"So you are one of those in Xinghe's batch.", Feng Mian asked, astonished, "But according to the law, trainee officers for the position of Military Chief aren't supposed to work. Your expenses are taken care of by the government all your life, right? How come you are still serving the Army?"

"Not Military. Just Xinghe. We have pledged our loyalty only to her.", Ashfakh shook his head, "The Hybrids will serve no one but their Alpha, until they breathe their last.

"But that is not what I am here for. I believe it is important for the Superfamily to know about Rong Xinghe's darkest side."

"What do you mean?", Zhi Bo furrowed his brows, tapping his fingers against the arm of the sofa he was sitting on.

"Ripper. Alqatil. The Walking Death. All these years, these terms have been your sister's identities. The fright that she has implanted in every breathing Militant's heart is terrifying. The rage inside her is akin to the lava inside a volcano. Blazing. Fatal. Destructive. Desperate to burst out.

"Those five years had been the years of the Ripper. For the Hybrids, Xinghe has never had an ounce of humanity inside her. No humanity. No sensitivity. As she ripped off of one's heart from their chests with her bare hands, she would stand firm, looking at her prey struggling hard to survive. That was the Ripper. The one that was feared the most."

"Are you trying to tell us that our sister is a monster?", Mo Zixuan asked, his tone stern.

"Was. Past tense.", the soldier remarked, least intimidated by the Six overbearing tigers facing him, "It took her an entire year to control that amount of rage. Unfortunately, the chance of that side of hers overpowering her positive side will always be there.

"And trust me when I say this. You wouldn't want to see her like that. The Ripper isn't something you can deal with. That girl can leave a trail of dead 'blood-drained' human bodies behind her, no matter where she goes. Alqatil isn't rational. It's a ruthless beast that has craved for nothing but blood."

"How come we never noticed it?", Lu Wei sighed.

"Because Xinghe is amazing at concealing her emotions.", Ashfakh Ali shrugged, "You can see only what she wants you to see. You hear what she wants you to hear. Most importantly, in presence of the people she loves, the Ripper is always suppressed. It's just Xinghe. Your sister."

He was right. In front of the people she loved, Rong Xinghe was her best self. In the past, she had lost so much hope that, despite having six brothers who doted upon her more than anything, she had channeled all her pain into one strong emotion. Rage. Anger.

She became the Ripper. A monster who was so blinded by the urge of wiping out her enemies, that she wouldn't even care about the 'collateral damage'. The Five years that made her the Military Chief, were the same years when she committed all her sins. But there wasn't anything for the Superfamily or the Xi family to worry about. They were family to Rong Xinghe, and innocent civilians to the Ripper. She would never hurt them, regardless of what her personality was.

___________________

10:30 a.m., Elite Saphire Penthouse ;

"What are you thinking?", Xi Yuan placed a tub of popcorn upon the girl's lap, "Already making a plan for killing Rong Yufan?"

"Nah. I will discuss it with my brothers first.", the girl shook her head, "What movie do you want to watch?"

"You select the genre.", the man smiled, pulling out two soda cans from the fridge, "I select the movie."

"Thriller. No, horror. Wait, both!", the girl grinned.

"It. Chapter One.", Xi Yuan grabbed the space beside the girl on his couch and covered her legs with the blanket, "Definitely both."

"When do you even get so much time to watch these many movies? Last time I checked, you were still the CEO of Xi Business Empire?", the girl questioned, amused, as she switched on the smart TV and customized the living room lights to dim green.

"I am still the CEO, Darling.", the man laughed, "But having a brother controlling an entire Entertainment Industry keeps you updated. Wei never stops talking, you know? I rarely watch movies. I simply remember Wei's reviews about each."

"Ah! The memory of an elephant.", Rong Xinghe mocked, "Got it." The man could only roll his eyes. There was no point arguing with her. It wasn't like she would ever run out of her crafty comebacks! Most importantly, she deserved to live like this. Relaxed and carefree. And he had no intention to bicker around when she was actually enjoying herself.

::::::

"Hey! Can I ask you something?", the girl asked in the middle of the movie, her tone nervous.

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever thought about getting married someday?", the girl whispered hesitantly, "To me?"

The moment the man's mind processed the girl's words, he looked straight into her eyes. It didn't take him too long to realize that she wasn't joking, so instead of saying anything, he picked up the remote from behind her and paused the movie.

"Ok... okay. Firstly...", Xi Yuan cleared his throat, "Who in this holy world thinks about Marriage while watching a thriller movie?!"

"Forget it.", the girl shook her head, "It was a silly question. Let's focus back on the movie."

"No!", the man snatched the remote from the girl, "I want to know more. Don't you dare dodge this topic. Have you thought about 'us' getting married, Xinghe?"

"Yeah. I mean, sometimes.", the girl admitted honestly, "I don't know. It's weird, you know? I've always feared the idea of getting married, having a home. And all of a sudden, none of that scares me. Not anymore.

"Wait. You didn't answer my question. You don't want to marry me?"

"Rong Xinghe, you are my first love. Of course, I want to marry you.", the man leaned in, resting his head against the girl's, "I love you so so much! Thank you for saying that."

"Really?", the girl grabbed onto the man's both hands. "Yes.", he sighed, regretfully "Only if we had a ring right now."

"Who said we don't have one?", the girl laughed, pulling out a small dark-blue velvet box from one of her shopping bags, "Proposals have always been the Superfamily's specialty, Sweetheart. How could you forget that?"