He was met with silence, the car lights in the distance remaining still.
Qin Chuan frowned, a bad feeling rising in his chest for reasons unknown.
Late at night, on a secluded county road, a car appearing out of nowhere, its headlights impolitely blinding the two of them, and no response to their calls – it all signaled something unusual.
“Xiao Chuan, if it isn't Brother Dao, who would park here waiting for us in the middle of the night?”
Just as Qin Chuan’s premonition began to stir, Li Ya’s words jolted him awake.
This car was deliberately waiting for them!
Qin Chuan’s mind immediately flashed to the revenge from the Han family in Longcheng.
Could their revenge have arrived? Was this car sent by them?
As Qin Chuan contemplated the possibility, movement finally came from the sedan with its lights on. A door opened, and someone stepped out.
Qin Chuan pulled Li Ya’s hand, shifting them aside to avoid the direct glare of the headlights. At the same time, he shone his flashlight towards the approaching figure.
What he saw next was disastrous, a catastrophe of immense proportions!
Qin Chuan clearly saw two men in black emerge, each holding a sharp short knife, their bodies completely concealed, and wearing baseball caps.
Under the flashlight's beam, the short knives reflected a chilling glint.
“Damn it, the revenge is here!”
Upon seeing the weapons in the hands of the two men in black, Qin Chuan broke out in a cold sweat, shouting, “Sister, run! They have knives!”
With that, he yanked Li Ya’s arm and turned to flee.
Behind them, the two men in black immediately gave chase. Simultaneously, the car with its lights on roared its engine, accelerating and starting again.
Sensing the car getting closer, Qin Chuan, still holding Li Ya’s hand, unhesitatingly plunged into the dense woods beside the road.
There was no way two legs could outrun four wheels. Only by diving into the depths of the forest could they have a sliver of hope.
Screeeech!!
A piercing brake sound echoed as the car stopped. Two more men in black exited the vehicle. They watched Qin Chuan and Li Ya disappear into the woods, a predatory smirk playing in their cold eyes.
Without hesitation, they followed, striding into the forest, hot on their heels.
“Xiao… Xiao Chuan, what in the world is going on? Why are people suddenly chasing us?”
Deep in the woods, Li Ya panted, running alongside Qin Chuan, anxiously asking.
When the flashlight had hit the two men in black earlier, she had also seen their weapons and had been almost petrified.
If Qin Chuan hadn't reacted so quickly, they might have already fallen into the attackers' grasp.
“It’s a long story, too complicated to explain in a few words.”
“Once we get through tonight’s danger, I’ll tell you everything.”
Qin Chuan said quickly.
“This way!!”
With that, he pulled Li Ya’s hand and they veered towards another side of the dense forest.
Behind them, footsteps grew denser. Four men in black, their movements agile, were rapidly closing in, some taking shortcuts.
“Xiao Chuan, quickly turn off the flashlight. With it on, we’ll always be their most obvious target.”
Li Ya gasped for air.
Qin Chuan immediately switched off the flashlight, plunging their surroundings into darkness.
While the flashlight made them conspicuous, without it in the pitch-black depths of the forest, they were effectively blind, seeing nothing.
However, relying on the last fleeting glimpse from the flashlight before it went out, Qin Chuan closed his eyes, held Li Ya’s small hand, and continued to run forward.
The four pursuers behind them, noticing the disappearance of the flashlight beam, paused.
“Big Brother, they’ve turned off the flashlight!”
One of the tall men in black, staring at the rustling sounds ahead, sneered, his voice like a duck’s: “They’ve got a bit of sense, turning off the flashlight. But with one man and a burden like a woman, how far can they run?”
“Keep chasing!”
With that, the four men in black resumed their rapid pursuit.
Ahead, Qin Chuan and Li Ya, still fleeing, gradually adapted to the darkness, able to vaguely make out the silhouettes of the trees.
But running in this pitch-black forest meant they couldn’t see their footing. Mid-stride, Qin Chuan tripped, and both he and Li Ya tumbled forward, landing face-first in the dirt, their mouths full of dust.
Fortunately, the thick layer of fallen leaves cushioned their fall, and they quickly got back up, stumbling forward, running aimlessly.
They had no idea where they were going; their only objective was to escape the four men in black who had suddenly appeared.
However, the footsteps behind them grew closer. The four men in black were clearly professionals, possessing remarkable endurance and speed. If it were just Qin Chuan alone, there might have been hope, but he had Li Ya with him.
Li Ya was still wearing a dress and high heels. While the heels weren't excessively high, they were a significant impediment to speed in this environment.
Moreover, Li Ya’s stamina was failing, her breathing becoming increasingly rapid.
Qin Chuan felt it, his heart filled with anxiety. He quickly took out his phone, wanting to call Zheng Cheng Dao, but discovered there was absolutely no signal in this deep ravine.
“Damn it!!”
Frustrated, he almost threw his phone.
With no other choice, he pulled Li Ya along once more.
Qin Chuan, having lived through it, deeply understood the limitations of communication and the lack of surveillance in this era. In such an environment, those who lived by the sword, those who dealt in blood, could truly do anything without consequence.
In these remote, deep mountain forests, a death could go undiscovered, even if the body rotted away.
“Xiao Chuan… *huff*… *huff*!”
At this moment, Li Ya’s panting voice sounded.
“I can’t run anymore. If necessary, you run alone. That way, at least one of us won’t be caught!”
“What nonsense are you talking! Do you think I would abandon you?!”
Almost as soon as Li Ya spoke, Qin Chuan fiercely reprimanded her.
He dared not even imagine the fate of a beautiful woman like Li Ya falling into their hands in the dead of night.
“Just hold on a little longer, we can shake them off!”
Qin Chuan encouraged Li Ya.
The two resumed their desperate flight.
Behind them, the four men in black pursued relentlessly. In the darkness, their eyes gleamed like hungry wolves, full of bloodlust and cruelty.
“Damn it, these two run like the wind!”
One of the men in black grumbled, clearly tired from the chase.
“After we catch these two, I’m keeping the woman. I’ll have my fun.”
“I took a good look at that girl earlier, she’s really something!”
This remark immediately found common ground, and the other men in black let out lewd chuckles.
Any man understood what those laughs signified!