The surroundings were still, so quiet that You Mingxu could only hear her heartbeat.

After a moment’s pause, he suddenly released his hands, letting the unconscious Song Lan fall to the ground. Then he smiled again, appearing foolish and innocent, and charged toward her!

You Mingxu turned and ran, hearing his heavy breathing draw closer, thinking bitterly: Did he see her as better prey? Is that why he abandoned Song Lan to chase her?

“Don’t run!” The man’s voice called out, unexpectedly melodious, though now it only made You Mingxu think him both foolish and evil.

She ignored him completely, running at full speed while quickly observing her surroundings, looking for a chance to escape or even counterattack.

He was chasing closely, impossible to shake off, running so fast yet breathing steadily and powerfully, not at all chaotic. A regular runner, was he?

“Sister… pretty sister… come with me, let me carry you…”

You Mingxu felt her hair stand on end at his words. She was furious and shouted: “In your dreams!” She turned her head to see his hurt expression, eyes wide, biting his lip. You Mingxu cursed inwardly, then saw him suddenly smile secretively. Her heart sank as she realized something was wrong, and sure enough, her foot slipped into a small hole in the ground.

She lost her balance, about to fall. A strong hand reached from behind, catching her around the waist. She fell into that broad, warm embrace that smelled unpleasant and carried the scent of blood. You Mingxu nearly went mad, raising her leg to kick backward. But she had already lost her balance, and though he seemed simple, his physical reactions were quick. He dodged, whispering near her ear again: “Sister… not behaving… hitting me… needs punishment…”

With that, his long arms flipped her over, sitting down and pinning her face down. You Mingxu had never suffered such humiliation. She let out a cry, raising her elbow to strike at his chest. The blow landed squarely, causing him to grunt in pain, and then, as if angry, his large hand came down heavily.

“Still… going to be fierce?” he asked hoarsely.

You Mingxu forced herself to calm down, taking several deep breaths before softening her tone: “No, I won’t. Let me go.”

But he thought for a moment and said: “No. Sister hit me, and that bad person hit me too. Sister won’t listen, tie her up, then she’ll listen.”

You Mingxu tried to roll away at his words, her movement remarkably agile. But he seemed to have anticipated this, grabbing her and producing a cord from somewhere, catching her hands and binding them. You Mingxu was dumbfounded as her hands were tied behind her back. He was incredibly practiced at this, quickly securing her ankles as well despite her struggles.

When he touched her ankles, he paused, noticing how slim and pale they were, unlike his own.

“Sister smells nice…” he lowered his head, “I want to smell nice too… I’m too… smelly now!”

His eyes were wide and watery, looking as if he might cry at any moment!

You Mingxu suddenly found herself speechless.

Having bound her, he seemed satisfied, letting her sit up awkwardly, though she couldn’t move her hands or feet. He rested his chin on his hand, watching her, his eyes full of smiles.

You Mingxu glanced behind him, calming herself before saying: “Fine, now sister can’t hit you anymore, are you happy?”

He nodded vigorously.

You Mingxu asked: “Who are you? Why are you here?” These were the questions she most wanted answered.

But these questions made the man freeze, his full red lips slightly parted, his eyes suddenly vacant. He slowly murmured: “Who am I… why am I here…” After a few seconds, he looked up at her: “I want to know too.”

You Mingxu stared at him for a moment before asking: “Then where’s the other sister?”

His mouth immediately puckered, teeth biting his lower lip as he answered mechanically: “Third sister is in the forest. I like her the least. The sister from before, I like second least.” He glanced at You Mingxu, whispering: “You, I like third least.”

You Mingxu: “Oh? Third least, so that means you like me most. Tell sister, did you hurt them?”

He nodded, then shook his head, saying: “They… they woke up, said I hit them, but I… I don’t remember hitting them…” His expression became confused and anxious, his black eyelashes trembling. You Mingxu noticed the shadow slowly approaching behind him from the corner of her eye but kept watching his face as he began to cry again.

You Mingxu was silent for a moment, then said: “I have tissues in my pocket, come get them to wipe your tears.”

He mumbled something, looking up at her timidly, his gaze showing dependence and hope. You Mingxu pretended not to notice, turning slightly to show him her pocket. He reached out slowly. They were quite close, close enough for You Mingxu to see that his eyes were clear and empty.

She hesitated.

At that moment.

Gu Tiancheng, who had been lying in wait, pounced, his elbow locking around the man’s neck from behind. You Mingxu saw the simpleton’s expression turn pale and rigid as he choked out: “Sister… run!”

You Mingxu just watched them, seemingly not hearing him at all.

Gu Tiancheng had waited patiently for this perfect moment to strike. Thanks to You Mingxu’s cleverness in getting the man to lower his guard, he had his chance. As the man struggled to breathe, Gu Tiancheng pulled out his dagger and plunged it into his body.

You Mingxu’s eyes widened as she saw him pull out the bloodied knife, about to stab again. She cried out: “No! Gu Tiancheng, don’t commit a crime!”

Gu Tiancheng paused, turning to look at her. His usually calm eyes now held a bloodthirsty light.

He finally stopped, gritting his teeth and pushing the man to the ground, saying: “Look what he did to you!”

You Mingxu shouted: “He hasn’t hurt me! Enough, Gu Tiancheng! Calm down.”

Gu Tiancheng glanced at her, threw down the dagger, looked up at the sky, took several deep breaths, and then crouched down. The man, stabbed once, lay curled up in pain on the ground, not resisting, just moaning softly. Gu Tiancheng snorted, pulled two more cords from the man’s pocket, and following the same method, bound his hands and feet.

Then Gu Tiancheng turned around, his expression now calm. The deep night spread behind him like an equally silent, boundless backdrop. You Mingxu suddenly realized something – he had become the only free person, the only one without any restraints, the last one left of this night.

She looked at him, saying nothing.

Gu Tiancheng walked over, crouched before her, and pulled her into his embrace. You Mingxu suddenly felt a pain in her heart, along with self-mockery, remaining motionless, feeling the stiffness in her neck. She smelled his scent, the same bloody smell as the simpleton’s, along with faint cologne and sweat. He seemed to relax in this moment, gently stroking her hair as he asked: “Are you afraid?”

You Mingxu said: “No. Didn’t you promise to take me somewhere safe?”

He was silent for a moment before answering: “Yes, I remember.” He slowly released her and stood up.

You Mingxu slowly raised her head, staring unblinkingly at his face. It was a very, very subtle feeling – just the simple act of standing up, dusting off his hands, sitting down on a fallen log nearby – yet somehow, you could tell something about him had changed. His aura had changed, or perhaps his demeanor.

Gu Tiancheng sat down, arms resting on his thighs, fingers interlaced, watching her. That gaze was hazy, as if through a layer of smoke, no longer as clear and direct as before. Then he slowly smiled, saying: “Mingxu, see, everything’s finally quiet. We can talk properly now.”

In You Mingxu’s mind, there seemed to be a white mist slowly spreading. That mist engulfed her thoughts and was about to seep into her eyes. She steadied herself, keeping her tone even as if nothing had changed, asking: “Gu Tiancheng, why won’t you untie me? Undo my hands and feet first.”

Gu Tiancheng sat motionless, casually pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Through the smoke, in the weak red glow, he watched her through narrowed eyes. In just that instant, he had become like another person. Contemptuous, malicious, superior.

“No need,” he said. “I like you this way. You’re not a very obedient woman, but I like that. You’re my best find on this journey, heaven’s gift to me. I won’t let you go until I die.”