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墨書 Inktalez
The surroundings were pitch black, and one could not see their own hand in front of their face. Zhou Yao grabbed Luo Yi's hand as he jumped down from the boxing ring. His bare chest collided with her face, the heat and sweat from the man brushing against her, his heavy breathing close to her ear.
Amidst the noisy crowd, Zhou Yao turned to look back. Not far away, he could vaguely see two faint glimmers of light. Worried that he might get lost, she tightly wrapped her arms around his and quickly moved toward the glow.
Impatient murmurs rose around them.
"Did the power go out?"
"How could there be a power outage?"
Zhou Yao soon reached the source of the light, picked up a scattered watch, and stuffed it into his pocket before pulling open the large door.
Suddenly, Jiang Peng's command pierced through the darkness: "Don't let that person on the stage escape!"
His subordinates immediately rushed toward the center of the arena. However, spectators were prohibited from bringing mobile phones or open flames; only Jiang Peng had a lighter. But when he tried to discern his direction, he found that the lighter was missing!
The absolute darkness disoriented everyone, causing a chaotic collision between his subordinates and the audience. The sounds of falling, cursing, and calling out created a ruckus like a few dogs had burst into a chicken coop.
Zhou Yao pulled Luo Yi to escape from the beast-fighting arena.
This was an "L"-shaped long corridor connecting the boxing ring and the tea room. There was only one window in the corridor, covered by thick curtains. But at this moment, it was completely dark, and nothing could be seen.
She breathed rapidly, her free hand quickly groping along the wall. The wait felt unbearably long, and just as she feared she had missed her chance, she finally found the window. A surge of joy filled her heart as she was about to climb up when the door behind her was suddenly slammed open.
A few people rushed down the corridor:
"The circuit is tripped! Hurry and turn on the power!"
"Quickly turn on the power and find them!"
They were coming after her!
Zhou Yao was startled. The man beside her tightened his grip on her hand and pressed her against the wall.
Fortunately, they were also in the dark and couldn't see where Zhou Yao was.
"They must be hiding in the audience seats. Once the power is back on, they won't be able to escape."
"It's too dark; damn it, I can't see the way. Stick close to the wall and move faster!"
The sounds of their groping came from the wall, rustling softly.
Zhou Yao's legs trembled, her heart pounding like a drum. The footsteps and whispers grew closer, approaching them. Zhou Yao tightly covered her mouth and nose, holding her breath!
They were getting closer; they were here! From the sound, there were people on both sides of the walls!
Suddenly, the man beside Zhou Yao held her body and gently stepped forward two paces, standing in the middle of the corridor. Zhou Yao clutched her hair tightly, afraid that a strand might escape. Once she steadied herself quietly, she felt the presence of those people nearby, so close that her heart nearly stopped.
In the darkness, the group paused, seemingly sensing something.
Zhou Yao clenched her teeth tightly, beads of sweat cascading down her face.
A second felt exceptionally long. Just half a meter away from her, someone spoke up: "What the hell are you touching me for?"
"Was that you just now?"
"If it wasn't me, was it a ghost?"
"What are you two arguing about? Hurry up and turn on the power!"
The people on both sides groped their way forward, brushing past each other.
Zhou Yao gasped for air, still too afraid to make a sound. In just a few seconds, cold sweat had soaked her completely.
She strained to listen as the pursuers turned the corner at the "L" shaped bend.
Zhou Yao immediately ran back to the opposite wall. As her hand touched the curtain, she suddenly let go and turned to look at the man beside her. In absolute darkness, she could see nothing.
After hesitating for a moment, her free hand reached out to explore. She nervously touched his face—his eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips—and felt blood. Still hesitant, she slid her hand down to his neck...
"What are you touching?" he asked in a low voice, his tone hoarse.
Zhou Yao's hand froze; she quietly breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "I was afraid I might grab the wrong person."
Luo Yi: "..."
"Isn't it a bit late to check the goods now?" He surprisingly still had the mood to tease.
At that moment, a light came from around the corner, accompanied by shouts: "Fire! Help! Fire!" The smell of burning wood wafted through the air.
