Chapter 124 - What A Dream Come True

After filling their stomachs, both of them went upstairs. Qing Chen only entered their room to get some of his personal belongings to move to the spare bedroom.

Feng Xuan saw what he was doing, she asked, "Where are you going?"

"In the other room? I think it would do us good if we don't share a bed. Good night." He was almost out the door when Feng Xuan called him.

"Stay here. Let's talk some more."

Qing Chen gave her a confused look. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she patted on his side of the bed. "If you still want to leave afterwards, you can."

"Alright," he conceded. "I'll stay for a few more minutes."

They turned the lights low and Feng Xuan was already buried in her blankets. Qing Chen had decided to stay on top of the sheets so as not to fall asleep. 

Feng Xuan asked him more questions on what else happened that she didn't know about. He recounted the fire, the murder at the hotel and of Mr. Zhang, Dong Yi, the senator, the detective, the notes of The Zookeeper. He told her everything he could remember. Feng Xuan listened with intent in her eyes, like she was writing down all the details in her head. 

Qing Chen felt his mouth had gone dry when he finished. Feng Xuan looked tired but she was grinning. "I really am the wife of a mafia lord, huh? What a dream come true."

Qing Chen gave her another smile. "You should sleep now. You'll need to be well-rested for tomorrow's meeting. It'll take a while."

Feng Xuan nodded. Qing Chen made a move to get up, but Feng Xuan's hand on his arm stopped him. "Please stay. Are you tired of telling me stories?"

He laid back down on his side and put an arm under his head as he looked at her, not wanting to leave. "I can tell you a whole lot more. What else do you want to know?"

"Tell me about your mother. Tell me how she really died."

Qing Chen sighed and told her about La Hiena and how the other mafias were in competition on who would win his alliance and how the strongest competitor burned their house as a warning for them to back down.

"What happened to them?" Feng Xuan asked.

Qing Chen hesitated.

"Oh come on, tell me," she said.

"We used all our resources in finding them. When we did, we tied them to a tree, doused them in gas, and lit them up."

"Their screams must've been music to your ears."

Qing Chen laughed. "I'm not that morbid." Although he was at that moment. He didn't take part in the whole ceremony but he had watched those men burn. It was mainly Wuming who did everything, fueled by anger. He could never forget the sense of calm that washed over him as he heard them scream.

Feng Xuan was grinning. "What? Don't you dream about the great kills you were going to make? Don't you imagine how to create an impossible kill?"

"Enough about me," he changed the subject. "Tell me how you were able to get out of there alive when you were first kidnapped."

It was as if Feng Xuan's eyes shone with lights. She moved closer to him. "I was going to tell the whole story tomorrow for everyone. But since you're insisting," she joked. "I'll tell you right now."

She tried her best to tell everything that went down that night. At first she was too ecstatic then her voice turned quiet when she got to the last part. Her head bowed and it was as if she was curling unto herself.

Qing Chen had the urge to caress her cheek, to comfort her. But it might make her feel queasy. He held back his hand.

Then a second later, Feng Xuan lifted her head upwards with a smile on her face. "I am just thinking it was a stupid idea to not let me know everything in the first place. Now we have a gazillion things in common."

"Yeah, we'll bond over guns."

"Or knives." Her smile got wider. "I think this new dynamic will work for us. Let's be friends first, Qing Chen."

He was pleased. "Of course."

"But I have a favor to ask. Can you sleep here? I really don't feel like I want to be alone tonight."

Qing Chen nodded and closed his eyes, the long night finally taking a toll on his body. He felt its weight bringing him down to sleep. "Good night, Feng Xuan."

"Another thing," she piped. "Would it be okay if I call you Chen? You can call me Xuan."

Among the heaviness, he felt his heart lift. "I'd like that."

"Me too. Good night, Chen."

"Good night, Xuan."

**

Long after Qing Chen had fallen asleep, Feng Xuan was still wide awake. She was staring at HER husband. He was gorgeous beyond compare. His lashes were so long she was tempted to ran a fingertip on them.

Now finally she understood. Back when she was not herself, there had always been something holding her back from going all in this marriage. She had wanted his everything physically but he always stopped her and she never fully needed it.

This was it. This was why she had never wholly gave herself to him and why he had never accepted even though she had offered. She had been missing pieces, she was an unfinished puzzle. Now she felt completely.

He had liked her despite knowing there was blood in her hands—even though she was not really herself.

However, now that she was back… would he still want her?

It sent a knot in her stomach. She remembered liking him, even telling her cousin Wang Yimin that she loved this man. She could feel it in her body but how much of it were true? 

Feng Xuan had stayed awake, thinking about it all night long.