Chapter Sixteen

Faye woke to a sudden dip in the bed. Arms engulfed her from behind as a head rested atop hers deeply inhaling her shampoo scent.

"Yichen?" Faye's lashes fluttered as she felt the oddly familiar embrace. Her heart swelled with the sensation of returning home. Somewhere safe. Only one person had ever made her feel that inexplainable way.

"Sleep," he muttered, his hot breath fanning her ear.

"How can I sleep now?" She sighed, leaning back against his bare chest.

"Well I can so shush," he teased, pecking her head before rolling over.

Faye sat up, perching herself to hover over him, "how are you? Did you get hurt at all?"

"I'm fine."

Faye puckered her lips, then moved the loose, messy black hair from his face to see his golden eyes cold and staring into space with eyebags underneath.

"Sure, you're fine."

Light flashed in his eyes as he forced a smile and turned to look up at her, "If you're not sleepy, why don't we-"

"Goodnight," Faye tucked herself back under the covers and closed her eyes.

When her breathing finally eased in her sleep, Yichen rolled over again to engulf her and sought his much-needed comfort.

***

On the lawn outside the Fraizer's villa, a large group of just under a hundred survivors gathered.

Yichen stepped out the door to see their confused and gossiping faces. One elderly man was complaining that he had been moved just a day after he had settled in a villa nearby and was forced to live with others.

Yichen had heard all of Lixin and Miles' plans and simply went ahead with them.

Standing in front of the crowd, Yichen felt like he was missing a limb as the spot beside him was empty.

Seeing him lean patiently against the porch's collum, arms folded, the survivors all began to lower their voices until there was total silence.

"My name is Yichen Wu, I own a villa here by the North Gate. My wife owns the one we're all in front of right now," he introduced himself in a way that made Faye frown behind him at the door.

"The military here is no longer in operation, the East, however, is," he gave them all a moment to murmur among themselves, "I have been given permission to commandeer these villas to set up a survivors base in their stead."

"Who gave you permission?" An elderly woman called out.

"The current Chief Blake of the defense force," he raised the satellite phone Tracey had given him last night and let it float in the air, taking pleasure in their awed expressions from his use of power.

"This ability of mine, is one of the many reasons he tasked me with taking charge, any disputes?" A few in the crowd murmured, but nobody spoke up, so Yichen continued.

"This base is now under military law, which we've kindly printed out for you alongside a form, for you each to read and fill in in your spare time. In turn, you will be given an ID card eventually, for now, they'll be paper slips. You must keep this on you at all times. Everyone will get basic rations going forward, but we will be setting up a workhouse for you to apply for jobs to be compensated accordingly." He paused taking note of the survivor's expressions.

"Lastly, everybody, including the young and old, will receive mandatory training according to their ability, in the effort you will all be able to defend yourself against the dead."

Though nobody openly disagreed, there were quite a few disgruntled faces amongst those murmuring.

"Your position here is voluntary, if you wish to leave at any time, you may take your possessions and go."

"I own a villa here, you can't take it off me," a middle-aged man shouted aggrievedly.

"Only uninhabited villas will be used by the camp, your possessions are your own, everything you brought here is your own, and we will compensate you with the supplies we collect ourselves. You are also welcome to leave the camp and gather your own supplies."

The man bowed his head in submission, remaining gratefully quiet. He'd worked long and hard to design and build his dream home for his family. Not even the dead would take it away from him.

"Even if you own a villa here, it is still under the new law. After completing your training, you will be required to work or gather your own supplies going forward. Read these papers carefully, if you disagree and wish to leave, then I wish you luck."

Uninterested in answering any more questions, Yichen turned and strode past Faye into the villa.

Faye hurriedly followed him all the way into her Grandma's office that he had occupied.

"When did you speak with the military?" Faye asked, closing the door softly behind her.

"Last night, I spoke with my father, then that sly bastard hijacked the call to speak with me."

Yichen sank into the office chair, letting it twirl around childishly, before resting his elbows on the desk.

"Does this mean my grandparents won't be coming back?" Faye bit her lip nervously. It made sense her grandparents would remain there, but for how long?

"Why would they come here?" Yichen asked, prompting her to think things through.

"But I want my grandma," Faye slumped on the hanging armchair opposite the desk, her favorite spot to watch her grandma work.

This chair was the one her grandma bought specifically for her because as a child she liked the weightless sensation, like floating in the water.

"And I want my father," Yichen sighed, "but their work and the dead proceed us."

"What is your father doing? Isn't he a businessman?"

Yichen smirked, "have you heard of the Jinlong Triad?"

Faye gulped and nodded. Who in this city hadn't?

"My grandfather is the one in charge of that, my father initially stepped into the security industry first, before leaving it under Uncle Bai's care and turning to our current company."

"So why would the military want to use him for..." Faye mumbled, trying to connect the jigsaw pieces of information in her head.

"With their limited staff, my father and uncle Bai are best suited to take charge of securing the civilians under the military's care. Like a makeshift police force."

Faye nodded, "that makes some sense."

Yichen paused, chin resting in his hands as he stared at her with a complex expression.

"Is that all you want to say? Do you have no other questions for me?"

Since they woke up this morning, she had skirted around anything to do with Bai Cheng or Yichen's few days out.

Faye looked up, catching his predatory feline eyes, and stiffened.

In the days away he hadn't shaved, and his usual androgynous beauty had turned more masculine and stern; making him appear menacing when paired with that stare.

"You shouldn't shave your stubble," Faye spoke out loud without thinking.

Yichen's hands slipped from under his chin as he laughed heartedly.

This was his girl, his sweet wife. No matter how cold his heart felt, with just a few words from her, it was alight in a blazing flame.

"May I ask why?" He rolled the chair back to stand, then strode over, leaning down to cup her face in his right hand. "Is it you like the sensation when I kiss you?"

