You Mingxu finally snapped back to reality and yelled, "Get off!" as she shoved the man's chest. But he was tall and strong; no sooner had she pushed him away than he lunged forward again, wrapping his arms around her. His large hands seemed glued to her slender waist, refusing to budge.
"Don't send me away..." a low, magnetic voice murmured, "I'll be good..."
You Mingxu: "..."
She stared into his eyes—they were so clear and innocent, as if it were perfectly natural for him to act coquettishly with a strange woman, brimming with grievance. The way he held her carried a stubborn, willful quality, yet she felt none of the desire typical of a mature man.
You Mingxu felt a headache coming on and began to suspect this man might not be entirely normal... but she couldn't tell if he was faking it.
Before she could react further, Gu Tiancheng strode over with a grim expression, grabbed the man by the collar, and swung a fist at his head.
You Mingxu: "Wait!"
Despite the man's slow, childish speech and demeanor, his reflexes were sharp. He tilted his head, narrowly dodging the punch, then pushed himself up and leaped out of the sleeping bag, scrambling to flee.
The tent was cramped, and Gu Tiancheng had reached in to grab him. Seeing the man escape, he moved to seize him again. You Mingxu rolled to her feet and caught the back of the man's shirt. By then, he was already outside the tent, forced to halt as Gu Tiancheng closed in on him.
You Mingxu emerged as well, leaving Mingtao and the other two gaping in astonishment.
The man glanced at Gu Tiancheng and trembled in fear, ducking behind You Mingxu. He grabbed her hand, pressing his face tightly against her back and hunching over as if trying to disappear. Despite standing over six feet tall, he cowered behind You Mingxu, who was half a head shorter and much slimmer, as if believing no one could see him.
The others were speechless once more.
For once, You Mingxu felt utterly bewildered.
At first, this man hiding in her sleeping bag had nearly scared her to death. But his subsequent behavior clearly indicated impaired judgment, and she no longer felt afraid. Now, hiding behind her, he clutched her hand tightly, his palm slick with sweat, as if genuinely terrified. He bent so low to press his head against her back that it must have been uncomfortable, yet he nuzzled her gently, like a small animal, making her skin tingle. It was as if he thought this would protect him from Gu Tiancheng and the others—a classic case of the ostrich burying its head in the sand.
Then he began muttering rapidly, too fast to decipher, only disjointed, frantic murmurs reaching her ears.
If this man was acting, he was doing an impeccable job.
Mingtao cried out, "He's wearing my clothes and shoes!" You Mingxu had to admit she'd caught a whiff of leftover sausage on his breath earlier.
The mystery of the theft seemed solved.
Zou Furong cautiously kept her distance, while Song Lan asked, "So everything that happened earlier was because we encountered this madman? He did all of it?"
Everyone stared at the man, who seemed to grow even more nervous, shrinking further into himself. Though tall and sturdy, he hunched over like a frail old man.
You Mingxu slowly turned her head. Sensing her movement, he looked up timidly, meeting her gaze.
And once again, her heart gave a sudden jolt.Because he was crying again! Only this time, there were no sobs—tears flowed silently, his lips were pressed tightly together, his face pale with fear, yet his eyes still held a stubborn intensity.
This guy must have been a very good-looking but difficult child when he was young—You Mingxu’s mind suddenly drifted to this irrelevant thought.
Somehow, her heart suddenly felt relieved and relaxed. She didn’t dwell on whether he was pretending and simply stared at him calmly. He, in turn, stared blankly at her for a while, seemingly sensing the reassurance in her gaze. Slowly, very slowly, a faint smile spread across his pale, mud-stained face.
His skin was fair, with a faint bluish tint above his lips where his beard hadn’t been fully shaved. His brows and eyes were dark and bright, his nose bridge high, and his hair jet-black. When he smiled, he looked innocent, clean, and handsome.
