Crossing Souls

Part 13 Reno7

Vivi gently supported Reno as he made his way back into their small basement apartment. With careful hands, she helped him out of his coat and pants, guiding him wearily to the bed. She then stoked the stove, heating some water, and began tending to the wound on his forehead.

As she looked at the swollen bruise and scraped skin, Vivi's features turned stern. "Why are you so disobedient? You haven't even healed completely, and you're running around everywhere. How did you manage to get these injuries? And why did you go to the casino? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" With that, Vivi raised her hand and administered a resounding yet affectionate slap to Reno.

For Reno, this wasn't unfamiliar; he was accustomed to letting Vivi have her way. After she finished tending to him, they both settled by the bed, enveloped in a warm blanket. Vivi took out a small bag and handed it to Reno. "From the new bakery on East Street, freshly baked ham burgers. They're delicious."

Reno opened the bag and took a bite, but Tiger's words resurfaced in his mind. Vivi immediately noticed Reno's lowered spirits. "What's wrong? Are you not happy to see me?"

"It's not that," Reno replied. "It's nothing."

"Stop pretending. Your brows are knitted like they're locked. What's bothering you?"

Having spent a long time together, Reno knew Vivi's temperament well. Slowly, he began to recount the events of the morning. "This morning, Tiger came."

"Tiger? What did that jerk want with you? To collect debts?"

"Yeah, something like that." Reno continued. "He also said..."

At this point, Reno lifted his eyes and gazed at the fiery-tempered girl beside him, feeling a pang of indescribable melancholy. He believed he had feelings for Vivi. Especially at the moment he fell into the crevasse, the desire to embrace Vivi again became his greatest motivation to survive. However, at the moment of their reunion, he couldn't help but question why his girlfriend had to be the daughter of Tiger Roar, the leader of the most prominent gang in the area.

"What did Tiger say?" Vivi inquired.

"He said... I'm living off your success..."

"Is that it?" Vivi widened her eyes and burst into laughter.

Reno was somewhat annoyed, but he couldn't muster the anger. "Isn't that humiliating enough?"

"You stingy thing, what's the big deal? As long as two people truly love each other, who cares about living off someone else's success?"

"I don't want to be laughed at by others!"

"What does it matter to us whether others laugh or not? As long as we live better and stronger than them, we can make them eat their words."

"But I don't have money. This failed treasure hunt means I can't even repay the gang's debt, so how can I propose to your father?"

"I've told you, people are more important than money. Your debt is my debt; I will help you pay it off. Once we have the money, you can propose whenever you want."

Reno shook his head helplessly. If only things were that simple. When Tiger came to find him today, it was a message from the gang leader, instructing him to sever ties with Vivi completely, which showed how much the leader despised him. And all this was because of his poverty.

Reno clenched his fists involuntarily, but the next moment, he felt powerless. What should he do next?

Just then, a cool hand slipped discreetly into Reno's clothing. "Your hand is still cold?" Vivi murmured, leaning her head on Reno's shoulder, pressing her lips against his neck as if wanting to doze off.