The two of them stared at each other, and no one else dared to speak. Time seemed to stand still, and some heavy, oppressive force flowed through the air, making it hard for anyone to breathe.

JR was the first to break the silence. Holding his gun, he said, “It’s not hard to save a lion. I can deal with those lousy guards in the palace alone, but doing so would expose all of us.” His voice was calm and devoid of emotion, simply stating the facts objectively.

“Right, Ann. I recognize that lion. It’s the same one that saved you from our camp last time. It’s really cool, able to control those buffaloes. But of course, you’re even cooler—you can control it. But we’re on a mission right now. Even the slightest mistake could mess up the entire plan. It’s like programming—sometimes just one wrong line of code can ruin an entire system,” Simon nodded, his tone unusually steady and thoughtful.

JR and Simon’s words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing the raging anger and impulse that had flared up in Tang Mi’s mind, leaving only the cold, helpless embers. Her shoulders slumped, and she bit her lip, murmuring softly, “I understand. I’m sorry for earlier…”

Afterward, she lowered her head and walked out of the living room.

Once outside the living room, Tang Mi didn’t go straight back to her bedroom but instead walked toward the terrace. They were staying in the hotel’s top-floor presidential suite, the most luxurious room, complete with a giant terrace. Looking up, one could see the breathtaking stars of the African plateau, so close that it felt like one could reach up and pluck them, as easily as picking ornaments off a Christmas tree.

But at this moment, the stars, which would normally appear beautiful and dazzling, seemed to mock her, blinking as if laughing at her overconfidence.

Tang Mi curled up in the lounge chair, her mind racing with thoughts—how could she possibly rescue Emma? She understood JR and Simon’s words. Their mission was to steal a weapons contract secretly signed between Emir and Country A. It was like stealing the scythe from the hands of death. On the surface, everything seemed to be going smoothly, but in reality, it was all based on the careful planning and close coordination of each team member. Every step was interconnected, and any mistake would not just lead to failure but also to death.

She believed that JR and Simon didn’t want to help, but helping her meant paying a heavy price. Arthur, as the team leader, had to ensure not only the success of the mission but also the safety of every team member. He certainly wouldn’t allow his subordinates to take unnecessary risks for a lion.

It seemed that this time, she would have to rely on her own strength to save Emma, but the condition was to complete the mission without exposing the others. But how could she do that?

Tang Mi hugged her legs weakly, as the evening breeze came, carrying a piercing chill.

A soft blanket enveloped her, blocking the harsh night wind.

The sudden warmth made her eyes itch, but the tears didn’t come. Her chest felt tight, and she instinctively pulled at the soft threads of the blanket, her frustration and anxiety building with no way to release them.

“Don’t take JR and Simon’s words to heart. They didn’t mean it,” Arthur said softly, sitting down across from her.

“I know. Their words are all true, and I have no reason to blame them,” Tang Mi said without looking up, her voice muffled as it came from beneath the blanket.

“Is Emma really that important to you? Is she worth the risk you’re taking to save her?” Arthur lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then offered it to the person hiding under the blanket, his lips curling into a helpless, wry smile.

She was clearly on the verge of tears, but she stubbornly gritted her teeth and refused to let them out, ignoring how her bright eyes had already swollen into rabbit-like orbs. The faint redness on her eyelids reflected in his eyes, like little flames that burned his heart, making him anxious, wanting nothing more than to gently wipe away the painful traces from her face.

At this point, Tang Mi lifted her head, thinking that her words would surely invite his mockery. After all, how could someone who had lived with schemes, who was used to operating from the shadows, controlling the lives of countless people and even the fate of a nation, possibly understand these things?

The troubles of an animal, though small, seemed to Tang Mi no less noble or dignified than those of humans.

But she was surprised to find that Arthur didn’t sneer or show any sign of mockery. He was simply looking at her, as if trying to see into her very soul. The starlight reflected in his eyes revealed a world she couldn’t understand.

“So how did you and her meet?” Arthur asked softly.

“When I met Emma, she was just a young lion. That year, there was a once-in-a-century drought. She was alone, starving under a tree, barely hanging on, and I didn’t know where her parents had gone. I gave her the canned food and water I had in the photography van, and after that, she followed our vehicle for several days. Every night when we camped, the hyenas and jackals on the savanna wouldn’t dare come near us. I knew it was because Emma was guarding us nearby.”

“At the time, Richie complained that I’d gotten us into big trouble, saying that Emma thought of us as a moving fast food truck and that when she got hungry, she’d pounce on us and eat us…” Tang Mi couldn’t help but smile when she talked about Richie, Emma, and those days on the savanna under the brilliant sunlight. It was like the wind under the bright blue sky—carefree and free-spirited, no one could hold her back.

“Seeing that smile of yours, I suddenly feel envious of that man named Richie, and… Emma.” Arthur gazed at her face and smiled, his voice deep and filled with an unspoken intensity.

