"I've planted a virus in the assassination order for you. As soon as someone accepts the order, I'll be notified. I was thinking, maybe you should go hide somewhere far away."
Ye Lan beamed, though she longed for him to stay, she couldn't bring herself to say it. Da Feng Novel Network.
"Somewhere far away?" Ren Yuanhao was taken aback. He thought to himself: I could go home now. There won't be any orders for these days anyway.
At this thought, Ren Yuanhao also remembered Cheng Li. He had promised her he would take her back and catch loaches together.
However, now that her assassination attempt had failed, he didn't know what she would face, or what price she would have to pay to get out of that line of work. His return home seemed further away than ever.
Just then, a deep, drum-like sound came from Ye Lan's monitoring system!
"No, someone else accepted the order! And your bounty just went up by twenty thousand!"
Ren Yuanhao frowned and simultaneously shut down her computer.
"What are you doing? I was about to track the person who accepted the order, you—"
"I can't let you get into any more disadvantageous situations. I already owe you a huge favor!"
Ye Lan suddenly lunged forward, sealing Ren Yuanhao's mouth with hers. Their hearts beat so close together, he was utterly flustered.
Their cheeks flushed, and in the awkward silence, Ye Lan finally spoke, "You kissed me forcefully last time, now it's my turn to kiss you! Consider it repaying the favor!"
Just as Ren Yuanhao was about to say something, he saw a man appear at the closed front door. Though the weather was a bit cool, wearing a trench coat at this time of year was already quite strange.
"Already here?"
Ren Yuanhao was about to go out when Ye Lan pulled him back. "What are you doing? Don't go!"
"I told you, I'll handle my own affairs!"
"Then why did you come to find me so early? You've even implicated me, and you're still talking big?" Ye Lan’s words were sharp, but inwardly she was delighted. Ren Yuanhao’s actions at least showed he didn’t see her as an outsider.
She held Ren Yuanhao's hand tightly and said softly, "Don't be impulsive. Maybe that person isn't here for you at all. I don't believe killers would arrive so quickly."
Ren Yuanhao thought it made sense. He had, after all, taken a circuitous route through the woods and kept a vigilant watch along the way. Logically, no one could have followed him.
Thinking this, he realized the man at the door was probably coming for Ye Lan!
Sensing Ren Yuanhao's body relax slightly, Ye Lan shifted her gaze back to the large screen.
"Camera three, zoom in."
As Ye Lan commanded, the image on the screen magnified considerably. However, the man at the door kept his hood down, making his face impossible to see.
"This person must be a professional assassin. I think he's already figured out the location of your cameras and will infiltrate the villa through a blind spot next."
Before Ren Yuanhao could finish speaking, he saw the man at the door, hood still down, slowly move towards the left courtyard wall, then, like a ghost, circle around to the back of the villa.
"Oh no, the back courtyard cameras broke a while ago due to strong winds and lightning. I haven't had time to fix them!"
Ye Lan's face turned pale, and she unconsciously clutched Ren Yuanhao's hand.
"You stay here. I'll go deal with this bastard."
Before Ren Yuanhao could take a step, Ye Lan grabbed him. "Wait, he wouldn't possibly have found this place. Please don't go out, I'm scared."
Ren Yuanhao patted her head and smiled. "What if the other party is just a thief? If you keep tolerating this, they'll definitely come back. They'll get addicted to stealing, and then how will you live peacefully?"
Although Ye Lan was worried, Ren Yuanhao's words made sense. She reluctantly scanned her iris to open the hidden door and watched Ren Yuanhao walk out.
Ye Lan's villa was a two-story building. Ye Lan usually lived upstairs, and the housekeeper lived downstairs, so most valuables were kept upstairs.
At this moment, Ren Yuanhao tightly gripped the short dagger Cheng Li had given him. He took off his shoes and crouched low as he walked out onto the path.
It was indeed a terrifying prospect, searching for a man sneaking into an unfamiliar villa.
The blinking indicator lights, the humming refrigerator compressor, even the ticking wall clock all seemed like living things, silently observing from their corners.
The man in the trench coat seemed to have entered the corridor leading to the backyard. The mountain wind gusted in through the open back door, carrying a strong earthy scent that mixed incongruously with the aroma of whole wheat bread.
Ren Yuanhao had already moved to the living room. The open refrigerator seemed like a good cover. He stood quietly beside it.
However, when the refrigerator compressor started working, Ren Yuanhao suddenly felt like the refrigerator had become a living, breathing, hot monster, especially when the Freon flowed through the pipes, making gurgling, swallowing sounds.
He took out his phone, turned on the front-facing camera, and moved back slightly. Using the wide-angle lens, he could clearly see the situation behind the hallway entrance.
At this moment, he saw a pair of men's shoes, but not the man in the trench coat. A spiral staircase led directly to the second floor. Even without the camera, he knew the man had gone upstairs.
Because although the man had discarded his shoes, due to his weight, his feet still made a thudding sound on the paulownia wood!
Damn it, heading straight for the second floor. It seems he already has some understanding of Ye Lan's living arrangements.
Ren Yuanhao's mind was clear. This man in black was not after him; his target was Ye Lan.