Imprisoning the Black Moonlight

The dejected man sat in the car, no one knowing the torment he was going through.

Hong Jie opened the car door and got in, feeling a mix of emotions. Frustrated, he pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, but the phone in his pocket rang at that moment.

"Hey!" he said impatiently, a cigarette between his lips.

"Commander, someone has stormed into the prison! All the people we arrested have been killed!" The subordinate's lips trembled as he spoke.

The death of a few prisoners is nothing, but if all the dead are sons of high-ranking officials, then this is a huge problem, and no one can bear the responsibility.

Those young masters received all sorts of special treatment from the moment they entered prison, and the authorities turned a blind eye to it. Who could say for sure what was going on above? They weren't really going to execute these noble young masters; it was all just for show.

They take the money given to them and serve them good food and drink. Everyone knows these people won't stay for more than a few days, and some even go to curry favor with them, hoping to become familiar with them.

Who would have thought that in broad daylight, thugs would blow up the prison wall, brazenly rush in and kill people, and their target was clearly these newly imprisoned young masters, not letting a single one go. After killing them, they ran away, swift and decisive.

"Are you all dead?" Hong Jie roared furiously, veins throbbing on his forehead.

Those people are all children of military personnel. Putting them in prison was just to negotiate with the military. The outcome of their case involves the interests of the military, the government, the Hong family, and all parties. Everyone knows that the final result is simply a matter of who concedes how much. Once all parties reach an agreement, they will be released, and no one will take it seriously.

But now, less than a week after they were locked up, they all died inside. With their deaths, the matter has become a dead end.

The arrest warrant was approved by the Crown Prince, and Hong Jie personally arrested the person.

The son of a high-ranking military official died at the hands of the Hong brothers. The accusations of the Hong family's dictatorship and power grab, and the blame for the crown prince's elimination of dissidents, have been firmly established, leaving no room for rebuttal.

After hanging up the phone, Hong Jie looked anxiously at his cousin, his heart pounding. "A-Jin, what do we do? The military won't let us off the hook!"

Hong Jin was sitting right next to him, so he heard everything on the phone. He closed his eyes and pondered for a few seconds before speaking sharply.

"We'll split into two groups. You go and hunt down the murderer, and I'll take care of the rest. They're already dead, so let's make sure they're convicted of drug use, money-for-power deals, and disregard for human life. Even if the military comes looking for trouble, they'll have to see if they're tough enough!"

"But the dead were all sons of several generals, two of whom were only sons. Ah Jin, those old guys were no pushovers!"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Hong Jin raised his eyebrows, his face full of banditry. "He didn't raise his son well, so he deserves to die. He's an old man, do you think I'm afraid of them? If they push him too far, I'll snipe them all and be done with it!"

“But, but…” Hong Jie began impatiently, but was interrupted by his cousin’s harsh voice, who waved his hand impatiently, “There are no buts. Just do as I say. If the sky falls, I’ll hold it up; it won’t fall on your head!”

Hong Jie fell silent, moved to sit by the window, and refused to say another word to this madman.

******

Yao Gongyue was sleeping at home when she suddenly dreamed of Hong Jin's sharp and handsome face. His eyes were bloodshot, and his throat was choked with emotion. "Baby, don't you want me anymore?"

"Baby, please come back? I'm hurt, look!"

The man suddenly took off his shirt, revealing his strong upper body, which was covered in blood, crisscrossed with knife scars, and white flesh turned outwards, with some places even exposing the bare bones.

"Baby, it hurts!"

Hong Jin's captivating eyes looked at her pitifully, their redness terrifying. He reached out his large hand to her—the same warm hand that had caressed her entire body, the same hand that had given her warmth when she had stomach pains. Now, it was covered in blood, trembling, expectant, and reaching out towards her.

"Baby, hug me and the pain will go away!"

