Chapter 77

Ye Xiao was suddenly at a loss. They’d been fine just moments ago, how could things change so quickly?
Could she really have been that frightened?
He chided himself for being too unconcerned. She said she wasn’t scared, so he’d assumed she could handle it. But thinking back over those scenes, they had indeed been too intense for a girl.
"Then I, I won’t pat your head anymore." He suddenly became awkward with his words.
Seeing that, Lin Tantan felt even sadder. Ye Xiao had seldom been so careful with anyone; the signs had been there all along, but she had chosen to ignore them, and now… this had happened.
She felt like a criminal and couldn’t even force a smile. All her strength seemed to be gone. "I want to go back," she whispered.
Ye Xiao hurriedly took her back.
Back at the villa she climbed the stairs and flopped onto her bed, staring blankly.
She’d fallen for Ye Xiao, that was manageable. She could hide her feelings so no one would notice. Once the new house was ready they wouldn’t live under the same roof, and she could gradually put distance between them.
But…
Could Ye Xiao have fallen for her too?
How could that be?
Had he not yet realized his feelings for Bai Cheng, or hadn’t he reached that point with Bai Cheng, and she had beaten him to it? Lin Tantan felt no joy, only panic. What had she changed? What exactly had she changed?
She had saved Mei Baisheng’s life, and because she’d indirectly caused the death of Zhou Yan, who had resurrection powers, life and death could be upended by her actions. So changing someone’s feelings no longer seemed impossible.
But… how could she do such a thing?
Two such good people, such sincere and deep feelings, could she have ruined them?
Lin Tantan buried her face in the quilt. The blanket she’d aired a few days ago no longer felt so fluffy or comforting. Thinking of the day their quilts had lain side by side, she couldn’t help but bite the blanket and let out soft sobs.
A little hamster scrambled out of her pocket, looked at her in bewilderment, cautiously tapped her hand, then hopped onto her back and stepped on it twice, completely clueless.
It jumped down, ran to the door, tried to squeeze under the gap and couldn’t, so it detoured out onto the balcony.
Ye Xiao stood in the doorway. At first there was silence, then muffled sobbing. His heart tightened, was she really crying?
But why? Even if she’d been frightened, this shouldn’t be the reaction. Besides, he’d thought it over on the way and still felt she wasn’t that delicate.
So what was she upset about?
His brow furrowed. He felt he was facing the most difficult, perplexing situation, completely at a loss and anxious.
A little hamster ran out of his room, leapt anxiously at him and squeaked. Ye Xiao spread his hand so it could stand in his palm and murmured, "I know, I know she's upset, but there's nothing I can do."
A girl's moods truly change on a whim without warning. He paused, surely she wasn't grieving because Zhou Yan had died? He quickly pushed that terrible thought away, but one thing was certain: she didn't want to see him right now. With no better option, Ye Xiao sent the hamster back to stay with her and went downstairs himself.
The preparations for today's showdown were far more than just Ye Xiao and a few people moving in; others were ready for a full-scale fight. After Li Qun's men fell back five hundred meters, the whole camp was effectively under their control.
Yet who could have guessed that all those preparations would prove useless.
Li Qun's side was still under their surveillance and control, but the main people had already returned and were downstairs in the living room discussing the matter.
"This won't be so simple. Li Qun may be slow, but he's not stupid, he wouldn't dare act without ample preparation. But as it stands, aside from Zhou Yan, he doesn't seem to have any other ace up his sleeve," Bai Cheng analyzed.
Mei Baisheng snapped angrily, "That guy said someone was paid to take the boss's life on Min Yande's orders; he was forced to cooperate. That useless fool, seeing Zhou Yan dead, he actually fainted from fright and couldn't be roused. He wouldn't tell us anything. Do his men know anything?"
Bai Cheng shook his head. "We've interrogated them all. Their knowledge is limited, only that a bearded man came to Li Qun yesterday, and it was only then that Li Qun suddenly left the base to pick up Zhou Yan."
"Was that man a new face?" Ye Xiao asked as he came down the stairs.
Bai Cheng thought for a moment. "It seems so."
Ye Xiao said coldly, "Then go check the newcomers who entered the base yesterday."
