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nMu Sijue got up on deck and found that Xu Youning did not look well. He walked over and asked in a strained voice, “Are you all right?”

nHer discomfort was gone, and Xu Youning didn’t want to tell Mu Sijue about it, so she shook her head and said, “I’m all right. I’m going to sleep for a while. Please wake me up when we arrive.”

nShe went downstairs, found a room at random and lay on the bed in it.

nBecause of her period, Mu Sijue could do nothing to her the previous night, and she had slept well all night. In the early morning, she wasn’t sleepy at all, so she just huddled herself up under the quilt, watching the sea out of sheer boredom.

nAfter a time, the door of her room was suddenly pushed open.

nXu Youning looked over there vigilantly, only to see Mu Sijue. She immediately became relaxed and sat up, then she asked, “Seventh Brother, what’s the matter?”

nMu Sijue still looked stony. He awkwardly handed the glass in his hand to Xu Youning and said, “Drink it.”

nXu Youning took the glass with curiosity and found it half-full of a crimson liquid, which smelled sweet, warm and luscious.

nShe pointed at the glass of liquid in confusion and asked, “What… the hell is this?”

n“What the hell?” he thought.

nWith an even more indifferent countenance, Mu Sijue shouted in a cold voice, “I told you to drink it!”

nXu Youning thought for a while and immediately shook her head. She pretended to hand the glass back to Mu Sijue and said, “I think you may have slipped something in it!”

nShe thought that her suspicion was quite reasonable.

nSince they were on the island, she had been taking against Mu Sijue, and she had even proposed an end of their relationship, while it seemed that Mu Sijue was thinking about strangling her to death every day.

nHe was Mu Sijue, the dignified Seventh Brother Mu, it would be disgraceful of him to throttle his subordinate. Therefore, in Xu Youning’s eyes, he would probably choose to poison her to death, so she thought that she had better be careful.

n“Xu Youning,” Mu Sijue said while narrowing his eyes threateningly. It sounded that he was growling through clenched teeth. “If I want you to die, I’ll find a way that is more convenient than drugging! You have one minute to drink it!”

n“All right,” Xu Youning gave up and said, “You said it. If you want me to die, I won’t be able to flee. I’ll drink it!”

nShe lifted her chin and took a gulp of the liquid in the glass. As she tasted it, she froze.

nIt was made of brown sugar!

nIt was a glass of warm brown sugar water!

nFor a few seconds, Xu Youning felt that the world was a fantasy. She looked at Mu Sijue with disbelief and asked, “Why did you ask me to drink it?” She wondered, “It is said that brown sugar is able to nourish women, isn’t it?”

n“Do I look like the kind of woman who needs to nourish her blood?”

nMu Sijue glanced at Xu Youning’s belly with a strained countenance, and he looked even surlier. He didn’t answer her but said, “You have 20 seconds left.”

n“…” Xu Youning quickly finished the brown sugar water, then she handed the glass back to Mu Sijue and said, “Tell me, what do you want?”

nBeyond Xu Youning’s expectation, Mu Sijue ignored her. He took the glass and went out. He even closed the door for her, although his movements weren’t gentle enough.

nXu Youning was stunned on the bed, unable to come to her senses for a long time.

nOut of occupational habits, she quickly thought it over and figured out two key points: First, Mu Sijue thought that she was not feeling well when they were on the deck. Second, Mu Sijue gave a glance at her belly.

nMu Sijue knew that she was in her period. She wondered, “Did he think that I’m suffering from dysmenorrhea?”

n“D*mn! He looks down on me too much!”

n“If I couldn’t survive my period, I would have kicked the bucket a long time ago. Then, how could I live until today?”

nEven though she was depressed, Xu Youning could not ignore the warmth within her heart.

nBeing in a menstrual period seemed to be an excuse for women to show their weakness. During that period, it seemed that they would be forgiven even if they made small mistakes or loafed on the job.

nHowever, Xu Youning was not included. Whenever, whether she was healthy or not, or seriously injured, once she took it lightly, she would perish.

nTherefore, being in a menstrual period had never been the reason she allowed herself to be vulnerable. The glass of brown sugar water from Mu Sijue was the first concern she had ever received during her period.

nWhat was Mu Sijue like?

nHe was indifferent and heartless. In Xu Youning’s eyes, he would never show concern for others. Until then, he had never done that for any other women.

nShe wondered, “Am I special to Mu Sijue?” At least, he was willing to do something for her.

nThat kind of joy didn’t last long within Xu Youning’s heart. She had always been rational, and she soon realized the reality—

n“I’ll be sniffed out soon. So what if I’m special to Mu Sijue?”

nThere was bound to be a war between Mu Sijue and her, and it would end in either her death or his heavy loss.

nThe cruel reality shattered her joy. Xu Youning leaned against the glass window, watching the rough waters outside, her mind sunk in confusion.

nShe had long before made up her mind to leave as soon as her true identity was revealed. However, Mu Sijue’s little act of kindness easily shook her resolve.

nAll of a sudden, she wanted to gamble and tell Mu Sijue the truth. “Maybe Mu Sijue will forgive me for once, wouldn’t he?”

