You're dumping me, huh? Fine, then I'll just pick up the school beauty and make her my wif

The car drove along the coastal highway, with large groves of coconut trees on one side. The long shadows of the coconut trees were stretched out by the setting sun, casting neat rows of dark patterns on the road.

On the other side, the outlines of a few arcade streets occasionally flash by. The old houses with arcade columns stand one after another, their exterior walls weathered by wind and rain, giving them a unique and indescribable charm.

"So beautiful..."

"Ah Che, look at that coconut tree, it's so tall..."

"Hey, hey, that house over there looks so nice!"

Su Qinghe's mouth never stopped; she wanted to share every tree and building she saw along the way with Jiang Che.

Soon, the three arrived at their accommodation for the next few days – a guesthouse.

The guesthouse was arranged by Jiang Che in advance. It was a detached white building with several green vines climbing the exterior walls and two tall palm trees planted at the entrance. The leaves rustled in the wind, and the whole building looked like it had been taken out of a painting of Southeast Asian style.

What's even better is that the building faces a beach, which is quiet, sparsely populated, and offers a fantastic view.

When Su Qinghe got out of the car, she hadn't even entered the door yet when the sea breeze that rushed towards her made her squint.

She took a deep breath.

Salty, wet, with a faint seaweed flavor.

I love it!

Once inside the room, she didn't even have time to put her luggage down before rushing to the French windows and yanking open the curtains.

The sea breeze, carrying heat, rushed in all at once, ruffling the few stray hairs on her forehead.

The distant sea was painted a deep orange-red by the setting sun, deepening towards the horizon and merging with the clouds, as if someone had poured a pot of molten gold into the sea.

Bai Yuning lived next door to the two of them. The two rooms were connected by a shared balcony. They usually didn't disturb each other, but if anything happened, it was very convenient to visit each other and chat.

Not long after settling in, Su Qinghe took her phone and ran to the balcony to take pictures. She snapped one photo after another of the orange-red sea, muttering to herself as she studied the filters.

Taking advantage of this lull, Jiang Che's phone vibrated.

It was a message from Bai Yuning.

"I contacted a friend I know in Xiamen who works in the security industry. He has a good reputation and is reliable."

"He can help coordinate the itinerary for the next few days and the surrounding security. You can stay with Qinghe and I'll keep an eye on things outside. I'll let you know as soon as there's any movement."

After reading it, Jiang Che replied with two words: Okay.

Then, after a pause, he added: "Thanks, sis."

Bai Yuning didn't reply, probably because she was busy.

Jiang Che put his phone back in his pocket and looked up at the balcony.

Su Qinghe was taking a series of photos of the distant horizon with her phone. After taking the photos, she would look at the screen from left to right, frowning as she studied which angle was the best.

Then, after consulting with Jiang Che for a long time, they still couldn't find anything that satisfied them. So, Su Qinghe suggested that they go for a walk and take pictures on the beach.

Jiang Che certainly wouldn't say no. As soon as Su Qinghe finished speaking, he had already changed into his slippers.

The two walked out the door hand in hand.

The beach was sparsely populated in the evening, with only a few families walking by in the distance, their footprints washed away by the waves.

The young couple strolled slowly along the waterline.

Every few seconds, waves would surge up, washing over the insteps, cool and refreshing, before quickly receding, pulling a small clump of sand back from the feet.

Not long after they left, Su Qinghe reached out her hand to the side.

Jiang Che glanced down at the hand, said nothing, and naturally took it in his hand, their fingers intertwined tightly.

The two of them walked silently for a while.

After walking for a while, Su Qinghe suddenly stopped.

Jiang Che also stopped and turned his head to ask her what was wrong.

The girl lowered her head, staring at the wet sand beneath her feet, repeatedly washed by the waves, lost in thought.

After several seconds of silence, she spoke softly, "A-Che..."

"Um?"

"Thank you."

After saying those three words, Su Qinghe quickly added, as if afraid he might misunderstand, "I'm thanking you from the bottom of my heart, it's not just politeness."

Jiang Che wasn't new to meeting Su Qinghe, so he knew she was serious. He couldn't help but smile and then asked her, "What are you thanking me for?"

Su Qinghe lowered her head, rubbing her toes back and forth in the wet sand, before finally speaking again after a long while, "Thank you for always being able to find me."

"No matter who takes me away...no matter where I am...you will always be able to find me."

The waves that had just receded surged back up, washing over the two people's feet, feeling cool and refreshing.

"..."

Jiang Che lowered his eyes and looked at the small hand he was holding in his palm.

Seeing the faint scars still visible on the surface immediately brought back memories of that afternoon when I first met Su Qinghe.

She was in the same situation back then, surrounded and beaten by a group of thugs. If he hadn't discovered it in time, she probably would have been beaten to death by those thugs that very night.

Jiang Che recalled the last time Su Qinghe was in danger at the hospital, and how he had promised not to let her get hurt again.

But the result?

She was still injured, and she was still taken away from him.

He always arrived afterward, and each time he could only watch as she gained a few more new wounds.

Jiang Che gripped her hand a little tighter.

"sorry."

Su Qinghe didn't reply, but silently rested her head on Jiang Che's shoulder, and reached out with her other hand to hug his arm and stick to him.

The two of them walked slowly along the coastline for a while longer.

The sea breeze blew in gusts, making Su Qinghe's stray hairs flutter everywhere, with a few strands occasionally landing on Jiang Che's chin, tickling him.

As they walked, Jiang Che noticed that Su Qinghe beside him was starting to act a little strange.

He noticed that she turned her head to peek at him several times, her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something, but each time she would look away and continue staring at the sand at her feet, pretending to be nonchalant.

I could pretend I didn't see it once or twice, but this has happened seven or eight times already.

After discovering that Su Qinghe had once again peeked at him, Jiang Che finally stopped in his tracks. "Qinghe."

When Su Qinghe was suddenly called out to, she felt as if she had been caught doing something wrong and reflexively turned her head back.

"I...I didn't do anything..."

"...I haven't asked anything yet."

Chapter 296 Your Life, Your Choice

"I...I didn't do anything..."

"...I haven't asked anything yet."

Jiang Che was both annoyed and amused by her attempt to cover up her true intentions.

Su Qinghe pursed her lips, twisting her hands together, clearly not yet knowing how to start the conversation.

Jiang Che didn't urge her; he just stood quietly beside her and waited.

He knew Su Qinghe; the more he urged her, the more nervous she became, and the more nervous she became, the less she could speak.

It's better to say nothing at all, give her enough time to sort out her thoughts before speaking.

Sure enough, after about half a minute of silence, Su Qinghe finally took a deep breath.