Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Han Jin winked at her and cheered her on with an expression of, ‘everything lies within that which is unspoken,’ before leaving abruptly.
Feng Ling: “…”
—-
Late at night, most of the people from Team One and the sniper team had left.
The accommodations for Team One and the sniper team were both arranged close to the training grounds; right now, the entire area was empty and quiet.
Feng Ling held Han Jin’s keys and headed into his apartment to retrieve several bottles of alcohol. She then followed his instructions and went to the cafeteria to request a few dishes to pair with the alcohol before heading back with the things in her hands.
However, she did not change into a set of women’s clothes. After all, this was completely unnecessary. Furthermore, she had already thrown away the ones that Xiao Xu had bought for her previously. She did not own any women’s clothes or products in her room.
When she returned to her dormitory, the entire building was mostly vacant. The place felt empty, leaving only the evening moonlight to accompany her.
Feng Ling walked up the stairs to where Nanheng’s and her room was located.
She wasn’t exactly planning to follow Han Jin’s advice.
However, after Boss Li helped her to block the bullet, she finally understood that high-risk missions were completely different from those she used to take on. Newcomers like her were usually given missions involving criminals or members of the underground. Although she frequently encountered guns and explosives, comparatively, those missions were still easier to manage. So long as she responded quickly and had some intelligence, accompanied by good teamwork, those missions could usually be resolved easily.
However, that mission was the first time she came face to face with terrorists, and these terrorists weren’t even supposed to be hard to manage. They were but a subgroup that had been tossed aside.
This meant that in this base, no matter if it is in the present or the future, she would encounter missions that were of even greater difficulty. The so-called ‘sacrifice’ that the others often brought up was pressing closer to her day by day.
She had already taken into account the possibility of being sacrificed, but she never expected that, when danger was right before her eyes, Boss Li would rush forward to keep her in his embrace.
Even though she had pressed through a whole night of training, even though she had been unbelievably exhausted, the same thoughts kept running through her mind.
If, then, Boss Li had not rushed forward to protect her, would she be injured right now? David’s gun had been aimed directly at her head. If she failed to move away in time, it was likely that by now, she wouldn’t be breathing.
When Boss had held her to avoid the bullet, if the bullet hadn’t brushed past his arm but had lodged itself directly in his back—if he had become seriously injured because of her—that would be a completely different scenario.
What if, on that day, both of them had lost their lives in that bar?
Feng Ling had never once feared anything. However, since that day, remnants of unexplainable fear remained in her heart. It restricted her chest, and at times, she would awake from her dreams breathless. The scene of Nanheng holding her in his arms would replay over and over again in her head.
It was already past eight in the evening.
Feng Ling wore a set of black combat clothes. She stood near the stairs, hesitating for several minutes. Every so often, her gaze would shift toward the tightly shut door at the side. Earlier, when she came up, she had noticed the lights from the balcony next door. She was sure that Boss was inside.
She tightened her grip around the bags in her hand and took a deep breath.
It had been several days since then.
Boss Li had not asked a single thing about her. He appeared extremely stern. On the rare occasion when he would pass by her, he wouldn’t even look her in the eye.
Even if she chose to neglect the fact that she was responsible for the wound on his arm, she still couldn’t allow the situation to persist.
Feng Ling recalled the incidents that had occurred before Boss was angry at her: the scenes at the bar, and the scenes when he had forced her to take off her clothes after returning. She also thought back to when he had asked her repeatedly if she considered herself to be an honest person.
The cold war between them caused Feng Ling to feel thoroughly uncomfortable. She felt that she needed to end this somehow; otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to remain in the base with a good condition.
With these thoughts in her mind, she took a step forward and began to approach Li Nanheng’s door.
In the empty hallway, after every few steps, the lights above her head would light up, casting a yellow glow on the floor.
She stood firmly outside the entrance and noticed the light peeking through the gaps of his door. As she deliberated over what Boss could be doing, she took in two deep breaths and lifted her hand to knock on the door.
After three consecutive knocks, the quiet corridor appeared especially uncomfortable.
The man’s voice could be heard from inside: “Who is it?”
Low, heavy, cold, and unhurried, just like the surface of the boundless ocean late at night. It was cold and deep to the point where it was impossible to see what was hidden underneath.
Feng Ling tightened her grip against the bags. “It’s me.”
It was silent for a moment before footsteps approached the door. It paused right behind the door.
Li Nanheng asked mildly: “What are you doing here?”
“…” Wasn’t he even going to open the door? Feng Ling answered directly: “Drillmaster Han gave me several bottles of alcohol before he left. I don’t like drinking alone. Since Boss is nearby, I thought I could look for you to drink with me.”
The person inside the room fell silent. For some reason, the quiet caused Feng Ling to shiver.
A moment later, the door opened.
The lights inside the room spilled out. Feng Ling raised her head to look at the man inside.
Li Nanheng did not have any plans tonight, nor did he head out to go drinking. Clearly, he had thought he wouldn’t be seeing anyone. He was dressed in a white vest and a pair of black shorts. His hair was also damp, with beads of water droplets on his shoulders.
“Boss, were you showering earlier?” Feng Ling asked subconsciously.
It was no wonder she could not hear any noise from his room earlier; it turns out he was in the bathroom.
Li Nanheng did not answer. He glanced at the bags she was holding: “What are you planning to drink? Who allowed you to drink in the base? If you wish to drink, go out with the rest. The base has clear rules against drinking.”
Feng Ling lifted the things in her hands. “Drillmaster Han was the one who gave them to me. Boss, you should also know that my alcohol tolerance is poor. He gave them to me, but it’s not as if I will have any use for alcohol. I’ll just leave these here for you. You can do whatever you wish with them; I definitely won’t say anything!”
Li Nanheng looked down at her. “Why did Han Jin give you alcohol? He hid these for so many years. When I asked him for some, he couldn’t even bear to part with a single bottle. He gave you all of this today?”
Feng Ling: “…”
Is that so?
She didn’t know.
However, earlier when she visited Han Jin’s room, she had found a lot of bottles of alcohol in his place. She only took four bottles and made sure to arrange the rest neatly before leaving. She was utterly clueless about this.
She couldn’t possibly tell him that Drillmaster Han had told her to come and get him drunk…
“Boss, move aside first. The food is about to turn cold.” Feng Ling patted him on the chest as she walked in.
After showering, the man had only put on a vest. The vest was extremely thin, and the firm sensation against her palm caused her heart to tremble. She moved her hand away as though she had been burnt and quickly headed in.
