"How did you know I live here?" Shi Aotian asked coldly.
"Why wouldn't I know you live here?" Mo Junyan clearly didn't want to tell him that easily.
"What are you sneaking around for in broad daylight?" Shi Aotian glared at her.
Her heart chilled under his gaze, but she quickly cleared her throat and mustered some courage. "Sneaking around? I knocked on the door—it's you who wouldn't open it. I knew you were inside. I haven't even asked you why you didn't open the door, and yet you're interrogating me."
"Out of caution," Shi Aotian stood up. "How am I supposed to know whether the Black List might send another Aka to kill me? I have to stay alert."
"Relax. The organization won't send anyone. Aka's death has already had a strong deterrent effect, and since he failed the mission, the organization won't bother with this matter. Besides, I've already reported to them—you've officially entered the Black List. No one will make trouble for you. We're partners now, remember that."
Mo Junyan also stood up, took a stack of money from her pocket, and placed it on the table with a smug look. "Here's a hundred thousand. Take it, don't be polite with me. I know you don't have much money on you. Also, your passport and other documents—the organization is already working on them. I'll let you know when there's news."
Shi Aotian glanced at the money on the table, then back at Mo Junyan, and asked coldly, "How exactly did you know I live here?"
Mo Junyan's heart skipped a beat—she hadn't expected him to press the question again. Remembering Shi Aotian's methods from last night, she felt a shiver of fear. With no other choice, she said, "Fine, I'll tell you. No need to be so fierce. Finding out where you live is simple. The Intelligence Division of the organization is very capable, and this place isn't exactly hidden—they can easily find out."
Hearing this, Shi Aotian couldn't help but become more cautious. The Black List's capabilities really can't be underestimated… less than a day, and they knew where I was living. I'd better stay alert in the future.
Seeing the deep crease in his brow, Mo Junyan guessed what he was worried about. She simply smiled and sat down. "Don't worry. The organization is fair to everyone. The Intelligence Division's data never leaks—everyone's information is kept confidential. Since you're my partner, I can authorize them to find you. Aside from me and a few senior members of the organization, no one else will get your data. That's one of the reasons the Black List is so powerful—so your worries are unnecessary."
Shi Aotian thought for a moment. Since he had already successfully entered the Black List, there was no point resisting—he might as well adapt. He had to make good use of Mo Junyan; only by leveraging the organization's intelligence network could he hope to track down the killers of his family.
Mo Junyan picked up a pen from the table and twirled it between her fingers, smiling. "The lady of this house is quite pretty—is she your girlfriend?"
Before she even finished speaking, Shi Aotian slammed the table hard and said coldly, "I'm warning you—we're just partners. Stay out of my personal business."
The sound of the slam startled Mo Junyan so much she fumbled the pen, dropping it to the floor. In truth, she had been bottling up resentment for a while, and now she hadn't expected him to react so strongly over a woman. Still, she couldn't deny she was a bit afraid of him.
"Did you hear me?" Shi Aotian pressed, his voice like ice.
Mo Junyan bent to pick up the pen and muttered defiantly, "Nope."
Shi Aotian's brows knitted tightly. In one swift motion, he flicked his hand over the stack of money on the table. The topmost hundred-yuan bill shot out like an arrow, spinning rapidly. With a sharp whoosh, the corner of the bill embedded itself deep into the wall behind Mo Junyan.
Her eyes widened in shock. Following the bill's trajectory with her gaze, she saw the part sticking out of the wall still trembling from the force. After a few seconds, it sagged limply and hung against the wall.
"You'd better pray Dongfang Qing lives a long, healthy life. If anything happens to her, you'll be the first I come for—and this will be your fate." Shi Aotian pointed at the bill lodged in the wall, his tone laced with threat.
Mo Junyan was shaken to the core. To drive a flimsy banknote into a wall with such casual ease—there were few in today's Black List who could do that. It seemed she had chosen the right man to work with. From now on, it would be best to go along with him—things would be much easier that way.
"Impressive, impressive. I was just joking earlier, no need to take it so seriously. Don't worry, I'll protect this woman," Mo Junyan said, clapping her hands.
Shi Aotian didn't say much and quietly sat down. Mo Junyan put down the pen in her hand and sat facing him. She took a phone out of her pocket, placed it in front of him, and said, "This phone is for you, so I can contact you in the future. But you must remember—this number can't be given to anyone else. Other than me, you can't call anyone with it. Understand? This is an organizational rule. If something comes up, I'll call you."
Shi Aotian didn't even glance at it and replied calmly, "I don't need it. Take it back. Same with the money—I don't need that either."
Mo Junyan just smiled. Her interest in Shi Aotian was growing. According to the organization's investigation, this man had no past—no personal records could be found at all. Yet he possessed terrifying killing skills and a silent, reserved nature. Unknowingly, she found herself drawn to this mysterious man, wanting to learn everything about his past, to know the source of his strength. But for now, it couldn't be rushed. She would wait patiently for the right moment. She believed that one day, he would tell her everything.
