"Target found, searching for the box."
Ku Yue wrote this sentence in RMAIL and sent it. This was an agreement between him and his employer; every step of the operation had to be communicated to the other party.
After turning off his computer, he lay down comfortably on the relatively soft bed. The guy named Seven had set him up in a small hotel across from Butterfly Kisses. Before leaving, he distinctly saw Seven whisper a few words to the hotel owner, who then glanced warily at Ku Yue and nodded discreetly.
This was indeed a cautious subordinate. Although Ku Yue didn't like Seven, he praised his work ethic.
After settling in there, for several consecutive days, Ku Yue would leave on time every morning, roaming the streets and alleys with an anxious expression, showing an old photograph to people and asking questions.
Putting on a play also requires professional spirit, including hiding a killer's "professionalism." So when Seven ambushed him from behind and knocked him out with a stick, Ku Yue played along and fainted.
This afternoon, he dragged his "whacked" body into Butterfly Kisses and, as usual, chose a window seat, ordered a glass of red wine, and sat down.
"No results yet?" Luoye walked over holding a glass of juice and sat down across from him.
"Not yet," Ku Yue shook his head. He looked at the girl in front of him. The light from outside the window shone through the glass, casting a delicate glow on her almost translucent skin.
Luoye was Jin Feiyu's daughter, but they were not related by blood. Years ago, Jin Feiyu had rescued the young Luoye from the clutches of a ghost-faced spider. Her parents had fallen prey to that old monster. Due to coming into contact with the venom spit by the monster, her eyes were permanently blinded, and because of his intervention, Jin Feiyu had almost lost an arm. To this day, there remained a large scar on his right arm as a reminder of that encounter.
Jin Feiyu was the leader of the entire Moon City, and all the residents in this place looked up to him. From Ku Yue's observations during this time, their obedience to Jin Feiyu did not stem from fear but from genuine awe. They respected this man and willingly followed his commands as the guiding principles of their lives. Of course, the reasons behind this phenomenon were not something an assassin should delve into. His sole mission was to kill Feiyu after obtaining the peach wood box his employer wanted.
"You shouldn't have come to Moon City at this time. If I were you, I'd leave as soon as possible," she said, biting her straw and taking a hard sip. "You don't belong here."
"Except for the lack of the hustle and bustle of a big city, everything here is quite nice, and the people are friendly," Ku Yue replied as he leaned forward, studying her face. He asked, "But I'm curious. On the day we first met, you said you were basking in the sun?"
Luoye laughed loudly and said, "On any sunny day, I sit on the rooftop to enjoy the view and soak in the sun. When you suddenly questioned me from below that day, I just answered without thinking much."
"You can see the scenery?" He was quite surprised.
"Sunshine, buildings, trees, flowers, I can see them all," she pointed to her head, "They're all in here." She paused, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. "And... King's appearance, I can see that too."
"Eh?" Ku Yue feigned surprise. "Do you have a crush on King?"
"Shhhh!" The blush on Luoye's face instantly spread to her ears, and her whole face turned as red as a ripe tomato. She hurriedly tried to cover Ku Yue's mouth, almost knocking over her juice glass in the process.
"Okay, okay, I promise to keep it a secret, absolutely!" Ku Yue solemnly vowed, "If I tell anyone, I'll choke to death on your juice!"
"That's more like it," Luoye breathed a sigh of relief, returning to her seat. But before she took her seat, she got up again, circled the table and sat next to him, grabbed his collar and said, "You must keep it a secret!"
"I swear on my honor!" he raised his hands in surrender. Looking at this young girl who was as lively as a rabbit, Ku Yue found it hard to believe that she was a blind person. It was this noisy crazy energy that reminded him of an old friend, a tree demon who also leaped about like a rabbit.
"The 26th of next month is King's birthday, and I'm preparing a birthday gift for him." Luoye spoke softly as she calmed down, "I'll be able to finish it when the Starlight Hibiscus blooms!"
Her excited and happy expression made Ku Yue feel as if the sun had delayed its descent below the horizon.
"Why are you telling me all this?" He gazed into her eyes. "I'm just a stranger who's a newcomer here. You can see how Seven and the others still regard me as deceitful."
Luoye gulped down a big mouthful of cold juice, chewed the coconut inside and said carelessly, "Anyway, you are not a bad person."
He had long been accustomed to capturing the information he wanted from the eyes of any opponent. However, with Luoye, he couldn't find any clues in those eyes that were consistent and tranquil like a pool of water. Such an enigmatic quality was usually present in only two types of people — those with deep secrets or those as pure as a blank sheet of paper.
"What if I'm a bad guy?" he suddenly asked seriously.
Luoye curled her lips and put down the empty glass on the table, saying, "A bad person wouldn't have thought to rescue me when I fell from the roof."
Ku Yue was stunned. "I do have eyes, it's just that they grow here," she pointed to her heart. "Oh, I have to go now; Bunhead is sick, and I need to check on him."
"Wait," Ku Yue held her back. "You're going to see Bunhead? Let me take you there."
"Hey, come on! I can find even the smallest ant nest in Moon City wherever it is, so I don't need you for that! Just stay here." She made a face at him and then cautioned, "Also remember what King said, you must never go out at night! You don't belong here." She furrowed her brow. "And give yourself a deadline; if you haven't found your Little Long before the Starlight Hibiscus blooms, leave! I'm not kidding you."
"I'll seriously consider that," he nodded.
No comments:
Post a Comment