Afterlife Department

Of course, this is also what Jason and Maxwell can see at the moment. They thought Huo Ling was being shy because of what he is about to say, so he is drawing something on Yi Bing's palm using his finger. But, since they know Huo Ling well, they also know that Huo Ling isn't being coquettish. Huo Ling is communicating with Yi Bing. 

As expected, after Huo Ling wrote on Yi Bing's palm, Yi Bing turned to them. "Don't worry. I'll protect him well." He told them. 

Jason and Maxwell turned to look at Huo Ling and smiled. They wanted to hug him, but are afraid that someone might see them or that someone might be hiding and is watching them, and so they restrained themselves. 

"Thank you. You, too.." Jason said. Although he is smiling, but his voice is with a sigh. His spirit lowered. He wrapped his arm around Maxwell's waist before they left, feeling downcast. 

Huo Ling watched their backs until they disappeared from his sight. He sighed, then turned to look at Yi Bing, only to see Yi Bing looking at him. "What?" he mouthed at him. 

Yi Bing stared at him for a long time before he spoke. "I will protect you." He said in a low voice. 

Huo Ling's eyes widened and stared at Yi Bing, stunned. Then, a smile formed on his thin, red lips. "Thank you." He spoke before he lowered his head and hid the joy, as well as disappointment, that flashed in his eyes. 

He is happy that Yi Bing wanted to protect him. But, at the same time, he also feels disappointed since Yi Bing said those words only because it his responsibility as his bodyguard. Thinking this, he remembered that time when Yi Bing rejected him. He felt his heart wrenched in pain again, and his expression momentarily twisted before he immediately recovered it. 

But, Yi Bing, who was paying attention to him, caught the change in his expression in that second. "What's wrong?" he asked. 

"Noth – " Huo Ling spoke when he immediately stopped after he remembered that he can't speak so that no one would found out he is in a disguise. He shook his head as an answer. 

"Are you sure?" Yi Bing asked. Then, he paused. He remembered what happened earlier and his gaze darted to Huo Ling's feet wearing stiletto heels. "Does your feet hurt?" he asked. "Earlier, did Kong Chuan's female companion hit you?" he added. 

Huo Ling shook his head. Yi Bing protected him well earlier. 

"Then, does your feet feel tired?" Yi Bing asked. Huo Ling is wearing stiletto heels, after all, and he is a man. 

Huo Ling opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it. He grabbed Yi Bing's hand again and 'wrote'. "I can bear it." He answered. "When I was young, we were trained in flexibility. So, wearing heels is nothing to me." He explained, then paused. "And, I am shorter than my peers when I was a teenager, so my shoes have heels." He added and lowered his head in shame, and to hide the red clouds that formed on his cheeks. 

Yi Bing froze, then looked at the tiara sitting on top of Huo Ling's tied bushy brown hair. Huo Ling should wear a crown befitting for him as a prince and not a tiara for women, like he is for tonight to hide his identity in order to protect himself – his life. "Mn." He muttered before he pulled his hand from Huo Ling's grasp. 

Huo Ling felt Yi Bing's hand leaving his. As he watched, he felt his heart was also being pulled out of his chest. His lips pursed and his body stiffened in reflex to suppress the pain he is feeling. Does he hate me this much? He thought as he lowered his gaze. He even hates me touching him? 

He lowered his hand and closed his eyes in resignation, only to open his eyes after when he felt that Yi Bing's fingertips that are about to leave his hand didn't leave. Instead, they slipped in his skin, then covered his hand like when he covered his hand earlier. 

Huo Ling froze. Earlier, he held Yi Bing hand to write on it as a form of communication since he can't verbally communicate to him tonight. But, Yi Bing doesn't have this restriction on him. If he wanted to communicate with him, then he can just directly talk to him. So, Yi Bing has no reason to hold his hand, except when they are in the public and he is acting supporting him as he walks. 

But, they are not in front of public's eyes right now, nor there is anyone around. 

So, why is Yi Bing holding his hand? He thought, then raised his head, only to meet Yi Bing's gaze. "Y – " he spoke, but Yi Bing looked away. He closed his mouth. 

"Let's go." Yi Bing spoke and walked towards the deeper part of the palace. 

Huo Ling followed after him. "We won't go back to the party?" he asked, writing in Yi Bing's palm. 

"No need." Yi Bing answered and stopped when he smelled the smell of blood as they passed a window. 

The blood already diffused in the air, but it still brought a chill down on Huo Ling's spine, and he shivered. 

Yi Bing, holding Huo Ling's hand, felt Huo Ling trembled. He turned to him, then took off his coat. He didn't wrap it around Huo Ling's shoulder. Instead, he made him wear it. "They're here." He told him, though there's no need to tell Huo Ling it since Huo Ling already know after he smelled the blood. 

"I – " Huo Ling's lips quivered. 

"Can you run?" Yi Bing asked when he heard the scratches on the walls. 

Huo Ling's face is pale. Even his light makeup can't hide it. There's also sweat that formed on his forehead. "Yes." He whispered. 

"Continue running." Yi Bing spoke as he squinted. He saw some figures appeared in the corners of the window. "Like when you did in the cemetery." He said as his gun slipped out of his sleeve. He took the silencer on his back pocket and placed it on his gun. "I will find you." He told him as he placed his finger on the trigger, then raised his gun and pointed it to one of the figures. "Go!" he said and fired his gun. 

"Uh!" a yelp was heard from one of the figures and it figure disappeared, followed by a loud thud from the ground when it fell. 

It's as if that was a signal. As soon as the figure fell on the palace's ground, dead, the other figures leapt inside and surrounded them. Huo Ling halted in his steps and subconsciously, immediately, stepped back a few steps, away from the assassins and towards Yi Bing. Fortunately, his body reacts as fast as his mind, since the assassins tried to grab him as a hostage to capture 'Huo Ling'. 

Yi Bing saw Huo Ling and he secretly sighed in relief when he saw he managed to evade. Then, he shot the two assassins blocking Huo Ling. 

THUNK! The two assassins fell from Yi Bing's onslaught. 

"Go!" Yi Bing shouted. 

Huo Ling immediately dashed. Two assassins are left and they ignored Huo Ling seeing he is a woman. 

"Huo Ling! You come with us!" they told 'Huo Ling'. 

They really knew Huo Ling as Huo Ling – a commoner preschool teacher. But, when they remembered the MI6 appeared, they doubted his identity. However, not to the point that he might be a prince. They just think that this seemingly ordinary person knows some bigwigs – a backer. 

When they saw the prince Howee Jackson Baurne appeared in the international television, they didn't think much of it. They thought that this ordinary preschool teacher just has the same face as the prince. They don't believe that a prince – a royalty, would work as a preschool teacher in an ordinary kindergarten. 

But, their doubt was confirmed when Kong Chuan's assistant called them and told them to go back. This Huo Ling is actually Howee Jackson Baurne – the first-born prince! They immediately went back. But, not only to capture Huo Ling and give him to Kong Chuan. They wanted to take Huo Ling away, after Kong Chuan has finished his business with him, as a hostage. How much would the royal family give them the ransom? They immediately drooled just thinking about it. Perhaps, they could demand some gold bars and pearls and diamonds from the royal family as a part of the ransom? Or some mansions? 

The thought just made them uncontrollably shiver from excitement. They immediately snap out of their thoughts and looked at 'Huo Ling' in front of them, staring at him like predators looking at their prey – their eyes are filled with naked greed. 

"Your Highness… please come with us." They told him and genially smiled. But, because their eyes are flashing with malice, their smile looked obscene.