Lin Xuan’s eyes suddenly widened.
"Watch out!" He lunged forward. With a loud "bang" of gunfire, he barely managed to shield Su Hua’s back. He had intended to pull her out of harm’s way, but there was no time.
The bullet struck Lin Xuan in the back.
"Lin Xuan!" Su Hua’s heart clenched—this was the first time she had ever felt such tension.
Her gaze wavered, stunned.
Never before had someone taken a bullet for her…
In an instant, she raised her gun and shot the attacker dead.
Within less than a minute, she had eliminated the remaining men.
The island fell silent again, save for the sound of waves lapping against the shore and the distant calls of birds and insects.
"As long as you’re unharmed," Lin Xuan murmured with a faint smile before collapsing into unconsciousness.
One thought consumed Su Hua: Lin Xuan could not die!
A sharp, suffocating pain gripped her chest. Without hesitation, she tore open his shirt to inspect the wound. Relief washed over her when she saw it wasn’t life-threatening.
She carefully gathered medicinal herbs and applied them to his injury.
Once finished, Su Hua bit her lip, staring at Lin Xuan.
He had risked his life to protect her—was his kindness genuine?
Was it an act, or did he truly care?
That night, Su Hua kept vigil by his side, never once closing her eyes.
In the days that followed, Su Hua tended to Lin Xuan’s recovery. As time passed, their bond deepened.
Though not officially a couple, their closeness surpassed that of lovers.
One day, Su Hua twisted her ankle but said nothing. Sensing something amiss, Lin Xuan approached. "What’s wrong?" he asked gently.
"Nothing, just a sprain," she replied, shaking her head.
Lin Xuan frowned.
Their shelter was several hundred meters away.
Without another word, he scooped her into his arms.
"Let me take you back."
This was the first time they had been so intimately close while fully conscious.
Su Hua clenched her fists briefly before relaxing, resting her head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Ah-Xuan…
Will you always treat me this well?
If this is all a lie…
A cold glint flashed in Su Hua’s eyes.
Then he’ll join the others who deceived me. Every last one of them who exploited my trust now rots in hell.
"Ah-Xuan, I’d like to see the ocean. Can we go?" Su Hua asked softly.
"Of course," Lin Xuan agreed.
He carried her to the shore, settling her atop a large rock before sitting beside her.
Gazing at the sea, Lin Xuan sighed. "I wonder when we’ll be able to leave this place."
Leave?
Su Hua lowered her eyes.
She secretly wished they could stay here forever—just the two of them.
No one else to disturb their peace…
Another month passed.
By now, they had spent nearly two months on the island.
The Lin family had only made a half-hearted attempt to report Lin Xuan missing before abandoning the search altogether.
Old Master Su’s men, however, had scoured the world looking for Su Hua.
During their time together, Lin Xuan had learned much from Su Hua about surviving in the wild.
Then, one morning, Su Hua fell ill again.
Her childhood as a "medicine child"—constantly soaked in medicinal baths—left her vulnerable. The slightest chill triggered raging fevers and debilitating weakness.
When Lin Xuan woke and noticed Su Hua hadn’t risen, he went about his morning routine.
Returning to find her still absent, unease prickled at him. She was always an early riser—this delay was unusual.
He entered her hut to investigate.
There, he found her lying deathly pale, drenched in cold sweat.
Lin Xuan pressed a hand to her forehead and grimaced.
She was burning up.
He hurried to prepare herbal remedies, coaxing her to drink the bitter brew. When chills wracked her body, he held her close, just as before.
After hours of care, Su Hua’s strained expression finally eased as she drifted into peaceful sleep.
Lin Xuan exhaled in relief.
Thank goodness.
But she needed nourishment to recover.
Grabbing his tools, he headed into the hills to hunt.
Though Su Hua had taught him some techniques, his skills remained unpolished. After an exhausting struggle, he finally caught a wild pheasant.
"This’ll make good soup to restore her strength," Lin Xuan muttered, allowing himself a small smile as he descended the slope.
Suddenly, two men in suits materialized without a sound.
Lin Xuan’s pulse spiked.
Had the assassins targeting Su Hua returned?
"Come with us," growled a scar-faced man.
Their hostile intent was unmistakable.
Lin Xuan spun and ran.
With Su Hua still weak, he had to lead them away from her.
His escape route was swiftly cut off by two more figures.
A sharp kick to the back of his knee sent Lin Xuan crashing to the ground.
The men seized him.
"What do you want?" he snarled.
"You’ll find out soon enough," the scarred man smirked.
They dragged Lin Xuan before a silver-haired figure standing with a string of Buddhist beads, murmuring incantations.
"Ah, our guest has arrived," the man said, opening his eyes.
Still restrained, Lin Xuan demanded, "Who are you?"
"My identity is irrelevant," Zhao Long replied smoothly.
"You’re Lin Xuan, correct?"
Lin Xuan remained silent.
Zhao Long chuckled. "No need for such roughness with our honored guest. Release him."
The subordinates immediately obeyed.
"What is your relationship with Ling?" Zhao Long’s gaze sharpened.
"Ling?" Lin Xuan frowned.
Zhao Long arched a brow.
So the boy didn’t know Ling’s true identity.
Of course—why would an internationally wanted assassin reveal herself?
"The woman you’ve been living with on this island—Su Hua—is Ling," Zhao Long clarified. "Now tell me, what are you to each other?"
[Author’s Note:
Apologies for the delay—migraines nearly made me skip today’s update. But here it is!
Special thanks to readers BrokenMoon~, Jiangnan Dao of Oshima, Northern Peak’s True Dragon·Saville, and user25989010 for your gifts!]
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
