The city had quieted. Moonlight spilled across the empty streets as Ji Yunxi walked beside Mo Liancheng, her steps measured, her expression as calm as ever.
But inside, her heart was restless.
The system's warning still echoed in her mind:[Warning: Mission nearing completion. Prepare for extraction.]
She clenched her fingers into a fist. She had come here with one purpose—to finish her task and move on. Feelings were unnecessary. Dangerous. But why… did her chest feel heavy at the thought of leaving?
"Yunxi."
She paused. Mo Liancheng had stopped a step behind her, his hand reaching out to catch her wrist. His grip was gentle, but his presence was overwhelming.
"Why are you walking so fast?" His voice was low, threaded with amusement, but his gaze was unreadable. "Do you hate being near me?"
Ji Yunxi tilted her head, lips curling slightly. "If I hated you, would I have tolerated you this long?"
His eyes flickered, and for once, his expression softened. A rare smile ghosted across his lips—so brief it almost didn't exist.
They ended up on a small rooftop overlooking the city, the world below painted in silver light. Ji Yunxi leaned against the railing, her hair lifting slightly in the breeze.
Mo Liancheng stood close, too close, his tall figure casting a protective shadow.
"Yunxi." His voice dropped lower, softer. "Do you trust me?"
She looked at him, startled. Trust? That wasn't a word she gave freely. But the way he stood there, unshakable, eyes filled only with her… she found herself whispering, "Maybe."
He chuckled, the sound deep and magnetic. "That's enough."
For a fleeting moment, silence stretched between them, but it wasn't empty—it was charged, alive. His hand brushed against hers, deliberate yet restrained. He didn't push further, as if afraid she'd vanish if he did.
Ji Yunxi glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He was dangerous, domineering, and yet, tonight, he looked almost human—someone who could bleed, someone who could be hurt.
The system's voice chimed suddenly:
[Reminder: Host, mission complete. Extraction will begin within 72 hours.]
Her heart dropped. Only three days.
Ji Yunxi turned away, hiding the faint tremor in her fingers. She had no right to tell him, no way to explain. To him, she would simply… disappear.
But as she stood under the moonlight, Mo Liancheng's gaze burned into her, steady and unwavering.
And Ji Yunxi, for the first time, allowed herself a tiny moment of weakness. She whispered so softly he almost didn't hear:
"Don't… forget me."
Mo Liancheng's eyes darkened, a storm brewing in their depths. He didn't press her for an explanation. He only answered with quiet certainty, "Even if this world falls apart, Yunxi, I'll find you."
The night felt endless. But Ji Yunxi knew—this was a night too short.