After dinner, Xie Yuyan walked over to the sink where Ye Feng was washing dishes and asked with concern, "How is everything? Is everything going well?"
"Mm, not bad. At least the security team Li Jing sent is quite professional and responsible, but there are still some loopholes."
"Security is just a joke. It’s fine for scaring ordinary people, but when it comes to professional groups, it’s completely useless."
Xie Yuyan spoke lightly, as if everything was effortless for her.
"It seems our assassin has a lot of experience. If it were you, what would you do?"
Ye Feng suddenly remembered that Xie Yuyan was an expert in this field, and his knowledge was probably just a drop in the ocean compared to hers.
"Come on, how would I know? I haven’t even been there. I told you before that I wanted to go with you, but you wouldn’t let me. Now you come to me for advice? Too late."
"Hey... you little..."
Seeing Xie Yuyan turn her head away proudly and leave, Ye Feng knew he had offended her yesterday. After finishing the last dish, he wiped his wet hands on a towel and sat down on the sofa next to Xie Yuyan.
After Ye Feng sat down, Xie Yuyan didn’t get up and leave or pretend not to see him. Instead, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and muttered, "Oh, now you come to me. Am I just someone you can use and discard whenever you want?"
"How can you say that? I was just thinking about your safety."
"Tch, I just think you’re so full of yourself!"
Xie Yuyan glared at Ye Feng fiercely, then seemed afraid he might misunderstand and quickly added, "You can care about my safety, so why can’t I care about yours? Don’t think I’ll thank you for this. I’ll only hate you! Hate you for breaking our promise."
It was clear that Xie Yuyan’s emotions were getting out of control. Her concern for Ye Feng had long surpassed her concern for herself.
"I’m sorry, Xie Yuyan."
Ye Feng didn’t dare to look directly into Xie Yuyan’s eyes. If he had truly wanted to save her, it wasn’t out of pure intentions, but over time, as he spent more time with her, his feelings had quietly changed. From reluctantly agreeing to take her in to genuinely wanting to ensure her safety, a lot had shifted.
Perhaps Ye Feng felt guilty for approaching her with ulterior motives, or perhaps being with Xie Yuyan had helped him find his true self. That was something only Ye Feng could answer.
"Apologies are useless... If apologies worked, I wouldn’t feel so scared and sad every day because of who I am."
"I understand how you feel, but aren’t you already changing? What you need to do now is leave your old self behind and rebuild a new you. You’re not an assassin or someone without an identity. You’re just you. You’re Xie Yuyan."
"You’re really... hopeless, aren’t you? Holding the hand of someone like me... What a fool..."
Xie Yuyan stared at Ye Feng without saying a word. Though her expression showed no reaction, her hand tightly gripped the corner of Ye Feng’s shirt and never let go, as if holding onto it gave her an inexplicable sense of security.
"Fine... I’ll help you. But don’t say such sentimental things. I won’t cry because of your clumsy words. Absolutely not."
"Hehe, thank you then."
When Xie Yuyan said this, Ye Feng knew the matter was settled. With Xie Yuyan as his tactical advisor, he could at least get a more comprehensive analysis of things he might have overlooked.
"Hmph, these consultations come with interest!"
"No problem, once my salary comes in a few days, you can have as much as you... huh?"
Before Ye Feng could finish, Xie Yuyan leaned over and rested her head on his lap, closing her eyes and pretending to rest as she said in a soft voice, "Consider your lap my pillow as punishment. Now you can ask your questions."
What kind of punishment is this...
"Ahem, so if it were you, how would you choose to enter the target location most efficiently under heavy security surveillance?"
"Well..."
Xie Yuyan tilted her head back and stared straight at Ye Feng’s chin. From the stiffness of his thigh muscles, she could tell he was nervous, though he was trying hard to appear calm.
"First, I’d observe the security forces, guard posts, and their shift schedules. Then, I’d use some equipment to interfere with electronic devices. Without alarms or cameras, those guards would be easy to deal with. If it were me, I could probably take them all out... Ouch!"
With a soft thud, Xie Yuyan’s forehead was flicked by Ye Feng, leaving a red mark. She covered her forehead with both hands and looked at him pitifully.
"Stupid Ye Feng, why did you hit me?"
"You’ve got some nerve saying that. The last part wasn’t necessary. You need to cut ties with your past identity. Stop thinking about what you could do before. You’re living as a new version of yourself now."
"I was just joking, geez~"
Suddenly, Xie Yuyan seemed to remember something, flipped over, and turned her head toward the inside of the sofa. This startled Ye Feng, who quickly pulled his leg back, causing Xie Yuyan’s head to fall onto the sofa.
"Xie... Xie Yuyan, what are you doing? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t move?"
"Hmph..."
Xie Yuyan rubbed her dizzy head and glared at Ye Feng, looking as if she had been greatly wronged.
"It’s because you flicked my head that I turned over. It’s all your fault!"
"Alright, alright, I admit I was wrong, okay?"
As the two were talking, a clap of thunder sounded outside. Ye Feng instinctively turned his attention to the window, while Xie Yuyan suddenly jumped up from the sofa, slipped on her sandals, and hurried toward the balcony.
"Oh no! I just washed the clothes today. They can’t get wet!"
"......"
After a while, the sky had turned a dark, oppressive black, and a light rain began to fall. A cold breeze blew in, snapping Ye Feng out of his daze.
"Brr... Is the weather changing?"
"Ye Feng..."
At that moment, a faint voice came from the balcony. Thinking something might have happened, Ye Feng was about to get up and check on her when Xie Yuyan walked back in, holding a damp bedsheet.
Xie Yuyan looked pitiful, her expression delicate and charming.
"Wah... I’m going to freeze to death tonight~"