Chapter 519 - Untitled
The slight breeze in the deep of the night carried a few hints of coolness, and it was no longer hot.
As only rooms separated Eleven and Jason’s room, Jason opted for the room closest to Eleven’s room. Eleven was planning to leave the next morning as Bai Ye had honestly told her about her body report. She stayed behind to give them that peace of mind. Since her report was out, it was also time she ought to leave.
She had her own affairs to see to.
Eleven did not sleep well and was slightly thirsty. She wanted to go downstairs to get a glass of water, but passed by Jason’s room to see that its lights were still on. She peeped under the door and saw him still busy before his computer.
She looked away and gently went down the stairs.
Ye Wei and her were not in charge of the core affairs of The Top Terrorist Organization, and Bai Ye was only responsible for a small portion of it. Jason, Chu Li and Blackjack, who bore most of the core affairs, were often busy.
As she went down the stairs, Dana was present and saw her. Dana saw her and immediately said, “What’s brought you downstairs? If anything happens, just ring the bell and I’ll bring up whatever you want to drink.”
Eleven shook her head and turned down her good intentions. Eleven would rarely trouble another person with her chores.
Eleven poured a glass of lukewarm water and drank it, and then prepared a cup of coffee after some thought. Dana hurriedly stopped her. “Miss Eleven, you can’t have coffee.”
Eleven nodded. “I’m preparing it for Jason.”
She knew that she, in her utterly messed up state, could not have coffee and would naturally not take risks with it. Dana did not say anymore and went over to clean up once she had prepared the coffee so that she could go upstairs.
Eleven thanked her and brought the coffee upstairs.
She just opened the door to Jason’s room and he could feel it. Once he saw it was Eleven, he immediately stopped what he was doing and hurriedly called for her to stop. “Why aren’t you wearing an additional layer this late at night?”
“It’s extremely hot in Riyadh.”
“It can get extremely chilly at night,” Jason frowned as Eleven silently put the coffee on his study table.
“I went downstairs to get a drink and conveniently prepared some coffee for you.”
A silly smile broke out on Jason’s handsome face that was under the light. While he seemed to be in a slight daze, he was like a young punk who suddenly became slightly embarrassed. Eleven tucked her lips, and Jason was suddenly infuriated at how bashful he had been and calmed himself before getting Eleven to sit down.
“Eleven, Bai Ye just told me about your situation. Let’s return to the island and find The Old Witch. She, for all you know, may be able to save you.”
“What else did Bai Ye tell you?”
“That’s all. Stop being stubborn, and it won’t take too long for you to return to the island,” Jason pulled her hand over and hugged it tightly. He completely wrapped his huge hands around her hands and transmitted his warmth to her through his warm palms.
“Jason, I’m not suffering from some terminal illness and won’t be dying so soon. There’s no rush to return back,” Eleven said as she looked away and towards the computer screen. That was the The Top Terrorist Organization’s Internal Command Network that clearly displayed the following words:
“Destroy ALL Mafia Bases in Mexico and leak all information on their presence to Government Forces – Jason”
“Is there a new round of fighting?”
“I’m not going to let that scoundrel, given how he has messed you up so badly, get away scot-free,” Jason sinisterly replied. “He better not think that we are pushovers”
Eleven was slightly dazed as she flatly said, “Jason, do not confuse a personal grudge for the bigger picture. You don’t have to do anything for me because I’ll see to it personally.”
“I’ll never be this reckless however muddle-headed I can get. This was the decision made by both the older and younger scheming twits,” Jason ruffled up his gold hair as he looked somewhat flustered and yet innocent. “I’m just carrying out orders.”
Whatever Chu Li and The young kid decided upon would be unanimously agreed upon.
The two then chatted and Jason mentioned Ye Wei. Eleven seemed a little lost and then plainly said, “Third Young Master Ye told us not to startle Ye Wei for now.”
Both of them fell silent at once.
Eleven stood up. “It’s not early and I’ll make a move first. Rest early.”
“Eleven!” Jason called her and stood up before walking up to her. “You seemed to be a little different after returning this time,” he flatly replied.
“Definitely. I am neither man nor an abomination.”
“You know well that I do not mean that,” Jason was a little frustrated. “We were all ok with how The Old Witch looked, let alone you. Is there something troubling you?”
While she was cold and of few words like before, she was in a daze for much longer and her emotionless eyes – as though they contained countless things – would seem lost and hurt from time to time.
She, however, never mentioned a single thing to anybody.
As he was already quick-tempered, he was unhappy inside and became even more flustered when he saw her keeping things to herself. He couldn’t bring himself to yell at her and took pains to suppress the anger in him.
