"Mr. Hu seemed unhappy, with a back that appeared so lonely and sorrowful... Alas, a man with such a regal demeanor, yet unable to find happiness. It seems that heaven is fair; there is no perfect thing in the world."

Hua Yan bowed her head in contemplation. A man who could catch Ah Jin's eye must be extraordinary, and someone who could be personally received by Brother Qiang certainly held a high social status. But what could make a grown man so sorrowful?

"Is he still around?" Such a person piqued Hua Yan's interest.

"How could he still be at the base? He should have left by now... Are you interested in Mr. Hu too? I'll tell you when he visits again."

"Ah Jin, you seem to have a special interest in Mr. Hu. Are you falling for him?" Hua Yan concealed her disappointment and continued to tease Ah Jin. Seeing Ah Jin's face grow darker, Hua Yan's mood suddenly improved.

"Hmph... No good deed goes unpunished. I'm leaving. Remember, you can't go out without permission." Annoyed, Ah Jin glared at Hua Yan, threw down a harsh remark, and left the room without further words.

That night, Hua Yan had a strange dream. There was a girl who felt particularly close to her, repeatedly calling out to a blurred figure, "Fox, Fox..."

Listening to the rustling wind outside the window, Hua Yan could no longer sleep. Fox, could it be that she had a special fondness for such animals in the past? Why dream such a dream? Who was the girl in the dream? She pondered and pondered until she fell back into her dream. However, she never had that dream again, and by morning, she had forgotten it entirely.

This situation left Hua Yan feeling down for several days. When Ah Shui asked her about it, she didn't share her inner thoughts because she couldn't articulate the feeling in her heart.

She felt empty inside, as if a large piece was missing.

Ah Shui pushed the door open and saw the untouched food on the table while Hua Yan sat there in a daze, not even noticing his arrival. What had happened? Ever since a few days ago, her mood had suddenly plummeted. No matter how much he asked, she wouldn't reveal the reason.

"Xiao Yan, the food has gone cold. Should I have someone heat it up again?"

"I'm not hungry. Ah Shui, could you accompany me for a walk?" Gazing out at the now dim evening sky, Hua Yan had a strong desire to get some fresh air.

Could it be that she's depressed from being indoors for too long? With this thought, Ah Shui hesitated for a moment before deciding to take her out for a walk. After all, it was already dark and wouldn't attract much attention.

Walking along the path, Hua Yan breathed in the fresh scent of the grass and trees. Her mood improved significantly. As they walked, Hua Yan suddenly stopped and tugged on Ah Shui's sleeve, signaling him to stay quiet. She motioned for him to remain where he was while she quietly approached a nearby alley, listening to the conversation inside.

"Do you think Brother Cheng is crazy, asking us to find that woman Hua Yan in a place like this? How could anyone hide in the Golden Triangle?"

"Maybe Hua Yan hurt the boss's feelings, which is why he's so focused on this matter."

"Hmph. If she really was the boss's woman, we'd be ordered to kill her the moment we found her."

Hua Yan, why does that name sound so familiar? Suddenly, her head throbbed intensely, and she stifled a groan, trying to keep silent. However, it seemed to have alerted the two men inside.

"Who's there?"

Without hesitation, Hua Yan rushed in and performed a throat lock on one of the men, snapping his neck with a crisp sound.

"Who are you? Why did you kill us?" The other man checked his fallen companion's pulse, finding none. A single lethal strike, leaving him both shocked and puzzled.

Hua Yan didn't answer. She swiftly kicked his legs, using enough force to cripple him.

"Tell me, who is Hua Yan?" Hua Yan grabbed the man writhing on the ground, her grip tightening.

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"You, ah... I'll tell you, just stop squeezing."

"Speak!"

"All I know is that Hua Yan is someone our boss hates deeply. I don't know any more than that... You look so much like the person in the photo. Ah, you are Hua Yan, you..."

Hua Yan gave an evil smile and said casually, "You just realized? Go join your brother." With a snap, the man's head drooped. Hua Yan checked to ensure both men were dead.

She quickly searched their bodies, finding a photo that looked exactly like her.

Hua Yan's expression grew complex. "So, I really am Hua Yan." The sudden headache earlier had brought back memories of her name and some grievance with someone named Cheng.

At that moment, Ah Shui's anxious voice called out, and he came running. Hua Yan struggled internally for a long while before, just as Ah Shui reached her, she acted.

"Sorry." Hua Yan struck swiftly, chopping the back of his neck. Ah Shui fell unconscious, his face full of shock and confusion.

