Chapter 49: Falling into a Trap

The bottom of the trap was covered with a thick layer of dry grass, which cushioned the force of the fall.

"Comrade Shen, are you alright?" Liu Zhixia, having recovered her senses, immediately checked on Shen Yi, only to find that Zhao Dongmei, who had been on his back, was gone.

Where is Zhao Zhiqing?

"I threw her out before she fell." Shen Yi rubbed his dislocated arm, his voice calm and steady, as if the injury was nothing. "Lu Kai and the others should find her first, and then they'll find us."

Looking at the bottomless pit, Liu Zhixia still felt a little uneasy: "There shouldn't be any wild animals in these mountains, right?"

"It's alright, don't be afraid." Shen Yi's tone was calm and unwavering. "Once you regain your strength, even if they don't come, I can still help you climb up."

His confidence instantly put Liu Zhixia at ease.

She was just about to find a place to sit down when her foot slipped, and she uncontrollably fell into Chen Yi's arms.

"I...I didn't mean to..." She leaned against his firm chest, her voice trembling with nervousness, her cheeks burning instantly.

"Hmm." Shen Yi responded softly, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

He took off his coat and gently draped it over her shoulders, his voice softer than the night: "Sit down for a while. How did you end up in a place like this with Zhao Zhiqing?"

Just as Liu Zhixia was about to speak, her keen hearing caught the sound of footsteps in the distance.

She paused, and Shen Yi immediately noticed: "What's wrong?"

"It seems someone is coming."

"No, I don't think so..." Shen Yi listened intently and then caught the faint sound.

"I wonder who it is..." Liu Zhixia subconsciously grabbed Shen Yi's sleeve, "Will Zhao Zhiqing be alright?"

The footsteps grew closer, and soon, a figure peered into the trap.

The face was obscured by the light.

Liu Zhixia was overjoyed: "Comrade, come quickly and save us!"

"Liu Zhixia? What are you and this man doing in here?"

That voice... it's Lu Huaiyuan!

Liu Zhixia's heart sank instantly, and her tone turned icy: "Are you blind? Didn't you see we've fallen into a trap?"

"Fell into a trap?" Lu Huaiyuan scoffed, his tone full of contempt, as if he'd caught them in the act. "Fell into a trap and still hugging and cuddling? Liu Zhixia, I never thought you were so shameless! And you too!" He pointed at Shen Yi, "Didn't you leave before? You've come back to seduce the girls in our brigade? Believe me or not, I'll report you to the military!"

Liu Zhixia was too lazy to waste words with him: "Say whatever you want. Hurry up and get Zhao Zhiqing down the mountain. She has a high fever and her condition is very dangerous!"

She paused, then added with concern, "Also, don't hand her over to Gu Mansheng!"

"Gu Zhiqing?" Lu Huaiyuan seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. "She's much kinder than you! It was she who discovered you were missing and ran down the mountain to call for help! Liu Zhixia, I know you're jealous of me and her, but you can't slander her character like this!"

Liu Zhixia was so disgusted by him that she almost threw up.

How can there be such a narcissistic and foolish person in this world?

If she weren't limited by her abilities, she would have climbed up right now and slapped him twice to wake him up.

Lu Huaiyuan stood atop the trap, hands in his pockets, looking down at them with a tone full of judgment: "Liu Zhixia, what makes you think that after you betrayed me like this, I should still help you?"

"Did I ask you for help?" Liu Zhixia raised an eyebrow. "I only asked you to send Zhao Zhiqing down. Saving a life is not helping me."

Lu Huaiyuan snorted coldly, glanced at the unconscious Zhao Dongmei, and saw that her face was flushed, indicating that her condition was indeed not good.

A smug smile played on his lips: "How about this, you beg me to marry you, and I'll send her down the mountain. What do you say?"

Liu Zhixia rolled her eyes at him: "I remember you're about to become an accountant, right? If you stand by and watch a educated youth die, and this gets out, even if your dad wears down the threshold of the leaders' houses, you still won't be able to become an accountant!"

Lu Huaiyuan's expression changed. After weighing the pros and cons, he snorted coldly, "Fine, I'll take that as you giving in to me."

He bent down and carried Zhao Dongmei on his back. Looking at the two people in the trap, he said viciously, "But you two adulterers, you can stay here!"

After saying that, he walked away without looking back.

Once the footsteps had completely disappeared, Liu Zhixia looked at Shen Yi with concern: "Lu Huaiyuan... he shouldn't do anything to Zhao Zhiqing, right?"

Shen Yi nodded slightly: "Leaving Zhao Zhiqing here is a dead end, so we can only gamble on his humanity."

"No!" Liu Zhixia clenched her fists. "We have to get up there quickly! Comrade Shen, aren't you a great climber? Give it a try!"

“Okay!” Shen Yi nodded immediately.

"etc!"

Liu Zhixia took out two still-warm boiled eggs from her bosom and handed them to him, saying, "Replenish your strength first."

Shen Yi looked at her in surprise, then handed her another one: "You have one."

Liu Zhixia shook her head: "I already ate in the wooden house. This was originally meant for Zhao Zhiqing."

"OK."

Shen Yi didn't stand on ceremony and finished the egg in a few bites. He felt a warm current flow through his body and his strength was quickly restored.

He stretched his arms and legs, and with just a few simple pushes, he moved as nimbly as a cheetah and in the blink of an eye, he flipped out of the trap!

On the other side, Lu Huaiyuan, carrying Zhao Dongmei, had just reached the halfway point of the mountain when Lu Kai and Xu Zhigang blocked their way.

"Isn't this Zhao Zhiqing?!" Lu Kai grabbed him by the collar and demanded sharply, "What happened? Where's Xia Xia?!"

Lu Huaiyuan's eyes flickered, and he stammered, "I...I only saw her alone."

"What?!" Lu Kai's heart sank. "Where did Xia go?"

"Oh, right!" Lu Huaiyuan, quick-witted, started making things up. "Zhao Zhiqing woke up briefly and said that Liu Zhixia went to the west to find a way, leaving her alone."

Xu Zhigang looked in the direction he came from: "Didn't you come from the east?"

"Yes! So hurry up and go look in the west!" Lu Huaiyuan lowered his head guiltily. "I have to take Zhao Zhiqing to see a doctor right away, don't stop me!"

After saying that, he bypassed the two men and continued running down the mountain.

Lu Kai didn't dare to delay and said to Xu Zhigang, "Let's go, let's go to the west!"

"etc!"

Xu Zhigang grabbed him, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Don't you know what kind of person Lu Huaiyuan is? Can you trust his words? Would Comrade Liu abandon the wounded and run away? I remember Old Shen also went to search the east side. Could this kid have tricked them both? Come on, let's go check the east side!"

Thinking of Zhao Dongmei's state just now, the two of them felt a sudden jolt of fear; Liu Zhixia must be in trouble!

Xu Zhigang and Lu Kai exchanged a glance and sped off in the direction Lu Huaiyuan had come from without hesitation!