In the past few days, Arthur had taken Tang Mi to explore the entire town. In the mornings, they sat on the terrace of their room having breakfast. Tang Mi loved photographing the seagulls and fishing boats in the morning light, while Arthur stood nearby with a tripod and light meter, occasionally tucking her hair behind her ear as the wind blew it into her face. At noon, they joined the lively crowds in the streets, following the parade floats and taking photos. The two of them, with their striking looks, often became the highlight in others’ photos.

When they got tired, they rested in an outdoor café. Arthur would wrap his arm around her shoulder, affectionately watching as she shared a piece of cake with a stray cat by the street. She would mischievously snatch his portion as well, attracting more little animals.

As night fell, Tang Mi and Arthur would walk into the old tavern by the seaside, chatting carelessly with the charming, talkative landlady, or clapping in applause for the tavern’s dancer’s graceful performance. Sometimes they would simply sit together, gazing out at the sea, silently for a long while, before quietly kissing each other.

Everything was so sweet and wonderful. Time became meaningless, and the world around them seemed light and unreal, with only their entwined fingers offering certainty. The air grew heavy, filled with their breaths, as if nothing else could exist. The first thing they did each morning was search for each other’s presence.

Tang Mi never imagined that a life beyond travel photography could captivate her so completely. This unfamiliar passion was like the bonfire on the beach at night—intense and fiery. But happiness, when it comes too quickly and fiercely, can also create a sense of insecurity. She feared that one day, the brilliance would fade, leaving only the lonely darkness. So sometimes, she would wake up in the middle of the night, looking at Arthur’s face, feeling an inexplicable sadness. She didn’t know what she was worried about, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that behind their bright, dazzling happiness, there was an ominous shadow that seemed to draw closer every day.

She held him tight, as if trying to grasp that beautiful soap bubble from her childhood.

Would leaving MI6 really be as easy as he said?

She closed her eyes, hearing her own heartbeat in the dark, anxious and hurried.

Tonight, as usual, Tang Mi and Arthur went to the seaside tavern. They arrived a bit late, and the tavern was crowded. People were toasting and greeting each other, talking loudly in the noisy atmosphere.

In one corner of the stage, the guitarist, wearing a white shirt, black vest, and tight pants, was lazily strumming the strings. The indifferent and haughty dancer tilted her head back, lifted her skirt, and began to move in time with the rhythm.

Arthur leaned against the bar, sipping his frozen vodka, telling Tang Mi amusing stories about the town. His humor and lively expressions, along with his clever metaphors, not only made Tang Mi laugh but also entertained the other guests, who laughed heartily as well. Suddenly, the guitarist’s string snapped with a loud “zing,” and the dancer’s graceful movements came to a sudden halt. She fixed the audience with a sharp gaze, making everyone hold their breath.

At the same moment, Arthur’s expression darkened. He quickly scanned the entrance, his eyes cold and sharp.

“What’s wrong?” Tang Mi noticed his sudden change in demeanor and followed his gaze. The entrance seemed to be filled with people coming and going, but nothing unusual stood out.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I ran out of cigarettes. I’ll go buy a pack,” Arthur said, relaxing his furrowed brow. He smiled and kissed her forehead, his expression light as though the earlier oddity was just her imagination.

The music resumed, and the rhythm became lively again.

‘Alright, go quickly and come back soon,’ Tang Mi smiled, watching Arthur’s figure disappear through the door. Just as she was about to turn away, she noticed two men in dark suits following him. A strong sense of unease suddenly surged within her. She recognized one of the men as the same person who had helped her escape with Mark Jin at the ball. They were MI6 agents.

The appearance of MI6 agents here, combined with Arthur’s cold demeanor earlier, made Tang Mi’s heart skip a beat. The cup in her hand unexpectedly fell to the table.

It seemed that the thing she had been worried about was finally happening.

‘Can I buy you a drink?’ A calm, clear female voice sounded beside her.

Tang Mi looked up. The woman before her had sharp brown short hair, a petite frame, and was dressed simply in a white shirt and gray trousers. A falcon-shaped pin sparkled on her collar, the diamond in the falcon’s eye glinting sharply, just like the woman’s eyes.

‘My name is Caroline, and I’m Arthur’s superior,’ the short-haired woman smiled at Tang Mi’s surprised expression, sitting down in the spot where Arthur had been without asking for permission.

Her action was somewhat rude, but her graceful posture and friendly yet commanding smile made Tang Mi unable to refuse.

‘I can tell that you’ve been having a pleasant vacation,’ Caroline remarked, swirling the glass that Arthur had been drinking from, raising an eyebrow as she asked. The platinum ring on her ring finger sparkled faintly, catching Tang Mi’s eye.

Tang Mi fell silent, unsure of how to respond to her question.

Caroline, Arthur’s superior, the leader of MI6, had traveled all the way to this small town. Surely, she wasn’t just here to ask, ‘Have you had a good vacation?’

But Caroline seemed not to need an answer. She continued fiddling with the glass, saying, ‘A vacation in the midst of a passionate romance is always sweet, unforgettable even. But sometimes, even the sweetest love can turn into a deadly poison.’

‘What exactly are you trying to say, Caroline?’ Tang Mi met her gaze directly. In this situation, avoiding the conversation or staying silent would be useless. It was better to address the issue directly.

‘Leave Arthur, escape to a place where he can’t find you, before it’s too late,’ Caroline said, setting the glass down and locking eyes with Tang Mi as she spoke slowly.

‘What do you mean by “before it’s too late”?’ Tang Mi asked, returning the question.

