Yu Tang would occasionally cook for them, and sometimes it was delicious...

The morning air on the island is exceptionally fresh. If Yu Tang doesn't have morning classes, she'll do some yoga following a video to stretch her muscles. But today she has morning classes, so after breakfast she went to her study.

She looked out the window and saw speedboats delivering fresh vegetables and fruits. The delivery lady would come every three days and stay for about half an hour each time.

The woman who delivered the supplies was very talkative and enthusiastic. She said she had a daughter who was about the same age as Yu Tang, and she would always bring Yu Tang some freshly picked fruit.

This time, Auntie gave Yu Tang strawberries, which Yu Tang gratefully accepted.

The aunt stayed by the speedboat the whole time. After the vegetables were unloaded, the aunt waved to Yu Tang at the window and quickly drove the speedboat away from Yu Tang's sight.

Yu Tang stared thoughtfully at the disappearing speedboat. Thinking about it carefully, Yu Chaoxian had indeed taught her quite a lot.

She was so lost in thought that she almost forgot about class.

The American Free Tower was attacked not long ago, and today in class, the professor used this incident as a starting point for his research.

The professor explained in class that the dust from the explosion can trigger many diseases. The particles in the dust irritate the respiratory tract, and inhaled silicate and other mineral dust can cause pulmonary fibrosis, leading to permanent lung damage and an increased risk of lung cancer. Asbestos, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heavy metals in the dust are known carcinogens.

The most direct data comes from frontline rescue workers in high-risk groups, about 40% of whom reported respiratory symptoms and had a significantly higher cancer incidence rate than the general population.

Moreover, the rescued survivors and search and rescue personnel suffered from multiple mental illnesses, including post-traumatic stress disorder, because they had personally experienced the disaster.

The topic was quite heavy, so much so that Yu Tang was still thinking about it long after class ended.

Faced with the American governments' attempts to downplay the situation, Yu Tang recalled a statement Yu Chaoxian had made earlier: When problems arise, the first stage of the government's response is to declare that nothing will happen; the second stage is to say that something might happen, but we should not take blind action; in the third stage, when problems do occur, the government will say that we should have taken some measures, but we are now powerless to do anything about it; in the final fourth stage, when the problem is irreversible, the government regretfully says that we should have taken measures, but it is now too late.

At the time, Yu Tang felt that Yu Chaoxian distrusted the government too much. When he saw that she didn't believe him, he just ruffled her hair.

Ironically, that afternoon she saw a chilling news report on television: firefighters who worked day and night on the rescue had contracted lung disease and cancer due to dust, but had not received any compensation from the government and were left to die at home without money for treatment.

In response, the American government argued that people shouldn't blame the government just because they're sick, stating that while there might be some problems, the government shouldn't act rashly and refused to provide compensation.

So many lives lost, without even names, are easily glossed over with a single number in the news.

Yu Tang suddenly remembered the photo of Yu Chaoxian, in which Yu Chaoxian's teammates had also silently given their lives. Apart from a few people around them, no one would know about them, and no one would remember them.

Yu Chaoxian returned sometime earlier and came up behind her. "Cooking noodles?"

The man's voice rang in her ears, and Yu Tang was so startled that she dropped the soup spoon in her hand into the sink.

She suddenly had a craving for tomato and beef brisket noodles, so she asked the chef to stew the beef brisket in advance. She just needed to cook the noodles and reduce the sauce.

"You cooked this for me?" Yu Chaoxian looked down at her. The amount of noodles in her hand was clearly not enough for her to finish by herself.

Who else could she cook for besides him?

Yu Tang looked at the noodles in her hand, thought of Ivan, and then looked up at the travel-worn Yu Chaoxian, "Have you eaten yet?"

Yu Chaoxian leaned against the refrigerator, glancing at her: "If you slow down any further, I'm about to starve to death."

"Then I'll hurry up, or you can go rest on the sofa for a while?" Yu Tang was really not used to the strong pressure behind her. She was not very busy at first, but she started to run around aimlessly, putting the noodles in and stirring them.

Yu Chaoxian stood there watching her for a while, but she neither came over to hug him nor kiss him, so he simply went over and kissed her on the corner of her mouth.

Yu Tang didn't refuse, because she had a favor to ask. Yu Chaoxian's tongue easily slipped into her mouth, and he immediately sensed her cooperation. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, then pulled her head back to deepen the kiss.

After a while, Yu Tang hurriedly pushed him away, "Noodles, noodles!"

Yu Tang hurriedly turned off the stove. Yu Chaoxian looked at her rosy lips, which were glistening and slightly swollen, and found them extremely beautiful.

