129 Never again

Author's Note: Even death, cannot stop me from loving you.

-Lei Zhao

Suddenly, Yan Mei felt someone planting a kiss on he forehead. Yan Mei opened her eyes and saw a pair of warm eye staring back at her.

"Wifey,..you finally woke up."

Yan Mei's eyes trailed at the person's face. his handsome face was bruised and his lips were pale.

Yan Mei's finger inched up to his forehead where a gauze had been wrapped around his head.

Yan Mei blinked as she stared at without uttering a sound.

'I'm I hallucinating again?' Yan Mei asked herself as she looked quietly at the man in front of her. Her fingers trembled as she trailed his face, his lips and his jaw.

She cupped his cheeks in her hand.

Lei Zhao flashed her a smile and grabbed Yan Mei's hand. He pressed his lips against her palm.

"I missed you, Wifey." Lei Zhao whispered as he he gazed into her eyes. He held her hand that was on his face tightly and brought it to his beating heart. 

Hearing the rhythm of his beating heart; Yan Mei finally woke up from her stupor.

"L-Lei Zhao?" Her voice was faint but still, Lei Zhao heard it. 

Yan Mei's eyes searched his for anything that would give it way that all of this is an illusion; a beautiful illusion.

But all she saw in his brown eyes was love and affection.

"Wifey….," Lei Zhao breathed out.

Hearing his voice and the endearment, Yan Mei's heart started beating fast in her chest.

"Are.. we.. in hell?" Yan Mei asked. 

Lei Zhao's smile froze a second before he busted out into laughter.

"Pft..ha….hahah. Hell?". Yan Mei arched her brows.

"Are we not?" Yan Mei asked.

Lei Zhao's held her forehead to check if she had a fever but surprisingly she didn't.

"Why would you think we are in hell?" Lei Zhao asked.

Yan Mei frowned and looked at her surroundings. She was lying on a white bed and an IV drip beside her.

Due to the decorations in the room, she knew she was not in a hospital or hell.

"L-Lei Zhao." Yan Mei called him once again.

"Wifey...are you okay?" Lei Zhao asked with concern laced in his tone when he realized she was just staring at him in a daze.

"Aren't you dead? How are you still alive? I'm I going crazy? I'm I dreaming still; dreaming about my happily ever after? How long have I been out?"

Yan Mei rambled on as tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing her devasted look, Lei Zhao felt a huge block in his heart. He cupped her face in his hands and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

"You're not hallucinating, Wifey. I'm really here."

Hearing his voice, Yan Mei sat up abruptly upright. She threw her hand forward as hard as possible, whipping it across Lei Zhao's face.

"...."

Dead silence filled the room at once.. Yan Mei stared at her palm. She could feel the painful sensation and looked up at Lei Zhao who was staring at her with a horrid look.

The burning sensation in her hand made her feel everything is real.

Lei Zhao started at her with his eyes wide open as his hands slowly made it's way to his cheeks.

"Wifey...I thought you would be happy to see that I'm alive. Is this how you greet your husband who has escaped death's den?" Yan Mei narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm really not dreaming or hallucinating?" Yan Mei mumbled to herself.

"Gosh, you're even scary than your father."

Yan Mei jolted up her head and looked up at him..

"You met my father?"

Suddenly, Yan Mei looked at the entrance of the room and saw her father leaning on the door with his arms folded across his chest.

Seeing her daughter look at him, Zheng Ren smiled softly at her and nodded gently before he left the room for the couple.

Yan Mei knew her father had really confirmed that Lei Zhao was alive.

"Oh my! You're alive!" Yan Mei said aloud, almost unable to believe that he was really alive. Lei Zhao was alive and was right in front of her.

"You're really alive Lei Zhao! Oh my. I thought you won't be able to ever wake up and I was going to be left alone again. I was afraid that my bad omen finally got to-"

Lei Zhao pulled her in his arms, cutting her off. He hugged her tightly as if to engulf her body into his.

Yan Mei could feel the strong pulse of his heart as it beat against her own.Lei Zhao placed his lips on top of her head and muttered thickly in her hair.

"Wifey..you have suffered alot, sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't take care of myself making you worried." Lei Zhao mumbled.

"I missed you so much." Yan Mei whispered.

"I missed you too. I thought I would never see your beautiful face again or be able to hold you in my arms. I was so scared and broke."