You Mingxu was momentarily stunned, her confusion deepening. What kind of person is this? Why did he appear here at this time and place? Could he really be…
Suddenly, she sensed an intensely sharp gaze fixed on her from the side. Turning her head, she met Gu Tiancheng’s pitch-black eyes. His gaze was heavy, different from its usual depth. His dark pupils and tightly pressed lips gave him a displeased expression, and his eyes were fixed on her hand, which was tightly gripped by the stranger.
As their eyes met, You Mingxu felt her heart beat fiercely, as if scalded. A thought crossed her mind: This man’s every move carries a certain intensity, enough to make a woman’s heart flutter.
She avoided Gu Tiancheng’s burning gaze but heard him coldly command, “You, come here. Don’t hide behind a woman.”
You Mingxu had no intention of blindly trusting this mysterious fool. She simply wanted to observe him carefully and get to the bottom of things. Hearing Gu Tiancheng’s order, she broke free from the man’s grip and took two steps back. The man seemed bewildered, hesitating in place for a moment before looking up at You Mingxu as if wanting to rely on her again but not daring to.
The others also stepped back, leaving a large empty space around the man. The camp lights and flashlights in their hands cast an eerie glow on everyone’s faces. The atmosphere suddenly grew tense again.
“Let me tell you…” Mingtao’s voice was low but audible to everyone present, “Don’t think this weirdo is just some harmless simpleton. He’s the one who ate the food and stole the clothes. Right under our noses, without anyone noticing. He even knew how to slash the tires. Do you know there’s a type of serial killer called disorganized? He fits the bill—a mentally unstable lunatic who kills impulsively… We can’t just let him go.”
“Not let him go?” Zou Furong said incredulously. “Are we supposed to capture him?”
“Yes, capture him,” Gu Tiancheng replied calmly this time. “No matter where he came from, we’ll hand him over to the police. That’s the safest option.”
His words carried weight, and everyone fell silent.
You Mingxu agreed inwardly but glanced again at the young man standing isolated in the center. He seemed to sense the hostility around him, his lips pressed tightly together and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His back was still hunched, making him appear timid and pathetic.Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something, or perhaps reacted to what everyone had just said. He slowly straightened up, and for a moment, he appeared almost normal again. Then he reached up and touched his nose, saying, "Killing... Hah... Killing... Killed many... Killed seven..."
A chill seemed to run through everyone's hearts. The surroundings were eerily quiet, and the handsome but mentally disturbed man before them suddenly became deeply unsettling upon closer thought.
You Mingxu's mind wavered—hadn't Mingtao clearly said four earlier? Now he was saying seven?
"Watch out!" Gu Tiancheng roared. The man had suddenly turned violent, his face twisted with stubborn determination as he lunged toward Zou Furong. You Mingxu, who had been close to him earlier, knew that this man likely had training in something like mixed martial arts and worked out regularly. Though not a top-tier fighter, he was agile and strong. The sudden pounce terrified Zou Furong, who let out a sharp scream. You Mingxu and Gu Tiancheng rushed over from both sides.
Just as the man's hand grabbed Zou Furong's arm, trying to pull her into his embrace, Gu Tiancheng seized him by the back. Gu Tiancheng was no pushover either—he delivered a heavy punch to the man's kidney. The man grunted in pain and released his grip. You Mingxu quickly pulled Zou Furong away, shielding her behind him. Song Lan ran over and led the panicked Zou Furong a few steps further back.
"Go to hell!" Mingtao shouted. With a loud "thud," the stone in his hand smashed heavily against the back of the man's neck. You Mingxu's eyelids twitched, and he instinctively wanted to stop it, but it was too late.
The man staggered, and just before collapsing, his eyes met You Mingxu's. His gaze turned dazed, and he clutched his head, grimacing in pain.
"Why... hit me?" he murmured before collapsing to the ground, unconscious. You Mingxu noticed dark blood seeping through the black hair at the back of his head.
The remaining group stood panting, exchanging uneasy glances.
OpenNovel