It had been a week since Xia Fei had bolted from Veinâs penthouse, but the images still haunted himârotting flesh, vacant eyes, surgical precision that stripped away any last illusion of normalcy Vein once had. Sleep had become an afterthought, and his appetite wasnât much better. Despite it all, he found himself sitting in a quiet corner of a small, unremarkable restaurant, stirring his untouched coffee.
Across from him, Liu Xiao leaned back in his chair, lazily sipping a glass of juice, seemingly oblivious to the tension crackling in the air.
Xia Fei finally broke the silence. "Alright, Liu Xiao. Spill it. What the hell do you and Vein really do?"
Liu Xiao smirked, swirling the ice in his glass. "Straight to the point, huh? I always liked that about you."
Xia Fei scowled. "Donât test my patience. Iâm still considering getting the hell out of here and never looking back."
Liu Xiao sighed, setting his drink down with a soft clink. "Fine, fine. Hereâs the deal, Xia Fei. What Vein does... it's not what you think. Yeah, it looks bad. Hell, I wonât defend itâit is abnormal.
But itâs necessary."
Xia Fei folded his arms, his sharp eyes locked onto Liu Xiaoâs. "Killing people and selling their organs? Thatâs not exactly the definition of necessary."
Liu Xiao leaned in, his voice dropping to a quieter, more serious tone. "It is when those people are the worst kind of scum this world has to offer."
Xia Fei frowned but said nothing, waiting for Liu Xiao to continue.
"The government has a list, Xia Fei. A long, dirty list of people they canât touch through legal meansâcorrupt politicians, human traffickers, black market dealers. You name it, theyâre on it. These guys are untouchable in the public eye. Too many connections, too much money. So⦠they outsource the dirty work to people like Vein."
Xia Feiâs fingers drummed against the table, skeptical. "And youâre just telling me this? Out of the kindness of your heart?"
Liu Xiao chuckled. "Iâd be an idiot if I did. Look, Iâm telling you because Vein cares about you. A lot more than he lets on." He shot Xia Fei a pointed look. "And he figured you wouldn't exactly believe him after what you saw. I mean, letâs be real, would you?"
Xia Fei let out a dry laugh. "Hell no."
He stared into his coffee, the reflection of his tired eyes staring back at him. "So, what? Youâre here to do damage control? Make sure I donât run off and spill the truth to the wrong people?"
Liu Xiao shook his head. "Nah, Vein trusts you. If he didnât, you wouldnât be breathing right now."
Xia Fei stiffened, but Liu Xiao waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, Iâm kidding. Sort of." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Look, Vein does what he does because no one else will. Heâs good at it, and yeah, he makes money off itâwho wouldnât? But his targets aren't just random people. Theyâre worse human beings. The kind of people that deserve whatâs coming to them."
Xia Fei's brows furrowed, his mind racing. "Then why take the organs? Why not just leave the bodies?"
Liu Xiao shrugged. "Waste not, want not. Black market pays a fortune for healthy organs, and Vein has expenses. Plus, it's a clean way to tie up loose ends."
Xia Fei exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Jesus... this is insane."
Liu Xiao grinned. "Welcome to Veinâs world, my friend. Youâre already deeper in than you think."
Xia Fei leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "So what do you want from me, Liu Xiao? Why tell me all this now?"
Liu Xiao's smirk softened, his tone more genuine. "Because Vein doesnât want to lose you. And despite the creepy shit you saw, heâs not the monster you think he is."
Xia Fei looked away, conflicted. He wanted to believe that. He wanted to believe there was some method to Vein's madness, some twisted logic behind the horrors he had witnessed. But doubt still gnawed at him.
"Youâre saying I should just... accept it? Pretend I didnât see what I saw?"
Liu Xiao shook his head. "No oneâs asking you to pretend. But think about it. Youâve known Vein for a while now. Has he ever once hurt you? Done anything to make you think you were in danger?"
Xia Fei thought about it. Vein had been possessive, overprotective, and definitely controllingâbut never violent toward him. Even when Xia Fei had pushed his limits, Vein had never raised a hand against him.
"...No," he admitted quietly.
Liu Xiao leaned back with a triumphant grin. "Exactly. The guyâs obsessed with keeping you safe, Xia Fei. And trust me, Vein doesnât do that for anyone."
Xia Fei rubbed his face, feeling exhausted. "I donât know, man. This is too much to process."
Liu Xiao stood up, patting him on the shoulder. "Take your time. Just... don't do anything stupid, alright? Vein's not the only one who'd miss you."
Xia Fei rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Liu Xiao smirked. "Good talk. Iâll leave you to think things over."
Xia Fei watched as Liu Xiao left the restaurant, his mind still reeling from everything he had just learned.