"This is an organizational rule. Now that you've officially entered the Black List, you must obey certain orders. These will benefit you, so don't be so stubborn," Mo Junyan said, lying in order to make him accept her goodwill.
Shi Aotian stayed silent but didn't refuse outright, tacitly agreeing. However, a thought had been circling in his mind—he was already planning how to get Mo Junyan's help with something.
"You have something on your mind?" As a Black List assassin, keen observation was a basic skill. From the flicker in his eyes, Mo Junyan could tell something was up, so she spoke boldly.
Shi Aotian felt the moment had come, so he went along with it. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Oh?" Mo Junyan was clearly surprised and a bit flattered by his request, then smiled. "I can—but it depends on what it is."
"I need you to check whether there's an assassin in the Black List who kills by piercing a victim's skull with a weapon—probably a knife—thrust through the forehead and out the back of the head," Shi Aotian said, his voice full of excitement.
Hearing this, Mo Junyan thought such a killer must be extremely cruel, even a little deranged. But as a former assassin herself, she had long been desensitized to death and showed little reaction. She just rubbed her hands together and said, "I don't know of such a person, but I can try to find out for you. However, what's in it for me?"
"In it for you?" Shi Aotian clearly hadn't expected this trick. "What do you want?"
"Hmm… I haven't decided yet. Besides, I might not even be able to find any leads on what you're asking. Let's talk about it when I do," Mo Junyan said with a mock sigh, waving her hand.
Shi Aotian simply nodded.
"Right now, things outside are chaotic, and the police aren't easy to deal with. Even though they still don't know who the killer is, they won't give up. I think you should leave here for a while and let me create some cover for you, make it so those police officers run around in vain. Once things calm down, you can come back," Mo Junyan said as she stood up and stretched lazily. She continued, "If anything comes up, I'll call you. I might be taking on a mission in the next few days, so you'd better be prepared. Now that you've killed Aka, your Black List ranking isn't as stable as before. I'm sure a lot of people are starting to get restless. You need to be ready. I want you to break into the Black List's top 100 in the short term. Only then will I have a way to help you investigate that assassin you just mentioned. So from here on, it all depends on your performance."
"Don't worry. As long as the targets are people who deserve to die, no matter how difficult, I will make sure they die," Shi Aotian replied calmly.
Mo Junyan opened the door and smiled. "If you have an urgent matter, just call me. The phone only has my number saved. I'm leaving now—bye-bye."
"Wait," Shi Aotian quickly said. "Make me a set of clothes in this size and color." He pulled out the clothes he had stolen from the mall from under the bed and tossed them to Mo Junyan. "They must be leather."
Mo Junyan caught them and smiled. "Didn't expect you to have such refined taste. Leave it to me—you can rest easy." With that, she closed the door and left.
Having grown up in Shennongjia, Shi Aotian was long accustomed to wearing leather. He glanced at the hundred thousand yuan and the phone on the table, sighed, and quickly hid them somewhere Dong Fangqing wouldn't find. Then he went back to his deep sleep.
A few hours passed, and Shi Aotian felt a dryness in his throat. He woke up, glanced at the clock on the wall—it was already past five in the afternoon. He had slept several more hours.
He got out of bed quickly, shook his groggy head to wake himself up, and walked to the table. Picking up a cup, he went to the water dispenser to pour himself some water. In his boredom, his eyes landed on the clear crack in the wall—the one he had made earlier by slicing through it with a banknote to scare Mo Junyan.
Looking at it, he suddenly remembered what his master had once said: "Even a falling flower or plucked leaf can harm a man." But his master's skill of flicking wine was still something he had yet to understand.
Shi Aotian completely forgot he was still pouring water, and only when the cup overflowed did he snap back to reality. He shut off the dispenser, took a big gulp, and walked over to the window.
Dark clouds had gathered—it looked like a heavy rain was coming. Just as he thought that, thunder boomed, lightning split the sky, and within moments, the downpour began.
Instinctively, Shi Aotian glanced outside at the people hurrying to find shelter from the rain and let out a sigh. As he pulled his gaze back inside, he noticed a small dent in the cement ground under the eaves outside, where rainwater was falling steadily, drop by drop, into it. He furrowed his brows in thought. Dripping water wears through stone—could it be similar to Master's wine-flicking technique?
His mind snapped into focus. He rushed to the wall and studied the crack intently. He could pierce stone with a sheet of paper, but his master could pierce it with water. Could the secret lie in the force of water that drips for years, building up and then unleashing its power all at once?
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He quickly went back to the window, caught a few raindrops in his hand, examined them carefully, then tilted his palm so the water began to fall. The moment a droplet was about to fall free, he focused his energy into his fingers and flicked it with force. The falling drop shattered instantly.
Why is it like this? he thought, staring at his palm in puzzlement. How did Master do it? Why is it that when I flick it, the drop just breaks apart?
