The black sedan moved through the city traffic in comfortable silence. Yang Wei stared out the window at the familiar streets, still adjusting to the reality of freedom after three years behind bars.
"You're thinking about the mission," Ye Xiao Ling said quietly from beside him. She had changed from her earlier celebratory mood into something more serious, her eyes studying his profile with concern.
Yang Wei turned to look at her. "It's classified, Xiao Ling."
"I know you can't tell me the details. But I also know you, Yang Wei. You've already sacrificed three years of your life for your country. Your marriage, your reputation—everything." Her voice carried a weight of understanding that came from years of knowing him. "Whatever they're asking you to do now, just... be careful."
"I always am."
"No, you're not. You're loyal and dedicated, but you're not careful with yourself." She reached over and briefly squeezed his hand. "I lost my father to his sense of duty. I don't want to lose you too."
Yang Wei felt the familiar ache of responsibility settle on his shoulders. Colonel Liu had died in the border conflicts, leaving behind a sixteen-year-old daughter who had looked to Yang Wei as both mentor and protector.
"You won't lose me," he said simply.
"Promise me something," Xiao Ling said. "Whatever happens with this mission, whatever you have to do—don't forget that you have people who care about you. People who will be there for you when it's over."
Yang Wei met her eyes, seeing the unspoken depth of her concern. "I promise."
The sedan pulled up to the Grand Imperial Hotel, its golden facade catching the afternoon sun as Yang Wei stepped out.
"Wait here," he told Ye Xiao Ling, who was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. "I still have a mission to complete and need to keep a low profile. It wouldn't look good to be seen openly involved with the daughter of the city's Chamber of Commerce president."
Xiao Ling's face fell into an exaggerated pout. "You're being overly cautious again. I've been waiting three years to celebrate your freedom properly."
Yang Wei couldn't help but smile at her persistence. She'd been like this since she was sixteen—bold, headstrong, and completely immune to taking no for an answer. "I know, but—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Xiao Ling leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "There. That's my compensation for putting up with your excessive caution."
Yang Wei touched his cheek, caught between amusement and exasperation. "Xiao Ling—"
"I'll go ahead and get us a table at the restaurant. Don't keep me waiting too long." She slipped out of the car with practiced grace, her red dress catching the attention of several passersby. "And Yang Wei? Try to smile a little. You're free now."
Yang Wei watched her disappear into the hotel lobby, her confidence evident in every step. The daughter of his former subordinate had grown into a formidable woman, but to him, she would always be the girl who used to sneak extra rations to wounded soldiers during their missions in the border regions.
As he got out of the car, adjusting his civilian clothes that still felt foreign after three years in prison uniforms, Yang Wei noticed two familiar figures approaching the hotel entrance.
Lee Yu Feng, Yun Xi's mother, walked with the calculated grace of someone who had spent decades perfecting the art of appearing refined. Her designer handbag swung with each measured step, and her jewelry caught the light in a way that suggested considerable expense. Beside her, Zhang Jie slouched along in expensive clothes that couldn't disguise his perpetual air of entitled laziness.
Lee Yu Feng spotted him first. Her perfectly applied makeup couldn't hide the flash of shock that crossed her face.
"Yang Wei?" She forced her features into what might have been a smile if it had reached her eyes. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Yang Wei bowed slightly, a gesture of politeness that felt heavy with the weight of their shared history. "Mrs. Lee. I was released early for good behavior."
Zhang Jie looked up from his phone, where he'd been scrolling through social media. "Released? I thought you had another year left."
"The system allows for early release under certain circumstances," Yang Wei replied carefully.
Lee Yu Feng's smile became even more strained. "I see. And how did the divorce negotiations go? I assume my daughter finally came to her senses?"
Yang Wei felt the familiar knot in his stomach tighten. "We signed the papers yesterday morning. She's free to move forward with her life."
"As she should be," Lee Yu Feng said, her tone sharpening. "Though I must say, you took your time about it. Three years of dragging her down was quite enough."
