Part 3 (Near Heaven gates)

Next morning

Wu souwei was scared to text ChengYu, but he was also worried that Chi Cheng might have scolded ChengYu and asking to not be close to him.

First he prepared breakfast for himself, ate, cleaned after himself, than sat on his sofa, took deep breath in and opened chat with ChengYu.

In park

"You know, you're hard-working guy, I appreciate it" chnegyu confessed.

"Woah, for real? I'm glad you think that way, I wish Boss would be so nice like you" Wu souwei said with grin.

"Don't let him ever hear what you just said, we both would be doomed" Chengyu laughed.

The rest of the day Chengyu and Souwei spend together, it was easy for them become good friends.

...***...

The rest of the days while Chi Cheng still was in business trip, Souwei always ended up being with Chengyu.

Sometimes when they were drinking older guy would literally spill all the tea and details about his boss, Souwei started take notes and sometimes write down, what things his boss loves and what he hates. He didn't understand why he does that, but it felt like right thing to do at that moment.

"Don't ever let Chi Cheng know, that you know full information about him, maybe one day he will tell you that" Chengyu looked in ceiling.

Souwei wasn't that optimistic like Chengyu, but he believed that under that cold personality who is surrounded around his boss, hides nice person., it's just that he was hurt before, and even Chengyu doesn't know what exactly happened that time when happened car crush. He said Chi Cheng refused to say real reason why he lost control over car and caused the accident.

Souwei started daydreaming, how would he react or what would he do in situation like this, he can't imagine how painful it must be to lose someone you love/loved and then whole life live with guilt in your heart.

However, young man was confused, why can't his boss just try to move on, he can't be like this till his last day on earth.

Souwei than received notification, he looked in his phone, and it was unknown number, when he read the messages, his heartbeat increased immediately, his hands started trembling like he just traveled back in time to past, where his life was a nightmare.

"Souwei are you okay"? Chengyu asked with sign of worried voice.

Souwei didn't say anything, his eyes filled with up with tears, silent cry. Older man didn't ask anything, he hugged souwei out of instinct to comfort, as he usually does with Chi Cheng.

Feeling chills running through his whole body younger let out loud sob," I'm scared ".

" Can you show me your phone"? Older asked politely

Souwei handed his phone to older, when he read messages he was dumbfounded and in shock.

Messages was death threats from unknown person, the way that person told they know about souwei past and started threatening him, older guy knew that now he will make sure that souwei is in safety.

It's not because older is in love with younger one, it's just because he cares for Souwei and seeing how this affected him, makes older mad.

Finally come time when Chi Cheng returned back and Souwei finally was back at the office and working seriously.

One night Souwei ranted a car, he was lazy to walk home, he went to parking lot and was about to unlock his ranted Audi R8, when from behind he heard familiar voice.

His eyes widened open in terror he turned slowly around, gulping saliva hard as he saw his psychopathic ex-girlfriend.

A shadow detached itself from behind a support column. "Souwei." The voice was syrup poured over broken glass—familiar, wrong. Mei-Lin. Her smile didn't touch eyes like polished obsidian. A restraining order lay crumpled in his memory.

His gaze flicked down. Her right hand hung loosely at her side, fingers curled around something metallic that caught the light—a paring knife, absurdly domestic and terrifying. Cold sweat prickled his neck.

"Mr. Chi!" The scream ripped from Souwei's throat before he could think, raw and desperate. It echoed off the low ceiling, bouncing between parked cars. "Please—help!" Across the aisle, near the elevator, Chi Cheng paused mid-stride, his tailored suit sharp against the grimy backdrop. Souwei's heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird.

Mei-Lin moved with terrifying speed. Before Chi Cheng could turn fully, she wrapped Souwei in a crushing embrace, her arm locking around his waist. The cold point of the knife pressed through his shirt, digging just below his ribs. Her breath was hot and frantic against his ear. "One more word," she hissed, her voice vibrating with manic control, "and you're done " Souwei froze.

Mei-Lin flashed him a dazzling, artificial smile, her fingers tightening possessively on Souwei’s shoulder. "Don’t mind him, Mr. Chi!" Her tone was bright, unnervingly cheerful. "He gets shy around his girlfriend sometimes—makes up dramatic little stories!" Souwei felt a fears run through his body.

