It was Friday. Although Qiu Yi had been kept back to grade exam papers, he still decided to venture alone through the modest forest to explore the seaside.
He only knew the sea lay beyond the forest but had never been there. This time, he’d brought a digital camera to document the entire adventure.
The closest bus stop to the forest was a suburban transfer station. From there, it was just a thirty-minute walk.
Qiu Yi sat on the bus. Few people were heading to the transfer station. No buildings stood nearby—only a few small villages. Including the driver, fewer than five people were on the entire bus.
Suddenly, the bus slowed to a stop. Qiu Yi opened the window and looked out. Ahead, several cars blocked the road, seemingly impassable.
Soon, a few people on the highway carried a girl into a sedan and sped away. Only an SUV remained parked by the guardrail.
Drivers of private cars ahead also pulled over by the guardrail. They took out their phones, apparently calling the police.
The bus crept past. Qiu Yi stared out the window. On the ground lay a pool of blood. A man lay in it, seemingly dead.
A shooting had actually occurred. Linhai City was really chaotic… Qiu Yi thought to himself.
That SUV looked familiar… Qiu Yi strained to recall. He seemed to have seen it everywhere.
Ye Wen’s pickup SUV wasn’t high-end—it was a common model. This prevented thieves from targeting it for its value. It was a way to protect her, avoiding much danger.
Qiu Yi didn’t dwell on it. To him, this was unrelated. He was more interested in crossing the forest.
The bus stopped at the suburban transfer station. Qiu Yi opened his backpack. No books were inside—only small tools prepared the night before and some bread. He pulled out a pack of chewing gum, unwrapped a piece, and popped it in his mouth. Then he checked the map and resolutely headed toward the forest.
Qiu Yi walked along the highway. Farmlands lined the sides, mostly empty. Occasionally, one or two plots held sweet potatoes and radishes.
Further on, even the farmlands vanished. Uncultivated wastelands surrounded him. The highway ended, giving way to narrow, muddy dirt paths.
Suddenly, a van turned off the dirt road onto the wasteland, heading toward a small villa nearby.
Qiu Yi stood in a phone booth, intending to let it pass. But the van wasn’t staying on the road.
His heart skipped a beat. Through a small hole in the van’s back window—the only part not covered—he saw a person… Who was that?
Qiu Yi felt that person seemed familiar. A nameless dread filled him. He gritted his teeth, summoned his courage, and quietly followed the van.
The van stopped before the villa. Qiu Yi hid behind large trees. He watched as the doors opened. Burly men jumped out. Then they carried a sleeping girl.
Her hands and feet were tied with rope. Her mouth was stuffed with something. Her eyes stayed shut, unaware of her plight.
“!!” Qiu Yi clamped his hand over his mouth, almost shouting. If he wasn’t mistaken, these were kidnappers. That SUV earlier… No wonder it looked familiar—it was Ye Wen’s personal vehicle! The man in the blood was her bodyguard!
Qiu Yi trembled all over. He was scared but also excited. His blood began to boil.
A belief surged in him: he must rescue her. That belief overcame his fear.
Qiu Yi stepped back, gasping. He forced himself calm. Then he began planning how to save Ye Wen.
“I absolutely can’t call the police… What if they kill her in rage…” He dared not imagine the consequences. If Ye Wen died because of him, he’d feel guilty forever. But he couldn’t leave—his conscience would condemn him. If he loved her, he must protect her! Otherwise, what kind of love was that? Just ordinary liking! The young Qiu Yi wanted to prove himself—to believe he truly loved her, not just liked her; to prove his love to Ye Wen; or to prove his courage to others…
The eager youth let fervor overcome fear, eroding reason. But Qiu Yi kept a shred of rationality. He didn’t charge in head-on.
They’d killed before. Qiu Yi couldn’t die—not before saving Ye Wen. He had to stay alive to rescue her. So he thought of other ways.
The forest lay near the villa. Using trees as cover, Qiu Yi observed carefully. Ye Wen had been locked in a small bungalow at the villa’s corner. The villa was small—he guessed it was a storage room.
He opened his backpack, took out a thick hemp rope and a multi-functional knife, and stuffed them into his pockets.
Qiu Yi circled to the villa’s back. He scanned the area—no one nearby. Estimating the bungalow’s position, he climbed the wall.
Broken glass shards covered the top. Though careful, shards cut his palms. He forgot the pain, unaware of the cuts. He brushed the glass off and landed lightly. Just then, the yard dog barked furiously at a stray outside, masking his landing sound perfectly.
Qiu Yi leaped up, grabbing the wooden lattice window on the bungalow’s back. He peeked inside. The light was dim, but he saw Ye Wen. She seemed awake. Hearing rustling, she looked up instinctively. Half of Qiu Yi’s face appeared—he made a hushing gesture.
The wooden lattice was a relief. He carefully cut several bars with his knife and placed them on the eaves above.
The process made little noise, thanks to the knife’s sharpness. His father’s friend had brought it from abroad—its quality was unmatched domestically.
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