Cao Yang chain-smoked, one cigarette after another. Nanako liked him. According to his old self, he would have accepted it all—more attention, more affection, the better.
But now he had changed. The ordeal with Bai Xue and Lei Yu had hit him hard. He hadn't been able to protect his women. How could he have the right to flirt around?
Every time he thought of his women still in prison, while he indulged with others, he felt like an animal.
He decided then: lock his heart, stop loving.
From now on, only casual pleasures, no emotional attachment—emotions were exhausting.
"小 Fei, come here."
Cao Yang called over Xiao Fei. "What are your plans for the future?"
Xiao Fei shook his head, clueless.
"The wanted notice has been lifted. Go back home."
"I won't go back. My brothers are in prison. Going back would only bring back painful memories."
"Not back to Guangcheng. Go to your hometown in Henan, marry a girl, have a child, live a good life."
Cao Yang pulled out a bank card and handed it to Xiao Fei. "There's fifty million inside…"
"I don't want it!" Xiao Fei refused.
"Not all for you. Keep twenty million, and use the remaining thirty million to help your sister Lei Yu. She's struggling, and she'll need the money."
"I won't!" Xiao Fei refused again.
"I won't go back either. The world is big. I want to see it."
Cao Yang didn't force him. He slumped on the sofa, staring at his phone, hesitating to call Lei Yu.
He didn't know what to say. Would she blame him?
Thinking of all these women made his head ache. Xia Dongdong hated him, Xia Zhengming hated him. There was no future with Dongdong—perhaps her child had already been aborted.
With Bai Xue, he already had a child. That connection would never break. He could only wait for her release and make it up to her, hoping Wang Nanjiang could expedite things.
As for Lei Yu, he was truly conflicted. His original plan had been simple: give her some money, let her keep the child, and wait for him. One day, he would return as the Dragon King!
He thought that, but deep down, he had no certainty. Who knew how long he'd live? Asking her to wait might just betray her.
He also considered bringing Lei Yu abroad. Though she had a sentence and couldn't leave the country, though there were unspoken rules with the Han family preventing his relatives from leaving—these were minor problems.
The real issue: what if Lei Yu didn't want to go? She still had her mother to care for. And once abroad, what could she do?
His life was uncertain, full of danger. Bringing her along might only harm her.
Perhaps letting go was the true liberation…
Cao Yang wanted her to abort the child, to forget him, to consider him dead.
But he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Sigh… if he couldn't say it, Yan Jie would happily play the villain.
Cao Yang called Li Yan. An hour later, he appeared at a small inn.
"Cao Yang!" Li Yan flew into his arms.
"Don't cry. It's over. Everything's settled." Cao Yang comforted her gently. These past days had been terrifying for her.
Li Yan had arrived in Japan earlier. Though she hadn't been caught, who knew what could have happened back then?
"Have you been staying here all this time?" Cao Yang scanned the room, frowning.
Li Yan nodded, complaining, "Yes. Japan's living expenses are too high. Even this crappy inn costs a lot per night."
"No money?"
"I have some."
"Then why not stay somewhere better?"
"Even if I have money, it shouldn't be wasted! Save when you can!"
Cao Yang gave up arguing. Her stinginess was probably lifelong.
He updated Li Yan on the latest situation, telling her everything was settled and she could safely return home.
Li Yan covered her face. Cao Yang thought she was crying, but she was actually laughing. Her two rivals were sentenced. She was ecstatic but afraid of laughing out loud and being scolded by Cao Yang, so she had to hide it.
"All right, don't be sad. Things will get better." Cao Yang patted her back, comforting her.
After a long while, Li Yan calmed down, pulling Cao Yang to return home together.
"I can't go yet. I have matters in the U.S. You go first."
"No! I'm coming to the U.S. with you!"
"It's dangerous. Besides, the family needs you. Think of your parents, your unborn child, and my mother. She needs you to help take care of her too."
"When will you come back?" Li Yan pouted, unhappy.
"In a year or two." Cao Yang guessed. He didn't really know.
He pulled a bank card from his bag and handed it to Li Yan. "There's 100 million in here. I saved it secretly. You and Lei Yu split it fifty-fifty. When you return home, find her and give her a message for me."
Cao Yang told Li Yan his intentions, asking her to relay them to Lei Yu.
Li Yan was thrilled that Cao Yang would cut ties with Lei Yu. But hearing he planned to give Lei Yu fifty million, her face darkened instantly.
"Why give her fifty million? Five thousand is enough!"
After some back-and-forth, Li Yan reluctantly agreed to give Lei Yu twenty million.
The next day, Cao Yang took her to the airport. Their farewell was reluctant and heartfelt.
On the plane, Li Yan looked out, closing her eyes to rest. But thinking about splitting the money with Lei Yu made her restless.
After landing, she took a taxi to Guangcheng, to her property, which also had money Cao Yang had taken from the gambling ship: four million HKD and one million USD. Even without any additional savings from Cao Yang, this was enough for a lifetime.
Given her stingy nature, she'd never spend it all, not in ten lifetimes.
The money was cumbersome to exchange. Li Yan decided to leave it to Lei Yu to handle—it was her problem.
She called Lei Yu. No answer.
"Lei Yu, if you don't pick up, that's not my problem!"
She didn't really want to give Lei Yu the money. She preferred keeping it herself.
Lei Yu, in Sichuan, had just burned joss paper for her father. Seeing a missed call from Li Yan, she immediately called back.
Their relationship was terrible. If she reached out voluntarily, it must be Cao Yang's doing.
The call didn't go through. Only years later would Lei Yu tear into Li Yan.
Meanwhile, Cao Yang in Japan remained unaware, feeling guilty as he boarded the plane to America with Nanako, Xiao Fei, and Cao Yinuo.
Now, both he and Xiao Fei had new identities: Asou Ichiyo and Asou Ichi, pretending to be brothers.