Yang Wei absorbed the barb without flinching. "There were faults on my side as well. I hope you won't blame Yun Xi for any of this. She deserves happiness."
Lee Yu Feng let out a laugh that sounded like breaking glass. "Blame her? My dear boy, you're delusional if you think this was anyone's fault but your own. Even if she hadn't asked for the divorce, I would have made sure you left with nothing. How could a jailbird like you ever be worthy of my daughter?"
Zhang Jie perked up, sensing an opportunity to join the conversation. "Yeah, and speaking of leaving with nothing—where's the money she gave you? Mom said she offered you a settlement."
"Your sister didn't give me any money," Yang Wei said calmly. "Our marriage ended because of personal reasons, not financial ones."
Lee Yu Feng's eyes narrowed. "Don't lie to us. I know my daughter. She's too soft-hearted for her own good. She probably gave you enough to disappear quietly."
"Jie, search him," she ordered her son. "That money belongs to our family. He has no right to keep it."
Zhang Jie stepped forward with the swagger of someone who'd never faced real consequences for his actions. "Come on, hand it over. We know you've got it."
Yang Wei sidestepped easily, his movements precise despite appearing casual. "I haven't taken a single penny from Yun Xi. If you don't believe me, that's your choice."
"Search him anyway," Lee Yu Feng demanded. "It's our family's money."
Unwilling to get entangled in their delusions further, Yang Wei grabbed Zhang Jie's wrist as the young man reached for his jacket. With minimal effort, he redirected Zhang Jie's momentum, sending him stumbling backward.
Zhang Jie, however, saw an opportunity. He deliberately let himself fall to the ground, immediately clutching his arm and crying out in apparent pain.
"He attacked me! Everyone saw it! I need medical attention!"
Lee Yu Feng rushed to her son's side, her voice carrying across the hotel entrance. "Help! This man stole our money and now he's assaulting people! Someone call security!"
Yang Wei stared at the theatrical display with a mixture of disbelief and weary recognition. This was exactly the kind of manipulation he'd witnessed from Yun Xi's family for years.
He was about to simply walk away when something caught his eye.
Around Lee Yu Feng's neck hung a delicate gold chain with a small lotus pendant.
Yang Wei's blood ran cold. "Where did you get that necklace?"
Lee Yu Feng's hand flew to her throat, suddenly defensive. "What necklace? This is my daughter's jewelry. She gave it to me."
"That's my mother's pendant," Yang Wei said, his voice deadly quiet. "Return it to me. Now."
The moment Lee Yu Feng heard it was a family heirloom, her eyes lit up with calculated greed. "Your mother's? Then it must be valuable. Well, too bad—it was given to my daughter, which means it belongs to her now. And since I'm her mother, it belongs to me. I'm not giving it back to some criminal."
Yang Wei took a step forward, his patience finally snapping. Three years of imprisonment, the loss of his marriage, watching Yun Xi sign divorce papers believing he was a thief—all of it had been bearable. But seeing his mother's pendant, the last connection to the woman who had raised him alone after his father died in service, hanging around the neck of this grasping, vindictive woman was too much.
"Give it back," he said, his voice carrying the authority of a man accustomed to being obeyed.
But before he could move closer, hotel security guards surrounded him.
"Sir, we're going to need to see some identification and proof that you're a guest here," the head guard said. "These people are claiming you assaulted them and stole money."
Lee Yu Feng stood up, brushing off her designer dress with exaggerated care. "What good is being able to fight when you don't have money or power? You're still beneath us! Be smart and hand over what you stole, or I'll make sure you go right back to prison!"
Yang Wei found himself caught in an impossible situation. He could easily disable the security guards, but that would only validate their accusations. He could reveal his true identity and credentials, but that would compromise his mission before it even began.
As he stood there, calculating his options, a cold voice cut through the commotion.
"Who said he needs to give you money?"
Everyone turned to see Ye Xiao Ling approaching, her red dress now seeming less festive and more like a warning flag. Her usual warm demeanor had been replaced by something far more dangerous.