Chapter 44

The small truck wasn’t moving fast, bouncing along until it reached the town in the afternoon at two o’clock. The sunshine was bright, and a rainbow arched overhead.

Hearing that Li Teng and Ruan Nianchu were going to take a ride back to the border city, the truck driver couple parked the truck directly at the station entrance. Li Teng neatly jumped down from the cargo hold, extending his hand; behind him, Ruan Nianchu cautiously held onto the truck railing, bending down, just as she was about to put her hand up, he grabbed her waist.

Li Teng held her waist with both hands, lightly lifted her, and directly carried her down.

Ruan Nianchu began to despise herself again. She thought that lately she might be showing some signs of reverting to childhood. A woman approaching thirty, yet with a thin skin as if she were a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.

Even such an unintentional action of his could make her blush.

Truly contemptible.

The two bid farewell to the enthusiastic truck driver couple.

This town was very remote, with only two direct buses to the border city per day. One at nine in the morning and the other at three in the afternoon.

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Nk Mldt cswtbv vos vknjlvp yv vbl vknjlv okdeso yde pllkdt vbyv vblal oyp pvkzz yd bswa clqsal elryavwal, bl vssj Swyd Lkydnbw vs y pxyzz dssezl pbsr vs lyv.

Mbl oykvalpp oyp vbl sodla blaplzq, y xkeezl-ytle qyv zyeu. Fbl pkgle wr vbl vos sq vblx yde jdlo vblu olal qasx vbl nkvu, ps pbl nzlyale bla vbasyv yde yojoyaezu ypjle kd hlau casjld Yydeyakd, “Ebyv es usw vos oydv vs lyv?”

Wllzkdt bwdtau, Swyd Lkydnbw pyke, “R’zz byhl y zyatl rsavksd sq Zydtgbsw qakle aknl.”

Kwpv yp pbl qkdkpble, okvbswv lhld zssjkdt wr, Nk Mldt pyke, “Qkhl bla y pxyzz rsavksd.”

Swyd Lkydnbw okeldle bla lulp, “R osd’v cl qwzz okvb y pxyzz rsavksd.”

“Zsw osd’v qkdkpb vbl zyatl sdl.”

“Ebu oswzed’v R qkdkpb kv? R oydv y zyatl rsavksd.”

Mbkp vkxl Nk Mldt eked’v pyu yduvbkdt xsal yde fwpv saelale y csoz sq dssezlp qsa bkxplzq.

In the end, the fact proved that Li Teng indeed had foresight. The folk customs in this town were simple, and both the fried rice and noodles were served in generous portions. That plate of rice, Ruan Nianchu struggled with all her might, but only managed to finish a third of it.

After finishing his meal and putting down his chopsticks, Li Teng lit a cigarette, watching her eat. In his line of sight, the girl’s entire face was wrinkled, holding a spoon in one hand and the bowl in the other, every bite she took seemed like she was sacrificing herself.

After a moment, Ruan Nianchu looked up at him pitifully and asked, “Can I stop eating?”

Li Teng flicked the ash off his cigarette, “Aren’t you hungry?”

She felt embarrassed, “…I’m not hungry anymore.”

Li Teng said, “This place is poor, wasting food should be punished.”

“…” Ruan Nianchu swallowed her saliva, feeling helpless, and in order to avoid punishment, she had to scoop up the rice and force it into her mouth.

Who knew that before she could swallow the rice, she saw Li Teng lower his eyes, stub out the cigarette and throw it into the trash can, then stand up to pay the bill, “If you really can’t finish it, leave it. Let’s go.”

She lifted her head from the plate, frowned, “Isn’t wasting food supposed to be punished?”

He said coldly, “They can’t punish me.”

At that moment, Ruan Nianchu suddenly had a feeling that she would be able to walk with her head held high in the future.

From the town to the urban area of the border city, there was nearly three hundred kilometers of road, the bus took the highway, it would take about three and a half hours to drive. At exactly three o’clock in the afternoon, the bus started on time.

Li Teng and Ruan Nianchu sat in the middle of the carriage, he by the aisle, she by the window.

As soon as they got on the bus, Li Teng’s phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, without hesitation, he swiped to answer, lowering the volume of the receiver discreetly.

Soon, Yang Zhengfeng’s voice came through the receiver, sounding serious: “I received the message you sent this morning.”

Li Teng made a low “mm” sound in response.

Yang Zhengfeng realized something, and asked, “Is it not convenient to talk right now?”

