Chapter 57

In the late spring, the fields were lush and vibrant, adorned with complex flowers.

The distant mountains were a clear blue, basking in the bright sunlight.

His mood was as gloomy as the long winters of the Antarctic, where one could never see the light during the polar night.

The gray road resembled a long river flowing across the spring fields.

A black SUV stood still by the roadside. Arthur wore large sunglasses that obscured half of his pale face, revealing only the strong and smooth curve of his jawline.

At his feet lay a set of SWAT uniforms and a mask, his means of escaping the explosion scene.

"Sir, you underestimated them this time," a slightly older man named Evan said from the driver's seat. He was muscular, his voice powerful, yet respect and submission were evident in his words.

Arthur leaned against the dark rear seat of the car, his pale face gazing out the window. The vibrant colors outside did nothing to stir his emotions.

His injuries rendered his voice a bit weak, yet he couldn't hide its inherent low timbre: "Yes, I underestimated him! ... And I underestimated her!"

"She… has grown up!"

Evan seemed to sense the loneliness in Arthur's tone, his expression softening slightly. He switched to a comforting tone: "That S.A. has caused us trouble before. If he hadn't shown up, the plan would have been foolproof, and Miss C would have been brought back. Who would have thought she'd go to the bank with him, so inseparable…"

Realizing he had misspoken, Evan awkwardly shifted the conversation back, "The original plan was for Amper and the others to take the contents of the safe along with Miss C and to fire from a distance to blow up the city sewer. Who would have thought he would trigger the explosion at such close range? He's truly insane."

Arthur remained silent.

He had not anticipated that Yan Su would take such a risk, even while seriously injured, just for a gamble to capture him. Indeed, he was a madman, but also a very clever one.

Before entering, Yan Su had informed the other police about the sewer. After the explosion, the police quickly arrived, and several sewer exits were guarded in advance.

Had it not been for Zhen Ai's shout waking him up, he would have likely been captured.

Wounded, he had walked unknown kilometers in the dark sewer, knocked out a SWAT officer, and changed into his clothes to barely escape.

S.A. Yan! He truly underestimated him.

Evan glanced at the rearview mirror, noting the young man in the back seat who remained silent. He couldn't help but remind him again, "Sir, you should behave as you used to. You shouldn't have personally shown up for these well-planned matters."

Arthur stared out the window for a long time before softly saying, "I just… miss her again."

Evan was momentarily at a loss for words. After a long pause, he said, "Had I known this would happen, you shouldn't have obeyed your father's orders to kill her parents."

"They betrayed the organization; they had to die," Arthur replied, his expression obscured by the sunglasses. "Including her brother."

Evan remained silent for a long time before saying, "But Miss C is now also betraying the organization."

Arthur fell silent, hearing the sound of cars on the road. He rolled down the car window.

Gradually, a car approached from the rearview mirror and stopped behind the SUV within two minutes.

Amper stepped out, looking tidy despite the visible injuries from the explosion.

She walked with great difficulty, staggering as she approached, gripping the car door of the driver's seat for support. Looking at Evan, her voice was low and weak, "Mr. A, my brother is dead."

As the restrained words escaped her lips, she became emotionally agitated, "My brother is dead!!"

Her fingernails dug into the car door, turning pale from the effort and fury, "That Zhen Ai killed my brother. She used some kind of strange virus. My brother… he died, and it was terrible."

Amper covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears that sparkled like emeralds. She trembled as she spoke, "He was all rotting away!"

Inside the car, no one moved.

Few people in the organization had seen the true face of the ultimate boss. The boss was skilled at disguise; even those who had seen him often faced a masked figure.

When Amper approached, she mistakenly thought Evan was Arthur. As she looked at him, tears streamed down her face, her bitterness and fury pouring out, growing stronger with each word.

Recalling the horrific image of her brother's death, an endless hatred surged within Amper. Her eyes reddened, and she gritted her teeth, "I swear, I will skin her alive!"

Wearing thick sunglasses, Evan glanced at her but did not respond.

However, a voice emerged from the shadows of the back seat of the SUV, "If you truly intend to do that, I'll turn you into sashimi for the dogs."

A strong sense of low pressure filled the air.

