Chapter 14: A Promise Left Unkept

Lin Yuxi barely registered the journey home. The city lights blurred into streaks of gold and silver outside the car window, but she wasn't seeing them. Her head throbbed relentlessly, a dull ache pressing against her temples, but it wasn't just the physical exhaustion that weighed on her.

It was that photo and that name, Emperion.

Yeye.

Younger, smiling. Standing beside Liu Jian like an old friend, or perhaps something more.

She had grown up knowing Yeye wasn't just some kind old man, well kind was way too far to describe him. The world he had lived in—the world they still lived in—was steeped in shadows, power struggles, and dangerous alliances.

But how deep had he been?

And was that what had gotten him killed?

"Yuxi, we're home," Kai's voice cut through her thoughts.

She blinked, realizing the car had pulled into the underground parking of their penthouse complex. Lin Xuan had already unbuckled himself, stretching with a yawn before hopping out, still sucking on a lollipop.

Yuxi stepped out, inhaling the cool night air, hoping it would clear the lingering headache. It didn't.

As soon as they reached the apartment, she placed the folded photograph on the coffee table.

Kai and Xuan immediately gathered around.

A silence fell over them—one heavy with unspoken emotions.

Kai exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair. "I've never seen a photo of Yeye this young."

Lin Xuan, usually chatty, was eerily quiet. He crouched near the table, small fingers hesitating before tracing the image of Yeye's face.

Yuxi swallowed, her throat tightening. Had Xuan ever known Yeye like this? By the time he was old enough to remember, Yeye had already been a man worn by time and burdens. This younger version—the one in the photo, smiling without the weight of the world on his shoulders—was a stranger to both of them.

"He looks… happy," Xuan finally murmured. His voice was small, almost uncertain.

Yuxi clenched her jaw.

Happy.

She wasn't sure if that word should bring comfort or unease.

Kai crossed his arms, his sharp gaze lingering on the man standing beside Yeye in the photo. "If Yeye and Liu Jian knew each other, why didn't he ever mention him?"

"More importantly," Yuxi added, "why did Liu Jian have this hidden in a safe along with a classified government file?"

Kai leaned forward. "What else did you find?"

Yuxi hesitated before recounting the contents of the hidden documents—the smuggling of advanced weapons and the mention of Azure Veil, and its transfer from Moss Island to Emperion.

The more she spoke, the more the atmosphere in the room grew heavy.

Kai sat back, rubbing his temples. "I don't like this. A normal professor shouldn't have access to something like that. And Azure Veil—whatever it is—was buried too deep for even us to find traces of it online."

Xuan, who had been typing furiously on his laptop, let out a frustrated sigh. "There's nothing on Azure Veil. No leaks, no whispers in black market databases. It's either a codename or something too dangerous to be mentioned."

Kai cursed under his breath. "Same here. I checked my contacts. Not a single lead on Liu Jian's past apart from what's publicly available. And Moss Island? It barely exists in records. Someone made sure of that."

Yuxi tapped her fingers against the table, deep in thought. "That means this isn't just a regular smuggling operation. If this was about money, we'd have found traces of it. But the fact that it's completely erased… it's government-level classified."

Silence.

Kai exhaled sharply. "Yeah… and 'government-level classified' means dangerous."

For a long time, none of them spoke.

Lin Xuan closed his laptop with a sigh, rubbing his eyes. "We're not getting any answers tonight, are we?"

Kai sighed tiredly. "Not unless we have a death wish."

Yuxi let out a quiet breath. She had expected complications. But not an absolute dead end.

Kai, watching her, suddenly spoke. "There's something else."

She looked up.

"It's about Qin Lei."

Lin Xuan's brows furrowed. "That cold-faced guy?"

Kai nodded. "I tried digging into his background earlier. Apart from the obvious—Qin family member, a student at Royal Crest—there's nothing."

Yuxi's eyes narrowed. "Nothing?"

Kai exhaled. "No mention of his medical records, childhood history detail, or detailed financial traces. Even family connections are limited. It's like he exists on paper, but not really."

That… wasn't normal.

Even in a world of powerful heirs and underground dealings, no one was truly invisible. Unless…

Kai continued, "I tried looking into the Qin family itself, thinking I'd find something that way. Still, nothing. Their security system is on another level. I even tried hacking secondary databases, but the encryption is nearly unbreakable."

Yuxi crossed her arms. "And that means?"

Kai's voice was firm. "It means—for now—you stay away from Qin Lei."

Yuxi didn't respond.

Kai held her gaze. "I'm serious. Until we know what we're dealing with, it's too risky."

She wasn't someone who backed away from the unknown. But she wasn't reckless either.

She would tread carefully.

 ***

Lin Xuan eventually went to bed, exhaustion overtaking him.

Yuxi was about to head to her room when she noticed the faint glow of a cigarette on the balcony.

Kai.

She hesitated.

In all the years they had been together, Kai never openly showed emotion. He carried everything in silence—anger, grief, responsibility.

Tonight, though…

His posture was different.

The way he stood there, gazing at the city skyline, cigarette between his fingers, the cold night air ruffling his dark hair—he looked… alone.

For a brief second, Yuxi wanted to step forward.

But she stopped herself.

She turned away, letting him have his moment and process his emotion.

***

Kai inhaled deeply, watching as the city lights flickered below.

His fingers tightened around the cigarette as a memory resurfaced—one he had buried deep.

**Flashback

A dimly lit hospital room at the mansion.

The scent of antiseptic and medicine filled the air. The steady beeping of a heart monitor echoed softly.

On the bed lay an old man, his face gaunt, his breathing labored. But his eyes—sharp, calculating—had lost none of their fire.

Kai stood before him, his body tense, fists clenched.

Yeye's voice was weak but firm. "Kai… when I'm gone… take care of Yuxi and Xuan."

Kai swallowed hard. "You're not going anywhere."

A faint chuckle. "Even I can't outrun death, boy."

Silence.

Then—Yeye's gaze turned serious. "Promise me. No matter what happens, don't let Yuxi chase after this. Keep her away from it."

Kai's throat tightened. He wanted to argue. To demand answers.

Why? What was so dangerous that even Yeye—who feared nothing—wanted her kept away?

But in the end, all he could do was nod.

"Good," Yeye exhaled. "They're just kids, Kai. Don't let them lose their childhood to this."

Kai squeezed his eyes shut.

**Flashback ends.

The cigarette burned between his fingers, forgotten.

He exhaled slowly, murmuring under his breath—

"I won't be able to keep that promise, old man."

The night air swallowed his words.

Because Lin Yuxi wasn't a child anymore.

And there was no stopping her now.