Under the moonlight

Chapter 141 Exploring the Origin of Life

Zhao Meng remained seated without moving, as did Huang Meng and Li Shuo.

“Li Shuo, you don’t have to participate in this operation, and so do Zhao Meng, and you all…”

"Holy crap! What do you take us for? I admit I'm a bit of a coward, but it depends on what we're facing. If it's ghosts or spirits, then forget it, we're people with a sense of awe, we won't stoop to their level. But if it's those mercenaries, I'm not afraid."

Li Shuo interrupted Xu Ao directly. He knew what Xu Ao was going to say without even thinking. Huang Meng and Jiang Ying were not backing down, so what was he, a grown man, doing hiding in the embassy? He didn't want to be looked down upon by Jiang Ying again.

“Hmm, don’t look at me, you can tell just by looking at his figure that he’s not afraid, so I’m even less afraid.” Zhao Meng raised an eyebrow and looked at Li Shuo.

“That’s right, we don’t… wait, what do you mean by knowing just by looking at body shape? Know what? What’s wrong with body shape? What’s wrong with my body shape!” Li Shuo looked at Zhao Meng with some indignation.

Zhao Meng leaned back lazily in his chair, looking at the frenzied Li Shuo with a smile. "Hmm, with this kind of drive, I guarantee Jiang Ying will look at you in a new light."

"I don't care what she thinks. You just wait and see, this isn't over." Li Su pointed at Zhao Meng, angrily turned his head to the side, and stopped talking.

"Alright, it's amazing you two still have the mood to bicker. I should really look at you in a new light. You've never encountered anything like this before, yet you still have the leisure to make fun of each other." Xu Ao looked at the two of them and said with a helpless smile.

“Actually, this isn’t difficult. From a businessman’s perspective, this city is like a cake. Of course, we have pre-defined boundaries. No matter how they cause trouble, as long as it doesn’t affect my interests, I can ignore it. However, as long as they cross my bottom line, I will not only hold them accountable, but also recover several times the amount of my losses,” Zhao Meng said, looking at them and emphasizing each word.

“That makes sense, but they are mercenaries after all.” Huang Meng frowned as she looked at Zhao Meng. They were a group of people who didn’t play by the rules.

“Then we’ll be even more unpredictable than them, leaving them wondering what we’re up to. The more confused they are about what we’re doing, the more flaws they’ll reveal when they don’t know anything about the other side,” Zhao Meng said earnestly to Huang Meng.

His words silenced everyone. Huang Meng looked up at Xu Ao, whose eyes were on the table, his back against the edge of the table, looking up at the ceiling. His hair on the back of his head had grown a little longer and was hanging down messily.

"You two should go back and rest for a while," Huang Meng said to Li Shuo and Zhao Meng.

They exchanged a glance and understood her meaning. Li Shuo stood up and walked out first, while Zhao Meng sat in the chair with his head down, seemingly lost in thought. After a while, Li Shuo called out to him from the doorway, "Aren't you leaving?"

Zhao Meng raised his head and slowly walked towards the door. He stopped and turned around at the door, glancing back at Huang Meng's slender figure standing next to Xu Ao. She raised her wrist and pulled Xu Ao's arm. Xu Ao was startled by her action and quickly turned back to nod and smile at her.

He had imagined this scene many times.

Zhao Meng turned his head and walked quickly towards the stairwell. Li Shuo was standing there waiting for him. When he came over, he didn't say anything, but just reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

“Actually, you still don’t have a complete plan in mind, right?” Huang Meng said, looking at Xu Ao’s deep-set eyes.

“Yes, I don’t really have a clear plan. This time is different from last time. Last time, we just needed to get our own supplies from them. And we were lucky last time. The army arrived in time and we were rescued.” Xu Ao held Huang Meng’s hand, squinting as he looked ahead, as if he was recalling something.

“Yes, last time we had ample reason, and this time it’s the same. They wantonly destroyed and trampled on the bodies of our countrymen, and set fire to the bodies near our embassy. We have reason to suspect that they intend to harm the embassy.” Huang Meng said firmly, looking at Xu Ao’s sharp profile.

She knew his hesitation and wavering were all because of the fate of the entire embassy. Now, the plague was raging here, and even if the country wanted to provide assistance, these mercenaries had blocked all entrances and exits due to the plague. It would take some time to get help. During this time, the mercenaries had weapons, while they had nothing. How could he ensure everyone's safety during this period?

"Phew, just like Zhao Meng said, maybe we don't need any plan at all. They are devils, and no plan works against them. They can deal with us whenever they're unhappy," Xu Ao said calmly, letting out a heavy sigh.

"So, don't think about anything, just take it one step at a time. Even if we are all wiped out, at least we won't be alone."

Upon hearing this, Xu Ao turned to look at Huang Meng. She had a faint smile on her lips and clear, firm eyes. She hadn't rested well for several days, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes. Xu Ao just looked at her quietly. Although he knew she was trying to comfort him, he couldn't help but hug her when he saw her determined eyes.

"You haven't met my parents yet, and I haven't met yours either. Why do you keep talking about death? Aren't you girls supposed to avoid saying such things? Why do you keep saying it all the time?" Xu Ao ruffled her hair at the back of her head and tightened his arms around her waist, wishing he could meld her into his own body.

"I didn't say it every day. And what do you mean, 'you girls'? Who else has said that to you? Hmm?" Huang Meng seized on his brilliant loophole and began to press him for answers. Xu Ao was holding her a little tighter, and she squirmed restlessly.

"Don't move, let me hold you tight. If you move around, our operation will be delayed." Xu Ao whispered in her ear.

"Why?" Huang Meng felt ticklish by his breathing and couldn't help but shrink her neck and burrow into his arms.

“Because… never mind, after this is all over, I’ll have a proper discussion with you about the origin of life,” Xu Ao said with a light laugh, resting his chin on the top of his head.

"What? The origin of life? What do you mean?" Xu Ao's voice came from above her head, and Huang Meng asked in confusion.

"You'll see later. Let's go back to our room and rest for a while." Xu Ao let go of her, gave her a light kiss on the forehead, and took her hand as they walked outside.

"Won't……"

"No, not this time." Xu Ao interrupted her before she could finish speaking, chuckling as he flicked her nose. "You still remember, aren't you? You're so petty."

"Hmph, you know that much, don't try to pull the same trick on me twice!" Huang Meng was still furious when she thought about how he had knocked her out with a glass of milk last time!

"Sigh, I'm doomed to have such a smart wife," Xu Ao said, feigning helplessness.

"Tch, dream on, wife, huh?" Huang Meng saw the amusement in his eyes, shook off his hand, and left first. Xu Ao obediently followed behind, and they each went back to their rooms to rest.