All around was incredibly quiet, so quiet that You Mingxu could only hear her own heartbeat.
After a moment of stillness, he let go of his hands, causing the unconscious Song Lan to fall to the ground. Then he smiled again, looking as foolish and innocent as before, and charged towards her!
You Mingxu spun around and bolted. As she heard his heavy breathing draw nearer, she thought bitterly: did he see her as the better prey? So he abandoned Song Lan to come after her?
"Don't run!" The man's voice carried, surprisingly pleasant to the ear. But at this moment, it only made her think him both foolish and wicked.
She paid him no mind, running for her life. At the same time, she quickly surveyed her surroundings, looking for opportunities to escape or even fight back.
He was closing in on her, impossible to shake off. He ran with such speed, his breath steady and strong, showing no sign of panic. Had he been a regular runner before?
"Sister … Gorgeous sister … Come with me. I'll carry you …"
This nearly made You Mingxu's hair stand on end. Sister, my ass! He clearly looked several years older than her! In frustration she yelled, "In your dreams!" She turned her head and saw his slightly hurt expression, his eyes wide, his lips lightly bitten. You Mingxu mentally cursed, and then saw him sneak a smile. With a sinking feeling, You Mingxu let out a silent curse. Sure enough, her next step landed in a small hole in the ground.
She lost her balance and was about to fall, but a strong hand stretched out from behind, catching her around the waist. She landed in a broad, warm, yet somewhat stinky embrace, reeking of blood. You Mingxu felt like she was going insane, she lifted her leg to kick backwards. But her body was off balance, and his reaction was swift despite his foolishness, and he sidestepped the kick. He then whispered in her ear, "Sister … Naughty … Hit me … Deserve spank …"
Having said that, he flipped his long arm over, and sat down with her in his arms, pressing her face down onto his thigh. You Mingxu had never experienced such humiliation. With a loud scream, she raised her elbow, aiming for his chest. The hit landed squarely, causing him pain. With a grunt, he seemed to be enfuriated, his hand came down, smacking hard on You Mingxu's buttocks.
"Still … feisty?" he asked huskily.
You Mingxu forced herself to remain calm, inhaling several deep breaths and softened her tone: "Not feisty anymore. Let go of me."
However, he seemed to consider it, then said: "No. Sister hit me, so did that bad guy. Sister is disobedient. If tied up, will be good."
Upon hearing this, You Mingxu immediately tried to roll away, her movements cannot be called slow. But he seemed to have anticipated her move, grabbed her and tied her up using a cord he had somewhere. You Mingxu's hands were tied behind her back, she was dumbfounded. He seemed very proficient at this, securing her ankles together. Despite her struggles, she could not break free. Then, he tied another cord around her ankles.
As his hand touched her ankles, he paused, because her ankles were very slim and white, completely hairless, unlike his own.
"Sister smells good …" He bowed his head and continued, "I also want to smell good. I smell … too bad right now!"
His eyes were wide open, watery, as if he would burst into tears again at any moment!
You Mingxu was suddenly at a loss for words.
Having tied her up, he seemed content, allowing her to sit up awkwardly with her hands and feet immobilized. He, on the other hand, rested his chin on one hand, looking at her with a smile in his eyes.
You Mingxu glanced behind him, calmed her emotions, and said: "All right, now that you're sure I can't hit you, feel safe?"
He nodded fervently.
You Mingxu then asked, "Who are you? Why are you here?" This was the question she wanted to know the most.
Yet, this question seemed to stump the man. His plump, red lips remained slightly parted while his eyes appeared momentarily lost. He slowly said, "Who am I … why am I here?" After several seconds, he looked up at her: "I want to know too."
You Mingxu stared at him for a moment, then asked another question, "Where's the other sister?"
His mouth immediately formed a pout, biting his lower lip. He answered stiffly, "The third sister, is in the woods. I like her least. The sister just now, is the second least. "He quickly glanced at You Mingxu and added softly: "You're the third least favorite."
You Mingxu: "Oh? You don't like the third option, so you must like this one the most. Tell your sister, did you hurt them?"