Lei Zhao mumbled.

"You don't know Wifey, I would have sold my soul to the devil just to get you back." Lei Zhao mumbled.

Unbeknownst to Lei Zhao, that's exactly what he did.

"I'm not leaving you,Wifey. Like I said we would grow old together and watch the stars together at night." Lei Zhao promised her.

"Don't leave me again, Lei Zhao. I-I would not be able to take it." Yan Mei said weakly as tears raced down her cheeks.

"I won't wifey. Never again." Lei Zhao said softly but firmly.

He kissed the salty tears from her cheeks, her jaw and at the corner of her lips before crushing his lips onto hers.

Lei Zhao kissed her with a hard desperate need. Yan Mei felt a shiver ran down her spine because this kiss felt different. 

It was filled with so much emotions that Yan Mei thought it would consume her. Lei Zhao deepened the kiss; the kiss full of hope and love.

________

"Beautiful right?" Edward Wu turned around when he heard the deep voice behind him.

He stepped back in fear when he saw the person behind him.

All his life, he has never been afraid of something but this man makes him really nervous.

If he hadn't heard Yan Mei called him father he would have never believe it.

How can such a young and godlike man be her father? This man was the most beautiful man he has ever seen. No to use beautiful to describe him was a blasphemy.

He was simply not human. His presence and temperament made him want to kneel in front of him. For the first time, he realized there are surpreme people on this earth. No, Edward Wu was sure this man was not from here.

"W-what is beautiful?" He asked as he looked at the man in front of him.

"Young love. It's full of hope and happiness." Zheng Ren said with a smile on his face.

Only a few people can make him respect them and this young man and his daughter's husband were among the few people.

A trace of loneliness flashed thorough Edward Wu's eyes.

"No-no. Don't be sad or jealous. You will find love too. Very soon you would. And like dynamite she would explode your dark, lonely world."

Zheng Ren said with his voice full of certainty.

Edward Wu didn't know why but he believed Zheng Ren. 

He felt like the man knew everything and could see through everything.

After he picked up Yan Mei from the floor, he placed her on the bed and went back to the room where Lei Zhao was.

A doctor rushed out of the room and came to look after Yan Mei. The other doctors also come out with no knowledge of what happened inside.

All they remember was that they operated on Lei Zhao but the poison spread to his heart killing him.

Edward Wu just squinted his eyes when he heard the doctors but he said nothing. He had entered the room so he saw what Yan Mei had done to them.

Edward Wu waited for half an hour later before he saw Zheng Ren coming out of the room. His skin was pale and there were sweats on his face.

Edward Wu wanted to ask if he was okay but seeing Lei Zhao behind the man made his swallow his words.

His dead friend was suddenly awake and Edward Wu knew the man had something to do with it.

At first, Edward Wu was afraid that Lei Zhao would suffer memory loss or head concussion so he ordered the doctors to do test on him.

Lei Zhao had argue at first but seeing his persistent look he had agreed.

Fortunately all the test results were positive and there was nothing wrong.

"W-who are you?" Edward Wu asked at he looked at Zheng Ren. He realized he couldn't look at the man in the eyes no matter how much he tries.

"Oh I'm just a father who would do anything for his daughter." Zheng Ren chortle.

Edward Wu frowned but said nothing.

"I'm the devil. Some call me Satan, Lucifer,demon etc. I have lot of names to be honest."

Zheng Ren said nonchalantly as he shrugged.

"R-really?" Edward Wu eyes widened in horror and he stepped back. A shiver run along his spine.

Zheng Ren threw his head back and bust out into laughter when he saw Edward Wu's look on his face.

Zheng Ren strode towards him, and bend his head looking straight into Edward Wu's eyes.

"You believe in those devil's tale they tell children?" He chuckled and shook his head.

"Nice to meet you. I hope we meet again."

And then he was gone.

Edward Wu turned around and looked around but he saw no one around.

He let out the breath he was holding and rubbed his temples.

The moment Zheng Ren appeared in his office he started coughing blood. 

His face paled and he held his stomach in pain.

"Master, are you okay?!" His assistant asked as he walked towards him.

"Protect her." Zheng Ren's last word before he collapsed.

Every magic has a price, they say. And for the love for his daughter, he paid a deadly one.