Amper felt a chill run down her spine and finally realized someone was sitting in the back seat. The person wore sunglasses, sitting deep in the shadows, obscuring his face, with only a cold and handsome outline visible.

Though she still harbored anger, Amper dared not retort. After a moment's hesitation, she took out a golden chain, "This is something from her safe."

The figure in the back seat did not react, and Evan took the chain.

Amper continued, "Sir, my brother died for the organization's mission. He…"

Evan coldly interrupted her, "Miss, his mission was uncompleted. Even if he were alive, he would still be executed."

Amper's eyes turned red again, her nails nearly digging into the car window, "You're too much!" she exclaimed. However, her gaze inadvertently glanced back at the dark figure in the back seat, which remained obscured, with only the curve of the jaw visible.

Evan's face showed no sign of emotion.

The wind howled across the fields, and Amper leaned against the car window, her body tense. If she became a target for the organization, she would surely have no way to escape.

The world was silent, and finally, the young man in the back seat spoke again, his tone devoid of any unnecessary emotion: "They got the stuff from the safe, which counts as completing half of the mission."

This meant Amper would be spared.

Evan said no more and rolled up the car window.

Amper felt her body go limp, watching helplessly as the black SUV disappeared into the vast green fields. Soon, she was left alone in the world. She looked up at the high sky and suddenly remembered what had happened three months ago.

She had just recovered from a serious illness and was finally able to walk again.

Her brother accompanied her for rehabilitation, saying, "Amper, let's go to Europe. We have enough money to last a lifetime. It was those two bastards who nearly caused your death. We'll never do this again."

She immediately frowned. "But I want to have fun! I don't care; I want to play!"

Her brother ruffled her hair, coaxing her, "It's too dangerous; you could get hurt."

"No!" She wrapped her arms around his, shaking him playfully, "Just one last time, Jo! Let's play one last time. Just accompany me for this one last job, and then we'll never do it again, I promise."

He sighed helplessly yet indulgently, "Fine, one last job."

Amper looked at the sky, tears falling once more.

She had to avenge her brother!

...

Evan drove, trying to understand Arthur's decision to let Amper go. But he didn't ask and instead handed over the chain: "This belongs to Miss C. It may be related to the password Chance left behind."

Arthur took it, gently rubbing it between his fingers. It was a small golden abacus, the beads inscribed with numbers and letters. He held it in his palm: "It's fake. She's very cautious and wouldn't leave something so important in a bank; it's just a trap to mislead me."

Evan was taken aback, confused as to why Arthur would go through the trouble of searching for something he already knew was fake.

"This matter does not need to be known by B," Arthur ordered coldly.

Evan nodded in response.

He understood the gravity of the situation; if Mr. B found out, he would definitely kill Miss C.

Arthur sat silently in the back seat, gazing out the window. He saw a solitary tree in the fields, its slender trunk and lush crown resembling the one in their base.

He stared at it, suddenly recalling her at sixteen, standing beneath the tree, quietly asking, "A, what is a kite?"

He found a kite and ran with her across the grass, like the wind. At that time, she would pout her lips and smile shyly.

Her smile…

Just thinking about it made his chest ache like a knife wound.

He finally bowed his head deeply, clutching his chest, but the intense pain surged like electric currents. Despite wearing a bulletproof vest, the shockwave from the explosion had still broken one of his ribs.

When he was young, his mother had said that Eve was made from Adam's rib.

Ha, that most beloved and painful rib of his was about to be taken away.

And he absolutely would not allow that.

#

Owen pushed open the door to the hospital room, the bright white interior impeccably clean.

Zhen Ai lay quietly by the bedside, her arm heavily bandaged, seemingly asleep. She leaned her head against Yan Su, her small white hand gripping his thumb, the tiny fist resting in his pale palm.

This action conveyed an unusual intimacy and dependence.

Owen suddenly remembered the day before when he rushed to the hospital, finding Zhen Ai's arm continuously bleeding. Despite the doctors' pleas for treatment, she stubbornly stayed at Yan Su's surgery door, silent and crying, her tears flowing incessantly.

No one could pull her away, and she wouldn't listen to anyone, acting like a spoiled, unreasonable child.

