Once the sounds of footsteps behind them had gradually faded into the distance, Gu Yulan snapped back to his senses. He frowned and asked, “Why did you come here?”
“It is too dangerous,” he added.
With such heavy rain and being completely drenched, he could not imagine how the youth had managed to follow him. Warm breath fanned over him like a feather brushing against his skin, sparking waves of itchiness. Xie Yizhou did not answer; he simply tilted his head slightly and silently rubbed his ear.
He was able to find this place, of course, with the help of the system.
The constricting force around his waist made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, so he struggled gently. Sensing the movement, Gu Yulan’s gaze involuntarily fell upon the youth’s reddened ear tip, and he froze for a moment. He clearly had not realized how intimate his unintentional action had been. By the time he realized it, it was a bit late.
Gu Yulan’s body stiffened, and he immediately let go of the youth, moving a few steps away. He turned his head and said awkwardly, “Someone was coming just now. Do not misunderstand.”
As the itchiness on his ear tip faded, Xie Yizhou noticed the other’s unnatural expression after letting go and felt slightly surprised. What would I misunderstand?
Seeing that Gu Yulan had no intention of saying more, Xie Yizhou did not press further. He nodded and directly grabbed the other man’s hand. The moment his hand was seized, Gu Yulan’s heart tightened. Soon, a tickling sensation spread across his palm, and a faint flush colored his handsome face.
He paused and watched the youth lower his head to write words in his palm. From his angle, he could only see a section of a fair, slender neck.
“Should we leave this place?”
After Xie Yizhou finished writing, he looked up with an inquiring gaze. Gu Yulan snapped back to attention, endured the itchiness in his palm, and gave a light hum of agreement. This place was too dangerous, and with the sheer number of enemies, staying behind was not a viable option.
“Do we still need to save the person? I can help you.”
Gu Yulan paused, but he quickly shook his head. He would not save them.
“It is too dangerous,” he said.
Su Jianyang was clearly bait used to lure him here. He could not knowingly jump into a pit when he knew there was danger; that would be truly foolish. Furthermore, he was not alone now. He had to prioritize the youth’s safety along with his own.
“We will escape first and then call the police.”
This was the optimal choice: ensuring their own safety before attempting a rescue. Xie Yizhou was surprised to hear this but said nothing.
Even 0377 was astonished: “I thought this would be difficult, but I did not expect Gu Yulan to be so reasonable.”
Now things would be easier; they only needed to escape this area. Suddenly, frantic footsteps echoed from outside.
“Damn it, where did that kid Gu Yulan go?”
“Fuck, the prize just flew right out of our hands!”
“Watch the exits! I do not believe he can get away.”
“The biggest problem is, if that kid escapes, how are we going to explain it to the other side?”
They were currently in a small storage cubicle filled with junk inside the factory. Gu Yulan’s brow furrowed upon hearing the voices.
“We cannot stay here any longer.”
He began thinking of a way to leave. Someone was likely guarding his car, so going there would be walking into a trap. There were too many people outside; two people moving together would be easily spotted. Another way would be to run separately.
Suddenly, the slight tickling sensation in his palm brought him back to reality.
“Follow me, okay?”
Xie Yizhou recalled the escape route planned by the system and looked up at Gu Yulan. “Okay to what?” Gu Yulan had been distracted and had not noticed the question, but he decided that saying yes was the right move. Under the youth’s questioning gaze, he nodded hesitantly.
Seeing Gu Yulan nod, Xie Yizhou paused for a moment, and a faint smile immediately appeared at the corners of his mouth. He is much more obedient this time.
In the next second, Gu Yulan’s wrist was grabbed. The two of them exited the cubicle together. Gu Yulan looked down at his tightly held wrist and stared for a moment. His thin lips pursed, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red.
I did not even agree! And where did the youth learn this habit of grabbing a man’s hand at every turn? He planned to have a serious talk with the youth about this bad habit once they returned. However, now was not the time for such thoughts.
Xie Yizhou led Gu Yulan past the searchers, their footsteps hidden by the pitter-patter of the rain. They were very lucky to escape the glass factory without bumping into any of the patrolling men. Large raindrops fell on them, drenching them both in an instant. In the darkness, there was only the sound of heavy rain and the sound of their breathing.
Gu Yulan looked around. His car was parked in front of the glass factory and could no longer be used; they could only travel on foot. Flashlights swept across the area behind them. The two of them crouched low, hiding in a corner without moving.
Taking advantage of a flash of lightning, Gu Yulan’s gaze fell on the youth’s pale face.
“Are you alright?” he asked with concern.
Hearing the voice, Xie Yizhou turned his head and met Gu Yulan’s eyes, shaking his head gently. Seeing this, Gu Yulan felt much more relieved. Still, he held the youth’s shoulder to help him walk more easily.
Soon, they reached the intersection. As expected, two men were standing guard. Fortunately, there were only two of them, which would not be too much trouble as long as he kept an eye out for weapons.
Gu Yulan’s eyes were sharp. He took off his jacket and twisted it into a tight rope around his wrist. He said to the youth beside him, “Hide here and do not move. I will be right back.”
He then quietly crept up behind one of the men and looped the improvised rope around the man’s neck. His arm muscles bulged as he pulled tight. Before the man could make a sound, he began to struggle in agony.
His companion quickly noticed something was wrong. Upon seeing the scene, he immediately grabbed a baseball bat and walked toward Gu Yulan. But before he could take a step forward, a sharp pain hit the back of his head, and he instantly blacked out.
