[Akarin's Note: This chapter might feel a bit short since the raw was only 900+ words. However, I tried to adjust the atmosphere and details to make it even better, bringing it up to 1400+ words without altering the storyline at all.]
Chapter 336: How many people are heartbroken!
This is the backstage of the Tokyo Dome concert, a very famous venue in Sakura Country. Tens of thousands of loyal fans were still in the front, waving glow sticks and shouting Zhong Lingyin's name, shouting, "Zhong Lingyin, I love you."
They, however, were unaware that the goddess in their hearts, the global superstar diva Zhong Lingyin, was already taken. If they knew, countless hearts would surely be broken.
On the other side, in the luxurious silence of a high-end hotel suite.
Ye Liyou slowly opened her eyes. Her usually sharp, heroic, and keen eyes now seemed to be veiled by a misty haze, shimmering beautifully like a lake disturbed by a spring breeze. The sunlight filtering through the curtains stung her vision slightly, bringing her back to reality from a dream she didn't want to wake from.
She tried to sit up, but a wave of soreness washed over her entire body, radiating from her core to her fingertips. Her limbs felt heavy and languid, a testament to the storm that had ravaged her the previous night.
She patted her burning cheeks, gradually regaining consciousness, and slapped her forehead with a groan of disbelief:
"Crazy, Ye Liyou, oh Ye Liyou, you're simply crazy, to have done such a thing, such a shameless thing."
Her voice was hoarse, the sound foreign to her own ears. Ye Liyou had no regrets. Not to mention it was to save a life; even just to repay the great kindness of saving her life, it wasn't a loss. But looking at the messy sheets, stained with the evidence of their fervor, she felt a complicated mix of shame and an indescribable sweetness.
"I don't even know Senior's name... Ye Liyou, oh Ye Liyou, you're simply enchanted."
Thinking of the young man, as handsome as an immortal and invincibly arrogant under the moonlight, Ye Liyou felt for the first time that she wasn't herself. The "Blood Shadow Rose," the ace female assassin who killed without batting an eye and walked in the shadows, seemed to have melted away under his touch, leaving only a vulnerable woman.
"Is this love? But we only met last night?"
She pulled the silk duvet up to her chin, inhaling deeply. The scent of him—a mix of masculine musk, cool mint, and the faint metallic tang of raw power—still lingered on the pillows. It was intoxicating.
"No, no, no, Ye Liyou, oh Ye Liyou, Senior has already left, clearly not intending to have any further involvement with you. Why bother missing him?"
Her hand brushed the empty space beside her. It was cold.
Seeing that Shen Anyu's figure was not in the room, Ye Liyou felt a sharp pang of resentment and disappointment. It was a hollow feeling, as if her heart had been carved out. She didn't know how to face Shen Anyu, as they had only known each other for less than one night, and Ye Liyou didn't even know Shen Anyu's name.
However, she had given him the most precious thing a woman possessed.
As a result, Shen Anyu actually left while she was asleep. She naturally felt a bit sad about such an action, a fear rising in her chest that she had just been a fleeting amusement for a powerful expert.
"Phew... Ye Liyou, don't overthink it. Just consider it a repayment of kindness. From now on, we owe each other nothing!"
Ye Liyou regained her composure, forcing the assassin's steel back into her spine. She took a deep breath, and cleared the chaotic thoughts from her mind.
Her sword-like eyebrows reached her temples, restoring her sharp and cold beauty, though a flush still lingered on her neck.
Then Ye Liyou got up to tidy herself. As she moved, her legs trembled slightly, reminding her of his dominance.
Just then, a piece of high-quality stationary fluttered down from the bedside table.
Ye Liyou, quick-eyed and quick-handed, caught it. After seeing the contents of the note, written in vigorous, powerful calligraphy, her sharp, cold, and beautiful brows immediately softened into water.
[Ye Liyou, I have an urgent matter to attend to and had the hotel prepare breakfast and buy clothes for you; they should fit. I will never forget what happened last night. I will try my best to take on a man's responsibility. I will come find you once my urgent matter is handled. This is my contact information 1...]
Looking at the note, Ye Liyou suddenly pursed her lips and smiled, a brilliant, breathtaking expression that illuminated the dim room. She muttered softly:
"Who asked you to be responsible? I already said it was a repayment."
However, Ye Liyou's sharp and cold eyebrows completely relaxed, as if spring had arrived and flowers were blooming in the dead of winter. If powerful figures from the Dark World saw the famous Blood Shadow Rose, the grim reaper of the night, acting like a lovestruck teenager, their jaws would surely drop in astonishment.
He hadn't abandoned her. He had left contact information. He wanted to be responsible.
She deeply memorized the contents of the note, especially the contact information, searing the numbers into her brain.
Ye Liyou hummed a soft, cheerful tune as she picked up the gift box left on the chair. Inside lay a stunning red Chanel long dress.
As she slipped it on, the silk glided over her skin like a second lover. It fit perfectly. It hugged her waist, accentuated her curves, and flowed elegantly around her legs.
"He... he got the size exactly right," Ye Liyou realized, her face turning crimson again. "He really did measure me inch by inch with his hands..."
Looking at herself in the full-length mirror, Ye Liyou pinched the hem of the skirt, smiling sweetly. She twirled slightly, the red fabric blooming like the rose she was named after. She looked completely unlike a cold female assassin; she looked like a little girl immersed in the sweetness of first love.
Beep beep.
Just then, the harsh vibration of her phone on the table shattered the pink bubble.
A text message came from Second Senior Sister Liu Ruyan:
"Fourth Senior Sister, are you and Fifth Junior Sister safe? Why didn't you send a message to let us know you're okay?"
Ye Liyou's expression immediately changed upon seeing the text message. The color drained from her flushed face, replaced by a mask of horror.
"Oh no, I wonder how Fifth Junior Sister is doing?"
Guilt crashed over her like a tsunami. While she was rolling in the sheets, indulging in pleasure with a man whose name she didn't even know, her Fifth Junior Sister was in mortal danger!
Ye Liyou was deeply worried. Fifth Junior Sister Zhong Lingyin had a bounty of one billion US dollars on her head, and countless powerful figures from the Dark World coveted her.
Last night, she was supposed to protect Zhong Lingyin, but after killing the bomb maniac, she was hit by a gas bomb, which led to the subsequent events. How could she have been able to protect Zhong Lingyin?
If something happened to Fifth Junior Sister Zhong Lingyin because of her negligence, Ye Liyou would never forgive herself. She would slice her own throat in penance.
The bond between the Senior and Junior Sisters was very deep, forged in blood and hardship.
Immediately, Ye Liyou dialed Zhong Lingyin's number. Listening to the ringing on the other end of the phone, her heart was filled with anxiety, thumping louder than it had during any assassination mission.
"Why isn't she picking up? Why isn't she picking up? Did something really happen?"
Ye Liyou was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing the room in her high heels. Finally, after dialing three times, the call connected on the other end.
"Fourth Senior Sister, what's wrong?"
Zhong Lingyin's voice sounded breathless, shaky.
Ye Liyou disregarded everything else, taking a long, deep breath to steady her own trembling voice before saying:
"Fifth Junior Sister, it's good that you're okay. Thank heavens. Where are you now? I'm coming to find you immediately. I don't know which scoundrel issued the one billion dollar bounty, but many powerful figures from the Dark World want to kidnap you. You're not safe right now. I'm coming to find you."
"Ah, no, no, there's no need, Fourth Senior Sister, I'm very safe."
Zhong Lingyin on the other end of the phone immediately turned pale and repeatedly refused!
[Akarin Note:
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