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Lei Heng always knew what "warmth" felt like. But it had been too long since his hands were stained with blood, since the blade descended upon an opponent's body and blood splattered all over his face, that word "warmth" seemed so distant.
Lei Heng always wore gloves, not because he liked it, but simply because the grip of his blade was so cold; he thought that wearing gloves would make him feel less cold. The flames erupting from the bullet holes in his blade were not warm at all, only a burning heat, and his heart pounded calmly each time Lei Heng took someone's life.
His soldiers knew that their Capo, despite his outwardly cheerful and arrogant demeanor, was incredibly cold. His warm brown eyes lacked any life when they met, only an icy, deathly gaze.
Lei Heng didn't "live," he merely "existed."
He didn't even know what he wanted, what he needed, or what his purpose was when he joined The Thumb. No one knew why he climbed to the capo chair. He just drifted aimlessly through his own life.
Until Jia Qiu appeared.
Jia Qiu was a small spark that appeared on his path, the first time he'd met someone who felt exactly like himself. His cold eyes, his perpetually sullen demeanor, gave off an unapproachable and distant aura.
But amidst all that, Lei Heng found this person interesting. He gazed at the small spark, captivated by its alluring light.
Yes, it was captivating, but he would stay far away, not touching it, because Lei Heng knew that to be a member of The Pinky, one had to possess considerable talent. That small flame, though seemingly insignificant, was dangerous, and despite its allure, he would only stand afar away.
But that flame grew larger and larger as they collaborated under The Pinky's orders.
That's when Lei Heng realized that what he was seeing wasn't just a fire sweeping everything in its path, but also a sun illuminating and guiding others.
And he felt himself changing.
Lei Heng wanted to understand Jia Qiu better.
To understand the person he considered his rival, the new target of his boring life. He didn't realize he had stepped into the area his instincts had initially marked as "dangerous," because that flame was becoming increasingly captivating...
...And it carried a "warmth," something far too luxurious for Lei Heng's emotions.
Jia Qiu had bony, knuckle-like hands, calloused palms from gripping sticks, and small scratches on the backs of his hands.
His hands felt cold, with a slight pallor at the fingertips, but Lei Heng knew they were warm; he knew it was when those hands gently patted the Capo's cheek to make sure he was still conscious despite his significant blood loss. His dark eyes stared straight at him, a fearless gaze; Lei Heng could see his own reflection faintly in Jia Qiu's pupils.
At that moment, they were so close that Lei Heng felt he could hear the other's heartbeat, and he wondered if Jia Qiu's heart was beating as fast as his own.
But more than anything, what made him decide to throw himself headlong into that flame like a moth to a flame was an accidental event, an event that completely changed Lei Heng's perception of his goal, to the point where he felt a longing to touch that warm light just once.
Jia Qiu became Lei Heng's obsession. The Capo was like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time, like someone who had been hiding in the cold darkness for years finally feeling the warmth of a fire.
Therefore, a greedy man like Lei Heng naturally wouldn't want to return to his boring life after experiencing a thrill he hadn't felt in years.
Finally, he threw himself like a moth to a flame, throwing himself headlong into the fire named Jia Qiu.
Even if it was a path to death.
Even if it was a death sentence for Lei Heng.
But when he finally touched the obsession that had tormented him every night, Lei Heng realized it was all worth it.
And he had no regrets.