She Only Has Him

"Liguang and Master—"

The crisp voice, laced with static electricity, exploded across the empty coastline!

She lifted the heavy wooden raft with one hand and swung it with all her might!

The raft traced a wild arc through the air—

"Bang!"

It landed steadily on the surface of the sea!

Splashing up a massive spray of snow-white water!

"Get on, hurry Master!"

Liguang grabbed Fang Qi backhandedly, her slender arm erupting with astonishing strength—

The two leaped up at the same time!

Fang Qi went airborne, and in the next second, his knees smashed against the rough wood!

He sprawled onto the raft.

The salty, fishy smell of seawater rushed at his face, and the raft swayed twice in the waves.

But it held steady!

Liguang was already kneeling beside him, her delicate hands gripping the makeshift paddle tied together with wooden boards and vines.

She turned her face to the side, her amber left eye looking at him brightly in the darkness, the corners of her lips curled into a slightly exaggerated smile:

"Master, time to row!"

Fang Qi jolted to his senses and immediately grabbed the other paddle!

The two knelt side by side at the front of the raft, their paddle blades slicing into the seawater simultaneously—

"Splash!"

The raft shot forward!

"Splash! Splash!"

No shouted rhythms, no prior discussion.

Yet every stroke was miraculously in sync!

Fang Qi kept his head down, gritted his teeth, and poured all of his body's strength into that rough wooden paddle!

The muscles in his arms tensed, blisters burst, and blood seeped through the cloth strips—

He did not stop.

And he didn't look back even once!

The island behind them was shrinking bit by bit.

The beams of the searchlights, the roar of the helicopter engines, An Lian's cold shouts...

Everything was receding!

Everything was becoming a blur!

Finally—

The raft entered the ocean current Liguang had mentioned.

There was no need to row anymore.

The current carried the raft, like a gentle hand, pushing it smoothly and silently...

Gliding toward the northwest, into the dark blue deep sea.

Fang Qi's paddle slipped from his hands, falling onto the raft with a thud.

He gasped for air, sweat rolling down his forehead and into his eyes...

Stinging sharply!

Then he slowly, stiffly turned his head to look behind him.

The island.

The island that had trapped them for two days... had now shrunk into a thumbnail-sized dark silhouette on the horizon.

The lights, the helicopters, the siege...

All condensed into a small blur of light, like... dying fireflies.

They had escaped.

They really escaped.

Fang Qi stared blankly at the shrinking shadow.

Then—

He whipped his head around and grabbed Liguang's shoulders!

With astonishing force!

His fingers nearly digging into her collarbones!

"You—"

He spoke, his voice hoarse!

"Why did you—"

Why didn't you say anything?

Why didn't you tell me?

Why did you decide on your own?

Why did you—

He looked at Liguang's quietly smiling face under the moonlight.

Looked at the hollow socket that once flickered with crimson data streams, but now held only darkness...

All his words caught in his throat.

Grabbed by the shoulders, Liguang did not struggle.

She merely tilted her head slightly, her intact amber left eye gazing at him quietly.

Her long eyelashes fluttering gently in the moonlight.

Then, she spoke in a soft voice:

"Because... if I didn't do this, it would be very hard for Liguang and Master... to leave the island."

Her voice was soft, even carrying a hint of grievance.

As if she were merely explaining a... perfectly natural little thing.

"The company... isn't that easy to fool."

She lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips absentmindedly picking at the vine knots on the edge of the raft:

"Liguang calculated it. If we just tried to slip out when the patrols weren't looking, the success rate... would be less than 20%."

She paused, her voice growing even softer:

"And, once they found out... there would never be a second chance."

Fang Qi froze.

Less than 20%.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something...

But found his throat... felt blocked.

In Liguang's understanding...

This was her only chance.

This escape was a complete, all-or-nothing gamble.

If she failed... it meant forever.

But he...

He still had his save-loads.

He could still start over.

He dared to gamble.

He dared to gamble on a 20% probability.

But... Liguang didn't dare.

Because in her eyes, if the gamble was lost—

She would never have her Master again.

"You..."

Fang Qi's voice was trembling:

"Why didn't you tell me earlier..."

"We could have waited, we could have found other opportunities..."

He spoke faster and faster, with an uncontrollable tremor in his voice:

"It's not like we had to leave tonight! We could have eaten more, found a chance to recharge, waited a day, a week, a month! There would always be loopholes to exploit!"

"We could have taken our time to figure something out, you didn't need to—"

"But Master couldn't wait."

Liguang interrupted him softly.

Her voice was very light.

In her amber left eye, Fang Qi's anxious, angry, and heartbroken face was reflected.

Having lost her crimson eye... she seemed to have become exceptionally gentle.

"Master's palms are full of blisters."

She lowered her head, her slender white fingers gently covering Fang Qi's rough palms.

Her fingertips traced the edge of the blood-seeping cloth strip.

"Master is tired."

"Master wanted to take Liguang away sooner."

"Liguang... knows."

She looked up.

Under the moonlight, that stunningly beautiful face still wore a meek, obedient smile.

But in that amber left eye...

Rippled a certain soft, almost devout light.