“Something did happen, and I can’t come to terms with it,” Eleven honestly replied.
“Who? Mo Ye?” Jason panicked.
Eleven shook her head. “It’s me.”
She paused and looked at Jason. “Jason, don’t treat me too well. It’s not worth your while.”
She walked to the door to only hear Jason’s angry voice. “Whether it’s worth it or not is NOT up to you to decide.”
Eleven paused and did not say anything before she opened the door and left.
Save Third Young Master Ye and Cheng Anya, many in the mansion did not have a good night’s sleep.
The next day, Cheng Anya only discovered that Eleven had left without saying a word when she went to awaken Eleven. Eleven left a letter paper on the table that read, “I’m sorry I had to go.”
The remark was not addressed to anybody.
Jason almost crushed the letter paper as an anger burnt in his eyes. Eleven, Eleven… I just can’t f***ing get you to stay right?
Cheng Anya, Ye Chen and all did not know what to say as Bai Ye dragged Jason back to his room. It was afraid Bai Ye was the only person who could calm a raging Jason.
Eastern Europe.
Winter came especially early in mid-November as some places had started to snow. Winter in Eastern Europe was not only cold, but long too as it lasted as long as six, and even eight months.
As Eleven threaded on familiar ground, her emotions were extremely mixed.
From arid Riyadh to Russia in a freezing winter, she had changed out from her short sleeves and shorts into a wool jacket and plain windbreaker with a fray scarf as her long hair flayed in the snow.
This was the place she met Mo Ye back then. If she hadn’t met him back then, she would not have hated his viciousness that much.
To approach the question at another angle, should Rong Yan become poisoned some day and needed somebody as an antidote, Chu Li would go to all lengths to find that person to detoxify Rong Yan without second questions.
She definitely would not find it cruel, but felt that it ought to be as the person saved was Rong Yan rather than somebody she did not know and whose fate whom she could not care the least. When she became the precursor, things became different.
If she did not know whether Mo Ye was the Mo Ye of five years ago, she perhaps would not have hated him but instead get angry at him. Her anger would not have been anywhere near the hatred she bore for him.
All these were a strange combination of circumstances.
What was the base camp of the Eastern European terrorists five years ago became a small village by the river. Thanks to its proximity to the river, many lived in it. The area became desolate after the terrorists’ base camp was destroyed.
The little village still seemed extremely new, and she was wondering whether it was established in the past two years. The uniquely Russian architecture showed itself in onion domes that were covered in a thin sheen of snow.
The howling wind stabbed her face.
As Eleven stood outside the village, what happened five years ago played in her mind. Although she looked calm, she was tumultuous and never returned to the place ever since.
Little did she expect this place to change this drastically. What was not a particularly bustling place five years ago was still not bustling, but seemed totally different. What used to symbolize chaos and death was now replaced with a peaceful and serene ground.
As the snow was too huge and the mountain roads obstructed, she had arrived on the wrong day and could not leave. Did she have to find a cold and icy place to spend a few days in this frigid hellhole?
This extremely resembled what happened five years ago.
She really wanted to see the black hut that Mo Ye and her had stayed in, and she did not know whether it was still present. As said hut was a distance, not to mention how the sun had set and how intense the storm was, she ought not to overextend herself as she was still human.
An old couple – completely wrapped up in a black jacket and wearing black caps and black scarfs – walked towards her. The two of them hushed in low tones as a white sled dog obediently walked beside the old couple whilst pulling a huge box on the sled.
Eleven stood in the storm as she watched them walk closer. Should she seek accommodation in the village?
The two old men walked close to Eleven, and the old woman exclaimed in shock and asked her, “Are you also a lost traveler?”
Also?
Eleven was suspicious about why the old couple wanted to talk to her. Did she, standing in the middle of the storm, look like a lost traveler? She was afraid her original look would scare the daylights out of people and hence wore an artificial mask. While she did not seem the prettiest, she looked good and one could tell she was an Oriental.
The old lady saw that she had not replied in a long time and assumed she did not understand Russian. Just as she was about to repeat herself, Eleven replied in Russian, “Yes, I am lost.”
“Are you looking for somebody?” The elderly lady asked again.
Eleven was baffled and nodded.
“What a pity. The person you are looking for is in our house,” The elderly woman said as she grabbed Eleven’s elbows and profusely said how pitiful it was that they, an arguing couple, went separate ways and became lost. Eleven was lost in her words.
“Why don’t you go home with us?” The old lady said with a loving face.
Eleven was wondering if they had misunderstood something.
That was also good as she would have a place to rest tonight. “Okay!” she said.