48: Chapter 48 Escape from Death

"Thank you."

Xiao Bei whispered his thanks, their gazes meeting briefly in the firelight before quickly pulling away.

Qin Ruoxi's clothes were steaming by the fire, and Xiao Bei hung his own jacket nearby to dry.

The rain outside had eased slightly, but the wind had grown stronger, slipping through the gaps in the dilapidated window frame and causing the flames to flicker unsteadily.

"We need to make a plan."

Qin Ruoxi had regained her usual composure. "Deputy Party Secretary Tang Jianhui must have sent people to search the car accident scene."

Xiao Bei nodded: "After daybreak, I will head down the mountain to scout the path and find a place with signal to contact the rescue team."

"That's too dangerous."

Qin Ruoxi frowned. "They must have set up checkpoints at every intersection."

"We still have to try."

Xiao Bei insisted. "Your foot injury means you can't walk long distances, and as a single person, I have a smaller profile and can more easily evade their search."

Qin Ruoxi was about to say something else when she suddenly heard the sound of a car engine outside.

Both held their breath simultaneously. Xiao Bei rose quickly and moved silently to the window, peering through a gap in the curtains.

"Two off-road vehicles stopped at the intersection."

He lowered his voice. "Four people got out, carrying flashlights, and they are heading this way."

Qin Ruoxi's face turned deathly pale instantly:

"Are they Deputy Party Secretary Tang Jianhui's men?"

"Most likely."

Xiao Bei thought quickly. "You hide upstairs; I'll go draw them away."

"No!"

Qin Ruoxi grabbed his arm. "We go together."

Xiao Bei shook his head:

"Your foot won't let you move fast; we'll be discovered."

He grabbed a burning piece of wood from beside the fire. "I'll go out back and start a fire to create a distraction; you take the opportunity to climb out the second-floor window into the woods behind the house."

"That's too dangerous!"

Qin Ruoxi refused to let go.

"Sister," Xiao Bei suddenly grasped her hand, his voice firm. "Trust me."

The sound of footsteps drew closer, and the beams of flashlights were already illuminating the front yard.

Qin Ruoxi bit her lip and finally nodded:

"Be careful."

Xiao Bei helped her quickly gather her semi-dry clothes and assisted her upstairs.

The window in the second-floor bedroom faced the woods behind the house and was about three meters above the ground.

"Use the bedsheet as a rope."

Xiao Bei pulled down the bedsheet and quickly tied knots in it. "Once you're down, head northeast; I'll come find you to regroup in a while."

Qin Ruoxi nodded, then suddenly grabbed Xiao Bei's collar:

"You must come back to see me alive; that is an order."

Xiao Bei was taken aback, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his mouth:

"As you command, Sister."

The sound of kicking against the door came from downstairs. Xiao Bei took one last look at Qin Ruoxi, then turned and rushed downstairs.

Qin Ruoxi heard the noises he was intentionally making, followed by the sound of the back door being kicked open.

"Over there!"

a rough male voice shouted.

Several flashlight beams moved toward the backyard. Qin Ruoxi seized the time to tie the bedsheet to the window frame. Just as she was preparing to climb out, she suddenly heard a loud boom—the woodshed in the backyard had caught fire, and the flames were spreading rapidly.

Qin Ruoxi gritted her teeth, enduring the excruciating pain in her ankle, and slowly slid down the bedsheet.

The rough fabric chafed her palms until they burned, and the rain-soaked bedsheet had become slippery, making it nearly impossible to hold on.

"Bang!"

A loud explosion came from the backyard, and flames shot up into the sky, painting half the night sky red.

Qin Ruoxi's heart trembled, her hand slipped, and she fell heavily onto the muddy ground.

A piercing pain shot from her injured right foot, and she bit her lip so hard she didn't cry out.

Confused footsteps and cursing could be heard in the distance:

"Damn it, where did they go?"

"Split up and search!"

