Chapter 21.2

Rong Qing’s bedroom was starkly different from the villa’s exterior design. It was sharp and minimalist, with black-and-white contrasts and geometric furniture that exuded modern sophistication but lacked warmth. The only softness in the room came from the pristine, fluffy bed, with few other textiles present.

Rong Qing walked over to the desk by the window, picked up a document, and sat down on the bed with Mo Zimu in his arms.

He handed the document to him.

“What is it?” Mo Zimu asked.

“Our marriage agreement.”

“Marriage?!” Mo Zimu was so shocked that he felt dizzy.

He frowned slightly. “Rong Qing, I’m still underage!”

Rong Qing looked at him with a smile. “As long as you agree, I’ll handle the rest. Okay?”

He pressed an elegant gold pen into Mo Zimu’s hand and said, “Sign it, Seven. I promise I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life.”

Mo Zimu had been feeling lightheaded from the moment before, and now the dizziness only grew worse. He could barely make out the words on the document in front of him.

For a fleeting moment, a sense of bewilderment washed over him. He loved Rong Qing deeply, yet this marriage agreement brought him not joy, but shock and uncertainty. However, there was no room for hesitation. Rong Qing had already taken his hand and made him sign the document.

“Seven, from this moment on, you belong to me,” Rong Qing said, his tone brimming with excitement. He gently pushed Mo Zimu onto the bed and whispered in his ear, “Let’s continue.”

Their lips met in a kiss that was neither aggressive nor rushed, but tender and lingering. Mo Zimu slowly lost himself in Rong Qing’s gentle embrace. His mind went blank, but everything around him seemed softened, like it was wrapped in cotton.

Then, an unexpected sensation flashed through his mind, a kiss full of dominance and uncontrollable passion, one that set his entire body alight and sent him spiraling out of control.

The memory of a pair of teasing, deep-set eyes, paired with a roguish smile, surfaced in his mind. Someone had once said to him, “Baby, do you still enjoy sleeping with me?” The tone was casual yet overbearingly possessive, leaving an indelible mark.

Like a jolt of electricity, Mo Zimu’s eyes snapped open.

The ceiling lights were simple in design, surrounded by embedded steel plates that reflected a modern and rigid style. From the mirrored steel, he could see himself lying disheveled, his clothes undone. Rong Qing was kissing lower and lower along his open shirt, pulling down his zipper and slowly removing his pants.

Just as he was about to continue, Rong Qing froze.

The sight before him was of a vivid and seductive tattoo, its intricate patterns unfurling like a vine, spreading like a net that ensnared both his gaze and his heart. Though silent, it seemed alive. To those who bore it, however, it symbolized an unerasable shame, a permanent mark of humiliation.

In that instant, Rong Qing’s mood plummeted from the heights of passion to the depths of despair.

“You can’t keep going, can you?” Mo Zimu said coldly. He withdrew his legs, pulled his pants back up, and buttoned his shirt. “Rong Qing, now you should understand that we can never go back to the way things were.”

He walked to the door and added, “Please, let’s not see each other again.”

Descending the softly carpeted stairs, Mo Zimu moved slowly.

Sometimes, nightmares can be a kind of happiness, he thought, because they eventually end. And when you wake up, you’ll be grateful for the life in front of you.

He closed his eyes briefly, then reached out to push the glass door. To his dismay, it wouldn’t budge. He scanned the area but couldn’t find any button or mechanism to open the door.

Outside, the sunset over the Caribbean Sea was breathtaking, yet through the glass door, it seemed both tantalizingly close and impossibly distant.

A chill ran through Mo Zimu’s heart.

He turned around and saw Rong Qing leaning against the top of the staircase. Their gazes locked, a long silence hung between them before Rong Qing finally spoke.

“Seven, this villa was built as an exact replica of the other one. But this time, there’s no bar, so you won’t get drunk, and I won’t make any mistakes. The dock here is also much shorter, so maybe this time, I’ll be able to catch that yacht.”

Mo Zimu’s face turned ashen. His lips trembled as he murmured, “Rong Qing… don’t…”

Rong Qing’s voice was calm, almost detached. “This place has an excellent music room, and the scenery is stunning. I used as much glass as possible for the walls in every room, so you’ll always have a view. This isn’t Mammon, there are no tunnels to crawl through. The drainage pipes, the ceilings, and the vents are all made of reinforced steel. Escaping from here is virtually impossible. Seven, I know you’re clever, and I know you’ve built strong ties with the Bonanno family. That’s exactly why I won’t let you leave so easily. If I were you… I’d start learning how to live peacefully here for the rest of my life.”

“So this is what you mean by ‘taking care of me for life’?” Mo Zimu shook his head and laughed bitterly. “Rong Qing, has anyone ever told you that you’re an incredibly cruel person?”

“Time doesn’t stand still,” Rong Qing replied calmly. “Every moment gets covered by the next. One day, we won’t even be able to find that original stain anymore. Seven… let’s start over.”

Mo Zimu burst out laughing, his laughter echoing through the villa. He laughed so hard he doubled over before finally straightening up and speaking in a measured tone. “I have one condition.”

Hearing Mo Zimu propose a condition made Rong Qing’s heart skip a beat. He quickly responded, “Say it.”

Mo Zimu smiled faintly. “Kill Merlin.”

Rong Qing froze, blurting out, “You’re crazy! Do you have any idea how much Merlin has done for you?”

