"Huuaaah... Achoo!"
The cold water had left TanTan shivering uncontrollably. She had barely climbed out of the sea, and the chilly night wind was making her body tremble.
Hearing her sneeze, the Silver Masked Man took off his wet coat. He squeezed out as much water as he could before placing it over TanTan's shoulders.
"Here. It's better than nothing..."
His considerate gesture warmed TanTan's heart.
"...Thank you."
Not long afterward, several black-clothed men appeared from nowhere. They approached the Silver Masked Man and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Master!"
After receiving his signal to rise, one of them, an elderly man who seemed to be their leader, noticed TanTan's presence. He approached his master and asked cautiously,
"Master... this young lady? Are you planning to take her with you?"
There was a hint of concern in his voice, as though he already disapproved of the possibility.
The Silver Masked Man glanced at TanTan.
He hadn't actually planned to bring her along. But when he had seen the pleading look in her eyes earlier, he somehow couldn't bring himself to leave her behind.
Why did I do that?
He shook his head slightly before answering,
"Don't worry about her. For now, take the others back and wait for my return. Stay alert."
Although the old man seemed hesitant, he didn't question the order. He bowed respectfully before leaving with the other men, leaving the Silver Masked Man and TanTan alone.
During their brief exchange, TanTan had been quietly examining the mysterious man.
She found it strange that she had trusted him so easily. She barely knew anything about him, yet she hadn't hesitated to ask him to take her away.
Well... he has helped me several times. He can't be a bad person, right?
When the Silver Masked Man turned toward her, TanTan immediately looked away, embarrassed to be caught examining him.
To break the awkward silence, she asked,
"Where... are they going?"
The Silver Masked Man slowly approached her.
"You don't need to know."
Then, without warning, his voice became stern, almost like a parent scolding a disobedient child.
"You were so reckless tonight, HuaMuTan! What were you thinking, going to a place like that?!"
TanTan felt it was rather unfair to be scolded by someone who wasn't her parent or even her brother.
"It's none of your business! I have the right to go wherever I want! Besides, I took the risk of coming there precisely because I wanted to find you!"
The Silver Masked Man stopped quite close to her.
His presence gave TanTan an inexplicable feeling of uneasiness. For some reason, she suddenly felt embarrassed, even though she couldn't understand why.
"So... you've found me now. What's next?"
His tone had softened, although a slight sharpness remained.
TanTan struggled to answer.
"I... I... found you because..."
As he continued approaching, she instinctively stepped backward.
Unfortunately, she failed to notice the uneven ground beneath her feet.
Her balance gave way, and she nearly fell backward.
Fortunately, the Silver Masked Man reacted quickly. He caught her by the waist and pulled her into his arms.
For a moment, their faces were extremely close.
Under the dim moonlight, TanTan could clearly see his eyes.
Something about them caught her attention.
They were an unusual shade of dark purple, so subtle that the color might have gone unnoticed unless someone looked closely.
TanTan stared at them, momentarily forgetting what she had wanted to say.
But then, a sudden gust of wind swept across her damp body.
"Ah... Ah... ACHOO!"
Her second sneeze came unexpectedly, landing directly on the Silver Masked Man's face.
As a reflex, he immediately released her.
An awkward silence followed.
"I... I'm sorry! I didn't do it on purpose!"
Panicking and embarrassed, TanTan hurriedly searched for something clean to wipe his face.
Meanwhile, the Silver Masked Man wiped away the moisture before turning his back to her. He quickly cleaned his mask and adjusted it again, making sure his face remained completely concealed.
He was so quick that TanTan didn't get the slightest glimpse of what was underneath.
"I'm really sorry! Let me help you wipe it..."
TanTan finally tore off a small piece of her clothing and reached toward his face.
But before she could touch him, the Silver Masked Man suddenly grabbed her wrist.
His grip was so strong that it hurt.
"Ouch!"
Realizing that he had unconsciously hurt her, he immediately released her hand.
TanTan rubbed her wrist.
"I'm fine..."
The Silver Masked Man sighed.
"I shouldn't have brought you here. Perhaps I'm just as reckless as you are tonight."
He paused before continuing.
"You should return now. Let me escort you back."
