For a moment, no one spoke. It was around one in the morning, and the temperature on the plateau had dropped to its coldest point. Even with jackets on, they could feel the bone-chilling cold seeping into their bodies. Apart from the camp lights and flashlights in their hands, the entire world was pitch-black and silent. Not far away, the woods where the figure had fled were completely still, with no sound to be heard.
Mingtao suddenly took a step back, as if trying to escape the others, the car, or the darkness. His expression was clearly a smile, but his voice trembled: "An isolated island—this is practically an isolated island, isn’t it? In the middle of the night, no cars will come, and we’re cut off from the outside world. As soon as we got here, I noticed my phone had no signal, and I couldn’t make any calls. Now the tires have been slashed! We can’t leave! That highway serial killer has come—he’s really here!"
Before he could finish, his collar was grabbed, and he was slammed against the car. Gu Tiancheng glared at him coldly and growled, "I told you if you mentioned the serial killer again to scare them, I’d throw you out!"
Mingtao stared wide-eyed at him and raised a fist to fight back, but Gu Tiancheng was far stronger and more resilient, holding him firmly in place as he roared, "Shut up!"
Mingtao’s face flushed red, and suddenly his eyes bulged as he shouted, "I—I—I get it! You, Gu Tiancheng, you’re the serial killer! You deliberately led us here—you were the one driving on this road! Now that I’ve said it, you’re furious because I’ve exposed your isolated island murder plan, right? We’re going to be killed one by one, aren’t we?"
You Mingxu couldn’t take it anymore and yelled, "Shut up!"
Song Lan added, "Mingtao, calm down! Stop spouting nonsense and scaring everyone! That shadow stole the things—You Mingxu saw it. The tires were definitely slashed by him too. What does that have to do with Gu Tiancheng? Wasn’t his bag stolen as well? He was the one who noticed the slashed tires. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have even realized it yet."
Though trembling with fear, Zou Furong chimed in, "Yeah, all you do is scare people—you’re not helping at all. How could Gu Tiancheng be the killer? Maybe… maybe we just ran into a thief. Stop saying such frightening things."
You Mingxu said, "They’re right. Whether it’s a thief or something else, there are five of us and only one of him. When day breaks, cars will pass by. It’s only a few hours away—we don’t need to be so afraid."
Her words were convincing, and everyone’s expressions eased slightly. Gu Tiancheng and Mingtao stared at each other for a moment longer before Gu Tiancheng released him. Mingtao let out a soft snort, his tense body relaxing as he took several deep breaths.
Gu Tiancheng said, "The car is useless for now. Let’s head back to the campsite, try calling for help again, and wait for dawn."
No one objected.
Mingtao muttered, "Even if we get through, it’ll take hours for the nearest county to send help by car." Gu Tiancheng shot him a cold glance, and Mingtao turned away, falling silent.
Lost in their own thoughts, they walked back to the campsite. What had once seemed like a vast, serene, and cool night now felt chillingly cold and eerily quiet.
When they reached the tents, Gu Tiancheng said quietly, "If you’re tired, get some sleep. I’ll keep watch and won’t sleep again."
You Mingxu replied, "I’m fine."
"If you’re scared and want to talk, just call me," he added.You Mingxu paused her movements with her back to him and asked, "Hey, are you always this considerate to girls you've just met?"
He was silent for a moment before replying, "No."
You Mingxu's ears suddenly felt a bit warm. She bent down and entered the tent, her voice drifting out leisurely, "I don't need you to keep watch. Just take care of yourself."
Then, through the tent, she heard him respond with a soft, amused "Mm."
You Mingxu's mind was still replaying the events that had just occurred, and her heart felt inexplicably restless and uneasy. Distractedly, she unzipped her sleeping bag. As soon as she slid her legs inside, her entire body froze.
Then, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Her whole body felt as if it had been plunged into an icy abyss.
Because she was a restless sleeper, she had bought a particularly large and comfortable sleeping bag. When she had left earlier, the sleeping bag had been messy, but she hadn't paid it much mind. Now, as she abruptly lowered her head, she saw a large bulge inside the sleeping bag. And her feet had touched something... cold, soft, with a bit of hair, and a hint of exhaled warmth...
Even though You Mingxu had been fearless since childhood, her mind went blank as if it had exploded. Every bone and inch of her skin stiffened like iron. She heard herself let out a piercing scream, and suddenly, as if blood rushed back into her body, she immediately tried to pull her legs out of the sleeping bag. But the thing hiding inside was faster than her, grabbing hold of both her calves.
It was a person! A person's hands—cold, large, and slightly damp. Yet they were strong and stubbornly clung to her. Her feet immediately pressed against a chest.
You Mingxu abruptly tried to kick, but the person was still faster than her, almost using their body to pin down her kicking legs. She even heard "him" let out a muffled grunt. Then, the person's hands quickly slid upward, moving along her thighs to her waist, and pressed down firmly. The situation was too horrifying, and You Mingxu was caught off guard. She was pinned to the ground by the person.
And she was stunned.
Because a person emerged from the sleeping bag, revealing their head.
A man, tightly wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing down on her legs. He carried a faint scent, and You Mingxu's mind briefly registered it but didn't dwell on where she might have smelled it before. His hair was disheveled, and there was mud on his face.
But You Mingxu saw a pair of very bright, very clear eyes. Because they were so close, she could even see his dark, fuzzy eyelashes. Yet why did she see overwhelming grievance and fear in these unfamiliar eyes, in the eyes of this suddenly appearing terrifying person?
Before she could push him away—this man who looked to be at least in his twenties—he suddenly blinked, his lips quivered, and he let out a sob. Tears fell.
You Mingxu was completely dumbfounded.
When Gu Tiancheng and the others rushed over at the sound, they saw this absurd and provocative scene—
A man who had appeared out of nowhere was entangled with You Mingxu in the sleeping bag. Their bodies were almost tightly overlapping. At first glance, the man looked dirty, but it was hard to conceal his handsome features and his tall, sturdy build. The sleeping bag was wrapped around their waists, clearly revealing the contours of their tightly pressed bodies. The man's hands were firmly clasped around You Mingxu's waist, and his face was buried in her chest. His fair, sharply defined face was not overshadowed even by You Mingxu's striking beauty.Yet You Mingxu neither pushed him away nor was able to, merely staring blankly at the man's face.
Thus, Song Lan and the others also noticed the only discordant element in this visually striking scene...
The man was crying—softly, with choked sobs. His neat teeth were biting his lower lip, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. He seemed deeply aggrieved, yet his expression remained stubborn, his mouth twisted severely. No matter how one looked at it, there was an unmistakable sense of... something not quite right.
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