Bai Yanzhou sat in the chair, his body leaning heavily against the backrest, fingers holding a half-smoked cigarette, his face full of worry.
Lu Shu’an poured a cup of coffee: “Apton is too reckless. Should I send him off?” As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes.
“The gun must always point outward.” Bai Yanzhou took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled a long puff of smoke.
This was the Bai family’s rule. If he were to break this precedent, internal strife and external threats would only make the Bai family’s situation more difficult.
As the two were talking, Bai Yanzhou’s phone rang: [Hello.]
Chaotic sounds came from the other end of the phone—screams and cries echoing incessantly.
[Young Master, rioters bombed a shopping mall in the city center. Miss, she…]
Bai Yanzhou abruptly stood up, grabbed his car keys, and headed out without a word. Lu Shu’an, puzzled, followed him.
“What’s wrong?”
“The shopping mall where Youyou is has been bombed.”
Lu Shu’an’s face darkened.
A cold glint flashed in Bai Yanzhou’s eyes. He forced himself to stay calm. On the way to the parking lot, he called Pei Wanyou several times, but she didn’t answer.
The driver couldn’t be reached either.
“Brother Bai, the young lady has always been smart. She’ll definitely be fine,” Lu Shu’an said, though his heart was in his throat.
Bai Yanzhou opened the car door: “She’s smart?”
Lu Shu’an: “…” If she weren’t smart, she wouldn’t have you wrapped around her finger…
The sports car sped out of the parking lot, its engine roaring deafeningly. Bai Yanzhou gripped the steering wheel, pressing the accelerator to the floor.
Lu Shu’an held onto the seatbelt with one hand, his expression grim…
“Make a call, contact Team Six,” Bai Yanzhou commanded while driving.
“…”
Pei Wanyou hid with the injured girl she was holding. Her bag was missing, and at her feet lay only a useless Magic Wand. Her face and clothes were stained with blood, making her look disheveled.
She didn’t know where Jiang Lu had been pushed either. She was worried and wanted to contact someone, but her bag was lost.
“I, I, am I going to die?” The girl lay in Pei Wanyou’s arms, half her face covered in blood, her voice trembling as she spoke.
They were hiding in a narrow alley, blocked by piles of garbage in front of them. The foul smell filled the air, accompanied by mosquitoes and rats…
Pei Wanyou spoke softly: “No, you’re so lovely. You’ll live a long life.”
The girl felt as if she were seeing a real angel, but she was in so much pain, her vision growing blurrier: “Dad is waiting for me, waiting for me to come home, to have, have dinner.”
Pei Wanyou knew that if she let her fall asleep now, it would be over: “Your father must be a very good person.”
Just then, someone discovered Pei Wanyou’s hiding spot. A group of people desperately squeezed in.
“There’s an injured person here. Don’t push,” Pei Wanyou shielded the girl in her arms, but they paid no attention.
“Outside, someone is shooting with a gun,” a man in his thirties said, his voice trembling.
The space was small, only enough for five or six people, but now seven or eight were crammed in, with more still pushing their way in.
Pei Wanyou shielded the girl in the corner, bracing herself with both hands. Complaining was useless now—who didn’t want to live?
“Her skull is caved in. She won’t make it. Just throw her out,” a woman screeched.
The girl’s vision grew increasingly blurry. The angel had come to take her away…
Father had prepared a lavish dinner. She should have listened to him earlier and not run off. Thinking of him standing at the doorstep in an apron, spatula in hand, grumbling as he waited for her, the corner of her mouth lifted into a faint smile.
The narrow alley behind the building was a blind spot, usually unnoticed. It was typically used for dumping garbage and clutter, and the smell was already foul. Now, with more people crowding in, the stench of sweat mingled with the garbage, making Pei Wanyou nearly vomit.
“If you keep this up, even if you don’t get shot, you’ll be crushed to death,” Pei Wanyou turned to the middle-aged man beside her. “Push harder, or we’ll suffocate here.”
She was already struggling to breathe.
Beside her was a middle-aged man with brown curly hair, clutching a bag containing a gift for his wife.
Pei Wanyou strained to extend her hand. “Uncle, throw away the things in the bag.” Short in stature and protecting the girl in front of her, her arms felt like they were about to break.
“Blow it up and then pop it,” Pei Wanyou said, her arms trembling. The girl she was shielding had closed her eyes, unsure if she had fainted or…
The middle-aged man, over six feet tall, struggled to raise his arm and squeezed the air-filled bag until it made a loud pop.
The crowd, which had been pushing and shoving, scattered in panic at the sound. The middle-aged woman at the front screamed loudly.
In this moment of panic, even the slightest noise sent people fleeing like startled birds. Pei Wanyou’s face was pale; having recently given birth, her body was still weak…
“Hurry over here, don’t stand there,” Pei Wanyou said as she piled the garbage back up.
The middle-aged man bent down to pick up the gift that had fallen to the ground. He studied Pei Wanyou—she seemed young, yet in such a situation, she had observed carefully and devised a solution. Impressive.
When life is threatened, the mind often goes blank. Like the others, he had been desperately trying to squeeze in.
Pei Wanyou held the girl and sat behind the garbage pile. Just as she was about to catch her breath…
“Stop looking and come here,” Pei Wanyou made room for him. He was too tall and needed to hide behind the highest part of the garbage pile.
The middle-aged man glanced over. “It’s fine, this spot isn’t easily noticed.” He touched the gift box, which held a ring he intended to give his wife. All he could think about now was getting back quickly.
No sooner had he spoken than a gunshot rang out like thunder beside them. A black hole appeared in the man’s forehead, flesh torn outward, his eyes wide open. His body collapsed heavily forward onto the ground.
Pei Wanyou broke into a cold sweat, unsure if she was still within the blind spot…
As footsteps drew closer, her heart pounded wildly. A light breeze brushed past, and what felt like a mouse crawled near her feet. Her mind went blank, her body trembling violently.
“Stay calm!” In just a dozen seconds, Pei Wanyou felt as though she had plunged into the icy depths of a lake. Holding the girl in her arms, her breathing grew increasingly ragged.
Just then, someone outside called out, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? People are coming soon, run!”
The man retracted his foot, which had taken a step forward, and crouched down. He took the gift the middle-aged man had meant for his wife—a sparkling diamond ring.
Immediately after, two more men approached.
Pei Wanyou had thought the person had already left and was just about to catch her breath when she heard footsteps again—and it sounded like more than one person.
She reached out and smeared the foul, filthy grime on her face. At a time like this, beauty couldn’t fill an empty stomach…
A man in boots crouched down. He had just grabbed the trouser leg of the middle-aged man and was about to stand up when he lifted his head and locked eyes with Pei Wanyou—a pair of eyes filled with terror yet so beautiful they stole one’s breath away.