Scarred Hearts — A Girls' Love Tale - Chapter 70

The Artist’s eyes flicked between Ying Sha and Yan Shuangfei. Both had calmed down, silent and not saying a word. The Artist gave a cold chuckle, blinked once, and then walked away with her people.

“Sorry.” Ying Sha stared ahead until the Artist’s figure disappeared from sight, then finally apologized, “I didn’t expect things to turn out like this.” Yan Shuangfei ignored her, rushing over to a nearby arranged base camp. He called Yan Shaoqiu and the others, ordering them to gather the team quickly. After giving all the instructions, he turned to Ying Sha and said, “Now isn’t the time to argue about who’s right or wrong. The key point is we don’t even know what the Artist is really up to. She kidnapped Qinghan. While we can be sure she doesn’t intend to kill Qinghan right now, who knows what that mentally unstable, anti-human, anti-social psycho might do?”

“Everything seems to be under her control,” the Doctor said, questioning, “Isn’t it? From the start, we were all set up. Whether it was the rise of the Han family, or you two discovering the so-called Han family secrets — it was all arranged by her. Yan Shuangfei, I remember you mentioned before that the four major families hired the Artist to assassinate you. It’s clear the Artist engineered it so the four families would come to her, but her real goal was to capture you and get the clues. She’s well known internationally. Even after being hunted by the Shadow Land, no other group tried to interfere with her. I worked with her for quite a while. To her, all this is just a game.”

Yan Shuangfei snorted coldly. “If it’s a game, then this is the hardest to deal with. If she had a clear purpose, at least we’d have a foothold to act on.”

“The Artist mentioned wanting to quit. A grand finale like this — her final work — is a symbol of the Shadow Land’s chief. It’s bound to cause a sensation,” the Doctor glanced at Ying Sha with disdain. “A perfect ending.”

“How can you be sure she just wants a final curtain call?”

“Because I’ve never seen her plan something this patiently for so long before,” the Doctor said helplessly. “She probably had this planned since we started working together.” Then she pointed a delicate finger at Yan Shuangfei and said confidently, “And she’s a huge variable.”

Yan Shuangfei scratched his head, his hair messy. He forced himself to calm down, not to panic. Having Qinghan taken by the Artist was a dangerous move, but it was a desperate plan thought out in a crisis — just to find someone who could appease the Artist. As long as the Artist isn’t a murderous maniac, Qinghan’s life should be safe. The Artist rushed here in such a short time — although somewhat prepared, it was still rushed. If it came to a direct fight to the death, even she wouldn’t guarantee to walk away unscathed. Ying Sha’s previous actions had an impact; no one could guarantee the Artist wouldn’t do something crazy again. They needed a buffer period and to see who would come out on top.

Yan Shuangfei thought this through but wouldn’t be careless. Who knew what variables might appear? The only constant in this world is change. If anything happened to Qinghan, he would never forgive himself.

After a moment of thought, his fingers unconsciously tapped the table. Then he said to Ying Sha, “Since the Artist is being hunted by Shadow Land, can you gather some people from Shadow Land?”

Ying Sha rubbed her temples in frustration, looking downhearted. “Did I tell you my current identity is pretty useless? Sure, it’s an honor, but it only protects me. I’ve offended too many people. This identity is more like a shield. Besides, if the kill order isn’t fulfilled within a year, it gets canceled — no more grudges.”

“So you’re saying you elites have sent out so many people but still can’t catch a woman who’s obviously the criminal?”

“Don’t emphasize ‘woman’,” Ying Sha said irritably, rolling her eyes at Yan Shuangfei. “You act like you’re not a woman yourself.” She waved her hand, realizing she’d gone off topic. “The Artist is just too sly! If she wants to hide, no one can find her!”

“Her earlier words were clearly trying to sow discord between us,” the Doctor lowered her head, dimming the light in her eyes. Her tone softened, almost gentle. “So, Shuangfei, what’s your decision? What do you think?”

Yan Shuangfei paused, then smiled as if suddenly enlightened. He gave the Doctor a bright look of understanding and suddenly relaxed, stretching and yawning. His lazy pose was a bit crude, and Ying Sha couldn’t help but turn her face away from his relaxed demeanor — even though she knew deep down Yan Shuangfei was probably the most anxious of them all. The Doctor and she were fine, but Yan Shuangfei’s loved one, Qinghan, had been taken by the Artist.

“That obvious attempt to cause trouble,” Yan Shuangfei said simply and casually, “Who would believe it? If there were real suspicion inside, the Artist wouldn’t waste so much effort satisfying her twisted obsession. I think it was just a test — the first round. If we fail the first round, the next steps won’t even happen. Our focus now is to rescue my wife, then get out, crawl back home like beaten dogs, become local snakes, and forget everything outside. Then everything will settle, and all will be well.”

“As for the plan…” Yan Shuangfei instinctively glanced at Ying Sha.

Ying Sha smiled awkwardly but kept talking without holding back. “I say, don’t treat me like the mastermind strategist. I’m no good at that. You’re lucky, right? Even if you’re skilled, you don’t usually get involved in all the fighting and killing. Your job is to make the plans; mine’s not. I’m born to be the busybody, carrying weapons and rushing forward. Keeping my head safe is my only goal.”

“Alright then,” Yan Shuangfei said without hesitation, taking charge. “I’ll gather as many people as possible. They’ll create a frontal attack to suppress enemy fire. You and I will sneak in under cover.”

“There’s also me,” the Doctor interrupted, then added slowly, “Who knows if I’ll even be needed? Of course, it’s better if I’m not.”

Yan Shuangfei instantly felt a chill run down his spine.