Lu Yuwen moved slowly.

On one hand, he didn’t want to make any noise; on the other, his legs seemed to have a congenital problem — he had a pronounced limp — and with an injured knee on top of that, every step was an ordeal.

Su Man had no idea what he was planning, and watched him with careful, guarded attention.

She thought at first that he might be trying to steal the motorcycle and escape on his own, but on reflection that made no sense — the keys were on the man called Xiao Ge.

The night was very dark. Su Man could only make out Lu Yuwen’s silhouette, and the soft sounds of rustling reached her. Then, after a moment, she caught the smell of gasoline.

It dawned on Su Man all at once…

Could he possibly be…

Lu Yuwen tore a strip of fabric from his knee, stuffed it into the small fuel cap opening, let it soak through with gasoline, then carefully pulled it back out.

Because his hands were bound, he had to try several times, tearing four or five strips of fabric, then slowly made his way back. His movements grew even more deliberate and unhurried.

He walked along the edge of the tent, twisting the strips — gasoline dripped out, one drop at a time…

Su Man watched his actions with her heart in her throat.

He was planning to burn those men alive?!

Granted, those men certainly deserved to die, but being able to think of setting people on fire — this man truly had a ruthless heart!

Su Man watched from the shadows as Lu Yuwen moved, her heart pounding with anxiety. It had nothing to do with her, yet she genuinely feared he would be discovered!

Suddenly — a sound came from inside the tent!

Su Man clapped a hand over her mouth, terrified she might cry out!

Lu Yuwen froze in place.

From inside the tent came Yangzi’s voice: “Lu Yuwen! What are you doing out there?! Don’t try anything funny! Want me to finish you off right now?!”

From the other tent came Zhang Ke’s voice: “All this noise in the middle of the night — are you people going to sleep or not?”

Lu Yuwen bit down hard, and in a single swift motion dropped the cloth strips and grabbed several handfuls of dirt from the ground, rubbing it into his hands to cover the smell of gasoline.

“I’m… using the bathroom…” he explained in a low voice.

“Using the bathroom?” Yangzi crawled out of the tent and kicked Lu Yuwen to the ground where he stood outside!

Even after that kick he wasn’t satisfied, and stomped hard on Lu Yuwen’s injured knee — twice!

“Son of a bitch! You’re using the bathroom right next to where I’m sleeping?! Get over there!”

He grabbed the rope tied around Lu Yuwen’s wrists and hauled him up roughly, shouting: “Move it! I’ll take you to use the bathroom myself! Let me see what tricks you’re pulling!”

Then he shoved Lu Yuwen forward, cursing as they went: “Useless cripple! Don’t think having a bit of cunning means you can play games with us. You dare mess with me, and no matter what Xiao Ge says to protect you, I’ll still beat you half to death!”

He shoved Lu Yuwen from one end of the road to the other, drawing them closer and closer to the hedge where Su Man was hiding.

Su Man held her breath, every nerve in her body pulled taut. Her right hand gripped the dagger tightly, ready to act the instant she was exposed!

She absolutely could not give Yangzi time to call for help!

Just when she thought she was about to be discovered, Yangzi stopped walking, seemingly with no intention of going any further.

Su Man let out a faint breath of relief.

The night was very dark, and there was a hedge between them — as long as he didn’t get any closer, he probably wouldn’t see her…

Bang! —

Yangzi suddenly lashed out, apparently impatient with Lu Yuwen’s slow pace. A kick to his back sent Lu Yuwen’s entire body sprawling to the ground! His elbows slammed hard against the brick edging of the landscaping strip!

Lu Yuwen clenched his teeth with all his might, refusing to let himself cry out in pain — and as he opened his eyes, he found himself looking straight through the dense leaves, close enough to reach out and touch, directly at Su Man on the other side of the hedge!

Su Man’s eyes went wide staring back at him.

Both pairs of eyes were filled with shock — and with tension!

“Use the bathroom already! Go on, relieve yourself! Come on!”

Yangzi pulled Lu Yuwen back by the rope, dragging him like a dog, and placed a foot on his face.

“Can’t go, can you?! I knew you were up to something! Speak! Were you trying to run just now?!!”

Lu Yuwen’s face was pressed into the mud. He kept his eyes shut and said nothing.

“Yangzi, that’s enough — quit dragging this out!” Xiao Ge’s voice came from across the camp, sounding deeply irritated.

—