On the other side, Cao Shiyu went to Liu Yuanâs place, but found it deserted. She scanned the room and saw disarray everywhereâspattered bloodstains on the floor made her heart skip a beat.
Yesterday, when she spoke with Liu Yuan on the phone, his voice had sounded just fine, nothing seemed amiss, certainly not like he was injured.
She bent down and touched the stains with her fingertip, noting the blood was wet and sticky, seemingly fresh.
So, had there recently been a fight here? Had someone been injuredâcould it have been Liu Yuan?
Considering this possibility, Cao Shiyu didnât dare stay any longer; she feared being implicated by Liu Yuan.
Meanwhile, Liu Yuan, severely wounded, ran blindly into the distance. He was being hunted by many, yet had no idea about the identity of his pursuers.
Even more baffling was who had betrayed his whereabouts, allowing his enemies to find his hideout.
He had planned to leave Taicheng in a few days, but now it seemedâ¦
He clutched the wound on his abdomen, which had bled profusely, though not fatally. This time, he figured he was probably done for.
His running was slow, his chasers numerous. Logically, they should have caught up by nowâso why had no one approached?
He peeked around and saw no suspicious figures nearby. Could it be that he had lucked out and evaded them?
A spark of spirit returned to Liu Yuanâs eyes. He couldnât give up so easily; there was a chance to escape, and he needed to leave Taicheng as fast as possible.
By eleven that night, weary and hungry, Liu Yuan realized he hadnât shaken off his tail.
No matter where he ran, they were always close yet far enough behind him. It was as if they were playing a cat-and-mouse game, not eager to reveal themselves or to end his life quickly, hence their patience in toying with him all day.
Now, he had run into the mountains.
Previously unaware, he now understood they had anticipated his escape route, subtly herding him into the mountains, seemingly to play at hunting.
Of course, he was the prey.
Liu Yuan, backed against a rock wall, stopped hiding and shouted, âHiding behind my back, what kind of hero does that? If youâve got the guts, come out and face me, stop cowering like a turtle!â
The mountains responded only with the echo of his own voice and the intermittent flapping of bats in the night sky.
After screaming a few more times, he finally elicited a response, but it was the sound of an arrow being released.
At that moment, Liu Yuan almost resigned himself to his fate, no longer wanting to hide. Yet, at the very last second, his fear of death prevailed, and he rolled just in time to narrowly avoid the deadly arrow.
He knew the hunt had begun again. As long as they didnât call it off, the game would go on endlessly. Unless, of course, he was willing to willingly give up his life.
What he hadnât anticipated was that this hunt would last much longer than he had imagined, much longerâ¦
The next morning, Qiao Qiao heard the doorbell ring again; she thought it might be the mysterious man who had been sending gifts to Su Hongxing to curry favor.
She went to open the door and was surprised when she saw the man standing outside, âYe Shiqing?â
There, dressed sharply in a suit, was none other than Ye Shiqing. What was he doing here so early in the morning?
With a complicated look in his eyes, Ye Shiqing stared at Qiao Qiao, saying nothing.
âWhat is it?â Qiao Qiao asked coldly.
âXiaoqiao, are you still mad at me?â Not even Ye Shiqing understood why he stood there.