The boring Monday morning at the exhibition was almost over, and Li Haojun was still reminiscing about the time he spent with Maria last weekend. He now realized that attending this exhibition wasn't his primary job; he was there to ensure the effectiveness of the testing equipment, and attending this exhibition seemed like a cover.
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A little while later, Maria returned, a sight to behold. Gone was her functional uniform; she was wearing the layered-shoulder V-neck asymmetrical skirt Li Haojun had bought her. The red satin material shimmered with light and shadow as she moved, creating a flowing, iridescent effect. Paired with black high heels, a high bun tied with a pale green ribbon, and a cool, aloof expression, she was practically a radiant ice queen.
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"How about I take you out for a nice lunch?" Maria asked as she approached.
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"Sure," Li Haojun replied.
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What could he say? Even if it meant facing a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, if a feasible plan was made, he would go with Maria, let alone for something delicious.
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He agreed and stood up, but Maria didn't move. Li Haojun wondered if she wasn't going to lead the way. Oh, he understood. Maria was wearing a formal dress, and as a gentleman, he quickly offered his arm.
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Maria smiled and took his arm, leading him out of the venue.
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Outside the convention building, the sun was blazing. Maria looked around; the taxi they had booked hadn't arrived yet. Li Haojun pulled her to the shade of a palm tree.
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"Ethan, would you kiss me?" The sudden question caught Li Haojun off guard. He couldn't imagine the Maria he remembered asking him such a question. For a moment, he didn't know how to answer, just staring blankly at her, looking into her eyes, trying to find even the slightest clue.
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Maria wrapped her arms intimately around Li Haojun's neck, drawing closer to him.
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"There are cameras all over the street," Maria whispered, her lips barely moving.
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"Shall we record everything here? My Ethan Hunt." Li Haojun keenly recognized the name of the spy from the movie they'd watched together. Was he being asked to play a part?
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Li Haojun put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her neck.
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They took a taxi to a rooftop restaurant, the kind that offers a bird's-eye view of the earth. Maria and Li Haojun sat facing each other at a window table, looking out at the ordinary buildings, pedestrians, and vehicles below, all appearing so small.
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"Are you afraid of heights?" For some reason, Mariah had thought of this question.
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"Actually, it's not so much about being afraid of heights, it's mainly about personal safety,"
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"Oh, so you mean if I tied you up with a rope and you wouldn't fall from this height, you wouldn't be afraid of heights?" Mariah asked calmly, as if her elusive little thoughts were playing tricks on her again.
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"Pretty much, because there's no need to take unnecessary risks," Li Haojun began to solemnly expound his philosophy of life again.
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Mariah took a sip of her drink, looking at him with her big eyes.
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"So, what's the line between necessary and unnecessary?"
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"Hmm? I don't know, haha," Li Haojun couldn't answer either, so he could only laugh self-deprecatingly.
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"You would..." "I know," Maria said, placing the drink she was carrying on the table.
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"Yes," Li Haojun could only agree.
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"Then, don't you think that always living within those boundaries would make life too mundane, or boring?" Li Haojun looked into Maria's eyes, wondering why she wanted to ask these questions today. After a moment, he answered,
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"I just want to be with the people I care about."
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"Hehehe," Maria laughed,
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"What if the people you care about want to go east, and the other wants to go west?"
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"Oh, you've given me another difficult question," Li Haojun said, looking at Maria before him. His thoughts drifted to Qin Wenjing; she was well-behaved, and so was Kathy, and they wouldn't cause him trouble. Only Maria was unpredictable and enigmatic. Was she referring to herself? The atmosphere was so ambiguous. Today's lunch wasn't particularly lavish or delicious; it was more about the atmosphere and ambiance. Li Haojun wasn't even full, but he wouldn't nitpick about anything Maleya did.
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After lunch, the two sat and chatted for a long time. He didn't know why Maleya was so talkative today; she wasn't usually like this.
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After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant and reached the fire escape door. Maleya suddenly stopped, tried it, and then opened the door leading to the roof. She took two steps inside, then turned to Li Haojun and said,
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"Come with me, I need to show you something."
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Li Haojun hesitated, unsure what she wanted.
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"What? Are you afraid I'll sell you?"
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"No," Li Haojun said, following her inside and closing the door behind him. They walked up the passageway, opened the roof door, and found it covered by a tarpaulin.
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Maria gestured for him to stand on the roof, then turned and closed the door. The two of them stood inside the tarpaulin, unable to see what was happening from the outside.
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"Do you trust me?" Mariaa asked.
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Li Haojun neither answered nor refused.
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Maria pulled a package from under the tarpaulin, unzipped it, and inside appeared to be a safety harness, for high-altitude work. Was they about to do some construction work?
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Li Haojun was curious, but upon closer inspection, it wasn't. Mariaa had already taken out the equipment—a parachute. She first helped Li Haojun put it on, explaining the key points of the check, then put it on herself, patted Li Haojun on the shoulder,
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"Check my equipment."
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Li Haojun strictly followed her instructions; after all, this was a life-or-death operation. However, Mariaa's fair thighs and waist, and her elegant turn, were indeed distracting.
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“You’re all tied up now, don’t be afraid of heights,” Maria said with a laugh, launching a drone that pulled them up along the ropes binding them. Li Haojun already had a general idea of what was about to happen.
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The sound of a helicopter rotor slamming through the air came from afar. Maria pulled back the tarpaulin above them and looked up at the sky. Li Haojun was cautious, pushing the tarpaulin around the edges; it was just there, not secured, so it probably wouldn’t get in the way.
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Just as the helicopter’s roar reached their heads, the ropes, with their deflection, pulled them both into the air.
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The two were still unstable in the air, the unbalanced wind resistance causing them to spin. Li Haojun tried to stretch out her limbs to create more wind resistance to balance the resistance on Maria’s side, but the air resistance from her skirt was too great. Li Haojun tried to extend his right leg and arm to increase torque, but that was a futile effort, far from enough. So he hurriedly told Maria,
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"Come closer to me,"
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"What did you say? I can't hear you," Maria shouted.
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But she should be able to hear you at this distance. Li Haojun, seeing her squinting and smiling as she shouted, understood her little scheme. So he also shouted at the top of his lungs,
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"Come closer to me,"
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"What? I can't hear you." The two spun around, Maria stubbornly pretending not to hear.
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"I said, please come closer to me,"
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"What? Say it again,"
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"Please come closer to me!"
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This time Maria was finally satisfied. She tightened her limbs to reduce drag, the distance rapidly shortened, and her speed increased, crashing directly into Li Haojun's arms.
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Li Haojun quickly held her tightly, spreading his legs to maintain stability. Although they were currently facing away from the direction of flight, thankfully the spinning had stopped.
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Facing each other in the howling wind, they instinctively clung to one another. Sometime during the fight, the ribbon binding Maria's hair had vanished, and her loose hair danced wildly in the wind.
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"Say you love me," Maria gazed into Li Haojun's eyes, anticipating his answer.
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While Li Haojun hesitated, Maria's brow furrowed. He had never seen that sharp look in her eyes before.
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"I love you. I... I'm just not sure if this is love,"
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Li Haojun finished speaking and gently kissed her lips. Maria's long hair, whipping in the wind, occasionally brushed against Li Haojun's face, seemingly a constant reminder of his promise made in the wind.
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and then Add to home screen.