Several times he wanted to tell a joke or talk about something else, but he just couldn’t bring himself to speak. She was clearly distracted and didn’t ask about anything else at all.

After the meal, she washed the dishes, tidied up, and prepared a fresh cup of light green tea. She was always respectful and attentive, serving him with the deep reverence of the most virtuous wife attending to her husband who had just returned from a long journey. Yet, for some reason, he felt a sense of unease. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Perhaps it was the forty-degree blistering heat, the inadequate air conditioning in the living room, or the hot tea she had drunk.

He took the initiative, "Xixi, let me cut some watermelon."

He remembered she always liked watermelon. As early as February or March, she would go on about wanting chilled watermelon and had a small dish every evening after dinner. She would often act coquettishly, insisting that he cut it into small pieces.

But today, she immediately stood up, "I’ll do it."

A big plate of sliced watermelon was placed in front of him. The slices were perfectly uniform, presented on an exquisite plate with small forks carefully arranged beside it.

He took a piece and offered it to her.

She shook her head and whispered, "I’ve not been feeling well lately, so I can’t eat cold things for now."

He was surprised, "Is your friend visiting?"

She neither affirmed nor denied.

They sat opposite each other, both silent.

He suddenly missed the old days when she would cuddle up in his arms, acting cute and flirtatious. "Big oaf, help me put on a record..."

"Big oaf, help me get some fresh tea..."

"Big oaf, it’s time for a joke..."

No. She was carefully serving him all along.

She had long forgotten how to act cute and flirtatious. It seemed like every time she thought of their past, she felt a sense of shame.

He tried to break the discomforting distance. "Xixi, I didn’t think you would figure out I wasn’t in Hawaii... How did you know?"

Isn’t that simple? Rina had sent many blurry group pictures, all with some inconsequential French on them. Yan Xixi didn’t notice at first. It wasn’t until after a month of looking at them that, one day, she strung all the photos together into a big puzzle. This casual glance revealed the secret.

It was something akin to an acrostic phrase.

During their most intimate times, he had once told her that he had studied Morse code in the army years ago. She had even bought a code book to read because of that. Of course, back then, she had no idea that one day it would come in handy. It was only this time, when she was hit with a sudden whim, that she lucked out with this clue.

Liu Daqing, naturally, didn’t understand any of this. She simply guessed, based on her many years of experience, that her son was in the country.

He praised, "Xixi, you are really smart. I was afraid you’d worry, but I couldn’t contact you because any contact could reveal my whereabouts...

"Not only had they been eavesdropping on him, but they had also installed listening devices around many key personnel.

"I had to get this set of data. In fact, three years ago, I noticed they had a strange overseas account with a huge amount of funds. I chased this account for three years. It was truly exhausting work.

"The reason Liu Daqing dared to gamble, personally initiating the final negotiation and showdown, was also due to this.

"I originally intended to get it as covertly as possible. However, one day, they suddenly noticed something was amiss. They immediately transferred the data and changed the relevant passwords. When I saw all my efforts were about to be wasted, I grew desperate and risked it all. That very day, I infiltrated the Data Building I had traced. Later, their anti-theft system detected me, and the guards immediately gave chase..."