"Go get some chopsticks." Yu Chaoxian pulled Yu Tang aside and took the noodles out.

Yu Tang also brought him an ice-cold beer. He didn't drink the milkshake she made at the Yu residence last time, so this time both glasses could be hers.

To everyone's surprise, Yu Chaoxian didn't stand on ceremony and directly took her milkshake and drank it.

Yu Tang hesitated, then decided to just drink it and continued eating her noodles.

Seeing that her appetite had returned to what it was before, Yu Chaoxian was very satisfied.

"Is there anything you want these next few days?" Yu Chaoxian would ask Yu Tang this every few days.

Yu Tang looked at Yu Chaoxian and said cautiously, "Could you give me a hundred yuan? Or two hundred yuan? The aunt who brought me fruit last time brought me some local desserts, and I'd like to eat some more, so I'd like her to help me buy some and bring them to me, but I don't know how much they cost."

"Is that all?" Yu Chaoxian asked lazily. He hadn't given her money before because he thought she'd run around, but now that they were on the island, fifty kilometers above the ground, and without a helicopter, escape was practically impossible. He'd left Ivan behind to keep her from getting bored; if he really wanted to monitor her, Chen Diao was more reliable than Ivan.

Yu Tang nodded. The food here was indeed very healthy and exquisite, but it was easy to lose one's appetite if you ate too much. "I still want to eat pizza and donuts," she said.

Yu Chaoxian thought that he should take her out after he finished this busy period, so that she wouldn't get bored.

“Okay.” Yu Chao first asked Ivan to bring over a stack of cash.

Yu Tang stared at the stack of money, her eyes wide. There should be ten thousand yuan. She asked to confirm, "Is all of this for me?"

The emotions Yu Chao had when he first arrived had completely dissipated during their kiss in the kitchen, and he had completely forgotten the argument he had had before leaving. He thought about it for a moment and quickly realized that arguments between couples were perfectly normal, and they would make up anyway.

He pinched her delicate face. "As long as you stay by my side obediently, you can have anything you want. Everything I have is yours."

Yu Tang's eyes were fixed on the money, and her greedy appearance amused Yu Chaoxian, so he gave her another stack of cash.

Honestly, even Yu Yanting wouldn't have given her that much cash, after all, she wasn't an obedient child back then.

"Thank you, boss."

Yu Chao turned his head and kissed her on the corner of her mouth. "Don't shout randomly. Say the names I like to hear."

Yu Tang pursed her lips and remained silent. Xiao Xian was her nephew, but Yu Chaoxian was not.

Yu Chaoxian could tell from her expression that she was being difficult again, but that was no problem. Time heals all wounds, and Yu Tang would give him what he wanted sooner or later.

After lunch, Yu Chaoxian and Yu Tang went fishing. The afternoon sun was so warm and comforting that it made them feel sleepy. The small boat rocked gently like a cradle, making them feel drowsy.

There were parasols and small blankets on the boat. Yu Tang tossed the fishing rod to Yu Chaoxian, covered herself with the blanket, and turned over to sleep.

Yu Chaoxian rarely had such a leisurely moment. In the past, he would have considered this a waste of time. He pulled Yu Tang into his arms and let her sleep in his embrace.

Now that she's here, these moments feel precious.

The small boat swayed gently with the soft waves, like a floating feather. Yu Tang nestled in Yu Chaoxian's arms, her eyelashes casting dappled shadows in the sunlight, her breathing gradually becoming even and long.

Yu Chaoxian turned his head and looked at her sleeping face. The sea breeze ruffled her hair, and a few strands clung to her slightly flushed cheeks. He reached out and gently brushed them away, his fingertips brushing against her warm skin, his movements unconsciously becoming softer.

The sky was a clear, deep blue, with a few wisps of clouds drifting aimlessly. In her dream, Yu Tang unconsciously snuggled closer to him, her forehead resting against his shoulder, seeking warmth. Yu Chaoxian looked down at her, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips, letting her lean against him without moving.

Between the sea and the sky, only the sound of the wind, the waves, and her soft breathing remained.

What he sought was to spend the rest of his life with Yu Tang in this way.

Sleeping on the boat could easily lead to a cold, so Yu Chao wrapped her in a blanket and carried her back to the bedroom.

Yu Chaoxian didn't want to sleep at first, but seeing that Yu Tang was sleeping soundly, he held her and didn't want to let go, so he simply fell asleep with her.

Yu Tang dreamt that the money in her hand fell into the sea. She suddenly opened her eyes and instinctively reached down to grab it, but there was no money. She could only grab Yu Chaoxian's wrist tightly.

The force was so great, as if it feared something important would disappear.

