Tang Fei paused at the entrance, taking in the view.
"It’s beautiful," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Between both her lives combined, this was the first ti she’d experienced such luxury in such a peaceful setting.
As an assassin, she’d seen beautiful places, but always through the scope of a mission, never as soone allowed to simply enjoy them.
Huo Ting Cheng looked at her instead of the sea. "Yes. It’s peaceful," he said quietly.
She turned to him, but he was already setting his phone aside on a nearby table. "You should rest first," he said, his tone soft but firm.
"Not really. I want to go down there, to the shore. I can’t stay still..." Tang Fei’s eyes were drawn back to the water, the pull of it almost magnetic. Even though it had darkened, the moon hung high and there were lights illuminating the entire place.
The sound of the waves grew clearer as Tang Fei walked toward the shoe rack near the door.
She slipped off her heels and exchanged them for a pair of light sandals placed neatly on the mat. If she had known she was coming to the beach, she couldn’t have worn these kinds of clothes.
The simple act felt freeing, like shedding a layer of formality she hadn’t realized she was still carrying.
Huo Ting Cheng watched her quietly, his expression unreadable.
When she was done, she reached for his hand, and they stepped out together.
The night air was cool and fragrant with the scent of salt and damp stone.
A narrow stairway curved down from the villa’s edge, each step lined with dim lights that guided the path toward the beach below.
The faint sound of distant music and laughter floated through the breeze, likely from nearby seaside hotels still alive with late diners and tourists.
Tang Fei walked slowly, holding the smooth railing as the sea breeze played with her hair.
Below, the ocean shimred faintly under the moonlight, and the tide had drawn back, revealing a wide stretch of pale sand.
Huo Ting Cheng followed a step behind, his hands tucked loosely in his pockets.
Neither spoke, but the silence between them wasn’t heavy.
It was the quiet of two people who didn’t need to fill the air to feel close.
When they reached the bottom, the faint hum of waves filled the space around them.
A few distant figures wandered along the beach, couples, small groups, their laughter carried by the wind, but no one ca close.
Tang Fei walked ahead, her sandals sinking slightly into the cool sand.
She stopped when the first line of water touched her toes, the chill drawing a small gasp from her lips.
"It’s cold," she murmured, feeling grounded and fresh.
She glanced back at him with a soft smile pasted on her face.
Huo Ting Cheng’s gaze lingered on her for a mont before he stepped closer, his shoes leaving sharp, neat prints beside hers. "You wanted to co down. It’s cold and dark, you could co tomorrow during the day instead and enjoy yourself to the fullest..."
He moved closer, gently tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear.
"I just wanted to do it now," she said softly, tilting her head toward the open sea. "It feels different at night."
He didn’t reply, only followed her gaze.
The waves rolled in slow rhythm, brushing against the shore before retreating again.
Behind them, the faint glow from the villa lit a soft halo along the edge of the cliff, while several of their guards lingered at a distance, shadows blending into the darker parts of the beach.
For a long ti, they simply stood there, no orders, no titles, no duty pressing on their shoulders.
Just the steady rhythm of water and wind.
Tang Fei crouched slightly, scooping up a handful of wet sand and letting it slip through her fingers. "I used to love the sea," she murmured. "But I never had ti for it anymore."
"Tonight isn’t the best ti for that," he said, taking her hands gently and folding up the sleeves of her suit jacket, treating her like a child enjoying playing in wet sand. "The beach has its own myths."
"It does? What kind of myths?" Tang Fei was intrigued.
Yes, she loved the sea, but she rarely knew anything about its folklore.
She couldn’t recall swimming in the ocean in either of her lives.
Huo Ting Cheng’s gaze followed the slow curve of the tide. "They say the sea at night isn’t the sa as during the day. It holds its own darkness," he said lightly.
Tang Fei looked up at him curiously. "What do you an? Isn’t it the sa water, just with high and low tides?"
"In the dark," he continued, his tone low, almost casual, "the sea belongs to the things that hide in it. Other beings that exist beyond humans, rmaids, rn, sirens... the ones that lure people in with soft voices and never let them return to the shore."
Tang Fei blinked at him, half-amused, half-serious. "That sounds like sothing you’d tell a child to keep them from swimming. I’m not a kid, co on... I’m also a good swimr. That can’t scare !"
Yes, she’d trained in swimming since she was young, survival skills for an assassin.
"Hehehe..." He gave a faint smirk. "Maybe. But they say if you stare way too long at the water at night, you might see sothing looking back at you."
Her brows lifted slightly with curiosity. "Really?"
He stepped closer, his voice lowering, almost teasing, close to her ear. "Or maybe it’ll look just like , calling you into the waves."
Tang Fei laughed quietly, shaking her head. "You? As a rman? Impossible!"
"Why not?" he said casually, his eyes glinting with amusent. "You wouldn’t notice until it’s too late. They’re really good at seducing and alluring people."
She folded her arms, smiling. "Then it’s a good thing I’m standing far from the water, lest I get confused and dragged away."
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