Faye's cheeks reddened as she avoided his gaze, "the others will take you more seriously if you look more masculine and mature."

Laughing, Yichen crouched down, resting his hands on her lap and steadying the slightly swaying chair.

Abruptly, he stopped laughing as their gazes connected, "I love you," Yichen blurted out, then began cursing internally.

Faye froze, she'd barely known the guy for two weeks and he was already confessing. How was she to know she'd spent many more years with him in a dream?

"Okay," was all she could reply.

Yichen licked his lips, then stood up, striding to sit back down on his chair.

"So, what are we going to do?" Faye asked, desperate to know a plan for the future, one she could adjust to and work toward. Without one, she felt utterly lost.

"For now, we'll gather supplies and strength here, I have a few tasks to complete, then we'll relocate with a few people to the East Coast to join our elders."

"And what will my specific tasks be?" Faye leaned forward, eager to be given something to do.

"You'll attend morning training with your friends, outside of that, you are my assistant."

"Am I qualified?" Faye frowned, she was training in marine biology, what did she know about assisting someone in this capacity?

Yichen chuckled, "Where else should my wife be but right beside me?"

"Fine, 'boss', tell me what to do next?" Faye stood up, approaching the desk to rest her hands on the end opposite him and lean forward.

Yichen arched a brow, suppressing his smirk. This was his Faye, this was the girl he knew for years in that dream. Only thanks to the changes he made, this companion of his came quicker into his life than in the dream, even if he had lost others...

He pulled the chair closer to the desk and leaned forward, meeting her gaze.

"Your boss needs a good morning kiss," Yichen smirked, giving her a playful glance.

To his surprise, Faye met the distance between their lips and gave him a clumsy kiss.

Not one to waste a good opportunity, Yichen reached his hands to cup her face and deepen the kiss, tongues intertwining, until a knock at the door abruptly parted them.

"Why is it, the world ends, but you still leave me stuck with so much paperwork?" Miles complained as he strode in. Spotting Faye stepping away from the desk to huddle in her knitted cardigan, he halted, "did I come at a bad time?"

"No, perfect timing, I was just giving my assistant a little task," Yichen smirked, leaning back in his chair as Faye scowled at him.

As the two men began to discuss business, Faye did the 'assistantly' thing to do and made them coffee, not forgetting to make herself a black tea. The only milk they had left was limited, so she was forced to forgo her usual sweet milk tea.

Despite labeling her as an assistant, Yichen encouraged her to sit next to him and went over every little thing with her, much to both her and Miles' surprise. Lixin was busy setting up a clinic with the doctor and Claire alongside a few other relevant survivors.

The Chef had been put in charge of a villa to turn into a restaurant. The off-duty guards were helping the non-kitchen staff collect the paperwork.

"Why don't we make a creche? It would be best to keep all the children in one location safe," Faye interjected, then paused pursing her lips, "you said the yacht is the escape plan, so why not put the daycare in a villa close to there?"

Yichen peered over the crudely drawn map of Miles' showing the enclosed area.

One by one he went through the villa's allocating the ones they'd kept for their own people to each one. Giving the guards with kids the villas right next to the pier.

Though he hated being on the water, he knew that it really was the best escape route for now.

The trio spent all day going over their current paperwork to designate roles and supplies to each and every one of the people thrust under their care. Even having their lunch inside the office.

As Miles left to handle the new paperwork given by the survivors, the pair were finally left alone again.

"So, you mentioned you had tasks to complete?" Faye fumbled with the hem of her knitted cardigan, "What exactly does Chief Blake want you to do?"

"There are roughly thirty miles of farmland between here and the local army base, he wants me to secure both the farmland and the base."

"Why? Why you?" Faye sighed exhaustedly.

Yichen shrugged, "I wish I knew, though he appeared friendly, with my father and uncle Bai under his care, I don't feel I have much of a choice..."

Faye leaned forward, anxiously placing her hand atop his, "Can they not leave?"

Yichen shook his head, casting his eyes on their entwined hands. Guilt made his heart feel heavy, he had been the one to send them straight into the Tiger's den. However, at least there they had a chance of survival, unlike their original fate of being lost at sea...

"Can you promise me something, Yichen?" Faye awkwardly leaned her head to catch his gaze, feeling her heart pound painfully when they finally met.

"Anything," Yichen replied in a hoarse whisper.

"Whatever path you take, let me accompany you on it," she squeezed his hand a little tighter, "you claim so boldly that I am your wife, but I don't think you know what a wife is. This is a partnership, between the two of us. One that requires us to be honest and open with each other to face an unknown future, together."

Yichen's words were caught by the lump in his throat.

"I know we're only at the stage of getting to know one another, but," she paused, biting her lip momentarily, "we can't do that if you run off alone to do everything by yourself. Let me join you in whatever you do going forward?"

"It'll be dangerous," Yichen mumbled, scared of losing one of the few touches of warmth he could cling onto.

"Everything is dangerous now," Faye gave him a weak smile, "but it is better to face the danger by each other's side, right?"

Yichen recalled the painful day of her death in the dream, how he had done exactly as she had said, taking all the weight onto his own shoulders in an attempt to protect her. But did it work? No. It turned that dream into the worst possible nightmare.

"Okay," he finally succumbed, "you can join me when I leave, after all, you are my assistant," he teased, hoping to lighten the atmosphere enough to lessen the burden on his chest.

Faye scoffed and turned to let go of him, but his free hand cupped the side of her face so he could tenderly plant a kiss on those enticing lips. Then he pulled apart, smiling to himself as he picked up some papers to go through.

"What was that for?" Faye frowned, confused by the sudden but brief intimacy.

"Reward for being such a good wife," he winked, then continued to focus on his work.