Unwilling to give up, he tried a few more times—but the result was always the same.
Unable to figure it out, Shi Aotian helplessly lay back and tried to think carefully:
This is simply impossible. Paper may be light, but all solids have a point of force—if the method is correct and combined with the energy of the blade, it can be driven into a wall. That's nothing strange.
But water is… well, water. The moment you apply force, it scatters or breaks apart.
How did Master manage to do it? It was truly baffling beyond belief.
As his thoughts grew more tangled, he eventually had to give up. After all, this wasn't something he could figure out in a short time. Feeling at ease, he sat up, glanced at the time, and then at the rain outside, which was falling even harder. He couldn't help but think of Dongfang Qing: In such heavy rain, how will she get back?
So he grabbed an umbrella and went out to meet her.
After a long day's work, Dongfang Qing was delayed by the rain and couldn't head home. She could only rest her head on her office desk for a short nap, waiting for the rain to ease before leaving. She also planned to visit Gu Caini that night to check on her recovery.
Before long, the other teachers in the office had all left, leaving only Dongfang Qing dozing at her desk. At that moment, Xu Feng came looking for her about the matter of accompanying Yun Hai for his wedding. He wanted an answer quickly, because waiting was never a comfortable thing.
When Xu Feng reached the office, he saw that the door wasn't closed, and Dongfang Qing's sleeping figure immediately caught his eye. He froze for a moment, noticing that she was the only one there. A strange thrill surged in his heart—he felt as if fate had granted him a chance to be alone with her.
Xu Feng quietly folded his umbrella and swallowed dryly. He tiptoed inside, keeping his steps light for fear of waking her.
He gently pushed the door so it was only slightly ajar, then slowly approached her, studying her sleeping face in detail. His heart was torn between sweetness and conflict, and at that moment he wished he could watch her like this for the rest of his life—wished she could sleep like this forever.
To Xu Feng, Dongfang Qing was his goddess, his everything. Yet after years of effort, she remained cold toward him and had made it clear they could only be ordinary friends. Still, Xu Feng had never given up on her. He often thought of her, often stole glances at her.
And today, it was the first time he could look at her from so close. His heart surged with emotion, and a possessive desire began to swell inside him. After making sure no one else was around, his thoughts were finally overtaken by desire.
He leaned in toward Dongfang Qing's beautiful face. He just wanted to kiss her—just once—only once. Even if it cost him dearly, he wouldn't care.
Nervous and conflicted, cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He had made up his mind: even if she didn't like him, it would be worth it to steal just one kiss. Emboldened by wicked impulse, he moved his mouth closer to her lovely, mature face. The faint, orchid-like fragrance of her breath drifted into his nose, making him even more tense. He longed to possess her forever. The more he thought about it, the darker his thoughts became. He slowly closed his eyes and brought his lips closer to her fair cheek.
But Dongfang Qing wasn't deeply asleep. She sensed breathing sounds near her ear, and her mind became slightly alert. Suddenly, she felt something soft pressing against her face, followed by a tingling sensation. Her drowsiness vanished instantly.
She opened her eyes wide, and what filled her vision was Xu Feng's intoxicated expression as he kissed her face.
A wave of nausea instantly surged up in Dongfang Qing's chest. She didn't know where the strength came from, but she shoved Xu Feng away with all her might and snapped, "What do you think you're doing?" Her voice, however, clearly lacked confidence. She rubbed frantically at the spot on her face where Xu Feng had kissed her, flushed with both shame and anger, wishing she could scrub the place clean.
"Qing… Qing, I really like you. All these years, you know how I've treated you," Xu Feng stammered. Having crossed the line already, he decided there was no point holding back anymore and confessed once again.
When Dongfang Qing saw Xu Feng approaching in a near-hysterical state, she thought he was going to force himself on her. Panic surged through her heart, and she backed away again and again, tears spilling down her cheeks. "What do you want? Stop right there—don't come any closer!"
"Qing, listen to me! I truly like you. Just give me a chance, will you?" Xu Feng was completely lost in blind obsession. He believed that if he gave enough, he would be rewarded; after all, he had pursued her for years. He convinced himself that one day, Dongfang Qing would come to love him. But he didn't understand that love could not be forced.
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became. Xu Feng suddenly rushed forward, gripping Dongfang Qing's wrist tightly, tears streaming down his face. In an instant, he dropped to his knees and cried out from the depths of his soul, "I'm begging you—be with me! I'll treat you well for the rest of my life!"
Dongfang Qing was so startled by his sudden action that she didn't know what to do. She didn't even hear what he said afterward—she was too busy struggling in a panic. "Don't do this! Let go of me! You're hurting me—let go!" At that moment, she was truly, deeply afraid.
With a loud bang, the office door was suddenly kicked open.
When Dongfang Qing saw who it was, she immediately cried out for help. "Aotian, save me!"