Chapter 8: Life and Death

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In two different bathrooms, Yun Qianfeng and Jiang Roujia were preparing for bed.

It was already past 2 AM, and they had been reviewing the information Jiang Yulin had seen and discussing everything about him. Unknowingly, the night had passed, and they were both yawning, feeling drowsy.

The comfortable warm water from the showerhead brought a moment of relaxation to Jiang Roujia's tense nerves. The pure water flowed over her black hair, cascaded down her fair neck, and then over her curves, converging like a stream. 

After finishing her shower, Jiang Roujia picked up her silk sleepwear, but hesitated for a moment. The two-piece silk pajamas were thin and translucent. Thinking about sleeping with Yun Qianfeng on the same bed, she quickly changed into a set of cotton sleepwear suitable for winter. Although it was thin, her room had central air conditioning for constant temperature, and at least this cotton sleepwear wasn't see-through.

Regarding whether or not to wear a bra to bed, Jiang Roujia contemplated for a good three minutes before deciding not to, as it might be uncomfortable and prevent her from falling asleep.

Yun Qianfeng, on the other hand, was in a more difficult situation. They had left Jiang Roujia's place in a hurry, and he hadn't had the opportunity to grab fresh clothes. Plus, all of Jiang Roujia's brother's belongings seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving only Jiang Roujia's clothes in the entire courtyard.

Of course, Yun Qianfeng wouldn't agree to wear Jiang Roujia's underwear – that was a matter of dignity. And, naturally, Jiang Roujia wouldn't agree to that either.

Helplessly, he had to wear Jiang Roujia's sleepwear just to cover himself temporarily, and he planned to get his clothes back the next day.

When Jiang Roujia walked out of the bathroom, she paused when she saw Yun Qianfeng wiping his long hair. Then, for the first time since they had met, she burst into laughter.

Seeing Yun Qianfeng wearing a set of silky women's sleepwear, and considering his taller and more robust frame, he looked rather comical. Adding to that the slightly shy expression on his face, he seemed quite funny.

This was the first time Yun Qianfeng had seen Jiang Roujia smile. It was just a simple expression, but it felt like a warm breeze brushing against his face.

Jiang Roujia chuckled and then blushed as she realized the sleepwear was somewhat translucent. In a hurry, she turned off the wall lamp facing Yun Qianfeng, but she didn't expect that leaving only the lamp on the other side of the bed made his silhouette even clearer.

She had no choice but to give up and decided not to stare, then she picked up a rope and said, "Lie down."

Yun Qianfeng felt speechless and said with helplessness, "Jiang Roujia, even if you beg me, I won't touch you. There's really no need to tie me up."

He meant what he said. He could already tell that they were encountering a supernatural event, and its outcome was uncertain. He didn't want to leave himself with no way to escape.

But Jiang Roujia remained unmoved and pointed to the bed, saying:

"Stop talking and lie down quickly," Jiang Roujia insisted.

Yun Qianfeng resisted, saying, "Then I'll sleep in the guest room."

Jiang Roujia shook her head and replied, "Do you think I want to share a bed with you? I'm worried that your memory might be altered like Qin Shuying's. Listen to me, or else I'll bring up the contract."

At the mention of the contract, Yun Qianfeng instantly surrendered and obediently lay down on the bed, closing his eyes in resignation.

Jiang Roujia clearly had no experience with knot-tying, and the bindings ended up being a complete mess.

Squinting, Yun Qianfeng watched Jiang Roujia's busy actions, and the thin cotton sleepwear subtly revealed her beautiful figure at times.

"Jiang Roujia, you've tied me into the letter 'Y.' Are you planning to use my right arm as a pillow?" he jokingly remarked.

Feeling a bit discouraged, Jiang Roujia realized that this was more complicated than she thought.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "Lie on your stomach."

Yun Qianfeng complied, and Jiang Roujia tied his hands behind his back, securing them thoroughly.

Over half an hour later, the two reluctant bedmates finally settled in.

Jiang Roujia, feeling relieved, fell asleep instantly. She was utterly exhausted. For over a month, she had hardly rested, constantly tormented by self-doubt. But now, everything was becoming clear, and she was no longer plagued by uncertainty. Finally, she could rest. She had to admit that this sense of security came from Yun Qianfeng, a man she had known for less than a day.

Fate was indescribably mysterious, even if it might be a "fate" carefully orchestrated by someone.

