Chapter 9

At dawn, the sun pierced through thin clouds, showering the earth with radiant light. Dense forest foliage lay thick and lush; beneath layers of overlapping leaves, sunlight could only cast scattered patches of light. These formed visible beams in the air, projecting dappled patterns onto the ground.

　　The morning mist swiftly dissipated under the sun, leaving only dewdrops clinging to leaves, branches, and the car windows.

I opened my eyes groggily, raising my hand to shield my eyes from the glare.

My entire body ached as if I’d been run over by a car. My neck hurt especially badly—probably from sleeping uneasily without a proper pillow last night.

　　As my senses slowly returned, I recalled everything that had happened yesterday.

The return trip, getting lost, the signal disappearing…

And the bugs! 

　　Perhaps because daylight had broken, stripping away the natural backdrop of terror that night had provided, my fear of those insects faded considerably as I recalled them.

Last night we took turns keeping watch. I had the first shift, and the final one should have been Wen Lingyu’s.

　　I glanced over and saw her head resting against the window, eyes tightly shut, breathing steady and deep.

She must have been too exhausted and fallen asleep.

I turned away, intending to get out and stretch my stiff limbs.

The mountain’s extreme temperature swings between day and night had left a thin layer of fog on the windshield, blurring my vision. I pulled back the fleece jacket covering me for warmth and leaned close to wipe the windshield.

Just as I finished clearing the section in front of me, a white object suddenly burst into my field of vision!

I stared intently. It seemed to be… a flower?!

　　I hurriedly pushed open the door and got out, moving to the front of the car.

There, resting quietly in the groove of the windshield, was a white flower covered in dew. The petals were pure white, the stamens pale yellow, and beneath the bloom was a section of brown stem. The cut end was clean and still held a hint of green, clearly snapped off deliberately and not long ago.

　　My hand trembled as I recalled the white flower found on the windowsill of the Miao Village Inn room. It was identical to the one in my hand now.

This couldn’t be a coincidence. Someone had been here!

A sense of unease washed over me.

　　Who? Had he been… following us all along? Since when? He could leave a flower here without a sound, so why not just show himself and talk?

If he left a flower, he probably meant no harm. Could he be trying to lead us out of this dense forest?

And who was this flower for?

　　I recalled at the inn, my room was the innermost one, right next to Wen Lingyu’s. If he delivered it to the wrong person, it was most likely intended for her.

I clutched the flower in my hand, goosebumps rising all over my skin. The thought that our entire group had been under the watchful eye of someone lurking in the shadows made me feel utterly uneasy.

　　And… was he watching us right now?

The thought made my hair stand on end, and suddenly, the memory of last night’s disgusting, terrifying insects came flooding back. I turned my neck, stiff with fear, scanning the dense forest layers.

　　Deep green leaves rustled in the wind, while thick branches stood like silent, sturdy sentinels. Knee-high grasses below concealed any trace we might leave.

Just then, a soft voice came from behind.

“Li Yuze, what are you doing there?”

　　Wen Lingyu opened the car door and stepped out.

Should I tell them about this? The team was already tense. Would sharing this news intensify their negativity, or give them hope of escape?

Wen Lingyu approached me, concern evident. “You look terrible. Didn’t you sleep well last night?”

　　I shook my head. “No.”

Her gaze fell on the flowers in my hands. Her eyes lit up as she looked up, fixing her stare on mine. “What are these?”

“I found them on the windshield when I woke up.”

　　“What?” As if this answer diverged wildly from her expectations, Wen Lingyu seemed to lose herself for a moment before snapping back. “On the windshield?”

I nodded. “Yes… Someone came last night.”

Wen Lingyu’s eyes widened, and she sucked in a sharp breath. Her slender frame looked fragile and vulnerable.

　　I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that this person was most likely after her.

Just then, Qiu Lu and Xu Zirong got out of the car. They must have been woken by Wen Lingyu and my conversation, their eyes heavy with sleep, still half-asleep.

　　“What were you two whispering about?” Qiu Lu rubbed her eyes as she approached. She’d slept all night, her clothes disheveled. I glanced at her and turned away, while Wen Lingyu immediately stepped forward to carefully adjust her collar.

“Nothing. Not whispering.”

　　Qiu Lu hugged Wen Lingyu and cooed, “Oh dear! Did I interrupt you two?”

Wen Lingyu remained silent, but Xu Zirong rolled his eyes and said, “That’s no way to ask. Of course they won’t admit it.”

　　Those two had such a good attitude—no wonder they made a couple. Even early in the morning, they had the energy to tease others.

