It was almost a week since Tian Lingyu took his sister from Silver Leaf premises, but the interaction between the two didn’t improve. Tian Lingyu waited impatiently outside the inn with Kang Wei and Shen Xue beside him. Both men could see his sour mood with the way his eyes filled with annoyance.

“What’s taking them so long?” Shen Xue complained as he brushed the invisible dirt from the sleeve of his traditional attire. They were planning to visit a local shrine where they could watch the fireworks display without attracting too much crowd.

Tian Lingyu paced around back and forth with his arms across his chest.

“What’s wrong with him?” Shen Xue nudged Kang Wei to get his attention.

Kang Wei chuckled with amusement. This guy was so stubborn and still refused to accept his sister’s marriage with Shen Yi.

“I bet he’s still upset that Xiao Xinxin ignore him over your brother.”

Shen Xue frowned. Even though he knew that his older brother was a jackass bastard sometimes, he couldn’t imagine his brother with another woman—except Lu Xinyi.

“And? He should just give in. He can’t win against my brother.” Shen Xue muttered.

“You know it wouldn’t happen overnight.” Kang Wei smiled.

Just then, Shen Yi and Lu Xinyi came down from the stairs and greeted the three of them. Tian Lingyu stopped pacing and eyed the couple as Lu Xinyi smiled bashfully on whatever her husband whispered to her. -.

“Really? Are they going to stay at your place or with Grammie?” Lu Xinyi beamed a smile to her husband. Shen Yi had just told her that the twins would be back in the country as soon as the case for their custody ended.

Lu Xinyi turned to find her brother with Shen Xue and Kang Wei. She raised a brow as she noticed Tian Lingyu’s sour mood upon seeing them.

“Can we go now? You two are taking so long, my stomach will eat itself if you stayed longer,” Shen Xue complained.

“Hungry again? Didn’t you just have a snack this afternoon?” Lu Xinyi giggled. She hooked her arm to her husband’s and led the way.

“You know that’s not enough for me,” Shen Xue sighed. He then noticed how his sister-in-law dressed. The snow-white robe suited her. Her hair kept up with a simple hairpin. It was the first time he’d seen her like this.

Kang Wei picked up his phone and snapped a good pic of his Young Madam Shen. He sent it to their WeChat group, and their chat room was instantly bombarded with questions from their friends abroad.

While Shen Xue and Kang Wei praised Lu Xinyi’s appearance, Tian Lingyu eyed at Shen Yi. He noticed how he looked at his sister like a man who lost himself to love. His eyes were filled with the gentleness that the demon king reserved for his wife.

Like a ticking bomb that reached its end, Tian Lingyu’s patience snapped out and pulled Lu Xinyi away from Shen Yi.

“Come on, Shorty. We’ve wasted a lot of time already.”

He dragged her away, and Lu Xinyi winced in pain with how tight his grip on her wrist was. Noticing the discomfort on her face, Shen Yi frowned before stepping forward to halt them. He pulled her back and wrapped a protective arm around her waist as he glared back to Tian Lingyu.

“Don’t take your anger out on her!” Shen Yi hissed.

“And you know her better?” Tian Lingyu mocked him, “President Shen, I don’t know what kind of game you are playing, but don’t drag my sister with you. I want you to divorce her this instance and swear you’ll never seek her out again!”

“Yu Gege…”

His words shocked Lu Xinyi down to the core. Her eyes widened with her mouth hung open in disbelief. She’d known that her brother didn’t approve of her relationship with Shen Yi, but his request was too much.

“Over my dead body. Who do you think you are to dare to take Xinxin from my side?” The coldness on Shen Yi’s face was enough for a normal person to tremble under his gaze, and yet Tian Lingyu kept his chin up, daring him to submit.

“You think a man like you deserve her?” Tian Lingyu taunted. The devilish grin on his lips spread. “Give my sister back to me and leave her alone.”

‘Marrying her after a week of knowing her? Did he really think that I, Tian Lingyu, will allow such nonsense to drag on? He was just using my sister as a bargaining chip against the Sun family. After all, she’s still a Sun princess. A legitimate successor.’

Shen Yi was startled when he heard what Tian Lingyu said, but his face never gave a hint that he was somewhat troubled because of it. Just how much Tian Lingyu knew about him that he was using this fact to put an edge between her and Lu Xinyi?

“Do you really think I’ll give up my wife so easily?”

He didn’t care if Tian Lingyu was his wife’s brother, but he wouldn’t let anyone take her away from him. As long as Lu Xinyi needed him, he wouldn’t dare to separate from her.

“You think you can just appear and force her away from me? Do you honestly believe that if she were to choose between the two of us, she will choose you?” He glanced to his side and felt Lu Xinyi slightly trembled in his arm. It pained him to see her like this. “I’ve tolerated your rudeness for her sake. Hurting my wife is the last straw! There’s no way in hell you can beat me.”

