The two faced each other in silence for a moment before Gu Tiancheng said, "Fine, I'll go release Zou Furong later. She's badly injured and hidden in a secluded spot. If I don't go, she'll likely bleed out by the time you find her. But before I go, I want some advance payment."
Hearing this, You Mingxu felt a wave of relief. Thank goodness—Zou Furong was still alive! Just as she was rejoicing, her waist suddenly tightened. Gu Tiancheng had dragged her over and pinned her to the ground. Her scalp prickled as she growled, "What advance payment?"
"Don't panic..." Gu Tiancheng's voice was calm behind her. "Just stay quietly with me for a while. I'm not foolish enough to make you my woman here before the police arrive, only to lose both our lives. You wouldn't want me to be that stupid, would you?"
You Mingxu froze momentarily, hesitating. Her mind raced: perhaps he was telling the truth. Zou Furong was hanging by a thread, hidden away. This area was likely his stronghold—he had deliberately lured them here, which explained his familiarity with the terrain. Zou Furong and Song Lan had simply been unlucky, stumbling into this den of evil. There might be some sincerity mixed with his lies. For now, it was better not to provoke him and instead coax him into leading her to Zou Furong.
Just then, she felt him gently pull her, and they leaned sideways against a tree. His hand remained pressed on her shoulder, his faint scent enveloping her, rendering her immobile.
The darkness before dawn felt heaviest—an boundless night threatening to swallow everything. Around them, there was nothing but the soft wind and the wild scent of dust and leaves.
He said, "Whether it's love or not, whether what I feel now is real... regardless of when we die or by whose hand—I actually feel like I haven't been twisted in this moment. I'll always remember these few minutes, and I hope you won't forget them either."
After a pause, You Mingxu replied, "Perhaps."
He said, "Stay where you are. Don't move."
Yet despite You Mingxu's typically fierce demeanor and past relationships—her ex-boyfriend had been a fine young man from the police academy—she still lacked understanding of men's duplicity or the complexities of intimacy. This silent, cold embrace left her momentarily dazed.
At some point, she sensed movement behind her and heard rustling sounds. Before she could react or turn her head, she froze. Then she felt his other hand slide to her neck, gripping it tightly.
"Don't move..." His voice was strained, breathless, and vicious. Soon, she heard his movements quickening, his low gasps growing more pronounced.
You Mingxu's first reaction was to widen her eyes, wanting to curse in fury. Like a tiger at the mercy of a dog, she had been careless, never imagining she'd face such humiliation. Her entire body stiffened as she gritted her teeth. "Gu Tiancheng, stop this right now!"
But in this regard, Gu Tiancheng was clearly more experienced. He chuckled darkly and said, "Stop? I'm holding myself—what right do you have to tell me to let go?"You Mingxu's ears flushed crimson this time, but he had already stealthily pinned her by the neck. With her hands and feet still bound, she couldn't move an inch. The slightest twitch made her feel his fingers tighten, leaving her struggling for breath. Her entire body stiffened like stone, yet he whispered threats in her ear: "Still causing trouble? Keep it up and I'll slit the throat of that fool on the ground, then finish off the other three. I said I'd collect a deposit first—are you trying to deceive me instead of coming with me? I haven't even touched you yet!"
You Mingxu clamped her legs tightly together, her hands balled into fists behind her back. She knew he meant every word. If she provoked him in his current volatile state, he could easily slash the throat of the fool—the injured officer—and no matter how agile she was, she'd never save him in time. Gritting her teeth until her eyes nearly bulged out, she lowered her head and spat venomously, "Beast!"
Gu Tiancheng let out a soft chuckle but quickly fell silent. His body and breathing grew increasingly tense.
You Mingxu glared darkly ahead at the forest and the ground swallowed by night, littered with fallen leaves.
Gu Tiancheng released her but remained leaning against the tree trunk. You Mingxu could only hear his breathing in her ear, but the musky scent of a man drifted through the air. She felt nauseated and forced herself to endure it. Yet the odor seemed to cling to her as well. She told herself to stay calm, to bear it a little longer. Once she found where Gu Tiancheng had hidden Zou Furong, she wouldn't have to endure anymore.
