Qiao Ying lay on the bed, listening to the sounds of Qin Hanyue taking a shower in the bathroom. She looked up at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought.
Qin Hanyue came out after showering, drying his hair as he returned to the room.
Seeing Qiao Ying with her eyes closed, he quietly tiptoed to the bedside, pulling up the blanket covering her slightly. He gazed at the girl's sleeping face, then Qin Hanyue quietly sat down on the edge of the bed.
He stopped drying his hair, content to just look at her.
He was itching to kiss her, but afraid of waking her, and afraid of upsetting her. Qin Hanyue could only restrain himself.
He couldn't help but wonder, he had just expressed himself so clearly, revealing his true feelings. How did she feel about it in her heart?
Would it burden her mentally?
Their earlier act in front of Fake Xiao He was impromptu, without any script.
When she said she had no thoughts of marriage and that feelings were just a diversion to her, were those lines also off the cuff?
Qin Hanyue quickly reined in his thoughts. Now was not the time to be tangled up in romance. There was no need to add to his troubles.
She was not adept when it came to affairs of the heart. His feelings probably would not bother her too much. Thinking thus, Qin Hanyue stopped overthinking.
He returned the towel to the bathroom before coming back to the bedside.
He turned off the lights, lifted up the blankets and slipped into bed quietly.
Before he could close his eyes, Qiao Ying's voice suddenly rang out, "Mr. Qin seems to be getting more diligent and adept at getting into this bed."
She wasn't asleep.
Qin Hanyue looked at her, only to see her eyes were still closed. So she knew he was secretly watching her just now?
He didn't feel awkward, but rather found her pretense of sleeping quite adorable. And he was glad he hadn't done anything to her earlier.
Qin Hanyue responded smoothly, "I'm happy to sleep on the sofa, but as you saw, I can't even fit on it."
If Qiao Ying minded, Qin Hanyue would respect her wishes completely and get up right away.
When Qiao Ying didn't respond, Qin Hanyue successfully stayed in the bed.
He asked with concern, "Are you cold?"
Qiao Ying shot back bluntly, "Why don't you just ask if you can hug me to sleep?" She had seen right through him.
So he went ahead and asked, "Can I hug you to sleep?"
Two seconds later, Qiao Ying turned on her side, showing him her back.
Seeing this, Qin Hanyue could only say, "Be careful not to aggravate your injury."
Qiao Ying's tone was neither cold nor warm, "Keep quiet and go to sleep."
And so the two waited quietly in their escape for Qiao Ying's injury to heal. Though called an escape, it was more like Qiao Ying taking him on a trip while nursing her wound.
In any case, Qin Hanyue did not suffer any hardship following her.
If not for the constant danger forcing them to stay vigilant, Qin Hanyue might even think they were on a honeymoon.
Of course, he didn't dare tease Qiao Ying with such words. He could only entertain himself with the thought during moments when he let his guard down.
Two days ago they had arrived in the city. Now Qiao Ying had directly brought Qin Hanyue to blend in at a large music concert.
Qiao Ying seemed to be in quite a mood to listen to the music. She showed none of the harried state expected of someone escaping. Qin Hanyue, however, was not in the mood.
Qiao Ying said, "Relax, Dark Shadow's target is me."
Qin Hanyue moved closer to her and lowered his voice, "Exactly because their target is you that I can't relax."
Qiao Ying said, "I have experience." Lots of it.
In at least 8 out of 10 missions, she had been tasked with assassinating big shots and politicians from all walks of life. Every time she would be chased for ten days to half a month before things settled down somewhat. When confronted with nationwide manhunts, now that was exciting.
Qiao Ying had always believed that the most dangerous place was also the safest place. Many times after completing a mission, she would lead people on a wild goose chase, giving them false leads, before circling back to the vicinity of the crime scene.
Then she would sit there drinking while watching them scour the area below for her.
This time was a little different. She could hardly head back to Dark Shadow's lair now, could she?
Qin Hanyue looked at her and asked, "Where did you get this experience from?"
Qiao Ying tilted up her face mischievously and raised a brow, "What do you think?"
How could he guess? Before meeting her, he had never heard anything about her. With her capabilities, she should have made a great name for herself long ago and shocked the entire Huaguo.
But considering her upbringing, her family, and what Qin Yuqiong and Qin Yan had said about her never leaving Yun Cheng before 18...
The concert ended and the two followed the crowd out.
It was raining heavily outside, damp and cold. Qin Hanyue took off his overcoat and draped it over her, then adjusted her scarf to cover half her little face.
After that, he opened an umbrella and naturally put an arm around Qiao Ying's shoulders to shield her as they stepped into the rain.
It was hard to get a taxi around here, but the hotel wasn't too far either.
So the two walked on like this.
The pitter patter of the rain, people hurrying by, they did not quicken their pace. The distinctive architecture here looked even more magnificent in the rain. Qin Hanyue thought again how nice this would be without the damned Dark Shadow that could appear at any time.
The two turned into a deserted corner.
