Feng Ying's feelings for her went much deeper than anyone else around her. He had been in her life for over twenty years.
Between them, there existed kinship, friendship, and even love. Feng Ying had even died for her.
Qin Hanyue realized more and more that Feng Ying's death was something she could never get over in her lifetime.
Qiao Ying: "I thought his death was an accident, so I made a deal with Dark Shadow, trading eighty percent of my genes for freedom."
"He had always wanted to live an ordinary life. He even planned out what kind of house he would live in..." I originally intended to fulfill his wishes after leaving Dark Shadow."
But Feng Ying's death did not allow her to successfully leave Dark Shadow. Instead, it led her to voluntarily enter that laboratory.
Raindrops kept hitting the windows as Qin Hanyue listened to everything in silence.
Qiao Ying took the initiative to ask him: "Aren't you going to ask about my relationship with Feng Ying?" She looked at him.
Qin Hanyue met her eyes and shook his head slightly. He didn't intend to ask at first, but couldn't resist his selfish desires in the end. He said, "He loved you."
Qiao Ying was silent for a moment: "I know."
Qin Hanyue asked her, "What about you then?"
Qiao Ying thought for a while, then told him quite frankly: "If he had proposed that we get married and have children, I don't think I would have refused. I was going to spend my whole life with him after all."
Qin Hanyue felt complicated emotions, but soon came to accept it. Their feelings were as such, even if Qiao Ying and Feng Ying had gotten together, it would have been reasonable.
Moreover, hearing her say this, she had not yet developed romantic feelings for Feng Ying, even though they were just a step away.
He should also secretly feel glad about that in his heart.
And Qiao Ying's willingness to confide everything to him, even telling him about her rebirth, was undoubtedly the best response to his feelings.
What more could he be unsatisfied about?
Qiao Ying recounted everything - her soul's rebirth, Feng Ying's death, her own death, her vengeance against Dark Shadow - in a calm tone throughout.
But afterwards, she fell into prolonged silence.
She now sat there alone, having sat for almost four hours. The rain outside still hadn't stopped.
The small room was only lit by a tiny lamp, providing little illumination. Her whole person was sunk in shadows.
Qin Hanyue, who was silently digesting everything, didn't dare disturb her. He could only quietly accompany her at the side.
She had been staring blankly into space, when she suddenly turned her gaze onto his face. It took Qin Hanyue a long time before he noticed.
He gently asked, "What's the matter?"
He felt his face, "Is there something on my face?"
After a long pause, Qiao Ying said, "I'm thinking about how to persuade you to go back to the capital." Her tone revealed no emotion.
Qin Hanyue's expression changed slightly, and he immediately said, "I'm not going back."
He told her very decisively, "Wherever you are, I will be there too."
Qiao Ying continued, "I was going to leave you directly at first."
Qin Hanyue was left momentarily speechless by her words, finding it somewhat hard to accept. After a short while, he asked, "Then why didn't you leave me?"
Qiao Ying said bluntly, "I was afraid you would be stupid enough to go looking for Dark Shadow everywhere just to find me."
Qin Hanyue would definitely do that.
He just asked, "Where is Dark Shadow's headquarters?"
Qiao Ying: "What are you asking that for?"
Qin Hanyue: "If you disappear, I'll go find you there."
Qiao Ying: "Is that a threat?"
Qin Hanyue: "Yes."
Qiao Ying's mouth twitched slightly.
"As long as you return to the capital..." Qiao Ying paused briefly, "As long as you don't stay with me, nothing will happen to you. Provoking them will really make them kill you."
Before Qin Hanyue could speak,
Qiao Ying continued, "I don't know how many more Feng Ying clones or other people Dark Shadow has waiting for me. Even in death, I must kill the Dark Shadow leader."
Qin Hanyue also told her clearly: "If I was afraid of death and listened to you and left now, I wouldn't have gone to the desert to find you in the first place."
Qiao Ying looked at him without speaking again.
The two just looked at each other like that, with only a short distance between them. It was as if they were silently confronting each other, and also as if they had reached a compromise or agreement.
Only they themselves knew which it was.
But Qin Hanyue was feeling anxious and apprehensive. They were so close yet felt so far. He kept feeling as if she would disappear the next second.
Clearly, it was Qiao Ying who compromised.
Qin Hanyue felt they were in a standoff.
After a long time, Qiao Ying got up from the chair.
She walked out from the shadows.
Qin Hanyue's heart tightened subconsciously, but he saw that she wasn't walking towards the door. Instead, she went to the window.
She pushed open a small window. Outside, the heavy rain had stopped, and now there was a fine drizzle. It was clearly visible in the light, looking like mist.
Qiao Ying stretched out her hand and caught a palmful of cold dampness.
Qin Hanyue walked over and stood beside her.
In the distance, the clock tower struck midnight.
Qiao Ying's voice came after the bell tolls. She said, "Qin Hanyue, it's the new year."
Qin Hanyue then remembered that tonight was New Year's Eve in China.
The unease in his heart dissipated a little because of Qiao Ying's words. He leaned down and gave her a light kiss on the temple, then drew back a little and responded, "It's the new year."
Qiao Ying turned to look at him.
After their gazes met, without any warning, she suddenly put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Her kiss came suddenly yet fiercely.
Qin Hanyue was taken aback, but his body reacted instantly. He put his arms around her tightly and kissed her back forcefully.
The two shared an intense, passionate kiss.
Her kiss was completely without technique or method, as if she was venting some kind of emotion inside her. It left Qin Hanyue unable to withstand it. Afraid of hurting her, Qin Hanyue immediately retreated his offense and could only cater to her passion.
The room was very small. After staggering back three steps, the bed was right behind them.
Sensing her movements, Qin Hanyue's footsteps obediently followed hers backward. Before he could react, after three steps, his heels bumped into the bed, and he was immediately pressed down onto the bed by Qiao Ying.
The two fell heavily onto the bed.
Qin Hanyue instinctively protected her on top of him, looking at the wounds on her arm, anxiously saying, "Your injur..."
He had just uttered one word when Qiao Ying sealed his lips again.
She was almost out of control, madly kissing him, completely lacking her usual composure.
Qin Hanyue felt uneasy on one hand, but all his emotions were also brought out by her in this moment.
He thought of the danger that could happen to her at any time, thought of the airtight relationship between her and Feng Ying, and Qin Hanyue, who had suppressed his feelings for many days, finally no longer held back. He embraced her tightly, trying his best to respond to her kisses, venting his own emotions and expressing his feelings, wanting to seize control over and over.
On the small bed, Qiao Ying held Qin Hanyue's neck as the two shared intense, lingering kisses until their tongues felt numb, still unwilling to let go of each other. The cold, damp room gradually grew hot.
Their body temperatures also started becoming abnormal.
Qin Hanyue completely let go, constantly seeking more to fill the unease in his heart, thereby gaining a sense of security.
One of her hands suddenly slid from his neck down to his collar, then tore open his shirt.
