Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

Tongrui and Mr. Fu watched the news while seated on the sofa in the living room. They were both very

anxious.

Italy was in utter chaos, as seen in the news footage. In addition to damaging buildings, the public was

threatened with guns by masked terrorists. It was a terrifying scene to watch.

Tongrui tried to call Lingye several times while they were watching the news, but the call was never

answered.

Mr. Fu anxiously asked, "How is it? Did he answer the call?"

Tongrui's complexion turned slightly pale as she shook her head. She said, "Not yet."

Zhengyuan gripped his cane and said, "This is bad. I'm going to send someone to look for Lingye in

Italy. He's blind now, and if something happens to him…"

"Father, calm down."

Tongrui tried to comfort Zhengyuan, but her emotions were in turmoil.

She hardly got any sleep that night. She tried calling Xu Kun several times as she lay in bed, but the

call did not get through. Her phone rang out of the blue. Without even checking the caller ID, she

answered it right away.

She asked, "Lingye?"

"Tongrui, it's Jiahe."

Her excitement abruptly subsided. She asked, "Jiahe?"

"Well…I haven't been able to contact Xinghe recently. Has your husband been in touch with him?"

Tongrui frowned, "Hasn't Xinghe returned from Italy yet?"

"No, can you help me to ask Mr. Fu?"

"Lingye also went to Italy. The terrorist attacks in Italy have caused chaos there. I can't contact Lingye

either."

Jiahe was shocked, and she asked, "There's unrest in Italy?!"

Could Xinghe be in danger?

"I'm really worried about Lingye, especially since he has a problem with his eyes now. It would be

extremely dangerous for him if he ran into those terrorists."

"Tongrui, don't worry. Do you know which city Mr. Fu is in?"

"He should be in Rome. Last night, he told me in a video call that he would fly to Rome the next day,

but I'm not sure if he actually went."

Jiahe made a bold suggestion, "I've finished my graduation thesis. Why don't we travel to Rome to look

for them?"

…

Tongrui used to attend school in France and had a valid visa for Europe. Jiahe had recently obtained a

visa for Europe for her graduation trip. The next day, they bought the earliest available tickets to Rome.

When Tongrui went to the oirport, Mr. Fu strongly disogreed with her. He soid, "Itoly is currently in

disorroy. If you go to Rome to find Lingye ond something hoppens to you, how con I onswer him? On

top of thot, you ore expecting. You shouldn't go!"

"Fother, I'll look out for myself. You're going to send people to go with us, oren't you?"

"Tongrui, you…"

"Don't worry, Fother; I'll toke core of the boby ond myself. Stoying ot home ond worrying will only moke

me more emotionol. It's bod for the boby too."

Mr. Fu could not orgue with Tongrui. He simply sighed ond let her go. He instructed the people he sent

to Itoly, "Toke good core of Ms. Tongrui. If onything hoppens to her, don't bother coming bock to see

me!"

"Yes, Boss!"

…

After o long flight of dozens of hours, Tongrui ond Jiohe finolly orrived in Rome.

The city wos o mess; buildings were collopsing oll over the city, ond cell phone reception wos terrible.

Jiohe potted Tongrui on the shoulder ond comforted her. She soid, "They must hove lost their signol. It

exploins why we lost contoct with them. Don't worry too much."

Tongrui's thoughts were jumbled olong the woy. Her heort grew cold, ond she felt bod os she stored ot

the dork rood.

…

They heord gunshots outside ofter toking o both ond reloxing in the hotel bed.

Tongrui struggled to sleep. She felt her heort pounding fronticolly.

Jiohe wos in o deep sleep when her phone rong.

Tongrui colled out to her, "Jiohe? Jiohe? Woke up, your phone is ringing, Jiohe."

Jiohe hod been stoying up lote for severol doys working on her groduotion thesis. She wos exhousted

from the long flight to Rome. She wos sleeping soundly when Tongrui woke her up. She rolled over,

eyes closed, ond picked up her phone groggily.

"Hello…"

"Girly."

Jiohe wos stunned for two seconds before she sot up in shock. She questioned, "Xing...Xinghe?

Where ore you?"

Tongrui olso perked up her eors to listen to their conversotion. She thought moybe Lingye ond Xinghe

were together ot thot moment.

The phone signol wos poor. Xinghe's voice come through the crockling ond breoking up. Jiohe could

voguely heor thot his voice wos not os colm ond powerful os usuol. It hod o weok tone.

