The night had grown pitch black.
On the streets nearing midnight, vehicles were sparse, and pedestrians were almost nonexistent.
You Mingxu opened her eyes, slowly propped herself up against the front seat, and sat upright. Her limbs still felt sore and numb, but her strength was gradually returning. Chen Feng was driving, with Guan Jun in the front passenger seat. Seated beside her were Xiao Yan and Tuya. Seeing her sit up, Xiao Yan immediately lowered his head and asked, "How are you feeling? Any discomfort left?"
You Mingxu replied, "I'm fine."
Tuya, beside her, also turned his head. He had woken up at some point, his fierce eyes red-rimmed as he gazed at You Mingxu, hesitating to speak.
"It's not your fault. The warehouse, the hot air, the water, the bomb—it was all part of Yin Chen's plan," she said.
Those few words made Tuya's eyes redden again. He turned away, staring fixedly ahead.
Ahead.
They were driving on the national highway, about to cross the border out of Hunan. Twenty minutes earlier, the police had reported traces of Yin Chen's vehicle in the vicinity. But he had not yet been captured.
Along the way, rice fields lay silent, trees stood tall, and distant mountains were hushed. Only on the far-off mountain roads could faint clusters of headlights be seen—one of the police convoys tracking Yin Chen. Before You Mingxu woke up, Chen Feng had been following the police's movements.
"Chen Feng, the phone," You Mingxu said.
Chen Feng immediately handed her the phone, and she called Xu Mengshan.
On the other end of the line, Xu Mengshan was nearly frantic. Earlier that night, shortly after You Mingxu left the chicken coop, he had received a message from Ding Xiongwei saying that the location she had gone to had experienced an explosion. Meanwhile, both You Mingxu and Yin Feng's phones had been switched off.
By the time they arrived at the explosion site and got in touch with Chen Feng, they learned what had happened. By then, Chen Feng and the others had already taken You Mingxu and were frantically chasing Yin Chen's trail.
Ding Xiongwei immediately issued orders, mobilizing all available police resources to check surveillance footage, set up roadblocks, and launch a full-scale pursuit.
Despite Yin Chen's strong counter-surveillance skills, which allowed him to evade most cameras and follow an erratic, unpredictable route, Yin Chen's tail had been bitten once by Yin Feng and Xiao Yan. That bite proved crucial—Yin Chen's vehicle was exposed. Thus, under the overwhelming police force and their tightly woven net, the vehicle's trail became increasingly clear.
The encirclement was tightening.
However, this situation had essentially been bought with Yin Feng's life. It saved You Mingxu and provided the key clue to capturing Yin Chen. Now, all the detectives were enraged, vowing not to rest until Yin Feng was rescued.
You Mingxu quickly coordinated with Xu Mengshan, gathering more clues and swiftly grasping the police's deployment. After a moment of contemplation, she began directing Chen Feng's driving route. Without a hint of doubt, they followed her instructions and continued the pursuit.
This feeling was different from following Yin Feng's lead. They would carry out Yin Feng's orders without question, even if they knew they were foolish or wrong—because their lives belonged to him anyway.
As for You Mingxu, not only was she Yin Feng's woman, but her calm, mountain-like demeanor and her chilling, compelling gaze inexplicably won them over. There was a blind trust that only by following her could they rescue Yin Feng.Yin Feng lay on the back seat of the car, temporarily unable to feel his limbs. His eyes slightly lowered, he gazed at the nearly pitch-dark sky ahead of the car, feeling unusually calm. He even thought: So this was how A Xu felt earlier.
This helplessness. How much pain must she be feeling in her heart.
At this thought, a stifling sensation gradually swelled in Yin Feng's chest.
Yin Chen, who was driving, remained equally silent. Without even looking, Yin Feng knew he could easily escape the police encirclement. But this time, it was uncertain whether Yin Chen would ultimately manage to flee. If he had left no clues when taking You Mingxu away, he might have had a chance. Now, with the vehicle information and escape direction exposed, and with Ding Xiongwei and Xu Mengshan being no pushovers, the odds were against him.
His thoughts shifting, Yin Feng spoke: "Brother?"
Yin Chen: "Hmm?"
It had probably been years since the two brothers had such a harmonious moment.
Yin Feng: "Where are we going?"
"Don't know."
"What really happened between you and You Rui Xue back then?" Yin Feng asked again.
Yin Chen fell silent for a moment.
Even as a top-tier criminal mastermind, he wasn't invincible. After a whole night of nerve-wracking tension, his temples throbbed with pain. The endless dark road ahead resembled a black abyss, ready to swallow them at any moment. He didn't know where he would ultimately end up, nor did he know what he could truly hold onto. Even now, with his long-desired-to-kill brother right in his grasp.
Only, Yin Feng was calmer than he had imagined.
When he mentioned You Rui Xue, her name falling on his ears in this cold, silent night, a string in Yin Chen's mind twitched faintly. Memories, hazy like mist, surged into his heart.
Back then, he was only 23, just a year out of college. But how miserable was his life at that time? He had started a small trading company, borrowing money from all over, only to be scammed and lose everything. The creditors were no easy deal either. Of course, his business and the source of the money weren't legitimate to begin with, so he had no choice but to flee—from Beijing back to his hometown, Xiangcheng—where he was beaten several times by debt collectors. Finally, he hid in the shabby rented room in the slums, catching a brief respite.
Then, due to old injuries not yet healed and overexertion, he fell seriously ill. In that tiny, dirty, and chaotic room, he lay on the verge of death. Perhaps he would have died from illness without anyone knowing.
It was then that he saw You Rui Xue.
On the balcony of the opposite room, a woman with delicate features was hanging clothes to dry. She seemed a few years older than him, with black hair and fair skin, inexplicably giving off a pure and gentle aura. At the time, Yin Chen was so ill he was nearly dying, so he simply leaned on the balcony, watching her unabashedly.
She noticed, turned around, and in that instant, her gaze turned sharp. But upon seeing it was just a scrawny, sickly-looking young man, she paused and asked across the distance, "Are you okay?"
Yin Chen ignored her entirely, turned back into his room, and slammed the door shut.
At that time, a murderer was lurking nearby, specifically targeting solitary sex workers from the red-light district.
When Yin Chen coaxed information out of the building's caretaker and "learned" she was a woman who could be bought for a night for 200 yuan, he couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.One day, while hanging laundry on the rooftop, Youruixue noticed a quiet boy who had also come up to dry his clothes. She simply smiled faintly. Somehow, they ended up talking. However, while her tone remained gentle and calm, his every word carried a sharp edge.
"When did you move here?"
"None of your business."
"Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"
"I can't afford to buy gunpowder."
"Goodbye."
He followed her downstairs.
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