Cheng Li was nearly exhausted, and seeing Ren Yuanhao awake, her anxious heart finally found peace.
"This is hell, you idiot."
Ren Yuanhao glanced around. He saw lush vegetation, the night dew cool and refreshing, and the fragrance of flowers and grass carried on the wind. He wondered aloud, "How did we get here?"
"Will you be angry with me if I tell you the truth?"
Cheng Li's sharp gaze softened with tenderness. Ren Yuanhao, of course, knew what had happened and had no idea what a tempest her heart had weathered.
"As a gentleman, I don't think I can be angry with a beautiful woman, especially when I'm being held by one."
"Such a smooth talker. No wonder you're a salesperson for DiDi's 'find a partner' service. Anyway, the order is complete, so you don't need to be so polite to me anymore. If you want to be angry, just be angry. I won't mind."
Cheng Li pouted, chiding him as she clearly showed Ren Yuanhao the completion message for the order.
"I just want to know why I'm here."
"Alright, listen carefully from now on. Everything I say is the truth."
Ren Yuanhao nodded, enjoying the comfort of resting his head on her.
"I'm actually an assassin, and coincidentally, my target was you, Ren Yuanhao."
Cheng Li spoke each word distinctly, her eyes bright and her expression serious. She didn't seem to be joking.
"You're not kidding, are you?"
"No, every word is true."
Ren Yuanhao mimicked Cheng Li's pout. Instead of showing any alarm, he moved even closer.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing. I'm going to die by your hand anyway, so I might as well enjoy being in a beautiful woman's arms before I do. It'll be worth it."
Cheng Li chided him again, her face beaming. "Aren't you afraid at all?"
"Of course, I'm afraid. But what of it? Everyone dies eventually, some deaths are weightier than Mount Tai, others lighter than a feather. To die by the hand of a beauty, I consider myself fortunate."
"I never said I was going to kill you."
Hearing this, Ren Yuanhao frowned. "You accepted the mission and then let me go. Won't that damage your reputation? Will those people let you off?"
"You're lucky. I'm just a novice assassin, a half-baked one at that. I originally intended to test my skills on you, but..."
"But what?"
"But I can't kill someone who risked their life to protect me."
"I'm sorry, it's all because of me." Ren Yuanhao didn't know what to say and could only lower his head sheepishly.
"What do you mean, sorry? Do you really wish for me to kill you?"
Cheng Li took out the sharp dagger from her embrace and handed it to Ren Yuanhao.
"Here, keep this knife as a souvenir. If you ever have a moment of conscience and think of me, look at it."
"Yes, yes. This knife was supposed to pierce my heart, right?"
Cheng Li suddenly dropped her smile and said seriously to Ren Yuanhao, "Behind that assassination website is a global network with deep roots. You must be careful. Even I don't know who wants to harm you."
Ren Yuanhao nodded gravely. He thought that when he returned, he absolutely had to find Ye Lan, that hacker god, and infiltrate the mysterious website to see if he could find any clues and be prepared.
At this moment, Cheng Li silently got up, seemingly ready to leave.
"Yuanhao, you'd best find a secluded place to hide for the next couple of days. I'm afraid someone else might come to kill you in my stead, after all, your bounty is one million."
"What? My head is that valuable?"
Ren Yuanhao immediately and cautiously stroked his head, which amused Cheng Li greatly.
"Alright, I have to go. Remember, be extremely careful these days."
Ren Yuanhao nodded, watching Cheng Li's retreating figure. Her back suddenly reminded him of something, and driven by curiosity, he asked,
"Wait, Cheng Li, isn't your hometown in Mentougou?"
Cheng Li froze suddenly. She refused to turn back, merely nodding repeatedly and whispering, "How did you know?"
Now it was Ren Yuanhao's turn to stumble over his words. Time seemed to rewind twenty years, to a riverside in the dim twilight.
"I... I'm Stuttering Hao. What's your name?"
Ren Yuanhao's sudden utterance of these words from twenty years ago made Cheng Li tremble all over.
"You're Stuttering Hao! Stuttering Hao who lives east of the Luan River!"
"It's me. If your back hadn't reminded me so much of when we were children, I truly wouldn't have remembered!"
Cheng Li was now weeping uncontrollably, but she still refused to turn around, as if turning back would make her unable to take another step.
"But you don't stutter now, and I'm also walking further and further away from you."
"In two or three days, I'll be going home anyway. We'll go home together then!"