Taking the Bullet (Second Update)

"Sorry." Bai Xin showed a trace of fatigue as Fu Haoyao grabbed him by the collar. "I just got the news myself. Brother Hansheng doesn't know her route either; he said he'd do his best to look into it through his bodyguards."

"Then there's no time—"

"Alright, Fu Er, calm down." Bai Yan pried him off his younger brother. "There's no point in venting at Bai Xin right now."

Su Xingshu had already slipped into the restaurant next to the woods to ask about surveillance footage, while Cheng Xingzhou had the Student Council conduct an immediate sweep of the hotel, identifying students who hadn't been on the premises and locking down the list.

A few minutes later, two young men and three women were brought before Cheng Xingzhou. When questioned, however, they pleaded total ignorance and insisted they were being wrongfully accused.

Fu Haoyao stared at them with a cold face. "Talk properly. Don't try any tricks."

"We did invite her out, but she never showed up at all!" one of them said. "We were getting eaten alive by bugs, so we went back to the hotel. Really!"

Seeing that he wouldn't get anything more out of them, Fu Haoyao felt a flash of disappointment, but he hadn't pinned all his hopes on them anyway. He simply withdrew his gaze and waited for word from the private investigator he'd hired.

Seeing that even Fu Haoyao, notorious for his temper, wasn't pushing further, the five of them let out a silent sigh of relief and exchanged glances: clearly, Fu Liangxia wasn't that important after all...

"What were you supposed to do for the person who sent you?"

Just as they began to relax, Cheng Xingzhou suddenly swept his gaze over them and asked.

The five of them stammered, not daring to speak.

But Cheng Xingzhou seemed to read the meaning hidden in their evasive words. He nodded and made a gesture to Xue Changgui. "Deal with them."

"No! Wait, it wasn't us, it was Wang—" One of the boys turned pale at the word "deal" and immediately tried to turn on the mastermind for a chance at survival.

But the next instant, a red dot appeared on him.

"Bang—"

As the bullet tore through his head, brain matter and blood splattered. His unfinished words would never be spoken.

The remaining four, who had hoped to trade information for mercy, were now struck silent with fear. One of them even fainted dead away.

They were only high school students. Even if their families had exposed them to the darker side of society, the most thrilling thing they'd ever experienced was being kidnapped as children.

They'd never imagined they'd die.

"Wang Xixi is insane!" Fu Haoyao's heart clenched at the boy's murder, and he cursed under his breath.

His worry for Fu Liangxia peaked.

If she could arrange a sniper to silence witnesses, what wouldn't she do?!

Cheng Xingzhou's expression turned grim as well. He spoke a few words into his phone, and several plainclothes bodyguards nearby moved toward the sniper's position, ready to take the shooter into custody.

Killing a Saintland student right in front of him—even one about to be expelled—was a slap in the face to Cheng Xingzhou.

He turned to Bai Xin, his gaze fixed on him. "If you can't handle your own fiancée, I don't mind helping you."

Bai Xin said nothing. In the night, his face was veiled by stillness. Then Bai Yan and Fu Haoyao got word.

"We've traced Wang Xixi's recent money movements and the vehicle registered to the people she hired here. Based on the dashcam, the one they drove tonight should be..." Bai Yan quickly scanned the information. "They're heading to the west coast."

"Let's go."

At that, Su Xingshu yanked open his sports car door and jumped in, grateful his family had a villa on this island. Their own villa was provided by the Fu family, and Fu Haoyao also had a few sports cars in the garage here.

The group quickly got into their respective cars and sped off, with the bodyguards who had been following them in the shadows scrambling to keep up.

The night-shrouded island was cloaked in darkness. The sea breeze blew, and passersby—men and women alike—let out long whistles at the sight of the flashy cars, watching with envy as they zoomed past.

But none of the six paid them any mind. They floored the accelerators and headed straight for their destination. Fu Haoyao even nearly lost control on a sudden ramp, fishtailing into a drift.

Perhaps Wang Xixi hadn't expected them to find her so quickly. The van she'd hired wasn't moving fast. Not long after it reached the shore, Bai Xin and the others arrived nearby.

They saw the black van parked haphazardly by the roadside, and dark brown liquid beside it, stretching into the distance.

Bai Kewei sucked in a sharp breath, as if she'd guessed something, and her face grew even paler.

Bai Xin's fingers trembled almost imperceptibly. Bai Yan patted his shoulder, his eyes full of concern.

The two exchanged a silent look, then got out of the car and followed the trail.