“Oh my, someone here sure knows how to make an entrance!” Qiu Lu’s eyes landed on the flower in my hand, clearly misunderstanding its origin. She winked at Wen Lingyu and me, “Going out of your way to pick flowers this early in the morning!”

　　Wen Lingyu’s cheeks flushed crimson as she bit her lip. “Well, it’s not like…”

Any explanation now would just sound like excuses to them. I decided to just come clean—telling them about the flower and the incident at the inn all at once, getting it out of the way.

　　After listening, Qiu Lu clutched Xu Zirong’s arm tightly. “It’s terrifying when you think about it… Someone was in front of our carriage last night? He… he’s been following us…”

Xu Zirong reassured her, “Lu Lu, don’t worry. I’ll protect you!”

Now wasn’t the time for their affectionate moments. The urgent priority was finding our way back. The longer we lingered in this forest, the more perilous it became.

“We must leave immediately. That person lurking in the shadows—he might not mean us harm now, but who knows what he’ll do later?”

The three nodded in agreement. We hastily packed some dry rations and prepared to continue our journey.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, I stared at the fuel gauge showing only a third remaining, my heart heavy. If we ran out of gas before escaping… we might truly be trapped here.

Self-rescue? I had no confidence in that. I could only hope Amp would notice our disappearance and come looking for us soon.

“But where should we go?” Wen Lingyu’s voice carried unmistakable worry. 

No one dared utter a word.

At this moment, whoever made a decision would bear the blame if we still couldn’t escape afterward. No one wanted to be held accountable.

The car fell into complete silence.

In this suffocating atmosphere, I paused for a moment before saying, “Let’s keep moving forward. There’s no way out by going back.”

　　They didn’t respond. I started the vehicle and drove forward.

The scenery remained unchanged. I had no idea how vast this forest was or where we were within it. Only this narrow path stretched endlessly ahead, supporting and accompanying us as we pressed on.

　　After driving for what felt like an eternity, I suddenly took a sharp turn. At the end of the road, I glimpsed a dark blue figure!

A human figure!

I exclaimed excitedly, “Look! Is that a person?!”

Hearing this, all three of them rolled down their windows and leaned out.

　　“It’s a person! It’s a person!” Xu Zirong, equally agitated, punched the air. “Damn it, we finally found a living soul!”

Finding someone meant we could ask for directions, escape our predicament!

Long-held anxiety and fear had numbed my nerves. Seeing a person felt like grabbing a lifeline. My foot slammed on the gas pedal. Fuel efficiency was the last thing on my mind—all I wanted was to catch up to that figure ahead.

All four of us stared fixedly at the dark blue silhouette, our eyes glued to it. Our desperation made the road feel impossibly long, as if we could never catch up no matter how fast we drove.

　　When we finally caught up, Xu Zirong leaned out impatiently, shouting, “Hey, you up ahead! Stop!”

The figure did indeed halt and turned around.

Perhaps the turn was too swift, for his small ponytail whipped through the air, tracing a black line behind him.

　　The instant I saw his face, my heart gave a violent leap.

It was him—the boy who had wandered into my photograph. The one beneath the stilt house, who had beamed at me across the crowd.

He stood motionless, a bamboo basket strapped to his back, watching us pull over and step out of the car, silent and expressionless.

　　Qiu Lu offered his most affable smile and said, “Hello, do you know where we are? How can we get to Dongjiang Town?”

The boy’s gaze swept from Qiu Lu’s face to Wen Lingyu, then shifted to Xu Zirong, finally resting on me. I couldn’t tell if it was my imagination, but his look felt strangely intense.

　　This was also the first time I’d seen his face up close. He didn’t look very old and was undeniably beautiful—his front view even more striking than his profile. His eyes were narrow and slanted, with what seemed like a red mole on his right eyelid, appearing and disappearing with each blink. His shoulder-length hair didn’t clash with his appearance; rather, it added a touch of ethereal femininity.

　　When he spoke, his features came alive, and that brooding aura vanished instantly: “I… I’m sorry. My Mandarin isn’t very good.”

His voice rang out like a phoenix’s cry, yet his intonation was even more peculiar than Anpu’s, each syllable landing in a place I hadn’t anticipated.

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” “ Xu Zirong waved his hands repeatedly. ”Just tell us how to get out!”

He tilted his head, revealing a faint smile as he addressed me: “I’ve seen you before.”

This time, his pronunciation was clear and standard.

I hadn’t expected him to remember. “We must have quite the connection,” I said. “Could you tell us how to leave the forest?”

　　“Fate, heh heh heh…” The youth murmured the word with amusement. When his eyelids lowered, the red mole beneath them seemed even more vivid. “You just need to keep going straight down this path.”