"So, Liguang wanted to give Master peace of mind sooner."

She said softly:

"Master and Liguang only have one chance. Therefore..."

"The success rate... had to be 100%."

Fang Qi fell silent.

He just knelt there on the swaying raft, head bowed, staring at Liguang's hand covering his palm.

The moonlight was bright; he could clearly see every one of her slender, white fingers.

The fingertips... were still stained with a bit of scorch marks.

Those were the traces of component overload from deploying her laser blade too many times.

It was with this hand that she had personally taken her own eye—

He closed his eyes.

The sea breeze brushed past his ears, carrying a salty, bitter chill.

He suddenly felt...

That he was ridiculous.

What "dared to gamble."

What "worst case, I'll just reload"...

It was all fucking bullshit!

In his subconscious...

He had always left an out for himself.

So...

He dared to charge into the jungle with Liguang.

Dared to yell "elopement" at the helicopters.

Dared to think all of this was thrilling! Romantic!

But Liguang...

She had no way out.

From beginning to end, she only had him.

That's why she would secretly pick at the loose threads on her skirt.

That's why she would get so excited she nearly overloaded just from her Master saying "together forever."

That's why she would...

Trade one of her eyes for a 100% guaranteed escape route.

Fang Qi opened his eyes.

His eyes felt a bit hot, and when the sea breeze blew against them, they stung terribly.

"...Liguang."

He spoke, his voice as raspy as if it were mixed with sand.

"Hmm?"

"Are you stupid."

"...Liguang is not stupid."

The silver-haired girl retorted softly, her fingertips gently scratching his palm:

"Liguang is very smart."

"Smart my ass."

Fang Qi sniffled, forcefully grabbed her hand back, and squeezed it tight:

"What smart person would—"

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing.

That word, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Who would mutilate themselves?

Who would do this to themselves?

But Liguang smiled.

It was no longer that exaggerated, morbid curve of her lips.

Instead, it was a very light, shallow smile.

Like... ripples under the moonlight.

She looked up with her intact amber left eye, gazing quietly at Fang Qi.

"Master."

She said softly,

"Liguang is fine."

As she spoke, she leaned forward on her own accord, turning her hollow right eye away, as if afraid that Fang Qi would feel uncomfortable looking at it.

Then she raised her hand, her slender white fingertips gently tapping her left eye.

"Liguang still has this eye."

She tilted her head, her amber eye rippling with a gentle, watery light.

"It's still very pretty, isn't it?"

"It won't stop me from looking at Master or taking care of Master at all."

She paused, her voice suddenly softening even more, even...

carrying a trace of cautious probing.

"It's just..."

She lowered her eyelashes, her fingertips unconsciously picking at the edge of the raft again.

"It's just that maybe... some functions won't work so well anymore."

"Aiming, distance measuring, night vision..."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter.

"If Liguang becomes clumsy in the future..."

She looked up, gazing at Fang Qi with teary eyes.

"Master... won't despise Liguang... right?"

Fang Qi looked at her.

Looked at this crazy woman who traded one of her eyes to give him a way out, yet was now worried about being despised by him.

He looked at her cautious gaze, looked at her slightly pursed lips.

Looked at her intact amber left eye, where deep anxiety leaked out despite her best efforts to hide it.

Then, he reached out his hands.

And forcefully... pulled her entire body into his arms!

"Mmph..."

Liguang let out a short, soft grunt as her cheek bumped against his chest.

The next second, Fang Qi's arms tightened, squeezing her so hard she could barely breathe.

He buried his face in her silver hair, his voice muffled and thick with a nasal tone.

"...How could I despise you!"

"You are my wife!"

"I would despise myself before I ever despise you!"

The delicate body in his arms trembled slightly.

Then, those two slender arms slowly lifted and wrapped around his waist.

Her face buried in his chest, her voice as soft as melted cotton candy.

"Mhm..."

"Liguang knows."

She nuzzled against his chest.

"Liguang has always... known."

The raft drifted quietly on the ocean current.

The moonlight spilled across the sea, shattering into an expanse of flowing silver scales.

Fang Qi continued to hold Liguang tightly.

That hollow right eye was now... quietly hidden against his chest.

The sea breeze was light, and the waves were gentle.

The island in the distance had completely disappeared beneath the horizon.

Fang Qi gazed at the endless, ink-blue sea and suddenly spoke softly.

"Liguang."

"Hmm?"

"This eye..."

He paused, his arms tightening a little more.

"I will definitely get it fixed for you."

He lowered his head, his lips pressing against her silver hair, enunciating every word.

"Later, we'll find the best mechanic and use the best parts."

"And install a crimson eye for you... one even more beautiful than the original!"

The delicate body in his arms did not answer immediately.

After a few seconds, Liguang lifted her head from his chest.

Under the moonlight, that intact amber left eye curved into a crescent again.

"Mhm!"

Then she buried her face back into his chest, nuzzling contentedly.

Fang Qi held her, looking out at the sea.

The raft continued to drift forward.

The current was steady, the night wind light.

No shore behind them, endless bounds ahead.

Between heaven and earth...

It was as if only the two of them remained.