She gently brushed aside the sweat-dampened black hair from his forehead and suddenly realized a truth that had been there all along: she had fallen in love with this man who was cold on the outside but warm within. Not because he had saved her, but because beneath his hardened shell, she had seen a heart that was scarred yet still tender.
By the time the first light of dawn tinged the horizon, Lin Yi's fever had finally broken. Exhausted, Su Xiaoxi leaned against the sofa, still clutching the photograph that had started it all. In the morning light, she suddenly noticed a previously overlooked detail in the background of the photo—a car half-hidden in the shadows, its license plate blurred but partially visible.
"This is..." She immediately took a picture of the detail with her phone and enhanced it. After several adjustments, the first three digits of the license plate became clear: A83.
She quickly jotted down this discovery in her notebook, alongside the earlier clue about "S&W Laboratories." Perhaps... perhaps this would be enough for the police to intervene and end this nightmare. That way, Lin Yi wouldn't have to defy orders, and she wouldn't have to accept protection from a stranger.
A faint sound came from the bedroom—Lin Yi was awake. Su Xiaoxi hurriedly closed her notebook and walked toward the bedroom. Pushing the door open, she saw Lin Yi already sitting up, attempting to change his bandages. The wound on his shoulder had started bleeding again from the movement.
"Don't move!" Su Xiaoxi rushed over to take over. "You'll reopen the wound."
Lin Yi let her handle it, but his gaze remained fixed on her tired face. "You didn't sleep all night."
"You almost died," she retorted, carefully replacing the gauze. "How do you feel?"
"Fine." A typical Lin Yi response, even though his face was still pale.
After finishing the bandage change, Su Xiaoxi handed him water and fever-reducing medicine. "The people who attacked us knew our location. Is the safe house still safe?"
Lin Yi shook his head. "I've already informed the organization to arrange a transfer. Agent 002 will arrive this afternoon."
Su Xiaoxi's hand paused. "So soon? But you're still injured..."
"The mission comes first." Lin Yi's voice had regained its professional detachment, as if the man who had whispered "don't go" the night before wasn't him. "Your discovery is important. The license plate and lab information will significantly narrow the investigation."
Su Xiaoxi nodded, suddenly not wanting to argue anymore. If Lin Yi chose to hide his feelings, she wouldn't push. But one thing she was certain of—she wouldn't passively wait for protection anymore.