The man in the suit sat in the chair at the center of the room, staring at his phone.

When he saw me enter, he looked up, offering a faint smile. "I truly didn't expect us to meet again so soon.

I was actually planning to surprise you." I furrowed my brow deeply and demanded, "What are you doing here? Xie Yuting!" Xie Yuting sighed, stood up, and remarked, "How was the journey on the ship? Was it interesting?" Hearing his tone, I knew he was trying to provoke me, so I retorted without yielding, "It was fine.

Someone wholeheartedly intended to kill me, but alas, this old man didn't die.

What a shame." Xie Yuting smiled slightly, adjusted his collar, and said, "If I truly wanted you dead, do you think you would have survived?" I knitted my brows and asked, "Then what exactly do you want?" Xie Yuting shook his head. "I don't want anything.

At least, I never intended to kill you or mess with you.

Last time, you accidentally overheard something you shouldn't have, which is why I brought you here.

The reason I sent you to this place is actually to help you find out about your origins.

Moreover, if you continue staying in the country, you will be in danger." He spoke so coherently that I pressed further, "What danger? Haven't you been the one monitoring me all along? As long as you aren't planning to harm me, I think I can live quite comfortably." Xie Yuting shook his head. "It's not what you think.

I wasn't monitoring you; I was protecting you.

The real danger comes from those around you." "What?" I asked, bewildered.

Deep down, I didn't trust him, yet I couldn't help but listen to his explanation.

Xie Yuting smiled mysteriously again and said, "Secrets..." He paused, then continued, "I imagine you must be lonely here, being unfamiliar with everything.

So, I brought you a few gifts.

I intended to deliver them to you personally later, but since you're here, just take them now." With that, he snapped his fingers.

Two figures in black descended from upstairs, each carrying a burlap sack.

The sacks seemed to contain people, and they were visibly squirming. "Let me out! What are you doing!" A familiar voice boomed from one of the larger burlap sacks.

My nerves jumped when I heard it—it was Da Xiong's voice! The men in black dropped the three sacks onto the floor, then untied the ropes securing them.

And then I saw three familiar faces.

Da Xiong, *, and Liang Qian! All three of them were equally stunned to see me. "Oh my! Isn't this our little Chuan! Comrade Xiao Chuan, I missed you to death!" Da Xiong struggled to climb out of the sack, but because his limbs were bound, he tumbled face-first onto the floor.

Upon seeing me, * simply curled his lip, a gesture acknowledging me, but I still caught a flicker of joy in his eyes.

As for Liang Qian, she kept staring intently at me, but when I met her gaze, she quickly turned her head aside.

Xie Yuting dusted off his clothes and declared, "Alright, Nie Chuan, you owe me another favor.

I went through immense trouble capturing these three from the farthest reaches of the land and bringing them before you.

You should be thanking me.

However, I don't have time for your gratitude, as I have very important matters to attend to." Saying this, he waved his hand, and the six men in black followed him toward the door.

At the threshold, the woman dressed entirely in black exchanged a few words with Xie Yuting in Russian in a low voice.

Xie Yuting then glanced back at me and said, "This is my friend, Lisa.

Do not give her any trouble; she is a very good girl." With that, Xie Yuting turned and walked away with the six men in black, never looking back.

Though I had a multitude of questions, untying these three was the priority.

So, I rushed over to them and quickly unbound each of them.

The moment Da Xiong was free, he stormed toward the door.

When I asked where he was going, Da Xiong shouted back without turning around, "I must beat that scoundrel surnamed Xie! I was suffocating for these three days! You have no idea the suffering we endured." I was momentarily speechless, thinking that Xie Yuting surely had a gun, and Da Xiong wouldn't stand a chance against them.

This, strangely, put my mind at ease, as even in his impulsiveness, Da Xiong was someone who knew when to retreat from a losing battle.

So, I ignored him and proceeded to untie the other two.

By then, Da Xiong was already outside, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Surnamed Xie, you ran fast! If I ever catch you again, I'll knock out every single one of your white teeth!" Next, * and Liang Qian recounted their experiences.

They had all been drugged at home and taken onto the ship.

During that time, they had no idea who kidnapped them.

They sailed for seven days, only receiving cans of beans daily to keep them alive.

It was only upon arriving at this place that they saw daylight for the first time, only to find me and Xie Yuting.

When they finished speaking, Da Xiong returned.

He related that his experience was almost identical.

Finally, * let out a wry laugh and said, "It seems the three of us are truly grasshoppers tied to the same rope.

To think we'd end up together again like this." Da Xiong sighed, "Who cares? When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

I think the scenery here is quite nice; let's treat it as a vacation! By the way, where exactly is this place? I see some foreigners outside!" I took a deep breath, knowing the answer I was about to give would shock them.

Indeed, when I stated that this was a small coastal town in the northernmost part of Siberia, the three of them simultaneously widened their eyes and asked in unison, "Siberia?" Then, Da Xiong burst into laughter. "Welcome, everyone, to the land of the Eskimos! I hear the roe deer here are fatter than those in the Northeast.

When are we going hunting?" chimed in, "It's terrible to be uneducated.

The people who live here aren't Eskimos; they are the indigenous Chukchi people.

Besides, winter hasn't arrived yet—where would the roe deer be!" Seeing them start their usual lively bickering, I smiled knowingly.

I realized that I truly preferred having them by my side.

From now on, no matter what we did or what difficulties we faced, I wouldn't be afraid anymore.

Especially now that I saw Liang Qian again, the woman I often dreamt about.

This trip to Siberia was definitely a golden opportunity for me to get closer to her.