When the two returned from the Lianxin Cave, the city lights were already dimming. Xiao Yufan sent Lan Yue back to Huaqing University before heading alone to Dongfang Yanran’s residence.
The Lianxin Cave left Xiao Yufan puzzled. If he hadn’t returned there, would he have seen the words left behind by Cheng Ying? If she had her own difficulties, why didn’t she tell him? Was she worried about something?
Even at Ma Teng’s wedding, where he saw Cheng Ying, Xiao Yufan noticed nothing unusual. Had he simply imagined things?
If that were true, how could he explain the words carved inside the Lianxin Cave? Two years later, Xiao Yufan had never expected that something related to Cheng Ying would once again stir a storm deep within his heart. That exquisitely beautiful face remained an unhealed wound in his soul.
Shaking his head slightly, Xiao Yufan’s lips curved into a bitter smile. He felt regret—why had he been so concerned with preserving a bit of pride back then that he never asked anything…
Before he realized, he had already returned to Dongfang Yanran’s place. As he lifted his head, he met her beautiful eyes. Her delicate, fair profile bore a faint blush, clearly indicating that she had been waiting for him.
“You’re back…”
Her voice was light and carried a hint of joy, without the slightest trace of reproach. Xiao Yufan felt warmth in his heart, but also a pang of guilt toward this woman.
“Why are you standing outside? Isn’t it cold? Let’s go inside!”
His lips curled slightly, forming a gentle smile as he wrapped his arms around her fragile frame, showing genuine concern. In his eyes, every woman beside him mattered equally—including Dongfang Yanran.
Allowing Xiao Yufan to embrace her, Dongfang Yanran smiled and casually brushed aside strands of her loosely scattered hair. At this moment, she was no longer Feng Ying, the No. 2 on the assassin list, but simply a woman who wished to quietly stay by this man’s side.
“You have something on your mind?”
Guided by his sharp intuition, Xiao Yufan vaguely sensed something troubling her. Dongfang Yanran was never good at hiding her emotions.
“No, I was just thinking about something…”
It seemed her inner vulnerability had been touched, and Dongfang Yanran’s expression briefly showed panic before quickly calming down. After all, this straightforward woman had already betrayed her feelings through her expressions.
However, Xiao Yufan didn’t press further. He knew that if she wanted to talk, she would tell him. He also didn’t want to burden her too much.
“Honey, no matter what I did before, can you always forgive me?”
Dongfang Yanran lifted her head, gazing directly into Xiao Yufan’s eyes. Her voice trembled slightly. Suddenly, she felt afraid—afraid that her husband might misunderstand her after knowing about her past.
If initially her approach to Xiao Yufan had been solely for revenge, now she had completely fallen into the whirlpool of tenderness. No matter how strong she was, she was still just a woman, and after so long, she had grown tired.
“The past is the past. Whatever you’ve done, Yanran, I won’t blame you anymore!”
Xiao Yufan was momentarily stunned, then his face broke into a smile. Though he didn’t know exactly what she had done, one thing was clear—Dongfang Yanran now deeply cared about his feelings.
“Thank you, honey!” Dongfang Yanran’s eyes shimmered with emotion. She knew her efforts would eventually be reciprocated, including her feelings…
As her warm breath brushed against his ear, Dongfang Yanran clung tightly to Xiao Yufan, her soft body pressing against his. His desire was successfully ignited.
“Tonight, I want to be on top!”
Their faces were close, her hot breath gently grazing his cheek, making his heart race and his body involuntarily react.
Even a saint might struggle to resist such temptation, let alone Xiao Yufan, a normal man…
But only she could say something so bold—and he liked it.
Just as Xiao Yufan was about to take advantage of this seductress, suddenly, a sharp killing intent struck him. His pupils instinctively constricted.
“There’s a sniper!”
Xiao Yufan lunged forward, pulling Dongfang Yanran along with him. She landed flat on top of him, unharmed. As she was about to rise, a whistling sound cut through the air.
The thick glass didn’t shatter, but now there was a palm-sized hole. The vase behind it shattered into pieces…
“Damn it! If it weren’t for my alertness, it wouldn’t have been the vase that got blown up—damn it!”
Spitting out a curse, Xiao Yufan’s face darkened with fury. Looking at the shattered vase, he felt a rare sense of danger. He had almost forgotten—he still had unfinished business with the Assassin Alliance.
And now, the Assassin Alliance dared to come all the way to the capital? They were truly reckless. In the capital, the underground world was his territory. To be threatened on his own turf made him furious.
“I’ll go out and kill him!”
Seeing Dongfang Yanran’s alarmed expression, Xiao Yufan’s figure flickered and vanished from the room. Whoever dared to disrupt his moment on his own turf would pay dearly.
This was unforgivable…
Dongfang Yanran’s lips twitched slightly but she said nothing. If she had to guess, the attacker was likely Gui Qiang, ranked fifth on the assassin list. He was a strange character—his sniper rifle alone made everyone tremble in fear.
Even the former Feng Ying and Feng Huang had no desire to cross paths with him…
But Dongfang Yanran believed her husband could handle him. After all, aside from his extraordinary marksmanship, Gui Qiang’s actual combat abilities were quite weak. Even someone ranked outside the top ten on the assassin list could easily kill him.
However, with a rifle in hand and hiding in the shadows, even Xiao Yufan might struggle to locate him. Thus, Dongfang Yanran still felt some concern.
At this moment, Xiao Yufan had already dashed to another building. Judging from the direction of the bullet, he roughly estimated the sniper’s position. No matter who the enemy was, today Xiao Yufan would ensure he left as a corpse.
Anyone who dared to harm his woman deserved death, and anyone who dared to interrupt his moment also deserved death. Therefore, this person had no reason left to live. A chilling aura surged around Xiao Yufan…
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