The west coast wasn't as lively as their resort area. Only the sound of waves crashing against the rocks filled the air, making one's heart restless.

Fu Haoyao clutched his chest and walked step by step toward where the trail led. Then he saw a sight that nearly ripped him apart.

The person he cherished most in his heart was being held in someone's hand. Her thin dress clung to her body in the wind, making her look even more fragile.

She hung in the air, her limbs limp, her pale face with eyes shut, silent and still.

Across from her stood a ornately dressed girl, phone in hand, snapping pictures. Even from the back, you could see her delight.

Dead silence.

Seconds later, Fu Haoyao, Su Xingshu, and Bai Kewei charged forward at the same time.

Wang Xixi's hired bodyguards immediately raised their guns, aiming at them. But their own bodyguards caught up just as quickly, shielding their employers and leveling their weapons in return.

Startled by the commotion, Wang Xixi turned to look. Seeing them, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes—until she spotted Bai Xin. Then a smile quickly spread across her face. "Bai Xin, did you come to find me?"

Her voice was full of joy. If you ignored the scene before you, she sounded as sweet as any girl in the throes of love.

But that wasn't the case.

Because as she spoke, Wang Xixi pulled a gun from her pocket, its dark muzzle aimed directly at the girl suspended in midair.

Fu Haoyao stared at Wang Xixi, watching her place her finger on the trigger. His heart pounded like thunder. The girl hanging in the air was like a delicate, fragile doll—pale, beautiful, and lifeless.

He felt all the blood in his veins freeze as Wang Xixi spoke again in that sweet but eerie tone, repeating the question to Bai Xin: "Are you here for me?"

Fu Haoyao didn't catch what Bai Xin said. All he saw was Wang Xixi nod with satisfaction and gesture for the surrounding bodyguards to lower their guns.

But she didn't put hers away, nor did she order anyone to drag Fu Liangxia back to shore.

She stayed like that, looking at Bai Xin. "If only you'd been like this from the start. Why did you have to break up with me?"

"Is it because of her? Because this cheap little tramp made you stop taking me seriously? You thought I was in the way, so you wanted to kick me out to clear the path for her?"

"Then how about she disappears, okay?" Wang Xixi said with a giggle.

Su Xingshu's eyes narrowed sharply.

He knew Wang Xixi was crazy, but he hadn't expected her to be this unhinged. Bai Xin had had other models before, but Wang Xixi had never been this worked up. Could she have sensed something?

You couldn't underestimate the intuition and observational skills of a secret admirer—they often understood a person's feelings better than the person themselves.

So Wang Xixi had truly sensed that Fu Liangxia posed a threat to her.

Su Xingshu vaguely realized something, but it felt absurd and unbelievable. It was ridiculous—the four of them were close friends, and now they were even alike in their taste in women?

Bai Xin, who was being stared at by Wang Xixi, felt like sighing. He couldn't understand why, over a matter between the two of them, she refused to resolve it calmly and instead had to drag someone else into it.

Why bring an innocent person into this?

A wave of helplessness welled up in Bai Xin's heart. He thought perhaps his past gentleness and indifference had led Wang Xixi to believe she could push him around.

He stared at her, but from the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed the girl hanging in the air had opened her eyes at some point.

Fu Liangxia hadn't expected Wang Xixi to pull off such a grand spectacle. When she woke up above the sea, she felt a moment of dizziness.

But soon enough, she realized her situation—

Shot to death or drowned in the sea: a fatal choice of two.

Fortunately, Bai Xin was still holding Wang Xixi's attention, and the bodyguards around them had holstered their weapons. Only the one holding her remained, with no intention of letting her go.

The physical boost card she'd exchanged for her last system reward still had over a minute left.

She suddenly twisted her body, reared up, and jammed her fingers straight into the bodyguard's eyes. With a pained shout, he instinctively flung her away—

But the moment Fu Liangxia landed on the shore, Wang Xixi averted her gaze from Bai Xin, a flash of excitement crossing her face. "I don't believe what you said. I only trust myself."

She pulled the trigger without hesitation. The bullet screamed toward Fu Liangxia.

Three figures moved at once.

Bai Xin, who had been watching Wang Xixi closely, lunged forward, knocking her wrist aside while pinning her in place.

The bullet that had already been fired didn't change course, however, and hurtled straight for Fu Liangxia.

It all happened in a split second, yet Fu Liangxia felt no panic—she knew the System wouldn't let her die so easily.

But she never imagined someone would throw themselves in front of her to take the bullet.

The sound of the bullet hitting flesh rang out, followed by the boy's faint grunt.