Mo Zimu’s expression remained cold. “But without killing him, how can I be sure you only love me?”

Rong Qing stared at him for a long moment. Slowly descending the staircase, he stood before Mo Zimu, his voice hoarse as he finally said, “You really are like a flower with poison.”

Mo Zimu smiled faintly. “I might be poisonous, but I’m no flower. I don’t like being manipulated, no matter how beautifully you arrange your glass greenhouse.”

At that moment, gunshots rang out from outside the door. Rong Qing remained unmoved as the bodyguards rushed out. In the garden, a massive, fat man was holding Noè hostage, using Noè’s face to shield his own, a move that spoke to his experience.

Mo Zimu’s eyes flickered, and he said coldly, “If you don’t show yourself soon, your dear old friend might not survive. Aren’t you the type to easily discard lovers but never abandon friends?”

Rong Qing remained silent, seemingly unaffected by Mo Zimu’s sarcasm. He reached behind the liquor cabinet and pulled out a handgun, then grabbed Mo Zimu and pressed it to his head. He retrieved a remote control from his pocket and opened the door.

“Noè, I never thought you’d fall into the hands of such a clumsy fat man,” Rong Qing said calmly.

Noè smiled bitterly and replied, “If you consider Hanada Masato a dumb fat guy, then I deserve to fall into his hands!”

The Hanada family was an ancient sumo family from Japan, and the security company they later founded was also quite famous. Their bodyguards and assassins were nearly of the same caliber. However, their numbers were few, and this was Rong Qing’s first time meeting one of the Hanada family’s top bodyguards, Hanada Masato. He hadn’t expected the person to be such a fat guy, and an American at that.

“Hanada Masato…” Rong Qing’s brow furrowed slightly. “Our families have no grievances. Mr. Hanada, you—”

“Enough talk! Hand over Seven!” Jack growled, his voice calm but filled with an overwhelming sense of menace. Though he usually appeared dazed and unassuming, at this moment, he radiated an oppressive killing intent.

Rong Qing kept the gun pressed to Mo Zimu’s head and said coldly, “Mr. Hanada, I doubt your family would approve of you making enemies with the Cruz family. Perhaps you should consult your elders before acting.”

Jack sneered and said, “Unfortunately, Mr. Cruz, you’ve made a mistake, and that mistake is kidnapping my client’s person!”

“Your client is…” Rong Qing asked.

Jack replied coldly, “The Hanada family is one that values rules. I cannot disclose my client’s name to you! I’ll say it again, send Seven over!”

Rong Qing took a deep breath. “Then let’s exchange hostages.”

Jack smirked. “Mr. Cruz, you’re quite a character. Surely you don’t think I’d agree to such a thing?”

Rong Qing’s smile mirrored his. “And how can I be sure you won’t betray me and harm my friend after the exchange?”

“Hanada represents honor and integrity,” Jack replied coldly.

Rong Qing gritted his teeth, then pushed Mo Zimu forward and said, “I hope you keep your word.”

Noè gave a bitter smile and said, “Sorry, Daniel.”

Mo Zimu smiled faintly and walked toward Jack, who was holding Noè as they made their way toward the yacht.

As Mo Zimu stepped aboard the yacht, he turned back to glance at Rong Qing. With a faint smile, he took a stack of papers from his pocket and began tearing them into pieces. “Thank you for the gift, but I don’t want it,” he said. “Tell Merlin I’ve fulfilled his first wish. I gave you the chance to choose to be with me, but you chose to let it go.”

He raised his hand, sending the shredded paper fluttering into the air. The fragments drifted down between them, like the final curtain of a theatrical performance.

The yacht sailed farther away, and Mo Zimu turned to Jack. “What a pity. I didn’t expect you to be such a formidable figure.”

Jack replied, “Seven, there are many people in this world you can’t see through. But let me tell you, you’re lucky. You have a man who can protect you. If I were you, I wouldn’t spend all my time trying to escape from him.”

Mo Zimu smiled faintly. “Are you talking about Ivan? He can’t even take care of himself.”

Jack’s tone was indifferent. “You underestimate Mr. Ivan. Henry Bonanno is no match for him. This time, he’s as good as dead.” He took a deep breath and added, “Seven, I hope you don’t cause any trouble on this journey. If you cooperate, we’ll safely reach New York, where Mr. Ivan is waiting for you.”

Mo Zimu asked, “Where are Tom and Tommy?”

Jack replied coldly, “They’re below deck. I haven’t dealt with them yet.”

“Dealt with them?!” Mo Zimu exclaimed in shock.

Noè, standing to the side, gave an awkward smile. “I was planning to let them go, but I didn’t expect the first one I freed to be Hanada Masato! If it had been a fair one-on-one fight, he wouldn’t have stood a chance against me.”

“Everyone who could die on Mammon Island is already dead. There aren’t many left who could expose your identity. These two are defenseless and too easy to target. Eliminating them is the only way to ensure your safety,” Jack said coldly.

Mo Zimu clenched his fists. “Jack, have you forgotten how they took care of you? Maybe you think their abilities are insignificant, but have you considered that, even in life-and-death moments, they never abandoned you?”

“The one who never abandoned me was you!” Jack blurted out. But realizing he had said too much, he abruptly stopped, turned around, and opened the door to the lower deck.

Moments later, he dragged three people out and tossed them onto the ground like they were nothing more than sacks of flour.