When Xu woke, Yu Jingjing was half-undressed in bed. He swallowed hard.
"Senior, what are you doing?" he stammered.
Xu wasn't an animal, but her actions were deliberately seducing. "How do I look? How's my figure?"
"Please don't tempt me like this. I'm still a virgin!" Xu blurted, then lunged. Yu Jingjing, a trained killer of sorts, was taken aback by his raw earnestness. She inhaled — there was a soft milky scent to him, a youthful innocence.
"You smell special," she said. "I like it. You're puzzling me."
Xu nervously asked if she was disturbed by him. She laughed. "You're not actually a virgin, are you? I was just thinking."
Xu's awkward attempts to flirt and her teasing broke the ice; Xu realized he could be bold. But outside, Xiao Ran had spotted tailing men and moved to draw them away — his presence caused the pursuers to dissolve. He'd staged a little ploy to see who was following.
Yu Jingjing's antics weren't all play: some people onboard were killers — including the Violet Rose — and Vulture was furious his men had failed. He suspected Violet Rose's presence might mean someone named Violet (a higher-level figure) was nearby. He offered a large sum to his contact to locate Violet. Meanwhile, hidden observers used binoculars and tracked movements.
Li Changan, Li Anran's cousin, watched from a building, making sure things went according to plan. He wanted Xiao Ran tested before accepting him into the Li family. Seeing Xu so close to Xiao Ran puzzled him — why would Xiao Ran befriend such an ordinary man?
Back in the cabin, Xu and Yu Jingjing spent the night together; she had felt unexpected compassion and didn't want to kill him. Outside, Xiao Ran kept vigil and only slept when dawn neared.
Xu woke up emotional, seeing Yu Jingjing asleep in his arms. "I should have accepted those junior girls back then," he thought. He replayed the previous night fondly.
Yu Jingjing woke and asked why he wasn't sleeping more. He apologized and fumbled: he wanted to ask if she would be his girlfriend, especially since his parents were coming home this week.
She responded with calm condescension. "Why does your parents' visit matter? Are you asking me to be their son's girlfriend?"
Xu blushed. He asked bluntly if she had a boyfriend. She teased him about brother–sister romance and said she'd only consider being with him if she knew everything about his relationship with Xiao Ran. Xu refused to betray his brother — he wouldn't trade his friend for a woman.
Her teasing continued: she accused him of being a liar, then claimed she liked his sweet talk, teasing him into further passion. After they were intimate again, a call came: it was his mother Dai Lanlan. She and Xu Hai were lost at TZ train station — no IDs, confused. Xu scrambled to help using a laptop and the tracking app he'd installed on his father's phone, guiding them out of the station and to buy tickets. His parents were flustered but relieved; Xu joked and gave instructions, and his father started to cry at the relief.
Yu Jingjing watched Xu with curiosity. "You really weren't lying about your parents," she said. She came over quickly after the call; Xu scurried to clean up and prepare food; Yu Jingjing teased him into staying for more.
"Tell me what you do," Yu Jingjing asked.
Xu stroked her cheek. "I'm ordinary — but I'm not content with ordinary." He didn't want to drag her into his hacker world; he kept that secret like Xiao Ran kept his own.
"Are you a killer?" Xu joked when she hinted at her profession.
She admitted it casually: "Yes, I'm a killer."
Xu nearly choked. "What organization hires someone like you?"
She said nothing more. Xu improvised: "I'm a programmer. I might interview at Penguin Group today."
Yu Jingjing believed him. They agreed to stick together. She told him she had a connection to a major shareholder at Penguin Group, but not the kind Xu might expect.
He pleaded: "Can you protect my parents?" The thought of danger to Dai Lanlan and Xu Hai terrified him.
She assured him: "For now they're safe. I don't know who's hosting the ship, but someone is watching over you. I was told to target Xiao Ran, so I came for Xu Changqing to divert attention."
She had mixed motives — duty and personal interest — and she'd been ordered to tail Xiao Ran, but Xu had her private interest. They got dressed and left; Xiao Ran, sleep-deprived, worried about Li Anran and his own enemies. Yu Jingjing told Xiao Ran: "He's mine. Don't reveal everything to him." Her tone made everyone uneasy.
Xiao Ran nervously teased about Xu's heavy eyes. "You're so pale. Did you not sleep?" Xu joked back.
Yu Jingjing's presence altered the dynamic: she was a thorned rose, known as the Violet Rose. Xiao Ran remarked she was indeed dangerous; she might not be just a campus belle.