"I've also been waiting for someone to appear."
After You Mingxu finished speaking, Gu Tiancheng stared at the crimson lips on her delicate face. A somewhat crude impulse suddenly arose in him—he wanted to kiss that mouth. No, not just kiss, but devour it fiercely, with caresses, mingled with masculine desire. On such a night, in this desolate Wilderness with no one around, to act recklessly toward a strange woman. This thought made Gu Tiancheng increasingly restless. He took another drag of his cigarette, feeling his throat grow drier.
Mimicking her, he stubbed out his cigarette in the soil beneath his feet, as if burying something. Planting his hands on the narrow patch of ground between the two tents, he leaned into her space and asked, "Who did you say you were waiting for?"
His voice had dropped low, carrying a distracted tone, his eyelids slightly lowered as he fixed his gaze on a spot on her face. In this state, he unexpectedly exuded a flirtatious air of aggression.
You Mingxu's face was less than twenty centimeters from his. In the dim light, he stood taller, looking down at her slightly. Yet she seemed determined to peer into the depths of his eyes, staring intently at those dark, gleaming pupils for a long moment.
"I said..." The corners of her lips curled into a faint arc, a flicker of mischief in her eyes. "It's time to sleep." By the time Gu Tiancheng registered her words and reached out to stop her, it was too late. You Mingxu yanked down the tent flap and pulled the zipper shut with a sharp "zip."
The tent plunged into darkness. Gu Tiancheng could only make out her movements inside—likely undressing and lying down. Knowing his own wild nature and impulsive tendencies, he felt the urge to reach through the tent fabric and grab her arm or waist. They were both mature, perceptive adults, and everything had only just begun—why was she running away? He restrained himself, not wanting to come across as too rash.
Gu Tiancheng lay down as well, glancing once more at the other tent and the two cabins. All was quiet—everyone must have fallen asleep. His gaze shifted to his car, parked silently and steadily not far away. This place was remote and seldom visited, so it should be safe. His expression settled into calmness as he closed the tent door and shut his eyes to sleep.
Before long, Mingtao's loud, drawn-out snores echoed over the campsite. Song Lan had initially been somewhat alert, given they were essentially sleeping in the wild. But the day's cycling had drained her physically, and soon her eyelids grew heavy, pulling her into deep slumber.
Zou Furong, ever naive and straightforward, found everyone they'd met today agreeable and reliable. Besides, she was sleeping inside a cabin—as safe as could be. She, too, drifted off quickly.
Gu Tiancheng and You Mingxu's tents remained silent throughout.
The campsite lamp left on the ground was switched off by Gu Tiancheng. As the night deepened, not a sound could be heard in the Wilderness. This small campsite seemed entirely swallowed by the dark world.
You Mingxu kept her guard up, dozing lightly. Every so often, she would open her eyes to stare at the tent ceiling, ears tuned to the surroundings. Finding all quiet, she would close her eyes again for a while.
In this fitful state, at one moment she suddenly opened her eyes, instantly fully alert. She couldn't pinpoint what had startled her awake. Slowly calming her heartbeat, she listened to the soft rustle of wind against the tent. Everything around her remained pitch black.Then she heard slow footsteps treading on the grass—crunch, crunch, crunch—followed by faint rustling sounds and the noise of chewing. Someone was eating.
She propped herself up with her hands, slowly sat up from the ground, and removed her sleeping bag. Just as she was about to unzip the tent door, the night was so quiet that even this slight sound was clearly audible. The person’s chewing abruptly stopped.
In the blink of an eye, You Mingxu flung open the tent door and crawled out. But all she saw was a dark figure darting swiftly into the woods behind the cabin, vanishing without a trace. You Mingxu shouted, “Who’s there!”
Almost simultaneously, Gu Tiancheng leaped out of his tent, casting an alert glance at her before scanning the surroundings. “What happened?” he asked urgently.
The commotion roused Mingtao, as well as Song Lan and Zou Furong from inside the cabin. They turned on their lights and rushed out, their expressions tense and uneasy.
You Mingxu pursed her lips, staring into the depths of the woods, and recounted what she had seen and heard. The group exchanged uneasy glances. Mingtao was the first to speak: “Holy shit, could it be a wild man?” Before anyone could respond, he dismissed his own idea, his voice tinged with excitement. “No, no—I’ve never heard of wild men in Tibet. Could it be that serial killer, desperate and hiding out here? Holy crap!” He immediately began inspecting the area around the tents. Song Lan and Zou Furong huddled close together.
Gu Tiancheng exchanged a look with You Mingxu and said, “Let’s check if anything’s been disturbed.” You Mingxu nodded.
“Holy shit, my shoes and clothes are gone!” Mingtao exclaimed, his tone a mix of shock and excitement. Everyone looked where he was pointing and saw that his boots, which had been left outside his tent, were indeed missing.
“And my jacket,” Mingtao gestured, “It was a bit damp, so I hung it outside to air out. It’s gone now. Damn, it’s cold…” He wrapped his arms around himself, grumbling angrily.
You Mingxu’s sharp eyes caught sight of a torn sausage wrapper and some biscuit crumbs on the ground outside her tent. A chill ran down her spine. She hurried over and saw that her backpack, which had been leaning against the tent, had been opened and rifled through, its contents in disarray.
Gu Tiancheng walked over and asked, “What’s wrong?”
She lifted the bag to show him. Mingtao and the other two also came over at the sound.
Gu Tiancheng’s brow furrowed as he thought for a moment. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he turned and ran toward his car. You Mingxu’s eyes widened, and she followed him. The others, confused, trailed behind.
The trunk was open. Gu Tiancheng rushed over first, his brow deeply furrowed, and bent down to rummage through the trunk. By the time You Mingxu reached him, he looked up at her, his voice steady despite the situation: “Two of my suitcases have been taken.”
You Mingxu quickly glanced inside and confirmed that only one small suitcase remained in the trunk, along with a few bags tossed haphazardly inside. In the corner were some miscellaneous items—a pair of dirty shoes, a hat, a half-length rope, and the like.
Before You Mingxu could examine further, Gu Tiancheng, his face grim, slammed the trunk shut and continued inspecting the vehicle.
“Damn it,” he muttered, kicking the left rear wheel before crouching down for a closer look, his expression darkening. You Mingxu’s heart sank. She immediately ran to the right rear wheel and, sure enough, found the tire punctured and deflated. She slowly stood up, and the two of them locked eyes across the car, the gravity of the situation reflected in each other’s gaze.Mingtao and the other two were also greatly shocked upon seeing this. Zou Furong said, "How... how could this be? Was it punctured by someone?"
Song Lan lifted her gaze to look at You Mingxu. For some reason, their auras felt quite compatible. Song Lan asked, "Was it... punctured by that dark figure just now?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a shudder in her heart.
You Mingxu slowly nodded.
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