Chapter 67
Gu Ran handed the items to the warehouse manager, muttering about how she could finally get a good rest today. But before she could leave, she saw Yang Caisi still standing there in a daze.
“Work’s done. I’ll treat you to a seafood feast when we get back.” She gave a lazy yawn and walked quickly towards Yang Caisi.
But for some reason, the woman was lost in thought. After calling out to her several times with no response, Gu Ran grew suspicious. She walked up to her in a few steps and waved her hand. “Hey, are you exhausted?”
Even though moving things here was physical labor, it shouldn’t have been enough to tire out their system’s famous Model Worker to this extent, right?
Fingers smelling faintly of fish waved continuously in front of her eyes, but Yang Caisi seemed oblivious, her mind filled with only Jiang Liu’s words—
I want to see you.
In the past, before she met Jiang Liu, the heavy longing in her heart had formed a weighty stone, both a pressure and a driving force that allowed Yang Caisi to press forward tirelessly.
But just those four simple words, spoken by that person, made her feel as light as if she were floating in the air. A sense of happiness almost overflowed from her heart, making her dizzy and irrational.
Yang Caisi snapped back to her senses, snatched the speedboat key from Gu Ran’s hand, and hastily threw out a sentence before turning and running.
“I’m going out for a bit.”
As soon as the words fell, her long legs had already stepped onto the boat, and she was about to leave despite the dark sky.
She was rarely this impulsive, which left Gu Ran dumbfounded. When she came to her senses, she hurriedly took two steps forward and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Wait! You can’t leave during your punishment…”
If the Inspection Team found out, what awaited Yang Caisi would be far more than just simple hard labor.
Her words gradually dissipated with the sea breeze, answered only by the roar of the speedboat’s engine.
Gu Ran couldn’t help but look as if she’d seen a ghost. After cursing Yang Caisi a thousand times in her heart to no avail, she could only stomp her foot angrily and quickly take out her phone to call Gao Yuan.
The Inspection Team had been keeping a close eye on them lately. Yang Caisi couldn’t afford another complaint!
***
By the sea, Jiang Liu was pursing her lips and staring at the bonfire in a daze.
After she had spoken those words, the other side had gone silent. She didn’t know if the call had been disconnected long ago, or if the other person simply didn’t want to respond.
People really shouldn’t be so impulsive!
Jiang Liu tugged at her hair with some distress and let out a heavy sigh.
The siblings next to her exchanged a look, completely baffled by her behavior. Yet, they keenly sensed a certain heaviness about Jiang Liu and hesitated, unsure of how to speak.
In the end, it was Tang Rui who gave an awkward cough, rummaged through his backpack, and finally pulled out a pack of compressed biscuits. He looked at Jiang Liu and said dryly, “Um… do you want something to eat?”
Ever since they mentioned the NPC in the garden, Jiang Liu’s expression had been off.
Jiang Liu came back to her senses. Looking at the sesame-flavored biscuits, she found she had no appetite for once. She forced a smile and shook her head. “I’m not hungry yet. You can have it.”
Tang Rui hesitated before withdrawing his hand and looking pleadingly at his sister.
Tang Ruo’s state wasn’t much better. It would have been one thing if Xu Meng’s whereabouts were unknown, but for her to also appear alone in this instance was truly worrying.
But things couldn’t go on like this. She didn’t know what Jiang Liu was facing, but in this short time, she had already understood her own situation.
Only by clearing this instance could she have a chance to see Xu Meng.
At the thought of her lover’s face, a surge of motivation welled up in Tang Ruo’s heart. She tilted her head and glanced at Jiang Liu, trying to figure out how she should start the conversation, but unexpectedly—
As if sensing her gaze, Jiang Liu quickly turned and smiled at her.
“Let’s spend the night here. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go find some clues about Xiao Ya. How does that sound?”
She pointed at the nearby sea. “Nights in the instances are the most dangerous. I suggest we don’t act rashly.”
When she was up in the tree earlier, Jiang Liu had spotted something in the darkness behind the beach. Because there was no light, it wasn’t very clear.
In a location like that, it was most likely a building. Xiao Ya might be there.
Jiang Liu shared her thoughts and immediately received Tang Ruo’s approval.
“Okay.” She nodded, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
She had thought Jiang Liu would sit there feeling down for a while, but she had recovered far more quickly than she had imagined and had even made plans for their next steps in a short amount of time.
What a capable person, Tang Ruo thought to herself.
To ensure they were in good condition the next morning, the three decided to take turns on watch. Tang Rui offered to let the two sisters rest first, while he squatted by the bonfire with his phone.
Looking at Tang Ruo, the girl had fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Even in her deep sleep, her body was unconsciously tense, the slingshot pressed under her arm, ready to provide support at the slightest disturbance.
Her strength and accuracy were both excellent. Her well-proportioned, slender frame was covered in a thin layer of muscle, the kind that required a great deal of effort to build.
As she watched, Jiang Liu’s thoughts drifted back to Yang Caisi. The cooperation in the photo studio was still fresh in her memory. That kind of coordination, relying purely on instinct without any need for thought, was something she had never experienced before.
