Cheng Rui wasn’t eager to listen. He pulled a chair over and sat down by the bed, placing the warm porridge on the bedside table. He reached out and caressed her pale and delicate face.
She was like a delicate flower, unable to withstand even a gust of wind or rain. She needed the best energy to nourish her so that she could live freely and beautifully.
Since he brought her back to the Yaoyang Base, she hadn’t been well. Because of him, she became the target of Ye Jiahui, that woman who would stop at nothing to take her life, causing her to suffer two injuries.
“Eat first, we’ll talk later,” he said in a deep voice.
Bai Qingqing rubbed her cheek against his warm hand, resembling a small creature clinging to him, making his heart soften.
“Help me sit up,” she said in a soft tone with a hint of command.
Cheng Rui reached out to help her up, took a pillow and placed it behind her back, and picked up the warm porridge. “I’ll feed you.”
This scene reminded him of when he was injured. She was there by his side, gently applying medicine and taking care of him wholeheartedly.
Bai Qingqing slightly opened her lips and ate slowly. She stopped after eating half and said, “I don’t want to eat anymore.”
Cheng Rui frowned slightly. She was like a sick little kitten, eating so little, which made him worry. “Liang Zhiyu said you can’t have spicy food for now. You should eat light meals and rest well for a few days.”
“I know,” Bai Qingqing replied. She ate a little and then didn’t want to eat anymore, afraid she would throw it up.
Seeing that she had no appetite, Cheng Rui put down the bowl and handed her two tissues to wipe her mouth. His gaze was burning as he stared at her. “Tell me.”
His handsome and stern features were tense, as if waiting for a judgment from his superior. No matter what punishment he received, he would accept it willingly.
Bai Qingqing’s eyes no longer held the clear and innocent look, revealing a cold and bright wildness that reminded people of a predator in control of its prey.
When Cheng Rui first entered the training camp, the instructor told him not to underestimate anyone. High-end hunters often appeared in the form of prey, seemingly weak and powerless, but only to lure the hunters in.
We all considered ourselves hunters, but little did we know we had already fallen into the trap of the prey.
Bai Qingqing’s eyes shimmered as she softly said, “Come closer.”
Cheng Rui approached her, and the girl’s warm and fragrant breath invaded his senses. Her clear and pleasant voice instantly pierced through his heart. “I remember now.”
His face instantly stiffened, feeling a sense of relief akin to facing the death penalty and a surge of guilt that he couldn’t describe.
Bai Qingqing gently touched his face with her uninjured hand, her voice filled with sadness and pain. “Actually, it’s not really remembering. I had a terrible nightmare, I dreamt of some things…”
Her slender and fair fingers slid down his smoothly contoured face, and they slowly tightened around his neck, stopping there.
“I tried to seduce all of you in order to save myself from being abandoned, but none of you paid me any attention. I made one mistake after another, leading to extremes.”
She smiled faintly. “And you, you gave me a shot to protect Bai Tiantian.”
Her fingers tightened slowly, not with much strength, but it made Cheng Rui struggle to breathe. Her words were like cruel blades slicing through his heart, and the next sentence made the pain penetrate his bones.
“Bang!” Her voice was weak, accusing his cold cruelty. “You blew my head off.”
“I wouldn’t do that!” Cheng Rui’s voice was hoarse. He raised his dark eyes and looked at Bai Qingqing, his eyes briefly filled with anguish.
Bai Qingqing smiled slightly. “Wouldn’t you?” She tilted her head. “If I hadn’t lost my memory, hadn’t changed, and continued to target Bai Tiantian, wouldn’t you kill me to protect her?”
She sighed and recalled, “When I had just lost my memory, Shen Mingxuan said he discovered that I hadn’t lost my memory, and he would shoot me.”
Cheng Rui tightly pursed his lips, his heart already numb from the pain. If according to her assumptions, the team would choose to abandon her, and it was also possible that they would hurt her for the sake of Bai Tiantian.
Bai Qingqing delicately placed her pale face against his chest, struggling and carefully whispered, “Cheng Rui, don’t tell them, I will be killed.”
Cheng Rui’s tall body remained motionless. How could he bear to let her die? How could he possibly let her die?
“Qingqing,” his voice was hoarse, filled with regret and guilt. “I’m sorry.”
Bai Qingqing raised her gaze and looked at him, her eyes deeply penetrating. “So you apologized to me a long time ago because you left me on the ground back then.”
She lowered her eyelashes and said, “It’s not your fault, it’s all my doing. I’m shameless.”
Her words stabbed Cheng Rui’s heart like a cruel knife. If he could turn back time, he would definitely embrace her delicate body and tell her not to be afraid, that he would protect her.
Cheng Rui was once hailed as a killing machine, emotionless and cold. But in front of her, he lowered his head like a sinner. “What can I do for you to forgive me?”
Bai Qingqing looked at the man who was completely subdued, a faint emotion flickering in her eyes. “Some mistakes are just mistakes, there’s nothing to forgive.”
Cheng Rui looked at her pale face, unable to speak due to a lump in his throat.
She sighed and said, “The past is the past, let it go. Cheng Rui, I know you like me.”
“I also…” A shy blush appeared on her face, but it quickly turned into a worried expression. “But you’re not strong enough now. You can’t give me a sense of security.”
Cheng Rui tightened his grip on his hand. He couldn’t refute what she said. If he were strong enough, he wouldn’t let her get hurt time and time again.
Bai Qingqing looked into his clear eyes, holding his hand and slowly prying open his tightly clenched fingers. “I will leave the Yaoyang Base with Fu Chen. When you become strong enough, come find me.”
