He's no Emperor, but a husband so terrified of losing his wife to the point of losing his mind.

All these negativity surrounded him as he blamed himself for missing such a thing. He was busy luring out his snake uncle that he made a mishap with his wife's safety. This incident had no one to be blamed but him. If he had just managed everything precisely, this wouldn't have happened.

He was holding her hand, caressing it softly after planting a kiss on it. This felt like the past. He remembered his treacherous self that only brought catastrophe to her life. The what-ifs that had long been buried resurfaced again. "I lost sight of what I had to protect, I'm sorry" he said, his voice a whisper on the wind.

"I thought that if I dealt with my uncle faster, this whole secrecy will not prolong. I wanted to destroy him faster so I could reveal myself after the preparations and time I alotted for you to get used to living with a husband. But I overruled the possibility of other dangers, confident that no one would dare with Fang around"

Like a dam broke loose, Ji Li Zhao said all of this, his face filled with tears and sorrow. "I'm sorry, honey. I'm sorry I neglected your safety for a moment"

He drew his face closer as he buried himself on her hands. "And I'm sorry for disappointing you over and over again. I'm really sorry for not trying my best to let you remember in the past and for my inability to protect you from my demons"

Everything that happened to her, be it be the past or the present, had something to do with his inability to act. He was mighty, but he hates himself for his inability to protect the one thing he loves.

.....

8 years ago...

The hallway was already barren as the sun began to set. All that remains of the school was the teachers who was still busy computing grades and checking projects for those who almost failed. Paper flipping, b.u.t.ton pressing, and pen clicking, all of this can only be heard on the busy faculty room. The other places were silently reserved for those who enjoyed staying late for peace.

One of those was the transfer student who was cold as ice, Mr. Ji Li Zhao.

He was gazing out the wonderful view from the rooftop. The most adoring sight lays before him, and it was no one else but Hou Wei Yan singing on the big old sakura tree. She was strumming her guitar, looking for the right tune for the poem she had written of the first love she cannot remember.

Yes, he was stalking!

Every now and then, Wei Yan would stay behind to write her songs at the back of the school. He guessed that she must have a lot of inspirations and energy when around their mysterious big fat sakura tree. Whatever her reason was, he liked her place because he can gaze at her all the time without being caught.

He sighed as Wei Yan smiled from the idea that came to mind. "When can I get close to you?" he whispered.

Wei Yan who was writing some notes on her poem suddenly heard looked up as she heard a noise. When she saw no one was there, she just shrugged her shoulders and continued tuning her poem.

A sigh escaped his tightly sealed lips. Li Zhao suddenly felt grateful for his agility. His teacher was right, it did save him from danger!

He was crouching while covering his face like a criminal on the wanted list with the police just right out his door. His crouching position was barely tolerable, but his face was beyond redemption. He was redder than a ripe tomato!

After stabilizing his heartbeat, Li Zhao managed to gather his courage and take a peek at Wei Yan. He felt slightly disappointed as the spot where she sat was now empty. She had already left, now its time for him to leave as well.

"See you again, love" he muttered as he took one final glance at her favorite spot. Realizing his stupid cheesiness, Li Zhao blushed once more and quickly left. He thought that it was her last glimpse of her for the day.

But man, how wrong he was.

Around 7:30 in the evening, a text message from young little Hou Jun Shen whom he managed to persuade as his spy under the ident.i.ty of Wei Yan's savior.

"Master! Help!"

Li Zhao who had just finished dinner felt cold run down his spine. Something terrible is brewing. "Details" he immediately replied as he ran to his room.

"Sister got kidnapped! Men in Black took her away while we went out!" as he received the message, his world felt torn. Kidnapped!

Rage suddenly fuelled his emotions as he repeatedly stared at his phone. Who the f*ck dared lay their fingers on her! He's going to kill them!

Everything around him suddenly felt chilly as he opened his drawer and took out a Katana [1]. Bloodl.u.s.t! Nothing was fitting enough to describe him but a blood thirsty monster!

.....

"Boss" Fang called out as he slightly shook his boss. It was already afternoon, and the effect of the drug might wear off. "Boss, its already time"

Li Zhao opened his eyes immediately as he got pulled out of his nasty past. The past where all his nightmares began. Upon gaining consciousness, the first thing he wanted to see was his wife.

He gazed at her tenderly as he saw that her mask was already taken off. "She's fine now, right?"

Mao Chen who was already present since morning to check on her nodded his head. "We're only waiting for her to open her eyes"

"She's gonna open her eyes, right?" he asked worriedly. Mao Chen cannot help but smile at this side of him.

"She will. I a.s.sure you, she will" he said as he looked at his patient. As he stared at her, he began to wonder about the Xings. Their family was known to be animals. When one of their relatives gets hurt, everyone in their family feels the pain. The retribution of those who inflicted the pain doesn't come from one as well, but from everyone who can contribute to the revenge. If they find out about this, he was sure the news would be filled with their ma.s.sacre.

Li Zhao suddenly stood up from his seat and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "I'll make them pay, tenfold" he muttered before writing something on a piece of paper and placing it on her bedside table. "Guard her well. I'll be sending in our Maniac to deal with those men so focus on your task"

"Yes, boss" all of them inside who was tasked as her guards replied in a whisper, too afraid to wake their sleeping beauty and offend the beast.

