Passion Translation "Fanfictions"

Vol 1 - Chapter 34: Patrol in the Dark (18+)

Qing pulled the zipper of the sleeping bag up to his nose, leaving only a few fingers outside to point around a bit before slowly crawling entirely into the sleeping bag. "Good night." - Jeong Taeui said, then rubbed his cold arms and began to sit down against the rock where his uncle had been sitting before.

The space was quiet. The only things moving were the flames from the fireplace, leaves swaying in the wind, or occasionally, a small animal darting by. Everything else was enveloped in the silence of the night.

Jeong Taeui suddenly turned his head. A group of people from the European branch appeared behind the trees. Those people also silently stood in the middle of the night forest. The young man standing guard on the other side seemed sleepy, rubbing his eyes and yawning continuously. When he caught Jeong Taeui's gaze, he tried to appear stern and stood up straight. Jeong Taeui intended to wave, thinking that it was fate to meet like this, but he just smiled when he saw that attitude.

Jeong Taeui looked up at the sky. The sky was hard to see, obscured by dense foliage. Yet there was still a faint, reddish light filtering through the gaps in the leaves. The nighttime glow of Hong Kong seemed to blur the colors of the sky. Thinking about it, having a quiet natural area like this so close to a bustling metropolis was quite strange.

He checked his watch. It was late. He quietly observed his surroundings and looked at each person sleeping around him. Even though he couldn't clearly see their faces buried in the sleeping bags, he could recognize who was who by the luggage beside them. There was Qing, there was Carlo, there was Yuan Ho...

At that moment, the distant sound of the sea echoed. *Swish* A rustling sound stirred up a vague sense of unease.

Suddenly, he remembered a trip to the sea at night long ago. On the pitch-black sea, there were nothing but squid fishing boats with bright lights hovering on the horizon and the waves crashing against the rocky shore, creating sparks that glistened like white powder before disappearing.

Is it still the same now?

Jeong Taeui looked in the direction of the ocean's sound. He was now fully awake. When he turned back, he saw another guard on the other side, sitting against a tree, nodding off.

"Wait a bit, I should take a walk and come back."

He smiled softly. If someone woke up in the middle of the night and discovered he was gone, they might scold him for abandoning his post and endangering everyone. But in reality, there was nothing to worry about. He could confidently bet that nothing would happen: there was no way the people sleeping next to him could suddenly band together, draw knives, and start attacking everyone sleeping here.

Jeong Taeui whispered - "Good night." - to his already-sleeping comrades, and then began to walk.

The path to the sea was not properly paved. Like on the way here, he had to avoid overgrown plants, sturdy branches, and sharp stones embedded in the ground.

In truth, there was no clear direction. Fortunately, he had a good sense of direction, so returning the way he came wouldn't be too difficult, but because the path wasn't clear, he didn't know which direction would lead him to the sea more easily. He could only rely on the sound of the waves, which grew closer and closer.

*Rustle*

Jeong Taeui stopped. It seemed like there was a noise coming from somewhere. He turned back and silently looked towards the source of the sound. But beyond the dark forest, there was nothing there.

"......"

The sea was already close ahead. Just a few more steps, and the trees would thin out, revealing the ocean. But in the murky darkness of the forest, he sensed the presence of someone. He held his breath and waited, but after a long while, there was no other sound.