Chi Cheng’s gaze flickered from Mei-Lin’s placating smile to Souwei’s rigid terror. For a heartbeat, Souwei saw doubt flicker in his boss’s eyes—a tightening around the mouth, a slight furrow in his brow. Then, like a switch flipping, Chi Cheng’s expression smoothed into polite disinterest. The word "girlfriend" seemed to settle it. He gave a nod, and turned around to leave.

Mei-Lin’s embrace shifted instantly from possessive to predatory. Her giggle died, replaced by a low, guttural snarl. "Stupid," she hissed, her breath hot and rancid against Souwei’s ear. The knife twisted slightly, a cruel promise against the thin fabric of his shirt. He felt the cold bite of steel through the weave, pressing dangerously close to yielding flesh. His muscles locked, every instinct screaming not to move, not to breathe. All he wanted was wake up, he was hoping it's just another episode of his nightmares, but all this felt too realistic,but he was praying it was just a dream, bad dream. " Souwei, please wake up,wake up". But he didn't, he was still standing in garage next to his ex girlfriend.

Souwei’s mind raced – the restraining order crumpled uselessly in home. A choked sound escaped him, half-sob, half-disbelief. Betrayal wasn’t just sour; it was a jagged shard lodged in his chest, he couldn't believe that Chi Cheng would go away so fast. "Didn't he see the fear in my expression, or he just on purpose put on blind eyes, I hate him now".

Mei-Lin’s grip shifted infinitesimally, her forearm pressing harder against his diaphragm. "See?" she whispered, triumph lacing her voice like venom. "Nobody cares." The knife tip remained a cold, unwavering pressure just below his ribs, a terrible punctuation mark to her words. Souwei felt like ground under his feet is collapsing.

Chi Cheng’s elevator doors slid shut with a soft, final *ding*. The sound echoed like a tomb sealing. Mei-Lin’s giggle returned, high-pitched and brittle. "Just us now, Souwei. Like old times." Her free hand traced a chilling path down his cheek. He flinched, muscles coiled tight, every nerve screaming. The knife twisted again under his ribs.She wasn't just angry; she was *playing*.

Mei-Lin leaned closer, her cheek brushing his temple. "You always did underestimate me, Souwei," she murmured. Her free hand slid down his arm, fingers tracing the veins in his wrist with chilling intimacy. "Thinking Chi Cheng cared? Thinking *anyone* cared?" She started laugh like maniac.

"No one would ever love you, the way I do, just accept that Souwei" Mei-Lin smirked.

The knife remained a cold, unwavering pressure against his stomach, but her grip shifted subtly. Instead of pressing directly inward, the blade angled upwards now, poised beneath his ribs. "The restraining order," he choked out, barely a whisper. "They *will* find you."

Her arm snapped forward—a piston thrust—driving the blade deep beneath Souwei’s ribs. It wasn’t pain he felt first, but a cold, wet intrusion, followed by a tearing pressure that stole his breath. Her laughter erupted again, high-pitched and jagged, bouncing off the concrete like shattering glass. "No one can stop me!"

Mei-Lin leaned in, her lips brushing his ear as he sank to his knees. "You know," she hissed, breath hot. "Miss Hae? Chi Cheng’s precious fiancée?" A manic grin split her face. "She paid me *quite* well to get rid of you. Said you were sniffing around her man." Souwei’s vision blurred.

" He collapsed forward onto the cold, oil-slicked floor, clutching the searing heat blooming beneath his ribs. Above him, Mei-Lin laughing. "Now it’s *definitely* time for you to die," she spat, wiping the blade casually on her jeans. "Consider it like an anniversary gift".

The elevator doors across the aisle slid open with a cheerful *ding*. Guo Chengyu stepped out, humming softly a song.He ffroz in shock. His gaze traveled from Souwei’s crumpled form, clutching his abdomen, to Mei-Lin standing over him, the bloody knife still clutched loosely in her hand. " SOUWEI "..... Chengyu screaming, his voice echoed through whole garage. Mei-Lin immediately run away with triumph smile on her lips.

Guo Chengyu run to souwei and called ambulance, it took them five minutes to arrive and take Souwei to hospital immediately.

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