Shen Lan Ni could tell what the mischievous Yang Ling Xue had said to Shi Ke Xin without needing to be told.
Only Ren Yuan Hao was completely clueless, standing dumbfounded as a large group of people headed towards the suspension bridge.
"Ah, a woman's heart is as unfathomable as the sea. Come on, brother, only the bonds between men are unbreakable."
"Big brother, I'm not into guys~" As soon as Ren Yuan Hao finished speaking, he bolted towards the suspension bridge.
"You brat, stop right there!"
...
The group walked across the swaying suspension bridge, the wooden planks creaking with every step. The wind whipped up from below, clouds swirled in between, and mist shrouded the peaks. They felt the excitement and thrill of traversing through a sea of clouds.
It was said that on a clear day, one could see the towering, sky-piercing mountain range to the southwest, like pillars of heaven, with ethereal mist and hidden layers of clouds, where even birds dared not tread. Their final destination was Yun Jin City, perched atop the clouds.
Shi Ke Xin and the ten or so local strongmen walked across the swaying suspension bridge as if on solid ground, completely unfazed. However, Yang Ling Xue, Yu Nu, and the others were less composed.
"Hey, Lan Ni jie, this bridge looks so old and worn out, and it creaks when you step on it. What if there’s a hole that suddenly appears?"
Yang Ling Xue spoke with vivid detail and emotion, her face pale. Especially when the mountain wind blew upwards, her legs felt weak.
"If a hole appeared, it would be great. Then you could personally experience what a real falling object is like," Shen Lan Ni said, supporting Yang Ling Xue with one arm while tightly gripping the polished, icy iron cable with the other. She felt an inexplicable sense of distance, as if she had stepped back into ancient times.
"Sister, please don't make jokes like that," Yang Ling Xue couldn't help but glance down at the slightly cracked bridge surface again. It felt as if she were walking on a sea of clouds, her hair standing on end. She trembled, "If I fell from here, I'm afraid not even a single speck of bone would be found, right?"
Shen Lan Ni remained noncommittal, simply saying, "After all, a person eventually turns to dust."
"Sister, so you can be this dark sometimes!"
Shen Lan Ni paid her no mind, completely captivated by the secluded environment.
Looking back at her life, Shen Lan Ni had always lived like a taut string. When her sister was around, people always compared the two sisters. Her sister, with her gentle disposition, was always well-loved. Shen Lan Ni, on the other hand, had been strong since childhood, always wanting to compete with her sister in everything, which was why her temper had become so fiery.
After her sister was swallowed by the waves, Shen Lan Ni lived in a state of near-mad self-reproach. Compounded by her father's repeated business failures, they moved from place to place, like rootless leaves, drifting and vulnerable to mistreatment.
Later, by chance, she was introduced to martial arts. But seeing her senior brother's exceptional talent, she dared not be mediocre, and so she continued to practice martial arts with a tightly strung heart. This was followed by the mundane university life and then the founding of her Taekwondo gym...
She took a deep breath, feeling the refreshing air flow back and forth in her lungs, as if the impurities in her heart were being swept away by the crisp mountain air.
She could hardly imagine that if not for that fateful 'DiDi date request,' which led her to meet the completely different Ren Yuan Hao, her life would have continued on its monotonous, predictable path, eventually turning her into a bona fide spinster lamenting the passing of her youth.
She dared not think further and turned to look at Liu Yu and Ren Yuan Hao, who were walking arm-in-arm at the back. She silently offered them her thanks, a radiant smile blooming on her face.
"See, your girl is starting to send sparks your way again," Liu Yu said, supporting Ren Yuan Hao. He could feel the surging internal energy within Ren Yuan Hao, an energy that, if not properly managed, would surely lead to great trouble.
"Hey, she's not my girl. I've told you many times, big brother." Ren Yuan Hao harbored a secret but didn't want to reveal it to anyone.
"If she's not your girl, why are you risking your life to save them? Are you foolish, or have you watched too many martial arts movies?" Liu Yu hit the nail on the head.
Ren Yuan Hao didn't deny it this time. Perhaps even he didn't understand how important these three women had become in his heart.
His hand gripped the iron cable tightly. He suddenly wondered why Liu Yu had arrived so promptly and asked, "Big brother, I spoke a bit too harshly in the underground warehouse. I..."
"We're brothers, no need to be so fussy. I guess you're wondering why I arrived so quickly, right?"
Liu Yu mysteriously pointed to Ye Lan, who was being carried by the esper-users, and chuckled, "This sister-in-law is truly a heroine. Her mind is so deep. Fortunately, you've managed to subdue her, otherwise, she would surely be a force that brings chaos to the world."
"How so?"
Liu Yu tapped his head, then took out the mobile phone Ye Lan had given him. He found a text message and said, "Look at the content, and you'll understand what I mean, and why I decided to break through the front gate to rescue you."
Ren Yuan Hao took the phone and his eyes softened.
It turned out that ever since Ren Yuan Hao took the order, Ye Lan had barely slept soundly. She had been diligently writing programs to provide real-time geographical data feedback. Before that, she had a premonition of something ominous. Therefore, she had almost foreseen the entire event, from its cause to its conclusion.
She anticipated that after she and the others were captured, Ren Yuan Hao would definitely return to retrieve the defense map. Moreover, she was certain that Ren Yuan Hao would notice the missing eye of the toy, so she obsessively hid the USB drive inside the toy's eye.
Even more terrifyingly, her compiled program successfully activated when Ren Yuan Hao accessed the defense map. At the same time, it sent her location to both Liu Yu and Ren Yuan Hao. This meant that by the time Ren Yuan Hao found the defense map and activated the compiled program to send geographical data, the entire plan had already been synchronized between the two of them.
Therefore, Ren Yuan Hao had not been acting alone all along. And what impressed Liu Yu the most was Ye Lan's foresight.
Her text message clearly stated that given Ren Yuan Hao's strategy and the overall layout of the Lionheart Building, Ren Yuan Hao would ultimately choose to escape through the main entrance. She also predicted that Ren Yuan Hao would create chaos to rescue the trapped espers inside.
This was why Liu Yu later drove the bus with the rocket launcher, causing disruption and facilitating their escape in a series of seamless actions.
"Brother, look at the time the message was sent."
Ren Yuan Hao looked closely and saw that the time was consistent with when he had plugged in the defense map USB drive last night!
"Sister-in-law sent this message early to avoid implicating me and to prevent the Lionheart Group from being prepared," Liu Yu lit a cigarette and continued, "Thinking back now, besides you, the biggest contributor to this rescue was this thoughtful and far-sighted sister-in-law."