“You dare?!” Tian Lingyu roared in fury. His composure was forgotten as his handsome face contorted with anger. He stepped forward and met Shen Yi head-on.

‘So he made up his mind?’ Shen Yi sneered inwardly. Tian Lingyu had resorted to a fistfight this time.

Shen Yi gently pushed his wife aside and let his younger brother protect her.

“This will be quick. I’ll buy you desserts after this.” His eyes narrowed as Tian Lingyu pulled his sleeve and got into his fighting stance.

“No! Stop this! This is ridiculous! Why are you fighting like kids?!” Lu Xinyi’s teary eyes begged them to stop, but both men had come into a mutual decision. She struggled to make herself free from Shen Xue’s hold, but she couldn’t push herself away.

“Xiao Xinxin,”—Kang Wei shook his head—”let them deal with this. I guess your brother knew that he couldn’t compete with Boss Yi any longer. This was the only way for him to settle this. To relieve his frustration and to accept fully that you’ve chosen Boss Yi.”

Shen Xue nodded in agreement. “Big Sis, let them be. My brother also wants to prove that he’s worthy enough to have you. What kind of husband he would be if your brother insists on breaking you apart?”

“This is stupid!” Lu Xinyi insisted. She glared to both men. “Don’t come running to me if you hurt yourselves!”

She’d never expected this to happen. She thought that by letting her brother see how her husband care for her these past days, he would’ve understood that Shen Yi really loved her, but no… both of them decided to become idiots and let their fist talk for themselves.

Her gaze moved from Shen Yi to Tian Lingyu. She wiped away her tears and turned her back, walking back inside the inn while muttering to herself how unfortunate she was for getting fools for a husband and a brother.

Thankfully, most people went to see the fireworks festival, and the only witness between the fight were the receptionist of the inn and some bystanders who’d seen the commotion.

When she turned her back, both men took it as a cue to start. Tian Lingyu dashed forward with his fist ready to hit Shen Yi’s face. Shen Yi stood unmoved on his place watching as his unruly brother-in-law dare to assault him. He easily avoided Tian Lingyu’s attacks but never made a move against him.

Tian Lingyu was infuriated that none of his attacks landed on Shen Yi. He tried to hit him once more, but with a quick sidestep, Shen Yi avoided Tian Lingyu’s powerful punch. He then lifted his right leg, giving his brother-in-law a kick on his side. In an instant, Tian Lingyu lifted both of his arms, and now, he was in a defensive stance.

He successfully stopped Shen Yi’s kick, but what he hadn’t anticipated was the left hook that came straight on his chin. He staggered backward. His eyes filled with frustration and guilt that he wasn’t able to protect his sister for all these years.

The fight continued. Both men refusing to admit defeat. The bystanders were stunned as how good they were with fighting. They all wondered if they were black-belters with the way how they threw punches and kicks with such accurate and confident movements.

“Who do you think will win?” Kang Wei cupped his chin while his other arm hidden under his long sleeves.

“You don’t need to ask. My brother clearly got the upper hand on this,” Shen Xue replied.

As the young masters of the Shen family, both of them were subjected to rigorous physical training and combats to be able to protect themselves. The Shen family wouldn’t allow to lose another family member and prepared both brothers. The eldest brother mastered both Judo and Taekwondo while the younger took a liking on kickboxing. Both brothers were capable to use guns and ammunition.

“Ouch. Why do I feel the pain just by looking at it?” Kang Wei winced when Shen Yi threw Tian Lingyu in the air before slamming his body on the ground.

Tian Lingyu didn’t stand up and laid still on the ground. He tried to catch his breath as he panted and let out a groan before chuckling to himself. It was over. It was clear who had won. Several seconds had passed, but neither of them made a move.

Shen Yi walked towards him and offered a hand. Tian Lingyu stared at him before accepting his help.

“I’ll protect Xinxin with my life. I swear to you she will never be alone again.”

Till this day, he couldn’t forget her tear-stained face when he first met her at the cruise. Just thinking about it made his heart ache for her.

“It’s my responsibility to keep her safe. Do you blame me, President Shen, if I’m worried about her? She’s our little angel although she really knew how to push the wrong buttons to stir up trouble; Xinxin is our princess. I made a promise to our parents that she will be happy…”

Tian Lingyu eyed at Shen Yi.

“If you really love my sister, don’t let her meet that malicious woman that killed our parents.”

“Who?”

“Sun Mingai,” Tian Lingyu replied with a grim look on his face. He would never forget the day when that wretched woman showed up during their mother’s funeral with a wicked smile on her face and how she chased both siblings away from their home, breaking them apart.