Zhou Yao became tense again. She lifted the curtain, pushed open the window, climbed onto the windowsill, and reached for Luo Yi, who jumped up by himself.
The two of them climbed over the windowsill and escaped outside.
Heaven showed mercy; night had fallen. The sky was filled with dark clouds, with no moon and no stars.
"That fire should hold them off for a while," Zhou Yao said, unable to tell which direction to go. "Which way should we head?"
"Towards the road."
"Do you know the way?"
"I remember a little," Luo Yi said as he pulled her along, first running away from the light and noise of the fire. They quickly reached a ridge, and Luo Yi worried that someone might be chasing them, so he led Zhou Yao into the fields.
They crossed a large area of farmland and passed by a Sheep Pen. The dark clouds finally dispersed, and faint light began to shine down. The black mountains were silhouetted against the gray sky, and the white-gray road looked like a thin ribbon.
Luo Yi quickly assessed their surroundings. They were standing on a small peak, with a village in the valley below; country roads led to the highway. But they couldn't go that way now. Luo Yi chose to walk along the mountain range instead.
The slope was steep, and Luo Yi held onto Zhou Yao's wrist to prevent her from falling before asking, "What were you doing just now?"
"I took Jiang Peng's lighter," Zhou Yao said, breathing lightly. "I noticed the circuit breaker when I was talking to Jiang Peng earlier, next to the floor clock in the tea room. I just ran back, tore the paper off Meilan Zhu's door, lit it, and stuffed it into the circuit breaker box. Luckily, the house is old; it's all made of wood."
Luo Yi listened to her without speaking, only silently curling the corner of his lips in the darkness.
Then he heard Zhou Yao softly say, "I thought you wouldn't come; I was planning to escape on my own."
After a long pause, Luo Yi finally replied, "You're very clever."
"Thank you for coming to save me. — What about you? Are you okay?" Zhou Yao asked anxiously. "Are you hurt badly?"
Luo Yi forced a smile: "I'm fine."
Zhou Yao looked up at him and saw Luo Yi's outline; he was bare-chested.
The cold wind swept through the mountain fields at night.
Only then did Zhou Yao remember that she had put on his coat and t-shirt, and she immediately took them off to return to him. "I couldn't carry that sweater, so I threw it away."
"It's fine." Luo Yi put on the clothes, already impressed that she knew how to wear and carry them.
Zhou Yao asked, "Aren't you cold?"
He shook his head.
The mountain path was rugged. Luo Yi helped Zhou Yao jump down from a high place. His phone bumped against Zhou Yao, making her even more anxious. The phone had been turned off earlier, and now there was no signal. Lin Jinyan and Tang Shangri-La Duo must be frantic by now.
"Oh right, your phone was in the cabinet, I brought it back." Zhou Yao handed him the phone, "Check if you have any signal?"
Luo Yi pressed the phone on and took a glance, but there was none, so he turned off the screen.
In that brief moment of light, Zhou Yao noticed his lips were pale and veins were bulging on his forehead.
Zhou Yao's heart sank, but he said nothing and continued walking.
The two fell silent, walking quickly without exchanging words. After a while, Luo Yi would find a high point to check the direction of the road, ensuring they were on the right path. Even when they encountered a convenient path used by herbal gatherers, they steadfastly navigated through the forested slopes.
After an unknown amount of time traversing the endless mountains, they finally reached the roadside.
However, Luo Yi still did not recklessly step onto the road; instead, he walked along the mountains beside it for about ten more minutes. Only when his phone had a faint signal did Luo Yi lead Zhou Yao down the mountain to a concealed hollow at the foot of the mountain. It was a distance away from the road but allowed them to clearly see what was happening on it.
He hid Zhou Yao safely and concealed himself as well, then called Zaxi: "I'll send you my location so your uncle can come pick us up."
Zaxi's uncle was a doctor at Town Hospital.
Luo Yi hung up the phone and stopped moving. He became sluggish, sitting down on the ground with his head lowered, remaining silent for a long time.
