Chapter 3 (Revised Edition)

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YN followed the Shadow Squad personally led by Shadow-1 Graves to the mission site. At this moment, dawn was just breaking, and the plane had made a brief stop at an airport in a Middle Eastern country.

Having narrowly escaped danger, YN was still shaken and had been curled up inside a military equipment crate, neither eating nor drinking. She dared not step out because she noticed that, except for Shadow-9527, everyone’s eyes were fixed on her.

Now, she truly was a little rabbit who had wandered into a den of wolves. If it weren’t for Graves, the “alpha wolf,” she might have been devoured.

The plane had been flying for some time. Shadow-9527 realized YN had not relaxed at all. No matter how tired, she dared not truly fall asleep inside the crate. The moment her head touched the edge even slightly, she would spring awake like a coil.

Whenever she stirred, the shadows scattered about the cabin would all turn their gazes toward her.

This constant scrutiny forced YN to bury her head even lower in an attempt to reduce her presence.

Given the current situation, she could only wait until the mission was over and then return with them. She already understood what awaited her next.

Having gone the entire night without drinking or resting properly, YN felt as if her throat had been coated with a layer of white phosphorus ready to ignite. She longed for something icy and soothing to drink—if only someone would offer it, she would be forever grateful.

Just then, feeling discomfort, YN caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye: someone was approaching with something in hand.

After the spy’s mission was completed, YN had remained curled up inside the crate. Graves had given no orders, and while the Shadows moved and arranged other crates, no one paid attention to her.

Thus, the crate serving as YN’s temporary refuge remained in place, directly facing Graves.

“Relax, YN.” Graves opened the pull tab on a can and handed her a bottle of Coke. “As CEO, I warmly welcome you to my Shadow Company.”

The daylight had fully arrived. Squatting inside the crate, YN looked up at Graves sitting on the edge, holding the opened red can of Coke close to her.

Not long ago, Graves had asked Oz to check YN’s records.

Staring at the data on the tablet, Graves was skeptical. Rising from his seat, he glanced several times at the timid YN curled inside the crate.

She was East Asian, with a youthful face. Her long black hair was pinned back but now slightly disheveled. Sweat dampened some stray strands on her smooth forehead, sticking them to her skin.

Tear stains on her pale cheeks had dried and vanished, but the bruises beneath her eyes still told of lingering fear.

Now, she had regained some composure, her expression less pitiful and pale, though her vitality had yet to fully return.

Her employee file confirmed she was a cleaner at Shadow Company, having worked there for some time.

After reviewing YN’s records, Graves looked up at her drooping eyelids as she curled within the crate.

Suddenly, he saw her as a little bird with broken wings—unable to fly or escape, trapped in a cage, silently mourning her fate.

YN had not expected Graves to be the one to approach her just now. She stared at the red can in his hand, then at his blue eyes.

He possessed striking blue eyes—clear and sincere when not scheming.

Yet YN could not decipher the emotions behind them and dared not meet his gaze. To hide this, she looked instead at the bridge of his nose.

Graves always gave her the feeling that one wrong step on the pristine ice could shatter it entirely, plunging her into an icy abyss.

Even with her eyes fixed on his nose, unease churned inside her. She quickly looked away.

But she knew Graves was still watching her.

The murderous aura from last night had softened into a gentle smile on his face.

Graves had held the Coke for some time and now moved it closer to YN again.

At this moment, he was the caring boss.

“Thank you… boss,” YN said softly.

Finally, she licked her dry lips and reluctantly took the opened red can from Graves.

Yet she only held it in her hands, not daring to take a sip despite her parched throat and chapped lips.

It was as if the sweet fizzy drink were poison luring a lost kitten in an enchanted forest.

In truth, YN was somewhat afraid of Graves.

“I’m very gentle and gentlemanly with ladies,” Graves said, and YN’s hairs stood on end once more.

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Not only did she hear Graves’ words, but also the laughter, chatter, and whistling from the Shadows resting nearby.

“Damn, this ‘Bunny’ has such a soft voice, my bones are melting.”

“She even calls Graves ‘boss,’ haha. I’ve followed Graves for so long and never called him that.”

“‘Bunny,’ take down Graves! We’re watching you!”

Hearing these teasing remarks, YN’s face flushed bright red.

What was this nonsense? How dare they joke about her? Or rather, how dare they joke about Graves?

Hadn’t they witnessed Shadow-1 Graves’ ruthless methods just now?

Yet as the alpha wolf, Graves only pursed his lips, offering no rebuttal to his subordinates’ teasing.

How could he be so indulgent?

Her fists clenched tightly.

Graves’ gaze swept down from YN’s flushed face to her hands clad in black gloves, fingers curling inward but not making a fist.

YN wanted to knock out the one who had urged her to “take down Graves”—she had no intention of capturing such an enigmatic man.

She said firmly, “Please don’t joke like that. I’m not ‘Bunny,’ I’m YN.”