That could be done. Bai Cheng immediately sent someone to Lu Jianping.
To check newcomers to the base you still had to go through Lu Jianping, which was inconvenient, Ye Xiao thought, after all, this wasn't a place where he had full authority.
Bai Cheng asked Ye Xiao, "What do you intend to do about Li Qun's side? Li Qun is unconscious; with so many men left leaderless, if we leave them they'll surely fall into disarray."
The Li faction was never a united front. With Li Qun down, those men might start thinking for themselves, and Lu Jianping wouldn't let such an opportunity pass.
Moreover, there were rumors that people sent by Min Yande to stir trouble might take advantage of the situation.
Ye Xiao thought for a moment, then said to Jiang Xiaotian, "Connect the line. I want to speak with Min Yande."
Jiang Xiaotian complied at once.
This was the first time since arriving at the Ning City base that Ye Xiao had taken the initiative to contact Min Yande. Their communication line had always been open, but usually it was Min's side calling this one; without permission from this side outgoing calls couldn't get through, only emails could be sent.
This time their call request went through, and soon the operator connected them: "...Hello, I'll transfer you to General Min right away."
Far away in the capital, in a certain building, a broad-shouldered, somewhat plump middle-aged man was tapping the desk, waiting for news from Ning City. According to plan, by now Shenji should have secured a person, a five-ability user. What advantage would that give him?
But the news that arrived was not the one he was expecting.
A subordinate walked in with a grave expression: "Ye Xiao requests a call."
Min Yande straightened, somewhat surprised but not entirely.
He was surprised that the other side had finally taken the initiative to contact him; not surprised because he knew that if Li Qun and Ye Xiao clashed, Li Qun would be crushed. Ye Xiao getting ambushed like this would certainly demand an explanation.
He picked up the phone at his desk whose indicator light had been flashing. This was no ordinary telephone, nationwide communications were down; only certain emergency lines that had been restored or temporarily established could carry messages. That seemingly ordinary device represented untold manpower and resources; not just anyone could have one on their desk.
That thought crossed Min Yande's mind, and he adopted a chastising tone. "Ye Xiao, you've really kept me waiting. A stranger might think you've completely forgotten your superior and are about to defect."
Min Yande knew how to needle Ye Xiao; his words carried weight and almost hit a sore spot. The other side was silent for a moment before a cold, austere voice came through: "Major General Min, no, I suppose I should call you General Min now, I heard you wanted me dead?"
Min Yande sensed a change in Ye Xiao but didn't dwell on it; he was entitled to be angry. He feigned surprise. "What? I never issued such an order, nor did I send anyone. Li Qun acted on his own. Ah, that Li Qun, I heard he discovered a three-ability user and I praised him; who knew he'd get cocky. I'll teach him a lesson... Ye Xiao, you've been in Ning City long enough. I've heard the base is doing well. With people dying all over the country and Ning City's casualties relatively low, you deserve credit. I'll record that. But you should come back; this place needs talent like you."
After a pause he squinted. "Li Qun has some strange illness and is unconscious? You want to take Li Qun's position? No, no, it's wasting your talents to leave you in that backwater. Come back, and I'll have someone else take Li Qun's post."
Whatever was said on the other end, Min Yande's expression soured. "Give it to Lu Jianping?" His voice shot up two octaves. "Are you deliberately opposing me? Know whose side you are on!"
But the other side had already hung up. Min Yande slammed the receiver down, furious. This Ye Xiao couldn't be controlled: he couldn't be suppressed, he couldn't be commanded; even leaving him alone brought trouble. Min Yande regretted his earlier hard line over Old Chen's grandson, he shouldn't have made things so tense to try to quash his ambition. In the end he gained nothing; Chen's grandson had vanished without a trace, and the relationship had only grown more strained.
Enough, enough, it’s just the Ning City base. There are so many small bases like this across the country; if it’s lost, let it go. The real gains that land in our hands are what matter most. He asked impatiently, "Did they get him over there or not?"
His subordinate replied, "No word yet, but the Shenji is in position and the pilot hasn’t received any orders."
