Everyone fell silent. It was around one in the morning, and the plateau temperature had dropped to its lowest point. Even wearing jackets, they could feel the bone-chilling cold seeping in. Beyond their camp lights and flashlights, the entire world lay dark and quiet. The woods where the figure had fled remained silent, without a single sound.

Ming-Tao suddenly stepped backward, whether retreating from the group, the car, or the darkness unclear. His expression showed a smile, but his voice trembled: “This is like an island, isn’t it? In the dead of night, no cars will come—we’re cut off from the outside world. I noticed as soon as we arrived that there was no phone signal, couldn’t make any calls. Now the tires are punctured! We can’t leave! The highway killer has come, he has come!”

Before he finished speaking, someone grabbed his collar and pinned him against the car. Gu Tiancheng stared at him coldly, growling, “I told you if you scared them again with talk of serial killers, I’d throw you out!”

Ming Tao stared back wide-eyed, raising his fist to resist, but Gu Tiancheng was much stronger, holding him firmly as he shouted, “Shut up!”

Ming Tao’s face reddened, his eyes suddenly bulging as he yelled, “I- I- I know now! You, Gu Tiancheng, you’re the serial killer! You deliberately led us here, you chose this road! Now when I say it, you’re angry because I’ve exposed your isolated murder plan, right? We’ll be killed one by one, right?”

You Mingxu couldn’t bear it anymore and shouted, “Shut up!”

Song Lan added, “Ming Tao, calm down! Stop saying such frightening nonsense! You Mingxu saw that shadow steal our things, and they must have punctured the tires too—what does this have to do with Gu Tiancheng? His cases were stolen too! He’s the one who discovered the punctured tires. We wouldn’t even have noticed yet otherwise.”

Though frightened, Zou Furong agreed, “Yes, you’re just scaring everyone without helping. How could Gu Tiancheng be the killer? Maybe… maybe we just encountered a thief. Stop saying such scary things.”

You Mingxu said, “They’re right. Whether it’s a thief or something else, there are five of us, and only one of them. Cars will pass by when it’s light. It’s just a few hours—we don’t need to be so afraid.”

This reasoning was convincing, and everyone’s expressions relaxed slightly. Gu Tiancheng and Ming Tao stared at each other for a moment before Gu Tiancheng released him. Ming-Tao gave a light snort, his tense body relaxing as he took several deep breaths.

Gu Tiancheng said, “The car’s useless for now. Let’s return to camp, try calling for help again, and wait for daylight.”

No one objected.

Ming-Tao muttered, “Even if we get through, it’ll take hours for help to drive here from the nearest town.” Gu Tiancheng gave him a cold look, and he turned away silently.

Lost in their thoughts, they walked back to camp. The night that had seemed open, peaceful, and cool now felt cold and desolate.

At the tents, Gu Tiancheng said quietly, “Sleep if you’re tired. I’ll keep watch, won’t sleep again.”

You Mingxu replied, “I’m fine.”

“If you’re scared and want to talk, just call me,” he added.

You Mingxu, facing away from him, paused and asked, “Hey, are you this considerate to every girl you just met?”

He was quiet for a moment before answering, “No.”

You Mingxu’s ears suddenly felt warm. She ducked into her tent, her voice drifting out: “I don’t need you to keep watch. Just take care of yourself.”

Through the tent, she heard him make an amused sound of agreement.

You Mingxu’s mind was still processing everything that had happened, feeling inexplicably unsettled as she absently opened her sleeping bag. As she began to slide her legs in, her entire body suddenly froze.

Then, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Her whole body felt plunged into ice.

Because she moved around in her sleep, she’d bought a large, comfortable sleeping bag. When she’d rushed out earlier, she hadn’t paid attention to its disheveled state. Now, looking down, she saw a large bulge in the sleeping bag, and her foot had touched something… cold, soft, slightly hairy, with warm breath…

Despite her usually brave nature, You Mingxu’s mind went completely blank, every bone and muscle frozen like iron. She heard herself let out a piercing scream and immediately tried to pull her legs out. But whatever was in the sleeping bag moved faster, grabbing both her legs.

It was human hands—cold, large, slightly damp. But strong, clutching persistently. Her foot pressed against a chest.

You Mingxu tried to kick hard, but the person was faster still, using their body to pin down her kicking leg. She even heard “him” grunt softly, a muffled sound. Then those hands quickly moved up, sliding from her hip to her waist, holding her down. The situation was too shocking; You Mingxu was caught off guard and pinned to the ground.

And then she froze in astonishment.

Because a person emerged from the sleeping bag, showing their face.

A man was tightly holding her waist, pinning her legs. There was a faint fragrance about him that briefly crossed You Mingxu’s mind, though she couldn’t place where she’d smelled it before. His hair was disheveled, his face was smudged with dirt.

But You Mingxu saw extremely bright, clear eyes. Being so close, she could even see his dark, thick eyelashes. But why, in these strange eyes, in the eyes of this terrifying sudden intruder, did she see overwhelming grievance and fear?

Before she could push away this man, who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, he suddenly blinked, his mouth turned down, and with a sob, tears began to fall.

You Mingxu were completely dumbfounded.

When Gu Tiancheng and the others arrived at her cry, they witnessed this bizarre scene—an unknown man tangled with You Mingxu in the sleeping bag. Their bodies were pressed close, and though the man was dirty, he couldn’t hide his handsome features and strong, lean build. The sleeping bag was wrapped around their waists, while the man’s arms held You Mingxu firmly, his face against her shoulder. His clear-cut, pale face stood out even against You Mingxu’s striking appearance.

And You Mingxu hadn’t—or couldn’t—push him away, just staring blankly at his face.

Then Song Lan and the others noticed the one discordant element in this startling scene…

The man was crying, very quietly, chokingly. His even teeth bit his lower lip, his eyes brimming with tears. He seemed deeply wronged yet stubborn, his mouth pulled down severely. Something about him seemed… not quite right.