At noon, the sun hung blazing overhead, pouring scorching light over everything.
The lingering mist in the forest evaporated quickly under the heat. The air grew clear as glass—nothing foul could hide in it.
Thump-thump, clack—clack-clack…
The wooden stairs creaked loudly, each sound marking his approach.
Tap, tap, tap.
Measured steps moved steadily down the corridor.
I held my breath, heart racing. This was my only chance. If I failed now, Shen Jianqing would never give me another.
I understood perfectly: in terms of strength, I wasn’t his match. If I wanted to escape his control, I had to outsmart him.
Sweat slicked my palms. The thing I held was slipping. I flexed my fingers, loosening the stiffness in my wrist.
Stay calm, Li Yuze. Don’t panic. Don’t panic.
Creak—
The door opened.
“Yuze-ge, I’m back! Did I keep you waiting?” Shen Jianqing stepped in, his navy-blue silhouette crossing the threshold. His voice carried a hint of boyish excitement, as if even bringing me food made him happy.
But when he didn’t see me inside, his voice cut off.
Now!
I lunged out from behind the door, swinging the wooden chair high and smashing it toward his skull.
But he’d seen my shadow on the ground. He spun around just in time—the chair coming straight at him.
His face stayed astonishingly calm—no fear, no anger. He even angled his body to shield the food in his hands.
CRACK!
A violent crash.
Shen Jianqing collapsed instantly. The food spilled everywhere.
I had no idea how hard I’d swung—my hands were numb. For a moment I feared I’d killed him. Dropping the chair, I bent down with trembling fingers to check the pulse at his neck… steady.
Relief flooded me. I spun around and bolted, wishing I could sprout wings.
THUD THUD THUD THUD!
The stairs groaned under my weight, as if about to give way. I slipped once, almost tumbling down the entire staircase. Somehow I made it to the bottom, gasping for breath.
The wind whistled behind me before I even got far. I jerked to the side just in time. A heartbeat later, my robe tightened—someone’s pale hand had seized it in a death grip.
Shen Jianqing had fallen hard. His forehead wasn’t split, but a huge swelling was already rising. He clutched the hem of my clothes, looking up at me with dazed, pleading eyes, his whole posture weak and unsteady.
“Don’t go… Li Yuze…”
Tears had already gathered at the corners of his eyes. With that desperate expression, he looked pitiful enough to pull at anyone’s heart.
But pity wasn’t worth gambling away the rest of my life.
I turned to leave, but he stubbornly refused to release me.
This wouldn’t do. Steeling myself, I crouched down and began prying his fingers off me—one by one.
“Don’t… don’t go… don’t go, Yuze-ge…”
His face paled even further, strength draining from him, his fingers loosening as I forced them apart.
Finally, his hand slipped completely from my robe.
If I managed to escape today, this would be our last time seeing each other. I looked at Shen Jianqing’s pale, beautiful face, and my chest tightened with a mess of emotions.
Toward this man… I didn’t even know what I felt anymore. There was resentment, fear, and something else I didn’t dare name. But none of it mattered now—his twisted version of affection only made me want to flee.
“Shen Jianqing,” I said solemnly, “when you learn what it truly means to love someone, you’ll find someone who can stay with you for a lifetime.”
And with that, I let go of the last bit of hesitation and ran straight toward the forest.
“Li Yuze—! Li Yuze!”
His voice ripped through the air beneath the stilted house, raw and agonized.
I couldn’t help turning back. Shen Jianqing was sprawled across the corridor, tears streaking his face, eyes wide with grief and fury.
“I won’t let you go…” His voice weakened but he forced the words out, unwilling to look away from me even for a second. “I’ll find you. You won’t escape. You won’t.”
The sight shook me so hard I instinctively took a half-step back, my heart thudding violently in my chest.
Then I snapped out of it, turned, and threw myself into the forest.
Freedom—freedom I had longed for, craved for so long—was finally ahead of me.
Sunlight broke through the canopy, splashing patches of gold over the earth. It was a rare beautiful day, but I had no mind to appreciate it.
Following the path I half-remembered, I sprinted toward the village. Not once did I dare slow down—any moment he might recover, might make good on the threat he’d just hurled at me.
Before long, the stone arch bridge came into view. Red ribbons fluttered in the wind, each one seeming to pulse with life in the sunlight.
In a glance, I spotted the ribbon embroidered with “Shen.”
Shen Siyuan.
My steps faltered for a moment, but only for a moment. I forced myself onward.
Across the fields, past the dam—the Miao village lay ahead. My frantic footsteps must’ve drawn attention; villagers peeked out at me just like they did the first time I came.
Lu Qi’s stilt house sat on the slope. I strode forward and knocked on the familiar door.
The old man opened it quickly. His wrinkled face didn’t show the slightest surprise. He turned back inside, retrieved a lit candle, and pointed at a dried herb bundle hanging by the doorway.
I immediately understood. Taking the candle, I pulled the herb down, set it in the stone mortar, and touched the flame to it.
Gray smoke curled upward, drifting into the air. The scent stirred something familiar in my memory, though I couldn’t place it. I had no time to think about it, anyway—I tipped my head back, staring toward the stilt house halfway up the mountain.
Wan Ying’s home.
Barely a moment passed when Lu Qi suddenly slapped my shoulder. I turned to him, confused. He was pointing anxiously toward the river, waving his hands as if urging me to go, now.
“Ga-chu!”
He pointed at Wan Ying’s home, then toward the distant riverbank.
Was he telling me to follow the river? To leave now? Without waiting for Wan Ying?
But without guidance, I’d never get out—I’d end up lost forever, dying inside these mountains.
Lu Qi grew more frantic, pointing again at the stilt house above, then far into the distance.
Wan Ying is waiting there?
I knew he couldn’t understand me, but I pointed at the distant direction, then at the stilt house to confirm.
He nodded rapidly.
Whether I understood him fully or not, I couldn’t afford more delay. I bowed deeply to him in thanks.
Then, without looking back, I ran toward the river’s winding path—the path to freedom.