Chapter 2

"Huo... Huo... Huo... Huo... Huo Mingche! Why are you here?!"

The handsome youth with a sunny disposition looked at Huo Mingche dumbly and became so afraid that his teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.

"This is... your so-called oath?"

The tiny trace of trust that Huo Mingche displayed in his eyes earlier on was immediately gone, only to be replaced by an iciness.

"It's merely a coincidence. I will never flee from you ever again!"

Gu Jiuci let go of his hand in fear. This small movement, however, caused Huo Mingche's gaze to become even colder, and the aura of viciousness surrounding him transformed into a murderous one!

"Don't be afraid of him, Jiuci!"

Her second brother took the opportunity to lift her up and used his own body to shield her. Even though he was so fearful of Huo Mingche that he began to tremble, he still spoke resolutely.

"Huo Mingche! You aren't officially related to Jiuci in any way now! As her second-eldest brother, I have the right to take her home!"

"Scram."

Huo Mingche wore an especially gloomy look as he stood up. Whenever he behaved like a tyrant, he seemed like Death itself.

Gu Jiuci could hear her heart thump. "Dammit, I'm going to get the chills again!" she thought.

"I'm not going to... Ah!"

Before Gu Qijue could finish speaking, he was lifted up off his feet by Huo Mingche from his collar and tossed casually to one side.

Huo Mingche walked up to Gu Jiuci. All of a sudden, his vicious aura caused her to feel breathless and her vision to turn dark.

"Jiuci! Run, now!"

Her second brother was seething in pain but still warned her.

Gu Jiuci clenched her fists tightly to control herself from trembling. She stood as still as a rod.

"Why aren't you running away?"

Huo Mingche squinted as he reached out his hand to raise her chin. He ran his rough thumb lightly over her lips, as if he was trying to gather something.

It seemed as though Death itself was administering the last moment of compassion to someone about to cross over to the afterlife.

Gu Jiuci tried to embolden herself. She forced herself to raise her head and stare bravely into Huo Mingche's eyes.

"I've just told you that I will never run from you again. I'll appear punctually at the banquet and confirm our engagement. I will marry you," she replied with a serious expression.

"I'm going to repay all the debts that I owe you from our previous lives," she said to herself.

Huo Mingche's cold and stiff expression loosened up a little, but it was still not enough.

"Do you think that I'll believe you just like this?"

"You will!" she replied resolutely.

She loosened the first button of her blouse to reveal an exquisite sapphire pendant.

It was shaped like a teardrop, and it had a mysterious yet gentle aura. It was a gift from her mother that she kept with her ever since birth.

For some reason, she began to remove the pendant. Without anyone else's prompting, she grabbed Huo Mingche's hand and placed it in his palm.

"You should know how important this pendant is to me. I'm giving it to you now. I'll appear on time at tonight's engagement banquet, and you'll help me put it on again, all right?"

"Jiuci! Are you nuts?! How could you give that demon our mother's present to you?" Gu Qijue said in exasperation.

Gu Jiuci had no time for her brother, however. She was waiting anxiously for Huo Mingche's verdict.

She could feel the man's icy gaze fall on her face. It stopped there, as if he was trying to figure her out from the inside out.

He spoke just as Gu Jiuci felt like she was about to receive her death sentence.

"All right."

"I knew that you'd believe me!"

Gu Jiuci heaved a sigh of relief. She smiled so cheerfully that her eyes sparkled. Her bright expression caused the man's icy gaze to falter for a split second before it dissipated with the darkness. The atmosphere in the lounge returned to normal, and it felt like it was spring once again.

"Great! We've survived!"

"We'll meet at night then! Let's go, second brother!"

Gu Jiuci helped her brother up from the ground and they left the airport without any further hiccups.

"I really can't believe that demon, Huo Mingche, would actually be willing to let us go!"

Gu Qijue only dared to speak out against the "demon" after they were safe in his car. His fingers gripping the steering wheel were still trembling slightly.

Gu Jiuci felt her heart ache a little as she looked at her second brother. He was evidently extremely afraid, yet he never failed to defend her without a second thought.

In her past life, her second brother took care of her like a princess. He would do anything that she wished, even if he had to die for her.

She chose to trust Xu Yun'er, however, and never took heed of him. In fact, she even avoided and loathed him.

She recalled that he even stood closely in front of her while he faced death. "Don't be afraid, Jiuci," he said to her with a smile.

Her eyes started to feel warm.

At this moment, the phone in her bag rang. Gu Jiuci picked it up to see that it was Xu Yun'er. Immediately, her expression immediately turned gloomy.

"You're really a cunning one, Xu Yun'er. We've just left, yet here you are, calling me!"