Chapter 390 - Cats and Laser Beams

"For once they agreed with me," said Hao Suyin to her husband. They were in the bedroom already and she had just gotten out of the shower. She was drying her hair. "Although their suggestion was not the best option, it could be our ONLY option."

Qing Zihao only shook his head. "They are at that age wherein they feel like they could do anything. 'I'm the best' and 'I know everything' age. You should cut them some slack."

"Says the one who smacked his son earlier."

"Hey, he was being a disrespectful kid. I would not stand by and let him bad mouth you. He might be my son but you're my wife."

"I know," she smiled. "But it was not like it was uncalled for. Wei had really…" she pursed her lips, trying to think of a better world but could not find anything else. "He HATES me. I do get it. He loathes me."

"I think he's just surprised. He's going to warm up to you soon enough."

"I don't think so," she said and threw her towel on the couch before making her way under the blankets. "That boy is colder than any slice of meat in a freezer."

Qing Zihao smiled at that. "Well… that's true."

Hao Suyin felt sad about that fact. She knew that she was not the perfect mother. She knew she had missed a lot of opportunities on being a real mother. If she had been better, then maybe her sons wouldn't have turned out the way they did.

"They even think that they would be able to catch Checks."

To that Hao Suyin was bitter. It had been years since she last saw Checks face-to-face. When they had graduated from the assassin school, their paths never crossed paths again. Not unless, on some unfortunate day, or when the bad luck rubbed on her, she would see Checks in the headquarters.

They made a great impression that they were complete strangers. It was like they didn't even know each other. They refused to acknowledge one another's presence.

And that kind of setup worked. They never talked after that night in the rooftop. 

From the bottom, at the end of the road, it was Checks who was victorious with winning the first place in their batch. Hao Suyin was only second. Checks had a better track record and he did his mission flawlessly.

He had been tasked to kill someone on the train. People did not even know that the man was already dead until the train crew were already cleaning the cars. They found the body at the last station. Checks had been off the train before they were half-way through.

Checks had sat next to the man and in the form of a small needle protruding from his pockets, he had been able to poison the man and leave before anyone could notice that he was already dying. In less than two hours that he left the school, he was already back. Come nighttime, the news was already covering the story about the dead man on the train.

Quick and practical.

Unlike her.

Now that she was looking back at it, Hao Suyin could not help but cringe at herself. She had been too impulsive, wanting to prove that she could do anything that anyone could do.

She had been once in that stage where her sons were at te moment.

It was that period of your life that you think that you were invincible. She just wanted to make sure that they would not be as disappointed as she felt when the day comes and the truth comes slapping them on the face. 

She wished that they wouldn't make the same mistakes that she did when she was too high up and mighty in her non-existent throne.

"We should get some rest," said Qing Zihao. "We have a long day tomorrow."

"Long day?" she asked as she hovered above the man that she had always loved. "We're not going to do anything tomorrow but to lounge around as we watch our sons try to capture a shadow."

"They look like cats running after a laser beam."

"They do," she laughed. "They really do."

**

Hao Suyin woke up the following morning with a strange feeling in her gut. There was something sour—like acid—that was burning through it.

She was off the bed in a second. She might've gotten older but she was still quick on her feet.

She stared at the open window, they had left it to let the night air in. But it seemed like it was not the air that was the only one who could get in.

The sky was tinged with dark lilac. It looked like the sun was just about to come out of the horizon. It was a pretty sight and for a second that she she looked up the heavens, it was peaceful.

But it was too quick of a moment because a second later, Hao Suyin noticed the little piece of paper that had been wedged in between the hinges on the window.

It was a plain envelope but she already knew where this came from. Hao Suyin's circle of friends were not that great. There was only one who did not need to introduce himself.

Hao Suyin almost ripped the envelope open with all the sudden emotion and rage that had taken her. She forced herself to remain calm before she read the letter. Who knew what she would be reading? Who knew if it would be something that would make her do something reckless?

The paper was slightly thick and the script on the paper was clean and loopy. It only said a few words:

REMEMBER YOUR FIRST? I'LL MEET YOU THERE. 1930. Tomorrow.

Hao Suyin quickly grabbed the lighter from the nightstand drawer and burned the letter near the window.

First, her mind whispered. Of course, he would be there.

Now she had to prepare herself.

For death.