A hot and unsettling sensation came through his gaze, like an eerie current that suddenly struck Tang Mi’s heart, catching her completely off guard. She immediately felt flustered, not knowing how to respond.

She understood the meaning in his gaze, but she didn’t want to complicate their relationship. After all, they were from two different worlds. It was like the snow of the South Pole and the ice of the North Pole—both are water from Earth, but they would never meet.

Tang Mi lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, and said, “If the hunting party loses Emma, it will fall apart. Her son will lose his mother’s protection, and those little lions will face the danger of death.”

“Emma knows this well, so she won’t accept any taming. She will do everything in her power to escape, even if it costs her life.” She paused for a moment, looked up at him, her voice unusually calm. “I won’t force you to help, but perhaps you could lend me a gun…”

“No,” Arthur frowned, interrupting her without hesitation. “Listen, I am the leader of this operation. I will not allow any impulsive actions from my team. Completing the mission is our priority, but ensuring your safety is my most important duty. So, we will complete the mission successfully and rescue Emma.”

Tang Mi was stunned. She never imagined hearing such words from Arthur. He had always appeared so calm, rational, even cold, like a machine—precise and emotionless. But now, he was saying he wanted to save Emma, the lion that had nearly killed him.

Arthur reached out and gently brushed his hand across Tang Mi’s cheek. His fingers, rough from years of holding a gun, felt surprisingly tender as they slid over her skin. “You know, my superior once told me there is no impossible mission in this world—only poorly planned operations and not smart enough minds. So you absolutely cannot act rashly. Trust me, this was my initial request, and it remains my only request now.”

“You…” Tang Mi felt a surge of fear—not of him, but of herself. For the first time, she couldn’t control her heart. She could only helplessly let him slowly invade and occupy it. Perhaps she could resist him, but she couldn’t escape the honest and irrational feeling inside her. Was it attraction? Was it love? No, neither of those was timely or practical.

In this dangerous situation and at such a dangerous moment, now was definitely not the time for romance. What was going through his mind?

She turned her face away and gazed at the stars, trying to find the strength to resist him through this motion.

“Don’t thank me. I’m not a good person. I’m doing this for you, and I believe you know why,” Arthur said, his gaze sharp and focused. Every slight change in her expression was visible to him, including her heart that was struggling and conflicted.

He reached out his finger, threading it through Tang Mi’s hair and moving to her neck, then gripped tightly, leaving no space for her to move. He wouldn’t let her escape, wanting her to look into his eyes and soul, whether she liked it or not.

Arthur’s eyes were mere millimeters away from hers, perhaps just the width of a film strip. Under his intense gaze, Tang Mi felt that any lies or pretenses were futile. But she still knew exactly what she wanted. Closing her thin eyelids, it was like shutting a thick gate, putting his figure far away. Her voice was slow but clear: “I’m sorry, I can’t give you what you want. My heart is only 35 millimeters wide. It can hold the world, but it can’t hold you.”

That’s right, her heart was like that small strip of film, filled with a pure and intense love for photography, and therefore, there was no space left for things she considered too complicated, like love.

Arthur furrowed his brows. “What’s 35 millimeters?”

“It’s the width of a film strip.” She opened her eyes, deciding not to run away anymore, summoning the courage to meet Arthur’s gaze, hoping he would understand her intentions.

Arthur suddenly smiled, his eyes shining with a dazzling light, as if the starry sky had been crushed and scattered, weaving into a dense web that trapped her.

He stretched out his arm, pressing against her smooth forehead, and his magnetic voice, like countless tiny bright nails, firmly and unmistakably drilled into her eardrums: “Then give me 35 millimeters of love, and I’ll give you the whole world.”

Tang Mi looked at him in astonishment. Exchange 35 millimeters of love for the whole world? It seemed like no matter how you calculated it, she was the one who benefited. But that was her entire heart. He didn’t explain what “the whole world” meant, nor did he ask if she liked him. He simply spoke in a determined tone, demanding she give him her entire heart, as if it were a natural thing. Dominant, but not blindly impulsive, he meticulously planned and captured his prey step by step—that was his usual style, even when pursuing a woman.

She sighed softly, feeling a helpless urge to struggle.

Heavy footsteps came, followed by a light cough. Yise stood behind them: “Excuse me, Arthur, Simon and I have put together the map of the Emir’s palace.”

---

Author’s note: Haha, I’ve finally hit the point! Always thought this was a technical job, and for someone like me, who isn’t very clever, I’m a little pleased with myself!

Arthur and Tang Mi, these two pretentious people, finally started to click. Writing this has been so exhausting.

By the way, I have to complain—the weather is too hot, and sitting in the study makes me feel drowsy. Plus, the little dog keeps rubbing against my feet and acting cute. I almost wanted to shave its fur completely.