Chapter 477

"Because I like her, are you satisfied with this answer?"

Chapter 82: Between Lovers

"Eh."

Yao Shi was stunned, sitting there blankly like a petrified sculpture, not knowing what to do.

He moved his lips as if trying to say something, but no sound came out when the words reached his lips.

She was at a loss, as if she were stuck, and opened her mouth but didn't know what to say to describe her current feelings.

It was warmer than before, even more intensely warm, like a pair of large hands gently protecting her.

The warmth in her heart gradually turned into a scorching red tide, and the sun-like heat surged and rolled deep within Yao Shi's heart.

The young master likes me. The young master said he likes me?

He wasn't lying, nor was he joking; the young master was serious, and he was genuinely expressing his feelings.

But why? When exactly did it start? When exactly did the young master begin to...

She was just a maid, her position could be filled at any time, and she was just an assassin with an unclear identity...

"Actually, this is not surprising at all. She is the person who has been with me the longest and also the person who understands me the most."

"Although Yao Shi is usually serious and doesn't smile much, she treats people and does things like a precise instrument without any emotion. At times, she can also show a domineering side."

"But that's what makes Yao Shi different from others. It's her characteristic and her personality. Don't you think she's adorable?"

"Moreover, she has always been wholeheartedly by my side and thinking of me. Whether in the past or now, she is the only woman besides my mother who can accept me wholeheartedly."

Wu Liang looked at Yao Shi, who was leaning on his shoulder, and smiled faintly after noticing her constantly evasive gaze.

He couldn't help but reach out and pat the other's head. His previous guess was correct; he had simply been too worried about Yao Shi to notice the change in her at first.

But no matter what, as long as Yao Shi is alright, that's all that matters. He can ignore everything else and pretend he doesn't know anything about it.

"That, isn't that what Yao Shi should do? After all, she is your personal maid."

"I could easily do that too. It's her duty. Of course she has to give everything for the young master."

"Besides, Yao Shi's status is completely unworthy of the young master. Someone like her, an assassin whose hands are already stained with blood..."

Forcing a smile onto her face, Yao Shi clenched her fists and murmured tremblingly as she placed them against her chest.

She's not worthy. How could someone like her, a killer with a terrible past, someone of unknown origin and lowly status, possibly be worthy of the young master?

"If one day I fall from a high place and become a loser despised by everyone, will you continue to stay by my side, or will you kick me, this jinx, away like everyone else?"

Wu Liang saw the inferiority and bitterness in Yao Shi's eyes; no matter how much time had passed, this girl was still like this.

Yao Shi couldn't see her strengths or endearing qualities at all; she was fixated on her past as an assassin and her humble origins.

People always look forward; if they stay in the past, they will only become puppets who never move forward.

Even Han Yu and Ning Shuang could figure out how to move on from the shadows of the past, so why was Yao Shi so fixated on this point?

Yao Shi is very shrewd, and she excels in both daily chores and company affairs. But why is she so clumsy when it comes to principles that even a child can understand?

"Of course I'm willing to stay by your side! I am your maid, I am a servant who will serve you for the rest of my life, how could I possibly abandon you?"

Upon hearing this, Yao Shi hurriedly stood up and anxiously explained that she could never abandon the young master; it was something she would never do in her life.

The young master was her everything, her entire world. He gave her a new life, new companions, and feelings she had never known before.

She liked the young master, she admired the young master, so no matter what the young master became in the future, no matter whether the young master was still the heir of the Wu family, she wanted to stay with the young master.

She stayed by the young master's side not as a maid, but as a lover.

"If that's the case, then why did you say that I'm not good enough for you? Are you questioning me, Yao Shi?"

Wu Liang rested his chin on his hand and silently watched Yao Shi, who looked flustered and wanted to express her thoughts clearly.

He had realized from the very beginning that the Yao Shi in front of him was the real Yao Shi, not the soft and cute "Yao Shi" who was like a little girl before.

As for why Yao Shi was able to pretend to be that "Yao Shi" just now, he could just take it as Yao Shi's prank and there was no need to delve into the reasons.

"Ah..."

Realizing she had been exposed, Yao Shi stared wide-eyed, her face blank as she murmured something.

She overreacted; she shouldn't have been so agitated. If it were "Yao Shi," she certainly wouldn't have been so anxious because of the young master's casual remark.

But the young master's words had undoubtedly deeply affected her. Even if everyone around him betrayed him, she would never leave his side...

"How is the other Yao Shi doing?"

Wu Liang was puzzled as to why Yao Shi was impersonating him, and even made such intimate gestures with him just now.

However, since Yao Shi has already done this, there must be a reason and logic behind it, so he doesn't need to question her or expose her.

He just needs to wait here quietly, and Yao Shi will definitely give him a satisfactory answer.

She will never appear again, never.

Yao Shi stared blankly at Wu Liang's face, and after a moment of silence, slowly spoke.

That "Yao Shi" has disappeared; she will no longer use his body to appear before the young master.

The "Yao Shi" I once admired and fantasized about has completely left, because I no longer need to envy that "Yao Shi's" lifestyle.

"I am already very happy, so I don't need to envy her anymore."

Yao Shi sat down next to Wu Liang and took his arm, just as he had told her before.

I no longer need to envy anyone, because I am already living in happiness.

"Is that so?"

Wu Liang smiled slightly. Although he didn't know what had happened to Yao Shi, he was certain of one thing.

The "Yao Shi" didn't actually disappear; rather, it merged with the real Yao Shi. If you were to ask why, it would probably be his intuition...

"Young master, could you kiss me one more time, not as a gesture of artificial respiration, but as lovers?"

Chapter 83

In the dim night, the only thing that could guide them forward was the navigation light on the bow of the ship.