Cheng Rui had already known that she wouldn’t be willing to stay. In the past few days, he was still acting with her, almost immersing himself in the warmth of those peaceful days.
He didn’t have the right to keep her by his side. She was like a broken kite, flying towards the sky. Whoever had the ability to catch that string would have the ending.
“Okay.” He promised in a deep voice, “I will find you.”
After Cheng Rui left the room, the bedroom door closed tightly.
Bai Tiantian’s eyes were swollen from crying. She ran out of the room and stood in front of Bai Qingqing’s door, wanting to knock but hesitating.
She regretted it so much. She really didn’t mean to harm Qingqing. The members of the team looked at her with condemning eyes when they found out she willingly helped Ye Haitun, making it difficult for her to accept.
Her heart was filled with bitterness and grievances, wishing to apologize to Qingqing immediately.
“Don’t knock.” Liang Zhiyu’s voice was gentle but inexplicably cold. “You will disturb her, and she doesn’t want to see you right now.”
Bai Tiantian’s eyes turned red. “Dr. Liang, I really didn’t mean it.”
Liang Zhiyu’s expression was indifferent as he said, “Even if it wasn’t intentional, what difference does it make? You have caused this outcome. What’s the use of saying more?”
He pushed his glasses with his distinct fingers and taunted, “You made yourself look like this just to seek her forgiveness, to alleviate your guilt and make yourself feel better?”
Bai Tiantian’s pupils contracted, her lips turned pale, and she stared at him as if she had seen a ghost.
Liang Zhiyu had a gentle and refined appearance, with a temperament as smooth as jade. He was the type that many women liked, and he was the easiest to get along with in the team. She never expected him to say something so piercing.
“I…” She was speechless.
She truly knew she had made a mistake. Did she not even have the qualification to request forgiveness? Feeling ashamed and humiliated, she turned her head and ran back to her room.
“You’re being a bit too harsh,” Shen Mingxuan’s icy voice came through.
Liang Zhiyu turned around and smiled. “Is this considered too harsh?”
Shen Mingxuan had never witnessed Liang Zhiyu’s formidable strength and didn’t like confronting this inscrutable old fox. He was simply accustomed to defending Bai Tiantian.
It was indeed Bai Tiantian’s actions that caused Bai Qingqing to get hurt. Shen Mingxuan pursed his lips and changed the subject. “When are we leaving?”
Fu Chen had no intention of leaving Bai Tiantianbehind at the Yaoyang Base. Although the team didn’t understand his decision, they didn’t object either. For them, it was just a matter of ensuring that the team had sufficient resources with the space ability.
Bai Tiantian loved getting involved and being charitable. At worst, they would keep a closer eye on her in the future, and there wouldn’t be any major issues.
Liang Zhiyu spoke lightly, “Tomorrow.”
The City of Death was a zombie paradise with a harsh environment. It was suicidal for those with abilities to go there. They had a reason they had to go.
Liang Zhiyu understood Fu Chen’s thoughts. He had left Bai Qingqing at the Yaoyang Base to protect her safety, and he had no objections. He also believed that leaving Bai Qingqing behind was the right choice.
Xiao Yang came out of the room and ran into the two of them chatting. He walked briskly towards Bai Qingqing’s door and knocked, raising his hand. “Qingqing, can I come in?”
Shen Mingxuan and Liang Zhiyu noticed the wooden dolls in his hand, finely carved and beautiful. It seemed he had put a lot of effort into them.
This guy still hadn’t given up. He probably thought that if he saw Cheng Rui and Bai Qingqing getting along well, he would be deeply affected and voluntarily back off.
Shen Mingxuan sneered, “Childish.”
Carving dolls himself to impress a girl, he hadn’t played with this kind of thing for eight hundred years. Xiao Yang probably had something wrong with his brain.
A voice came from inside the room, “Come in.”
Liang Zhiyu raised an eyebrow and watched as Xiao Yang arrogantly entered the room, closing the door with a bang.
Xiao Yang held a pile of exquisite and adorable dolls, squatting in front of the bed. “Qingqing, are you feeling better? Does your wound hurt?” He picked up one of the dolls and said, “Look, I carved this doll for you.”
“This one is A Bao, and this one is Da Huang.” He asked with a triumphant expression, “Do they look good? Do you like them?”
Bai Qingqing looked at the lively wooden dolls with joy in her eyes. She hadn’t forgotten that Xiao Yang hadn’t completely succeeded in pursuing her. Although he had been jealous these days, he hadn’t done anything extreme and had always been pleasing and cute in front of her.
“They’re really beautiful,” she praised without hesitation. “Xiao Yang, you’re so talented.”
Seeing her happy, Xiao Yang became even more delighted. He placed the wooden dolls on her blanket and, in order to make her happy, manipulated the dolls to perform a show for her.
…
As the night grew darker, the villa’s lights were turned off. Fu Chen entered Bai Qingqing’s bedroom.
He walked to the bedside, the moonlight casting a deep gaze as he looked at her. He stared for a few seconds, then placed the Tang knife beside her and leaned down to caress her fair face, his movements gentle and affectionate.
After a moment, he turned and walked towards the door.
A voice came from behind, “Brother.”
Fu Chen’s footsteps halted. He didn’t turn around. In the dimly lit room, the two remained silent, their quiet breaths almost audible.
Fu Chen restrained himself from turning back. He was afraid that if he looked at her a moment longer, he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to leave.
Without saying a word, he left the room, his figure cold.
Bai Qingqing looked at the cold interior and chuckled self-mockingly, then lay back down in her blanket.
Leave a Reply