Her eyes gleamed and she furiously bobbed her head.

  Wei handed her the knife and stood aside. Lihua frowned. "Why are you standing separately?"

  He dotingly said, "You cut the cake."

  Her mouth twitched and she sighed. "Boss, it's OUR first month anniversary. So, we should cut it together. I want to do it with you," she pouted.

  The adorable pout on her lips melted his heart. He stepped closer to her and held the knife with her. She smiled, satisfied.

  "Happy one month anniversary~ Happy one month anniversary~ Happy one month anniversary~~"

  She sang it to the tune of a birthday song. Lihua picked the piece of cake. "Ahhh…"

  Wei took the piece from her and said, "You first."

  Lihua sighed.

  Boss is really doting!

  She grinned and took a big bite and so did Wei. "Delicious!"

  After the cake cutting ceremony, Wei pulled her towards the large dining area. Lihua stood like an immovable log of wood, seeing the huge feast on the table. It was filled with mouth-watering and yummy menus that just increased her appetite by ten folds.

  "So much food! And it looks so yummy!"

  Wei smiled. "En. All for you."

  Lihua hopped to the dining table and took a bite of the spicy pork chop. The meat instantly melted on her tongue like butter and the sizzling spicy flavor tingled her mouth. Then she froze as she recognized the familiar taste.

  "Boss, did you make all this?"

  "En. Do you like it?" He stood like an examinee who was nervous about the points he scored.

  Her eyes popped out of her sockets as she looked at all the dishes once again. "So many? All by you?"

  "En. It's our special night after all. Everything should be extravagant."

  Okay, my heart cannot take this anymore! First, he bought a huge mansion just to celebrate today, decorated everything in violet, and now he prepared a whole feast!

  "Boss, you are spoiling me too much," she sobbed though her heart was bursting with happiness.

  Wei leaned in and kissed her cheek, turning her face scarlet. "I will spoil you like this forever. My woman must have everything in this world."

  Her heart loudly pounded in her chest and she felt shy. As they feasted on the sumptuous dinner, they suddenly heard a thundering sound from outside. Through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, they saw lightning crackle in the clouds and soon heard the sound of the raindrops hitting the ground.

  Lihua brightened. "Rain!" She got up and dashed towards the windows. The slight drizzle slowly turned into a heavy downpour.

  He saw her extending her arm and giggle as the raindrops fell upon her palm. "So pleasant. The weather was so hot these days, but this is just awesome."

  Wei curiously stood behind her and asked, "You like rain?"

  "En! And it's not even the season this time. I love the monsoon!"

  He blinked his eyes and mentally made a note of it.

  Her eyes shone with an idea. "Boss, let's go outside!"

  Wei furrowed his brows. "But it's raining."

  She grinned. "Exactly why."

  Lihua opened the windows and hopped outside. Wei widened his eyes and anxiously said, "Come back, Lihua! You will-"

  But the words got stuck in his throat as he saw her calmly standing under the rain with her eyes shut and a soft smile etched on her lips. In just a few seconds, she got entirely wet. The cold rain trickled down her from her face, neck and to her arms and legs, coursing a pleasant sensation all over her.

  Suddenly, she felt a cover over her. Not feeling the raindrops anymore, she slowly opened her eyes. She saw a big, violet umbrella on top of her head and Wei's figure towering over her as he held it.

  She smiled. "The umbrella is also violet."

  "En. It's your favorite."

  He pursed his lips. "You shouldn't get wet in the rain. You will catch a cold like that."

  Lihua slightly widened her eyes. "Have you never gotten wet in the rain before? Not even once?"

  He tilted his head. "No. I never paid attention to the seasons."

  Lihua quietly stared at him and so did Wei. He parted his lips. The image of the lively Lihua so serenely standing under the rain had made his heart skip a beat. There was a sense of calmness and peace in her smile. At that moment, he felt as if he could watch her like that forever. "What were you thinking?"

  "Nothing."

  Wei felt puzzled. "Nothing?"

  "Yes. I wasn't thinking about anything at all. We think every day and every moment. You think about work. I think about my studies and my future. But it gets tiring, thinking about something all the time. So whenever I stand in the rain, I think nothing at all and just let all my thoughts wash away with the rain. Our mind deserves peace and silence too."

  Wei was stunned. He never thought of it that way. He never felt the need for any relaxation because he had programmed his brain not to get tired.

  Lihua smiled and placed her palm on top of his hand. "So Boss," she whispered, "Why don't you try it too?"

  She suddenly raised his hand and lifted the umbrella away from them, exposing Wei to the rain for the first time.

  Wei was stunned as the raindrops drizzled down his body. Lihua closed his eyes and said, "Now don't think of anything. I know it's hard. But you can do it. Just feel the rain and nothing else. Just let its coldness seep inside you. You will start to feel lighter and pleasant. Try it, Boss."

  Wei shut his eyes as she told him. He felt the water seeping through his shirt and trickling down his chest. This was the first time Wei was standing in the rain, unprotected from it. At first, he instinctively thought to take cover from it, but as soon as the raindrops kissed his cheeks, nose, lips, eyes and every part of his body, he felt he couldn't move.

  More than couldn't, he didn't wish to move. The droplets drummed loudly against his ears and the wetness that permeated his skin elicited a mixture of emotions that he never felt before. He felt strangely calm even as the heavy downpour smashed against the ground akin to a raging war. His head felt light and fuzzy to him. The myriad of thoughts running through his mind came to a sudden halt, and a distant memory of his childhood faintly appeared like a fog.

  He was five at that time and just like tonight, there was heavy rain thundering everywhere he looked. A little Wei stretched out his hand with curiosity gleaming his eyes. At that point, his training as the next Mafia King had already started which was slowly eroding the meaning of emotions from his heart. He wasn't allowed to play or have fun. He didn't have any toys. The only thing he was allowed to hold in his hand was guns.

  But when he gazed at the dark clouds, looming over the villa with all their might and casting a sheet of darkness around, he couldn't help but feel thrilled. It was mysterious and exciting. The phenomenon was beyond his comprehension that he wanted to understand. The chilly gust of wind made him shiver, but he didn't mind it.

  As he stretched his hand, wanting to feel the water droplets, he was suddenly pulled back. The Old Madam stared at him and narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be with the guards doing your training."

  Wei blankly looked at her. His outstretched hand hung in the air. The Old Madam said, "Don't waste your time in admiring the rain. It's useless. There is nothing new in it. You have to focus on your training! After how your useless father was such a huge disappointment, I won't let you follow in his footsteps."

  Wei didn't respond. He slowly lowered his arm.

  "You don't have time for this nonsense. Remember, you are not a normal child. Don't bother with such childish stuff. You are the next Mafia King. You must only think about standing at the top, not standing in the rain. You will get all wet and dirty and I won't tolerate that."

  She closed the window and coldly dragged him away. The little Wei stared at the raindrops pattering against the window, and the small flame of desire that lit his heart faded away into darkness.

  At present, Wei slowly opened his eyes. The rain was loudly splattering across just like it did in his memory. The air tonight was chilly just how he had felt at that time. He couldn't see how dark the sky was because it was nighttime, but he imagined how it would have looked the same.

  At twenty-eight, Jiang Wei was living his dream of standing in the rain that he first felt at five. After that time, he never bothered with the seasons. They came and went by, but ever since he entered the dark world, that desire never lit again.

  But tonight it did. Only because of Lihua.