The two bickered playfully in the car, their earlier unpleasantness forgotten and tossed away to oblivion. Cheng Chen, watching from behind, felt a pang of envy and jealousy.
Anyone with eyes could see their relationship was no ordinary one between a bodyguard and employer. It was more akin to a couple in love, yet neither of them seemed to realize it.
"Tonight, I will take both your lives!"
Cheng Chen was no longer Cheng Chen; she was Tala. The real Cheng Chen was long dead, her very skin now adorning Tala's face. She had promised the Black Dragon King that she would eliminate Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin, along with their friends and relatives, within a month. Time was running out.
Killing Liu Yilin would be simple, but Ning Beichen had to be dealt with first. This Ning Beichen truly lived up to his reputation as the man who could kill the Black Dragon King's disciple. He was a formidable opponent; a single glance from him had identified her as a witch, proving his extraordinary perception. Fortunately, Liu Yilin's unsuspecting nature provided her with the perfect cover to proceed with her plan. Tonight, they would both meet their end! Once Ning Beichen was dead, Liu Yilin posed no threat to her.
Not long after, Tala, disguised as Cheng Chen, returned with them to Liu Yilin's home. Ning Beichen had always opposed Liu Yilin taking Cheng Chen in, as he couldn't fathom the witch's true intentions. However, Liu Yilin refused to believe her classmate would harm her and disregarded Ning Beichen's warnings. Furthermore, she dismissed the notion of witches as absurd, convinced Ning Beichen was simply being unreasonable out of dislike for her friend.
With no other recourse, since Liu Yilin was adamant about sheltering her, Ning Beichen resolved to remain on high alert for the worst-case scenario. And indeed, the worst-case scenario unfolded. Not only did Liu Yilin insist on housing Cheng Chen, but she also decided they would share a room, claiming they wanted to reminisce about their school days. Ning Beichen desperately wanted to intervene, but he lacked any valid reason to do so. His concerns about safety were unconvincing to Liu Yilin, who believed her classmate meant her no harm. Instead, she chided Ning Beichen for being overly anxious, seeing problems with everyone he met.
Ning Beichen could only offer a grimacing glance at Cheng Chen, his eyes conveying a heavy warning. It wasn't that Ning Beichen was excessively worried or lacked confidence in his own abilities. It was simply that he understood the terrifying power of a witch. Their fear lay not in their martial prowess, but in their mysterious and unpredictable sorcery. The best way to deal with a witch, he believed, was to eliminate them upon first sight, denying them any opportunity to cast their spells.
Tala, sensing Ning Beichen's threatening gaze, feigned a look of terrified innocence in front of Liu Yilin, a performance that earned Ning Beichen an exasperated eye-roll from his employer.
"Ning Beichen, I'm warning you. Chenchen is my classmate. If you dare to mistreat her, I will not let you off!" Liu Yilin sternly cautioned him. She couldn't fathom why Ning Beichen disliked Cheng Chen so much, always trying to get rid of her from the moment they met.
Ning Beichen could only gesture helplessly, retreating to his room with a heavy heart. Liu Yilin simply did not understand the nature of witches or their formidable power, making it impossible for Ning Beichen to explain the full extent of the danger.
Back in his room, Ning Beichen secretly activated the hidden cameras on the second floor. After Liu Yilin had forcefully made him remove the previous surveillance equipment, he had cleverly left two discreet cameras behind. One was positioned to watch her door, and the other, her window. It wasn't that Ning Beichen lacked the means to install cameras inside her room; he simply refused to stoop to such dishonorable tactics. Moreover, previous enemies had always attacked from the outside, so securing these two points seemed sufficient. However, with the enemy now inside, these cameras offered little practical help. This left Ning Beichen greatly troubled. If not for fear of provoking Liu Yilin, he would have barged into her room and subjected the witch to a rigorous interrogation.
Staring at the surveillance feed, Ning Beichen could only see the exterior of Liu Yilin's door and window, offering him no insight into what was happening inside. Frustrated, he stood up and crept out, stealthily making his way to the second floor. He lingered outside Liu Yilin's door for a moment, straining to listen, then quietly retreated. After a while, his unease growing, he went up again to eavesdrop. This time, however, Liu Yilin caught him in the act. As she opened her door, she discovered Ning Beichen lurking suspiciously outside.
"Ning Beichen! What do you think you're doing? Didn't I tell you not to go up to the second floor?" Liu Yilin was almost driven to madness by his actions.
"Boss, I... I was just worried about you!" Ning Beichen stammered, caught red-handed.
"Worried about you, my foot! Get downstairs," Liu Yilin snapped, grabbing Ning Beichen by the ear and dragging him towards the stairs.
"Let go, let go! Boss, it hurts!"
You dare come up here, and you complain about the pain.
"Ning Beichen, if I ever catch you up here again, you'll be in deep trouble!" Liu Yilin warned him fiercely, hands on her hips, after pulling him downstairs.
However, once Liu Yilin went back upstairs, Ning Beichen couldn't rest. He had to find a way to see what was happening inside. Since the door was out of the question, he turned his attention to the window. Soon, Ning Beichen devised another plan. Like a gecko, he nimbly scaled the wall and reached Liu Yilin's window in mere moments. Unfortunately, the window was closed and could only be opened from the inside. Ning Beichen braced himself against the wall and leaped, landing on the balcony. Fortunately, the sliding door to the balcony was not closed, but it was obscured by curtains, preventing him from seeing into the room.
Ning Beichen subtly parted the curtains, peered through the gap, and began to watch. Inside, Liu Yilin and the woman he knew as Cheng Chen were trying on clothes, nearly causing Ning Beichen to spit blood. He hadn't realized how stunning Liu Yilin's figure was beneath her usual loose-fitting, often black, attire that projected an aura of cold beauty. Now, he saw the breathtaking curves she concealed.
"I'm going to die!" Ning Beichen quickly averted his gaze, his mind reeling. In his haste, he accidentally bumped a mop left on the balcony, producing a faint noise that startled the two women inside.