Marshmallow

In autumn, it gets dark early; by five o'clock, the sky is already dark and the temperature drops accordingly.

Lu Min, who was fast asleep on the sofa, suddenly shivered and then woke up.

He slowly opened his eyes, his back a little sore. When he sat up straight, he found a blanket draped over him.

The blanket exuded a faint, woody rose scent, which was indescribably pleasant. He stared at the blanket, a slight smile involuntarily playing on his lips.

He stood up from the sofa and found the room empty; Sang Qi was not there. He left the room and went downstairs.

There were quite a few guests checking in at the inn's common area, and they were making a lot of noise. Lu Min walked through the common area to the inn's entrance.

Looking up at the sky, it was completely dark, and the moon was obscured by thick, dark clouds.

Lu Min lit a cigarette and stood at the door smoking.

Zaxi, who was passing by the front desk, saw Lu Min smoking alone by the door and asked in surprise, "Hey, when did you get back?"

When Lu Min returned, Zaxi wasn't there, so he went straight to Sang Qi and slept there until now.

Lu Min glanced back at Zaxi and said, "He just arrived this morning."

"What have you been doing these past few days? You said you'd be back in two days, but you've been gone for three or four days, and I can't get through to you on the phone..."

At this point, Zaxi stopped speaking, his gaze fixed on Lu Min's injuries, and he asked in a daze, "You're injured? Did something really happen?"

Lu Min exhaled a smoke ring and said helplessly, "Something did happen..."

He still remembers that day when he drove from the hotel to Xiangyunzhai to buy flower cakes, planning to return to Shangri-La after buying them.

Unexpectedly, just as he came out after buying the flower cakes, a black cloth bag was put over his head, and he was dragged to the depths of a dark and secluded old alley.

Before he could free himself from the sack, the men picked up sticks and began to beat it mercilessly.

Despite being punched, kicked, and beaten with sticks, Lu Min broke free of the sack, rushed forward, bent down, grabbed the waist of one of the thugs, and slammed him to the ground.

At this moment, the thugs swarmed forward. Lu Min had no intention of continuing the fight and only wanted to finish the battle quickly.

He picked up the fallen wooden stick and started hitting the thugs one by one, quickly dispatching them.

Just when Lu Min thought he could get away, one of the thugs who had fallen to the ground pulled out a gun.

Upon hearing the click of the trigger, Lu Min's expression changed drastically. He reacted quickly, turning around to dodge in an instant. A gunshot rang out, and the bullet grazed Lu Min's arm.

Lu Min winced in pain, clutching his bleeding, scraped arm. As he caught his breath, the thugs returned, grabbing their weapons and attacking him once more.

Lu Min was injured and could no longer strike as swiftly as before. He could only dodge, but he was outnumbered by the buyers and couldn't afford to be careless. He was hit on the head several times, and his forehead was smashed open and bleeding profusely. Blood flowed down and covered most of his face.

In the end, he single-handedly took down the thugs again and ran away when he had the chance.

He didn't know where he was taken, so he ran as soon as he saw a road, and it took him a long time to shake off the people chasing him.

He came to a bridge arch and stopped only when he was sure it was safe.

By then, the pain in my body had become numbing.

He sat down wearily on the ground, took out his cigarette case, and lit a cigarette.

The time it took to smoke a cigarette helped him recover considerably.

He knew that these people had been sent by Qian Kunpeng to target him.

I just didn't expect his people to make so many moves, and they knew I had come to Dali so quickly.

After resting under the bridge, he left alone and returned to Xiangyunzhai after dark.

The flower cakes he bought at the beginning had already been crushed to pieces during the fight, so he had to come back to buy more.

Upon entering the store, the staff exchanged bewildered glances upon seeing Lu Min covered in blood and injuries.

It wasn't until Lu Min reached the counter and said, "Give me a few boxes of our signature flower cakes," that things started to get interesting.

