30 minutes before the incident.
Ru Yi made his way toward Bo Ya's private boat to pick up Bo Ya and the others at the harbour on the other side. He was already five minutes late — something that had never happened before.
For some reason, his heart felt restless. A heavy sense of unease settled over him, as though something was about to happen. Something big. Something that would change his whole life forever.
"Hey, bro. You okay?"
Li Feng asked.
Ru Yi looked unsettled, and Li Feng didn't like it one bit. Whenever Ru Yi felt this way, something bad was sure to follow. His instincts were never wrong. He might struggle to read people's feelings, but he never failed to sense danger. His senses felt forged solely to detect harm.
Ru Yi nodded. He smiled — a smile that tasted bitter. He swallowed hard, trying to push down the dread clouding every thought, rough as sand in his throat.
"Ling Er. Make sure the entire team is ready,"
Ru Yi commanded.
"Yes, Sir!"
Though puzzled, Ling Er obeyed. He checked every member of the team. Weapons — ready. Composure — steady. The vessel — in good order. Everything appeared normal. Nothing seemed out of place.
"Let's depart. Don't keep them waiting. The sooner we arrive, the better,"
Ru Yi ordered. Then, more quietly, he added, "Please… all of you, stay safe." His voice came from the heart. "Jiang Hai… no matter what happens, please stay safe."
"Li Feng — you take the rear dock. Ling Er — the front. Keep a sharp eye out for anything suspicious."
The further they sailed from the island, the heavier Ru Yi's unease settled in his chest.
Then, out in open water — the engines died. Suddenly. Without a sound. Just silence. His foreboding deepened. His worst fears were coming true. Something was approaching. And it meant trouble.
Ru Yi raced to the engine room while Li Feng and Ling Er stood guard, braced for anything. Weapons held tight. Hearts hammering. Alone on the vast open sea, they faced an unknown enemy — one that might rise from the deep waters, emerge from the mist-shrouded skies… or worst of all — walk among them.
Inside the engine room: severed cables. Someone had sabotaged them. There was a traitor in their midst.
Ru Yi ran back out. The traitor had to be found — and fast. But who? They were all familiar faces. No strangers among them. Who could possibly have done this? Before he could run through every name in his mind…
BOOM!!
A massive explosion tore through the engine room. Ru Yi was thrown backward. His ears rang. His vision blurred. His body went numb. Slowly, everything faded to black.
"Jiang Hai… you must be safe…"
At the harbour.
20 minutes before the incident.
Bai Lu sipped his latte calmly, stroking Fantuan. Jiang Hai, Ma Yuan, and Zhou Jun sat with him — none had joined Mu Zhe's invitation to play in the snow, preferring the warmth indoors.
Yawn...
Bai Lu felt drowsy. He yawned again and again. He didn't know why, but his eyes felt heavy — though he'd felt perfectly fine only moments before.
"Did they put something in my coffee? Why am I suddenly so sleepy?" he murmured, fighting to keep his eyes open.
Thud!
A heavy sound beside him. Bai Lu turned. Ma Yuan's head had slumped onto the table — fast asleep. Fear pricked Bai Lu's chest. To fall so deeply and not stir? And it's Ma Yuan? Impossible.
He looked to Zhou Jun, then Jiang Hai. Their eyes were closed, heads lolled back against their chairs. Now he knew — something had been added to their drinks. His gaze shifted to the café staff, blurry and indistinct — but he was certain one of them was to blame. Who? His mind grew too heavy to hold a clear thought.
"Fantuan… I leave everything to you. Do something…"
Thud!
Bai Lu's head rested on the table. He drifted off, joining the others in slumber.
Some distance away, Chen Lian Hua and her men stood in position.
Bzzt! Bzzt!
Her phone vibrated.
"This better be important,"
She said, her voice firm. Her pistol was aimed and steady. Whatever happened today would end here. She would deal with Zhang Jun herself.
"Ru Yi's boat has exploded."
Her grip tightened. Cold sweat prickled her skin. "A Yi… you must be safe."
"Find Ru Yi. Protect him at all costs. If anything happens to my nephew — you will all answer with your lives,"
She commanded.
"ZHANG JUN!" she screamed in her heart. Her finger hovered over the trigger. Her aim was true.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Chen Lian Hua's hand trembled. Not because her bullet had found its mark — right in the forehead of the husband she had once loved so deeply.
But that first shot… Who actually fired it? And who was truly behind everything? Who was their real target? Zhang Zhiqi? Zhang Yiran? Lulu? Bo Ya?
"DR. LIU!!"
She cried out.
Whoever had been hit, they needed help — and fast.
She raced toward the harbour. There, the man she had once cherished lay still, bleeding into the snow.
She turned — Li Yue screaming in pain, shot in the leg, just as planned.
"BO YA!!!"
A cry that shattered every ounce of strength she had left. She spun toward the sound, her whole body shaking uncontrollably.
Zhang Zhiqi knelt, holding Bo Ya's body. The white snow was stained crimson — a nightmare made real.
She walked toward them, her steps heavy and slow. She was too late. Why had she waited so long? Bo Ya struck down. Ru Yi in danger. Why?
"This is all my fault," she whispered.
She drew Zhang Zhiqi into her arms.
"Forgive me, my son. I'm so sorry. I'm late."
Her tears fell uncontrollably. If only she hadn't clung to the hope that her husband would change… her son would never have been hurt. Her grandchildren would never have suffered. Her daughter-in-law would never have died. Ru Yi would never be in such peril. And Bo Ya…
She wept as Bo Ya was carried away. Once again, she had destroyed her own family's happiness.
"God… take everything from me. Just save Bo Ya and Ru Yi. If someone must die — take me instead. I am the sinner, not them."