Feng Yu quickly assessed the situation. The other lights were still at the foot of the slope. Gritting his teeth, he turned back, deliberately taking a blow from the blond-haired man’s club. Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed the man and smashed his head against a rock. After snatching the steel club and flashlight, he plunged into the three-meter-tall thicket.
“Where did he go?”
The others rushed up only to find the blond-haired man unconscious on the ground.
The leader commanded, “He’s in the thicket. After him!”
Feng Yu didn’t dare turn on the flashlight, groping his way through the darkness. His face and hands were scratched with numerous bloody marks, and he was covered in bruises from falls. But he couldn’t stop—Xu Huanzhi was a mad dog who only sent ruthless men accustomed to violence.
Fortunately, he had surveyed Beidian Village several times and had been to the back mountain once. If his memory served him right, beyond this thicket was an ideal hiding spot.
There it was!
A faint smile crossed Feng Yu’s lips as he immediately leaped into the water pool. After creating false signs of climbing ashore on the opposite bank, he swam to the inner waterfall. Behind the one-meter-high cascade was a recess large enough for him to hide. The rainwater had muddied the pool and raised the water level, completely concealing the cave entrance.
Crouched inside the cave, Feng Yu could hear nothing but the roaring waterfall. He lost track of time—so long that his numb legs lost all sensation, so long that the chill began seeping into his bones. Finally, he stiffly emerged and descended along the path the villagers had shown him during his survey.
Yan Songyu had mobilized two search teams to comb the mountains and conspicuously deployed 100 bodyguards from Qixiang Security, a subsidiary of Rui Xin. Xu Huanzhi’s men, failing to find Feng Yu after an extensive search, could only retreat in frustration.
“Feng Yu—”
“Mr. Feng!”Feng Yu—” Yan Songyu followed the search team, trudging laboriously through the muddy mountain paths. Her voice grew hoarse from shouting, “Feng Yu— where are you?”
“Watch out!”
Qian Senmu, the bodyguard who had been staying close to her, grabbed Yan Songyu just as she nearly missed her step.
“Thank you!”
Having rushed over overnight and now searching the mountains in the rain, Yan Songyu was running on sheer willpower. With Feng Yu still missing after a whole night, her anxiety deepened. “Keep looking. I’m fine.”
Ring-ring—
Yan Songyu instantly answered the unknown number, afraid of missing Feng Yu’s call for help. “Hello, this is Yan Songyu.”
“Heh~” Xu Huanzhi’s light laugh came through the phone. “Young Master Yan, how are you? This is Xu Huanzhi. I meant to invite you to dinner last night, but I heard you went to Wenshui County to look for someone. What a pity. Did you find him? Do you need any help?”
“Xu Huanzhi, don’t think I don’t know who incited the villagers to cause trouble and who took advantage to kidnap Feng Yu.”
“Young Master Yan is all-powerful; I’m not surprised. Who was it? Do I know them?” Xu Huanzhi played dumb, continuing to banter with her.
Yan Songyu cut off his frivolous tone. “Xu Huanzhi, stop playing innocent with me.”
“Young Master Yan, you’re wronging me. I—”
“You’d better pray that Feng Yu is safe!” Stress made her temper short, and having someone reckless provoke her only fueled her anger. Yan Songyu’s voice turned sharp. “If anything happens to Feng Yu, I won’t let this go. You’d better start preparing now, because we’ll see if the Xu family can protect you!”
“Oh, I forgot. The Xu family isn’t yours. I should say it depends on whether Xu Wuye can protect you.” Yan Songyu returned his contemptuous smile. “Heh~ My mistake again. I should say whether Xu Wuye is willing to protect you. After all, between a nephew who’s always scheming for power and a cooperative partner who can bring enormous benefits, do you think you stand a chance?”
Yan Songyu hung up after saying this – exchanging barbs with Xu Huanzhi was already a waste of time.
She took a sip of water and continued shouting: “Feng Yu—”
The search team had effectively discovered clues. “There appear to be signs of someone slipping here, probably rolled down the slope.”
Search team leader: “Send people down to check.”
Feng Yu had escaped from those people while injured and had been pursued all night. Now leaning against a rock, he was nearly losing consciousness when he suddenly seemed to hear Yan Songyu’s voice.
“Feng Yu—”
“Mr. Feng!”
It really was Song Yu! Feng Yu desperately pinched his palm to stay alert, struggling to grasp the rock and climb up.
“There!” A search team member halfway down spotted Feng Yu’s blood-stained hand. “Someone’s there!”
After countless silent prayers, Yan Songyu focused her gaze. “It’s him! It’s Feng Yu!”
“Quick, go down and rescue him. Several more people, bring a stretcher,” the search team leader rapidly arranged.
When Feng Yu was carried up, he stubbornly kept his eyes open long enough to glance at Yan Songyu. “Song Yu, you came…” before his head lolled and he lost consciousness.
“The injured needs medical treatment. Quick, descend the mountain and wrap up the team.”
Upon reaching Beidian Village, the group didn’t stop but departed directly.
After the accompanying doctor briefly treated Feng Yu’s wounds in the vehicle, he surprisingly woke up. The first thing within his sight was Yan Songyu’s sleeping face. Feng Yu murmured: “So good!”
Just then, the vehicle suddenly stopped. The drowsy Yan Songyu jerked awake as if triggered by radar. “Are we there?”
“Not yet.”
The deep, familiar voice immediately cleared Yan Songyu’s mind. “Feng Yu, you’re awake!”
“Mn, I’m fine, don’t worry.”
Feng Yu wanted to pat Yan Songyu’s shoulder reassuringly but discovered his hands were completely covered in ointment, forcing him to abandon the idea.
Yan Songyu disapproved of his tough act, her expression growing increasingly stern. “What do you mean fine? The doctor said you likely have internal injuries and need immediate hospital examination. Stop moving around.”
Saying this renewed Yan Songyu’s urgency. Why weren’t they moving? Watching people gradually disembark, she leaned out to ask: “What’s wrong?”
Qian Senmu, hearing Yan Songyu’s inquiry, immediately jogged over to explain. “The infrastructure here isn’t developed enough. Heavy rain caused rockfall and landslides, blocking the road. Fortunately it’s not much. We need to clear the road surface. Please rest in the vehicle awhile.”
Yan Songyu promptly got out. “I’ll help too!”
Their group only had the dozen or so people who’d just found Feng Yu, with others still in the mountains. Every extra person meant extra strength – every stone moved counted.
Feng Yu also disembarked. Unable to help in his condition, he obediently sat on the folding stool Qian Senmu provided him.
Yan Songyu carried rocks back and forth, running past him repeatedly. The mud on her clothes accumulated, even smearing her face. She neither minded the dirt nor complained of fatigue, without a trace of her usual fastidiousness. Feng Yu watched her like this, his heart growing increasingly tender…
Suddenly, Feng Yu sensed something wrong with the mountain slope they were standing on. “Landslide! Run!”
Feng Yu was positioned at the very back. Knowing her own limited strength and not wanting to hinder their work, Yan Songyu had also moved to the rear to throw stones. This resulted in them being the closest to the landslide.
While those ahead had already reached the safety zone, the two of them remained in danger. At the critical moment, Feng Yu saw Qian Senmu turning back a few steps. With all his strength, he pushed Yan Songyu forward. But those two seconds of delay cost him dearly—in an instant, he was buried beneath the torrent of mud, sand, and stones.