‘Before MI6 issues a kill order for him,’ Caroline said in a calm tone, with no trace of threat, merely stating a fact.

‘Why? He has been a loyal intelligence officer for you for years. Why would you want to kill an outstanding employee?!’ Tang Mi clenched her hand into a fist, as if trying to grasp something, yet found nothing. But her face remained calm; her years of experience with danger had made her mind clearer the more afraid she became.

Arthur might have done something that defied orders for her, but that didn’t mean it should lead to his death. How much of what Caroline said was true, Tang Mi couldn’t yet know.

‘Since you understand Arthur’s importance to MI6, you should also understand what I’m saying,’ Caroline’s gaze suddenly sharpened, cutting through the air like a blade as she looked at Tang Mi.

‘Arthur is an extraordinary talent. No one in Europe or Africa is better at handling intelligence than he is, and no one knows more than he does. But he has repeatedly defied his superiors’ orders for a woman. This is an extremely dangerous signal,’ Caroline’s voice became steely, her words sharp.

She stared at Tang Mi’s face, which, though pale, showed no fear. Her voice grew more intense: ‘You filmed the transaction between us and Anderson’s army. You should have been killed, but Arthur intervened and saved your life. You were then included in the plan against Emir. After completing the mission, Arthur was supposed to withdraw safely, but he killed Emir to save you, causing a huge uproar in Z country. This is already beyond our expectations. What’s worse is that he stayed here for you, defying orders to return home and report back. He even told me he wanted to leave MI6! Do you understand?’

‘If he were just an ordinary agent, I might turn a blind eye, but Arthur has access to too many secrets. If he can’t be used by us, he might be exploited by other countries. That means, without MI6, he’s like a ticking time bomb!’

Caroline’s words struck like a thunderclap, each word hitting Tang Mi’s chest. Her ears buzzed, her mind blank, with only the passionate sound of the guitar and the dancer’s fiery red dress swirling before her eyes, like great splashes of blood staining her vision.

“Why are you telling me this? You could have sent someone to kill me; that would be more straightforward, wouldn’t it?” In her daze, Tang Mi heard her own voice, calm yet light, as if it were a hallucination.

“Yes, I could have killed you. To be honest, there are already several assassins waiting outside, but I value Arthur as a talent and don’t want him to live the rest of his life with hatred for the country he serves. And besides, I’m a woman.”

At this point, Caroline suddenly reached over and plucked the gardenia from Tang Mi’s hair, bringing it to her nose and inhaling deeply. “Eternal love,” she said, quoting the flower’s meaning. She looked at Tang Mi and smiled. “Love is like this beautiful flower, fragile yet always evoking affection.” She then slowly crushed the plump petals between her fingers, letting them fall onto the table.

In the midst of the shattered fragrance, Caroline’s smile remained unchanged, her pale gray eyes cold as iron: “But ultimately, it’s meaningless.”

“What do you want me to do?” Tang Mi gasped, her heart feeling as if it were being crushed like the petals Caroline had broken. The thought of leaving Arthur forever made breathing nearly impossible.

“This is a high-concentration hallucinogen. Within seconds, it can knock out an adult man. Once Arthur is under its effect, someone will take you to the airport and send you back to your country. You can continue your carefree life, and no one will bother you again.”

Caroline handed her a small capsule, her calm voice carrying an almost hypnotic power.

“Miss Tang, you should know, leaving him is just the end of a romance for you, but there will always be a chance for a new beginning. For him, though, it’s a matter of life and death.”

As Caroline turned to leave, she suddenly glanced back at Tang Mi’s pale yet oddly calm face, her voice carrying a touch of sympathy.

“Then, Ms. Caroline, did you ever love your husband?” Tang Mi didn’t look up but stared intently at the wedding ring on Caroline’s finger, suddenly wondering about this.

Caroline froze, her eyes dimming, a small crack appearing in the solid wall of her gaze. She turned away and continued walking, her cold voice floating back to Tang Mi: “I did, but for me, protecting him is far more important than loving him.”

When Arthur returned to the bar, he found Tang Mi leaning against the counter, smoking, lazily watching the dancer on stage reach the climax of her routine. Her eyes were dark, unable to reflect any light, like the deepest darkness of midnight.

“Darling, what’s wrong?” He embraced her, his slender waist feeling like it could float away at any moment. He instinctively tightened his arms around her.

“Nothing. Why were you gone so long? Did the daughter of the tobacco shop owner trap you?” Tang Mi turned around, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, pressing her lips deeply against his in a passionate kiss, as if this was their first time.

“No, the night was too dark, I almost got lost,” Arthur lightly bit her lip, whispering.

“Then, another drink, for me,” she pulled away from his lips, handing him a crystal-clear glass of vodka. Her eyes shone, so bright they almost hurt, the light piercing deep into his soul.

“I love you, darling,” he smiled and drank the liquid, letting the cold alcohol ignite a fiery sensation in his chest. Under her burning gaze, it felt as if his insides were being burned to ashes, and his vision slowly blurred.

When Arthur collapsed, in his dazed state, he heard Tang Mi’s voice, almost a whisper, yet seemingly torn apart: “I love you too.”

Outside the window, fireworks lit up the beach, the colorful lights bursting into the sky, drawing a breathtaking arc that no one would ever forget. Then they slowly fell, fading, until only a faint golden trail remained in the quiet night sky, like the last tear before it vanished.

Author’s Note: Did everyone have fun yesterday? I ate too much yesterday and am resting at home today, avoiding all meat and determined to fight against fat! But the enemy is too strong… I probably won’t win~~~