Chapter Thirteen: Mr. Y

Parini slumped weakly against the wall, his face twisted into a mask of extreme agony. At this moment, he felt like nothing more than a clown, ruthlessly toyed with by Xue Tianai and his companions.

Shame, fear, and regret—all these emotions intertwined, forming a complex shroud over Parini’s heart.

“I'll cancel it, I swear I'll cancel it, please, just let me go, I won't dare to do this again,” Parini pleaded in a pitiful, trembling voice.

“Alright, answer my questions properly and we'll let you go,” Xue Tianai replied, his tone still calm and unruffled.

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk, I’ll say everything!” Parini, like a dog begging its master for food, kept kowtowing desperately.

“Good, start by telling me about your employer,” Xue Tianai shot him a venomous glance, though his expression was hidden by the mask.

“I can’t—”

Before he could finish, a flash of silver streaked through the air—a playing card embedded itself precisely into Parini’s wrist. “Our boss doesn’t have time to listen to your rambling.”

“I really—” Parini’s face contorted in pain, clutching his wounded wrist as he managed to force out a few words.

He hadn’t finished before another playing card flew in, piercing the wrist of his other hand. “I told you, stop with the pointless chatter! Next time, the cards won’t come one by one!”

With both hands crippled, Parini broke out in a cold sweat—sweat, blood, and tears mingling, distorting his features into a grotesque mask. The former Skeleton leader now resembled a drowned rat.

“All I know is he’s called Mr. Y. That’s really all I know!”

“Mr. Y?” Beneath his mask, Xue Tianai’s brows furrowed as he rifled through his memory. Who was this? He couldn’t recall anyone familiar by that name. Why would Mr. Y put a bounty on Qin Mengxue? Was it just an alias? The questions grew heavier in Xue Tianai’s mind.

“Can you contact him?”

“Well…”

“I asked if you can contact him!” Xue Tianai’s tone, already laden with uncertainty, now brimmed with impatience.

“No, no, I can’t! After I accepted the job, he just called me three times, each time from a different number! I tried calling back but couldn’t get through!” Feeling the threat in Xue Tianai’s voice, Parini hurriedly gave his answer, terrified that Wes’s playing cards would fly again.

Suddenly, a jarring ringtone echoed through the room. Everyone searched for its source, and there, on Parini’s disheveled bed, a phone flashed insistently, its screen showing an incoming call.

Seeing the caller ID, Xue Tianai pondered deeply and turned to Parini. “Is it yours?”

“Yes, it’s mine.”

Xue Tianai nodded at Wes, who understood and picked up the phone, tossing it in front of Parini.

“Answer it! Put it on speaker! If you try anything, you’ll lose more than your hands!”

“Alright, alright,” Parini, unable to move his wrists, stuck out his tongue to press the answer and speaker buttons.

“Hello, when are you setting out?” A strange voice came through the speaker, clearly altered by a voice modulator. Though the voice was odd and in English, its cold authority could not be concealed.

Hearing the words and sensing the intimidation, Xue Tianai’s face hardened, a sharp gleam in his eyes. This must be Mr. Y.

“We’ll leave in the morning. Is there anything else you wish to tell us, Mr. Y?”

“No. Just a final reminder—stick to your task and finish it quickly!” The voice on the other end barked, devoid of emotion.

“Yes…”

“Sorry, perhaps things won’t go as you wish. Parini won’t make it past tomorrow,” Xue Tianai suddenly picked up the phone, speaking in ventriloquism to mask his voice, since he had no voice changer and couldn’t let the other side know his identity.

“Who are you?” The other side paused, then resumed, his tone unchanged.

“Who I am doesn’t matter. I just want you to know—the Black Skeletons are gone. They won’t be able to help you anymore.”

“What’s your purpose?”

“No purpose, really. I just didn’t like the Black Skeletons and wiped them out. If you have work, should I take over?”

“If I find out who you are, you’ll regret it!” The call ended abruptly, without agreeing to Xue Tianai’s offer.

“Looks like your employer has given up on you,” Xue Tianai said, swinging the now-disconnected phone with a mocking tone.

Being cut off so directly left Xue Tianai slightly stunned; he had hoped to extract more information, but the caller gave him no chance.

“Can you let me go now? I have no money left, and I’ve told you everything I know!” Parini’s face was ghostly pale from blood loss, yet his expression was vividly desperate.

“Let you go?” Xue Tianai exchanged glances with Sigong Yanyue and Wes, then burst into laughter.

“Sorry, sorry, I have no tradition of sparing any enemy. Thank you for your performance tonight, but you’re useless to me now,” Xue Tianai laughed arrogantly.

“But you promised—”

“Forgot to mention, promises made to enemies are always the cheapest. So, everything you imagined was just your own wishful thinking.” Xue Tianai paused, like a villain, then added, “Let me make it clear before you die—the woman you were supposed to kill is my fiancée!”

“No, no, I don’t want to die!” Parini was now utterly hopeless, filled with regret for accepting the job, cursing in his heart that the bounty for Phantom Butterfly’s fiancée was only C-level. Had it been higher, he’d never have taken it. But there’s no medicine for regret in this world.