At that time, Yang Caisi’s eyes had shone brightly, a thin layer of sweat covering her muscles just right, making her even more beautiful than Tang Ruo. Especially when she moved, the necklace on her neck would fly up high and land precisely on her collarbone, a captivating sight.
Jiang Liu tossed and turned on the simple waterproof tarp, her mind filled with increasingly strange thoughts, making it impossible for her to fall asleep.
It was already half-past three in the morning. In another half hour, the sky would start to brighten.
She got up quietly, carefully walking past Tang Ruo and out of the tent. She saw Tang Rui sitting cross-legged on the sand, his phone still in his palm, but his eyes were already closed, his head nodding forward.
If the flames hadn’t been so weak, he would have almost plunged his head into them and gotten burned.
Jiang Liu found it amusing and patted his shoulder from behind.
The strange touch startled Tang Rui awake. He jumped three feet into the air and turned around defensively, shouting, “Who’s there? Don’t move! Hands up…”
Afraid of waking Tang Ruo, Jiang Liu quickly covered his mouth, forcing the rest of his words back down his throat.
“‘Hands up’? Is that the only thing you know how to say?” Jiang Liu said helplessly, pointing towards the tent to signal him to be quiet.
The moment he saw Jiang Liu’s face, Tang Rui let out a sigh of relief, his tone tinged with a bit of complaint. “Sis, why did you come out so suddenly? You scared me to death.”
He deliberately lowered his voice, patting his chest to calm himself down.
Jiang Liu shook her head helplessly. “You’re the one overreacting.”
Tang Rui scratched his head and grinned foolishly. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“I can’t sleep. You go in. I’ll take watch.” Jiang Liu pushed him into the tent without giving him a chance to refuse, then picked up a branch to poke at the fire while rummaging through her pocket for snacks.
To her, these things were just to satisfy a craving. To truly fill her stomach, she needed hot food. The problem was, apart from sand and seawater, there was nothing here. It was uncertain if she could even cook a meal.
If she had known she would end up in a place like this, she would have brought at least a couple of pieces of meat to grill.
As dawn approached, a layer of misty light rose from the sea level. Looking out, she couldn’t see the end of it, as if she were the only person left between heaven and earth. The light of the bonfire illuminated her surroundings, but beyond that, it was pitch black.
Jiang Liu sat quietly by the bonfire. The damp branches ignited by the flames crackled, the sound especially clear in this moment. Her thoughts couldn’t help but drift far away with the sound.
It seemed that a long time ago, she had also sat alone by the sea like this, watching the tide rise and fall, eventually returning to peace.
She couldn’t remember exactly how long ago it was. Her memory seemed to be fragmented into countless pieces. Her past peaceful life was fake, and the fog-filled instance before her was the reality.
Then—what about Yang Caisi?
Memories could be fabricated and beautified, but the subconscious emotions in one’s body would not lie.
She would miss her when she couldn’t see her, and she would subconsciously get close to her when they met. Even if their positions were not entirely consistent, she would still believe Yang Caisi’s words without hesitation.
Jiang Liu didn’t know how long she had been sitting by the sea when she suddenly heard a sound coming from a certain direction. A speedboat was rapidly approaching, creating huge waves on the sea that rolled towards her.
At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
But as the speedboat got closer and closer, a figure on it seemed to notice her. They stood up slightly and waved at Jiang Liu across the sea. Short hair flew wildly in the air, revealing a face that was all too familiar.
Jiang Liu’s eyes widened, and she shot up from the ground and ran towards the shore.
The howling sea breeze blew against her eyes, making it almost impossible to keep them open. But Jiang Liu didn’t dodge, instead running straight into the wind. The face of the person on the sea became clearer and clearer.
The speedboat stopped to the side. Before Yang Caisi could get off, she felt a warm body crash into her. Jiang Liu’s leg was half-submerged in the cold seawater as she held her tightly across the boat’s edge.
This was the first time Yang Caisi had felt such a fiery and urgent embrace.
Jiang Liu had run so fast that her heart was pounding violently in her chest. It wasn’t until she held that figure in her arms that her inexplicably lonely mood was finally calmed.
A ray of dawn rose from the distant sea level, dyeing the entire sea surface. It even cast a golden glow on their hair and eyes. Jiang Liu opened her mouth, but couldn’t help but smile.
The sky was brightening.
With that smile, her entire facial features came alive, her eyes sparkling like the morning sun.
“What are you doing here?” The heavy atmosphere around Jiang Liu was swept away, and she returned to her flamboyant vitality, her tone filled with surprise.
Yang Caisi gazed at her for a long time, the tenderness in her spring-water-like eyes almost overflowing. She reached out and gently stroked her hair, which had been messed up by the sea breeze, the corners of her lips rising high.
“You wanted to see me.” So she came.
Even though she knew now was not the most appropriate time to confess, and even though she knew that such willfulness would surely be punished, just because Jiang Liu said she wanted to see her, Yang Caisi had still crossed half the sea overnight, just for a moment’s reunion.
She was willing.