Lunchtime was about to end and the silent, empty big reception hall once again liven up.

          After the lunch break, the staff and the visitors merged together into the spacious, clean hall, giving a lively active atmosphere that warmed up the cold winter.

          Suddenly, there was chaos all around and the noisy atmosphere became still.  All the people in the hall looked in the direction of the door with their mouths opened.

          A man with an expressionless face, in tight-fitting black clothes, wearing dark sunglasses walked in with smooth, silent quick footsteps towards the reception counter.

          No wonder everyone was taken by surprise.  A person dressed like him should not appear in this type of office building in this business district.

          The receptionist from afar had seen him and immediately smiled and asked.  "Please….please, can I help you?"

          "Is Ye Ruwei in?"  The man in black asked coldly causing the receptionist to involuntarily shiver.

          "Ye…..Secretary Ye?  Why do you need to see Secretary Ye?"

          "Do I have to tell you?"  The man asked coldly.

          The receptionist tried to stop her shivering and clenching her teeth, she once again squeezed out a smile.  "Then……do you have an appointment?"

          "Appointment?"  His narrowed his eyes into a squint and the receptionist almost screamed with fright.  "I'll tell you once again, I want to see Ye Ruwei!  Tell me which floor she is on!"

          "She…..she is on the 9th Floor.  The President's Secretary's Office."

          Without thinking, she let the man know of Ye Ruwei's whereabouts in order to save  herself.  Even if she was dismissed because of this mistake, it would be better than to lose her life!

          "Thank you."

          The man in black turned indifferently to the elevator.  Everyone made way for him and in the elevator, he pressed the 9th-floor button.  The elevator quickly arrived on the 9th floor.    

          Just as he walked out of the elevator, a beautiful young woman carrying a child walked passed him.

          His sharp eyes turned around and accidentally saw a man standing in front of the elevator staring at him.

          He recognized that it was his formal rival in the past…..nicknamed 'Vulture'….Qi Wei

          Why is it referred to as the 'past'?

          Because, in the past, the Vulture's right hand was shot by him which ruined Vulture's career.  Vulture who liked to interfere with his missions could no longer hold a gun and could only retire early and become an ordinary businessman. 

          The man in black took a big step forward and swept past Qi Wei who was instantly on guard.

          "Don’t be nervous.  I am not here to give you trouble!"

          He could not stand to see Qi Wei's cautious look and reluctantly explained.

          Qi Wei was surprised to hear this.  "You are not here to look for me?" 

          Although he did not know why Lone Wolf came, his intuition was particularly keen.  He did not feel the murderous aura of Lone Wolf and so he was sure Lone Wolf was not on a killing mission.

          The chief killer of the dark forces, Lone Wolf came here not to kill, then what is his purpose for coming?

          Qi Wei thought for a moment and immediately followed behind Lone Wolf.

          He had to see what Lone Wolf was up to!

          He followed Lone Wolf to the end of the corridor and was surprised to see him push the door open to enter into the President's Secretary's office.

          Could the person that Lone Wolf is looking for......is the responsible and gentle Secretary Ye?!

          "President, just now Chen Jia Enterprise called and requested for your appointment time to be changed to three o'clock in the afternoon!"

          Ye Ruwei was working on her computer with her back facing the door.  When she heard the door opened, she thought Qi Wei had come back after sending off his wife.  So she immediately updated him on the changes to his appointment.

          "President?"  She heard the door closing but did not hear any reply.  Ye Ruwei turned her head around and looked.

          "Ah!"

          She jumped up in shock and accidentally knocked over the cup on the table.  Instantly the water splashed on the table.  She looked on as the water gradually spread, still in shock.  She did not know whether she should first wipe the spreading water or turn around to hurry away.

          Finally, she chose to wipe the water to prevent the water from flowing to the keyboard.

          "You…..why are you here?"  She clenched the towel in her hand and asked stiffly.

          "I am looking for you!"

          Mu Zheng stared at her with his usual lonely eyes showing unspeakable complex emotions.

          Recalling the time, he has not seen her for five years!