In other words, they hadn’t secured the man. Ye Xiao had already taken down Li Qun and could free up his forces, so if they hadn’t succeeded by now, there was even less chance later.
Min Yande sank into his seat. "A bunch of useless men!"
At the Ning City base, Ye Xiao severed communications himself and went in person to see Lu Jianping. Lu Jianping had already heard that Ye Xiao had led men to "raid" Li Qun’s turf, killed some three-ability user Li Qun had brought back yesterday, and that Li Qun had been frightened into unconsciousness and had not yet woken.
Lu Jianping felt bewildered, had things between those two really escalated this far? In any case, it suited him. He was rubbing his hands, ready to absorb Li Qun’s men and territory, when word came that Ye Xiao had arrived.
His expression darkened slightly. Of course, there was also Ye Xiao. Wouldn’t he want to become the next Li Qun, only to turn his blade toward him?
Despite the thought, Lu Jianping still greeted him with a smile. Ye Xiao got straight to the point: "Do you want Li Qun’s regular troops?"
Lu Jianping was taken aback.
Ye Xiao continued, "If you want them, take them. There are sixty to seventy thousand officially on the rolls; after reorganization at least two‑thirds will be usable. Besides that, there are many trained irregular units, those who aren’t diehard loyalists to Li Qun will follow you if you offer better terms."
Lu Jianping felt his heart warm. Those men were why Li Qun had been able to stand against him; win them over and his command of the base would be secure.
"You don’t want them?" he asked Ye Xiao.
Ye Xiao shook his head. Min Yande would never approve the paperwork; even if he did, there would be countless ways to hobble him afterward. He’d already found a path better suited to himself, why take on someone else’s burden? Li Qun’s mess wasn’t that easy to pick up.
He said, "Since you want the men, file the proper reports and take them over legitimately. Put things in order, restrain those off the books, delay invites chaos."
Lu Jianping thought it over and said he would do it at once, then asked what Ye Xiao wanted in return. He didn’t believe Ye Xiao could be so selfless and ask for nothing.
Ye Xiao did have demands: three of them. First, one third of Li Qun’s weapons stockpile. Second, an additional, larger plot adjacent to the eastern parcel to serve as his private territory. Third, certain positions that had belonged to Li Qun’s faction.
Lu Jianping considered carefully and agreed.
With that settled, he pulled up the files on the newcomers who had entered the base yesterday. Every new face had been photographed on entry, not just long-bearded types; there were plenty of scruffy ones, but when one of Li Qun’s lieutenants was brought over to identify them, he quickly pointed out one.
A man in his early thirties with a small goatee looked utterly ordinary, but behind his deliberately dim expression there was something distinctly unusual in his eyes.
The name read Ding Jinbo, a very unfamiliar name, yet looking at the photo on the screen Ye Xiao felt a flash of recognition. After a moment he remembered.
Lu Jianping asked, "You know him?"
"I saw him once on a mission abroad. He’s an overseas Chinese, a professional bodyguard and part‑time killer, surgically altered; his name’s false," Ye Xiao said, narrowing his eyes. This was a vicious, treacherous type. He glanced at the photos of the three companions who had come in with him and told Lu Jianping, "Commander Lu, would you mind issuing a base‑wide arrest notice for them?"
The five‑man group, unaware they were about to be hunted across the entire base, already knew Li Qun’s side had been utterly defeated. Well, that was hardly surprising; wasn’t it inevitable? Ding Jinbo, the little mustached man, had planted a very well‑hidden bug on Li Qun, intending to listen in and know whenever the other side was drawn away. Unexpectedly, it had recorded Zhou Yan’s death in unmistakable detail.
Knowing that Ye Xiao had repeatedly executed and finally cremated a three‑ability user, the men felt both a sense of waste and a cold shiver, as if they themselves had been killed over and over and burned.
To prevent Li Qun from revealing more about them, Ding Jinbo had used a trace of psychic power he’d previously embedded in Li Qun’s mind to render him unconscious. Even so, it did little to reassure them: as long as they remained in the base, in enemy territory, they were not safe.
"This mission’s probably impossible now. Should we pull out?" the braided woman asked.