The shop assistant said cautiously, "Sir, you seem to be seriously injured. Do you need any help?"

Lu Min smiled and said, "No need, I just came to buy a few boxes of cakes."

After finishing his shopping, Lu Min returned to his car, intending to drive to a nearby hospital to treat his wound. Just as he started the car, he noticed someone was following him.

Lu Min sped up and drove out of the city, circling dozens of times on the mountain roads before daring to drive to a clinic in a nearby town to have his wounds bandaged and treated.

The doctor at the town clinic was an old man. When he saw someone come in, he thought it was just a cold or flu. But when he sat down and took a look, he found out it was a serious external injury.

The old doctor could tell from the wound that it had been delayed for a long time, so he said impatiently, "If you had come any later, your wound would have become infected and rotted."

Lu Min smiled, looking completely unconcerned.

"Sigh, young people these days really don't value their lives," the old doctor said as he disinfected Lu Min's wound with alcohol.

Despite the stinging pain, Lu Min smiled and said, "I take my life very seriously. That's why I came straight here after buying the flower cakes."

The old doctor scoffed: "Which is more important, the flower cake or the injury?"

Lu Min blurted out, "They're all important."

The old doctor understood and chuckled, "It was probably bought for his girlfriend."

Lu Min was momentarily speechless at this remark. He paused for a few seconds before raising the corners of his mouth and saying, "Yes, I bought it for my girlfriend."

"You're a decent guy, even though you're injured you still remember to buy things for your girlfriend."

Lu Min just smiled.

He simply remembered that Sang Qi liked to eat it and wanted to buy it for her again.

…………

By this point in my recollection, I had almost finished my cigarette.

Lu Min, now fully awake, got up and stretched his limbs.

Zaxi said, "Don't go anywhere these next few days. Just stay here and recover from your injury."

Lu Min smiled and patted Zaxi on the shoulder: "Got it."

"By the way," Lu Min turned and asked, "Where did Sang Qi go? I haven't seen her."

Zaxi nodded and said, "Let's go for a walk."

Lu Min understood, finished the last puff of black smoke, stubbed out the cigarette, and walked out.

"Hey, where are you going?" Zaxi asked his retreating figure.

"Looking for someone." Lu Min walked away without looking back.

…………

It's lunchtime now, and many people who have finished their day's journey have come to the ancient city to eat and stay, making the ancient city seem a bit crowded and cramped.

Lu Min chose a secluded alleyway in the ancient city, where there were fewer people and it was quieter. He walked smoothly from the alleyway to Moonlight Square.

At this time, the women who usually come out to dance in the square haven't come out yet; there are only a few scattered tourists in the square.

He glanced around but didn't see Sang Qi among the crowd.

Just then, the phone rang.

The caller ID showed Sang Qi.

He answered the phone and immediately asked, "Where are you?"

A low, slightly hurried voice came from the other end of the phone: "I think I'm being followed?"

"Hmm?" Lu Min's expression changed slightly. "Where are you?"

“I’m in the back alley of the Golden Coffee Shop,” Sang Qi whispered.

Sang Qi is currently hiding in the back alley, too afraid to run around.

She had just passed by when she noticed someone following her. She tried to shake them off, but couldn't, and finally managed to hide quickly when they weren't looking.

To be honest, this puzzled Sang Qi greatly. She hadn't offended anyone, so she was being relentlessly attacked for no reason, which she couldn't understand at all.

"Wait for me, don't wander off, I'm coming right away." After saying that, the phone was hung up before Sang Qi could respond.

The back alley of the café was dimly lit, almost devoid of light, and the surroundings were indistinct. Sang Qi cautiously peeked out and heard the footsteps of tourists outside, but she couldn't tell if they were still there.

Sang Qi sighed, withdrew his gaze, and suddenly everything went black.

Before she could struggle, a black cloth bag was put over her head, and then two tall men dragged her away.