Yu Chaoxian opened his eyes, "You want it that much?" They were already very close, and now that Yu Tang turned around, she was right next to him in the same spot.

"No, no, I was..." Yu Tang didn't know how to explain it clearly. She couldn't very well say that she was grabbing money. Originally, she was prepared to ask Yu Chaoxian for money several more times, but who would have thought that Yu Chaoxian would give her so much money so readily.

Yu Tang's clothes had already been completely removed by Yu Chaoxian inside the quilt.

Yu Chao kissed away the tears from the corners of her eyes; he was so infatuated with being close to Yu Tang.

Face-to-face is the posture that Yu Tang avoids and rejects the most, because she can see her own reflection in Yu Chaoxian's dark eyes.

She turned her face away, her hand pushing against him in resistance. Yu Chaoxian took her hand, his fingers slipping between hers, their fingers intertwined.

Seeing that she was biting her lip and refusing to make a sound, he kissed her directly, and this time Yu Tang could no longer hide the sound in her throat.

Yu Chaoxian reached out and brushed her sweat-dampened hair aside, pulling the blanket up to cover her shoulders. "Tangtang, let's have a home too, okay?"

Yu Tang was in a daze, feeling as if her body was no longer her own. She heard Yu Chaoxian speaking in her ear, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. Her ears were itchy and she wanted to hide, but she couldn't escape his embrace.

Yu Chao first kissed her forehead, then smiled and took her hand under the blanket. He waited for the afterglow to dissipate before carrying her to take a bath.

Looking back, those few months on the island turned out to be the last precious period of harmonious time they spent together before parting ways.

Time flew by faster than Yu Chaoxian had imagined. In the blink of an eye, it was already July, and he had spent six months on the island.

For the past six months, he rarely went out, spending almost every day with Yu Tang, the surrounding scenery all looking the same. Yu Chaoxian thought he would soon tire of this monotonous life.

But in reality, the first thing he does every day when he opens his eyes is to see what Yu Tang is doing.

Sometimes she falls asleep next to him, sometimes she opens her eyes and peeks at him, sometimes she sits in front of the dressing mirror applying skincare products, and sometimes she lays out a soft mat on the glass corridor outside to do yoga.

Occasionally, Yu Tang would cook, and sometimes the food was delicious and sometimes it wasn't. When it wasn't delicious, he would still give it to Yu Tang.

Yu Tang was happiest when her aunt brought vegetables and fruits, because there were donuts and pizzas that she liked.

Seeing that her cheeks were bulging from eating, Yu Chaoxian was in a good mood and gave her a stack of green coins. Yu Tang immediately ran upstairs and deposited all the money into her newly bought piggy bank.

This piggy bank is twice the size of the previous one. Yu Chaoxian also bought this piggy bank.

After that, not only Yu Tang fed money to the piggy bank, but Yu Chaoxian would also put money in it. Yu Tang reminded him that the money he put in was her money.

Yu Chaoxian squinted at the little money-grubber, glancing at him again and again.

"Looking at me won't help, I won't return it to you," Yu Tang said, hugging her piggy bank.

He raised an eyebrow at her; Yu Tang was indeed determined not to let go of what she wanted.

Yu Chaoxian stretched out his hand and put money in his palm. Yu Tang indeed reached out his hand as well.

Then Yu Chaoxian placed money on each step of the stairs, more on each floor than the last. Yu Tang went upstairs, picked up one bill, then two, then three… She could never have dreamed of anything better.

There was a stack of papers at the bedroom door. Yu Tang went in first, and Yu Chao closed the door behind her.

By the time Yu Tang realized Yu Chaoxian's intentions, it was too late. Yu Chaoxian pulled her down onto the bed and they collapsed.

Sometimes it's on the sofa.

But Ivan was completely oblivious to the atmosphere. You can't really blame him; he genuinely hadn't expected his boss and Miss Yu to be on the sofa so late at night...

He thought there had been an earthquake on the island, and the furniture was creaking and rattling.

Ivan almost discovered that Yu Chaoxian's indiscriminate behavior had angered Yu Tang, who gave him the cold shoulder for several days. As a result, Yu Chaoxian transferred Ivan back to the base.

The end of the month is the final exam, and since it's an online exam, you need to upload your identification documents. Yu Tang's documents are with Yu Chaoxian, so she naturally asks Yu Chaoxian for them.

Yu Tang wanted to be at peace, and of course she wanted to be at peace; what he had taken from her, she would naturally ask for back.

Yu Chaoxian leaned back lazily on the sofa, the girl's ID card between his fingers, dangling it idly. In the ID photo, she had her hair in a ponytail and smiled with a youthful innocence. He deliberately stretched out his arm, keeping the ID card further away from Yu Tang, who was lunging at him.