After confirming that Jiang Roujia's breathing was steady, Yun Qianfeng let out a sigh. Lying in this position was uncomfortable, and he was a night owl, always active and alert during the night.

He twisted his arm while lying down and soon managed to free one hand. Jiang Roujia had been too kind and didn't tie him too tightly, afraid of hurting him.

Once one hand was free, the rest was easy. In less than three minutes, Yun Qianfeng managed to untie all the knots that Jiang Roujia had struggled with for half an hour.

Relaxing his wrists, he gazed at the sleeping girl beside him, illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the bamboo shadows. An inexplicable feeling arose in his heart, "Wouldn't it be great if she were an ordinary girl struggling to survive just like me?"

Chuckling at his own thoughts, he lightly murmured, "A toad wants to eat swan meat," then decisively turned away and got off the bed, making his way outside. He sat on the steps in front of the door, gazing at the bright moon in silence as he smoked.

"Destiny's gifts come with a predetermined price in the dark. Don't think too much and don't ask for too much," Yun Qianfeng reminded himself.

At the same time, in Europe, within a centuries-old stone castle, a woman with a face like an Egyptian queen and a figure that embodied all male desires sat by the fireplace, her bare feet on a tiger-skin carpet.

She was perhaps the most perfect woman in appearance – her name was Rolina, or more accurately, Baroness Rolina.

On the smooth and plump thighs of Rolina, a beautiful blonde girl with snake-like charms clung to her neck.

At that moment, a dignified white-bearded butler entered the room, standing tall and greeting, "My dear Baroness, this time we finally haven't disappointed you."

With that, he handed over several printed photos to the beautiful woman and added, "We have found the young man you were looking for, but there's still no news of the other old man."

Taking the paper, the woman, with intoxicated eyes, subtly lit up when she saw Yun Qianfeng's photo. Then she asked in a nonchalant tone, "Hans, is he dead or alive?"

Hans, the butler, was taken aback by the question and hurriedly replied, "He's alive, my Baroness!"

A fleeting look of surprise flashed in Rolina's eyes, and then she gracefully raised her beautiful neck, inhaling like smelling a flower, and asked casually, "Are you sure he's the one?"

Hans responded with absolute certainty, "Yes, after comparing his appearance, we even conducted a DNA comparison between his hair and the sample you provided. There's no doubt it's him."

Rolina's expression became even more intriguing as she murmured to herself, "Hans, do you think the dead can come back to life?"

Hans promptly answered with solemnity, "Oh, my Baroness, my faith tells me that only the Lord has such power."

Rolina smiled faintly, exuding limitless allure, and said, "So, it means they can't come back to life. Keep an eye on him and report every move, but don't let him notice."

The butler bowed and left the room. Rolina lightly patted the buttocks of the blonde woman sitting on her lap and turned her head towards the door. The woman stood up, shaking her hips provocatively, and walked out with a sensual sway.

Once the door was closed, Rolina's previous composure disappeared, and she quickly sat up, opening a mechanism on the bookshelf that led to a secret chamber. From a safe inside, she took out a box with an indiscernible material.

The box was dark green, covered in golden patterns.

Rolina took out three photos from it and compared them with the ones Hans had brought.

The first photo showed a selfie taken inside a car, with an Anglo white-bearded old man sitting in the passenger seat and Yun Qianfeng clearly driving.

The second photo depicted the two standing in front of a massive stone ancient building, but the outline of the building couldn't be made out. The photo featured the white-bearded old man and Yun Qianfeng.

In the last photo, a collapsed ruin was evident. Several excavators could be seen at the edge of the photo, while in the center lay two mangled bodies, only their heads intact.

Rolina's teasing index finger lightly brushed over the faces of the two people in the photo, one being the white-bearded old man and the other Yun Qianfeng. She muttered to herself in a low voice, "Who are you? And who put your photos in my safe? What's your purpose? Is it just to lure me into spending a fortune to collect the bodies of two dead men in Africa?"

With that, she turned her head to look at the two skulls placed on the table in the secret chamber. Standing up, she gently caressed one of them and said softly, "Aren't you supposed to be dead? Why are you still alive? There must be many secrets hidden within you, right? Secrets that I don't know, and I'm very curious..."

Rolina's intrigue and curiosity about the mysterious situation deepened. She was determined to uncover the secrets surrounding the two men and the reason their photos were placed in her safe. Her desire to know the truth was undeniable, and she was ready to explore whatever was behind this puzzling situation.

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