Xing Han sighed.

Sighed very loudly.

But, unlike normal, there was no one to come and comfort him, asking him what was wrong. 

Xing Han lay his head on his desk and stared at the desk across from him.

The desk that was devoid of its Master.

His gaze rested on the display case that was behind the said desk.

At one time, it had been the place where Nitocris had hung an entire human skin on it. However, he had then moved it to the torture chamber below. It would serve to be an additional psychological push to those who had betrayed the organisation.

That, and the fact that his Cookie did not want him to have his eyes tainted by such a sight. Granted, he had been shocked upon seeing it, even though he had been warned but he wasn’t repulsed negatively by it.

He didn’t have nightmares and the such, that is. 

How could he, when he would always be hugged to sleep? Being in his Cookie’s arms gave him a sense of security and peace that could not be explained, so anything that happened during the day was washed away by the night.

Right now though, his Cookie was not here.

He was out with Zack on some business trip.

It had been three days already, and it would be another two days before his Cookie comes home.

It was hard.

The bed was so empty and cold without him.

Xing Han sighed loudly again, putting his forehead on the desk.

Nitocris had become such a part of his life that without him, he felt so empty. Xing Han wondered how he had ever survived before him.

His hand reached out for his phone and he pressed the speed-dial.

He couldn’t call his Cookie because his Cookie was in a meeting. It wasn’t as if he wouldn’t pick up the phone but the last thing Xing Han wanted to do, was disturb his Cookie at work.

His bff, however …. Was another story altogether.

At the fourth ring, Kyle finally picked up the phone, “That bad?”

“Mhmmm,” Xing Han mumbled, his lips brushing on the desk while the phone was on speaker.

“Why don’t you go over then?”

“Msh dfdfffsd dsdfjeld sdfmmmmm,” 

Kyle shook his head, while putting up a finger. The rest of the people in the meeting pressed their lips together, knowing that their Boss wanted them to give him a minute while he handled the call.

And they could not make a single sound.

“Xing Han, talk properly,” Kyle said firmly, his voice low but still clear.

“I can’t disturb himmmmm,” Xing Han repeated anguishly, “He’s doing his other job. I would only be in the way.”

The last sentence was said softly.

Kyle sighed.

He gave a glance at Sam, who was sitting straight and saw Kyle mouth ‘Yuri’. He nodded, and got out of the office to make the call.

“Just go to him,” Kyle said, “He won’t mind. He just didn’t want to trouble you. I’m sure he’s missing you, too.”

“You really think so?” Xing Han asked hopefully before he sighed again, “No, I can’t do that. I can’t risk it. I know he misses me but … “

“Little Boss,” Yuri called out immediately upon entering the room without knocking.

“Yuri’s there. Listen to him, okay?” Kyle said, putting down the phone.

Sam had come back in by then, and Kyle put his ‘game face’ back on. 

“Continue,” Kyle said to the guy who was still standing, not daring to move as he had been in the middle of a presentation.

He took a deep breath and continued.

Meanwhile, back at Xing Han/Nitocris’s office, Yuri was just standing there, looking down at the dejected Xing Han.

This was a sight that Nitocris would never have seen.

Xing Han was always the bubbly one, the one that was smiling and brought a smile to everyone’s faces.

This Xing Han, however, was the exact opposite.

He looked so listless, like the life had been sucked out of him. He couldn’t even smile properly. Well, he did smile but it was more like a sad sort of smile that made people want to go over and hug him to comfort him.

It was only because they feared Nitocris that no one dared to do so.

Hence, everyone at the office was becoming more and more dejected as well.

He was like their mascot, bringing sunshine to the whole organisation.

But now, their sunshine was dark and cloudy.

Who could handle that? 

“I can’t go,” Xing Han was saying stubbornly, “I won’t.”

“Little Boss,” Yuri said, his face serious as usual, “I’m afraid you have no choice.”

Xing Han ignored him, “I always have a choice. What nonsense are you talking about?”

Yuri placed a report on the file, right next to Xing Han’s head.

Xing Han turned his head a bit, seeing it and asked, “What is this?”

“The productivity report for the past three days,” Yuri said calmly.

Xing Han finally got up from lying down on the desk and flipped through the file. His eyes narrowed, “This can’t be right, can it?”

“It is,” Yuri said, “I triple-checked the figures.”

“How can this be? What could have possibly happened in three days to make such a plunge?” Xing Han said, frowning. If this continued, his Cookie would be busier than ever upon returning, to get to the bottom of this.

Was it a rival company?

A rival gang?

Were they being undermined?

“You,” Yuri said.

 Xing Han stopped studying the file, then looked up at Yuri in total shock, “What?”

“Everyone is just so demotivated at work, seeing how down you are,” Yuri explained, “Even our debt collectors can’t get into the mood to pick up payments because they see your face whenever the sad stories come out.”

“I … I …” Xing Han couldn’t say anything, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Then he looked even worse, putting his head in his hands as he wailed, “I knew I would be bringing Cookie down.”

“When you’re happy, productivity goes up. When you’re down, like right now, things take a fall,” Yuri carried on relentlessly, each word piercing Xing Han right where it hurts. 

Well, Xing Han was already feeling so down, so he didn’t hear the first part, as the second part drowned it all.

“So I should just leave then,” Xing Han mumbled, “I don’t want to make anyone down. Most of all, make it difficult for Cookie.”

Yuri managed to keep a straight face, despite the sudden drop of ‘Cookie’. No matter how many times he hears it, it never fails to cause shivers down his spine.

Boss. Cookie.

Hell Boss. Cookie.

Heckl, no.

“No,” Yuri said, “If you did that, no one would feel any better. In fact, they’d feel worse. Thinking you’re all alone at home and all.”

Xing Han’s face crumbled.

“Then what should I do?”

“Go to Boss,” Yuri said, “Zack said the main parts are over now, so it’s fine.”

Xing Han’s eyes brightened, “REALLY?!”

���Yes, really,” Yuri replied.

Xing Han got up quickly, his fist pumped in the air, “YES!”

He quickly tidied up his desk, in a rush to get out.

“I’ve already booked the tickets, and Randy is waiting downstairs for you. He’ll send you home to pack and then to the airport,” Yuri told him.

“Oh, Yuri. I could kiss you right now,” Xing Han said happily.

“Please don’t,” Yuri replied, “I still want to live.”

Xing Han laughed and ran out.

Once the door slammed shut behind the excited Xing Han, Yuri smiled a bit. He picked up the ‘report’ and shredded it. As if productivity would go down because Xing Han was down.

True, everyone were feeling down. Xing Han was deeply loved by everyone here. However, if they had let that interfere with their work, Yuri would have personally shown them the meaning of ‘being down’. 

They were the Underworld, for goodness sake.

They could not show weakness in any form. If anyone outside of the organisation knew how valuable Xing Han was, his life would never be at peace. 

Xing Han was Nitocris – and the Black Dragon’s – Achilles Heel.

He would be a constant target, to be used as leverage against the King of the Underworld.

Thus, Xing Han was the best well-kept secret in the Underworld. 

People only knew him as Nitocris’s spouse, and thus, would not be disturbed out of respect.

However, they viewed him like any other Underworld spouse: disposable. 

If he died, he would just be replaced. Simple.

They would have to face the repercussion of causing the death but nothing major like total annihilation. After all, it was just disrespecting the other party, right?

And so, the bright star of Black Dragons lived a peaceful life with the King of the Underworld. That very same sunshine that ran through the company in his eagerness to get back to his beloved’s side.