Section 1

"Hey, forgetfulness is not a good habit." Fu Zichen's fingers gently tapped the edge of the bed. "Medical expenses, dry cleaning fees for clothes, shock fees, and mental distress compensation," he leaned in slowly towards the bright ear, a wicked smile curling at the corners of his mouth, "most importantly, you ruined the carefully prepared night of spring, worth a fortune... you have to compensate me.

The surface of the embankment was uneven, and the biting wind tousled her hair. Mingmei stumbled as she ran, her chest filled with the cold wind and chill. She was terrified, the long coastline stretching endlessly before her, with nowhere to hide. It felt as if she was the only one left running in the world, while behind her was an unknown pursuer.

She may have been followed

"What the hell is this! What have I taken from you..." Mingmei suddenly stopped, could it be that the chaos in her home a few days ago was also caused by him? At that time, she had thought it was a thief breaking in to steal.

This was the ultimate skill that Luo He had taught her, and it was the only move she had mastered. He also taught her many self-defense techniques, but she was not interested in learning them. She would always laugh and say, "Why should I learn? It's too much trouble! If someone bullies me, you can just help me chase them away!" At that time, she believed that no matter when or where, he would always be there. Even if everyone in the world left her, he would always be by her side.

Ah ! ! !

In a state of panic, Mingmei turned her head and discerned from the shadow cast by the streetlight that the person behind her was a tall man. She gritted her teeth, filled with regret, realizing that she should not have refused Nange's offer to stay over. A sleepless night due to an unfamiliar bed was far better than being thrown into the sea. Images of various brutal murder cases from the news involuntarily surfaced in her mind, frightening her to the point that she covered her mouth and ran wildly, with the footsteps behind her also hastening in pursuit.

Ning Beibei, standing beside him, clutched her chest and cried out, demanding an explanation for what was happening. Fu Zichen stood up, rubbed his temples, and said, "I told you I don't know her, stop crying, okay? Hurry and call 120! Ah... sneeze..." The damp clothes on his body made him shiver.

"Are you really sure you don't need me to take you to the station?" Nan Ge tightened her clothes and asked again

Mingmei irritably swatted his hand away

The man had chased in, and under the dim candlelight, the blood trickling down his forehead was alarming. His expression was grim as he stepped closer to the bright figure, cornering her. Then, he reached out and tightly gripped her neck, slapping her hard across the face: "Little wretch!"

As if grasping the last piece of driftwood, she clung tightly to the remaining sensation in her hand, even as large volumes of seawater, carrying a salty and fishy taste, surged into her ears and nose, causing her consciousness to gradually dissipate

Fu Zichen waved his hand, "This is not important; what matters is the reason. Come, tell me the reason." Mingmei was just about to speak when he suddenly interrupted her, his face showing a bored excitement: "No, let me guess. Hmm, a breakup? Too cliché. Well, domestic violence? That seems a bit like it, seeing your face is all swollen, but that wouldn't drive someone to suicide, right? Oh, there's another possibility," he glanced at Mingmei, whose brows were deeply furrowed. "It looks a bit like it, seeing your face is all swollen, but that wouldn't drive someone to suicide, right? Oh, there's another possibility," he glanced at Mingmei, whose brows were deeply furrowed. He blinked, "Being cheated out of money and love, plus losing one's virginity... Hey, hey, hey, don't hit me, I'm just guessing here," Fu Zichen jumped back, dodging the pillow that Mingmei threw at him.

At this moment, an impatient expression had already appeared on Fu Zichen's handsome face. He knew that after this evening, he would never see this girl again. He glanced at the still unconscious Mingmei, and a playful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth: "I also want to know who she is."

She shared her doubts with Emily, who, while chewing on a beef skewer, teasingly remarked in a vague manner, "Are you still enchanted by that detective novel you read last night?" Mingmei did not take it seriously, thinking that perhaps she had indeed stayed up too late reading and was experiencing some sort of illusion.

Fu Zichen furrowed his brows, stuffing the apple he had been toying with into Mingmei's bright mouth. "It seems you are awake, and still have the energy to shout and scream," he said, swiftly stepping back to avoid the apple Mingmei angrily threw at him. He pulled the chair closer to the hospital bed and sat down with a thud, squinting at Mingmei. "Come on, tell me, are you in a state of love or in a state of love?" Fu Zichen had a pair of alluring peach blossom eyes, and when he squinted, his long and thick eyelashes gently trembled in the light and shadow, his gaze appearing half-awake, carrying a hint of confusion and an indescribable charm.