          "Leave…..please go away!"

          "What did you say?"

          He walked towards her but every step he moved towards her, Ye Ruwei would move backward.  Mu Zheng was dissatisfied and frowned.  He caught hold of her hand and pulled her in front of him.

          "Don’t hide from me!"

          He pinched her chin and forced her to look into his eyes.

          "Let me go….."  Ye Ruwei turned her head and closed her eyes.  She was afraid to look at the cold face that makes her confused.

          "What did you say?"  Mu Zheng's eyebrows knitted.

          "Let me go!  Mu Zheng…….Please let me go!  I beg you not to appear in front of me……I can’t see you!"

          "Why can't you see me?  Give me a reason.  If you can convince me, then I'll never appear again!"

          "I can’t tell you.  Please leave……leave……."

          "You are so anxious that I should leave, is it because of this child?"  He took a picture from his pocket and showed it to her.

          "How did you get this picture?"  Ye Ruwei asked fearfully.

          How did he get a picture of Qi An?  Who gave it to him?

          "He is mine, right?"

          Lone Wolf was hundred percent sure that the child was his!  The child's appearance was a spitting image of him when he was young.

          "No!  He is not your child!"

          Ye Ruwei desperately shook her head as the sad tears rolled down her face drop by drop.

          She had gone into hiding for five years and in the end, he was still able to find them!  What should she do?  She did not want to see her child get hurt!

          "Why do you refuse to admit that he is mine!"  Mu Zheng asked firmly.

          "No, you are wrong!  He is not your child!"

          "Why are you denying and why are you so frightened?  Do you think I will hurt my own flesh and blood?"

          Mu Zheng got angrier and holding her shoulders, he shook her until she felt dizzy and nauseous.

          Five long years of missing him and coupled with the fear and agitation that was always present in her heart........she could not take it anymore.  As a wave of darkness overcame her, her legs softened and she almost collapsed on the ground.

          "Be careful!"

          Qi Wei who had been eavesdropping outside the door, quickly rushed through the door and held her up before she fell to the ground.

          "What are you doing?"  When Lone Wolf saw Qi Wei holding Ye Ruwei, he was furious.  He brandished a hand knife towards Qi Wei and grabbed back Ye Ruwei.

          Ye Ruwei who had always been weak could not bear the sudden movement and rolling back her eyes, she fainted.

          "Ruwei!"  Lone Wolf shouted and caressed the face of the unconscious Ye Ruwei.

          Qi Wei lifted his eyebrows.  It was difficult to associate the man in front of him whose eyes were full of fear to the cold and murderous Lone Wolf that he knew.

          Ye Ruwei was oblivious to her surroundings as she lay in the familiar embrace feeling at peace in the infinite darkness.

          In these five years, she had never had a good night's sleep.  She could now deeply indulged in such happiness and was unwilling to wake up.

 

          She saw herself in a dream.

          Remembering five years ago, it was also a winter……

          Five years ago, Hongye Hot Springs.

          The cold wave had arrived again.

          According to the weather report that morning, the minimum temperature of freshwater was about ten degrees Celsius.  Hongye Hot Springs in Beitou was located higher in the mountains and their freshwater temperature was not much different.  It could be due to the numerous hot springs around therefore Ye Ruwei did not feel cold.

          She wore a white sweater with a pair of blue jeans displaying a vibrant appearance like a beautiful, lovely little daisy.

          With a bamboo broom, she swept the leaves that had fallen on the ground from the two trees that were standing outside the door.  The red maple leaves were so beautiful that she picked up a few leaves and lovingly put them between the pages of her book.

          It was winter now and there should not be any maple leaves around but Taiwan was located in the subtropical region where winter would be warmer than other countries so beautiful red maple leaves could still be seen in winter.

          She had studied in the United States for many years and naturally she had seen maple leaves before.  She had always disliked the maple leaves there as they were too large and some varieties of the leaves were even larger than her face.  She still favored the small maple leaves from the two trees for their meticulous beauty and the size of the red maple leaves were just right.  The red maple leaves were like the evening sunset, so beautiful that it was impossible not to keep a collection.