Zhou Yao heard him initially gasping for breath, but gradually his breathing became slower and heavier.
After such a long and rugged slope, he had been gripping her hand and pulling her along; the pain in his body had reached its limit.
Zhou Yao knelt beside him, leaned down, and tilted her head to look at his face. Seeing him in pain with his brows tightly furrowed and cold sweat dripping down, she quickly used her sleeve to wipe his forehead.
Luo Yi lowered his head, his gaze shifting to her as he raised it to look at her, the creases on his eyelids deepening. He stared straight at Zhou Yao, unblinking.
Zhou Yao's heart skipped a beat, pounding rapidly. She couldn't decipher what he was thinking, her face slightly flushed as she withdrew her hand and asked softly, "What are you looking at me for?"
He raised his hand and suddenly pinched her earlobe gently.
Zhou Yao's eyes widened in surprise, her face turning red. He expressionlessly withdrew his hand, rubbed his fingers together, and said quietly, "There's dust."
Zhou Yao blinked in confusion: "..."
At this moment, he was still concerned about that?
Luo Yi lowered his head again, breathing heavily.
At that moment, the phone lit up with an unknown number—it was Jiang Peng.
Luo Yi took a deep breath and raised his head.
Upon answering the call, he instantly changed his demeanor; his expression became steady, and his voice strong, showing no hint of injury: "I've arrived in town."
The other side said something, and after a few seconds, Luo Yi curled the corners of his pale lips and lightly chuckled: "I really don't know where your boxing gym is, but I have a general idea of the location. I specifically rolled around the boxing ring; my pants are stained with that big guy's blood. If you bring a few police dogs to search the area nearby, do you think they could find your hideout?"
Zhou Yao sighed inwardly at his meticulous thinking.
The night wind was cold, blowing from the distant mountains. Jiang Peng spoke for a long time.
"Sure. Let's call it even." The night deepened the coldness in Luo Yi's gaze. "But I want to confirm who informed you to find me."
The wind suddenly quieted down, and Zhou Yao heard Jiang Peng's voice on the other end of the phone: "I told you when I invited the little girl for tea."
Zhou Yao was puzzled. Tea time? — That emerald?
Luo Yi let out a laugh. "Just as I thought."
"Boss Luo, let's consider the previous matter settled, each taking half the blame. After tonight, perhaps we can still collaborate."
"Hmph." Luo Yi calmly hung up the phone.
"I should call my senior brother too; otherwise, they will be worried sick." Just as Zhou Yao took out her phone, she noticed Luo Yi's hand gripping the table tightly, his brow furrowed, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
Zhou Yao gasped. "Boss Luo!"
His face twisted in pain as he suddenly grabbed her hand with a grip strong enough to break her wrist.
"Just hold on a little longer—" Zhou Yao panicked and hurriedly grabbed his phone to make a call for help.
He lifted his head, sweat blurring his vision, staring intently at her. But in the next moment, his expression changed abruptly as he collapsed into her arms, unconscious.
...
When Luo Yi woke up, the ward was empty.
The curtains were open, and the sunlight outside was bright, with a high blue sky.
Later events were a bit unclear to him; he vaguely remembered Zhou Yao holding his head and crying softly.
He closed his eyes, then opened them again, starting to ponder that emerald, which was of the same quality as the one around Asang's neck.
From what Jiang Peng implied, it should have been a gift from Wu Ming. Was it a case of using someone else's knife to kill?
Luo Yi realized that he needed assistance.
The light in the room suddenly changed slightly.
Luo Yi shifted his gaze and saw the door to the ward being pushed open. Zhou Yao tiptoed in silently, like a cat.
She was holding a Thermal Container, slowly and quietly closing the door behind her, then turning around slowly and quietly, only to meet Luo Yi's silent gaze.
"You’re awake," Zhou Yao said, her face breaking into a big smile as she ran over.
Luo Yi didn’t show much expression and asked, "Are you performing a mime?"
"..." Zhou Yao shot him a glance, knowing he was the patient and not wanting to argue. She opened the Thermal Container and cheerfully said, "I’ve been simmering chicken soup for a long time; drink it while it's hot."