"So who exactly is she?" After calling 120, Ning Beibei continued to question tirelessly.

The bright breath gradually became difficult, a buzzing sound echoed in her ears, and waves of fear spread through her heart. In despair, she thought, is this how it ends? Her fingers fumbled on the cabinet behind her, and just as her consciousness was about to fade, she finally found a bottle of wine. With all her strength, she raised her hand to smash it at the man, but he blocked it with his hand. With a loud "bang," champagne spilled everywhere, and shards fell from his arm with a rustling sound. Seizing the moment of his pain, she pushed him hard and ran out through the other exit. Just as she reached the deck, her steps suddenly halted.

A surge of crisis struck her suddenly, and with a "thud," in her haste, she kicked a stone and fell to the ground. A sharp pain shot through her knee and cheek. She wanted to get up, but her body felt as if it were falling apart, devoid of any strength. She turned over and sat up, gasping for breath, large beads of cold sweat trickling down her forehead. She glared at the man who had caught up to her, but against the light, his features were indistinguishable.

Mingmei let out a cry of despair in her heart, could it really be this unfortunate!

Upon boarding the ship, I realized that there was no one in the cabin. The cabin was dimly lit, with only a few candles flickering, and amidst the shadows, the soothing and melodious sound of music floated through the air. The dining table was adorned with roses, champagne, cake, and remnants of food, all of which indicated that a romantic candlelit dinner had just concluded here

Mingmei trembled as she broke free from that person's grasp, rushing towards the two individuals at the bow who were lost in a passionate kiss, breathlessly using force to separate them, "Save... me..." The person she had grabbed instinctively tried to shake her off, but Mingmei held on tighter. The inertia caused both of them to lean backward, and as Mingmei stumbled, her foot caught on the low railing. In the next moment, with a loud "splash," she fell straight into the sea, along with the person she was holding onto.

"Help!" she shouted breathlessly. "Is anyone there!"

In fact, Mingmei is visiting this area for the first time. Although she has lived in the island city for eighteen years, she has not explored many corners of this city due to her lack of interest in wandering around

A woman's scream suddenly tore through the night sky, piercing the water's surface, crashing into the ears of the bright figure who was floating in a daze. She thought heavily, how could I be so unlucky!

"Who the hell are you? Why have you been following me?" She raised her head and shouted, her voice laced with intense gasping and a slight tremor

Yet at this moment, the illusion has transformed into reality

Mingmei slowly stood up

Mingmei was laid flat on the soft carpet inside the cabin, holding a candle and peering closely for a long time. Fu Zichen began to wonder; he truly did not know her, let alone any melodramatic scenarios of starting a relationship only to abandon it later or jumping into the sea together out of revenge.

As she opened her eyes, the first thing that struck her was the blinding sunlight, followed by a dismal white. In that moment of turning her head, she screamed at the sight of the enlarged face before her.

Mingmei glanced at her watch; the clock pointed to 9:30. The last bus home was at 10:00. She hesitated at the intersection for a moment, relying on her memory, and stepped onto the small path she had taken with Nange in the afternoon. It would take approximately fifteen minutes to reach the bus stop.

As Mingmei stepped out of the small courtyard, she immediately felt a chill. While pulling the hood of her coat over her head, she pushed Nange, who had come to see her off, towards the iron railing, saying, "It's cold, you should hurry back inside."

Thus, the answer to the riddle is always both unsettling and eagerly anticipated

Mingmei slowly stepped back, suppressing the fear within her, and calmly spoke: "I don't understand what you are saying, but I don't have what you want. Get away from me! If you come any closer, I will call the police!" Mingmei slipped her fingers into her pocket, took out her phone, and in the next moment, she fiercely smashed it against the person's cheek. As she turned and ran away, she felt a sharp pain in her heart; she had only used this phone for less than three months!

The nights in the island city during late autumn are always extremely quiet, with the winds by the sea fierce and rampant. The bright white streetlights reflect the rolling waves, while the tides gently surge in the darkness. In such a tranquil moment, any subtle sound appears particularly jarring, let alone the sound of leather shoes striking the uneven cobblestone path.