In the pitch-black night, amidst a raging storm and surging waves.

Navigation lights offer very limited visibility, and their dim light is ineffective in illuminating the dark, rainy night.

The lurking undercurrents and the dense curtain of rain restricted everyone's vision, reducing visibility to about five meters in this dangerous situation.

Although the waves at sea were much smaller than before, the occasional waves still caused the ship to rock violently.

The raindrops falling from the sky made a pattering sound as they landed on the deck, while the howling wind whipped Qiao Ranxin's long hair high into the air.

Under the rainy night, Qiao Ranxin held a black umbrella, her small, jade-white hands gripping the railing tightly, so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Her cherry-colored eyes were fixed on the deep night sky in the distance, as if she couldn't feel the cold. She had just changed into a long dress, but it was soaked by the rain again.

Her long, silver-gray curly hair clung wetly to her cheeks, and glistening raindrops clung to her long eyelashes.

Perhaps worried about something, or perhaps afraid of something, Qiao Ranxin's body trembled slightly, and she seemed very fragile.

"Yao Qing, it's time for us to arrive."

Hearing the footsteps behind her, Qiao Ranxin spoke without turning her head.

Her dim eyes were filled with concern and worry. She wished she could go to the bottom of the broken bridge immediately to search for Wu Liang and Yao Shi.

"Ms. Qiao, it will take us at least an hour to reach the west coast below the cliff."

"Besides, that area of the sea is full of reefs and rocks, and the water level gets shallower as you get closer to the shore. If we are too hasty, we won't be able to save the young master and the others."

Yao Qing glanced at Qiao Ranxin's delicate body trembling slightly in the wind and rain, and smiled helplessly as she looked at her clothes and skirt that were once again soaked by the rain.

He stepped forward and walked to Qiao Ranxin's side, holding the umbrella above his head to shield her from the wind and rain.

Young master, I never expected you to even win over Ms. Qiao. I, Yao Qing, never anticipated this.

Your abilities are a bit too great. If the master finds out about this, what kind of expression will he have?

"Oh..."

Thinking of this, Yao Qing couldn't help but chuckle. He had included everyone in his calculations, but he hadn't included Qiao Ranxin.

This was truly unexpected; it was a plot development he never even dreamed of.

As expected of the young master, he accomplished with ease what even the master couldn't do.

"Yao Qing, you don't need to worry about me."

Looking at Yao Qing, who was letting the rain beat down on her body, Qiao Ranxin hugged herself tightly and whispered something.

She wasn't so fragile that she needed Yao Qing to comfort her, nor was she so fragile that she needed Yao Qing to hold an umbrella for her.

"I don't have many hobbies, but getting soaked in the rain on a rainy night is one of my few pleasures. Don't you think it's a wonderful feeling, Ms. Qiao?"

"Or are you trying to deprive me of my right to get in the rain? If that's the case, aren't you being a bit too cruel?"

Yao Qing spoke with a smile, holding an umbrella, her scarlet pupils appearing especially vibrant in the rainy night.

Unexpectedly, a strong woman like Qiao Ranxin would become exceptionally vulnerable because of the young master's safety.

Young master, how many more debts of love do you intend to incur before you're willing to stop?

"I wonder how Yao Shi is doing. Why don't you seem worried about them at all? Isn't Yao Shi your own sister?"

"Even if Yao Shi has considerable skill, aren't you being a little too nonchalant?"

Qiao Ranxin sighed, turned around, and pushed the umbrella that Yao Qing had handed her back.

Looking at Yao Qing, who was soaking wet but still had a big smile on her face, Qiao Ranxin pressed her temples and said helplessly.

Even if you are very confident in Yao Shi's ability to protect herself, she is still a girl.

"No, that's a misunderstanding. I never said that I didn't care about Yao Shi."

"On the contrary, I care about my sister very much, so much so that I wish I could rush to her side right now."

Yao Qing wiped the rain off her face and onto her clothes, then smiled slightly as she looked at the deep night sky in the distance.

He was certain that, apart from the young master, there was no one else in the world who cared more about Yao Shi than him.

That was his younger sister, his only family member. How could he not worry about Yao Shi's safety?

You should know that when he first learned of Yao Shi's fall from the bridge, he almost fainted from anger. His concern for Yao Shi far exceeded Qiao Ranxin's imagination.

"Since that's the case, why are you doing this now...?"

"Because the young master is right next to Yao Shi. He jumped off the bridge the moment Yao Shi fell and protected her."

"I'm talking to Yao Shi not because she has a strong ability to protect herself, nor because she is a particularly skilled assassin, but because the young master is right beside her."

Yao Qing walked to Qiao Ranxin's side and stood with her at the front of the boat. No one understood Yao Shi better than the young master, and no one liked Yao Shi more than the young master.

The relationship between the young master and Yao Shi is not just an ordinary master-servant relationship; they have long held an irreplaceable place in each other's hearts.

If even the young master couldn't protect Yao Shi, then naturally he, as her older brother, couldn't either.

"Is that so?"

Seeing the unusual seriousness on Yao Shi's face, Qiao Ranxin opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed her words back.

Yao Qing is right. Wu Liang's concern for Yao Shi has long surpassed that of everyone else present.

If even Wu Liang can't take good care of Yao Shi, then it can only mean that they have truly encountered an unavoidable crisis.

"Trust in the young master and Yao Shi, they will be fine."

"What we need to do now is get to them as quickly as possible and rescue them from that rugged, precipitous area."

Yao Qing winked at Qiao Ranxin. Ever since he learned about the true nature of Young Master Wu Liang, he had unconditionally trusted him.

There is absolutely nothing in this world that the young master cannot do; his existence is simply the biggest bug in this world.

"They both have to be alright."