The Shadows immediately fell silent.

Her voice was quiet but forceful. Having just survived a life-or-death ordeal and had her identity doubted, she summoned the courage to assert herself again.

“She is YN, not ‘Bunny.’ And no one is to joke about her.”

Graves repeated her words in a stern tone.

As he finished, the Shadows who had been quiet fell even more silent.

An eerie stillness settled over the cabin.

YN chose not to say more and placed the Coke on a flat corner of the crate before lowering her head into silence.

At that moment, she felt a gentle hand stroke her head, accompanied by a soft voice saying, “Forgive them. They mean no harm.”

After a while, YN realized it was her boss, Graves, who had touched her head.

Later, with Graves’ warnings and reassurance, no matter how much noise she made, the Shadows no longer paid her any mind.

YN gradually relaxed.

Just then, Shadow-9527 approached the crate with a military water bottle.

When YN had just clarified her relationship with Shadow-9527 to Graves, only the three of them were present. The others had not overheard.

Now that Graves had just soothed her, Shadow-9527 was back with a gesture of goodwill?

The newly quiet atmosphere suddenly stirred with silent excitement. This juicy gossip was too tempting to ignore.

YN raised her head and snorted, shooting Shadow-9527 a glare before firmly brushing away the water bottle he offered. “Go away!”

After venting, she turned her face aside to avoid looking at him.

Oh—she was angry?

The Shadows looked confused.

Shadow-9527 was one of the most favored by Shadow-1 Graves.

Judging by YN’s tone with him, they must have known each other well for some time.

So, was Graves the third party?

All eyes shifted to Graves, who was sitting nearby, focused on his tablet.

He remained calm—so calm that it seemed the one stealing love wasn’t himself.

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“YN, don’t be like that,” Shadow-9527 immediately crouched down and switched to coaxing mode. “I was wrong. Hit me.”

When YN started as a cleaner at Shadow Company, though she wanted to form bonds, she kept a low profile, knowing her true identity would be discovered sooner or later.

In the past month, besides familiarizing herself with the cleaning crew and greeting some Shadows she barely knew, her closest acquaintance was Shadow-9527.

The drama was delicious. Though the Shadows all wore masks, they couldn’t hide their smiles—Graves had fallen at first sight and lost the love battle before it even started.

YN was clearly somewhat afraid of Graves, the Shadows noticed. Yet she wasn’t afraid of Shadow-9527 at all; in fact, she dared to snap at him. This showed Shadow-9527 held a higher place in her heart than Graves.

“Your chance—won’t hit me?” Shadow-9527 pressed, twisting off the water bottle cap and holding it out to YN again.

YN had no intention to engage but upon smelling the scent from the bottle, a smile immediately bloomed on her face.

Her lips curved upward; her brows softened from annoyance to crescent moons.

“Here, it’s for you.” Without hesitation, YN handed Shadow-9527 the Coke Graves had held for so long.

A Shadow couldn’t help but chuckle.

Graves looked up to see YN eagerly drinking from the water bottle, while Shadow-9527 held the Coke intended for YN.

They had made peace and were sharing drinks.

What magical potion was in that water bottle to soothe her so quickly?

YN and Shadow-9527 were not what others imagined.

They were very, very good friends.

On YN’s first day at the Shadow Company, driving the floor sweeper for the first time and still unfamiliar, she accidentally reversed into Shadow-9527, who was carrying a vanilla ice cream snowball.

Watching the pristine, fragrant snowball fall and melt on the floor, attracting a swarm of ants, YN and Shadow-9527 knelt side by side, shouting in unison,

“Ah—what do we do?!”

When their eyes met, especially when YN saw Shadow-9527’s unique gray eyes, she excitedly blurted out a string of words—not in English.

Shadow-9527, about twenty centimeters away, clearly heard her.

“I… I’ll compensate you…” YN’s eyes welled with tears, mouth watering.

She really wanted a bite of that vanilla ice cream.

Shadow-9527 honestly replied, “You should, since you hit me.”

YN: “I’ll wash your clothes as compensation, okay?”

Shadow-9527: “Huh?”

A small question mark appeared in his gray eyes. There was a washing machine in the dorm; though busy, he was not lazy enough to need others’ help for laundry.

Seeing YN’s pitiful gaze at the melting, ant-covered snowball, he suddenly felt she must hate not being an ant, unable to join them in devouring it.

“Forget it, just an ice cream snowball, no need to compensate.”

The next day, YN reversed the floor sweeper and bumped into Shadow-9527 again—this time with a chocolate snowball.

The third day, again, this time honeydew flavor.

By the fourth day, YN and Shadow-9527 sat together on her floor sweeper, sharing a strawberry snowball.

Thus, YN made her first true friend at Shadow Company: Shadow-9527.

Graves silently watched the two laughing together.

Suddenly, the boss seemed infected by their joyful mood: “Good? I have ten more boxes here.”

This was clearly said to Shadow-9527.