He had a reputation for exercising absolute control. Over everything around him. Business. Relations.h.i.+ps. But this. This wasn't 'control'. This was equality. He stood beside her. As if she was just as important. As if she completed him. 

"Why her, Yuan?", she asked, facing Xi Yuan, "What was it about her?!"

Xi Yuan stood behind Rong Xinghe. Silent. He wanted the 'Missus' to handle this one. Rong Xinghe had gone through a lot that night. In that Nightclub. Because of this very woman. He had no intention of going easy on her today. So instead of answering her questions, the man pulled his phone out and dialed a number. 

"It's time to present the Huangs with a worthy gift, Mr. Wen.", the man said into the phone, his eyes fixed upon Huang Biu. The poor confused Huang Biu, looking like a lost sheep. 

"What are you doing, Brother?", Xi Fang questioned, leaving Lu Alix under Xi Wei's care. 

"Did she really think she could get away with it? Who does she think she is, exactly?", Xi Yuan raised his voice, letting out a cold chuckle, "You see, Ms. Huang, I am not a merciful person."

The moment Huang Biu listened to the man's words, she felt panic flood through every vein in her body. Her brother would kill her if Xi Yuan was to harm her family! She knew it. The reputation of the Huang family was everything for Huang Ling. That wasn't something the Huangs were supposed to mess with. Even so, she had put the family into the patch of utter humiliation and harm.

Involuntarily, the woman shook her head violently as her voice came out as a protest, "But I didn't-"

"Don't you dare say you had no idea about me and Xinghe.", Xi Yuan cut her off, his tone sharp and intimidating, "Even if you were unknown about the relations.h.i.+p, you very well knew that we were close. For someone as smart as you, it mustn't have been difficult to figure out our relations.h.i.+p, the moment I transferred Xi Corporations' emergency shares to her. 

"And yet, you had the nerves to hurt her. It wasn't brave. It was ridiculously idiotic. So spare me the excuses, Ms. Biu. For me, Xinghe is everything. She is my family. And you've known it better than anyone how protective I can be, when it comes to the people I love."

"Yuan...", at this time, Rong Xinghe turned around, placing her hand against the man's firm chest, "Let it go, this once. Alright?"

"What do you mean?", the man looked into the girl's eyes, unable to understand the meaning behind the girl's words.

"She is telling you to let go of the Huang family.", suddenly, a well-modulated and gravelly calm voice resounded through the hallway, as a man approached them, his hands tucked into the pockets of his Metallic Blue Velvet-lapel suit. He was astonis.h.i.+ng. Mesmerizing. His charms, equivalent to those of the Xi family men. 

"h.e.l.lo, Military Chief.", he said, planting a kiss against the knuckle of her left hand, "Thank you for the invitation."

"President Huang.", Xi Yaun extended his hand and Huang Ling took it. "I suppose my sister has been quite a pain for you, President Xi?", Huang Ling laughed. 

"Brother, I...", Huang Biu opened her mouth to speak up, "I am sorry."

"You should be, Biu.", Huang Ling sighed, looking at Rong Xinghe, "What do you want me to do to her? She wronged you, after all."

"Will you kill her if I ask you to?", Rong Xinghe crossed her arms.

"I wouldn't bat an eyelid before I do that. You know it.", Huang Ling shrugged.

The Xi siblings exchanged glances among themselves before their eyes landed upon the pitiful and aghast Huang Biu. Xi Yuan simply stared at the two people in front of him. Calmly. Why would a brother put his own sister's life at stake for an outsider, he wondered. Unless...

"You're one of the Military Hybrids, aren't you?", the man threw his hands in the air, looking at them with disbelief, he brought his phone closer to his ears, "Let go of the Huangs, Mr. Wen."

"I love you.", Rong Xinghe smiled, brus.h.i.+ng her lips against his.

"Such a troublemaker, you are.", the man rolled his eyes. 

Xi Yuan knew about the Military Hybrids, and about the Ripper. That Rong Xinghe was the 'Alpha' to the Hybrids. And that the Ten hybrids had sworn their loyalty to her. Ashfakh Ali had briefed him about it earlier. Other than the Superfamily, he believed the person closest to Rong Xinghe was Xi Yuan. Naturally, he found it crucial for Xi Yuan to know about the 'Walking Death'. 

But he wasn't worried about his woman's dark side. He was in love with her. He was obviously not afraid of accepting the worst of her. As long as she was Rong Xinghe, he would love her. He just knew it.

Most importantly, he didn't really detest or disliked the Ripper. It was a part of her, after all. It was her alter ego. A significant her. He couldn't claim to love her if he couldn't even accept her entire self. If he admired the positive side of her, he was bound to cherish the negative ones too. Else, could that even be called love? 

"Biu, leave.", Huang Ling looked at his sister meaningfully. 

"But brother-"

"Forget him. Being delusional will bring you nothing, but disappointment, sister.", Huang Ling adjusted his suit as he spoke indifferently, "Since he has someone like Rong Xinghe by his side, he won't be able to love any other woman ever. Mark my words. The temptations of the Alqatil are simply unavoidable."

"Shut up.", Rong Xinghe squinted her eyes at the man, smacking his arm.

"I agree with him.", Xi Yuan smiled, checking out the woman beside him, from top to bottom, "It is indeed arduous, to resist the Ripper." 

"..."