Zhao Bei Xi ran headlong forward, not daring to turn her head and look back.
She didn't know how long she had been running, nor did she have any idea where she ultimately was.
All she knew was that she was in a vast forest, heading straight east.
Only after she had run a considerable distance away from her pursuers did she finally dare to relax a little.
She looked around to make sure once more, then found a secluded tree trunk and sat down.
Letting out a sigh of relief, she used her hand to wipe away the beads of sweat on her pale face, smudged with dirt.
It was very dark here; only the moonlight filtered through the tree canopy.
Leaning back, she tiredly slumped against the tree trunk.
She no longer cared whether it was dirty or not.
Looking at her disheveled, torn clothes and her messy, matted hair, she looked worse than a beggar now.
From someone with a decent family home to someone constantly hunted and beaten.
She only wanted to live a peaceful life – was that so difficult?
She cursed her fate and resented human cruelty.
After resting for a while, timing herself, she laboriously began to push herself up, preparing to continue her escape.
For her, this place was still very dangerous; she didn't know when they would track her down.
All she could do was struggle on and continue to escape far away on her own.
People often say, "As long as you try hard, Heaven will not let you down." But she really wanted to ask: she had tried so hard, so why was Heaven still letting her down?
Those ruffians were hot on her heels. Before long, they had already made their way there and were searching for her.
“Quick! Search thoroughly!
You absolutely must find that bitch, or all of you are dead meat.”
As long as they caught her, their mission would be complete.
This lucrative deal was truly appealing and profitable for men like them.
It was just finding and catching a girl; what was so hard about that?
But that was his earlier thought.
Now that he had experienced it, he knew better.
This girl was truly difficult to deal with.
Just when he thought she was in the palm of his hand, she suddenly vanished like smoke.
He truly wanted to go mad, caught between the pressure from his boss and this stubborn girl who defied fate.
She had only taken a few steps when a man’s loud shout echoed from behind, along with the rustling sound of someone brushing against the trees.
The closer the noise got, the harder her heart pounded.
Unable to think anymore, she mustered all her strength and ran forward.
To an ordinary person, seeing her like this, it was no different from a slow jog.
But for her, this was truly fast and using all her strength.
It wasn't that she didn't want to escape their grasp; it was simply that she hadn't eaten anything for two days.
Her entire body was sluggish and exhausted.
How could she have much energy left?
Hearing her movements ahead, they seemed to catch her scent and, reinvigorated, lunged towards her like hungry tigers pouncing on prey.
“It seems to be her! Chase her!”
A leader shouted loudly, signaling to those behind him.
They gathered together, each of them running headlong towards her.
Zhao Bei Xi dared not delay another second.
She darted through the bushes, rushing forward.
Gulp! She swallowed a mouthful of saliva. As she ran, she pinched the palm of her hand hard to stay awake.
Her strength might have gradually run out after three consecutive days of fleeing from them.
She was starting to feel her head spin, dizzy and lightheaded, her vision blurring.
The gnawing hunger also intensified with every step she took.
Bang…
Another gunshot rang out.
The bullet whizzed past her and slammed into the trunk of a nearby tree. It left her stunned, weighing down her spirits even more.
A raised tree root made her trip, sending her sprawling onto the ground. Ignoring the throbbing pain, she only cared to turn her head back, anxiously watching the movements in the distance. Both her hands and legs were now covered in new scrapes and scratches. As she tried to brace her hands and lift herself slightly, she collapsed back down. Her leg had cramped up…
Seeing the group of people drawing closer, she could only close her eyes tightly, waiting for whatever was to come.
"Over there, let's go, quickly."
But just as she reached her most desperate point, they suddenly changed direction, running away from her towards a loud noise that had erupted nearby.
While she was still bewildered, unsure of what had just happened, a pair of large, warm hands lifted her and pulled her into an embrace.
"Shh! It's me."
Seeing her about to cry out in protest, he quickly covered her mouth and spoke in a low voice.
Tan Mu Han?
How could he…