Li Teng remained silent for a few seconds, then raised his index finger, tapping near the microphone area of the phone several times. The pauses seemed chaotic but were actually highly rhythmic – temporarily out of danger. Duan Kun had been shot in the shoulder.

Before long, there were taps from Yang Zhengfeng’s end too – the border city police had been informed to assist in the pursuit.

Li Teng asked, “What’s the situation in Cambodia?”

Yang Zhengfeng replied, “Wireless source’s information.”

Li Teng squinted, tapping his finger – Da En is cunning and suspicious, the person who informed us must ensure the safety of the informant.

Yang Zhengfeng said, “Understood. What do you think about Zheng Sunhe getting involved at this time? I don’t think it’s as simple as that Hong Konger said.”

Li Teng replied, “Da En has been hiding for so many years, suddenly daring to show up, there must be a reason behind it.”

After a long silence, Yang Zhengfeng exclaimed, “Could it be that he wants to sell the ‘data’ for a good price? This time, he took a risk to show up not only to seek revenge on you but also to sell the ‘data’ as soon as possible?”

Li Teng said, “Until the truth comes out, all speculations are possible.”

Yang Zhengfeng gritted his teeth, “But if he really wants to sell that data, why was there no movement from him in the past few years? It’s incomprehensible. This Da En, he never plays by the rules. Can’t figure out what he’s up to.”

Li Teng pursed his lips, tapping out a long string of Morse code – During the four years of executing the “Hidden Dragon” plan, I’ve only seen Da En three times. Although Da En has been following Kun Sha and helping Kun Sha deal arms, he is well-educated and has facilitated deals in South America for Kun Sha.

After pondering for a while, Yang Zhengfeng said, “Alright, I got it. You should safely send that little girl back to Yuncheng, it’s relatively safe there. We’ll discuss the rest when we meet.”

“Okay.” Li Teng hung up the phone. Turning his head, he saw the girl by the window staring at him, her hands supporting her cheeks, her big bright eyes sparkling.

He lightly touched her cheek with his finger, “What’s wrong?”

Ruan Nianchu lowered her voice, asking in a mysterious tone, “Just now… ” She tapped the armrest of the seat lightly with her delicate index finger, making two tapping sounds, “Was that Morse code again?”

Li Teng didn’t answer, just looked at her lightly.

She took his silence as confirmation. Looking around, she put on an adoring expression, intentionally covering her mouth with her hand, whispering, “Hey, you know, since I met you, especially these days, I feel like the plots and scenes in movies are all so real.”

Li Teng raised an eyebrow, rarely having a casual conversation with her about her interests in movies and the sea. “What kind of movies?”

Ruan Nianchu thought seriously for a moment, counting on her fingers, “Spy movies, crime movies, military movies…” Suddenly, she smiled and added, “And romance movies too.”

Li Teng stared at the pink cheeks on her face, lowering his voice, “You really like watching movies?”

“Yeah.” Ruan Nianchu nodded, “Watching movies is one of my biggest hobbies in life.”

Li Teng made a sound of agreement, pinching her delicate left hand in his palm, playing with it. It was a small hand, the five fingers were like scallion segments, tender and delicate, untouched by the vicissitudes of life. He casually asked, “So, what’s your favorite movie genre?”

Ruan Nianchu said, “I’m not picky, I can watch any genre. But my favorite… ” She touched her chin with her right hand, “Zombie movies.”

Li Teng glanced at her, “Zombie movies?”

“Yes. It’s when people are infected by a virus and turn into zombies,” she explained, fearing he might not understand, and even bared her teeth, putting on a fierce expression, pretending to claw at the air, vividly describing, “They go around grabbing people to eat, intestines and stomachs, all bloody.”

At her words, seeing her expression, Li Teng chose to remain silent, closing his eyes to rest.

Ruan Nianchu liked watching movies, Li Teng had known that for seven years. However, the short twenty-one days of their acquaintance seven years ago were not enough for him to fully understand her. Back then, what fascinated him, what haunted him, mostly were her youthful and beautiful face, and that dazzling nude bathing scene.

It wasn’t until now, seven years later, that he thoroughly understood her character.

This woman, with her beauty that brought calamity, lacked the cunning of such a woman. She was too simple, too lazy, often foolish, and even frequently acted silly.

Li Teng couldn’t explain exactly what he was infatuated with about her.

She was beautiful, had a great figure, and her smile was very sunny. But all these, in fact, were not enough to make a man obsess over for seven years.

