"Of course, she had a child for health minister wang. Who wouldn't? "The baby's trust fund is locked in!"
The night was starry and calm in city Z.
At an upscale private rooftop bar, four young women chattered at each other, their voices loud and animated as they discussed the scandalous lives of the famous and ultra-rich.
They laughed, happy and unrestrained, their voices filling the lazy Saturday night.
But their eyes strayed to the vip table in the corner impulsively, they couldn't help it.
Seated in the ViP corner were three attractive, jaw-dropping men and who wouldn't recognize the most powerful and prominent young masters of the country?.
One was Fu zhen, A blond-haired Asian American with large hazel eyes. His Asian features were most prominent, the only American genes were his blonde hair.
Fu Zhen is a well-known medical doctor who was famous for his intelligence and swiftness in the medical industry, they call him a magician because it was said his surgeries could raise the dead. Aside from him being well known for his ability, the Fu family was the highest connection in the medical field for generations. Not only was he a medical genius, but he also had the backing of one of the powerful three in Beijing.
He had an easy-going smile as he talked to others who were seated next to him.
On his left side sat Lu Heng. He had cold grey eyes and his hair was left in a clean buzz cut that made him appear more attractive, but the gleam in his eyes was frighteningly cold.
The Lu family's influence stems from the Military and their connection was unparalleled, they were one of the most feared families in the whole of Beijing.
He listened quietly to the talkative friend and imputed some words on occasion.
And on the right side, sat the cream of the crop himself.
Azrael Li.
It was nighttime, but he wore dark shades covering the upper side of his face except for his dark unruly hair.
He wore a slim black button-down shirt, and thick black sunglasses protected his emerald eyes.
Although the shades covered half his face, they couldn't hide that he was extremely good-looking.
He didn't look towards anyone, and although his face was covered, the whole of Beijing knew that the only person young master Fu and young master Lu would normally hang with like this was Azrael Li.
The Li family was mysterious and private, the country didn't know much about them nor did they have insights into any information about Azrael Li.
Hell, most of the people don't even know what he looked like because there were no photos of him on the internet, nor did he attend any gatherings except events held by the Fu or Lu family.
But the Li family trumps all, they were in charge of the multi-billion Li corporation and were in charge of most business infrastructure in the whole of Beijing and abroad.
The three families have been known to be close for generations and no matter how elusive Azrael Li is, he still hangs around Fu Zhen and Lu Heng.
It was rare for the powerful three to be outside like this, and the whole restaurant was abuzz and filled with subtle excitement at the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve these three.
Glasses clinked, and subtle or not-so-subtle conversations filled the air.
Azrael Li sat perched in the back corner, as always, a quiet dark figure of composed irritation. His fingers tightened around the glass of wine in his hand and it trembled a little, his overfrustration growing.
The bar was nearly empty, the only sound in the air was the low music from the speakers, and the occasional gentle voices of the workers taking orders.
Now, the women's high-pitched voices broke the stillness he had begun to appreciate.
They kept gossiping about anything from billionaires, to ministers, to actor wars, to rich men they wanted to meet and be with. Never-ending stupid stories.
His long fingers pinched between his temple, jaw tightening. He had overheard this sort of stupid gossip and conversations a million times, over countless centuries.
Humans and their greed for wealth grated on his nerves.
The corner of his mouth curled up in a slight sneer.
Fu Zhen released soft chuckles on seeing the devious looks in Azreal Li's eyes.
" If looks could kill, they would be dead by now Azrael Li. Let them have their fun without looking like you want to tape their mouths shut." He joked.
Lu Heng blinked at his blabbering friend as if to say "Do you also want to end up on his kill list?" But he didn't utter a word as he calmly took a sip of his wine. Fu Zhen was a troublemaker and Lu Heng wasn't in the mood to bail him out of Azrael Li's wrath.
Azrael Li didn't even bother to reply, the voices of the women grew louder and his annoyance twisted into a tight knot in his gut, but on the outside, his face remained cold and unreadable.
He pushed his sunglasses up revealing cold green eyes and his black hair grazed his forehead as he turned away to look out the window.
The night in Beijing was full of stars, and they shone brightly as if taunting his already sour mood. Although they were on a rooftop, a glass ceiling down to the floor covered them in a box, it was a stunning sight and it was one of the reasons why he had chosen this very bar to come and relax.
His eyes darkened as he tapped a rhythm on the table with his fingers.
"I've had enough," he whispered to himself.
Without standing up from where he sat, he snapped his fingers discreetly beneath the table. A dim crimson light shone from the black symbol carved into his middle finger, and the light disappeared as fast as it had come without notice.
Azrael Li reclined in his chair, lifting his glass to his red lips again, and his expression remained a mask of indifference.