Fu Zichen coughed up a mouthful of water and slowly surfaced, finally shaking off the shock. "Shit!" he muttered under his breath; if anyone found out that he had fallen into the sea while kissing, he would probably be laughed at mercilessly. He dragged the unconscious Mingmei in his arms and slowly swam towards the yacht

In the daze brought on by speed, she recalled a few days ago when, after the end of the freshman military training, Emily had dragged her to indulge in food at the snack street outside the school. The bright atmosphere made her feel as if a pair of eyes were constantly watching her, but when she looked up and searched around, apart from groups of students noisily eating, there was nothing unusual.

"No need, no need, I know the way!" Mingmei smiled brightly and waved her hand, "Goodbye, Sister Nange." After saying this, she jogged down the steps and soon disappeared at the end of the path

What account?

In a moment of brightness, she was momentarily stunned, quickly realizing who he was, the unfortunate soul who had been dragged down into the sea with her. Her expression of anger softened as she said apologetically: "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pull you into the sea."

On a night at the end of October, the sky is a deep ink color, devoid of stars and the moon. Due to a light rain in the afternoon, the air still retains a dampness, and when the wind blows, a chill penetrates to the bone

Nange's home is located on the hillside near the beach, in an area filled with old houses from the colonial era, featuring red walls and green tiles, mostly consisting of small courtyards with independent entrances. Although the buildings are old, they possess a unique charm, and being situated next to the coastline makes it a truly valuable piece of land. When Mingmei heard that Nange lived in this area, she teased her, saying, "Wow, so the reporter from Nanda is actually a little rich lady!" Nange shot her a glare and then replied nonchalantly, "It's just an old house passed down through generations from my grandfather's grandfather."

Hand over the items! The person stepped closer, their expression darkening further.

When Mingmei fell, her knee was injured. Enduring the pain, she did not run far before being caught up by that person. In a moment of despair, she caught sight of a brightly lit cruise ship docked at the small harbor to her lower right. Her eyes lit up; there were people!

When Mingmei woke up, it was already the morning of the second day. She had swallowed a lot of seawater and caught a cold. In the middle of the night, she developed a high fever, mumbling incoherently in her sleep, shouting things like "Don't come over, you bastard, I'm going to call the police," while her hands flailed about. This caused the nurse who was administering her injection to frown repeatedly, and in the end, she had no choice but to give her a sedative.

No one responded to her

The man approached her slowly, breathing heavily, his tall figure finally enveloping Mingmei entirely. He reached out his hand towards her and spoke in a deep voice: "Where is it?"

Fu Zichen was momentarily taken aback; just for a moment, he walked to the bedside, reached out to touch the bright forehead, and then checked his own, as if speaking to himself: "The fever has subsided."

Mingmei glanced at the coastline, which was still quite a distance from the road, then turned back to look at the figure that was drawing closer behind her. With a determined heart, she disregarded the sharp pain in her knee and jumped down from the one-meter-high steps. Fortunately, the ground below was a soft sandy beach. She got up and hurriedly ran towards the boat, with the footsteps behind her closely following.

I am being hunted down," Mingbei said seriously, and then waited to see the expression on Fu Zichen's face

Under the bright white light, two figures were tightly embraced, leaning against the low railing, engrossed in a passionate kiss. Mingmei thought, no wonder she couldn't hear any sounds from inside the cabin! Although it was rather inconsiderate to disturb the mood, when it came to matters of life and death, one could not afford to be overly concerned.

A chill ran through her heart, her steps faltered momentarily before she tightened her arms around herself and quickened her pace. The footsteps behind her quickened in tandem with her own, the sound of them growing louder with each step.

When she turned a corner and walked onto the embankment, the footsteps behind her had not faded away; instead, they grew closer and more urgent. It was then that Mingmei suddenly realized a problem:

We encountered the beginning, yet we could not foresee the ending

Before Mingmei could utter a cry for help, someone covered her mouth from behind. A strong smell of blood immediately invaded her nostrils as the person hooked her neck and dragged her backward. She struggled fiercely and raised her leg to kick him hard between the legs.

Due to the intense running and fright, Mingmei's physical strength was completely exhausted at that moment, leaving her with no energy even to breathe, let alone to swim for self-rescue

"Miss, do you think you are filming an idol drama?" Fu Zichen sat back on the stool, curling the corners of his mouth, "Now, we should settle the accounts."