If, last time, Qin Beiting could still go easy and subdue people with ease, this time, Yu He, completely caught in a fight-or-flight response, was even stronger. Her continuous deadly attacks made it impossible for him to hold back.
Moreover, Qin Beiting found that as his own strength increased, Yu He's attacks became fiercer and faster, as if she wouldn't tire, growing stronger with each bout.
This couldn't continue. Such sudden, fierce attacks would over-exert Yu He's body, eventually leading to exhaustion.
He had to find a way to make her stop!
Beside them, Lu Yiming, Chen Hao, and Yang Lin were all shocked. They held their flashlights, illuminating the two of them, having not seen such a thrilling real-life fight in a long time.
With high颜值 and excellent skills, it was much more engaging than the stunt-filled fight scenes on television. Each of them watched with great interest.
Lu Yiming even took out his phone to record the scene, planning to show it to his comrades back at the base.
In his opinion, Qin Beiting was already very formidable, but he hadn't expected Yu He to be able to fight him for so long, on equal footing, and grow stronger as the fight progressed.
Although Yu He's state seemed strange, this astonishing burst of power truly lived up to the woman Qin Ge had taken a liking to. These two together were a powerful combination.
They must never offend these two in the future. A strong duo fighting together was something an ordinary person couldn't withstand.
As the three watched with excitement, Qin Beiting's attacks noticeably weakened.
Seeing this, Yang Lin asked, "Is Master Seven losing it?"
"A man can't say he's losing it," Lu Yiming replied.
"Master Seven is doing it on purpose," Chen Hao observed Qin Beiting's intention.
His attacks seemed to have weakened, and he deliberately exposed a weakness. Yu He seized this opportunity and immediately attacked his weak point. Qin Beiting then kicked off a tree trunk, did a backflip, and landed behind Yu He, delivering a chop to the back of her neck.
Yu He's attack faltered. The bloodstained dagger fell from her hand, and then she collapsed powerlessly.
Qin Beiting quickly caught her, holding her tightly in his arms.
At this moment, he discovered that Yu He was burning hot and had a high fever. Her limbs twitched intermittently, a reaction to over-exerted muscles.
Looking at her haggard face, her hair matted with blood and sweat, clinging to her cheeks, her lips dry from dehydration, Qin Beiting felt a pang of pain, his gaze darkening.
He raised his hand and wiped the blood from her face. "Baby, I'm sorry. I still came too late, not appearing when you needed me most."
The exciting fight ended just like that. The three spectators beside them were still unsatisfied, almost clapping and shouting for an encore.
Lu Yiming saved the recording, thinking Master Ting's final backflip was incredibly cool, but that chop to the neck was too heavy. It looked painful.
How could he use such a heavy hand on such a delicate... no, such a beautiful sister-in-law?
"Did I ask you to watch a show?" A cold gaze swept over them. The three snapped back to attention and quickly got to work, one notifying people, the others cleaning up the scene.
"Brother Ting, how should we handle those kidnappers?" Lu Yiming asked.
"After they reveal the mastermind, leave them in the deep mountains to fend for themselves."
After speaking, Qin Beiting picked up Yu He and walked towards the helicopter. His steps were steady, his expression grim, his eyes cold, and he exuded a palpable aura.
...
At the entrance to the deep mountains.
The two men guarding Scarface and the other four kidnappers had just received their orders and hadn't begun questioning when the bald one, upon hearing about being taken into the deep mountains, immediately confessed.
"I'll talk, I'll talk. It was the eldest daughter of the Gu family who ordered us. I was just doing it for money. I know I was wrong and won't do it again. I have elders and children at home, please don't make me go into the deep mountains, okay?"
"Me too, me too! It was the eldest daughter of the Gu family who ordered us. Before, she also made us imprison a mother and daughter for over a month. It was all her order. Please, my lords, can you spare me considering I confessed willingly?" another one chimed in.
They all worked for Scarface. They didn't know the real mastermind. They had only met Gu Yan, and therefore, they naturally assumed Gu Yan was the mastermind.
After all, in their eyes, Gu Yan seemed to genuinely detest Yu He.
Scarface recalled Qin Meimei's previous instructions. Seeing his subordinates had already implicated Gu Yan, he went along with it, solidifying her guilt.
He angrily kicked each of them, "Cowards! If you betray your client, don't even think about getting any of that money!"
"Big brother, I was wrong. I don't want the money anymore, I want to go home."
The four kidnappers started to argue amongst themselves. The two special forces soldiers exchanged glances; it seemed genuine.
After obtaining the information, the two soldiers delivered a chop to the neck of each of the four kidnappers, knocking them unconscious. They then dragged them into the deep mountains, left them there, dusted their hands, and left to report the information.
---
Three days later.
When Yu He woke up, her head felt heavy and throbbing. As she moved, she realized that not just her head, but her entire body was sore, as if it had been taken apart and reassembled.
Her nose was filled with the scent of disinfectant, and an IV drip hung by her bed. She felt somewhat dazed.
Was she in the hospital?
Was she still alive?
She looked at the white ceiling, trying hard to recall what had happened before she lost consciousness.
She remembered finally crawling out of the cave that day, only to be surrounded by wolves. She had no memory of what happened afterward, only a vague recollection of having a nightmare.
In her dream, she had returned to her childhood, locked in a dark room by human traffickers, unable to get out...
"Baby, you're awake. Do you feel unwell anywhere?"
A pleasant, familiar, and magnetic male voice came from beside her.
Yu He turned her head. Her eyes fell upon Qin Beiting's handsome face with its sharp contours. He was guarding her bedside, looking at her with gentle eyes.
The moment she saw him, all the grievances she had suffered surged uncontrollably like a torrent bursting through a dam. Her eyes suddenly stung, and she abruptly sat up, throwing herself into his arms.
Qin Beiting was taken aback. He felt that the spot where her face was buried seemed to be moistened by warm liquid. The softest part of his heart instantly collapsed.
This young lady usually had a cold demeanor, exuding an aloof aura that kept others at a distance. She preferred to work alone and acted decisively, making it easy to forget that she was actually only seventeen years old.
Children her age were often pampered girls seeking solace in their parents' embrace, while his young lady could perform a complex surgery independently, snatch the Black Spirit Pearl from him at an auction, receive invitations from over a dozen international universities, and even concoct life-saving pills.
Her strength was astonishing, and it made him ache for her.
Qin Beiting's large hand landed on Yu He's back, gently caressing her. "It's alright now."