Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

Cheng Xizhou cautiously observed Bai Xi’s reaction. Seeing that Bai Xi’s emotions were relatively calm, he boldly asked, ”What kind of person is he? Is he handsome?”

Bai Xi said, ”I... don’t know what he looks like.”

”Huh?” Cheng Xizhou was dumbfounded. ”You fell for someone without knowing what they look like? What kind of spell did he cast on you?”

Shaking her head, Bai Xi said, ”He didn’t cast any spell on me. People in their line of work always have the same disguise. They perpetually wear masks and black clothes; they all look pretty much the same.”

”Then how did you, out of all those people, single him out?” Cheng Xizhou was genuinely curious.

Bai Xi gazed at the orange-red sunset at the edge of the coastline, and she tenderly recalled, ”I was raised by that organization and worked for them. Besides me, there were many other children raised by the organization. But they were less fortunate; they were trained into the organization’s dogs, becoming one machine after another.”

”And my job was to distribute weapons to them before they set out and inspect and collect their weapons when they returned.”

Cheng Xizhou listened silently, unable to help asking her, ”Then what story occurred between you and him?”

Bai Xi drew wave lines around that circle, making it look like a glowing sun.

Staring at the sand-drawn sun, Bai Xi smiled and said, ”Everyone who goes out for a mission carries a dagger with hidden weapons. Usually, the hidden weapons contain a poison needle and a poison pill. The poison needle is for assassinating enemies, and the poison pill is for taking one’s own life in emergencies.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xizhou’s expression became solemn.

She couldn’t imagine what kind of hopeless life those poor tools were leading.

”Once, during a major mission abroad, their group lost two teammates, and only three returned alive. I went to conduct routine checks. Then I discovered that the hidden weapons and poison needles were intact in the daggers of the other two teammates, but his dagger’s concealed compartment was missing the poison needle and poison pill.”

Bai Xi’s eyes curved with a radiant smile, and she said, ”He hid a candy, a small toffee, in the hidden compartment.”

”He took out that candy, placed it in the palm of my hand, said nothing, and just left. It was the first time I tasted candy, incredibly sweet, something I’ll remember for a lifetime.”

As Bai Xi laughed, she began to cry.

She choked up and said, ”Later on, every time he returned from a trip, he would hide a candy in the dagger. Sometimes it was mint candy, sometimes dried orange candy, sometimes milk candy. Thanks to him, while trapped in that underground prison, I got to taste candies from all over the world.”

Bai Xi’s tears fell onto the sand, landing right in the center of that sun.

With tear-filled eyes, Bai Xi looked at that little sun and said, ”I don’t know what he looks like or his background. All I know is his code name and that he loves me.”

”He was called Sun, a person as warm as the sun.”

Bai Xi sniffled, murmuring, ”To completely eradicate that organization, multinational armies flattened that snowy mountain. The guilty and innocent alike perished within.”

”My Sun was also forever buried underground.”

Bai Xi wiped her tears with her arm, turned slightly toward Cheng Xizhou with a pained smile, and said, ”Zhouzhou, I already have someone I like. You don’t need to introduce anyone to me.”

Cheng Xizhou turned away to wipe her tears, ”Alright, I won’t introduce anyone. I can’t find someone who would bring you candy like that.”

Xu Xingguang suddenly looked up at Bai Xi and Cheng Xizhou, her eyelids drooping, her emotions seemingly a bit downcast.

Fang Jinsu noticed Xu Xingguang’s change in mood and quickly asked with concern, ”Teacher Xu, what’s wrong? Why are you suddenly upset?”

Xu Xingguang shook her head and said, ”I suddenly heard a sad story, feeling a bit down.”

”Oh, I see.” Fang Jinsu picked up the box lunch from the ground, stood up, and said, ”Then you take a break. I have a scene later, I’ll go memorize my lines.”

”Okay.”

After Fang Jinsu left, Xu Xingguang walked to the island’s shore with her phone, stooping to look for shells in the sand, and called home in Cangshan Town.

”Boss?” It was Song Chi’s voice.

Xu Xingguang asked him, ”Where’s Sister Linlin?”

Song Chi told Xu Xingguang, ”Sister Lin went to the back mountain to check the medicine fields, and I’m in charge of staying home to dry the herbs.” Song Chi’s health had improved significantly, and he had started helping with chores.

After acknowledging, Xu Xingguang asked Song Chi, ”Hearing your vigorous voice, your health seems to be recovering well. Have you regained some of your memory?”

Song Chi did not hide the truth from Xu Xingguang, replying honestly, ”Sometimes I recall some fragmented pieces, but it’s not complete.”

”Song Chi. You told me you grew up somewhere beneath a snowy mountain, right?”

Song Chi nodded, saying, ”Yes, I vaguely remember us living in an underground cave beneath the snowy mountain. But beyond that, I can’t remember much. Boss, is there something you need?”

Xu Xingguang asked Song Chi again, ”Do you know a girl named Bai Xi?”

”Bai Xi?” Song Chi immediately denied, ”No impression whatsoever.”

”Is that so?” The name Bai Xi might have only been an alias she used in Rashomon. Xu Xingguang then asked Song Chi, ”When you went in and out of the snowy mountain gate, was there someone who would conduct checks?”

”Probably, but I can’t remember any of those things.”

”Alright, I understand.”

Song Chi thought Xu Xingguang was about to hang up, prepared to end the call when he suddenly heard her say, ”After a while, when you fully recover, come to West Continent City.”

”Go to West Continent City?”

”Yes, I need an assistant.”

Song Chi didn’t hesitate at all and immediately agreed. ”Sure, I will head to West Continent City as soon as possible.”

After hanging up, Xu Xingguang grabbed a handful of sand to filter in the seawater. The sand washed away, leaving only three or four broken shells.

Suddenly, the sound of a yacht cutting through the water reached Xu Xingguang’s ears.

Xu Xingguang looked up toward West Continent City and saw a private yacht approaching the island. From a distance, she couldn’t see how many people were on board, but could clearly see a large ’Jiang’ character printed on it.

Oh.

So they’re coming, huh?