The night carried a chill.
Xu stepped forward.
A cold wind swept through the trees.
Moments later, five bodies lay still on the ground.
He didn't linger. Without a sound, he turned and walked back toward the small house where Yue waited, unaware.
The warmth of the house greeted him as he slid the door open. Inside, Yue sat at the small table, carefully folding a set of clothes. The scent of freshly washed fabric mixed with the lingering aroma of tea.
She looked up, eyes flickering with sharp awareness. "You went out."
"I did."
She studied him for a moment, then returned to folding. "And?"
"It's handled."
A soft snort left her lips. "You make it sound like you went to buy vegetables."
Xu sat down across from her, his posture relaxed. "Would you rather I give you details?"
She shook her head, placing a folded robe on the pile. "No need. I can guess well enough."
For a moment, silence settled between them. The only sound was the gentle rustling of fabric. Yue moved with an easy grace, though Xu didn't miss the slight tension in her fingers.
Finally, she spoke again. "They'll send more."
"They will," he agreed.
She sighed, setting aside the last piece of clothing. Leaning back, she propped her chin on her palm. "You could've told me, you know. At least let me watch."
Xu raised a brow. "And why would I do that?"
She smirked. "Entertainment."
His lips twitched. "A strange thing to find amusing."
"Not really." She traced idle circles on the wooden table. "I just like knowing when bad people get what they deserve."
Xu didn't respond immediately. Instead, he poured himself a cup of tea from the pot she had left out. It was still warm.
As he took a sip, his gaze lingered on her.
She was right. They would send more. And no matter how many times he handled it, as long as the one pulling the strings remained untouched, the problem wouldn't go away.
That meant only one thing.
But he kept it to himself.
For now, he watched as Yue stretched lazily, her golden eyes flicking toward him with quiet amusement. "You're staring."
Xu placed his cup down. "You talk too much."
She grinned. "You like it."
He didn't answer.
Outside, the night remained still.