          She swept the leaves into a dustpan.  Her cheeks were flushed and her transparent, supple skin showed a tinge of rosy pink.

          Hongye Hot Springs was the hot springs restaurant that belonged to her parents who had migrated and she had taken over the business for less than a year. 

          She remembered a year ago, just after she had returned from Los Angeles, her parents told her that their whole family was migrating to Australia.

          She had just returned from overseas and did not intend to leave Taiwan for the time being.  She was also reluctant to leave Hongye Hot Springs, where she had grown up.  So, she begged her parents not to sell the place and let her continue running the business.

          Her parents also did not want to sell the restaurant that they had built up for the past 20 years and so they agreed to her request to stay on in Taiwan to continue operating the restaurant.

          In order not to disappoint her parents, she worked hard and a year down the road, the restaurant was doing quite well.

          Over the past year, she had met a lot of people and all kinds of strange guests and at the same time, gathered a lot of knowledge and also broadened her horizons.  She really liked the job!

          "Welcome!"

          From the corner of her eyes, she saw someone enter the door.  Immediately, she looked up and smiled to welcome the guest.  As soon as she saw the person, her eyes widened.

          It's him!  It is the cold man......someone whose name she did not know.

          She had actually noticed him for quite some time.

          He has been a frequent visitor for the past six months.  He always came alone, about two to three times a week and each time it would be late at night.  He would stay for an hour or so and would leave before the closing time which is twelve midnight.

          Another reason that attracted her attention was not because of his above-average looks but his solemn, aloof and gloomy temperament.

          He was always cold, aloof and would not take the initiative to speak unless it was necessary.  She did not know the origin of the man, but her intuition told her that he must have a complex story behind him.

          She did not realize that she had stopped all her actions as she stared at him until he stopped in front of her.  He lifted his eyebrows at her, then only did she come to her senses and found herself staring at him foolishly.

          She suddenly blushed, felt embarrassed and wanted to dig a hole to bury herself.

          The man did not express any opinion regarding her disgraceful behavior nor did his expression change but instead he said lightly.  "As usual."

          The so-called 'as usual' is actually a personal hot springs pool overlooking the foot of the mountain with the night scenery that he utilizes every time he comes.

          There were only a few of these special personal pools and the price was more expensive than the normal baths.  In addition, very few people would request for these type of pools every time they come in except for the man.

          "Okay, please come with me!"

          Ye Ruwei quickly put down the bamboo broom and removed a key for the special personal pool from the wall.  Quickly she led the way along the ancient red brick path towards the most remote and quiet personal pool.

          "Today you…….you are later than usual."

          On the way to the special personal pool, Ye Ruwei tried to break the silence by searching for topics to talk to the silent man following behind her.

          The man did not speak.  Not even a sound came from him and Ye Ruwei was overcome with embarrassment.  When they reached the pool, Ye Ruwei wished him an enjoyable bath and quickly turned to leave.

          When she turned around, unexpectedly she caught a glimpse of a wound on his arm.  The wound was about five centimeters long and it was like a scratch left by a sharp object.  The blood around the wound had turned dark red.

          "Ah!  You are hurt!"   She exclaimed.

          The man raised his right hand, looked down the back of his arm and his eyes suddenly darkened.

          He almost forgot about the wound!

          Tonight while he was executing the mission, he shot the target specified by the Lord and was scratched by the son of the target.

          He remembered the little boy who after having seen his father killed had angrily picked up a knife and rushed to attack him.  The little boy looked like an irrational little beast!

          That boy should be less than twelve years old.

          The boy was almost the same age as him that time, presumably, now he should also understand the cruelty of the world.

          His heart tightened,  He put his hand down and curving his mouth, he said.  "Just a small wound, it's nothing."

          "Small wound?  You are bleeding!"

          Ye Ruwei really could not believe that someone would actually not care about their own body.  Does he want his blood to flow like a river before he considers it as serious?

          "Wait here, I'll bring the medical kit to help you disinfect.  Otherwise, it will fester and there will be inflammation."

