Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Entering the Mountain
Su Qing found it a bit strange. How had Du Haoran suddenly shown up in Xiangcheng, and just in time to encounter Cheng Beilin’s kidnapping?
From what Brother Qi and Brother Song had said, this Du Haoran obviously had deep feelings for Cheng Beilin. Why else would he have willingly approached them, even taking a beating to protect her? Moreover, he had used his medical skills to look after her, preventing her from being tormented by these scumbags.
Su Qing narrowed her eyes and didn’t dwell on it further. She followed the group toward the seashore. When she saw the small speedboat waiting by the water, Su Qing frowned. What was on the other side of the sea? That was the mainland!
These people had actually set up their laboratory on the mainland!
This was simply...
Su Qing clenched her fists tightly. They really knew how to pick a spot.
Seeing Brother Qi and his men lead Cheng Beilin and Du Haoran onto the speedboat and head out to sea, Su Qing quickly and quietly slipped into the water. She fixed her eyes on the boat’s direction and gave chase. With the green mist protecting her, Su Qing had no need to surface for air, so Brother Qi’s group never discovered they were being followed.
Once they reached the opposite shore and she saw people there to meet them, Su Qing repeated her tactic, tailing Brother Qi’s group closely.
Soon, Brother Qi and the others arrived at the outskirts of a deep mountain range. Su Qing looked at the mountains and couldn’t help but frown. She wasn’t familiar with this place, but it was clearly a remote mountain. It seemed her opponents had built the laboratory right here, deep within these mountains.
The area was completely uninhabited, making it an excellent hiding place. Su Qing pursed her lips and continued to follow them. No one ever came to this remote mountain range. There were no roads; forget about driving a car in, even hiking into the mountains was strenuous.
The mountain path was difficult to travel. As the sky began to lighten at dawn, Brother Qi had everyone stop where they were to rest and eat something before setting off again.
Cheng Beilin and Du Haoran had been blindfolded ever since they came ashore. Now, because it was time to eat, their captors removed the cloths from their eyes and mouths.
"Why did you bring us here? Where is this place?" Cheng Beilin, seeing that she had been taken from Xiangcheng and was now clearly in the mountains, asked frantically, her heart filled with terror.
"Heh, you’ll find out when we get there," Brother Qi said to Cheng Beilin with a cold laugh.
"Who are you people? Who hired you to kidnap me?" Cheng Beilin grew even more frightened. Back in Xiangcheng, she had at least held onto the hope that her family could find her. But now, it was obvious she had been brought to the mainland. Did her parents, her second uncle, and her older brother even know she was on the mainland? Could they still find her? And who exactly had hired these kidnappers? Over the past few days, from their actions, Cheng Beilin had easily deduced that the person behind this wanted to get her hooked on drugs.
Who would want to harm her like this? Thinking of the changes in her body over the past few days and the possibility that she might never see her family again, Cheng Beilin couldn’t stop the tears from falling.
Seeing Cheng Beilin cry, Du Haoran’s heart ached terribly. "Beilin, don’t be afraid. I’m here."
"Haoran." Cheng Beilin looked at Du Haoran through her tear-blurred eyes. Originally, Du Haoran wouldn’t have had to suffer like this. He had seen her being kidnapped and had willingly come forward to be with her. All these days, it was Du Haoran who had been protecting her, even getting covered in injuries for her sake. If not for his protection, she feared she would have already been violated by those thugs.
If she had held some resentment toward Du Haoran before, blaming him for his cowardice and for leaving without a word, there wasn’t a trace of it left in her heart now. She understood that if Du Haoran was willing to go this far for her, he must still love her. Whatever his reasons were for leaving so abruptly in the past, she wouldn’t hold it against him anymore.
Cheng Beilin was overjoyed to know they loved each other, but her heart turned cold at their current predicament. Did they have any chance of escaping with their lives?
"Heh, no matter who sent us, Miss Cheng, don’t even think about leaving this place. If you don’t want to suffer, just behave yourself and spare yourself the physical pain," Brother Qi said with a cold snort.
After speaking, Brother Qi turned his cold gaze to Du Haoran. "And you, kid. Once we get to the lab, you’d better cooperate with the experiments. If you’re obedient, Miss Cheng might have an easier time. Otherwise... hmph."
Brother Qi didn’t finish his sentence, but both Cheng Beilin and Du Haoran understood his unspoken meaning. The color drained from their faces.
Seeing them so frightened, Brother Qi curled his lips in satisfaction. He glanced at the sky and said, "Alright, eat up. We still have a long way to go."
The road ahead was indeed long.
Su Qing followed the group for over four hours before they arrived at a location deep in the densely wooded mountains.
Su Qing didn’t get any closer for the time being. Using the perspective of the surrounding plants, she easily located numerous henchmen armed with weapons, warily standing guard over the area. The security was so tight that it would have been impossible for anyone else to sneak in without a sound.
But Su Qing was no ordinary person. To her, these common men weren’t even worth her attention.
Still, Su Qing didn’t make a move. Here, deep in the mountains and ancient forests, she was on her home turf. The entire mountain’s vegetation acted as her monitors. Thus, she easily saw which room Cheng Beilin and Du Haoran were taken to.
Cheng Beilin and Du Haoran were shoved into a room, and the door was locked tightly behind them.
Terrified, Cheng Beilin couldn’t help but burst into tears.
His heart ached watching her. "Beilin, don’t worry," he said quickly. "As long as I do what they want, you’ll be fine. I’ll find a way to get you out of here."
"Haoran, how could you be so foolish? This had nothing to do with you. Why did you just walk right into it?" Cheng Beilin was moved by his feelings for her, but she also felt he was an innocent victim. Du Haoran had been dragged into this through no fault of his own.
Du Haoran smiled. "I came to Xiangcheng to find you in the first place," he said. "Now that I’ve seen you, how could I possibly let go?"
"You!" Cheng Beilin’s tears flowed even faster. Crying, she threw herself into Du Haoran’s arms. She didn’t ask why he had suddenly come to Xiangcheng to find her. All she knew was that in her moment of greatest helplessness and fear, it was Du Haoran who was by her side, doing everything in his power to protect her.
In the small fishing village a few days ago, they had been locked in a basement while several henchmen watched them day and night. She and Du Haoran had no chance to talk. Now that they were locked in a room alone, they could finally speak freely.
Cheng Beilin couldn’t stop crying, and Du Haoran didn’t try to stop her. He knew she was overwrought with tension and needed to let it all out. So, he simply held her and let her release all her emotions.
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