Qin Ruoxi disregarded the pain and dragged her injured leg as she crawled deeper into the woods. The rain washed over her face, making it impossible to distinguish between tears and rainwater.

The fire at the farmhouse behind her grew larger, billowing thick smoke. She dared not look back, terrified of seeing that familiar figure collapsing in the flames.

"Xiao Bei... you must stay alive..."

she muttered to herself, her fingernails digging deep into the mud.

After crawling for about ten minutes, Qin Ruoxi could no longer hold on and leaned against a large tree, gasping for breath.

"Damn it!"

She pounded the ground fiercely, mud splashing onto her face.

Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps came from the distance.

Qin Ruoxi held her breath and curled up behind the tree. The footsteps grew closer and closer, and her heart felt as if it were about to burst through her chest.

"Sister?"

The familiar voice made Qin Ruoxi look up abruptly.

In the darkness, Xiao Bei's figure appeared before her like a ghost. A large portion of his shirt was scorched, and his face was covered in soot, but his eyes remained as bright as stars.

"Xiao Bei, you... you didn't die..."

Qin Ruoxi's voice choked up.

Xiao Bei crouched down. By the light of the distant fire, he saw her deathly pale face and swollen ankle, his brow furrowing tightly:

"I drew them away."

He reached out to wipe the mud from her face. "Can you still walk?"

Qin Ruoxi shook her head, but then stubbornly braced herself against the tree trunk to try and stand up:

"I can..."

Xiao Bei didn't wait for an answer; he swept her up into his arms:

"Stop trying to be tough."

"Put me down! Your injuries..."

"Sister, escaping is what matters now."

Xiao Bei interrupted her with rare firmness, carrying her as he walked quickly into the depths of the forest.

Qin Ruoxi was stunned by his sudden assertiveness and forgot to argue for a moment.

She could feel Xiao Bei's chest heaving violently, his breathing heavy, but the arms holding her were as steady as a rock.

"You started the fire?"

she asked softly.

"Yes, there was gasoline in the woodshed,"

Xiao Bei replied briefly. "It should hold them off for at least half an hour."

The two traversed the rainforest in silence.

Xiao Bei's stamina had clearly reached its limit; every step was a struggle, but he never showed any intention of putting Qin Ruoxi down.

"There seems to be a small path ahead,"

Xiao Bei said suddenly. "If we're lucky, there might be a car."

As if heaven had heard his prayer, the sound of a tractor chugging in the distance could actually be heard.

Xiao Bei's eyes lit up. He ran out of the forest, still carrying Qin Ruoxi, and blocked the path of an old, dilapidated tractor.

"What are you doing! Are you trying to get yourselves killed!"

The old man driving slammed on the brakes, cursing in a thick accent.

Xiao Bei put Qin Ruoxi down and stepped forward:

"Sorry, sir, my sister sprained her ankle. Could you give us a ride? We'll pay!"

The old man squinted, sizing up their disheveled appearances:

"What happened to you two..."

"We encountered a landslide, and our car flipped over."

Xiao Bei quickly concocted an excuse. "My sister is injured, and we need to get to the hospital immediately."

The old man hesitated for a moment, but seeing Qin Ruoxi's deathly pale face, he finally nodded:

"Get on. I happen to be heading into the city to deliver vegetables."

Xiao Bei felt a wave of relief and quickly thanked him, carefully helping Qin Ruoxi onto the back of the tractor.

The trailer was piled high with crates of vegetables, and the two barely found a gap to sit down.

The tractor started up again, bumping along as it moved forward.

The jolting caused pain in Qin Ruoxi's injury, and she unconsciously leaned against Xiao Bei.

Xiao Bei hesitated for a moment, then reached out to wrap his arm around her shoulders, letting her lean more comfortably.

The rain gradually eased, and the horizon began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Qin Ruoxi looked up at Xiao Bei's profile, noticing that he was vigilantly observing their surroundings, his jawline tight.

"Get some rest,"

she said softly. "I'll keep watch."