"Hong Jin~" The girl suddenly woke up from her dream, cold sweat soaking her long hair at her temples and sticking to her pink cheeks. Tears welled up in her eyes one by one, and she couldn't wipe them away in time. Hong Jin's eyes in the dream were so broken and miserable, and they kept magnifying in her mind. Her heart was beating very fast, with a sharp pain, and her lips gradually lost their color.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's just a nightmare. That bastard is so powerful, who could hurt him? Dreams are always the opposite of reality..." She patted her chest repeatedly to comfort herself.

"Baby, did you have a nightmare? Come here, let your husband give you a hug!"

"It's okay, baby, don't be afraid. Your husband is here; no one can hurt my baby!"

"Sleep well, I'll stay here with you, I won't go anywhere, don't be afraid!"

Hong Jin's voice, which was usually used to coax her, echoed in her ears like a spell.

"This is so annoying, when will it ever end!" She wiped away her tears in frustration, lay back down on the bed, pulled the blanket over her head, but couldn't fall asleep no matter what she did.

Once a move is made, there's no going back, Hong Jin. I will never turn back, never!

She bit her lip so hard it almost bled, and gripped the sheets tightly with both hands, forcing herself to seal away all those memories.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Mom came in with some fruit. "Baby, come and have some fruit."

Yao Gongyue sat up, feeling agitated, and forced a smile. "Thank you, Mom!"

"I've scheduled a physical exam for you tomorrow. Do you need me and your aunt to go with you?" Yao Jiaona asked casually, as if nothing was wrong.

"It's okay, Mom, I can manage!" Although she knew in her heart that she wasn't pregnant, she still accepted her mother's advice. No matter what, a girl's health is the most important thing, and there's no harm in getting a checkup.

"Okay, after you're done with your checkup, go for a stroll around the neighborhood and relax. Our business is doing very well, we're making enough money for you, don't be stingy!" Mom said, handing her a card. "Here, this is your allowance. You know the PIN, right? Stay home and play for a while, and go back to work whenever you want!"

"Mom!" Yao Gongyue took the card, hesitated for a moment, and then continued, "I don't really want to go to the theater anymore. The Beijing Performing Arts Company is recruiting dancers, and I want to give it a try!"

"Sure, as long as you're happy, baby!" Yao Jiaona patted her hand and said gently, "Baby, you're still young, but being a dancer is a short-lived career. Have you considered going on to get a master's degree or something?"

Although her mother spoke in a consultative tone, Yao Gongyue knew that her mother must have given it considerable thought before speaking. When her maternal grandfather was alive, her mother and aunt were also children of university professors. If they hadn't been too beautiful and encountered bad men, experiencing too many ups and downs in their lives and being forced to compromise with life, their lives would have been very different.

However, this does not hinder their vision and foresight; a mother will always do her best to plan for her children.

Yao Gongyue pursed her lips, looking hesitantly at her mother. "It's not that I haven't thought about it, but... but my foundation is too weak. When I was studying abroad, I was also quite unbalanced in my studies. I was first in my major courses, but I barely passed the theory courses. I only managed to get the credits because Hong Jin forced me to cram before the exams. And Hong Jin wrote the thesis. I... I'm afraid I won't pass..."

As she spoke, she became increasingly guilty, her head almost touching her knees, and her voice grew softer and softer.

The heartwarming scene of motherly love and filial piety vanished instantly. Yao Jiaona jumped up from the bedside, her voice rising two octaves, "What? Someone else wrote your thesis for you? Yao Gongyue, are you trying to drive me crazy?"

"Mom, Mom, Mom!" The shameless daughter quickly explained with a smile, "Please don't be angry. I... I had a really bad foundation in high school. When I first started, listening to the lectures was like listening to gibberish. I'm lucky if I can even graduate!"

Yao Jiaona put one hand on her hip, exhaled a few breaths, and calmed herself down. "Forget it! You've only been in high school for a little over a year, it's normal that you can't keep up!"

“But,” Yao Jiaona changed the subject, tapping her daughter’s forehead, “you still need to study hard. Whether you pass or not, just take the exam first. If you don’t pass in one year, try again in two. I’ll find you a tutor. I don’t believe that such a small amount of knowledge can be more difficult than your grandfather building rockets back then.”