Jian Yufei swallowed nervously. "Ruan Tianling, what is going on with you?"
He was acting in a way that left her feeling strangely unsettled.
"Nothing’s wrong. I just really miss you." His hand gently caressed her cheek, his dark eyes burning with deep passion.
Jian Yufei chuckled. "I’m in front of you every single day. What is there to miss?"
"I don’t know. I just miss you—everything about you. I miss it all."
"There has to be a reason, right?" Jian Yufei asked him playfully. "You seem odd to . Are you hiding sothing from ?"
"No!" Ruan Tianling denied it imdiately, his tone serious, starkly contrasting with her teasing expression.
Jian Yufei looked at him skeptically. "Really? Nothing at all? Co clean. What are you hiding from ?"
"Nothing!"
"I don’t believe you... mmph..."
Ruan Tianling lowered his head once more, cutting off her words and giving her no chance to speak further.
************************
The sea roared as waves relentlessly crashed in.
Ruan Tianling’s body was subrged in the water, with only his face erging above the surface of the ocean.
Where was this?
All around him stretched an endless expanse of ocean—
Waves slapped against his face while he breathed heavily, utterly disoriented and unable to find his bearings.
[Move faster, or you don’t get dinner tonight!]
A coarse male voice bood behind him.
Ruan Tianling spun around abruptly to see a speedboat. Standing on the vessel was a tall, broad-shouldered man.
The man held a long pole in his hand, jabbing it repeatedly at a figure struggling in the water.
Tightness gripped Ruan Tianling’s chest as he strained to lift himself to see the figure more clearly.
Finally, he saw him.
It was a child, about the sa age as Ansel—
The boy wore a pale ghostly mask on his face. His small fra darted through the water, with every stroke radiating raw power.
But ultimately, he was still just a child. His strength waned quickly, and his movents began to slow.
[You worthless brat! I told you to hurry up!]
The long pole jabbed at the boy again, but this ti, he grabbed it fiercely, yanking it with all his might. The man on the speedboat nearly lost his balance and fell into the water.
[You dare fight back, you little bastard! You worthless brat—!]
The pole was snatched back, and the man on the boat continued to stab it at the boy, preventing him from surfacing.
The boy swerved left and right, but his body kept getting struck. He sank into the water, surfaced again, only to be struck down once more...
Ruan Tianling’s eyes widened in disbelief as he watched the scene unfold. His chest felt like it was about to explode!
[Stop it!] he bellowed furiously, swimming toward the boy at full speed to save him.
He swam with all his might, giving everything he had...
*************
Suddenly, the scene before his eyes distorted.
The ocean disappeared, replaced by a dense jungle.
The masked boy now held a katana, surrounded by three ferocious wolves.
In the trees stood the man from the speedboat earlier.
[Kill them. They’re your food. If you don’t, you’ll beco theirs!]
The boy gripped the katana with both hands, his eyes beneath the ghostly mask cold, dark, and devoid of emotion.
A wolf lunged at him, but he deftly dodged, slashing his sharp blade deep across the wolf’s throat.
The wolf convulsed on the ground a few tis before dying.
The two remaining wolves hesitated to act alone, opting instead to attack together—
The boy shifted and weaved between the trees, his small but agile fra evading the wolves’ attacks with precision.
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