n“As long as Mu Sijue forgives me, I won’t have to leave. Even if I have no legal status for the rest of my life, at least I can stay with him!”

nAnyway, she had never expected to be with Mu Sijue forever; it was enough as long as she could see him every day.

nWith that, Xu Youning rushed out of the room and ran into Mu Sijue.

nMu Sijue frowned with discontent, while subconsciously reaching out to steady Xu Youning and asked, “What’s the matter?”

n“I…” Xu Youning bit her tongue as Mu Sijue gazed at her with his cold eyes, which seemed able to cool down her heart inch by inch. She came to her senses, thinking, “I shouldn’t take the risk!”

nIt wasn’t because she couldn’t afford the gamble, but she should not be selfish.

nShe was not alone in the world. She still had to take care of her aged grandmother. She thought, “What if I lose and Mu Sijue kills me in a rage, and I can no longer go back to my grandma? What about her?”

n“After my identity is revealed, who can guarantee that Mu Sijue’s men won’t hurt my grandma?”

nXu Youning swallowed and said in a strained voice, “Do you happen to have any more brown sugar water?”

nMu Sijue’s handsome face looked awkward in a flash. Unexpectedly, he did not pick on Xu Youning. Instead, he turned around and walked toward the bar.

nOn the bar counter was a packet of freshly opened brown sugar. He put some brown sugar into the glass, added hot water, and handed the glass to Xu Youning.

n“Thank you.” Xu Youning cupped the glass of brown sugar water and suddenly remembered that Mu Sijue was walking toward her room just then. She asked tentatively, “Seventh Brother, were you… going to visit me just now?”

nMu Sijue said coolly, “Yeah. There’s something wrong with the yacht. We need to get off.”

nXu Youning replied “oh,” without asking what the matter was. She simply took her bag and followed Mu Sijue to leave the yacht.

nCoincidentally, their yacht was berthed at an isolated island, which was covered in lush vegetation. For those without outdoor survival experience, it was a dangerous place; while for people like Xu Youning and Mu Sijue, it was no different from ordinary places.

nAfter going ashore, Xu Youning asked, “Seventh Brother, when can our yacht be fixed?”

n“I’m not sure. We may spend the night here.” Mu Sijue glanced at Xu Youning and asked, “Are you afraid?”

nXu Youning snorted with disdain and said, “Now that I came with you, I’m not afraid. Even if the sky falls, you’ll be the one to hold it because you’re taller than me, and I’ll be safe!”

n“…” Mu Sijue did not know how to retort.

nXu Youning had rarely won a quarrel between Mu Sijue and her like that. In a cheery mood, she turned around and walked toward the woods.

n“Xu Youning!” Mu Sijue frowned and shouted, “Come back!”

n“We don’t know when the yacht will be repaired. Don’t you feel bored waiting for that?” Xu Youning turned around and looked at Mu Sijue while stepping backward. She said, “I’ll be bored. I want to wander about and see if there is anything novel here.”

nMu Sijue narrowed his eyes and called Xu Youning again. However, Xu Youning simply waved at him, then he could do nothing but follow her.

nXu Youning was experienced in trekking through the woods, and it was not dangerous there, so she was very relaxed. In Mu Sijue’s eyes, it seemed that she was strolling in a park.

nNot long after they walked deep into the woods, Xu Youning saw a kind of wild fruit.

nIt was the most delicious wild fruit she had ever eaten. When she performed her mission before, it had saved her life. Therefore, every time she saw it, she couldn’t help picking some to eat.

nHowever, after she went back to City G to work undercover, let alone eating that kind of wild fruit, she had even lost the chance to experience other adventures. She didn’t want to let the chance go since she was there!

nXu Youning rubbed her hands, and when she was about to climb up the fruit tree, she was suddenly collared.

nShe looked back and saw Mu Sijue’s sour face. He asked in a low voice, “What are you doing?”

nXu Youning pointed to the fruit tree and said, “Picking fruits. Do you want to eat? I can pick some for you.”

nMu Sijue snorted and asked, “Are you sure you can climb up?”

nOnly then did Xu Youning find that the fruit tree was surrounded by thorns and weeds. It would take her much effort to climb up with her bare hands. However, simply picking some fruits was not worth her time.

nAfter thinking for a while, Xu Youning fixed her eyes on Mu Sijue and said, “No. But you…”

n“Xu Youning, how dare you!?” Mu Sijue gave Xu Youning a cold look. In the past 30-plus years of his life, no one had dared to order him about.

n“Of course I don’t dare ask you to climb up the tree.” Xu Youning laughed, pointing to the tree crown over her head and said, “I just need your help.”

nWith that, before Mu Sijue could say yes or no, Xu Youning jumped onto his back and held him tightly. She said, “Now that you can’t get rid of me. Just do me a favor.”

n“Xu Youning!” Mu Sijue clenched his teeth and shouted, “Get off right now!”

n“I won’t!” Xu Youning entangled Mu Sijue with her limbs like a koala and said, “Unless I pick a fruit!”

nHer tender body was against him, and he could even feel her figure…

nMu Sijue looked more and more forbidding…

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