80: Chapter 79 A New Mission, See You in the Next Life
The morning sunlight, like molten gold, spilled through the gaps in the curtains, cutting slanted beams of light across the messy sheets and illuminating the dust motes floating in the air with vivid clarity.
V wrinkled her nose first, her long eyelashes fluttering a few times before she reluctantly opened her eyes.
The moment her consciousness returned, her senses throughout her body awakened one by one. A familiar fatigue, mixed with a subtle soreness and a sense of satisfaction, spread through her, especially on her waist and the skin of certain sensitive areas, which seemed to still retain the slightly stinging memories of last night's intense struggle.
She subconsciously turned on her side, like a small beast seeking warmth, and pressed closer to the heat source beside her. She wrapped her arm around Lin Yi's waist, and one of her shapely, alluring legs unceremoniously and ungracefully draped directly over his, carrying a touch of unquestionable possessiveness, as if she were afraid that this man she had "marked" last night would slip away when she wasn't paying attention.
She buried her face in the crook of his neck, greedily breathing in the scent of his body, a mix of refreshing body wash and his unique masculine aroma. With a thick nasal tone and the laziness of having just woken up, she complained:
"You bad man... can't you go easy on me? That silk pajama set of mine, which I've only worn once, is now practically raw material for body painting... the pieces can't even be put back together! I don't care, you have to accompany me to Japantown when you have time—no, to Jinguji—and buy me a new set. No, wait, you have to buy me two sets! Otherwise, this isn't over!"
Lin Yi had actually woken up the moment she made those subtle movements, but he was reluctant to leave this rare tranquility and tenderness before the storm, so he deliberately kept his eyes closed, feigning sleep.
Hearing her coquettish complaint—a classic case of shifting the blame—he couldn't help but chuckle, his chest vibrating slightly.
He opened his eyes, and what met his gaze was V's side profile, soft and harmless with sleepiness. He couldn't resist reaching out and gently flicking her pert nose with his knuckles.
"You've become quite skilled at this 'accusing the victim first' tactic, haven't you?" His voice carried the hoarseness and magnetism typical of the morning, sounding exceptionally sexy. "I wonder which little seductress it was last night, drunk and hazy, who acted like she'd broken a seal the moment she walked through the door? She hung all over me, muttering something incoherently about 'I'm going to drain you dry tonight, let's see if you have any energy left to go ogle those birds at Afterlife'... And then? Without another word, you started ripping at my shirt buttons and grabbed my face, kissing me wildly and without any rhythm, covering my entire face in your drool, like someone famished who'd suddenly found a feast."
V was reminded of those hazy, heated fragments of memory from last night by his vivid description. Two blushes instantly flew to her cheeks, but her golden eyes sparkled with undisguised pride and the glow of victory, like a dragoness who had successfully guarded her treasure.
"Hey, we're who to whom? We know each other inside and out already!" She said, deliberately using an indifferent tone, while her fingertips mischievously traced circles on his collarbone. "Look at you now, bleary-eyed, dark circles under your eyes, looking completely conquered and drained of vitality... tsk tsk, it seems that in last night's endurance battle, I came out slightly ahead. I won."
"You're joking," Lin Yi was amused by her smug little expression. He deliberately struck a critical, scrutinizing pose, his gaze sweeping from her messy short blonde hair, over her skin—glowing with a rosy luster from just waking up—and finally landing on her eyes, which held a crafty smile. "My standards are notoriously high. With how you look right now—both innocent and seductive, lazy yet with a hint of wildness—even if you couldn't be a legendary mercenary famous throughout Night City, running off to Clouds to be the headliner, a 'Legend of Clouds' that would make every man in the city go crazy, would be more than enough. You'd be raking in the cash."
"Go to hell, you're just talking nonsense." V found the first half okay, but couldn't help rolling her eyes at the second half.