"Zhou Yan is dead, Li Qun’s finished, the Shenji is in place. Even if we wanted to withdraw, would Min Yande agree after investing so much?" Ding Jinbo said darkly. "We have no way back."
If Zhou Yan were still in their hands there would be room to maneuver, but now they had no bargaining chips and their employer had already invested too much. If the employer wasn’t satisfied, they wouldn’t be spared.
Ding Jinbo’s communicator suddenly buzzed. He pressed his hand to his ear and answered, "Not secured yet... yes, it’s our fault, yes." He exhaled and told his companions, "Whatever it takes, we have to get the man out."
At that moment, the man they’d left near the villa reported back: Ye Xiao and the target had gone into the house, and Ye Xiao had left again, leaving the target alone in the villa. There was heavy protection, but it was a chance worth taking.
You can’t afford to miss this opportunity.
They hurriedly discussed the main steps, including how to leave the base after securing the target. Just as they emerged from their hiding place, a van drove by on the road. It honked and carried a huge electronic screen, and on that screen were photos of four of the five of them, each face hardened with bitterness and anger, like criminal mugshots.
Meanwhile the loudspeaker kept blaring: "There are four suspected space-ability users, Ding Jinbo, Zhou Hong, He Fan, and Wang Shuo, who have infiltrated the base to steal supplies. If anyone spots them, report immediately; verified reports will be rewarded..."
Ding Jinbo and the others: "..."
Are they out of their minds?!
The people in the base who heard the broadcast were furious. Where would space-ability users come from, and four of them at that? Were they trying to loot the whole base?
Some feared the granaries had been robbed, which would be disastrous for everyone. Others thought of the food they'd been stockpiling at home, what if those four broke into their houses? In short, thieves were loathed, and now that every household had so little to eat, stealing their food was like stealing their lives. Everyone bristled with anger, eyes glued to the avatars on the screen, ready to scour the footage for culprits.
Suddenly someone across the way pointed at them. "Look at those, aren't they...?"
Ding Jinbo gritted his teeth and shouted, "Run!"
Fortunately they were fast, ordinary people couldn't catch them. After reaching a safe spot, Ding Jinbo slammed his fist against the wall. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! Ye Xiao!"
The repeated setbacks were driving him close to madness; he let out a low laugh. "I've realized we've been stuck in a dead end."
The other three stared at him. Ding Jinbo said, "We want to catch Lin Tantan, but that doesn't mean we have to go after her directly. Kidnap someone close to her to force her out, isn't that enough? Women are creatures of feeling, if we take someone she cares about most, she won't resist."
The three looked at him as if he were insane. The braided woman using the alias Zhou Hong replied tactfully, "It's not like Lin Tantan has anyone especially important. Even if she's a five-ability user and willing to risk herself, the people around her wouldn't agree. And there's Ye Xiao, he'll definitely come up with a solution. If we try to bait her, we'll expose ourselves. It's too dangerous."
Ding Jinbo sneered, "What if the one we take is Ye Xiao?"
The three: "..."
They all looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
Ding Jinbo snapped, "Don't you see? He protects Lin Tantan tightly but prefers to act alone. He's far too confident in his own strength! And there are five of us! Is Ye Xiao really invincible? Don't overestimate him, have some confidence in yourselves."
The three still regarded him like a fool. Zhou Hong said, "If Zhou Yan were still around, with him I'd have a bit more confidence."
Ding Jinbo fell silent. Yes, Zhou Yan's death was a terrible pity; if only they'd planned this earlier. He waved his hand irritably. "Forget it, forget it. We'll look for a way in slowly."
At that moment the loudspeaker rang out again: "There are suspected space-ability users Ding Jinbo..."
"..." Ding Jinbo: "Damn it, find somewhere to hide!"
...
Ye Xiao didn't know he'd almost been targeted. Although Li Qun had warned someone was coming to kill him, Ye Xiao didn't really believe it, such a move wouldn't benefit Min Yande. Even if Ye Xiao had been disobedient, he hadn't pushed Min Yande to the point of wanting him dead.
So what exactly was the motive behind the whole thing?
Of course, beyond that question, what worried him more was whether Lin Tantan was feeling any better.