Was Vein really just some government-sanctioned killer cleaning up the filth of society? Or was there more to it than that?
He sighed, picking up his coffee cup and taking a tentative sip. It was cold now, bitter and unpleasantâjust like the situation he found himself in.
One thing was clear, though. He couldnât run forever. Sooner or later, heâd have to face Vein again.
__
Veinâs Perspective
Vein sat in his office, the glow of multiple monitors casting sharp shadows across the room. His fingers drummed against the polished surface of his desk, his gaze fixed on the screen displaying a surveillance feed of a quiet street outside Xia Feiâs apartment complex. He wasnât watching Xia Feiânot directly, at leastâbut it gave him a strange sense of control, knowing where he was, knowing he was safe.
His phone buzzed on the desk. Without looking, he reached for it and answered.
"Liu Xiao," Vein's voice was low, controlled. "How did it go?"
Liu Xiaoâs signature smugness came through even over the phone. "Relax, bro. I did my part. He listened, didn't hang up, and didnât try to stab me. So, Iâd say it went pretty well."
Vein exhaled through his nose, ignoring the sarcasm. "And? What did he say?"
There was a brief pause. "Heâs... conflicted," Liu Xiao admitted. "Doesnât trust you, but heâs thinking things over. Honestly, I think heâs more pissed off than scared."
Vein leaned back in his chair, his jaw tightening. Pissed off is better than terrified, he thought, his fingers rubbing at his temple. "Did he ask questions?"
Liu Xiao chuckled. "Of course. Bunch of questions. He wanted to know why Iâm even bothering to explain all this to him. I told him the truthâbecause you care and the fact that you are really bad with words."
Veinâs expression remained neutral, but his grip on the phone tightened. "And his reaction?"
"He didn't laugh in my face, so that's something," Liu Xiao replied with a grin in his voice. "But letâs be honest, Xia Feiâs not stupid. He knows you're a control freak, and this isn't just about caring."
Veinâs eyes darkened. "I donât need him understanding my reasons, Liu Xiao. I need him to stay."
There was a pause before Liu Xiao spoke again, more seriously this time. "Then maybe you should just tell him yourself. Stop hiding behind me and your damned cameras. Heâs scared because he doesnât understand you, Vein. But he's not running to the police, and he's not broadcasting your secrets. That should tell you something."
Vein didnât answer immediately. His gaze flicked to the surveillance feed again, the quiet emptiness of Xia Feiâs apartment taunting him. Heâs still there. He hasnât run.
"...Itâs not that simple," Vein said finally, his voice quieter.
Liu Xiao sighed on the other end. "It never is with you."
A tense silence hung between them before Liu Xiao spoke again, his tone more playful. "So, what now? Are you gonna sit in your surveillance room and watch Xia Fei until he decides to come back? Or are you actually going to do something about it?"
Vein's eyes narrowed. "I'm handling it."
"Sure you are," Liu Xiao said dryly. "Just donât wait too long, alright? You know how he is. If you leave him alone too long, heâs gonna start making bad decisions. And then, well... you know how messy things get."
Vein clenched his jaw, recalling Xia Feiâs stubborn streak all too well. The younger man had a habit of getting himself into trouble when left to his own devices. And trouble was something Vein couldnât allow. Not now. Not when things were getting more dangerous by the day.
"Fine," Vein said at last. "Iâll talk to him."
Liu Xiao laughed. "Good. Thatâs all I wanted to hear. But, uh, maybe tone down the whole 'secret-boss-assassin-whatever' vibe when you do. Just a suggestion."
Vein hung up without responding.
---
The moment the call ended, Vein's expression darkened, and he stood, pacing to the large window that overlooked the city skyline. His reflection stared back at himâcalm, composed, but with an edge of something darker beneath.
Liu Xiao was right. He couldnât just sit back and watch.
Xia Fei knew too much now, but more than thatâhe was angry. And Vein knew anger could lead to reckless decisions. He had spent too much effort keeping Xia Fei safe, steering him away from the uglier sides of his world.
And now that illusion had shattered.
His fingers twitched, recalling the weight of his gun from the last job, the way the target's body had hit the floor, lifeless. It had been a clean shot, a clean killâjust like all the others. The government paid well for efficiency, and he had delivered. But Xia Fei...
Xia Fei had never been meant to see that side of him.
Vein exhaled sharply, stepping away from the window. He would talk to Xia Fei, but it wouldnât be easy. Felix wouldnât just accept things because he was told to. He would push, question, fight backâand Vein would have to find the right way to keep him close without losing him entirely.
His eyes flicked back to the screen, Xia Feiâs apartment still in view. Veinâs gaze softened just a fraction.
"Iâll fix this," he muttered under his breath, determination settling into his bones.
If Xia Fei didnât believe him now, then Vein would have to make him.
---