The rain finally stopped when night descended. The rain-drenched island was wet and cold, especially the at the peak where the chilly wind blew in from the north. It was so cold it seemed to freeze everything. However, the indentation in the rock at the top was warm and cosy.

Two people stuck close together in that cramped space. They had a special raincover and the cold wind was kept out. It was all inky darkness below the peak - no lights and no human activity. Hyena and Ahn Suhyeong were being astonishingly patient, and had made no moves before the planned morning. The quiet below gave one the false impression that Ahn Suhyeong and Hyena had withdrawn and given up on this hunt.

But Xia Lei knew that this was just the calm before the storm.

“Lei, I want...” Jiang Ruyi spoke haltingly in the warm ‘nest’.

Xia Lei kept watch on the situation below and asked casually, “Want what?”

“To tinkle,” said Jiang Ruyi with a red face.

Xia Lei was a little embarrassed and he glanced at the are to the right of the indentation and said, “Crawl over to the right side to relieve yourself. I’ll cover you. Come back and switch with me when you’re done.”

“You need to go too?”

“Uh. Everyone would need to go sometime,” said Xia Lei.

Jiang Ruyi giggled. “I need cover even when going to tinkle. How interesting. I’ll go first - no peeking.”

“I won’t.”

Jiang Ruyi pouted. “You peeked when we were in the third year of primary school. And in the sixth year too. Don’t even talk about kindergarten - you looked so many times.”

Xia Lei was speechless.

Jiang Ruyi moved carefully out from under the raincover and crawled towards the right. She picked a spot, then unzipped her torn trousers and pulled down the underwear Xia Lei had lent her. A trickling sound came through the cold air and it made one’s head fill with imagination.

Xia Lei was a little affected by his imagination but he did not turn to peek. He kept on the alert and continued surveying the area below.

“Ah!” Jiang Ruyi suddenly let out a surprised cry, then covered her mouth, cutting her cry off.

“What happened?” Xia Lei’s first reaction should be turning around but he did not.

“Sn, snake!” said Jiang Ruyi in a shaky voice.

Xia Lei could not hold still any longer and he looked in Jiang Ruyi’s direction. There was indeed a snake, and it was one with warning colours and a triangular head. All its characteristics indicated that it was a venomous snake. It was right between Jiang Ruyi’s legs, and it could bite her at any time it wished.

Jiang Ruyi was scared to death. Her legs supporting her body were getting weak.

Xia Lei grew nervous.

“Wh, What do I do?” Jiang Ruyi was close to tears. She was deathly afraid of cockroaches - this snake was more than she could take.

“Don’t be scared. Don’t move.” Xia Lei crawled out from under the raincover and slowly crawled to her. He reached out a hand to the snake between Jiang Ruyi’s legs.

A venomous snake, a man’s reaching hand, Jiang Ruyi’s legs... this was a scene one could not look at straight on.

The snake did not sense Xia Lei’s hand. It watched Jiang Ruyi warily, locked in motion.

Xia Lei suddenly grabbed the snake and it curled its body towards his wrist. He swung his arm and threw it off the peak.

The danger gone, Jiang Ruyi let out a long breath of relief. However, she let out a soft cry of alarm a second later. “N, No peeking!”

“What’s the point of this?” Xia Lei did his best to seem all business-like. “My turn.”

Jiang Ruyi was speechless.

She returned to the raincover to stand guard for Xia Lei but she peeked a second later. As she watched him relieve himself, she couldn’t help giggling. Her face turned red as she giggled.

Xia Lei shrugged, feeling extremely uncomfortable. “I can’t go if you’re watching.”

Jiang Ruyi let out a small huff. “I don’t care so much that I’d peek.”

“Then why are you staring?”

“I...” Jiang Ruyi finally turned back, but she looked sneakily back again two seconds later.

Xia Lei could not be bothered with her anymore.

Back under the raincover, Xia Lei quickly scanned the area below. The area under the peak and the forest was still quiet and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Darkness shrouded the place but his left eye saw it as clear as day. He could even see the snake he’d thrown off the peak, slithering down towards the forest.

“Lei, do you think they’ll attack tomorrow morning?” said Jiang Ruyi in his ear. The warm air of her breath tickled his eardrums.

Xia Lei grew strangely nervous. “Yes. If I’m right, they will make their move tomorrow morning.”

“Will we die?”

“No, don’t say things like that. I’ll get you out of here,” said Xia Lei. He had the confidence to say things like this because he had come to this island to kill, not to be killed.

“But what if?”

“There is no what if.”

“There’s always a what if,” said Jiang Ruyi.

Xia Lei looked at her in exasperation. “What are you trying to say?”

Jiang Ruyi held him suddenly, seemingly unable to hold her emotions back. “I don’t want to die. If something happens, I want... I want to be your woman before I die. Lei, you t,take me now.”