At the thought of the girl, Ye Xiao felt all his other troubles shrink; she alone was enough to keep him worried.
He had been half afraid she'd locked herself in her room, but when he returned he found her sitting on the sofa talking with Mei Baisheng, laughing softly about something. Her face was clean, with no trace of tears or unhappiness.
Ye Xiao still couldn't relax. The girl suddenly turned and saw him; her smile froze for a moment, then brightened into an even more radiant grin. "You're back!"
Ye Xiao felt no joy; a weight settled in his chest.
Her earlier smile had seemed genuine, but at the sight of him it suddenly looked horribly forced.
Her sudden oddness was because of him.
Realizing that made him feel dull and heavy inside.
He walked over, keeping his expression steady. "What were you talking about?" he asked.
Mei Baisheng said, "Tantan was asking how many people we have now, whether there will be enough room when the houses are finished. She wants a sun-facing one-bedroom."
Ye Xiao's eyes flicked. He smiled and said, "We currently have two thousand official members; with their families that's nearly five thousand people. There's room enough to live, but we plan to expand, so I asked Lu Jianping for another plot of land, the villa district is included. So we'll stay; we're not moving."
"Not moving?" Lin Tantan reacted strongly. She had been avoiding his gaze and pretending to be busy, looking here and there; at his words she quickly lifted her head. "Wasn't it said earlier..."
Ye Xiao asked with a smile in his eyes, "Tantan, are you tired of living here?"
"Uh..." Lin Tantan was about to say no, but after a moment she looked up and said decisively, "It's not that I'm tired, it's just that the other place is new. Wouldn't it be a shame not to live there? I've already thought about how I'd decorate it. Maybe I'll move out on my own."
After all that she still wanted to move out. Ye Xiao's gaze dropped. The girl smiled openly and lightly; her restless fingers were almost picking at the pink embroidered pig on her hem.
Ye Xiao's mouth twitched faintly. "Just kidding. The villa district is home to a lot of important people, can we really ask them all to leave? Since the villas weren't included, we'll still have to move."
Lin Tantan breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed her cup and drank, and looked away from Ye Xiao.
When others asked how his talks with Lu Jianping had gone, Ye Xiao told them everything.
"Li Qun has been handed over to him as well. Li Qun has some talent under him, we can reach out to them. Two thousand people are still too few."
“Tomorrow we’ll head to the armory and move things. Is the storeroom at the construction site finished?”
“I’ve requested some jobs we can assign to people. There are a few openings for gate guards, Bai Cheng, pick suitable candidates and arrange for two people to register temporary residence and start work. We can’t be clueless about who’s coming and going in the base.”
Lin Tantan listened with a serious air, nodding now and then as if fully involved, but her gaze had long since drifted elsewhere; Ye Xiao could tell she was only putting on a show.
Sure enough, when eight o’clock finally came she stood up. “I’m going to sleep.”
Ye Xiao rose too, saying he needed to wash up.
Lin Tantan walked ahead with Ye Xiao following upstairs. At the doorway, though, Ye Xiao suddenly said, “Tantan, I think I pulled something today, my ribs still ache. Can you treat it for me?”
Lin Tantan went stiff, turned back and said, “Oh, then we’ll go downstairs…”
“They’re all upstairs already. Come to my room, or should I come to yours?”
Her face froze even more.
Ye Xiao said, “It’s not like we haven’t spent nights alone together before.”
Lin Tantan looked like she might split in two and hurriedly said, “Th-this really isn’t appropriate.”
It was precisely because they’d been alone together so often that things had become a mess; Lin Tantan didn’t dare continue.
She decided to make her stance clearer. “I haven’t been careful enough before. Think about it, even if we’re friends, there’s still a difference between men and women, and we should avoid anything that looks suspect. I’ll still need to find a boyfriend and get married someday, imagine how upset my future husband would be if he knew I’d been so close with another man.”
With every word she spoke, Ye Xiao’s expression stiffened, grew colder.
It was an unmistakable refusal.
Before, she’d been like a little cat, shy at the first sign of trouble, nervy and hiding, clutching a pillow in the middle of the night and talking about running away. Now she was declaring she’d move out, that she’d find a boyfriend and get married.
