The entire Xingzhi Group was under lockdown, with searches everywhere.
But Ye Niao, with Li Zhonglou's discarded suit tied around her waist, got into a taxi with lingering fear.
She had hated Li Zhonglou to the bone, but now her heart was extremely complicated.
In the situation that day, she had thought she was certain to die.
Unless a deity could save her from the wolf's den.
Who would have thought that such a dramatic turn of events, which she never expected, would happen.
Li Zhonglou, the man she had been tracking and trying to assassinate, had become her savior.
Because of him, she had almost died.
But also because of him, she had survived.
Debts of gratitude and enmity, how should they be settled?
"Should I kill you?" Lying in the car with her eyes closed, the question repeatedly arose in Ye Niao's mind.
She knew Li Zhonglou had detected her purpose.
She also knew that the skills Li Zhonglou had displayed were far beyond her capabilities.
But none of that mattered.
What mattered was that she no longer wanted to kill Li Zhonglou.
Justice and gratitude were her principles in life. When one receives a favor, one should repay it with a spring of water. That's why after graduating from martial arts school, she followed Huang Dongcheng and became his personal bodyguard.
Killing on command was her way of repaying his kindness.
But now Li Zhonglou had saved her life, and if she were to kill him, it would violate her own principles.
Returning to the hotel, without even changing her clothes, Ye Niao picked up the phone and dialed Huang Dongcheng's number.
"Director Huang, it's Ye Niao. The mission failed..."
"I apologize for your constant cultivation, but I can no longer kill Li Zhonglou, because he saved my life."
"I will accept any punishment you deem fit when I return!"
Ye Niao's tone was without any hesitation. After speaking, she let out a long sigh of relief.
What people fear most is facing their own inner judgment. External pressures are nothing compared to that.
There is nothing more serious than death.
It's like some murderers who, after killing someone, flee for decades, but why do most of them eventually surrender themselves to justice?
It is because they cannot bear their last shred of inner kindness.
Of course, there are also devils like Lao Zhirong, who are devoid of kindness and unrepentant.
Such people can be called demons.
Ye Niao was a psychologically normal person, so she could not pass the test of her own conscience.
But these words, when heard by Huang Dongcheng, were undoubtedly a betrayal.
He was instantly furious: "Bitch, how dare you betray me? That bastard killed my son, and you're helping him!"
"You still have the nerve to come back? You know best what happens to those who betray me."
"Prepare to die!"
*Pa.*
After speaking, Huang Dongcheng hung up the phone.
Ye Niao froze. The phone slipped from her hand, and her body, weak and powerless, collapsed onto the floor.
She had always regarded Huang Dongcheng as a father figure, showing him utmost respect and with all her heart wanting to repay his kindness.
But now, she had become a traitor.
In an instant, the belief that had sustained her for so many years collapsed.
She was plunged into self-doubt and despair.
Even when Li Zhonglou returned from work that evening, she hadn't changed her clothes and sat slumped on the floor, her eyes as lifeless as ashes.
*Screech...*
The room door was card-swiped open, and Li Zhonglou entered the room with the attendant.
Seeing her like this, he couldn't help but frown. He dismissed the attendant, then walked to her and sat on the floor opposite her.
Staring at Ye Niao, he asked, "Who sent you to find me?"
This question, after more than half a day of contemplation, although without an answer, he already had a target in mind.