Afterlife Department

Normal World. 

"Howee. Are you sure you weren't hurt?" Jason asked for the nth time when he called him. 

"Yes. I am perfectly fine." Huo Ling told Jason when Jason called him. 

They didn't try to call him since they don't want for Huo Ling to know they are greatly worried of him. Huo Ling is already stressed, and if Huo Ling would know that they are worried about him, they would just add to Huo Ling's problems. Until now, Jonathan and Lu Si are investigating why the assassins are targeting Huo Ling, who was living his life incognito. 

The MI6 group that was presently in China tried to catch the assassins, but some of them escaped, while some who were caught committed suicide on the spot. The MI6, with the help of Gu Xingfeng, are suppressing the news of the incident in the cemetery.. They also looked for people to immediately reconstruct the destroyed wall of the cemetery, as well as some epitaphs of the graves inside, to not cause public disturbance. 

Since everything has come to this, Huo Ling can't refuse Jonathan and Lu Si anymore and was forced to welcome the MI6 group to guard him. Yi Bing, who was usually a loner, surprisingly didn't refuse since one, he can't defy his superior's order and two, he can't be inconspicuous. 

So, Huo Ling who was expecting for Yi Bing to feel sad and refuse this arrangement didn't see this outcome. He was the one who became sad and now he felt depressed since there were now 'outsiders' in his and Yi Bing's daily life. But, he can't blame Yi Bing. 

Yi Bing is just a subordinate. He can't refuse the order given to him, or it'll be insubordination. He might lose his job. Worse, he might be killed. And, he can't intervene with the MI6's matters. He also can't use his relationship with Jonathan and Lu Si to revoke the order, since it is very improper. He isn't this type of person. Furthermore, Jonathan and Lu Si are doing this for his sake. If he intervened and refused this order himself, wouldn't that just be revealing his feelings for Yi Bing? That he wants the man all to himself?

"Is it uncle Howee? Dad, are you calling uncle Howee?!" Huo Ling heard Justin's excited voice asked. 

The gloominess Huo Ling felt recently and today slightly disappeared when he heard Justin's voice. "Justin." He called and smiled. He sat on the balcony and leaned on the wall before he raised his head to look at the dark and starless sky. It's already night. 

"Uncle Howee!!!" Justin squealed and a short sound was heard. It was him snatching the phone from Jason. "Uncle Howee! How are you? I miss you!" he said. 

Huo Ling's eyes softened and his chest felt warm as he listened to Justin's milky voice and heartfelt words. Children are the sincerest beings in the world. They can't lie, because they don't have any reason nor see any reason to lie. Furthermore, they are bold, thus they say anything they wanted to say from their heart. They also aren't calculating like the adults, and hide their ill intentions. 

A child would instead show off his mischiefs and laugh at it. This makes them cute, unlike the ugly adults. 

"Mn." He answered. "I'm fine." He told him. 

"Really?" Justin doubtfully asked. He is a smart child thus Jason and Maxwell euphemistically told him about the bad guys. 

A smile formed on Huo Ling's lips, feeling a cat was scratching his heart as he listened to Justin's animated voice. It's as if he could see Justin's doubtful expression, which just made him want to pinch his chubby cheeks. "Really." He answered and heaved a sigh. He suddenly misses his adorable nephew. 

Justin sighed in relief. "Then, that's great!" he said. "I'll continue to pray for uncle's safety!" he told him. 

Huo Ling felt his eyes became warm and his nose became sour. "Mn. Okay." He answered as he held back his tears that are threatening to fall from his eyes. "Thank you." He whispered. 

Justin giggled. "Anything for uncle Howee!" he said and brightly smiled. "I love you uncle Howee!" he shouted to the phone. 

Huo Ling laughed and his tears fell. "I love you too, Justin." He told him. "My favorite nephew." He added. 

"Hey! I'm your only nephew, so it's just natural to be your favorite!" Justin smartly said. 