After Gu Yulan finished dealing with the man in his grip, he turned to handle the other one, only to see that the man had already collapsed on the ground. Standing behind him was the supposedly defenseless youth.
He froze for a moment, then quickly strode over with a deep frown. “Are you hurt?”
Xie Yizhou dropped the stone in his hand and shook his head. Only after checking that there were indeed no obvious injuries on the youth did Gu Yulan breathe a sigh of relief. Looking at the youth’s thin frame, he had been afraid the boy would trip himself instead of knocking the man out.
He could not help but scold, “Did I not tell you to stay hidden? Why did you come out? What if that person had a weapon?”
“Did I not tell you before to listen to me?”
Xie Yizhou just lowered his head and remained silent, looking as if he already knew he was wrong. This tactic never failed with Gu Yulan, and the youth played the part fluently. Looking at the youth’s obedient and aggrieved face, Gu Yulan thought the boy might have been worried about him, so he could not bring himself to say anything more.
After taking off his jacket, his white shirt clung to his body, outlining the lines of his firm muscles with great clarity. He casually rolled up his sleeves to reveal his solid arms. Looking at the fragile youth, he raised an eyebrow and said, “I can handle a mere two people.”
“I do not do things I am not sure of, do you understand?”
Xie Yizhou nodded immediately.
“Let us go.”
Gu Yulan said nothing more. He was afraid more people would catch up, so they needed to leave quickly. This western suburb was remote, and almost no one came here. Even passing vehicles were rare; they had to find a way to leave.
Just as Gu Yulan was worrying, the lights of a car parked on the side of the road ahead suddenly flashed. Why does this car look so familiar?
He turned his head to look at the youth beside him. Xie Yizhou held up a car key and shook it in front of Gu Yulan’s eyes. Seeing the surprised look on the other man’s face, a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
If he had not driven a car, how could he have caught up so quickly?
Gu Yulan took the key in surprise and suddenly pulled the youth into a fierce hug, squeezing him twice.
“You really gave me a huge surprise!”
Xie Yizhou felt so squeezed he could barely breathe. The sudden feeling of weightlessness made his eyes widen. He had not expected Gu Yulan to be so excited. He had only recently learned to drive. This feeling of almost flying was strange, yet novel.
Just as he was about to struggle, the constricting force suddenly vanished, and he was set back down. He heard Gu Yulan say excitedly, “What are you standing there for? Let us get in the car quickly.”
However, when Gu Yulan walked closer to look, his heart sank. He realized he had celebrated too early. This modified Cullinan was heavily damaged. There were collision marks all over the body, one of the front headlights was smashed, a tire was stuck in a roadside ditch, and the car was covered in mud as if it had just returned from a battlefield.
If he had not modified the car himself, he would have barely recognized it. Xie Yizhou looked at the dazed Gu Yulan and felt somewhat surprised. Did he not just say he was in a hurry to get in the car? Why is he standing there motionless? Is he paralyzed with joy?
Gu Yulan closed his eyes in pain. If the youth had taken any other car from his garage, he would not have felt this much heartache.
“Get in the car.”
He hoped the damage was not too severe. Xie Yizhou immediately sat in the passenger seat with practiced ease. Soon the engine roared to life. It seemed the car could still be driven. Gu Yulan turned the steering wheel to the left, intending to drive out of the ditch.
The rain outside was beginning to let up. Suddenly, a high-beam light shot toward them, making Gu Yulan’s heart tighten. They had been discovered. After the car backed out, Gu Yulan quickly turned the steering wheel. He checked the rearview mirror, then looked at the youth and said quickly, “Fasten your seatbelt.”
Then he floored the accelerator, and the car shot forward.
“Damn it!”
“Boss, they got away!”
The man with a buzz cut could not help but kick one of his subordinates.
“I fucking told you to watch the intersection! Is this how you watch it? The prize has flown away, you useless bunch!”
The buzz-cut man then took out his phone and dialed a strange number. His tone was respectful as he said, “I am sorry, we messed things up over here. Gu Yulan got away. Please make other preparations.”
The phone was silent for a moment. Then a sigh came from the other end.
“You actually let him escape?”
The buzz-cut man said with annoyance, “He was about to sign the agreement, but then the power box was suddenly smashed. Who knew he brought an accomplice!”
He had clearly told Gu Yulan to come alone, but the kid had not kept his word.
“It does not matter. There are other plans. He will not escape today.” The person on the other end paused suddenly. “What did his accomplice look like?”
The buzz-cut man was stunned for a moment but answered based on what he had just heard from his subordinate. “It should be a boy. He did not look tall, but he was very thin. I heard he was as pale as a ghost.”
At the same time, on this remote and quiet western suburb road, a red medium-sized truck was parked on the side. Inside the truck, a sickly-looking middle-aged man with trembling fingers unscrewed a bottle of alcohol. Looking at the only light on the winding road opposite him, he took a few gulps. Then, stimulated by the alcohol, he started the truck.
As the luxury car drew closer, the man floored the accelerator with an expressionless face. As long as he crashed into it, his child and wife could live well abroad.
Soon, the medium-sized truck rushed out at high speed. At the moment the intense light shot over, Gu Yulan’s vision was obstructed, and he could see nothing. He slammed on the brakes. The tires made a screeching sound as they skidded across the ground.
However, it was too late. The red truck crashed directly toward them. He immediately looked at the youth beside him. At the moment the collision occurred, he instinctively lunged over to cover him.
Shattered glass flew everywhere.
“Get down!”