In the evening, the warm orange lamplight filled the room, creating an exceptionally cozy atmosphere.
Ji Shuyu leaned against the headboard, holding a book on materials science, but her eyes were unfocused, and she hadn’t turned a page in a long time. Upon closer inspection, the book was one she had already read several days ago. It was unclear where she had dug it out from, and she was clearly reading absentmindedly.
“What’s on your mind?” He Yuan walked in, fresh from a cool shower, carrying a refreshing dampness with him. Seeing Ji Shuyu’s dazed expression, he approached and gently took the book from her hands, asking softly. It was rare to see Ji Shuyu like this, as if she had lost her soul.
Ji Shuyu snapped back to reality, looked up, and met her husband’s concerned gaze. Her heart warmed, and she shook her head. “It’s nothing major, just a bit distracted… I was thinking about the person who hired Old Qian to steal the materials—what were they really thinking?” She furrowed her brows slightly. “They must have known how valuable these materials are to go to such lengths and take such risks. After thinking it over, the most likely suspects are those two foreign experts who visited the island recently. Who else could recognize the value of these materials at a glance?”
These materials had been on the island for years without attracting any attention. Why was it that after those two foreigners left, one incident after another kept happening? There had even been a case of stolen research data.
He Yuan sat down beside her and naturally reached out, applying just the right amount of pressure to massage her slightly swollen legs. In the later stages of pregnancy, her legs tended to swell, and whenever He Yuan was home, he made sure to massage them for her. He couldn’t help her give birth, but he could do his best to ease her burden and make her as comfortable as possible.
“Don’t overthink it. It’s exhausting,” He Yuan’s voice was deep and reassuring. Ji Shuyu watched his lowered eyes and listened as he continued, “A fox will always reveal its tail. Old Qian is like a turtle in a jar now. The island is only so big; he can’t hide for long. Once we catch him, we’ll follow the clues, and whoever is behind this will naturally come to light.”
He paused, his hands still working, and added, “Today, Zhao Qiang and the others secretly inspected the garbage ship. Although they didn’t find anything unusual, it suggests our direction is likely correct. He’s already getting anxious, eager to get the materials out. The more anxious he is, the more mistakes he’ll make. Don’t worry, he won’t get away.” The area was already under surveillance, ensuring not even a fly could escape.
Feeling the warmth and pressure of her husband’s hands, the soreness in her legs gradually eased, and the restlessness in Ji Shuyu’s heart slowly settled. She let out a comfortable sigh, relaxed her body, and leaned back. “Mm, I know,” Ji Shuyu responded softly, her gaze resting on He Yuan’s focused profile. The dim yellow light softened his usually sharp features, making him appear especially gentle and reliable. “It’s just… it feels like a fly buzzing around, annoying.”
Hearing this, He Yuan chuckled softly and looked up at her, his eyes filled with determination. “If it’s an annoying fly, we just need to swat it. Your task is to rest well and focus on bringing our child into the world safely. Leave these messy matters to me.” After massaging one leg, he carefully switched to the other. “You were scared today, weren’t you? Don’t take such risks again, even if you have everything under control. Just thinking about how Zhang Zhiyuan lunged at you…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but his tightly pressed lips betrayed the fear he felt afterward.
After all, he had never agreed with Ji Shuyu using herself as bait from the very beginning.
If not for Ji Shuyu’s determination and unwavering resolve, He Yuan would have taken charge of the plan himself long ago.
A sweet, honey-like warmth blossomed in Ji Shuyu’s heart. She reached out and grasped his free hand. “Really, I’m fine. I knew you’d be there, and besides, I’m not entirely defenseless.” She pointed to the stun baton nearby. Ji Shuyu had never explained its origin, and He Yuan had never once asked about it.
He Yuan turned his hand to clasp hers firmly, their fingers intertwining. “Mm, but it’s still not acceptable. To me, the safety of you and our child will always be the top priority. Nothing and no one is worth you taking such risks.” His tone was resolute, filled with protective love.
Knowing she couldn’t win this argument, Ji Shuyu smiled and nodded. “Alright, I’ll listen to you, Regimental Commander He.”
Only then did He Yuan seem satisfied. After carefully finishing the massage, he helped her lie down slowly and tucked the thin quilt around her. He lay down beside her, stretching out his arm to let her rest her head comfortably. “Sleep,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I’ll watch over you. Tomorrow, everything will become clearer.”
Ji Shuyu closed her eyes, reassured, and murmured an acknowledgment.
…
Meanwhile, in the abandoned watchtower on the island, Old Qian was as restless as an ant on a hot pan.
His original plan had been clear: under the cover of darkness, he would sneak the small iron box containing the microfilm into the garbage piles at the dock. But when he cautiously, fearfully crept near the dock, he found the security tonight unusually tight. The patrol teams passed by with abnormally high frequency.
The beams from the searchlights swept incessantly over the garbage collection points, leaving him no opportunity to act.
He lay wedged in a foul-smelling crevice between rocks for nearly two hours, his body covered in mosquito bites, yet he found not even a sliver of a chance.
“What’s going on? Have they discovered me?” The thought sent a chill of cold sweat down his spine. It shouldn’t be possible; he had been extremely careful.
Not daring to take any more risks, he could only slowly retreat back to the damp, cold abandoned watchtower.
The plan had failed. He couldn’t deliver the intelligence, and his food was nearly gone. Gnawing on the last piece of rock-hard biscuit, listening to the seemingly ever-closer sound of the waves and the faint footsteps of patrols outside, despair filled his heart.
The net woven by He Yuan and Ji Shuyu was silently tightening around him.
He felt like an insect trapped in a spider’s web—the more he struggled, the more entangled he became.
Tomorrow… what should he do tomorrow?
The contact deadline was approaching, yet he couldn’t get the materials out…
Old Qian clutched his head, feeling for the first time that he might truly not leave this island alive. The research data he had seen as his lifeline now felt like a death warrant, pressing heavily on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
The next day, Ji Shuyu went to the research institute as usual.
After the recent turmoil, the atmosphere in the institute seemed even more solemn, but it remained orderly. Everyone attended to their duties, though when their eyes met, there was a shared, unspoken understanding. After all, no one wanted to suspect that a colleague they worked with day in and day out might be the next traitor.
Ji Shuyu tried to immerse herself in her work; only then could she temporarily forget the lurking threats.
She walked over to the workstation that had originally belonged to Old Qian.
It had been preliminarily inspected by the comrades from the security department, but not many valuable clues had been found. The workstation was unusually tidy, fitting his image of being neat and clean, with almost no personal items left behind.
Except…
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