"Hey! You two girls over there! Stop playing by the sea—it’s about to get stormy!"
A nearby clam-digger called out kindly. Mu Yue Ran waved back gratefully, then turned to Yuchuge. "The water’s too cold. Let’s come back when it’s warmer."
Seeing Yuchuge poised to leap into the waves, Mu Yue Ran quickly grabbed her arm and gently steered her toward shore. Yuchuge cast a longing glance at the shimmering sea but obediently followed, a flicker of anticipation warming her chest at Mu Yue Ran’s words.
She hadn’t felt the chill much before—but the moment her feet left the water, the wind sapped away the warmth clinging to her skin. Yuchuge sneezed violently three times in a row, pinching her nose with an embarrassed *snuffle*.
Mu Yue Ran, unsurprised, pulled a tissue from her pocket. Yuchuge took it, turned away, and dabbed quietly at her nose. Spotting no trash bin nearby, she tucked the crumpled paper into her pocket and trailed after Mu Yue Ran.
To keep Yuchuge from catching a cold, Mu Yue Ran found the hotel advertised on TV within minutes. Its opulent lobby and rows of palm trees radiating island charm were undeniably inviting. She could already picture summer crowds of swimsuit-clad girls gathering here.
At the front desk, the clerk snapped from drowsiness to polished alertness the moment guests entered. "Welcome! Checking in?" she chirped with practiced warmth.
"A sea-view room, please."
Mu Yue Ran scanned the price list. Even off-season rates were steep—but money wasn’t her concern today. *Reimbursement covers it.*
She waved a hand airily and booked the suite just below the presidential level. The clerk’s eyes lit up as she handed over the keycard with extra flourish.
The elevator doors slid shut behind them. Yuchuge, still lingering by the lobby’s fish tank moments ago to poke at the koi with her finger, now stood beside Mu Yue Ran. As the lift ascended, a fleeting sense of weightlessness triggered a memory: that night after the kidnapper took her home, the "action" film she’d watched on TV.
The heroine had lured her friend on a trip, booked one room, and waited until midnight loneliness set in. Then she’d crawled into her friend’s bed.
Fingertips had sparked a spring tide, flushing cheeks crimson like rain-drenched petals. A misty room, smooth legs draped over shoulders, breaths turning shallow and urgent—
The vivid scenes flooded Yuchuge’s mind. Her chill vanished, replaced by a creeping heat. She shifted her legs restlessly.
A soft, sticky *click* reached Mu Yue Ran’s ears. She turned to see Yuchuge’s flushed face, her tongue tracing plump lips.
Yuchuge gazed up, eyes shimmering with unspoken moisture. "Miss Kidnapper…" Her voice was honey-thick. "I feel… strange."
Mu Yue Ran’s pupils contracted sharply. Her breath hitched—frozen until the elevator doors *dinged* open. She yanked Yuchuge out, scanning room numbers with laser focus. Once inside, she bolted for the bathroom, splashed icy water on her face until the fever in her veins cooled.
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she saw only detached calm—a deep-sea stillness.
"*Normal. Just stay normal.*"
She patted her cheeks, forced a smile, and stepped out. Yuchuge lay on the bed, waiting. "Shower first. Warm up."
Mu Yue Ran handed her fresh clothes from her backpack. Yuchuge skipped toward the bathroom, humming softly.
Alone on the bed, Mu Yue Ran watched dusk swallow the sky. Dark clouds gathered, whipped by wind into roaring waves that thundered against the seawall.
Sensing the storm’s approach, she closed her eyes. Waiting—for an accident, or an opportunity.
Outside, cars converged on the hotel like iron filings to a magnet. Dozens of black sedans encircled the building. From them emerged scores of men in dark suits, standing rigid in the gale, coats snapping like banners.
At the center of their attention, a woman stepped from a stretched Lincoln. She swept a disdainful gaze over the hotel’s elegant facade, as if its beauty offended her. "Little mice finally show their tails after hiding so long," she drawled. "At least they have taste in holes."
Madam Yu flicked her wrist. Her butler draped a coat over her shoulders and lit her cigarette. She inhaled deeply, smoke vanishing instantly in the wind. When the butler murmured that all were assembled, she crushed the cigarette under her heel. "Drag them out. I want to see who dares steal from House of Yu."
They’d nearly captured Mu Shuanghua before a tip redirected them to Yuchuge’s trail. Tracking Mu Yue Ran’s path led them here—to this seaside trap.
Inside the surrounded room, Mu Yue Ran had just messaged Ji Yueyi. The shower’s steady patter filled the silence as she stared wordlessly at the door.