.....

"Hmmmm"

That was everything she can mutter. Her mouth gang dry and her eyes were a bit difficult to lift. She tried remembering what had happened and felt alert as fragments of her last memory surfaced.

Ao Cheng! That psycho!

She can clearly remember his nasty smile before losing consciousness. With this, she gathered all her strength to open her eyes and bolt up. She needs to get away! This is dangerous!

"Miss Hou. Please calm down" Mao Chen said all of a sudden when he realized what was happening. She's confused! She's reacting to her last memory which must have been the perpetrator's face. "You're back home. I'm a doctor. You're safe"

Wei Yan looked around the room and felt the familiarity and warmth. This is her room! How did---

"Madame, Boss took you home" Fang said as he went out of the shadows. Wei Yan immediately turned around to face him curiously.

"My husband was there?" she asked, her heart beating a bit wildly. Oh dear, he was there!? She was wasted at that time! He saw that?! "He left a note"

Wei Yan ran to the table where Fang had pointed in lightning speed. She was praying it was not something awful like divorce!

Oh no! What if he really files a divorce!?

Her hands was a bit shaky and her breathing was a bit hitched. As she slowly opened the paper, all she can ever hear was the wild beating of her heart. She was expecting a divorce but she found herself dumbfounded by his note.

"Drink Moderately" she muttered. Wait. He's scolding her right? But she's still allowed to drink? After what he clearly saw, her awful wasted side, he's still okay with her drinking?

Oh dear, what a husband she's got here!

She can't stop herself but smile and reach out for the ring he had given her. During such happy times, all she can do to express it was to touch the ring he had personally placed on her hand. It was the memento of their wedding. Its something that marks the most important day of her life and the only token she felt connected with her weird and mysterious husband.

"Hmmm?"

Something's wrong. Wei Yan immediately placed down the note and looked at her hands. Its bare! There was nothing there!

All of a sudden, she felt panic rise up her system. Her ring! Where is her ring?! She touched her neck in hopes that they had placed it on a necklace but it wasn't! "Fang!" she called out in a panic.

Fang approached her with confusion and worry in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"My ring. Where did you place my ring?" she asked as she began opening the drawers of her bedside table. "Where is it?"

Everyone on the room looked at each other as they saw he scavenging for the ring. "Ring?"

"My husband gave me a wedding ring! Its doesn't have a diamond but an emblem on it and it doesn't look much like a wedding ring. Its the only ring I wear on my fingers!" she hysterically said as she looked through the bed in hopes of finding it there. She can't lose it! Its very important!

"I was the one who checked on you yesterday, and there was no ring on your fingers" Mao Chen said out of the blue making Wei Yan stop her search. She looked at him seriously making him raise his hands up. "I a.s.sure you, Madame, there was nothing on your fingers and its clearly not with me"

Suddenly, Wei Yan felt cold. Its not with her when she returned. It must be on the car.

But wait, Gu Man washes the car daily and he has his men check on it as soon as it returns. If they saw her ring, they must have returned it already. So she can only overrule such possibility.

Then that must mean, its either on her office or bag.

But that's not possible as well. She clearly remembered touching her ring on the bar when the conversation heated up towards marriage. That's the only place where her ring can be! "Fang, its in the bar! I must have dropped it there!" she said making Fang look at her seriously. Oh no! This ain't good.

"If you're planning on going there---" he was halfway through his words when she cut him off with an unexpected remark.

"Call my husband!" she ordered after a.n.a.lyzing the situation. She doesn't know what happened but the size of her guards had grew. The possibility of them encountering a fight yesterday is high. Her body is a bit weak from whatever she had taken in so personally handling the matter is dangerous and perilous for her. All she can do now is trust her gut feelings that her husband can do what seems impossible for her right now.

When they stared at her after this, Wei Yan raised his brows a bit. "What? You want me to go there personally?"

The men immediately shook their head. No way. G.o.d forbid! No! They were just taken aback. She was in a panic earlier, clearly in a rush that her room is now messed up. But then she called out such shot. "Call him" someone said and reminded Fang who was still a bit shock.

Fang immediately dialed his master's number and went out. "Boss, we have bit of a situation here" he said, unaware that his boss was in an important meeting.

When he heard this, Li Zhao immediately looked at the one who was proposing for their new product with a cold gaze indicating for him to shut up. "What happened?"

"Madame's wedding ring was lost. She said that it must have dropped on the bar. She asked for me to call you"

Li Zhao cannot help but slightly smiled as he heard this. He felt good that his wife is entrusting the decision making to him and indirectly ask of him to make a move on those men. "Send the devil to retrieve it. A maniac for them is just merciful" he said before hanging up and proceeding with the meeting like nothing happened.

The people in the room looked at each other. What did they just heard? Devil? Maniac?

"If you want to keep your tongue, don't ask about it and proceed" a.s.sistant Huang said all of a sudden making all of them shut up. The man who was proposing felt s.h.i.+ver run down his spine. Oh lord. He just hopes he makes it through the proposal! It was already said that their boss has beasts, and now he's sure to be fed if he doesn't do well! Ahhh, he humbly pray that his meat won't be good enough for those beasts so he can be spared!