Chapter 90 Hold on tighter, it's cold

Su Ruan stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the several pale-faced locals in the courtyard.

Who knows the road to Mopanling best?

Her words instantly quelled the chaos in the room.

A dark-skinned, muscular middle-aged man subconsciously looked up.

"I know it well! But that road is now..."

Su Ruan didn't even listen to the second half of his sentence and interrupted him directly.

"Show me the QR code for payment."

"ah?"

The man froze, looking completely bewildered.

The monk beside him said urgently, "Benefactor Su, now is not the time..."

"Take it out!"

Su Ruan's eyes were like knives, piercing the man.

The man was stunned by that gaze, and subconsciously took out his phone, awkwardly opening the payment QR code.

Scan with your phone using Suzhou Soft.

"drop--!"

A crisp notification sound indicating that the payment has been received.

The man looked down at the screen, and his pupils suddenly contracted!

"One, ten, hundred, thousand, tens of thousands... two, two hundred thousand?!"

His voice trembled as he abruptly looked up at Su Ruan.

Su Ruan put her phone away.

"Lead the way, and this money is yours."

The man gripped his phone, his expression shifting.

Two hundred thousand! That's enough for his whole family to make a down payment on an apartment in the county town!

Fortune favors the bold!

He gritted his teeth and his fierce determination surged forth!

"Walk!"

“I recognize an old hunting trail that avoids the massive landslide, but it’s even more dangerous!”

"Now, immediately, let's go!"

"OK!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Ruan grabbed the car keys on the table, turned around, and rushed out!

"Get in the car!"

She opened the car door and yelled at the man who was still staring blankly at his phone.

"Let's do it!"

He roared, like an enraged leopard, and charged into the rain, pulling open the passenger door and jumping in!

"No! It's too dangerous!"

The foundation staff chased after the car, their clothes instantly soaked by the rain.

"Miss Su, the rain is too heavy, and the roads are full of landslides and falling rocks. It's too dangerous."

"Rescue efforts are underway..."

Su Ruan lowered the car window, and rainwater immediately rushed in.

"The rain won't stop, and another landslide could happen at any time."

"By the time the rescue arrives, it will be too late!"

"Tell the rescue team to locate Mopanling Pass!"

"I will get them out safely!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the car window rolled up.

The tires rolled over the puddles, splashing up murky water half a person's height, before plunging headfirst into the gray, murky rain curtain.

Heading against the current towards Mopanling, where landslides have blocked the road and mountain torrents are roaring.

The mountain road has been completely altered.

Rainwater formed muddy streams, carrying broken branches and pebbles, flowing wantonly across the road.

Traces of landslides are visible everywhere, with jagged piles of earth and rocks blocking half of the road.

The G-Class's powerful chassis and four-wheel drive system demonstrated their strength at this moment, roaring as it crushed the obstacles.

The wheels rolled over muddy puddles, splashing mud onto the windows, which were then wiped away by the windshield wipers.

Su Ruan gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes focused and calm, but her palms were covered in cold sweat.

The mountain road was muddy and slippery, and the car kept skidding and spinning.

The guide gripped the handrail tightly, his face pale.

"Girl! Slow down! This road..."

"Give me directions!"

Su Ruan's voice was tense as she stared intently at the distorted and blurry road ahead.

"Turn left at the fork ahead!"

"Avoid that bend! That side must have collapsed!"

The guide, his voice hoarse, clung to the car window and pointed ahead to a bend in the road that had been completely buried by a mudslide.

Rumble—!

A dull, loud bang came from overhead!

"Watch out for falling rocks!"

The guide screamed in terror!

Several large rocks covered in mud rolled down the steep hillside from the side!

It was about to smash straight into the car!

"Hold on tight."

Su Ruan only uttered two words before slamming the steering wheel around!

They narrowly escaped by skimming the edge of the boulder!

The car body scraped against the exposed rock wall, making a harsh metallic scraping sound!

The guide slumped in the passenger seat, pale-faced and panting heavily.

Still shaken, he muttered, "Thank God, this girl is too fierce..."

After turning the steep slope, the view suddenly opened up.

Ahead lay a chaotic mountain valley, where a familiar black SUV was half-sunken in the mud.

It was the same car that Yan Tingnan rode in this morning!