For a moment Ye Xiao’s head was a tangle.
He was angry and stunned, and his chest ached.
He took two quick steps toward Lin Tantan. She hurried back toward her own door, ready to turn the knob and slip inside.
Tall and imposing, Ye Xiao blocked her at the threshold like a cat. He kept his face solemn, drew a breath to steady himself, and forced a smile. “What, Tantan, are you thinking about getting a boyfriend?”
“Uh, won’t that day come for everyone? I’m just preventing future trouble.” Oh God, that smile is terrifying, like he could flip his face at any second.
Ye Xiao didn’t change his expression. He still smiled. “So I’m the ‘calamity,’ am I?” He looked at her. “That so‑called boyfriend doesn’t even exist yet, you don’t even know if he’ll be tall or short, and you’re worried he’ll be hurt. I’m standing right here in front of you; don’t you think about whether I’ll be hurt?”
Lin Tantan forced a laugh so strained it nearly cracked her face. “Well, um, ”
Ye Xiao closed the distance another step, his voice dropping low and rough with a hint of hurt. “Tantan, you know how I feel, don’t you? Instead of just running away, can’t you at least consider accepting it? I’m sincere.”
Lin Tantan went rigid, as if struck. That hoarse, low, slightly wronged voice felt like it was pressed against her ear. She almost couldn’t stand, clutching the doorknob behind her to steady herself. She held on so tightly that when her hand slid down she toppled backward.
Ye Xiao hurriedly reached out to catch her, one hand grasping her arm, the other around her waist.
Their bodies were nearly touching.
Ye Xiao looked down at her, his gaze deep and tender, as if trying to lure someone into surrender.
Lin Tantan sprang up like a startled animal and shoved him away, sounding dry: “What are you talking about? Aren’t we good friends? I, I have absolutely no feelings for you, haha, this is so weird. No, I mean, you’re so amazing, you’ll meet someone better; I’m actually awful…” What on earth was she saying? “It’s getting late, I’m going to sleep. Bye, goodnight.” She backed away, darted inside, and slammed the door.
Once inside she clawed at the wall like a madwoman. Aaaah, given Ye Xiao’s personality, shouldn’t he, after seeing her clear refusal, have let it go and slipped back into the old way of things, as if nothing had happened?
Before, whenever she showed avoidance or unease he’d been good at hiding his feelings, so considerate, keeping an appropriate distance and never making things difficult for her. Otherwise she wouldn’t have kept convincing herself nothing was wrong until now.
If neither of them spoke of it, it would surely fade with time, after all, they’d only known each other a short while. How deep could their feelings be? It would be easy to pull herself together now.
So why did it have to be said aloud? Now every meeting will be unbearably awkward!
She didn’t realize that before she’d only been instinctively evasive, and Ye Xiao had patiently let things progress slowly. Now that she’d mentioned finding a boyfriend and getting married, of course he wouldn’t stay calm.
In fact, he was furious!
Ye Xiao stared at the door for a long time, closed his eyes, and drew a deep breath. He forced down the emotions that threatened to explode and the urge to burst in and demand explanations. Pressing his lips tight, he returned to his own room.
Hmm, she simply hadn’t thought of him that way.
The slow little girl finally realized his feelings and got scared; she fled by instinct, not realizing there might also be a chance to accept him.
That’s it.
He could have taken it slow, taken it slow… take it slow, my foot!
Ye Xiao slammed his fist against the wall.
That night Ye Xiao thought the whole thing over. Lin Tantan tossed and turned the whole night through.
Shao Ping couldn’t sleep either. He stared at the five people who’d taken over his little den, each with “don’t mess with me” practically written on their faces, and felt the whole world was being cruel to him.
"You can stay at my place for now, but I really can't help you with anything else. How would I know if Lin Tantan has any important connections? I'm not close to her at all! Why don't you go to Ming Ze, he's the one who's actually close to Lin Tantan. Besides, he's going to see her tomorrow!"
The others looked at him. Ding Jinbo said, "Are you serious?"
"Yes, yes, I checked. He's going to report the clinic's situation to Lin Tantan tomorrow."