Hua Yan paused for a few seconds, gathered the valuables from Ah Shui and the two dead men's bodies, and picked up a small travel bag from the ground. Quietly, she slipped out of the armed base. She then quickly headed towards a route she had scouted earlier, which led inland.

She needed to reach the first large forest as quickly as possible, as it was the only way to return inland. At this time of night, the base's patrols were eating dinner, and checks were less stringent, giving her an extra half hour to escape.

Unconsciously, Hua Yan's running speed increased. Her physical endurance had improved, allowing her to keep going. This was all thanks to the relentless, grueling training she had undergone at the special base under Lao Yang and Wu Lin.

Although two men had died, she believed Brother Qiang could cover it up. Ah Shui was not in mortal danger, and at most, Brother Qiang would starve him for a few days, knowing it was Hua Yan who had killed those men and that Ah Shui was merely used.

She hadn't expected such a situation to arise. Upon realizing she was the target of those two men and that she had been exposed, she had no choice but to silence them. After all, she only knew her name and that she had an enemy with the surname Cheng. She couldn't recall anything else.

Judging by her instinctive reactions, her situation seemed complicated. If she recklessly appeared before others or openly investigated her identity, she might be killed within minutes.

Moreover, she couldn't stay with Brother Qiang after committing murder. She didn't have the skills to prevent him from discovering her true identity as Hua Yan. Sooner or later, they would connect the dots and uncover information related to her.

At that point, she might be unable to escape Brother Qiang's grasp. She couldn't take that risk. She needed to find out everything about herself, whether good or bad.

Half an hour later, Hua Yan, panting heavily, entered the forest. She ran a bit further before stopping to rest. However, her nerves remained tense. She had to be cautious of Brother Qiang's men potentially pursuing her, as well as the forest's poisonous insects and snakes that could be fatal.

Using a durable flashlight from the small travel bag, she carefully cleared the grass around her to prevent poisonous insects from approaching. She dug a small pit in the exposed soil, placed dry branches inside, and lit them. She then found a flat stone to cover half of the pit, carefully controlling the firelight so it wouldn't be visible within five meters.

Once everything was prepared, Hua Yan sat by the fire pit, keeping an eye on the fire and thinking about her next steps. Her actions tonight had been the best choice given her circumstances.

The small travel bag contained a few pieces of bread, only two bottles of water, but five or six small bottles of white wine. Clearly, the two deceased men enjoyed their drink. Looking at the supplies, Hua Yan decided to leave the forest as soon as possible, given her limited food and the danger of being bitten by a poisonous creature.

Fortunately, there were only two forests along her path; the rest of the terrain consisted of mountains with fewer dangers. At that point, she would need to be wary of people.

Hua Yan's estimation was accurate. Fifteen minutes after she had fled, Ah Shui and the two dead men were discovered.

Ah Shui couldn't wake up for a while, and Brother Qiang was still unaware that this incident involved Hua Yan. While he was examining the two dead men with Mazi and the others, someone delivering food to Hua Yan came rushing in.

When he learned that Hua Yan was not in her room, Brother Qiang's previously grim face became even more terrifying. He immediately ordered people to search for her traces and to investigate the identities of the two dead men. He needed to know the purpose of these strangers sneaking into the base and who they belonged to.

As orders were given one after another, Brother Qiang silently pondered the sequence of events, wondering if Hua Yan was a victim or the perpetrator.

It seemed that Ah Shui was the key figure, and only when he woke up could they get more accurate information. However, Brother Qiang didn't let this matter spread.

Meanwhile, Cheng Cheng, who had come to the Golden Triangle in person, still didn't know that his men were dead. Brother Qiang, taking this matter seriously, would soon discover that they belonged to Cheng Cheng.

Brother Qiang didn't rest all night. When he was informed that Ah Shui had woken up, he immediately went to his room.

"Everyone, get out. Mazi, you stay." As soon as he entered, Brother Qiang drove everyone out, including A-Jin, who looked longingly as if she wanted to stay.

She was deeply puzzled by the news about Hua Yan and Ah Shui's injury.

"Brother Qiang, how is Xiao Yan?" Ah Shui struggled to sit up, asking anxiously.

Brother Qiang's eyes flickered as he said, "What happened last night?" He didn't answer Ah Shui's question but instead asked what he most wanted to know.

Ah Shui's mind was still a bit foggy from the concussion. Although he was puzzled that Brother Qiang didn't answer his question but instead asked one, he obediently recounted the events of the previous night.