Little Ayan raised his head and shared it with Su Mianmian excitedly.
"It's meat. Brother Yuan and his friends took me out to play, and we met Grandma Wang. She gave me some of their meatballs."
His voice was full of the innocence that only a child can have.
Little Ayan stood obediently while speaking, letting Su Mianmian gently wipe the oil stains from the corners of his mouth with a wet towel. He looked so adorable.
Su Mianmian listened to his narration, and the corners of her mouth rose unconsciously. She teased:
"So, are the meatballs from Grandma Wang's house better or are the ones made by my sister?"
The little guy blurted out without thinking, "Sister's cooking is delicious, of course it's sister's cooking!"
Su Mianmian couldn't help laughing after hearing this. She gently pinched Xiao Ayan's nose and said, "Really? You little flatterer!"
After hearing this, Xiao Ayan shook his head and said confidently, "Of course, everything my sister cooks tastes good."
Su Mianmian looked around and found that except Xiao Ayan, everyone else was gone.
She asked curiously, "Then why did you come back alone? Where are the others?"
Little Ayan stretched out his hands, and Su Mianmian gently picked him up.
Little Ayan found the most comfortable position in Su Mianmian's arms, and then slowly said:
"The soldier who came to my house yesterday wanted to go to the mountains, so Brother Yuan and the others sent me home."
Su Mianmian understood, nodded, and carried the little guy into the house.
As soon as he entered the house, little Ayan couldn't wait to shout, "Sister Qingqing, Ayan is back!"
Su Qingqing smiled and picked up the person who came in. "Little Yan, come and read the picture book with your sister."
Little Ayan glanced at the picture books in Su Qingqing's hand, frowned and said, "But I've read all of these."
"Sister hasn't seen it yet. Can you accompany me to watch it?" Su coaxed him gently.
Little Ayan thought about it, and finally nodded obediently, nestled in Su Qingqing's arms, and read picture books with her.
Su Qingqing sat aside and looked at the two of them with a smile.
…
The other side
Three people on the mountain caught a pheasant and were happily heading home.
However, in this joyful atmosphere, a sudden noise broke the silence.
The three of them slowed down their pace involuntarily, their ears perked up, trying to identify what the sound was.
Before they could react, Qin Huaichuan at the back suddenly felt a cold breath against his neck.
His heart suddenly skipped a beat and his body stiffened like a sculpture.
He realized that he was being held hostage.
The man's movements were as fast as lightning and silent. It was obvious that he was a man with great martial arts skills.
Qin Huaichuan's throat tightened. He didn't dare to look back. He could only catch a glimpse of the other person's strong and powerful arms, tightly controlling his movements.
Shen Yuandao and Yan Zhi in front also noticed something unusual. They turned around quickly, and the smiles on their faces froze instantly, replaced by tension and worry.
Their eyes swept back and forth between Qin Huaichuan and the man, thinking about how to rescue Qin Huaichuan.
"Don't move!" The man's voice was low and threatening. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, vigilantly observing all movements around him.
The dagger in his hand was flashing with cold light and was pressed against Qin Huaichuan's skin. Any slight movement could cause fatal damage.
The three of them fell into silence, and the air around them seemed to freeze.
Shen Yuandao's eyes were fixed on the dagger in the man's hand. The sharp blade was close to Qin Huaichuan's carotid artery, as if it could take a life at any time.
Shen Yuandao took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound steady and firm: "Who... are you? Why are you here?"
The man did not answer directly. His expression was indifferent, as if everything was under his control.
"That's not your place to ask. Back off! Otherwise... I can't guarantee this man's life."
His voice was flat, as if he was talking about something insignificant.
As he finished speaking, the dagger in his hand moved closer. A shallow blood mark appeared on Qin Huaichuan's skin, and bright red blood slowly slid down the blade.
Qin Huaichuan felt a sharp pain in his neck, his face turned pale and his body trembled slightly.
His heart was filled with anxiety and fear, but he didn't dare to move at all, for fear that he would anger this man and be killed.
When Shen Yuandao saw this scene, the anger and worry in his heart almost swallowed him up.
He tried hard to suppress the impulse in his heart and tried to make his voice sound calm: "We won't move. What do you want us to do to let him go?"
There was a hint of compromise in his words, but also a hint of determination.
He thought that the most important thing now was to ensure Qin Huaichuan's safety.
The man smiled when he heard that, but there was a coldness in his eyes.
"Take me to a place where I can deliver the message, and then I will release this man."
Yan Zhi's face changed. He keenly realized that this person's intentions were not as simple as they seemed.
As a soldier, he was still vigilant. He was secretly thinking about how to ensure that he could both protect Qin Huaichuan and prevent this man from succeeding.
Shen Yuandao was obviously aware of this problem, and he opened his mouth to test it.
"Do you have any important information? We'll just pass it on for you. Your leg is injured. We're all villagers in this brigade and have no ill intentions."
The man didn't fall for it. The corner of his mouth twitched, revealing a cold smile: "Stop talking nonsense and do as I say, otherwise this man will die."
Yan Zhi's face became more and more ugly, and suddenly he thought of something and smiled.
Then he took a deep breath and spoke in a flat tone.
"You have to think carefully. After you kill him, think about whether my companions and I will let you go. Even if our martial arts skills are not as strong as yours, we often go hunting in the mountains and have some martial arts skills. Plus, you have a leg injury, so we still have a chance of catching you."
When the man heard this, a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, obviously he was guessed by Yan Zhi, but he quickly calmed down and continued.
He responded coldly: "Do you think I'm afraid of you? Since I dared to come here, I must have my confidence."
Yan Zhi did not miss the panic in his eyes. Now he understood what was going on and looked at Shen Yuandao.
Shen Yuandao nodded, “Okay, we’ll take you there, but you can’t hurt my friend.”
When the man heard Shen Yuandao’s words, a smug smile appeared on his lips, as if everything was going according to his plan.
"Okay, as long as you listen, I'll keep my word."
After seeing the two of them finish talking, the man stood still.
He raised the dagger in his hand again and said, "Lead the way."
Shen Yuandao didn't hesitate. He nodded, turned around and started walking down the mountain, with Yan Zhi following closely behind.
Seeing this, the man's tension eased a little. He followed the two of them, keeping a certain distance just in case.
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