Ding Jinbo: "Alright, then. Tomorrow find a chance to plant something on Ming Ze."
Shao Ping: "..." So why does he have to be the errand boy?
The next day Ming Ze did go to the villa, just as expected.
Lin Tantan hid in her room for a long time and only came out after Ye Xiao left the house. She really didn't know how to face him, what if he said those things again? Lin Tantan asked herself honestly: could she be so cold and heartless? It would be impossible.
How on earth was she supposed to fix this?!
At that moment Ming Ze arrived. Lin Tantan perked up and listened to the clinic report: how many patients came each day, the income, whether there were cases they couldn't handle, that sort of thing.
When Ming Ze finished he looked hesitant, like he wanted to say something. Lin Tantan, however, suddenly noticed his face, he was genuinely handsome, refined and fair, the aloof, top-student campus idol type every girl adored.
She couldn't help thinking: claiming some future partner who might never exist to reject Ye Xiao, who was right in front of her and perfect in every way, felt like a cheap, empty excuse. But what if that "other half" really had appeared?
She had met Ming Ze only a few days after meeting Ye Xiao, so the "time brings feelings" excuse wasn't implausible. Besides, both were wood-element psychics who'd worked together more and had common ground.
And Ming Ze looked pretty good too.
The more she thought about it, the more promising it seemed. The way she looked at Ming Ze brightened as if he were a glittering nugget of gold.
Ming Ze was about to confide in her, better to tell his secret himself than have Shao Ping spill it. He took a deep breath to speak when Lin Tantan suddenly said, "Ming Ze, will you be my boyfriend?"
Ming Ze was so startled he nearly fell off the couch, his mouth hanging open in shock. "W-what?!"
Lin Tantan wanted to say it was a lie, temporary. But then, why drag him into this? Ye Xiao was a reasonable man, but if he thought she'd chosen Ming Ze over him, what if he took it out on Ming Ze? Wouldn't Ming Ze be in trouble?
Don't underestimate a man's pride.
Besides, seeing Ming Ze react like that made her all the more reluctant to pull this fragile guy into the mess.
Lin Tantan sighed and waved weakly. "Never mind, I was just talking nonsense, don't take it seriously."
Ming Ze was so shaken he forgot what he had been going to say and left the villa in a daze.
The five-man surveillance squad exchanged glances as if they'd struck gold.
Boyfriend!
Ming Ze was the one Lin Tantan liked? The person they'd been searching for all along had been staring them in the face, God was on their side!
Lin Tantan was hard to approach and even harder to catch; Ming Ze, on the other hand, was a sitting duck, no sooner had he left the villa than he was grabbed.
Then the five sent Shao Ping to deliver the message: get Lin Tantan to come alone and make sure the message reaches only her ears.
Shao Ping: "..." Him again! He'd already said he couldn't see Lin Tantan, how were they planning to make that happen, by any means necessary?!
But if he refused, Ding Jinbo could make his head hurt so badly he'd feel like it would explode, so he had no choice but to go.
While skulking around outside the villa, he was caught red-handed, by none other than Ye Xiao.
Ye Xiao was clearly in a bad mood and had been lingering nearby. Under his cold stare and questions about why he was loitering, Shao Ping's heart pounded and he stammered that he had business with Lin Tantan.
Ye Xiao frowned, he had some impression of the kid; he seemed to be a wood-element psychic from the clinic. "Tell me exactly what you were telling them," he said.
Shao Ping still wanted to live, how could he possibly confess?
But Ye Xiao's gaze sharpened and he found a bug in his collar.
His expression turned icy; his look seemed to strip him bare. Ye Xiao crushed the bug with a squeeze, scanned the area, then grabbed Shao Ping by the collar and hauled him into a shadowed corner, pinning him against the wall. "What's going on? Who sent you?"
Shao Ping's teeth chattered; being yanked by the collar made it hard to breathe and he couldn't hold out any longer. "I'm here to deliver a message. Miss Lin's boyfriend was captured. Those people said she has to come alone or they'll kill him."
Ye Xiao went stunned for a moment, then his gaze turned predatory. "Who?!"