Xia Lei was stunned.

Before Xia Lei could respond, Jiang Ruyi drew close and kissed him on the lips. Xia Lei’s first reaction was to not respond, since this was a dangerous environment. However, Jiang Ruyi put her all into it and her passion, and her sexy lips, her everything was seducing him into making a decision.

After a bout of passion, Xia Lei recovered a bit of reason and said in a shaky pant, “Ruyi, we can’t do this. We’re still in a dangerous situation.”

Jiang Ruyi was panting too. “You’re on top. Can’t you see what’s below?”

Xia Lei was at a loss for words. Jiang Ruyi’s words could also mean a certain position, and he could not find any other reason to refuse anymore. Besides, he didn’t want to refuse any longer now that things had developed to this point.

“Lei, I’ve waited more than 20 years for this day. M,Make me yours.” Jiang Ruyi hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her.

The night deepened and the wind stopped. However, the raincover was still moving even though the wind had stopped blowing, and it was moving to a rather rhythmic beat.

Jiang Ruyi had planted a seed in Xia Lei’s heart years ago and this seed had finally taken root and flourished after all these years. This was as precious as life itself to Jiang Ruyi, and there was nothing else in the world, only Xia Lei. Her heart was full of Xia Lei and her body was full of Xia Lei. In that moment, she was in bliss - the most blissful bliss.

There were some people who could never be removed from one’s life, so if that was the case, then Xia Lei was going to accept it.

In the forest, Ahn Suhyeong looked carefully up at the huge rock on the peak with binoculars as he said to Hyena, “Mr Hyena, that guy hasn’t made a move in 24 hours. Do you think he’s really fallen sick?”

“The rain fell for a whole day and he was exposed to it for all that time. I wouldn’t be able to remain healthy either in that situation. I can dare say that he’s sick. He’ll be feverish and unable to fight.”

A small smile appeared in the corners of Ahn Suhyeong’s lips. “I think so too. It’s cold and it rained the whole day. Even a man with a body of iron would collapse. We’ll attack at first light. Kill him and that woman, then leave this bloody place.”

“Get your men ready. Pile up the wood well and light them at daybreak. Your helicopter will be used in the fight too. Harass Xia Lei from above.”

“He’s already not battle-worthy. Why go to this trouble?” said Ahn Suhyeong.

“A tight plan and perfect preparation is how you ensure victory over the enemy. I should go make preparations of my own too. Wait for my command tomorrow morning, and light the fires and attack.”

Ahn Suhyeong nodded.

Hyena withdrew into the forest and quickly disappeared.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

After Hyena left, Ahn Suhyeong got his men to move the wood to the edge of the forest, close to the "death line". Some of that wood was dry, some wet. The oil for lighting the wood was readied too and when the time came, they just had to splash the oil on and light it all up to create thick smoke.

On the beach, the helicopter was ready too. Two gunmen and the helicopter pilot were just waiting for Ahn Suhyeong to give the command to fly up and attack Xia Lei from above.

The enemy had made their preparations. The bow had been drawn and the arrow was set to be let loose.

On the peak was another story.

The battle between Xia Lei and Jiang Ruyi was over but the two of them were still pressed close to each other, feeling each other’s closeness and unwilling to part.

Xia Lei had actually seen Ahn Suhyeong’s men stack all that wood up but he did not do anything about it. The sight of the wood let him understand Ahn Suhyeong and Hyena’s plan. He didn’t care. The smoke the wood would produce when burnt would affect him but the effect was small. He was on higher ground too, so he would surely be less affected than the gunman who would have to run through all that thick smoke!

He had his silencer on his XL2500 and he could shoot his targets in the smoke. If Ahn Suhyeong’s men were going to scatter about in their charge, then no one would be able to see fallen comrades in the thick smoke!

“He’s fallen prey to his own cleverness. People really should just keep it simple sometimes,” mumbled Xia Lei.

“What did you say?” Jiang Ruyi’s voice was soft and weak, as if she’d just run a marathon.

“Nothing,” said Xia Lei. He looked at her eyes. That familiarity, that warmth, and that comfort was all suddenly magnified.

Jiang Ruyi grew shy. “H, Haven’t you seen enough?”

Xia Lei laughed, then suddenly remembered something and grew nervous. “Ruyi, we didn’t use a condom. What do we do if you get pregnant?”

This problem wouldn’t exist if they had a shop selling daily necessities on this peak but there was no such thing there.

Jiang Ruyi thought for a bit. “Then I’ll have the baby. I’ll give the child the Jiang surname so Shentu Tianyin won’t know our secret.”

Xia Lei let out a silent breath of relief.

“Lei, I want more.”

Xia Lei was speechless.