearly upset Shàng Wèi, so when Wĕi Qí saw him suddenly leave the group, he followed him. Because of that chase, he had first noticed William, having witnessed the first meeting between Adam and his friend from afar. A few days later, he had bumped into William again, returning from another night of partying. William was stretching right next to his dormitory. Drunk, he had approached him to make

"Yueh, it's okay. We're together now. Don't cry." Shèngli tried to comfort her as best he could by holding her close and gently stroking her back. She remained in that warm, comforting embrace for a long time, even when the last sob died on her lips. At that point, she slowly pulled away from him and looked back at him. "Are you feeling better now? You look distraught." "I was hoping to make a better entrance." She commented, sketching an embarrassed smile. "It sure was impressive." He told her, laughing. He then helped her up and freshened up before joining Wĕi Qí and William, who had taken a seat in the living room in the meantime. "Why did you come here? Isn't it dangerous for Claire?" asked Shèngli, addressing the other two men. "Didi, you have no idea what moved your little wife to come here. It was impossible to keep her still. Besides, we got almost the whole picture. Only we couldn't get hold of either Shàng Wèi or Adam, do you

A surprised look appeared on the young man's face as he looked at the screen, excused himself by standing up, and answered the call. "No, don't do anything. We already have men on site." He heard him say. "And where is Claire now? Well, then get back there and don't move." He ordered his interlocutor. Shàng Wèi turned his gaze to George;. However, he had maintained a calm tone of voice during the conversation; he had not been able to hide a particular concern in his last words. Everyone's attention was directed to the young man talking on the phone at the back of the room. However, after looking briefly at his parents, he immediately made another call when he had finished the call. At the same time, Shàng Wèi's mobile phone also began to ring. "What?" He growled in response, annoyed. 'You idiot finally decide to answer! Where the hell are you?" Wĕi Qí ranted at him. "Calm down!" He said, surprised by the aggressive tone. "What'

As Claire took her place in front of the old man, Shèngli took his place at her side, as he did not want the girl to get too nervous about her grandfather's presence. "So would Claire be the girl you're willing to give up your name, money, and reputation for?" Chun Chu suddenly asked him after taking a sip of water. Claire stared at him bewildered by that question. Given the course of events, Shèngli had not had a chance to tell her about his heated quarrel with his father, so she could not grasp the significance of the old man's question. To reassure her, he took her hand between his. "That's right, as I have already declared to my father I will not marry Maylin. However, I want to be with Claire, and if she wants me to, I will marry her." He said in a confident tone, turning back to look at their guest. "Very well. I approve of your choice." Said the latter, tapping a hand on the armrest of the chair. Shèngli was about to reply when he reali

A bowl filled with a greenish slime was slid under his nose. Although he was starving, he would rather have fasted than eat that smelly slop. With difficulty, Adam recoiled from the disgusting sight and holed up in the far corner of the miserable mattress. "Does the little prince not like his meal?" A derisive voice filled the silence of the cell. Shang Chiang stood outside the bars with an evil grin painted on his face. Adam pretended not to have heard him and did not reply. He had been locked up for hours now. He didn't really know how long he'd been there; the dark sky outside and the semi-darkness inside prevented him from knowing exactly how long it had been. The only certainty he had was the constant incursions of his cousin and his henchmen, who took turns mocking or beating him, depending on their mood. He no longer believed he had a single flap of skin free of bruises. He could only open one eye, and his mouth was sore from the many wounds. N