Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

Liang Jingru clasped her hands together and made a devout wish before the Buddha statue. Liu Xiang stood beside her, watching her earnest expression, silently planning his return to China. On the way down the mountain, Liang Jingru held Liu Xiang's hand as they walked up the stone steps, and whispered, "Brother Liu Xiang, do you think Buddha will hear my wish?" Liu Xiang reached out and ruffled her hair: "Yes, Buddha will definitely hear Jingru's heartfelt wishes."

The two returned to Batu Ferringhi Beach, where the white sand was as fine as powder and the waves gently lapped at the shore. Liang Jingru took off her shoes and walked barefoot on the sand. Her skirt was lifted by the sea breeze, and at this moment, she looked as radiant as a bird spreading its wings.

At this moment, Liu Xiang looked at the distant sea and said softly, "Jingru, I'm going back to China in a while."

The sea breeze seemed to stop instantly. Liang Jingru's hand, which was picking up seashells, froze in mid-air. The smile on her face slowly faded. When she turned around and looked at Liu Xiang, the starlight in her eyes dimmed little by little, and her voice trembled almost imperceptibly: "Back to China... When are you leaving? Will you come back?"

"I'll leave once I've taken care of things here. There's still a lot of work waiting for me back home." Liu Xiang looked at her reddened eyes and her heart softened a little, but she still spoke the truth, "Once I've established myself in China, I'll come back to visit. Or, once you've practiced your singing, come to China to find me, and I'll help you break into the Chinese music scene."

Fish Leong lowered her head, kicking at the sand beneath her feet, her fingertips gripping a seashell so tightly it hurt her palms. She wasn't being unreasonable; she knew that someone like Liu Xiang wouldn't stay confined to this small world of Penang forever. But she just couldn't bear to leave—she couldn't bear to part with the past few days together, couldn't bear to part with Liu Xiang's gentle care, couldn't bear to part with the feelings that had just begun to sprout in her heart.

She sniffed, trying hard not to let the tears fall, looked up at Liu Xiang, and forced a smile: "I know, Brother Liu Xiang has his own pursuits, I won't hold you back."

On the beach that day, the two were no longer laughing and chatting as usual. Liang Jingru silently followed behind Liu Xiang, scattering the seashells she had picked up all over the ground. Liu Xiang wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say. Separation is a normal part of life, but in the end, he couldn't help but soften his heart when faced with this girl whose eyes were full of him.

Back at the guesthouse, Fish Leong locked herself in her room and grieved all night. After thinking about it all night, she finally made a decision: she would go back to her hometown in Johor and not stay in Penang anymore. Out of sight, out of mind, and to avoid making Liu Xiang think she was clingy, and to save herself from the pain of watching him leave.

The next morning, Fish Leong packed her simple luggage, carefully put away the championship trophy and the seashell bracelet that Liu Xiang had given her, walked into the yard, looked at Liu Xiang who was doing his morning exercise, and whispered, "Brother Liu Xiang, I want to go back to Johor. I have to leave here right now."

Liu Xiang stopped his morning exercise and looked at the bloodshot eyes in Liang Jingru's eyes and the luggage in her hands.

He knew in his heart that the young girl insisted on leaving because he wanted to return to his country.

Liu Xiang wanted to persuade him to stay but couldn't. The Malaysian National Security Department had already contacted him last night. Black Shark's main power was at sea, but of course they weren't powerful enough to pinpoint his exact location in the city. The security department planned to have him pretend to leave the area near the port to lure Black Shark's men out so they could capture them all in one fell swoop. This plan couldn't afford to go wrong.

After hesitating for a moment, Liu Xiang finally nodded and said, "Alright, it's good to be able to go home first. Be careful on the road, and let me know when you arrive safely." He didn't dare to look Liang Jingru in the eyes, afraid that he would be unable to resist asking her to stay, and even more afraid of seeing the disappointment in her eyes.

Upon hearing Liu Xiang's words, the last glimmer of hope in Liang Jingru's eyes vanished. She bit her lip and nodded, "Yes, I will. Take care, Brother Liu Xiang."

Sister Zhu walked over and patted Fish Leong on the shoulder: "I'll take you to the station, so you'll have company on the way." She glanced at Liu Xiang, a complex look flashing in her eyes, but didn't say anything else.

The three walked towards the station, the journey unusually quiet, save for the rustling of the bougainvillea by the roadside in the wind. Upon arriving at the station, Liang Jingru took the ticket from Sister Zhu, turned back to look in Liu Xiang's direction, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately only managed to utter, "Goodbye, Brother Liu Xiang."

Liang Jingru turned around and boarded the long-distance bus. She found a window seat, sat down, and looked out the window with worry.

The daytime seemed to pass exceptionally slowly. Liu Xiang settled down in the guesthouse, familiarizing herself with the route provided by the security department.

As night fell in Penang, the atmosphere was gentle yet fraught with danger. Liu Xiang, dressed in casual black attire, stood tall and had a cold gaze. Just as she was about to leave, there was a gentle knock on the door three times.

He thought it was a liaison from the security department, but when he opened the door, he was stunned to find that it was Sister Ah Zhu standing outside.

Instead of her usual floral dress, she wore a burgundy halter-neck dress that accentuated her graceful figure. Her honey-colored skin glowed in the moonlight, and her long hair was loosely tied back, revealing her slender neck and delicate collarbones. She wore light makeup, and her eyes held a charm that was not usually present. She also held a glass of red wine in her hand, gently swirling the liquid, which rippled and blended within the glass.

Liu Xiang leaned against the doorframe, a playful smile on her lips, her tone slightly teasing: "Sister Zhu, coming to see me dressed like this so late at night, you're more impatient than I expected. What, did you know I'm particularly excited tonight, and came to keep me company?"

He thought that Liang Jingru had gone back to her hometown and that Sister Zhu had other ideas and wanted to escalate their relationship.

After all, in the past few days, Sister Zhu had been looking at him with particularly focused eyes, which always seemed to carry a hint of unusual affection.

Sister Azhu entered the room, closed the door behind her, and placed the red wine on the table.

She walked step by step to Liu Xiang, the scent of her perfume mixed with coconut fragrance lingering around Liu Xiang's nose.

She looked up at Liu Xiang, her eyes alluring but lacking her usual naivety, and said seriously, "Mr. Liu Xiang, don't rush to tease me. There's something I need to tell you."

As she spoke, she removed a small metal badge from her neck, engraved with the insignia of the Malaysian Security Service, which gleamed coldly in the moonlight: "Malaysian Security Service Special Operations Group, No. 739, Lin Zhu. I am your direct partner in this plan to lure the Black Shark out. Tonight, I will accompany you to the harbor."

Looking at the badge, the playfulness in Liu Xiang's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by surprise and calm.

No wonder the security department let her participate in this operation; it turns out she was a member of the security bureau, and she was kept so well hidden.

"You've hidden it quite well," Liu Xiang said, raising an eyebrow with a hint of approval. "I didn't even realize it."

"If you could tell, all these years of undercover work would have been for nothing." After putting away the badge, Lin Zhu raised her hand and gently placed it on Liu Xiang's shoulder.