She brought it in front of him. Luo Yi paused for a moment, looking at her with curiosity. "You made this?"
"How could that be?" Zhou Yao raised an eyebrow and laughed. "I had the chef at the restaurant make it. — But I personally chose this chicken; I thought it looked very nutritious." She seemed to take some pride in that.
"Luo Yi" smiled lightly and said, "Thank you."
"Zhou Yao" replied politely, "It's nothing. You got hurt because you saved me."
Luo Yi calmly responded, "So, if that's the case, it's my fault that you were captured."
Zhou Yao couldn't argue back and pouted, "Can't you just drink your soup without talking?"
The one who talked the most blamed others for talking too much. Luo Yi fell silent and focused on drinking his soup.
Zhou Yao lifted her face and stared into his bowl, "You should eat the chicken too. — And the chicken liver; it's good for your health."
Outside, the doctor’s voice could be heard giving instructions: "There's nothing serious anymore. We'll check again in a bit, and then you can be discharged."
"Thank you," came Amin's voice.
Zhou Yao immediately stood up from the hospital bed and stepped aside. Luo Yi glanced at her.
Zaxi and Amin walked into the ward.
"Boss, weren't you supposed to be out getting supplies? Why did you get into a fight?" Zaxi asked as soon as he entered.
Amin chimed in with his usual banter, "At your age, still acting like a young hothead. Can't you control your temper a bit?"
Luo Yi shot them a warning look, and the two instinctively fell silent. Just then, they noticed Zhou Yao standing nearby smiling at them, her expression slightly awkward. They quickly guessed what was going on and decided not to say more.
Amin changed the subject and said to Zhou Yao, "Oh right, your friends have been asking about you."
"I talked to them last night and this morning," Zhou Yao replied. "Thanks."
...
In the afternoon, they discharged from the hospital and headed straight to where the van was parked yesterday.
Zaxi was driving, and Luo Yi sat in the passenger seat. He took out a lighter and a cigarette from the glove compartment. Just as he put the cigarette in his mouth, Zhou Yao frowned upon seeing it, stepped forward, snatched the cigarette from his mouth, and said, "No smoking!"
Luo Yi slightly parted his lips, staring at her with wide eyes in surprise.
Amin and Zaxi were equally astonished. What kind of relationship did Boss have with her?!
The crew watched, and Luo Yi couldn't help but feel a bit irritated.
He regained his composure and extended a hand towards her. "Give it back."
There was pressure beneath his calm demeanor.
Zhou Yao felt a bit intimidated by him. Biting her lip, she hesitated to return it but then raised her head defiantly. "I said no smoking right now."
Zaxi and Amin were even more surprised.
Luo Yi narrowed his eyes slightly and repeated in a low voice, "Give it back!"
Zhou Yao was also strong, lifting her chin defiantly. "What if I don't give it to you?" After saying that, she turned to leave, but Luo Yi suddenly opened the door and got out of the car. Zhou Yao immediately ran towards the roadside, but Luo Yi quickly caught up with her in two or three steps, grabbing her hand and lifting it high to press against the wall, instantly subduing her.
Zhou Yao's face turned red as she struggled, but with her hand pinned above her head, she couldn't break free.
Luo Yi looked down at her calmly for a moment, then raised his eyes and took the cigarette from her hand before finally releasing her. He returned to the car and put the cigarette back in his mouth.
Inside the car, Zaxi and Amin sat quietly, observing without making a sound. Zhou Yao stood there with a flushed face, frozen in place.
Luo Yi lit his lighter and brought it to his mouth, just about to light the cigarette when he glanced at the rearview mirror. In the reflection, Zhou Yao looked small; she was biting her lip tightly, glaring at the wall to vent her frustration, her eyes slightly reddened.
He slowly relaxed his grip, extinguishing the lighter. Leaning back in his seat in silence for a moment, he took the cigarette from his mouth and opened the door again.
"Tsk—here you go!" Luo Yi said as he approached Zhou Yao and patted her on the head. As he turned away, he tucked the cigarette behind her ear.
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