          Ye Ruwei did not wait for him to answer.  She turned around and ran back to the counter.

          Lone Wolf looked at her slender figure running away with lifted eyebrows.  In fact, he could have ignored her but he did not know why he stood there obediently and patiently waiting for her to come back.

          Not long after, Ye Ruwei carrying a white medicine box came running back.

          "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

          Ye Ruwei looked at him and smiled.  She placed the medicine box on the side antique octagonal coffee table and then took out the cotton and a bottle of iodine.

          "Stretch out your arm."

          Mu Zheng obediently held up his arm to let her clean the wound.  He looked at Ye Ruwei standing on tiptoe to carefully wipe his wound with cotton.  Then she applied iodine and blew lightly on the wound.

          He stared at her and thought she should really work as a nurse.  A gentle and loving woman, in today's society, is becoming a rarity. 

          After iodine was applied and the wound was dried, a plaster was pasted on the wound.

          "Okay, done!"  She nodded and smiled with satisfaction.

          Mu Zheng knitted his eyebrows and stared at the plaster.

          He did not even remember that he had ever pasted this thing in his life!

          In the past, his injuries were several times more serious than this, and if he were to paste plaster on his injuries, he would have long turned into a mummy!

          Moreover, if people saw him, the frightening assassin Lone Wolf using plaster to cover his wound, then he would die with shame.

          "Get rid of this stuff!"  He pursed his lips and tried to pull it off.

          "No!"  Ye Ruwei exclaimed, quickly stepping forward to seize his hand.  "If you tear it off now, you may tear open the wound as well.  It would be better to tear it off tomorrow morning."

          Her response was instinctive without hesitation.  Mu Zheng was surprised for a moment.   He involuntarily lowered his head to look at her white, delicate hands and was shocked by her cool, soft touch.

          All along, he was not used to having physical contact with people but this once, her touch did not make him feel disgusted nor awkward.

          When she saw him staring at her hands, Ye Ruwei was shocked by her own actions.

          "I'm sorry!"  Blushing, she quickly released her hands and stammered.  "I'm afraid your wound will open up wider.  I was nervous……I’m really sorry!"

          "It's okay!"

          Mu Zheng lightly shook his head as he looked at her.  At this time, he finally noticed that she is beautiful!

          "Please take your bath!"  Ye Ruwei shyly suggested to him.

          "Um......"   Lone Wolf lightly humph and turned towards the pool while he twisted his neck twice, intending to take a comfortable bath.

          "Please slowly enjoy your bath in the hot springs.  Remember, don’t let your wound get wet!"

          Ye Ruwei politely shut the door for him.  The moment the door closed, instantly she turned and ran back to the counter with a red face.

          So embarrassing!  How could she act so foolishly in front of him?  He must have thought she is a crazy woman!

          In her life, she had never been so disgraced!

          Oh!  She really cannot wait to jump into the hot springs pool and drown herself.

          Mu Zheng heard the sounds of fleeing footsteps outside and he smiled slightly.

          Interesting little woman!

          He did not know how long he had not seen a girl blush.  It was difficult to imagine in this open society, there were girls who would still blush.

          That girl would not know about his true identity.  He was a killer with hands full of blood, and everyone walking down the white or black path was afraid of him.  He had come to bathe in the hot springs to clean himself because he had just recently ended a life.

          Mu Zheng took off his clothing exposing his thin healthy long legs and walked into the large rock pool to look for a comfortable spot to sit down.  He laid back on the rocks with eyes closed and let the hot springs water soothe his tired body and mind.

          He did not know when did he develop the habit of taking a hot springs bath in the mountains after completion of each mission.  On recollection, this habit had started many years ago.

          Once by chance, he passed by this area and was attracted to the elegant Japanese garden scenery and after trying once, he became a frequent visitor to Hongye Hot Springs.

          In fact, he did not like to kill.  He hated the smell of blood which was why he wanted to take a hot springs bath after each mission.

          Perhaps he subconsciously hoped that through the hot springs, the sulfur would wash away the smell of blood…….