The two had locked Ming Tao in the car, but did not put him in the trunk. They didn't let him leave and locked the car, ensuring his safety at the same time.
Through the car window, amidst Ming Tao's angry and twisted face, and a faint ongoing series of curses, the two quickly grabbed a few things: flashlights, a compass, Gu Tiancheng's dagger, and You Mingxu's walking stick - the latter two as means of self-defense, and then headed into the forest.
It was just after four in the morning, with two or three hours until dawn. The whole wilderness and the forest were still as dark as a large sack. They braved the cold wind and ventured in.
"Was your call successful?" You Mingxu asked.
Gu Tiancheng put down his phone as he entered from the edge of the forest, his face lit with happiness: "Yes! They said they are sending a car, there are nearby patrols who can be here in an hour!"
You Mingxu also relaxed a little: "That's great! However... a lot can happen in an hour."
Gu Tiancheng's arm dropped, and he touched her fingertips a bit, saying: "It's always up to us." His hand was warm and sweaty, always possessing the same constant strength and temperature.
You Mingxu nodded, "Yes, I'll follow your lead."
Gu Tiancheng paused. He noticed that since the disappearance of the two girls, this stubborn and courageous girl seemed to have softened a lot. Perhaps she was really scared. In the dark forest, he looked at the beautiful face of the person next to him, which was casted down. Everything was too quiet, as if other people had never existed. Only the rustling wind and the crisp, weak sound of feet stepping on leaves could be heard. The gentle light glowing from her seemed to shine quietly in his mind.
He felt a strong urge to hold this girl, whom he met quite casually, tightly in his arms, kiss her and touch her, regardless of everything. He desired to appease her, let her feel joy, let her feel pain. Only then did it seem that he, a man on a journey by himself, could vent his own feelings of tension, anxiety, emptiness, helplessness, and deep sympathy.
But he did nothing, just laughing self-mockingly. He made sure she didn't see his smile. Despite only having known each other for a few hours, there seemed an invisible understanding between them. It was a good start. He didn't want to scare her and let her know that he too was a man with wildness and rebellion in his heart. It's not yet time for her to feel his rebellion.
Perhaps, there will be a day when that happens. Only if they genuinely get close to each other, only if she really is who he has been waiting for.
More than twenty minutes have passed since the two girls went missing, and they have been walking in the forest for more than ten minutes. Then everywhere was pitch black; they could see the darkness encompassing foothill in the distance, but they had no clue where they are.
You Mingxu was panting slightly, and Gu Tiancheng remained always by her side, not a meter away, protecting her carefully and decisively.
"Do you need a break?" Gu Tiancheng asked, but he did not stop walking.
You Mingxu shook her head. He said, "I don't feel comfortable leaving you behind, otherwise I could go look for them alone." You Mingxu said, "I know."
"How about we chat so we are not as tired," he suggested.
You Mingxu gave a small smile, "Sure."
He continued striding without hesitation, and asked nonchalantly, "Do you have a boyfriend?"
You Mingxu glanced at him, walked a few more steps before answering, "I've had one."
"How many?"
"Just one."
"Was it memorable?"
"Not really," she talked in a very casual tone, "We fancied each other during college, but after graduation, it didn't work out. I thought he was strong and intimidating, but lacked responsibility and substance."
Gu Tiancheng chuckled, asking, "So, do you think I'm responsible? Would I make a good boyfriend?"
You Mingxu looked ahead at the countless straight trees standing erect, with faint starlight filtering in, creating a thin, seemingly inexistent mist in the forest, which seemed to lure her and him into the unknown.
"I don't know," she said calmly. "It takes time to know a person. I've only just met you half a day ago."
He stayed silent for a while, then muttered, "Oh."
For a while, neither of them spoke. You Mingxu called out the names of Song Lan and Zou Fuyu once again, and Gu Tiancheng joined in, shouting loudly. His voice was much louder than hers. After they had shouted together for a while, the surrounding area returned to an almost deathlike silence.
Gu Tiancheng looked at her and said, "We didn't hear the sound of a car, they can't have gone far. They must have heard our voices, but it's just two girls, they probably couldn't make a sound."