At that moment, Zhen Ai felt very unfamiliar to Owen. She was usually so measured and composed, always careful with her expressions and rarely smiling, let alone throwing a tantrum and crying.

Meanwhile, his friend Yan Su had been severely injured. Three ribs were broken, his right leg fractured, he had a mild concussion, and his right ear was slightly damaged. The rest of his condition would require further observation after he woke up.

Now, looking at the pale-faced Yan Su in the hospital bed, Owen felt pain for his friend but also wondered if Zhen Ai would cry like that if he were seriously injured.

Actually, she probably would. She was a girl who appeared cold on the outside but was soft-hearted within.

The young man on the hospital bed moved slightly, then slowly opened his eyes. Owen was overjoyed and hurried to the hallway to notify the others.

When Yan Su woke up, he didn't feel any unbearable pain; compared to the explosion he had experienced years ago, this was child's play. Instead, he felt something small and soft lying in his palm. He looked down to see Zhen Ai beside him, her even breaths brushing against him like feathers, tickling him.

His fingertips seemed to touch her cheek, and suddenly, a singular thought filled his mind: he wanted to touch her face. So, he moved his fingertip, finding her cheek soft and smooth… um, he wanted to touch it again…

Zhen Ai was startled awake, jumping up with wide eyes staring at him in shock.

Yan Su froze for a moment, then slowly said, "Did you have a nightmare?" He realized his voice was hoarse and dry.

Zhen Ai shook her head but recalled how she had just been holding his hand, her face pressed against his fingertip; that was undoubtedly too intimate for her.

Her face suddenly flushed, and she wanted to wrap her arms around herself, only to realize she was bandaged.

Just as she was racking her brain, about to ask if he wanted water, the door to the ward swung open. Hai Li, Eva, Lin, Danny, Owen, and Jasmine all entered.

Zhen Ai quickly stepped aside, becoming a background figure.

Everyone asked about Yan Su's condition with a mix of concern and relief, and he responded absentmindedly to each inquiry, his gaze occasionally drifting toward Zhen Ai.

She stood awkwardly against the wall, her eyes unsure of where to settle. After a few seconds, she seemed to revert to her usual self, quietly maintaining a distant demeanor from her surroundings.

In fact, after the bank robbery incident, he was already certain of his feelings.

The many reluctant emotions piled up in his heart like stones, making it hard to breathe; they were called heartache.

He felt sorry for her—alone with a gun, driving to a strange mountain to find him on a winter afternoon; feeling sorry for her cautious existence, lacking friends and familiarity with her classmates; feeling sorry for her as she knelt beside Angie, desperately pressing on her bleeding wound, tears of helplessness and resentment flowing; feeling sorry for her when she drunkenly leaned on his shoulder, sobbing for her brother, apologizing for her failures; feeling sorry for her gaze toward the colorful cake and soda, full of longing yet restrained; feeling sorry for her silently navigating the maze, solving problems alone without seeking help…

But it wasn't just pity; there was more admiration, appreciating her resilience like wild grass, always striving upward. Despite all the darkness she had faced, she still retained the kindness of a little girl to accept the life-and-death game, still had the courage to point at him when King had chosen her as the murderer… More than that, there was a deep connection of the soul.

And, hum, what he said was something everyone else couldn't understand, but she did.

But how could he express that to her? He had no experience.

In the moment of the explosion, his last thought had actually been—Zhen Ai wouldn't be in trouble, right? If something happened to him, he hoped Zhen Ai wouldn't have feelings for him.

But now, seeing her safe in front of him, his feelings shifted to something absurdly selfish, mixed with a hint of apprehensive regret.

He was not sure of her feelings.

Although he was an outstanding behavioral analysis expert, he was completely clueless in this regard.

He frowned in displeasure and suddenly said, "I want to go home."

Haili was in the middle of reminding him about various matters when she was interrupted by him. She was taken aback and realized that this rascal hadn't been listening at all. However, she wasn't angry; she asked, "No, you can't leave yet..."

"I want to go home! I want to read!" Yan Su said with a serious expression and a firm tone.

In this blind spot of knowledge regarding love, he had to go back and catch up; he couldn't wait to do so, and he wanted to start right now.