They stared intensely, unmovingly, at each other for such a long time, unrelenting to the other.

Then Man Rui's mouth slowly curved upwards. Her eyes glimmered with such uncanny glow, then threw both her arms up in the air as gesture of surrender.

"Alright! You win, I lose."

"I know my place. Beside you, isn't it? Got it. Let's stop this whole farce."

She stared tenderly at eyes, at his face. Her smile broadened into a grin. She caressed his cheek with her thumb.

"Got it. Let's rest now. I'm tired."

"Go home." She said tenderly, lovingly.

"Man Rui." He s.n.a.t.c.hed the hand that was caressing her face and kissed her palm. His own brooding eyes were ablazed with newfound solemnity. "My queen."

"Go home." She repeated. Her whole persona was flooded with exceeding warmth.

He grabbed her waist, then locked her into a tight embrace. One of his hands supported her head, as if treasuring it, as if he's trying to make up for his earlier behavior. "I'm sorry."

"Go home." She said, still smiling, slightly nodding and urging him gently to leave her abode.

"Okay." He swept his eyes onto her for a while before exiting through the front door.

That night, while alone in her apartment, she stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of her warm abode, contemplating on her next course of action, on her life in general.

She had a plan, but did she have the courage to see it through?

Although unsure, she had made a resolve. Her heart had been firm when her mind was still clouded with too much uncertainties.

She knew. Her heart just knew what to do, regardless.

In the middle of the night, there was a silhouette of a frail being locking an apartment door. After a few more minutes, a soft revving of a car's engine was heard momentarily, then there was silence.

Teng Man Rui drove hastily towards the nearest airport. She had packed all her life's essentials with her. She had locked her apartment, ready to face a new chapter in her life.

She had successfully bought herself a ticket to the next flight, to who knows where. It did not matter where she's going. She had to leave that place, tonight.

She had successfully pa.s.sed the immigration when she saw from the other side of the gla.s.s wall, a familiar dark figure. It was s.h.i.+ Fan Hai.

He tried to go beyond the immigration but was blocked by guards and airport personnel.

Teng Man Rui was watching intently at the other end of the gla.s.s wall. She dialed his number in her phone. He answered it.

"Really, Man Rui?" He attacked with words. "A restraining order?" He was panting from trying to catch up with her a while back, but with all the guards blocking him, he was exhausted.

"I have felt there's something quite fishy with you in the apartment." He gritted his teeth.

"I need to disappear, s.h.i.+ Fan Hai." She said, still staring intently at the man behind the gla.s.s wall, beside him were guards that were trying to hold him in place.

"You cannot escape my shadow, Man Rui. I already told you. No matter where you go, I'll find you. I'll hunt you down, my golden deer [1].

"Yes, I'm the golden deer that's turning you into a beast, my love. That's why I need to disappear."

"I know you're going to look for me. Let's play this game. Shall we?" She smiled teasingly.

"Give me a head start, like any other game of hunt. A head start of three months. No cheating allowed." Her uncanny eyes gazed at him, surely leaving an impact.

"The world is our playground."

"Let's play this game, and have some fun." She giggled. It was wicked. Who would have thought that this innocent-looking lady had this side of her.

She turned around, and boarded the inclined walkalator towards her boarding gate. She turned again towards the gla.s.s wall where she came from. With the last glimpse of her man, she touched her fingertips on her lips and blew a final kiss, her farewell.

"A head start of three months. Else, you'll see." She said, then hung up the phone.

The man was evidently furious.

'd.a.m.n it, Man Rui! You and your mind games! I have fallen into your trick.'

Because he was too domineering, he had forgotten one single fact – that Teng Man Rui is not like any other girl.

The devil like himself will never take a liking to an ordinary girl. Teng Man Rui might be the top and the most beautiful elite, most eligible bachelorette, the perfect daughter-in-law, but he had liked her not just because of that, but because of something else, that of which he had always forgotten.

Teng Man Rui was subtle. She's loyal and could keep secrets, and could keep her ideas inside her head, and as simple as that, it was what makes her powerful. Teng Man Rui could act accordingly silently, lethally without any clues at all. Before anyone could react, she had already turned the tables.

Teng Man Rui had turned herself into s.h.i.+ Fan Hai's prey, his most important target. Without her, he would lose his drive to pursue his plans. After all, it was for their future.

However it was a gamble. Because he could continue his plans without her.

One thing she's sure – that s.h.i.+ Fan Hai would not be able to stay put without her by his side. He would surely prioritize looking for her. Otherwise, why would he always go visit her almost too frequently when he's work and his life was based in another country?

Knowing that, she should do her best not to be found out.

In actuality, she had one trump card left. If s.h.i.+ Fan Hai did not observe the three months lead time she's requiring, she would have surrendered herself to the police as culprit. She would take the blame, like the good girl that she is.

"I will atone for your sins."

"If you cannot answer to your wrongdoings, I will." She had said to him in her apartment.

[1] based on a movie adaptation of Beauty and the Beast in which the princess, the first wife of the accursed prince before he was turned into a beast was actually the golden deer which he was trying to hunt for the longest time. When he finally killed the golden deer, it transformed into the form of the princess, his wife. Afterwards he was bound to face the wrath of the princess's celestial family which had turned him into a beast.