The moment he felt the force on his hand and the faint tremor running through her body, Wei Xun couldn’t help but turn to look at the woman beside him.
Although her actions surprised him, the sight of thick smoke already seeping through the entrance of the stairwell ahead made him realize she wasn’t exaggerating.
He truly hadn’t expected this woman to push through the crowd, run straight toward him, and even drag him along despite the danger.
When she rushed over, something in his heart rippled for a brief moment.
Seeing more and more people flooding into the corridor, and the smoke getting thicker and heavier, Wei Xun tightened his grip on Lin Mi’s hand. Without asking further questions, he moved with her, cutting through the crowd toward the stairwell.
“This way!” Wei Xun shouted, identifying the direction in the chaos and guiding her toward a less crowded staircase.
He was stronger than she was, so he took the lead, clearing a path for her and shielding her as they ran.
The two of them charged into the stairwell and ran downward.
By now, the stairs were packed with people trying to escape. Screams and cries echoed one after another, and panic filled the air.
The smell of smoke grew stronger, and the entire stairwell was engulfed in a cloud of choking fumes.
In this dangerous and chaotic environment, their hands stayed tightly clasped together, as if in this moment they were each other’s only source of support.
Wei Xun could feel Lin Mi’s palms damp with tension and exertion, but her grip remained firm.
When he glanced at her slightly flushed cheeks from running, and the worry in her eyes mixed with unmistakable determination, a strange and indescribable feeling welled up inside him.
This peculiar woman—first giving him a baffling warning, then rushing straight into danger just to pull him away to safety.
Who on earth was she? And how did she know all this?
He had countless questions, but escaping the fire came before everything else.
All he could do was hold her hand tightly and run with her toward the emergency exit, racing against life and death.
At this moment, the distance between them seemed to shrink infinitely. In the intensity of facing a mortal threat together, an unspeakable bond quietly began to form.
By the time they reached the second floor, their vision had already turned blurry. The entire stairwell was filled with a sharp, acrid smell.
Lin Mi’s chest tightened—the gas leak in the kitchen was getting worse. If they delayed any longer, the place could explode at any second.
She had no idea how long it could hold.
She only hoped the fire trucks would arrive soon.
“Hurry, put this on!”
Unable to endure the choking smoke any longer, Lin Mi suddenly remembered the two masks she had kept in her bag.
She immediately grabbed them from her canvas bag and handed one to Wei Xun.
Wei Xun raised an eyebrow slightly. She came this prepared?
Not only did she know danger would strike in the afternoon, she even timed her appearance to help evacuate the crowd—and she had protective gear ready too.
If she didn’t look so earnest, he might have thought she was the one behind the whole incident!
Otherwise, why would she be so informed?
Wei Xun’s curiosity toward this woman only deepened.
But now was not the time for questions. He quickly put on the mask.
“Go!”
Lin Mi secured her own mask, and seeing that Wei Xun had done the same, she instinctively and naturally grabbed his hand again, pulling him downward.
Walking just slightly behind her, Wei Xun couldn’t stop the faint upward curve of his lips.
Soon, the two of them managed to burst through the emergency exit.
Fortunately, Lin Mi had retreated early enough. Running from the fourth floor to the first hadn’t been too difficult—aside from the blinding smoke, they didn’t encounter any severe crowding or trampling.
People on the third floor had already escaped, while those on the fourth were slower, so the staircase wasn’t congested.
When they exited the hotel’s safety corridor, the fire trucks and ambulances had just arrived at the entrance.
The blaring sirens pierced the air, mixing with the sounds of coughing and frightened cries.
Police officers and firefighters were setting up the perimeter, while heavy smoke continued drifting out from the building through the stairwell windows.
People were pouring out from various exits—clothes disheveled, faces pale and exhausted. Some were being supported by medical staff, coughing uncontrollably; others had soot smeared across their faces.
Beside the ambulances, medical personnel were giving evacuees quick examinations, offering oxygen masks or helping them sit and rest.
Hotel staff were trying their best to calm guests and direct the flow of people.
Once Lin Mi and Wei Xun reached a safe zone, they immediately removed their masks, breathing freely. They had inhaled a considerable amount of smoke on the way down, and their chests still felt tight and uncomfortable. Their only relief came from taking deep breaths in and out.
Their hands—still clasped tightly when they exited—finally loosened only after they had stopped moving, both realizing it at the same moment and trying not to make it awkward.
Lin Mi’s fingertips still trembled slightly, her palms warm and damp.
Her gaze swept around, confirming the fire trucks and ambulances had already arrived. Only then did the tension in her heart ease a little.
But the outcome of the situation was still unknown. She didn’t dare let down her guard completely and silently counted the time in her mind.
Wei Xun turned toward her, his gaze settling on her face—mixed emotions in his eyes, the kind one has after narrowly escaping danger. But above all, there was deep curiosity about her.
He unconsciously rubbed his right fingertips. Even though they had let go, he could still feel the lingering warmth and softness of her hand.
Such a soft little hand—yet in the moment danger struck, she had rushed toward him without hesitation and dragged him out of harm’s way.
At that moment, Lin Mi turned to him and asked with concern, “How are you? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Thanks to you.”
Wei Xun shook his head, then asked the question he had been holding back.
“What exactly is going on? Who are you? How did you know all of this so clearly?”
He had suppressed these questions while running for their lives, but now that they were safe, they surfaced immediately.
He was grateful for her timely help, but he needed to eliminate every possible danger around him.
Who knew if she had been sent by some rival to get close to him?
“This matter is a bit complicated. Hard to explain. Just… treat it as a premonition.”
Lin Mi let out a soft breath, looking toward the hotel building, where smoke still billowed out. Rescue efforts were now fully underway.
“Premonition?” Wei Xun laughed lightly. Did she take him for a three-year-old?
Could she not come up with a better excuse?
Obviously, that answer didn’t satisfy him.
Uh… how many of you are following this story?
(End of this chapter)