Lin Yi suddenly paused, as if he had just remembered something more important. His tone took on a hint of lingering fear and seriousness as he reached out and pinched her cheek. "And you have the nerve to talk? You little madwoman, last night when things got heated at the end, if I hadn't reacted quickly and forcibly suppressed the neural signal as you tried to activate your Sandevistan, and you had really turned that thing on at that moment... my dear Lily, I'm afraid you would only be able to experience 'dildos' for the rest of your life! That would be too great a loss—a loss for all of Night City!"
"Damn it! Lin Yi! You're looking for death!" V instantly bristled, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Although she knew perfectly well that the first part of what he said was a roundabout way of praising her boundless charm, and the latter part was born out of concern, this feeling of being cared for and obsessed over made her feel like she had downed a glass of special Rainbow Scorpion cocktail in one go. Various sweet flavors exploded inside her, and dopamine rushed straight to her head.
But the combination of the extreme and shameful term "Legend of Clouds" was just too powerful.
Filled with shame and anger, she immediately grabbed the fluffy, soft pillow beside her and, without a word, smothered it over Lin Yi's smirking face, trying to silence his foul mouth.
Lin Yi had anticipated this. He laughed heartily, neither dodging nor evading, but instead opened his arms and pulled her, pillow and all, firmly into his broad embrace.
V struggled and squirmed symbolically a couple of times, but feeling the warmth and strength of his embrace, she obediently relaxed. With her cheek pressed against his warm chest, listening to the strong, rhythmic heartbeat, the earlier shame and anger were quickly replaced by an even more surging sweetness and sense of security, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl upward.
The two of them spent a while longer whispering and laughing in the morning light, enjoying this rare, quiet time with no missions, no pursuers, just each other.
Until a faint notification sound from a specific contact came from the personal terminal.
The smile on Lin Yi's face faded slightly. He gently patted V's impressively firm backside, his tone returning to his usual calm and reliability: "Alright, get up, you little sleepyhead. Yorinobu sent a message, asking us to meet at the Afterlife in a while. We need to call Jackie and go see what kind of 'medicine' our high-ranking partner has prepared for us in his gourd this time."
The moment business was mentioned, the remaining haze and laziness in V's eyes were instantly replaced by sharpness and clarity.
She responded crisply: "Alright." Without the slightest hesitation.
The two quickly got up, washed up, and got dressed, their movements efficient and in sync.
Soon, the traces of last night's revelry and passion were slightly covered up. They seemed to instantly switch back from ordinary lovers immersed in lust and tenderness to that top-tier mercenary duo—the core of the 'Ghost' squad—who roamed in the shadows of Night City, always ready to face deadly crises.
When they steered their vehicle to a smooth stop at the iconic entrance of the Afterlife—a bar converted from an old-world morgue—the timing was just right.
The engine's residual heat had not yet fully dissipated when a low, aggressive engine roar approached from afar, like the growl of a beast.
A sleek, sharply lined ARCH motorcycle, its paint job showcasing its owner's personality, performed a clean, crisp drift, stopping precisely beside their car with the slight sound of tires rubbing against the ground.
The rider deftly removed his helmet, revealing Jackie Welles's face, filled with a hearty smile and boundless energy.
"Hey! Mano! V! You guys are right on time!" Jackie dismounted his beloved ride, his tall frame seemingly brimming with endless energy. The "Double Feel" experience at Dark Matter last night didn't seem to have brought him any fatigue; instead, it made him look even more spirited, like a fully charged cyberware.
Lin Yi and V pushed open the car doors and got out. The three reunited, exchanged smiles, their tacit understanding unspoken.
"Let's go," Lin Yi took one last look at the brief message and the agreed-upon booth number sent by Yorinobu on his personal terminal, took a deep breath, and cast his gaze toward the heavy door of the Afterlife that seemed capable of swallowing all light. His eyes narrowed slightly. "It's time to see what kind of 'surprise' (or shock) our partner has prepared for us."