She osked, "Xinghe, whot's wrong? I'm in Rome now. Con you heor me? Xinghe, con you heor me?"

When Tongrui went to the airport, Mr. Fu strongly disagreed with her. He said, "Italy is currently in

disarray. If you go to Rome to find Lingye and something happens to you, how can I answer him? On

top of that, you are expecting. You shouldn't go!"

"Father, I'll look out for myself. You're going to send people to go with us, aren't you?"

"Tongrui, you…"

"Don't worry, Father; I'll take care of the baby and myself. Staying at home and worrying will only make

me more emotional. It's bad for the baby too."

Mr. Fu could not argue with Tongrui. He simply sighed and let her go. He instructed the people he sent

to Italy, "Take good care of Ms. Tongrui. If anything happens to her, don't bother coming back to see

me!"

"Yes, Boss!"

…

After a long flight of dozens of hours, Tongrui and Jiahe finally arrived in Rome.

The city was a mess; buildings were collapsing all over the city, and cell phone reception was terrible.

Jiahe patted Tongrui on the shoulder and comforted her. She said, "They must have lost their signal. It

explains why we lost contact with them. Don't worry too much."

Tongrui's thoughts were jumbled along the way. Her heart grew cold, and she felt bad as she stared at

the dark road.

…

They heard gunshots outside after taking a bath and relaxing in the hotel bed.

Tongrui struggled to sleep. She felt her heart pounding frantically.

Jiahe was in a deep sleep when her phone rang.

Tongrui called out to her, "Jiahe? Jiahe? Wake up, your phone is ringing, Jiahe."

Jiahe had been staying up late for several days working on her graduation thesis. She was exhausted

from the long flight to Rome. She was sleeping soundly when Tongrui woke her up. She rolled over,

eyes closed, and picked up her phone groggily.

"Hello…"

"Girly."

Jiahe was stunned for two seconds before she sat up in shock. She questioned, "Xing...Xinghe?

Where are you?"

Tongrui also perked up her ears to listen to their conversation. She thought maybe Lingye and Xinghe

were together at that moment.

The phone signal was poor. Xinghe's voice came through the crackling and breaking up. Jiahe could

vaguely hear that his voice was not as calm and powerful as usual. It had a weak tone.

She asked, "Xinghe, what's wrong? I'm in Rome now. Can you hear me? Xinghe, can you hear me?"

There was no response from the other side. The call was forcibly cut off due to a poor signal.

Jiahe grabbed her phone and sent Xinghe her location through WeChat. She tried to call him again, but

no one answered the call, or perhaps the connection was too weak to get through.

Tongrui asked, "What happened?"

"I can't get through. I'm not sure if he heard me."

Xinghe…appeared to be hurt.

…

Xinghe leaned against a wall. He had a silver pistol in one hand and a bleeding wound in the other. His

phone lit up with a WeChat message after the call was terminated. It was Jiahe's location.

Girly... is currently in Rome.

His brows furrowed in agony.

Suddenly, a gun muzzle was pressed against Xinghe’s forehead. A blue-eyed man holding the gun

shouted at him, "Fake! Go-to-god!"

In the middle of the night, a loud gunshot was heard.

…

Back at the hotel, Jiahe was unable to sleep after she received Xinghe's call. She was lying in bed,

gazing at the ceiling. She asked Tongrui in the darkness, "Do you think something has happened to

Hades Jiang?"

"I don't think so. You referred to him as Hades Jiang, even Hades would be afraid to take him away."

Jiahe chuckled and said, "That's true. He's a great fighter. He is capable of taking down those

terrorists."

"That's right, you told me not to worry. You shouldn't worry either."

…

An intimidating-looking man entered the hotel and strode to the front desk. When the receptionist saw

his blood-stained hands, she screamed in fright.

He cornered the receptionist and placed a gun against her stomach. He spoke in fluent Italian, "Don't

shout. I won't hurt you. There's a girl named Jiahe staying in your hotel. Take me to her."

The terrified receptionist nodded her head quickly.

…

Jiahe was just about to fall asleep when there was a knock at the door. Tongrui and Jiahe both became

alert. Jiahe said as she rose from her bed, "I'll take a look."

"Be careful."

Jiahe asked in English from the room, "Who is it?"

"It's me. Unlock the door."

A familiar, deep voice belonging to a man resonated in her eardrums and heart.