But he couldn’t help but obsess over her.

Initially, Li Teng had resisted these emotions that were not under rational control and restraint. However, the result of resisting was that the desire for her became more and more intense. In the end, he chose to compromise, allowing those crazy thoughts to spread like a virus.

As for Ruan Nianchu, whether he had feelings for her first or desires, Li Teng actually didn’t know.

However, that was no longer important.

He only knew that in his eyes, whatever Ruan Nianchu did, he liked it, and whenever Ruan Nianchu acted silly, she was particularly cute. From the time he met her, Li Teng was doomed.

*

After all, the journey was long. In the first hour, there were occasional sounds of people chatting on the bus, but after an hour, the entire cabin fell completely silent.

After finishing reading a travel magazine, Ruan Nianchu raised her head and yawned. With a turn of her eyes, she saw Li Teng’s head leaning against the seat back, breathing evenly, obviously already asleep.

Li Teng’s sleeping face was quite different from his usual appearance. Quiet, peaceful, without aggression, his eyes closed tightly, thick eyelashes hanging low, revealing a hint of fatigue.

She frowned, suddenly realizing that this man wasn’t as strong and invincible as she thought. Like any normal person, he was flesh and blood, he could get hurt, feel pain, and get tired.

It’s just that the burden on his shoulders was too heavy. To carry it, he needed bones even harder than ordinary people.

After looking for a while, she suddenly reached out to touch his face. His hair had grown a bit, a few strands of black hair hanging in front of his forehead. She helped him tuck his hair back, her movements gentle and careful.

Li Teng’s sleep was shallow, and he almost instantly opened his eyes, staring at her, his eyes bloodshot.

Ruan Nianchu quickly withdrew her hand, feeling somewhat embarrassed. “Did I wake you up?”

Li Teng shook his head, running his hand through the short hair on his forehead. Due to just waking up, his voice was hoarse and lazy. “It’s time for a haircut.”

“There’s still more than two hours to go. You should continue sleeping.”

“Mm.” Li Teng leaned his head back against the seat, looking at her. “You’re not going to sleep?”

“I’ve been keeping regular hours these days, sleeping enough.” Ruan Nianchu smirked at him, grabbing his big hand and rubbing it gently. “Fair’s fair. You sleep this time, I’ll keep watch.”

Li Teng smiled, pinching her chin with his finger. Closing his eyes, he soon fell asleep again.

It was past six in the evening when the bus entered the border city area.

The night had fallen, and the sky was completely dark. Ruan Nianchu looked at the city scenery around her, breathed out a sigh of relief, and the anxiety that had been hanging in her throat finally eased halfway down.

The driver parked the bus, and the ticket inspector shouted, “We’ve arrived at the border city, we’ve arrived.” Li Teng and Ruan Nianchu got off the bus along with the other passengers.

The first thing the two did was to go to the car rental company to compensate for the damages.

When the boss of the car rental company learned that the jeep was scrapped, he was initially angry, but seeing Li Teng compensating readily, he immediately changed his attitude, smiling and saying, “Oh, well, accidents happen when you’re out on the road. It’s understandable. Don’t worry, don’t worry, just tell me the address, I’ll arrange for a tow truck to bring it back.”

Li Teng replied indifferently, “Thank you for that.” After speaking, he took Ruan Nianchu’s hand and left.

Once outside, she pouted and couldn’t help but complain in a low voice, “It’s all because of those two assassins. If they hadn’t suddenly appeared, our car wouldn’t have been scrapped.”

Li Teng replied without much emotion, “It’s just a car, if it’s scrapped, it’s scrapped.”

“Hey,” Ruan Nianchu frowned, “I’m concerned about your money. Tens of thousands, gone just like that, it’s not a small amount. I couldn’t earn that much in two years, it’s a waste of money.”

Li Teng smirked, casually saying, “True, I didn’t realize you’re so thrifty.”

Ruan Nianchu didn’t catch the hidden meaning in his words, “Of course, I am thrifty. My mom once said, although the concept of male breadwinners and female homemakers is not practical nowadays, being frugal is a traditional virtue that should be passed down from generation to generation and should not be lost.”

He nodded, “You can teach our son in the future.”

“Great! I will definitely help you raise our son…”

Ruan Nianchu realized what she had just said, stopped abruptly, and her cheeks flushed suddenly, angrily retorted, “Who agreed to have children and raise children with you?”

