Chapter 186 - Confrontation (Part 1)

After driving Xu Mey and Xu Cheng to the hospital, Ru didn’t leave. She helped Xu Mey with the hospital procedure and came to stand beside the operation theatre.

While Xu Mey was anxiously pacing in the corridor outside the operation theatre, Ru’s green eyes kept following her movements.

When Xu Mey suddenly thought about Ye Jie, she rummaged out her phone and texted him. She didn’t give him the details, just told him that her father was injured and asked him to come to the hospital. The message read:

’Ah-Jie, come to the hospital fast. My dad is injured.’

She slid her phone back inside her pocket. Suddenly, a clean set of clothes was pushed towards her. She looked at the shirt and lifted her eyes to meet her Sensei’s gaze.

Xu Mey bit her lips and looked down to see the blood covered and torn shirt. She pursed her lips and took the clothes from Ru before going to change out of her soiled clothes.

Even after changing her clothes, Xu Mey’s face looked haggard as if tired or lost from the world. She took a seat at the bench and her foot kept tapping on the floor impatiently while she fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

After a long moment of silence, Ru got irritated by Xu Mey’s constant fidgeting. "Can you stop?" Ru’s voice was unlike what Xu Mey was familiar with. It felt like Ru was annoyed, so Xu Mey stopped tapping her foot and sat still.

"Sensei," Xu Mey spoke in a low voice. "How did you know that I was in danger?"

Ru pulled her hood back over her head saying, "About 2 hours ago, my men told me that a bounty for your life was issued in Tokyo Mercenary Group known as Devil’s Den." She turned her eyes to look at Xu Mey before continuing, "Knowing you, something told me that you’ll fall for some tricks again."

Xu Mey lowered her head saying, "I told you that I just never thought that she’d try to kill me."

"She can try to drug you but can’t kill you?" Ru mocked with contempt. "I didn’t know that you’d be so soft-hearted even after everything that you went through," Ru shook her head in disappointment.

"Sensei, I’m not soft-hearted. Not anymore!" Xu Mey stood up facing Ru with blood floating in her eyes.

"If you weren’t soft-hearted, your sister or your step-mother would have long been gone from your life. It’s your own incompetence that’s not allowing you to finish your prey." Ru bent down and pulled out her dagger from boots. She took Xu Mey hand and placed the dagger in her hand saying, "If you’re not weak, go and slit those peoples throat. I’ll take care of the consequences."

Xu Mey’s eyes widened as she felt the cold metal in her hand. She hesitated for a moment and it was enough for Ru to know the conflict in her heart. She pulled her dagger back saying, "Today, you proved the fact that you learned nothing from your life except for running away."

Xu Mey stared right into Ru’s eyes as a strange feeling invaded her heart and mind. ’Was she really weak? Or just stupid?’

"Baby!" Xu Mey heard the most comforting voice making her turn to look at Ye Jie standing just a few steps away from her.

When Ye Jie learned that Xu Mey was at the hospital, he immediately left everything to drive straight to the hospital. But what greeted him was the sight of Ru pushing a dagger in Xu Mey’s hand and questioning her. A fury raged in his heart at that sight.

He came closer to Xu Mey and hugged her tightly saying, "Everything is alright. I’m right here with you." Xu Mey couldn’t stop her tears from falling in his warm embrace.

While comforting Xu Mey, Ye Jie looked at the other person in the corridor. Ru was unfazed by his burning gaze directed at her. She crossed her arms leaned against the wall leisurely.

The door to the operation theatre opened and the doctor came out, Xu Mey held Ye Jie’s hand tightly. "The patient is out of danger now. He lost a lot of blood so he’d need a lot of care and nourishment to recover." The doctor politely explained and Xu Mey heaved a sigh of relief.

"Can I see my dad?" She asked.

"He’s not awake yet but you can stay beside him if you want," the doctor agreed, seeing the haggard look of Xu Mey.

"Baby, you stay with your father. I’ll be right there with you in a while," Ye Jie told Xu Mey and left her in Xu Cheng’s room.

Then he came back in the corridor, stared at Ru and holding her wrist yanked her away with himself.

Ru didn’t argue or question anything. She had expected this reaction from him. He took her to the rooftop of the hospital and pushed her in front of him.

Ru languidly rubbed her wrist which was held by Ye Jie. Ye Jie, on the other hand, was raking his fingers through his hair in exasperation.

"Why?" Ru heard Ye Jie’s low voice. He suddenly raised his head and held Ru’s shoulders asking, "Why is it you? A couple of weeks ago when my suspicion turned to you, I tried so hard to assure myself that you can’t be Xu Mey’s Sensei."

"Why it can’t be me?" Ru asked in her feminine voice. She smacked his hand away from her shoulders.

"Because..." He hesitated.

"Because?" She urged.

"I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to talk about what you did today," Ye Jie changed the topic.

"I saved your wife’s life. What else have I done?" Ru questioned with an expressionless face.

"And what about the part where you pushed a dagger in her hand and asked her to kill her own sister?" Ye Jie was fuming but Ru was still unfazed by the intensity of his anger.

"I guess you haven’t heard, ’You can’t change the world without getting your hands dirty.(*)’ She has to get rid of those people at all costs." Ru answered looking right into Ye Jie’s brown eyes.

Ye Jie gritted his teeth to control his anger and snarled, "There are other ways to deal with people. Or you just want to turn my wife into a barbarian like your own self?"

Ru’s expressionless face stiffened at his words. ’A barbarian... Means a beast?’

"Did you just call me a beast? A monster?" She asked with disbelief in her eyes.

(*): Dialogue from Anime ’Code Geass’