After catching his breath, Gu Tiancheng zipped up his pants, wiped his hands clean with a tissue, and said, "Wait here. Don't run. If you do, I'll kill them all. You won't escape either."
You Mingxu pressed her lips tightly together, refusing to speak.
Satisfied, he smiled, wrapped an arm around her waist once more, picked up the dagger from the ground, and strode into the woods.
The small clearing fell silent again. You Mingxu focused her senses, clearly hearing Gu Tiancheng moving away. She believed he needed to wrap things up before the police arrived.
The flush on her face had faded, leaving it frosty and stern despite the lack of witnesses. Her eyes smoldered with gloom. Recalling Gu Tiancheng's earlier actions, she burned with the urge to kill him. She wanted to capture him herself, press his head against the ground at the police station entrance, and make him lick muddy water.
After indulging in these malicious thoughts for a moment, she steadied herself and was about to move when she sensed something amiss.
She slowly turned her head.
The fool lay at her feet, wide-eyed and staring right at her. He had woken up at some point, his handsome face still pale from blood loss. His dark, grape-like eyes blinked steadily as they watched her.
You Mingxu's heart skipped a beat. Coldly, she demanded, "What are you looking at? When did you wake up?"
The fool's face suddenly twisted with anger and indignation. He pointed at her pants—his fingers pale, slender, and well-maintained, unlike those of a hardened detective—and gritted his teeth as he exclaimed, "Why... why did he pee on big sister's pants? Such a bad guy! He peed on you! He peed!"You Mingxu froze stiffly for several seconds, thinking, if he hadn't threatened your life earlier, would I have endured such humiliation? Almost uncontrollably, she roared, "Shut up!" In that split second, she flicked her sleeve, and a tiny, extremely sharp blade hidden inside slid down. The edge slightly stung her palm, but she paid it no mind. Gripping the blade, she flipped her wrist and effortlessly sliced through the restraint that would have been impossible for an ordinary person to break. She then swiftly cut the bindings at her ankles with a nimble motion. Originally seated on the grass, she pushed off the ground with one hand, her body springing up agilely. As she rose, her left knee naturally bent forward, bringing her right in front of him. With a flick of her right hand, two faint, almost inaudible sounds followed, and the restraints on his hands and feet were severed as well. This entire sequence—self-rescue, standing, moving, rescuing him—she completed in just over a second. The fool was utterly stunned, gaping at her. By the time he processed it, the woman was already kneeling on one knee, looking down at him.
Though the fool was simple-minded, his senses remained sharp. The deep, dark sky seemed to be lightening, shifting from ink-blue to a dimmer blue—a sign of the approaching dawn. Yet the air grew colder. The woman wore a windbreaker, her long hair flowing in the breeze, left hand braced on the ground and right hand clutching the blade. Her eyes were clear and profound, fierce and intimidating, yet they made him feel an overwhelming sense of security.
"Remember this..." You Mingxu hissed through gritted teeth, "What happened with the peeing... don't you dare tell anyone, not even the police officers we'll meet later. If you do, I'll use this to cut your hand!"
The fool stared blankly for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
Seeing his bewildered expression, You Mingxu felt a twinge of regret for the harsh threat and softened her tone slightly. "This is our secret, got it?"
He understood and grinned widely, "Yeah!" His teeth were white, and his lips were well-shaped. Such a handsome man, smiling like a complete idiot.
A faint smile tugged at You Mingxu's lips as she stood up. "I'm leaving. Find a place to hide until I come back for you."
Panicked, he clutched the wound on his shoulder and stumbled to his feet, asking, "You... where are you going?"
You Mingxu glanced at him, took off her windbreaker, and tossed it to him. "Stop the bleeding yourself—press on the wound or wrap it up. You look strong enough; you won't die anytime soon. I'm going after him. He's not going to release anyone; he's going to kill."
OpenNovel