He nodded, then shook his head, saying: "They... they woke up and say I hit them, but I... I don't remember hitting them..." His expression became confused and anxious, his dark eyelashes trembling. You Mingxu noticed a shadow slowly approaching from behind out of the corner of her eye while she watched him cry.
You Mingxu remained silent for a moment, then said,"I have tissues in my pocket. You can take one to wipe your tears."
He mumbled something, looking at her meekly. His eyes were filled with some sort of hope and dependency. You Mingxu pretended to see nothing, and she tilted her body to reveal the pocket to him. He reached out, slowly feeling for the tissue. The two were so close that You Mingxu could clearly see the clear innocence in his eyes.
She blinked.
It was at that moment.
Gu Tiancheng, who had been waiting patiently, pounced and strangled the man from behind. You Mingxu saw the fool's complexion turn white in shock, and he choked out the words, "Sister...run!"
You Mingxu simply watched them, seemingly not hearing his words.
Gu Tiancheng, who had been holding back behind the man for so long, was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Thankfully, You Mingxu was smart enough to let down the man's guard, providing Gu Tiancheng with an excellent opportunity to attack. Gu Tiancheng drew a dagger while the man was struggling to breathe, and plunged it directly into his body.
You Mingxu's eyes widened as she saw Gu Tiancheng pulling out the bloodied blade to stab the man a second time, she uttered in disbelief, "No! Gu Tiancheng, don't commit a criminal act!"
Gu Tiancheng paused for a moment and glanced at her. His ordinarily quiet eyes were now tainted with a bloodthirsty gleam.
Finally, he did not continue, gritting his teeth, he pushed the man to the ground, saying "Look at what he did to you!"
You Mingxu yelled, "He hasn't hurt me yet! That's enough, Gu Tiancheng! Calm down."
Gu Tiancheng glanced at her, dropped his dagger, looked up at the sky, took a few deep breaths, then crouched down. His victim was writhing on the ground in pain, making low moaning sounds. Gu Tiancheng snorted coldly, dredged out two other binding straps from his pocket and bound the man's hands and feet as well.
Then Gu Tiancheng turned around, his expression now calm. The deep darkness of the night behind him formed a silent and boundless backdrop. You Mingxu suddenly realized something - he was the only one left who was free and unbound among them tonight.
She watched him, saying nothing.
Gu Tiancheng walked over, squatted down in front of her, and pulled her into his arms. You Mingxu felt a sudden sadness and self-mockery. Her neck felt stiff, and she could smell the bloody scent on him that mirrored the man's, mingled with a faint smell of cologne and sweat. It seemed as though he too was exhausted at this moment, his hand gently caressing her hair, asking her, "Are you scared?"
You Mingxu answered, "No. Didn't you promise to get me to a safe place?"
He was silent for a beat, then replied, "Yes, I remember." He slowly released her, then got up.
You Mingxu slowly looked up at his face, a subtle feeling washed over her. He merely stood up and brushed off his hands, sitting on a piece of broken wood nearby. Still, she sensed a change in him. His aura was different, as was his bearing.
Gu Tiancheng sat down with his arms resting on his thighs, his hands clasped together as he looked at her. His gaze was veiled, as if through a layer of fog, no longer as clear and straightforward as before. Then he smiled slowly, his voice soothing, "Mingxu, look, everything is finally quiet now. We can talk.
You Mingxu felt as though her mind was filling with a thick white fog that seeped into even her eyes. She attempted to remain composed, seemingly unaffected, and asked, "Gu Tiancheng, why don't you let me go? Free my hands and feet."
Gu Tiancheng remained seated without moving. He casually drew a cigarette from his pocket and lit up. Through the smoke, his subdued red gaze watched her. In that one moment, he had transformed into someone else- disdainful, malicious, and superior.
"There's no need." he said, "I like you just the way you are. You're not an obedient woman, but that's what I like about you. You're the best thing I've found on my journey, a gift from God. I won't let you go, not until I'm dead."