187: I refuse to give up this life

I refuse to give up this life

There was nothing but quietness in the car as Bear picked up his speed, not saying anything to not alarm Heaven. He didn't want to make her panic until he confirmed that the car behind them was tailing them or it was just going in the same direction.  0

However, he quickly realized there was no need for that. 

"Make a few turns," said Heaven calmly, making him glance at the rear mirror momentarily. "Go somewhere desolate. If they're following us, then it's better to know their motives."

Bear furrowed his brows at her suggestion. He glanced at the mirror once again to confirm if her calm voice matched her expression. Heaven was unfazed, still sitting on the backseat comfortably with her eyes on the window. 

How was this possible? No. How did she notice?

At this point, Bear shouldn't be surprised since Heaven even stabbed herself to imprison Andrea Ng. However, it was still hard to believe that this woman could be this calm, even in the presence of danger. 

"If you don't mind…" Bear broke his silence as he recomposed himself. "Have you been in this situation before?"

"Many times." 

'Many times?' Bear furrowed his brows. "Since you got married to the Zhu Family?"

"Since I was born." 

This time, Bear frowned, thinking she was just trolling him. How was that possible? Bear asked for a deep background check on her, and the result turned out to be normal. She had a 'normal' childhood, or what other people considered normal.

Heaven lived a pretty simple life until she got into the entertainment industry. She had no bad records whatsoever — as expected from someone who had no relation with the underground. 

'She probably just didn't want to tell me,' was what Bear thought. 

If only he knew what she was saying was the truth and nothing but the truth, but well, Heaven wouldn't tell him honestly if she didn't know he wouldn't believe her. 

Heaven maintained her silence, resting her jaw against her knuckles. She could feel their speed pick up even faster, watching the car behind them keep its distance. If this car wasn't following them, they should've out-driven it, but no. The car behind them also picked up its speed.

"Who do you think it is?" asked Bear as he had the same realization as Heaven's. His eyes narrowed, considering the event months before. "Do you think it has something to do with Leon Zhu? The man you asked me to find?"

"I don't know." Her tone had a tinge of disinterest. "That's why it's best to find out instead of wondering to ourselves."

Bear glanced at her through the rear mirror. "If you want to confront them, it might end up ugly."

"Not on my end, for sure."

The confidence…

Bear clenched his teeth, and his jaw tightened, keeping his focus on the road. 

"Just where is this confidence coming from?" he inquired quietly, as if their speed was something that scared neither of them. "I am not questioning it, but I am curious about its roots. At this point, I am slowly accepting your other side. However, it also makes me reconsider working for you."

Heaven didn't answer immediately, keeping her gaze on the side mirror. "Make sense. A woman who seemed pretty normal isn't afraid of death or doesn't even tremble in the face of danger."

"However, do I really need a deeper reason or any other experience to explain my lack of fear in such situations?" she continued calmly, but her eyes were growing sharper. "I have many things to lose, Bear. If I don't face these things head-on, then I would be a coward all my life. That is akin to giving up the course of my life in the hands of another, hoping they wouldn't hurt me."

"I refuse to give up this life." She peeled her eyes from the side mirror to the rear mirror where she could see Bear. "Even if it means becoming the devil myself, I will do so to protect my family and this life."

Bear glanced at the rear mirror once again before setting his eyes ahead. "Can you even kill?"

"Try me."

"No need." Bear let out a deep exhale, keeping a straight face. "You don't have to go out. I can deal with them myself. Protecting you is my job, after all. This should be fine."

Heaven stared at his back from the backseat and smiled subtly. She leaned back comfortably, setting her eyes on the window. 

'Of course, I know you can deal with them on your own,' she thought, remembering how Bear would usually put himself out there just to not bother her. 'That car is alone, so that means even if the vehicle is full of passengers, it'll just be a few people. I can even sleep without any problem at this point.'

Heaven's only worry at this point was she wouldn't be able to come home in time. After all, Bear was driving in the opposite direction of where Heaven temporarily lived with her husband and son. 

"So tiring…" she murmured, blinking ever so tenderly. She could feel her eyes go heavy before she eventually napped. 

After a few minutes, Bear glanced at the rear mirror, only to see her napping! How could she nap in this situation? 

'There's only one person whom I know can nap in the presence of danger.'

He tried to convince himself to stop thinking about his previous boss, but the more he spent time with Heaven, the harder it was not to think about the queen of the underworld. 

Hera would sometimes take a nap even if there was an intruder in her home or even if someone was tailing them. And Bear would always let her since she didn't need to bother if he was with her. But that was because Bear and Hera's level of trust was deeper and stronger than anyone could even think of!

He believed he hadn't built the same level of rapport with Heaven Liu for her to trust him this much. 

Bear let out a sigh. 'I should visit her grave on my day off. I think she just wants me to visit her. That's why I've been thinking a lot about her.'

pqdm.com