You Mingxu gripped her walking stick tightly, saying, "I'm afraid so."
"We've searched this area, let's go that way." He pointed in a direction and You Mingxu followed him.
After a short walk, Gu Tiancheng said, "Actually, I loved my ex-girlfriend very much."
You Mingxu kept silent, listening to his words. "She's like you. She's strong-willed, unique, not vulgar at all. She's different from girls like Zou Fuyu. She also liked men who were responsible."
You Mingxu laughed lightly, "So she followed you?"
Gu Tiancheng laughed softly too, "Yes. She was with me for five years, and she gave me her best years. Then, she was gone."
You Mingxu softly said, "Condolences, the dead cannot be resurrected."
He paused for a while, then said, "I know. I've known for a long time. Let me smoke a cigarette to clear my mind." He stopped, used his hand to shield the wind, lit his cigarette, there was a hint of a smile on his lips, "Would you like one?"
You Mingxu considered, then said, "Sure, it's the last one today."
He agreed, "Yes, the last one."
She took one out from the pack in his hand, put it in her mouth. His head was close by, under the flicking flame his handsome and deep face was illuminated. You Mingxu suddenly remembered the image of him when he first drove by, through the misty car window, the young man looked at her, his eyes were deep as if they were the clouds that forever floated over Tibet.
She moved her face closer to his hand and lit the cigarette. His eyes were watching her closely, they held tenderness and hidden memories. You Mingxu took a puff and laughed, pretending she saw nothing.
They only stayed in spot for less tahn half a minute.
Suddenly, Gu Tiancheng threw his cigarette on the ground, stomped it out, and yelled, "Stop!" He rushed out. You Mingxu quickly looked up and saw a dark shadow fleeting in the forest ahead. It was a large figure that looked like that man.
Gu Tiancheng had surely left her behind at this moment. You Mingxu chased after him. Gu Tiancheng was running like a black panther, while she was running after him with her long legs stepping on fallen leaves. The surroundings were completely silent except for the rushing sounds of their footsteps.
"Ah..." Suddenly, You Mingxu heard a faint cry for help, very far away and in the opposite direction from where the man was fleeing. She halted abruptly. She listened carefully but only heard the sound of the wind.
But her intuition told her she hadn't misheard.
She looked up and shouted, "Gu Tiancheng! Gu Tiancheng!" However, during the brief moment of the interruption, Gu Tiancheng had gotten too far. She didn't know whether he didn't hear her, or didn't content to respond, but she saw his figure disappear into the darkness ahead.
You Mingxu stood still, after a few seconds of considerations, she decisively turned around and ran towards where the woman's cries seemed to have come from.
The surroundings were pitch dark. She was navigating with her flashlight, thin beams of light surrounded by an oppressive darkness. She did not know where she was, only that it felt increasingly desolate. All she could hear was herself panting.
"Song Lan! Song Lan — Zou Fuyu—"She yelled.
"Whimper..." She heard a sound again. It was a woman's sob, as if something was stuffed in her throat and she was trying very hard to make a sound. You Mingxu felt her blood boiling as a chill crept up her spine. She lifted her walking stick, placed it in front of her, and with a flashlight in her other hand, gritted her teeth, and moved forward cautiously.
The flashlight's beam swept across the view ahead, illuminating rows of trees, bushes, and a face... You Mingxu's mind buzzed and cold sweat pricked her palms. Hastily, she swung the flashlight back to the area it had just illuminated.
There was a person over there.
No, there were two of them.
It must be him.
The innocent, pure-eyed young man had appeared. He was standing next to a large tree, with Song Lan on his back. Her eyes tightly shut and her head stained with blood. She was slumped against his back, unconscious, no knowing what she had suffered.
You Mingxu was unsure of how long he had stood there or how long he had stared at her. Their eyes met, his usually clear eyes were now clouded. One couldn't see what lied behind them. As he stared at her, the corners of his mouth slowly lifted. It was only then that You Mingxu realized that an alluring face could just as easily turn cold and wicked.