Chapter 202: Volume 1 Chapter 202 – Mermaid? Shark person? (19)

A Ting let out an "ah" and said, "Then I like you again."

The shark person shifted expression like Sichuan opera face‑changing, his smile flawless.

Jiang Zhi: "……"

After hesitating for a few minutes, she gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, I agree."

A Ting's finger resting on the back of her neck suddenly stopped; he leaned in close to her face, within arm's reach, his shadow enveloping her completely, bringing a strong sense of oppression.

"Zhizhi, if you deceive me, when I find you I will chop off both your legs……"

Hearing him say increasingly creepy things, Jiang Zhi raised a hand to cover his mouth, nodding to assure him: "Don't worry, I never lie; having said I'll be your partner, I won't leave you."

The mission was still there; where could she flee?

A Ting kissed the corner of her lips, wet and cool, then quickly pulled away.

"Okay."

——

Returning the same way from the storage room, passing through the corridor into that patch of jungle, Jiang Zhi had no time to catch her breath as she strides toward the cave.

Seeing Chi You tending to the injured, unconscious Chen Qi Bai, and He Jing Rou getting up to add firewood, she hurriedly said, "Run! This island is going to explode."

He Jing Rou and Chi You, hearing the sound, both lifted their heads in shock, staring at her.

Chi You carried Chen Qi Bai on his back while He Jing Rou followed behind, running through the lush, verdant forest; several times the uneven ground nearly made them fall.

Jiang Zhi ran, glancing at the familiar face beside her, feeling briefly dazed, and asked, "Chi You classmate, how did you and Senior Chen get back to the cave?"

Chi You often trained; his physique differed from ordinary people's, so even while carrying an adult male he spoke without a hint of breathlessness, calmly recounting what happened.

Chi You and Chen Qi Bai hadn't found Xu Chao and the others; suspecting a mysterious organization had captured them, they tried to infiltrate the group but were discovered. Chen Qi Bai rescued him, giving him a chance to escape, but just as he was about to return to the cave, a sudden dizziness overwhelmed him for no reason and he fainted.

When he awoke, he found himself lying beside the beach, with Chen Qi Bai half‑submerged in seawater next to him; Chi You carried him back to the cave.

Chen Qi Bai's injuries were not serious, merely superficial wounds; having soaked in seawater too long, he ran a high fever of forty degrees that refused to subside.

Jiang Zhi felt envious; the male lead had endured all this, yet ended up with only superficial injuries.

If it were an ordinary person, their bones would probably be shattered.

"We must now put distance between ourselves and this island, run toward the sea—there's no need to fear those monsters; I've checked, this beach has none." She led the way ahead.

According to what the shark person A Ting said when leaving, letting her run toward the sea meant the monsters would not harm her, so with her nearby, their going into the water would at least be safe.

"Boom——!"

A sky‑shattering roar fell upon their ears; behind them, every peak of the sea island collapsed, the ground cracked like a spiderweb, splitting apart, the whole island teetering on the brink.

Jiang Zhi shouted to those behind her: "Run!!"

The fissures in the earth widened, towering trees snapped at the trunk and crashed down with rumbling roars, while the heavens above were illuminated by a blaze as bright as daylight.

They exerted all their strength, running toward the sea.

As icy seawater washed over their brows, the successive booms subsided; scorching firelight painted the sea surface in hues of red‑orange, thick smoke rolling and blanketing the sky above the island.

They broke the surface, staring dumbfounded at the shocking sight; the ordeal of these days felt like a nightmare, something they did not wish to recall.

Without the island, they drifted on the sea surface, as if awaiting death.

Just as they despaired, a distant patrol boat's horn sounded from the sea.

"Honk——!"

The island's explosive roar and the flames lighting the night sky drew them over.

Jiang Zhi floated on her back, calmly watching the approaching ship, her face lacking the sheer joy they felt.

The male and female leads couldn't possibly die; the plot arranged that shortly after the island exploded, a patrol ship would discover them and rescue them.

Wrapped in a blanket and standing on the deck, Jiang Zhi lifted her gaze to the destroyed sea island; firelight fell on her face, her lips pressed tight.

777 anxiously said, "Host, if you just leave like this, the villain will go berserk."

The blackening value certainly won't drop; it will surely break through the heavens.

Jiang Zhi helplessly said, "I know, but I don't want to return with it to the deep‑sea nest."

Although she knew A Ting would find a way for her to breathe underwater, she did not want to go to the dark, sunless depths of the deep sea.

She is not a shark person and cannot grow accustomed to that life.

As the horn sounded again, the ship was about to depart.

Jiang Zhi stared fixedly at the sea surface, her heart continually praying.

"Can't you hear my heart? A Ting, I'm willing to be with you, but I don't want to go back to the deep sea with you—can you come with me? Return to land together."

"A Ting……"

In this world she cannot see favorability, so she does not know how much favor the shark person feels toward her.

She held little hope for the words she had spoken to the shark person.

As just thought, she is not a shark person and cannot adapt to deep‑sea life; and A Ting, not being human and dwelling long in the deep sea, how could he adapt to life on land?

Jiang Zhi was merely testing; if he were unwilling, she would not actually board the ship to return.

Her mission target is A Ting, not the true original host.

As the ship drifted farther from the sea island, Jiang Zhi gripped the railing tightly, ready to jump into the sea.

But at that moment, the shark person leapt from the sea surface, his fish tail transforming into legs, standing before her.

"Are you threatening me?" The man stood 1.9 meters tall, his frame straight and slender like a pine, upon the deck; his black hair reaching his waist was brushed with a faint red sheen, his inhuman visage seeming like God's most perfect sculpture, the red mole at the corner of his eye glowing with a bloody halo.

Jiang Zhi heard him; his face reflected in her pupils, the corners of her mouth involuntarily curved into a faint smile, "I'm just asking you."

As she spoke, she raised a finger, touching the red mole with her fingertip, then calmly asked, "So what is your answer?"

A Ting felt warm and soft beneath his eye, and fell silent for a few seconds.

It said, "Accompanying you."

The lost memory, each time it is recalled, brings a suffocating despair and sorrow.

Abandoned, deceived...

But when it sees the girl, it no longer recalls the memory; instead, it wants to be with her, even though that memory was caused by her, it still wants to be with her.

Jiang Zhi untied the blanket on her body, covered its naked form, stepped forward and tightly embraced it.

A voice came from its embrace.

"Thank you, Ahàn."

"【Villain Ahàn's corruption value -12 points, 83 points.】"

———

After disembarking, they accepted the investigation of the Special Investigation Unit. The Special Investigation Unit has been tracking a mysterious organization that disguises itself as biological research and conducts illegal trade with various countries.

What the Special Investigation Unit didn't expect was that a group of wealthy second-generation students would take a private cruise to that sea area for tourism.