As Sigong Yanyue advanced with her dagger, Parini’s eyes were consumed by terror. “No… no… I can’t…”

The next second, scarlet fireworks bloomed across the snow-white wall—so wickedly beautiful!

Meanwhile, somewhere in the world, in a dim room, a man hung up the phone and furiously hurled it to the ground. “Damn it!”

The battered phone exploded on impact, its screen shattered beyond repair.

Four others sat in the room, watching as he smashed the phone, and asked in confusion, “What’s the matter?”

“The Black Skeletons have been wiped out!” the man grumbled.

“Wiped out? Was it a feud between organizations?”

“You think that’s likely? That much coincidence?”

“You mean someone’s protecting Qin Mengxue?”

“But how did they know Skeletons were targeting her? The Qin family shouldn’t have access to the Chip Platform.”

“So what now? Wait for another organization to take the job and keep targeting Qin Mengxue?” One of the five voiced the question first.

“Withdraw the job for now and observe. Tomorrow, send someone to Skeletons’ place to see if any clues are left,” the phone-smasher sighed.

“Alright, let Qin Mengxue live a little longer, then!”

“Don’t worry—Qin family will die, just like the Ye family did years ago!” A cold gleam flashed in someone’s eyes as he spoke.

In South America, Country B, among the mountains, four Apache helicopters sat quietly. Inside one, four glasses clinked together.

“What a pity, that man’s shoulder bone was too odd—it couldn’t be shaped into a butterfly,” Sigong Yanyue said regretfully, sipping her wine.

“Haha, still brooding over that?” Wes laughed merrily—it wasn’t often that Sigong Yanyue was frustrated, so he seized the moment to tease her.

Parini met a tragic end, toyed with for so long before Sigong Yanyue slit his throat. She then tried to preserve Parini’s shoulder bone for her butterfly tradition, but when she sliced open his back, she found the bone’s shape too strange; no matter how she tried, it wouldn’t form a butterfly. After several attempts, she gave up.

“By the way, Boss, the other side seems to have withdrawn the job. Our sister-in-law is no longer listed on the Chip Platform.”

“Mm, I see. The other side is cautious. I feel this isn’t just a simple vendetta. Keep an eye on the platform, and contact me if anything happens,” Xue Tianai said, his face contemplative, unable to fully grasp the opponent’s motives.

“Alright, Boss, don’t worry—we’ll keep a close watch,” Owl said, pounding his chest in assurance.

Then, suddenly, his face fell. “Boss, are you really leaving?”

As soon as he spoke, the cabin was filled with the melancholy of parting.

“Yes, I am leaving. After all these years, though I’ve hated that home, it’s still my home. It’s time to go back. I’m tired, so I’ll treat this as a holiday for myself.”

“Tianai, will you come back?” Sigong Yanyue’s eyes reddened, her voice timid.

“I will. I’m just taking a break. If anything happens to Butterfly, I’ll return at once.”

Seeing Sigong Yanyue’s heartbreak, Xue Tianai felt a sudden pain, as if something important was being torn from him. Was this… love? Did he truly love this girl who had turned the tables on him so many times?

He didn’t know. Xue Tianai was confused. If it wasn’t love, why did her sadness hurt him so deeply? In twenty-five years, had he ever truly loved?

“Come on, come on, it’s not like we’ll never see Boss again. Why act like it’s a farewell for life?” Wes stepped in to lighten the mood.

“Exactly! We’ll still see him. Maybe Boss will need us when he’s back in China. We should be celebrating—celebration wine!” Owl chimed in, forcing a smile despite his own sadness.

“Hmph, you two have never loved, so you don’t understand!” Tears streamed down Sigong Yanyue’s delicate face, her big eyes now filled only with sorrow.

Seeing her grief, Xue Tianai could bear it no longer. He pulled Sigong Yanyue into his arms, gently stroking her hair, lowering his head to whisper by her ear, “Don’t be sad. You’ll always have a place in my heart.”

This time, Xue Tianai made another promise, but unlike before, it seemed to carry something extra—though he didn’t notice it himself.

Hearing his words, Sigong Yanyue could not hold back any longer. Tears flowed like streams as she finally burst into sobs. “Tianai, I’m so scared. I’m really afraid you’ll forget me. I love you, I really do. Ever since you saved me from Japan, I’ve belonged to you!”

Wes and Owl exchanged helpless glances, sighing softly. Their attempts had only made things worse, so wisely, they left the helicopter, giving space to Xue Tianai and Sigong Yanyue.

“No, no, I won’t forget you. If you miss me, and Butterfly’s safe, just come to China to see me,” Xue Tianai said tenderly.

“Really? Can I really go to China to see you?” Sigong Yanyue lifted her tearful face, asking hopefully.

Xue Tianai nodded gently, then leaned in, his lips brushing her alluring mouth, slowly merging, slowly claiming this beauty.

Her lips parted, responding with all her strength to Xue Tianai’s embrace. All their feelings melted deeply into this passionate kiss.

The kiss was long and intoxicating, as if something new blossomed, as if something was quietly changing.