98 Metamorphosis

Yingyue and the others returned to China. Once they were back, Yuwen Xi parted ways with Yingyue and Xiahou Yu.

Yuwen Xi returned to the company. During the time spent searching for Yingyue, many matters had been neglected, leaving him extremely busy. Moreover, he realized that his abilities were far from what he had believed them to be. At least overseas, he had amounted to little—he could not even find a single person in a foreign land. This left him deeply dispirited and drove him to work even harder.

Yingyue, by comparison, was not much better off. This incident taught her a great deal. She was far too weak; any random person could put her in danger, and she lacked even the slightest ability to save herself. She had always prided herself on a certain cunning in the business world, but when faced with the forces of the underworld, what was needed was not that pitiful cunning, but formidable personal strength.

Intelligence and power—they must go hand in hand.

So, the moment she returned to the hotel, Yingyue shared her thoughts with Xiahou Yu. He was taken aback at first, and after the surprise came self-reproach.

"Yingyue, I know this was my negligence. I'm sorry." Xiahou Yu lowered his head, looking somewhat dejected.

Seeing this, Yingyue reached out and clasped both of his hands tightly in hers. "Yu, I'm not blaming you," she said quickly, afraid he might misunderstand. "I just feel that I'm too useless. Whenever something happens, the only thing I can do is wait for others to rescue me." Her gaze drifted toward the window, a hint of melancholy in her eyes. "And not being able to save myself is undeniably my greatest fatal weakness." I don't want to be so useless.

"Yingyue..." Xiahou Yu's eyes were filled with uncontainable heartache, and he did not know what to say.

Yingyue withdrew her gaze from the window, put on a smile, and said to Xiahou Yu, "So, Yu, help me become stronger."

That smile, bathed in the sunlight, was warm—though it was hard to tell whose heart it truly warmed.

"Alright, I'll help you." Xiahou Yu returned a faint smile. "First, I think you should strengthen your body. A good physique is the foundation for everything." His tone was serious.

Yingyue pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Mm, you're right. My current physical condition really isn't up to par. So where do we start?"

"Well... let's begin with the basics—running. You need to build up your strength first, so you'll be better equipped for other things."

Yingyue nodded upon hearing this. Yu made perfect sense. She currently had the physique of a pampered young lady who would be out of breath after a few steps—yet she lacked the fortune of such a lady to live a carefree life. So, to reduce the dangers she faced and to live a little longer, she had to do this.

"Then let's start tomorrow." As Yingyue spoke, her violet eyes sparkled with starlight, and her determination reignited Xiahou Yu's confidence as well.

Xiahou Yu smiled in return. "Then I'll come wake you tomorrow morning." His tone shifted, carrying a hint of teasing. "But you're not allowed to be lazy or throw a tantrum like you did as a child!"

The smile on Yingyue's lips froze instantly. "As a child?" Her voice was full of confusion, and a strange sensation stirred in her heart, as if something was about to surface.

Xiahou Yu's expression stiffened, and he looked rather embarrassed. "Heh... I... I..." Under Yingyue's unwavering gaze, his palms grew damp. "I just meant, doesn't everyone act like that when they're kids?"

"Really?" Yingyue looked into Xiahou Yu's eyes and asked seriously.

"O-of course." Xiahou Yu forced himself to stay composed, inwardly on high alert, fearing he might let something slip.

Yingyue studied his demeanor; her intuition told her he was hiding something from her. But try as she might, she could not recall what it was. The brightness in her eyes dimmed instantly.

Xiahou Yu watched her dejected expression and could only apologize silently in his heart, unable to offer words of comfort. Because now was not yet the time.

Not wanting the low mood to linger around Yingyue, Xiahou Yu stood up and said, "Yingyue, you've just gotten off the plane, and you must be tired. Get some rest. There's still much to do tomorrow."

Yingyue glanced at him and nodded faintly, a distracted smile curving at the corner of her lips. "Alright. Oh, and let's get up early and run outdoors. It'll be more refreshing, and we can breathe in the fresh air."

"Sounds good. It's been a long time since I've done morning exercise."

After Xiahou Yu left, Yingyue's eyes returned to their usual calm. She walked to the window, drew her knees up to her chest, and sat on the wide window ledge, gazing at the bustling traffic below, somewhat lost in thought.

This place was nothing like England, and certainly nothing like Lilith Castle—so quiet and graceful, like a paradise hidden from the world, where everything in sight was green. Here, there were many people, and it was lively, yet at times, it only made her feel more alone.

Thinking back to the expression on Yu's face, she was certain there was something she had forgotten—and something that felt very important. Yet strangely, although she wanted to remember, every time she tried, her head ached terribly, as if her subconscious was resisting the memory.

What could it be?

Her head began to throb faintly again. She shook it gently and told herself not to dwell on it. With how weak she was now, knowing too much would not be a good thing. With that thought, Yingyue walked into the bathroom.