Just then, Qiao Ying suddenly stopped and coldly called out to the empty space, "Get out here."
Qin Hanyue instantly grew alert.
After a moment of silence, a young Asian man holding a black umbrella emerged from a side path. His icy gaze brimmed with danger.
Qin Hanyue's instinct was to shield Qiao Ying behind him.
The cold killing intent emanating from the other party convinced Qin Hanyue this was a Dark Shadow assassin, and certainly one of their top experts.
Yet the man had not struck from the shadows, but revealed himself right in front of them. Clearly he recognized Qiao Ying.
Qiao Ying's questioning confirmed his guess, "Why are you following me?" Her tone was a little cold.
Moon Shadow remained silent.
Qiao Ying spoke mockingly, "Chased by Dark Shadow?"
Back in the castle, Moon Shadow had helped her. But Qiao Ying could fully understand his actions as self-preservation.
He had no choice. If she died, Dark Shadow's greatest threat would be gone. And to strengthen themselves, Dark Shadow would persist with those inhumane experiments. It wouldn't be long before Moon Shadow's clone lay in the incubation tank.
As for the original Moon Shadow, he would naturally suffer the same fate of "mission failure" as Feng Ying and Blood Shadow.
Only then did Moon Shadow say, "Dark Shadow has no time for me now."
They were all focused on hunting Qiao Ying.
Qiao Ying asked, "What do you want with me?"
Moon Shadow was silent for a moment. "To cooperate."
Qiao Ying understood. She was not ungrateful or forgetful of kindness. But she comprehended the situation perfectly. Having known Moon Shadow for so many years, she understood this man well. Aside from Feng Ying, she held no sentiments for anyone in Dark Shadow.
Moon Shadow asked, "You want to avenge Blood Shadow?"
Qin Hanyue's expression shifted. Wasn't it Feng Ying?
Qiao Ying did not respond.
Moon Shadow continued, "You want to kill JOKER?"
Qiao Ying answered plainly, "Of course."
Moon Shadow asked, "How confident are you?"
Although they had fought before, he knew Qiao Ying's capabilities well. But she was facing not just JOKER alone, but the entirety of Dark Shadow.
Qiao Ying did not boast. She stated matter-of-factly, "Either he dies or I die."
Her feud with Dark Shadow would not end until death.
Moon Shadow fell silent for a moment. "I have one condition."
Qiao Ying looked at him.
Moon Shadow said, "I want to know, are you really the assassin secretly cultivated by Blood Shadow? Or are you a clone made from her genes?
Qiao Ying lay on the bed, listening to the sounds of Qin Hanyue taking a shower in the bathroom. She looked up at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought.
Qin Hanyue came out after showering, drying his hair as he returned to the room.
Seeing Qiao Ying with her eyes closed, he quietly tiptoed to the bedside, pulling up the blanket covering her slightly. He gazed at the girl's sleeping face, then Qin Hanyue quietly sat down on the edge of the bed.
He stopped drying his hair, content to just look at her.
He was itching to kiss her, but afraid of waking her, and afraid of upsetting her. Qin Hanyue could only restrain himself.
He couldn't help but wonder, he had just expressed himself so clearly, revealing his true feelings. How did she feel about it in her heart?
Would it burden her mentally?
Their earlier act in front of Fake Xiao He was impromptu, without any script.
When she said she had no thoughts of marriage and that feelings were just a diversion to her, were those lines also off the cuff?
Qin Hanyue quickly reined in his thoughts. Now was not the time to be tangled up in romance. There was no need to add to his troubles.
She was not adept when it came to affairs of the heart. His feelings probably would not bother her too much. Thinking thus, Qin Hanyue stopped overthinking.
He returned the towel to the bathroom before coming back to the bedside.
He turned off the lights, lifted up the blankets and slipped into bed quietly.
Before he could close his eyes, Qiao Ying's voice suddenly rang out, "Mr. Qin seems to be getting more diligent and adept at getting into this bed."
She wasn't asleep.
Qin Hanyue looked at her, only to see her eyes were still closed. So she knew he was secretly watching her just now?
He didn't feel awkward, but rather found her pretense of sleeping quite adorable. And he was glad he hadn't done anything to her earlier.
Qin Hanyue responded smoothly, "I'm happy to sleep on the sofa, but as you saw, I can't even fit on it."
If Qiao Ying minded, Qin Hanyue would respect her wishes completely and get up right away.
When Qiao Ying didn't respond, Qin Hanyue successfully stayed in the bed.
He asked with concern, "Are you cold?"
Qiao Ying shot back bluntly, "Why don't you just ask if you can hug me to sleep?" She had seen right through him.
So he went ahead and asked, "Can I hug you to sleep?"
Two seconds later, Qiao Ying turned on her side, showing him her back.
Seeing this, Qin Hanyue could only say, "Be careful not to aggravate your injury."
Qiao Ying's tone was neither cold nor warm, "Keep quiet and go to sleep."
