Chapter 95 The Unspoken Regret

Su Xiaonuan ducked and nimbly dodged, while simultaneously slashing at his supporting leg's knee joint with lightning speed, her right hand resembling a knife.

Ji Xianjun reacted extremely quickly, pulling back his leg to block, his arm colliding with Su Xiaonuan's hand chop, producing a dull thud.

The two instantly became entangled in combat.

Ji Xianjun's offensive was swift and violent, using every punch, leg, elbow, and knee imaginable, filled with destructive power, as if he were about to unleash years of pent-up emotions.

Su Xiaonuan, on the other hand, was like a small boat in a storm. Although she seemed to be in danger, she always managed to avoid the vital points at the last second. Her movements were more agile, dodging, blocking, and counterattacking with a clear rhythm and a precision that had been honed through countless trials.

Su Xiaonuan paid special attention to his left arm, which was an old injury he had sustained.

However, after several encounters, she was even more surprised—his left arm moved smoothly and exerted force rapidly, showing no signs of having been broken, and was even more cunning and ruthless than his right arm!

Ji Xianjun noticed the surprise in her eyes and intensified his attack, delivering a heavy side kick after a feint, aiming straight for Su Xiaonuan's waist and abdomen.

Su Xiaonuan's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and she no longer held back. The terrifying reaction and power brought about by her body being strengthened to the fourth level instantly erupted!

Instead of retreating, she advanced, using a near-ground sliding step to cut into Ji Xianjun's central opening, her shoulder slamming into his chest, while her hands grabbed his supporting leg, her core muscles suddenly engaging!

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, Ji Xianjun's tall body was slammed heavily onto the cold concrete ground of the rooftop by Su Xiaonuan's clean and swift throw!

He groaned and tried to struggle to get up, but Su Xiaonuan's knee had already accurately hit his lower back, twisted one of his arms to the extreme with one hand, and hung loosely on his cervical spine with the elbow of the other hand.

The outcome is decided.

Su Xiaonuan was breathing slightly heavily, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She looked at Ji Xianjun, who was no longer moving beneath her, and frowned: "Why? With your skills and abilities, you could have had much better options. Why did you choose this path?"

Ji Xianjun lay on the ground, his face pressed against the rough surface, and suddenly chuckled softly, the laughter desolate and hollow.

“Why?” he murmured, ceasing his struggle. “Because after that match, my mother became seriously ill and needed a large sum of money, money I could never have earned at the time.”

He turned his head to the side, his gaze somewhat unfocused as he looked at the city lights in the distance: "Then, someone found me. They knew everything about me, my competitions, my mother's illness, and even... my little-known tricks on the internet. They gave me money enough to cure my mother and extend her life by three years. The condition was my left arm, which they had 'cured,' and my... hacking skills."

He rolled up the sleeve of his left arm, revealing a clear, almost branded, silver crescent mark above his wrist.

"See? This is the price, the 'ticket'."

Su Xiaonuan's pupils suddenly contracted. A crescent moon mark?

Could it be that—

Is the organization behind him connected to the Moonlit Murders?

Ji Xianjun's gaze refocused on Su Xiaonuan's face, his eyes filled with complex emotions, including pain, resentment, and a trace of... lingering affection.

He opened his mouth as if to say something more private, but in the end it just turned into a barely audible sigh.

He struggled for a moment, and Su Xiaonuan loosened her grip slightly.

He stood up unsteadily, staggered to the edge of the rooftop wall, and slowly sat down against the corner, as if he had exhausted all his strength.

Then, he looked up at Su Xiaonuan, a pure smile on his face, tinged with nostalgia and pleading: "Xiaonuan, can I... can I eat your juicy lobster balls again? Just like... just like the ones you made that morning, they were so delicious..."

Su Xiaonuan's breath hitched.

Oh, I see. It was that time with Xiao Liu from the property management company—

He had been observing her all along, from a corner where she couldn't see him.

Although she was filled with doubts, she knew now was not the time to ask them.

Without making a sound, she glanced out of the corner of her eye at a dark corner, where Zhao Liyue's figure swayed slightly, followed by a discreet hand gesture indicating "safe, hostage rescued".

Su Xiaonuan felt a little relieved and turned to look at Ji Xianjun.

His eyes at this moment had lost their stubbornness and gloom, and were somewhat like those of the boy who, after losing a game, hid in a corner of the training hall and silently licked his wounds.

An indescribable emotion welled up inside her. She remained silent for a few seconds before finally nodding: "Okay."

Ji Xianjun smiled, like a child whose wish had been fulfilled.

He laboriously raised his hand and pointed to a shadowy area on the other side of the rooftop covered by a huge black cloth: "The things... I've prepared them all."

Su Xiaonuan walked in the direction he pointed, lifted the black cloth, and was stunned.

Under the black cloth was a fully functional temporary small kitchen!

The gas stove, kitchen utensils, cutting board, seasonings... everything is there, and there's even a small insulated box next to it containing several lively Australian lobsters and various ingredients.

He was so well prepared!

Su Xiaonuan's ominous premonition intensified once again. She frowned and hesitated for a moment, but still washed her hands, tied on a brand-new apron hanging nearby, and began to process the lobsters.

On the rooftop, in the night breeze, an unconventional "cooking" activity began.

Su Xiaonuan's movements remained fluid and graceful. She processed the lobster, prepared the side ingredients, sautéed the aroma, stir-fried the lobster roe, added wine, and broth... Every step was precise and elegant, seemingly out of place in this dangerous environment, yet possessing a strange beauty.

The rich, overwhelming aroma of freshness rose with the steam, quickly spreading and even temporarily overpowering the dusty smell on the rooftop.

The aroma seemed to have a life of its own, seeping into every corner and stimulating the most primal appetite.

Ji Xianjun leaned against the wall, twitched his nose slightly, and stared intently at Su Xiaonuan's busy figure.

His gaze was somewhat unfocused, whether he was looking at the gradually taking shape, golden lobster ball, or at the petite figure with a calm and focused expression in the firelight.

Deep within those eyes lurked an unspeakable complex emotion, a mixture of jealousy, longing, and utter relief.

When Su Xiaonuan brought him a small pot of piping hot, thick, and fragrant lobster balls, Ji Xianjun almost couldn't wait to take it. He didn't even use the chopsticks Su Xiaonuan offered; he simply picked up a large lobster ball with his hand, blew on it, and put the whole thing in his mouth.

He chewed slowly and intently, as if savoring some exquisite delicacy, or perhaps performing some kind of ritual.

One after another.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes gradually reddened.