Any man who doesn't harbor desire and urges towards someone he likes cannot truly be said to like her.
Love itself is intertwined with desire.
He was not a saint, and naturally could not detach himself from worldly desires.
In past and present lives, his sole pursuit was her.
Su Ling knew her face must be as red as an apple, even without looking in a mirror.
Her breathing grew rapid, her heart pounded relentlessly, especially under Shang Qi's gaze. She felt as though she might drown in his eyes.
His eyes were breathtakingly beautiful, and the tear mole beneath them added a touch of enchanting allure.
Su Ling swallowed nervously, seeing herself reflected in his eyes. She pursed her lips and then spoke, "Me too."
Her shameless invitation for him to join her team in the past life had been driven by intention.
She admitted that she had been attracted to Shang Qi at first sight, captivated by his appearance.
But back then, survival and travel were paramount, so her subtle affections were deeply hidden. As time passed, they became harder to bring up.
"You too what?" Shang Qi looked at Su Ling, wanting a more detailed explanation.
Shang Qi thought, what a shame.
In his past life and in this one, he could hear anyone's inner thoughts, except for his Ah Ling's.
He wasn't greedy, he just wanted to hear her inner voice at this moment, just for this moment.
But he was destined to be disappointed; he couldn't hear her.
Su Ling bit her lip, contemplating how to answer Shang Qi, as his question was quite broad.
Seeing Su Ling ponder, Shang Qi softly said, "You mustn't bite your lip."
Hearing Shang Qi's words, Su Ling looked at him, her lips no longer pursed.
"Good girl," Shang Qi pinched her cheek and said, "Do you know? I can hear everyone's thoughts, but yours alone. It's been like this in both lives. No matter how hard I try, I can't hear you."
Su Ling was taken aback by Shang Qi's words.
This was the second time someone had told her they couldn't hear her inner voice.
One was Gu Shangse, and the other was Shang Qi.
So, why was this? Why could they hear everyone else's but not hers?
Could it be because of her personal space?
Just as Su Ling was about to answer Shang Qi, she looked up and saw the sun had retreated behind the clouds. She was startled. "Let's go back first."
As she spoke, she conjured the vehicle from her space.
Shang Qi watched Su Ling's actions, his gaze filled with doting affection as he gently ruffled her hair. Such a perfect opportunity, ruined.
His Ah Ling, truly slow in matters of the heart.
Su Ling got into the car, transferred the seafood harvested from the beach with Shang Qi from her space into the vehicle, then sat in the passenger seat. After buckling her seatbelt, she looked at Shang Qi, "It's going to hail, quickly."
"Alright," Shang Qi agreed, got into the car, buckled up, and started the engine.
Su Ling and Shang Qi returned to the outpost. Gu Shangse and the others were responsible for carrying the large buckets of seafood to the mess hall for an early lunch.
As they departed, Su Ling had specifically named the dishes she wanted to eat, requesting them prepared in certain ways.
With the hailstorm imminent, the tables and chairs in the yard had already been moved inside. Everyone was either indoors or under the eaves.
Wen Shangsheng, upon seeing Su Ling and Shang Qi return, scurried over like a clingy child.
After approaching, Wen Shangsheng couldn't help but grumble, "I've made enemies. From now on, I'll have to constantly strive to become stronger, can't let my guard down, or I'll lose my life."
Su Ling turned to look at Wen Shangsheng. Shang Qi didn't even glance at him, merely tossing a remark, "The mess you made, you clean up yourself. This is good, having someone to push you to grow, you should be grateful."
Wen Shangsheng: "..."