However, his eyes shone with a mocking amusement as if he was expecting something.
" I know that look in your eyes, you've done something. What did you do?" Fu Zhen questioned while Li Heng's grey eyes also stared curiously. "
Fu Zhen opened his mouth to ask again when—
A sudden low, ominous rumble sounded in the distance.
Three… two… one. Azrael Li whispered beneath his breath
Thunder cracked, sharp and loud, shaking the bar. Rain splattered against the glass windows with a violent intensity that felt borderline supernatural.
The Bright stars faded. And the sudden downpour turned the outside world to a cloudy, watery haze.
He couldn't hear the women again, their words were drowned out by the sound of rain drumming relentlessly on the roof.
Fu Zhen stared at the fat raindrops outside the glass in awe. " The night was so clear and peaceful seconds ago, did you really have to do this? I wish Tang Chen were here, he would have at least noticed you were about to cause the rain and stopped you. Now the nice stars are gone." Fu Zheng grumbled.
Azrael smirked faintly. The soothing sound of the rain covered the grating noise that had disturbed his peace earlier.
The two men watched the cold smirk on his lips and they felt their brains tingle
Azrael li's existence had been a secret that was being passed down from generation to generation by the Fu and Li family.
Fu Zhen and Lu Heng are both heirs of their families, and they were given knowledge of Azrael Li's true identity along with their inheritance.
Even their siblings didn't know who Azrael Li truly was, nor did their cousins or uncles and aunts.
Only the head seniors in the family were entrusted with the secret, and their fathers before them.
Fu Zhen and Lu Heng had known the truth and its importance ever since they turned ten years old, when they were both introduced to Azrael Li who looked exactly the same as he does right now.
They had been scared out of their wits by the aura of the cold dark green eyes staring at them in indifference without a single hint of warmth. Even their grandfathers had spoken to the man respectfully.
Lu Hang especially would always remember that day like it was yesterday because it was so shocking and had a great effect on him to this day.
It had been revealed to them that the Fu and Lu family originators were both best friends who had struck a deal with the demon god.
He granted them the fortunes and power they wanted all in exchange for their loyalty and to keep the secret as he lived in the human world.
Every time a successor dies, a half-demon's blood goes to the new successor, even if it takes millennials of years for a chosen one to be born.
Fu Zhen and Lu Heng happened to be chosen to have half-demon blood.
As time went on, they grew to respect the older man because he was neither cruel to them nor friendly, Fu Heng most especially liked to gain a reaction from the stoic face and naturally, they somehow grew to form a bond that Azrael Li didn't even bother to share with past inheritors.
Azrael Li calmly watched the rain as his thoughts deepened.
This place had been his favorite place in recent weeks. The ambiance and quiet atmosphere helped him to regain some moments of sanity amidst the never-ending thoughts that ran through his mind.
But even this peace couldn't distract him for long. His thoughts wandered to her-- to Yang Lixue.
This past week, he had restrained himself countless times from showing up to her door and meeting her again, the only thing keeping him away was that he needed to be fully prepared before he met her, so that she could think they had " naturally" crossed paths again.
So he only watched her from afar, which had turned into a growing obsession.
He watched her from the shadows, staying with her all the time but he used his powers to remain invisible to everyone, most especially her.
He tried his best not to stalk her every day, but he couldn't help it, her absence in his life haunted him every single day.
The fate pull was too hard to ignore, and it was physically daunting for him not to see her, and feel her soul's presence.
A sigh escaped his lips as the growing urge to see her overwhelmed him again.
'How was she doing today? Had she gone to the library like he had overheard her say yesterday? Was anyone disturbing her?'
All these questions ran through his head till he couldn't take it anymore.
He placed the wine glass on the table, standing up to leave.
With a flick of his wrist, the rain immediately stopped.
" You're leaving? So soon? You haven't replied to me yet. Do you think I should get a puppy or a kitten?" Fu Zhen loudly asks. Lu Heng almost facepalmed himself.
Azrael Li didn't take a backward glance, he gently tapped Lu Heng's shoulder as a silent goodbye and walked away in gentle strides.
Fu Zhen blinked." He could have at least said goodbye to me."
Lu Heng looked lost in thought for a minute, before he finally spoke up." Is it just me or has he been acting a bit different, like he is plotting something?"
Fu Zhen's brow furrowed as he pursed his lips.
"Oh, I didn't notice anything. He's still the same ice block I know. If he were plotting someone's downfall he would have let us know. And frankly speaking aside from matching couples, the second thing he would consider spending his precious time doing is ruining the life of some loser who had offered him, whether human or those enemies in the other world."
After speaking he shuddered at the thought of how cruel Azrael Li could be.
Whoever it was, if there was somebody Azrael Li had set his sights on, there was definitely no escape for the person.