Yuwen Xi returned to his company somewhat melancholically. Previously, with Yingyue around, he had gone back to the Blue Moon Pavilion every day. But now, the place stood empty and deserted. Returning there would only deepen his sorrow.

"Baby—" A clear, cheerful voice accompanied the opening of the door, and a pink figure swept into Yuwen Xi's office like a gust of wind, instantly at his side, throwing her arms around him in a big, enthusiastic hug.

"You're finally back! I've missed you so much." Mu Yuyin nuzzled her head against Yuwen Xi's chest, leaving her once-smooth hair tousled into a fluffy mess—utterly adorable.

Yuwen Xi couldn't help but laugh. This girl always managed to lift his spirits when he was feeling low. He reached out his warm, large hand and gently smoothed down the stray strands that had rebelliously poked up on top of Mu Yuyin's head.

"I've missed you too," Yuwen Xi said softly. Just as she was about to lift her head to look at him, he pressed her restless little head into his embrace, closed his eyes, and let the exhaustion on his face show. "I'm so tired."

Mu Yuyin heard his sigh, and her small frame gave a slight tremor. A faint, bittersweet smile flickered at the corner of her lips, vanishing in an instant. She then beamed her usual bright smile, slipped out of his embrace, looked up at him, and said with a serious and concerned expression, "If you're tired, then stop and rest for a while."

With that, she stood on her tiptoes and gently drew Yuwen Xi into her arms. Her small yet warm hands softly stroked his glossy black hair, once, twice, again and again.

As everyone busied themselves with their own matters, the willow trees outside the window turned from green to yellow day by day, until at last they stood bare and leafless.

Through her training over the recent period, Yingyue's physical condition had improved considerably. At the very least, if she were ever kidnapped again, she could put up a little resistance instead of being subdued instantly.

However, because the time had been short, Yingyue had not learned much in the way of self-defense—just a few simple moves to fend off attackers. This was what frustrated her the most. After all, even with a better physique, she still knew nothing practical. At best, it meant that if she fell into danger again, she could hold out a little longer while waiting for rescue, but beyond that, it offered no real help.

Yingyue sat by the window, arms wrapped around her knees, letting out a silent sigh.

"Yingyue—" Xiahou Yu walked over to her of his own accord and saw her sitting there looking a little dejected. He found it secretly amusing and couldn't help but speak up. "Yingyue, don't overthink things. Your body was never in great shape to begin with. What you've achieved so far is already quite good. You can't force these things."

Yingyue turned to look at Xiahou Yu, her expression full of worry. "I know, but I really am anxious. Ever since the kidnapping, I've had this nagging feeling—a premonition that something is about to happen." Her tone was heavy with gravity.

Xiahou Yu's expression instantly chilled as well. Yingyue was right. Ever since Arthur took over the Rivers family, trouble had come one after another, leaving them little time to react. In this world of survival of the fittest, if you possessed something others coveted but lacked the means to protect yourself, you were undoubtedly in grave danger.

Yet, looking at Yingyue's fragile shoulders, his heart ached. This was supposed to be a matter for men to handle, and now Yingyue had been dragged into it, forced to push herself to do things she should never have had to do.

Yingyue watched the shifting expressions on Xiahou Yu's face and knew exactly what he was thinking. She smiled reassuringly and said, "Yu, don't overthink it. This is what I want. Being in this kind of environment, these are things I should have mastered long ago. I was just too comfortable in the past."

Xiahou Yu looked at Yingyue and sighed inwardly. Yes, these were things Yingyue should have learned long ago. Back then, if it had not been for that person's doting on Yingyue, unwilling to let her suffer, arrogantly believing that his own protection was enough—that as long as Yingyue stayed by his side, she would never be in danger—things would not be like this now. But who could have foreseen that one day, he would leave?

"Yu, perhaps we can draw on other sources of strength." Yingyue's violet eyes suddenly lit up, and her small, fair hands tightly gripped Xiahou Yu's large ones.

Xiahou Yu's eyes brightened as well, his whole face glowing with renewed spirit. "That's right! You're absolutely right. While there's limited room for improvement in your physical condition, you can always rely on external tools!"

The two of them rejoiced for a moment, then began to ponder what kind of external aid would work best for Yingyue—something that would take effect quickly and effectively.

"Oh! Yingyue, when it comes to the most convenient weapons, none beat concealed projectiles. They don't require any special physical skills, they're simple and practical, and they're easy to carry around. They're perfect for you."

"You're right. For now, concealed projectiles are the only thing that would actually be of use to me. But where would I keep them?"

"Leave that to me. I'll bring them to you in a few days."

"Alright, but make it quick. The development plan for Sirius Isle has already been set in motion, and I'd like to go and take a look."

"Understood."