The Mafia King's First Love

*Present*

Mingshen's hawk-like eyes were staring at Jia for the whole time she was listening to Wei retell the past. She didn't miss even a single change in her movement and expression. f𝘳𝚎𝑒𝚠𝑒𝚋𝘯o𝘃eƖ.co𝓂

She seemed to look unfazed and unmoved, but only Mingshen had noticed how her body was trembling and how hard she was trying to stop her tears. Her gaze was blank as she came to know the ugly truth of her parents that was hidden from her.

Song Lan and Song Wuyin's death was the trigger to give her the ambition and the need for revenge. She became a cop exactly to put their souls to peace.

But now she faced the truth that her whole ambition was fruitless. Her motivation to avenge their deaths was meaningless. The pride she had for her parents who worked as cops and risked their lives for the citizens of the country was shattered.

It was as if she had been living a disillusioned life the whole time. Her dreams, her pride - everything was a big lie.

Mom and Dad really…wanted to kill Lihua…

She curled her fist, trying to control the suffocating feeling of dread and disgust from enveloping her. Her mind was at a disarray. Wei hadn't killed them for the sake of killing them. He wasn't a cold-hearted bastard.

He only wanted to protect Lihua at all costs. That was only what mattered to him. That was his single motivation to shoot the bullets through their heads.

If they hadn't died that night, then Lihua would have.

Amidst the sharp silence, Wei's low but soft voice continued, "I had to kill them. There was no other option," with a cold gaze, he said, "I couldn't have let them drown Lihua and kill her. I never regretted killing them. I still don't. I would do whatever it takes to protect Lihua, even if I have to stain my hands with blood of the people Lihua once loved. Whoever threatens Lihua must meet death. There is no other choice."

His icy words cut through the air like arrows. They carried a weight and certainty of their own.

He glanced at Jia, who stood extremely silent and pursed his lips. "But I do regret shooting you that day we caught you. You said I killed your parents and for a moment, I didn't realize what you were talking about. But when I came to know that you were Song Jia, everything fell into place. I…was afraid that you would tell Lihua the truth. Over the years, I came to know that Lihua didn't remember anything about our meeting in our childhood or her parents' death.

It was that

day in the base I met you when I realized that you were at the park that night and had seen me killing them. Since Lihua didn't know anything, I wanted it to remain like that. You were like a ticking bomb for me. Maybe you didn't tell her the truth of that night because she had no memories, but I couldn't rely on that, especially when…I had finally decided to meet Lihua during the campus placements."

Lihua stiffened and widened her eyes. "You…you came there for me?"

Meng Ya looked dumbfounded as well. "So it wasn't Jiang - I mean Zhao Industries was hiring then?"

"No," Wei tilted his head. "Why will I personally come for campus placements?"

"..."

"..."

That one statement basically meant - I am the CEO. That is not my job.

Well, he is right too…I never saw a CEO personally being a part of campus interview process… f𝔯𝒆𝚎𝚠𝑒𝚋𝓃૦νℯƖ.co𝘮

Fu Renshu also remembered how shocked he was to know that Wei wanted to accompany him. But he now learned that it was because of Lihua.

What happened that night or his meeting with Lihua was something that Wei had kept a secret from everybody except Zhao Weizhe because he took care of everything that the matter of Song Wuyin and Song Lan'a deaths would come to an end without any blame on Wei. He worked in the background to hide Wei's involvement in that night.

Wei rubbed his hands together. "That's why I shot you only to protect the truth. I d-didn't want Lihua to hate me…"

It pained Lihua to see Wei like this. Here she had forgotten all her memories with Wei, but he lived with those for all these years. He carried those memories and the burden of that night all alone. How must have he felt to be the only one who remembered their meetings? How must he have felt to see him as a stranger for her after that night? Even when he could have happily lived with their friendship, he had to live a lonely life until he chose to meet Lihua again.

But not only Wei, her heart broke to see Jia in that miserable state. To learn that her own parents betrayed their vows and succumbed to greed and corruption to the point that they were ready to kill a child was something Jia would have a hard time dealing with.

From pride, Song Lan and Song Wuyin had now become a stain in Jia's life.

Then there was the Cheng family, her real family, who had to keep their distance to protect her and live without their daughter and sister for all this time. They had to bear t

he separation from her.

Wei, Jia, and the Cheng family suffered in their own ways throughout these years while Lihua, who knew nothing, lived a carefree life. Guilt filled her heart to realize that she lived a blissful life until now when so many important people in their life were silently suffering.

As tears plopped down from her eyes, she stammered between her words. "I am so-sorry…Everybody was in pain while I had been happily living without care. So many people were suffering behind me, but I knew nothing. I could laugh and enjoy be-because you all were there to protect me…" she broke down, "B-But I could do nothing to protect you…I am so sorry…I don't deserve all this sacrifice!"