He turned around and gestured for her to follow.
"Wait!"
TanTan couldn't accept it.
It had taken her so much effort to finally meet this man. How could he simply send her back without giving her any answers?
That was completely unfair!
"I'm not going back until you answer my questions!"
The Silver Masked Man stopped walking and turned toward her.
"What answers are you looking for, HuaMuTan?"
"Everything! The killers, the enemies you mentioned before, and you! Why do you keep helping me? Who are you?!"
TanTan tried to pour out every question that had been troubling her.
But as she spoke, she gradually realized that there was something she wanted to know more than anything else.
In this unfamiliar world, where she often felt completely alone, she desperately wanted someone she could recognize and trust. Someone who could help her understand the mysteries surrounding her life.
As if he could read her thoughts, the Silver Masked Man chuckled softly.
"Relax, HuaMuTan. I can't give you all the answers right now. But one thing is certain: I'm not your enemy. On the contrary, I'm on your side."
He paused before adding,
"Revealing my identity would also put your life in danger. For now, you just need to trust me."
TanTan looked directly into his eyes.
His gaze was steady and unwavering. Somehow, she couldn't detect any sign of dishonesty.
"Well... you've saved me twice already, so I suppose I can trust you for now."
She sighed.
"But at least give me some clues! I can't keep living in the dark, not knowing who my enemies are or how they're going to take my life. It's suffocating!"
The Silver Masked Man fell silent.
He seemed to be considering her words.
"Your enemies are extremely powerful, HuaMuTan. For now, the best thing you can do is stay safe inside Li Mansion. Prince Li can protect you."
"Prince Li?"
TanTan looked at him suspiciously.
"Are you sure he's not one of my enemies?"
Her cynical question made the Silver Masked Man laugh.
"No, he's not your enemy. Well... at least not for now."
He continued in an amused tone,
"He can be a good friend, trust me. He's just a foolishly good man who can sometimes be too stubborn when it comes to justice."
TanTan narrowed her eyes.
"You seem to know him very well."
"You could say that."
The Silver Masked Man smirked.
His answer only added another mystery to TanTan's already crowded mind.
Then she remembered the possibility of facing Prince Li after everything that had happened tonight.
The thought of being scolded, interrogated, or even arrested sent a chill down her spine.
"Anyway, I can't go back there... Can I just follow you instead?"
TanTan stepped closer and held his hand, pleading with him.
The Silver Masked Man smiled faintly and gently touched her hand.
"Not now, HuaMuTan. Li Mansion is the safest place for you. Believe me. And don't worry... I'll always keep an eye on you."
He paused.
"And once everything is..."
He suddenly stopped speaking.
Perhaps it wasn't the right time to reveal what he had intended to say.
Then he seemed to notice something approaching in the distance.
"Ah, what perfect timing. It seems someone has come to pick you up."
He withdrew his hand.
"It's time for me to go. Until we meet again, HuaMuTan."
Before TanTan could say another word, he used his extraordinary martial arts skills and disappeared into the woods.
"Hey! Wait!"
TanTan reached out instinctively, but he was already gone.
She stared into the darkness in disbelief.
"It's not fairrrr! Why didn't you tell me anything useful?! Giving me a few clues wouldn't hurt you, would it?! What a stingy masked man!"
She threw her hands into the air, venting all her frustration.
"Now what am I supposed to do to find my enemies?!"
Her complaints echoed through the quiet woods.
"Ah... ACHOO!"
Another sneeze escaped her.
Suddenly, TanTan began feeling dizzy. Her strength seemed to drain away, and she could barely keep herself standing.
She slowly lowered herself onto the sand and sat down.
"I'm... so tired..."
Her head felt increasingly heavy. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes for a moment.
Not long afterward, several figures appeared in the distance and approached her.
Through her blurred vision, TanTan recognized Prince Li and his men.
The last thing she remembered was Prince Li's panicked expression as he rushed toward her.
He shouted her name.
"HUA MUTAN!"
But this time, his voice didn't sound angry or full of reproach.
Instead, it was filled with unmistakable concern.
Then everything went dark.
The next thing TanTan felt was warmth.
She was lying against someone's chest, held securely in a pair of strong arms.