Ling Feng looked at Bai Feifei with mixed feelings of irritation and amusement. He leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers.
Bai Feifei's eyes suddenly flew open—the familiar scent, the familiar touch—it was unmistakable. This wasn't an illusion or a dream; it was real!
Ling Feng was really here!
"You… this isn't a dream!" Bai Feifei's face lit up with a hint of joy, which quickly turned to worry. "How could you appear here? What if you're discovered…"
Ling Feng pinched Bai Feifei's nose lightly. "And you dare bring that up? You reckless girl… how could you be so bold as to infiltrate the Freedom Organization alone? If something happened to you, what would I do?"
Listening to Ling Feng's scolding, Bai Feifei stuck out her tongue playfully. "I didn't think that far ahead! I just thought it was a good opportunity... Only by getting inside the enemy's ranks can we gather more information!"
"You… ugh!" Ling Feng said, shaking his head. "I came here to take you away. This place is too dangerous, and leaving you here makes me uneasy."
Bai Feifei hesitated, and Ling Feng said seriously, "Feifei, trust me. With me here, I won't let you face any danger! This place is nothing to me, and besides, we've already gathered enough intel for the mission—it's time to wrap things up!"
Ling Feng wouldn't even consider letting Bai Feifei join the battle that afternoon. War zones were indiscriminating, and if a stray bullet were to hit Bai Feifei, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
"Ling Feng, I… I can't leave now," Bai Feifei said firmly.
"Can't leave?" Ling Feng's brows knitted together. "Are you worried about the defenses here? Don't worry, with your man here, I promise I can get you out safely!"
Bai Feifei shook her head. "No, that's not it. I know how capable you are, and I respect your skills greatly. But I truly can't leave!"
Taking a deep breath, Bai Feifei said gravely, "Ling Feng, you coming all this way to find me—it means so much to me—but this time, I fear I may disappoint you."
"Why?" Ling Feng asked, frowning deeply. "I want to know the reason!"
Bai Feifei gave a bitter smile. "Because I'm not alone. I have three teammates from the Grey Bear Mercenary Group. If I left, it would surely alarm the Freedom Organization, and that would mean certain death for them!"
Ling Feng replied with determination, "Feifei, do you realize how dangerous your situation is right now? The Freedom Organization is trying to retrieve something from the Pyramid, but this will inevitably provoke an attack from the Egyptian Government Army. You're part of the outer defense—your survival chances are slim to none!"
"I know!" Bai Feifei said.
Ling Feng grew impatient. "You… Are you not afraid of death? Why risk your life for the sake of those three people?"
A thought crossed Ling Feng's mind—perhaps he should knock Bai Feifei out and forcefully take her away.
Bai Feifei saw through Ling Feng's thoughts immediately. "Ling Feng, if you try to knock me out and take me away, I'll never forgive you!" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ ɴovᴇl(F)ɪre.ɴet
Seeing the determination in her eyes, Ling Feng felt a headache setting in. He had never seen Bai Feifei so stubborn before!
"Ling Feng, to you, those three might just be strangers, but after almost two months together, they've become my teammates," Bai Feifei explained, knowing her decision would trouble Ling Feng. She hugged Ling Feng's waist tightly and said, "Precisely because they're my teammates, I can't selfishly jeopardize their lives for my own safety! If I did that, I'd regret it for the rest of my life!"
Ling Feng remained silent for a moment. He sighed and gently stroked Bai Feifei's hair. "Have you made up your mind?"
Bai Feifei gave a faintly guilty look. "Yes, I've decided. I'm sorry."
"Silly girl, what do you have to apologize to me for?" Ling Feng said with a soft chuckle. "Your choice isn't wrong—I was too selfish earlier. I didn't take your feelings into account. If I did forcefully take you away, you'd live the rest of your life in guilt, wouldn't you?"
"Ling Feng!" Bai Feifei cried excitedly. She had thought Ling Feng would be disappointed in her, especially after he had traveled all this way to save her, only for her to refuse. But to her surprise...
Having such an understanding and supportive man was a woman's greatest fortune.
Bai Feifei tilted her head up and kissed Ling Feng deeply, as if this one act could best express the swelling emotions in her heart.
Just as Ling Feng was overcome with passion, the sound of Fat Bear's voice came from outside.
"Oh no! What do we do?" Bai Feifei asked in a panic. "If they see you…"
Ling Feng smiled calmly. "Don't worry, they won't find me. But Feifei, I support your decision, so you must stay careful. I'll stay by your side and protect you!"
As he spoke, Ling Feng's body gradually faded into transparency right before Bai Feifei's eyes and disappeared.
Bai Feifei rubbed her eyes in disbelief and whispered, "Ling Feng? Are you still here?"
"I'm here!" Ling Feng's voice came from beside her, startling her.
"I've warped the light around me to create the illusion of disappearing. But don't worry—I'll stay by your side," Ling Feng said smilingly. "The main reason I came here was just to find and protect you!"
Just as he finished speaking, the door creaked open, and Fat Bear and the others entered.
"Oh, Bai Yu, you're awake? How are you feeling now? You look like you're in good spirits!" Fat Bear said with a grin.
Knowing Ling Feng was nearby gave Bai Feifei peace of mind. Her complexion, naturally, appeared much rosier. "Maybe I was just exhausted yesterday—after some good sleep, I feel completely rejuvenated! By the way, what were you guys up to just now?"
"We were contacting other mercenary groups," Big Clumsy Bear chimed in. "This afternoon, there's bound to be a clash with the Egyptian Government Army. We've already connected with several mercenary groups to form an alliance. That way, our chances of survival will be much higher!"
Before long, their short break was over, and by dusk, the Freedom Organization members began mobilizing.
The Egyptian Pyramids, as world-class tourist attractions, drew crowds from across the globe. Before the operation commenced, they had to evacuate all the tourists. If civilian casualties mounted too high, even the Freedom Organization wouldn't be able to bear the repercussions.
Luckily, there were informants within the Egyptian Army who had already evacuated the tourists and expanded the perimeter restrictions.
"I can only keep this information under wraps for three hours!" A high-level commander embedded within the Egyptian Army said to the Freedom Organization leader. "After three hours, it's guaranteed the upper echelon will find out about this, and there'll definitely be a fierce battle. I hope you can retrieve the object quickly!"
The Freedom Organization leader nodded. "Understood. Thank you for your efforts!"