Yu Tang tiptoed to reach him, her hair brushing against his chin, tickling him.

"Tangtang, if you want this, show some sincerity." He flicked his wrist and transferred the document to his other hand.

"It's mine to begin with, why should I be sincere?" Yu Tang seized the opportunity to pounce on him, and he leaned back, and as he wished, the two of them fell into the sofa together.

They kissed and hugged, but Yu Chao's hand suddenly went limp as she took his ID, leaving a clear tooth mark on his palm.

He looked at the teeth marks and smiled helplessly. If he didn't give them to her, she would get angry; if he did, she would bite him.

Yu Tang smugly waved at him, but he grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms.

Yu Chao first pinched her chin open, touched the little tiger tooth, and almost got bitten on the finger. Remembering the tooth mark on his leg that hadn't faded yet, he suddenly pressed down on the back of her neck and smiled wickedly: "I just remembered that I have a tooth mark on my leg too. It fits perfectly when you open your mouth and put it against it."

Her small, rosy mouth wasn't big enough to hold the food, just as he had expected, but the teeth marks on her leg did match, so he hadn't wronged her.

Yu Tang was so upset that tears welled up in her eyes, and she went to take the exam with red, swollen eyes.

After registering her identity information, she took a photo and uploaded it, then casually tossed her ID onto the corner of the table and bowed to the computer wallpaper.

Last-minute cramming. Wait, Yu Chaoxian squinted and glanced around; Yu Tang had actually venerated quite a few: Zhang Zhongjing, Sun Simiao, Nightingale…

On the day Yu Tang finished her online exam, Yu Chaoxian took her to Shuangxili in Italy to relax.

Yu Tang chose this place because this town was the filming location for one of her favorite movies.

Yu Tang walked up the steps, noticing several girls glancing behind her. Standing on the higher steps, Yu Tang turned to look as well. Yu Chaoxian, dressed in a casual hoodie, stood tall and handsome with excellent proportions, at the boundary between light and shadow.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling his sharply defined profile, and the shadow cast by his brow bone added to the mystery of his deep-set eyes.

She reached out and put the hat on his head. A smile curved the corners of the man's mouth, hidden in the shadows beneath the brim of the hat.

Yu Chaoxian glanced around casually; people were taking pictures non-stop along the entire road. He looked at Yu Tang, who didn't seem to want to take any. "Aren't you going to take any pictures?"

Yu Tang shook her head, her eyes filled with the scenery, and decided to keep it in her heart.

She knew that Yu Chaoxian didn't like noisy places, but he seemed alright and didn't seem impatient.

Then she pulled him around and led him to a coffee shop.

The café was decorated with stills of movie actors, creating a great atmosphere. Yu Tang took a sip of her coffee; it wasn't as good as she'd imagined. Yu Chaoxian, observing her reaction, knew she'd probably come because she'd heard it was a must-visit, but it hadn't lived up to her expectations.

But it doesn't matter, Yu Tang is just enjoying the atmosphere, and the place she really wants to go next is next.

It's the church where the male protagonist and his wife got married in the movie.

Built into the hillside, the church retains its medieval Norman style, featuring simple geometric lines and rugged stone walls, typical arched porticoes and small bell towers. The interior is decorated with Baroque details, including a magnificent altar, frescoes, and gilded ornaments. The overall stone architecture blends seamlessly with the arid hillside landscape.

Seeing that Yu Tang seemed quite happy as she walked and stopped along the way, Yu Chaoxian followed her, never letting go of her hand.

During this time, Yu Chao first received a phone call from Mingming. It was about a drone company in Fuzhou sending disguised CIA mercenaries to investigate. Mingming's question was whether they should just eliminate them. After all, when those mercenaries provoked Miss Yu before, the boss hadn't hesitated to silence them, even if it meant getting into trouble. Now that they dared to target the boss's drone company, the boss was even less likely to let them off the hook.

Yu Chaoxian, however, said uncharacteristically, "No need. Don't take any action for now. Let Ajin follow in reverse; maybe we can dig out some information."

Whether it's the assassins from before or the mercenaries coming one after another, they're all targeting him without exception. The person behind this should be found out, and he happens to have some free time right now, so he can play along.

The moment the call ended, Yu Chaoxian's heart suddenly froze, as if his heartbeat had stopped.

His palms were empty. The hand that had been holding his was gone.

-----------------------

The author's note: Yu Chaoxian repeatedly mentioned that he would not let go of what Yu Tang wanted, which actually shows that he was very concerned about Yu Tang saying she didn't want him, yet she always let go of him.