Li Teng turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow, a hint of mischief in his expression, “You did.”

Ruan Nianchu’s eyes widened, “When did I agree? How would I know?”

He replied calmly, “When you agreed to sleep with me.”

Ruan Nianchu interjected, “When did I agree to sleep with you…”

Li Teng stared at her, squinting his eyes.

“…,” she paused, her face turning even redder. After a while, she cleared her throat and stuttered, “…sleeping was agreed upon, but what does that have to do with having a son?”

Li Teng said, “Once you sleep, there will naturally be a son.”

Ruan Nianchu was about to lose her mind and blurted out without thinking, “Who told you that sleeping would result in a son? Do you think it’s a lottery?”

He remained expressionless, “Then sleep a few more times.”

Ruan Nianchu was speechless.

She stood still, her face flushed, looking like an angry goldfish. Li Teng chuckled, bent down, and tapped her nose, which was raised slightly, “Don’t stand there foolishly, let’s go.”

She grumbled with dissatisfaction, “Where are we going?”

“I heard that my wife’s phone broke.” He leaned his forehead against hers, his voice soft and gentle, “Let’s buy a new one to make up for it.”

“…,” Ruan Nianchu was speechless, unable to resist, she slapped him lightly, “Nuisance.”

Li Teng was very generous to Ruan Nianchu.

The phone he bought for her was the latest model of a certain brand, technologically advanced and expensive. Ruan Nianchu had never been particularly interested in electronic products, and the phone she had used before, which had gotten water damaged, had already been used for several years.

Losing an old phone and gaining a new trendy one, Ruan Nianchu felt like she had earned something.

However, she felt really heartbroken about the money.

Even though the person swiping the card didn’t even bat an eyelid.

By the time they came out of the electronics store, it was already nine o’clock at night. Li Teng hailed a taxi from the roadside and casually said, “You’ll stay at my place tonight.”

“…,” Ruan Nianchu was stunned for a moment, then nodded after thinking for a while, “Okay.”

Today was the last day of free activity, and Xu Fangfang hadn’t returned yet. After the incidents of the past few days, she was still a little frightened and didn’t dare to stay alone in the hotel.

Li Teng’s hotel was just across the street from the one where the performance troupe was staying. The specifications were similar, not very luxurious, but clean, tidy, and elegant.

Ruan Nianchu sat on the sofa, tinkering with her new phone.

Li Teng went to take a shower first.

Before long, Ruan Nianchu had downloaded all the commonly used apps using the Wi-Fi. Li Teng had just finished his shower and came out. She looked up and saw him, his upper body bare, wearing a pair of black boxing shorts, his short hair dripping with water.

The two unexpectedly made eye contact.

One pair of eyes bright and clear, the other dark and deep, the atmosphere was very subtle.

In an instant, Ruan Nianchu coughed lightly and averted her gaze, not finding anything to say, “Be careful, your wound shouldn’t get wet.”

Li Teng nodded, sat down on the edge of the bed, and dried his hair, “It won’t.”

For some reason, she felt inexplicably nervous, subconsciously unwilling to stay in the same space with him. So she stood up, took out a clean bathrobe provided by the hotel from the cabinet, and went straight into the bathroom.

“Bang,” the door closed tightly.

Li Teng lowered his head, wrapping a towel around his head, and rubbed his hair expressionlessly.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened again.

Li Teng glanced sideways, seeing Ruan Nianchu poking her head out, her expression astonished, “Why won’t this door lock?”

“It’s broken,” he replied calmly.

“…,” her mouth twitched, and after several seconds, she said, “When heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a man, it tests whether he is a true gentleman or not. No peeking allowed.”

She emphasized the word “again” in her sentence.

After speaking, Ruan Nianchu closed the door again.

The sound of rushing water came from the bathroom.

Even the sound of singing was mixed in, very light, almost imperceptible, like feathers brushing against the heart.

A few minutes later, unable to resist, Li Teng walked towards the bathroom.

The door lock was broken, so he easily opened it. Due to the loud noise of the water, Ruan Nianchu in the bathing area didn’t notice that the door had been opened. She was focused on washing her hair with her eyes closed, facing away from the door.

So, after seven years, Li Teng saw that enchanting, soul-stirring beautiful back again, enveloped in the steaming hot air, as white as jade.

And this time, he went straight up, embracing the bewitching, dripping wet little fairy that could almost take his life.

---

Sansukini: Aww.. Is next chapter going to be spicy?

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