And so the two waited quietly in their escape for Qiao Ying's injury to heal. Though called an escape, it was more like Qiao Ying taking him on a trip while nursing her wound.
In any case, Qin Hanyue did not suffer any hardship following her.
If not for the constant danger forcing them to stay vigilant, Qin Hanyue might even think they were on a honeymoon.
Of course, he didn't dare tease Qiao Ying with such words. He could only entertain himself with the thought during moments when he let his guard down.
Two days ago they had arrived in the city. Now Qiao Ying had directly brought Qin Hanyue to blend in at a large music concert.
Qiao Ying seemed to be in quite a mood to listen to the music. She showed none of the harried state expected of someone escaping. Qin Hanyue, however, was not in the mood.
Qiao Ying said, "Relax, Dark Shadow's target is me."
Qin Hanyue moved closer to her and lowered his voice, "Exactly because their target is you that I can't relax."
Qiao Ying said, "I have experience." Lots of it.
In at least 8 out of 10 missions, she had been tasked with assassinating big shots and politicians from all walks of life. Every time she would be chased for ten days to half a month before things settled down somewhat. When confronted with nationwide manhunts, now that was exciting.
Qiao Ying had always believed that the most dangerous place was also the safest place. Many times after completing a mission, she would lead people on a wild goose chase, giving them false leads, before circling back to the vicinity of the crime scene.
Then she would sit there drinking while watching them scour the area below for her.
This time was a little different. She could hardly head back to Dark Shadow's lair now, could she?
Qin Hanyue looked at her and asked, "Where did you get this experience from?"
Qiao Ying tilted up her face mischievously and raised a brow, "What do you think?"
How could he guess? Before meeting her, he had never heard anything about her. With her capabilities, she should have made a great name for herself long ago and shocked the entire Huaguo.
But considering her upbringing, her family, and what Qin Yuqiong and Qin Yan had said about her never leaving Yun Cheng before 18...
The concert ended and the two followed the crowd out.
It was raining heavily outside, damp and cold. Qin Hanyue took off his overcoat and draped it over her, then adjusted her scarf to cover half her little face.
After that, he opened an umbrella and naturally put an arm around Qiao Ying's shoulders to shield her as they stepped into the rain.
It was hard to get a taxi around here, but the hotel wasn't too far either.
So the two walked on like this.
The pitter patter of the rain, people hurrying by, they did not quicken their pace. The distinctive architecture here looked even more magnificent in the rain. Qin Hanyue thought again how nice this would be without the damned Dark Shadow that could appear at any time.
The two turned into a deserted corner.
Just then, Qiao Ying suddenly stopped and coldly called out to the empty space, "Get out here."
Qin Hanyue instantly grew alert.
After a moment of silence, a young Asian man holding a black umbrella emerged from a side path. His icy gaze brimmed with danger.
Qin Hanyue's instinct was to shield Qiao Ying behind him.
The cold killing intent emanating from the other party convinced Qin Hanyue this was a Dark Shadow assassin, and certainly one of their top experts.
Yet the man had not struck from the shadows, but revealed himself right in front of them. Clearly he recognized Qiao Ying.
Qiao Ying's questioning confirmed his guess, "Why are you following me?" Her tone was a little cold.
Moon Shadow remained silent.
Qiao Ying spoke mockingly, "Chased by Dark Shadow?"
Back in the castle, Moon Shadow had helped her. But Qiao Ying could fully understand his actions as self-preservation.
He had no choice. If she died, Dark Shadow's greatest threat would be gone. And to strengthen themselves, Dark Shadow would persist with those inhumane experiments. It wouldn't be long before Moon Shadow's clone lay in the incubation tank.
As for the original Moon Shadow, he would naturally suffer the same fate of "mission failure" as Feng Ying and Blood Shadow.
Only then did Moon Shadow say, "Dark Shadow has no time for me now."
They were all focused on hunting Qiao Ying.
Qiao Ying asked, "What do you want with me?"
Moon Shadow was silent for a moment. "To cooperate."
Qiao Ying understood. She was not ungrateful or forgetful of kindness. But she comprehended the situation perfectly. Having known Moon Shadow for so many years, she understood this man well. Aside from Feng Ying, she held no sentiments for anyone in Dark Shadow.
Moon Shadow asked, "You want to avenge Blood Shadow?"
Qin Hanyue's expression shifted. Wasn't it Feng Ying?
Qiao Ying did not respond.
Moon Shadow continued, "You want to kill JOKER?"
Qiao Ying answered plainly, "Of course."
Moon Shadow asked, "How confident are you?"
Although they had fought before, he knew Qiao Ying's capabilities well. But she was facing not just JOKER alone, but the entirety of Dark Shadow.
Qiao Ying did not boast. She stated matter-of-factly, "Either he dies or I die."
Her feud with Dark Shadow would not end until death.
Moon Shadow fell silent for a moment. "I have one condition."
Qiao Ying looked at him.
Moon Shadow said, "I want to know, are you really the assassin secretly cultivated by Blood Shadow? Or are you a clone made from her genes?