Sang Qi's arm was held by the big man, and he could not move. He could only kick his legs wildly and make a lot of noise.

To avoid being discovered, the big man was about to knock Sang Qi unconscious.

Sang Qi freed himself from the cloth bag and looked up to see a burly man with a fierce face swinging a stick at his head.

Sang Qi instinctively covered her head with her hands, shrank back, and cried out in panic, "Lu Min!"

That "Lu Min" was an unconscious slip of the tongue from Sang Qi, and it was also shouted out with almost all her might.

Just then, the big man was hit from behind and fell to the ground.

Sang Qi saw that the stick had not fallen for a long time, as if everything around him had been frozen in time.

She slowly lowered her head, which was clasped in front of her, and looked up.

In the dark alley, only a single, cold-colored incandescent light illuminated the scene. The man, with his eyes lowered, stared at her, his body blocking the direct light from his back, making the light seem hazy and sacred.

"I promised you, I'll be there whenever you call."

The moment Sang Qi saw Lu Min, her eyes inexplicably turned red and moist.

Lu Min stood in front of her. Before she could speak, Lu Min pulled her behind him to protect her.

She was still in a daze.

But now, leaning against Lu Min's broad back and feeling his body temperature, the real touch made her know clearly that what had just happened was not a dream.

It was all true; Lu Min came to save her.

At that moment, the two burly men were furious when they saw Lu Min coming to snatch people. After exchanging a glance, they rushed at Lu Min at the same time.

"Hide yourself." Lu Min carefully pushed Sang Qi aside and focused on dealing with the two men.

Sang Qi dared not cause trouble, so he obediently hid to the side to watch the battle.

The two burly men's punches were fast and fierce, but Lu Min was able to dodge them every time, and then retaliate with a kick or a punch after dodging.

Seeing that Lu Min was not only agile but also nimble, with each move leaving no room for retreat, as if he had been trained, Sang Qi couldn't help but admire him.

Lu Min quickly dealt with the two men, and when he turned to look at Sang Qi, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

Before Sang Qi could react, a large man appeared behind him, grabbing her by the throat and covering her mouth and nose.

Lu Min suddenly lunged forward, and the man who had just been knocked to the ground suddenly got up, pulled a knife from his waist, and slashed straight at Lu Min's side.

Lu Min caught a glimpse of the man out of the corner of his eye, paused, and dodged the blade as it swung past. He then quickly stood up, grabbed the man's wrist, squeezed it hard, and then launched a long kick at his lower body. The man fell to the ground with a thud, and the knife in his hand slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.

After dealing with the people blocking his way, Sang Qi had already been dragged to the end of the alley. Lu Min chased after him, but suddenly five or six thugs in black surrounded him.

"Damn it." Lu Min gritted his teeth, spat out a mouthful of saliva, clenched his fist, tightened the muscles in his arms, and charged forward fearlessly, as if the person blocking his way was air.

As the thugs attacked, Lu Min simply raised his foot and threw a punch at them, as if it were effortless.

Meanwhile, Sang Qi, who had been dragged to the alley entrance, was desperately scratching at the large hand covering his mouth and nose in an attempt to break free.

The man winced in pain, loosening his grip on her wrist slightly, allowing Sang Qi to breathe a little easier. The force had been so strong that she had been struggling to breathe while covering her mouth and nose, her face turning red from holding it in.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Sang Qi stomped on the man's foot with all her might. The man screamed in pain, jumped up, and hugged his foot with both hands.

Freed from his restraints, Sang Qi turned around, rushed forward, leaped into the air using the high steps, and kicked the man in the face.

Sang Qi had been in the martial arts club in college, so he knew some basic attack moves. That kick just now was enough to knock that person to the ground.

Sure enough, with one kick, the man's face was twisted, and he staggered and fell to the ground.

Seeing the person fall, Sang Qi hurriedly ran towards the crowd. She ran as fast as she could, dashing like a wisp of smoke from the back alley onto the ancient city street.

