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墨書 Inktalez
On the ship, they temporarily forgot the dangerous journey ahead and quietly enjoyed the rare tranquility. She looked at his slightly sharp profile, guessing that he must have a clear understanding of the current situation. Under this completely passive disadvantage, how could he turn the tide?
Noticing her serious gaze, he turned to her and smiled gently. She was taken aback for a moment before lowering her eyes. He reached out and wrapped his arm around her, leaning close to her ear and asking, "What are you thinking about?"
She didn't want to add any extra burden to him, so she shook her head like a rattle drum and laughed, "Nothing."
He smiled lightly, calculating the time; they should be docking today. However...
A flash of bright light crossed his dark eyes but softened when it met hers. He said, "Mo Su, don't overthink it. I'm here."
"Mm." She felt reassured and leaned against his strong arm, falling into a deep sleep as if she were having a long dream. In that dream, she relived their first meeting—everything felt so distant yet so close, making her feel a pang in her heart as if time had slipped away.
She opened her eyes, and his gaze fell upon her. She quietly stared into his pitch-black eyes, lowering her brows. He smiled casually and asked, "Did you have a dream?"
"Mm." She replied softly, a hint of confusion on her fair face. "I dreamed of our first encounter."
"Oh?" His eyes brightened with interest, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You were scared back then, weren't you?"
She nodded with a light smile and paused before raising her brows again. "But my intuition told me you weren't a bad person."
"I didn't expect you to be so calm," he said, looking deeply at her as he reminisced about the past. "Your calmness caught me off guard."
She tilted her head slightly, her gentle gaze flowing like water into his heart. "Shaoyi, from that moment on, I saw you differently. I suppose this is fate ordained by heaven, but I don't believe we are only fated to meet without parting."
His arm tightened around her as he remained silent in response to her words. He gazed out at the approaching scenery for a while before finally speaking up. "Mo Su, we've arrived."
He took her hand as they disembarked from the ship, each step careful as if afraid something might happen to her. She thought Shaoyi was being overly dramatic and pouted slightly; what could possibly happen on solid ground?
Holding her hand slightly stiffened, she felt confused and looked up to where his gaze was directed, only to be taken aback.
Xiao Zuowei stood at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, dressed in a sharp black suit, his smile as warm as the wind and light. His dazzling eyes quietly gazed at them, as if he had been waiting there for a long time. She lowered her eyes, recalling those days in France and every word Xiao Zuowei had said to her, her heart swirling with emotions she could not articulate.
She wanted to see him, yet she was also afraid to see him.
Shangguan Shaoyi stepped forward and embraced him like an old friend. He patted Shaoyi's shoulder and smiled, "I received your letter. I've already informed your sister and Deputy Officer Shen."
His gaze drifted subtly toward the tightly held hand of Cheng Mo Su, and he smiled, "Little Su, long time no see."
"Yes, long time no see." She smiled lightly, masking the unclear emotions in her eyes, and changed the subject. "How are sister and Deputy Officer Shen?"
"Not well." Xiao Zuowei frowned and replied honestly. "Since you and Shaoyi went missing, they have been searching for you like crazy. Miss Shangguan even scolded Madam Shen, which led to an argument between them that escalated out of control. Plus, with the military rebellion, they have lost significant power and are currently staying in my residence in New Beicheng."
Cheng Mo Su felt guilty and tugged at Shangguan Shaoyi's sleeve, unable to meet his intense gaze at that moment. "Shaoyi, I'm sorry. If it weren't for my father, you wouldn't have wasted so much time on this."
A warmth enveloped her head as he leaned down, softening his gaze. He pinched her high nose affectionately and said, "I never blamed anyone; you don't need to feel guilty."
"Zuowei, I'm sorry to trouble you this time. You are no longer a soldier..."
"It's fine. This matter concerns the country; it's good that I can contribute in some way." Xiao Zuowei patted his shoulder. "You should hurry back. As far as I know, many soldiers in Zha Province still belong to you; they surrendered only because you went missing."
Shangguan Shaoyi nodded, his gaze cold.
The three of them got into Xiao Zuowei's car. Cheng Mo Su watched him focus on driving and couldn't help but zone out. In her memory, this should be the fastest she had ever seen Brother Zuowei drive, yet it remained exceptionally smooth and calm. She felt a slight tightening of the hand that Shaoyi held hers with and withdrew her gaze to give him a faint smile.
The vehicle stopped in front of a well-arranged villa, where sycamore trees were planted in the courtyard. A cool breeze swept through, causing the leaves to rustle, and the light purple peonies were in full bloom. Her gaze dimmed slightly as she recalled her childhood when Zuo Wei, her brother, had once said that peonies, also known as "Li Cao" and "Jiang Li," had an unfortunate name, so he would never plant them.
And now...
She glanced at the slender and handsome figure ahead, unable to utter a word, and could only follow him into the house.
Before she could steady herself, hurried footsteps approached from afar. A person dressed in water-colored red rushed to embrace Shangguan Shaoyi, and the air was filled with the joy of reunion after parting. "You still know how to come back! I thought you would never return here again!"
Shangguan Shaoyi smiled and patted Shangguan Yiting's back to help her calm down. Behind her was Shen Deputy Officer, who appeared a bit more weathered but also more composed and less reckless. He stood at attention and saluted properly. "Young Master! Welcome back."
He returned the salute to Shen Deputy Officer, who hesitated for a moment before approaching Cheng Mo Su with an apologetic tone. "Young Mistress, it’s my wife who didn’t take good care of you, causing..."
"Shen Deputy Officer." She interrupted him with a gentle smile. "It’s not Xiao Jing’s fault; don’t blame her. She must have been frightened too and is probably still feeling guilty. I’ll go check on her; you all should discuss your important matters." She nodded at Shangguan Yiting as a greeting and went upstairs.
Shangguan Shaoyi and Xiao Zuo Wei silently watched her until her graceful figure disappeared at the end of the corridor. The atmosphere that had relaxed due to Cheng Mo Su's presence suddenly became tense again. Shangguan Yiting held a current situation map, spread it out on the table, and lightly pointed with her slender fingers to outline several territories.
"I’ve conducted an investigation. With our current limited forces, this is the place where we are most likely to successfully counterattack." She pressed her lips together lightly. "Even if we only have a ten percent chance, we must fight for it!"
Shangguan Shaoyi quietly observed the situation map, slowly formulating a grand plan in his mind.
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