Jason who was wiping his tears chuckled. "When you said you love your uncle Howee, who do you love more between him and me?" he asked. 

"Uh, that's…" Justin suddenly fell in a conundrum. 

"How about me? How much do you love me?" Maxwell, who just arrived, asked. 

Justin turned and his eyes lit up when he saw Maxwell. He looked at him as if he was looking at his savior. "Maxwell!" he cried and immediately ran to Maxwell, escaping his plight earlier. 

Maxwell laughed as he carried Justin and looked at Jason who was resentfully looking at him. 

"How long were you hiding behind the door?" Jason asked as he pouted. 

Maxwell grinned and planted a lingering kiss on Jason's pouting lips that are inviting him. "Guess?" he asked and winked. 

"Hmph!" Jason turned to his phone, only to see that the call has already ended. The smile in his eyes disappeared and was replaced by worry. He turned and saw Maxwell's face is also serious. 

They hope Huo Ling is alright, especially that his birthday is coming near where he would have to show his face as a member of the royal family, and as the main protagonist of the celebration. That day, those assassins would know Huo Ling is a prince, if they still haven't found out the fact yet. So, before Huo Ling's birthday would come, they would have to deal with the assassins first. 

How can Yi Bing not know this fact? In fact, he is the one who is the clearest about this. Since when Huo Ling's birthday comes, he will turn twenty-three. And, he will die. 

He heaved a sigh. "What's wrong?" he heard Qi Shan asked. 

Yi Bing turned to him. They are on the rooftop of a building. 

"What?" Qi Shan asked when he saw Yi Bing just stared at him. He rolled his eyes and decided not to squabble with him. "Why are you here instead of your sweetheart's side?" he asked as he stared at the flickering lights from the skyscrapers in front of them to the lights of the cars and streetlights on the street beneath them. 

"Why are you here instead of hiding?" Yi Bing asked and looked at the magnified face of Lei Shan across them. 

"That's just a billboard. Not the actual person." Qi Shan argued. 

Yi Bing didn't speak. 

"Are you trying to distance yourself from Huo Ling?" Qi Shan asked. He already heard that there were new MI6 agents surrounding Huo Ling now. 

Yi Bing didn't answer. 

Qi Shan heaved a sigh. "I really thought being a grim reaper is easier than just a wandering soul." He spoke. 

"What do you think now?" Yi Bing asked. 

"It's the hardest job." Qi Shan wryly smiled. 

Yi Bing looked at him but he didn't give any comment. "Qi Shan." He called. 

"Yeah?" 

"Is your Life Note with you?" Yi Bing asked. 

"Yeah. Why?" Qi Shan asked, puzzled. 

Yi Bing fell silent for a while. In fact, Qi Shan's Life Note isn't actually a Life Note. There is only one Life Note. The Life Note of Qi Shan is just modeled after the Life Note. Qi Shan's Life Note is actually a Life Record. And, it has limitations. 

Grim reapers can't have the Life Note, and can't intervene with the matters of life. But, Qi Shan is the sole exception, since he is involved with the protagonists. Protagonists affects the balance of the world, thus Qi Shan, as the grim reaper handling their souls, he has the Life Record. Only, the information shown in the Life Record is about the protagonist, and about the people involved with the protagonists. 

But, of course, there isn't anything impossible. "I want to see Huo Ling's information in the Life Record." Yi Bing answered. 

Qi Shan's eyes widened and he looked at Yi Bing, stunned. "You…" he muttered. But, after a while, he took out the Life Record. 

Yi Bing stared at the Life Record in Qi Shan's hand before he looked at Qi Shan. "Why?" he quietly asked. 

Qi Shan fell silent for a while before he spoke. "I am wavering." He answered. 

It was Yi Bing's turn to fall silent. But, he didn't ask Qi Shan why and he just took the Life Record and opened it. In order to help the protagonist, Qi Shan has to investigate each and every person involved with the protagonist, even just a passerby. That's why, Yi Bing wanted to see if Huo Ling's information is in the Life Record.