The streets were crowded with people. Sang Qi carefully blended into the crowd and only felt relieved when he saw that there were no suspicious people around.

"This is bad." Sang Qi's heart skipped a beat, and she gritted her teeth, "Lu Min..."

She had no idea what Lu Min's situation was or whether he was out of danger. All she felt was anxiety and helplessness.

"Don't panic!" Sang Qi quickly patted his heaving chest to calm himself down.

Concern leads to confusion; only by calming down can one find a solution.

Call the police!

Sang Qi suddenly thought of the police and hurriedly took out his phone to dial 110 to report the incident.

After calling the police, Sang Qi thought the police would arrive soon, so he recklessly ran back to the place where Lu Min had been fighting with someone.

Sang Qi ran back to the alley and saw bloodstains on the ground, along with scattered knives and clubs. The scene before him made Sang Qi's heart seem to stop a second later.

She forced herself to calm down, telling herself over and over again that Lu Min was not hurt.

A series of hurried footsteps came from the end of the alley. Sang Qi thought the police had arrived, so he turned around and saw several fierce-looking thugs rushing towards him.

Sang Qi's heart sank. Without even thinking, he instinctively turned and ran.

The group of thugs swarmed up behind them, shouting, "Stop! Don't run!"

The footsteps behind her were close behind, forcing Sang Qi to run with all her might. She didn't bother to look where she was going, and ran into any road she saw.

The streets and alleys of Dukezong Ancient Town are not laid out in a regular pattern; they are scattered and chaotic, making you feel like you are in a maze.

Sang Qi, preoccupied with escaping for her life, had long lost her way and wandered aimlessly through the old streets and alleys of the city.

The clouds that had obscured the moonlight dispersed, and the moonlight, like water, spilled over the ancient city, casting a clear glow.

By the time Sang Qi reached the middle of the alley, she was panting heavily. Seeing that the footsteps that had been relentlessly pursuing her had stopped, she assumed they weren't catching up and relaxed.

She gasped for breath, raised her hand to wipe the thin layer of sweat from her forehead, and couldn't help but look up at the moonlight.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her smooth wrist from the shadows and abruptly pulled her into the darkness.

Sang Qi was dragged into the shadows and her mouth was immediately covered.

It was a narrow alley between two houses, blocked from the outside world by a large number of prayer flags, making it relatively secluded.

At first, she struggled frantically, but in the darkness, the other person's dark and bright eyes were very familiar to Sang Qi, and she stood there stunned.

Lu Min removed his hand from Sang Qi's mouth only after she calmed down. Sang Qi's mouth was slightly open as she stared intently at the man in front of her.

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside, one after another, in a chaotic manner.

Where are they?

"have no idea"

"waste!"

"Chase them that way."

"yes."

"Walk."

As the words fell, footsteps followed, but they gradually faded away into the distance.

Once everyone had left and there was no more noise outside, Sang Qi finally dared to breathe deeply.

Lu Min also breathed a sigh of relief.

The narrow alley was not very large. Lu Min and Sang Qi squeezed in sideways, face to face. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, so close that they could feel each other's body temperature and breath.

As Sang Qi took deep breaths, her chest rose and fell, brushing against Lu Min's firm chest.

Lu Min's heavy, humid breath hit Sang Qi's face, causing the strands of hair around her ears to flutter, making her earlobes feel hot and itchy.

Lu Min exhaled, accompanied by a soft, masculine panting sound, alluringly sexy. For a moment, the atmosphere became subtly ambiguous and erotic.

"Don't move!" Lu Min said, his voice low and hoarse, trying to suppress his emotions.

Every time he brushed against Lu Min, Lu Min's heart would flutter; how could the hot-blooded young man resist?

Soon, Sang Qi sensed the other party's reaction.

At that moment, she blushed and quickly moved away.