The front of the car was severely deformed, the windows were shattered, and the body was mostly buried in mud and fallen tree trunks.

Two figures stood beside the car in the rain.

Driver Lao Chen was futilely cleaning the mudguards, trying to reduce the burden on the chassis, and was covered in mud and water, looking utterly disheveled.

Yan Tingnan was using a satellite phone to contact the outside world; his voice was deep, calm, and composed, demonstrating his decisive command.

"The coordinates have been sent to the east side of the pass, below the ridge of Mopanling."

"The roadbed is completely destroyed, heavy machinery cannot enter for the time being, personnel are temporarily safe, awaiting air support..."

Rainwater washed over his stern profile, and his raincoat was soaked with mud.

The gold-rimmed glasses were nowhere to be seen, revealing deep, sharp eyes and brows.

The driver, panting heavily, wiped the rain off his face.

"Mr. Yan, this piece of wood is stuck too tightly..."

Yan Tingnan didn't turn around; his voice was deep and hoarse, overwhelming the wind and rain.

"Abandon the vehicle and go to higher ground."

At that moment, the roar of a car engine grew louder as it approached, piercing the rain.

The two of them stopped moving at the same time and suddenly looked up!

"Rescue has arrived! We're saved!"

The driver waved his arms and shouted in a hoarse voice.

A Mercedes-Benz G-Class covered in mud drifted and came to a steady stop on the hillside.

The driver's side door popped open, and a blinding white figure crashed into Yan Tingnan's field of vision without warning!

The cold mud instantly submerged her slender ankles, splashing onto her snow-white skirt and spreading out in large patches of filth.

The wind and torrential rain lashed at her thin frame, her long hair soaked and plastered to her face, leaving her looking utterly disheveled.

But she stood ramrod straight.

Like a wild lily that has been broken by wind and rain but refuses to fall.

"Yan Tingnan!"

"finally found you!"

Su Ruan?!

What is she doing here?!

That madman!

His mind went completely blank!

All the composure, planning, and strong mental defenses were shattered at this moment by this white figure going against the current!

"Su Ruan! You..."

He shouted sharply, his voice shattered by the wind and rain.

But he hadn't finished speaking.

That figure in pure white, disregarding everything, rushed towards him, trudging through the mud.

Yan Tingnan felt as if her heart was being squeezed by a hand, both sore and swollen, making it hard to breathe.

Like a stubborn little animal, she broke through all obstacles and crashed straight into his arms!

The force was both fierce and rapid, causing him to stagger half a step, with mud flying everywhere.

Her slender arms, like vines, tightened around his waist.

The satellite phone slipped from Yan Tingnan's hand and fell into the muddy water with a dull thud.

She suddenly grabbed the person who was lunging at her, the rough fabric of the windbreaker rubbing against her soaked thin shirt.

He pulled his arms close, his palms touching something icy and chilling.

She was so thin and small, her skirt soaked and clinging to her body as she walked through the mud, shivering slightly from the cold.

Su Ruan buried her face in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled by the soaked fabric, carrying the faint gasps of someone who had just escaped death.

"Yan Tingnan, I've come to pick you up."

"Who gave you permission to come?"

He roared, grinding his teeth together, his voice filled with suppressed rage and lingering fear.

"Do you know how dangerous this is?!"

He would rather die trapped here than see her in danger.

He couldn't imagine what it would be more painful than death if she were to get hurt while trying to save him.

Su Ruan ignored his words and made a satisfied yet stubborn murmur.

"Don't speak."

"Hold me tighter, it's cold."

This slightly coquettish remark gently touched Yan Tingnan's heartstrings, which were already stretched to the limit.

The arms around her waist tightened even more, pulling her completely into his embrace.

The mountain wind whipped up pebbles and lashed at them; Yan Tingnan turned to the side and used his back to shield himself.

The gravel made a dull thud as it hit the windbreaker.

What about spiritual cultivation, what about self-restraint, what about an abyss?

It's all bullshit.

His journey home was already tightly entangled by the thorn in his arms.

I can't break free, and I don't want to anymore.

He just wanted to hold her tightly, with all the strength he had.

They didn't care about this bottomless abyss or this man-eating quagmire.

If we're destined to fall, let's fall together.

He admitted it.