Chapter 136 Unexpected Rescue: A Twist of Fate, the Fourth Young Master's Official Pairing
The moon hangs in the western sky, and the night deepens.
The live stream ended at midnight.
After a long day of travel, everyone finally had a chance to catch their breath.
After a quick wash, Wen Nian and Luo Luo shared a tent, Ji Zhiheng and Jiang Xiuyuan shared a tent, the Shu Ying couple shared a tent because they were married, and Zachary lived alone.
The outermost ring consists of tents for the staff.
After packing up the filming equipment, the crowd gradually quieted down, and the tents stood silently under the dim yellow lights.
The night wind in the mountains rustled the yellowing leaves, adding a touch of solemnity to the wilderness.
Shen Yuning arrived at Lanxiang Mountain after 1 a.m.
The cable car to the mountain is only open during the day, and with the film crew shooting the show, the only way to get up the mountain now is by taking the stone steps that the guests walked on during the day.
After parking the car, he put on a headlamp, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and began his nighttime hike up the mountain.
The mountain path was difficult to walk at night, and it was pitch black all around, with the chirping of insects incessant.
The city's dazzling lights don't reach here; only the moonlight and stars overhead cast a soft glow.
Hiking at night is far more dangerous than during the day; one must be extremely careful, otherwise, if one slips and falls, even crying out to heaven and earth will be of no use.
Shen Yuning did not back down at all, and pressed on towards the top of the mountain.
The deeper the night, the clearer even the slightest movement around becomes.
Faintly, Shen Yuning seemed to hear rustling footsteps. He suddenly stopped, but when he listened carefully, he could not hear anything.
With suspicion in their hearts, they continued onward, and soon heard the sound again.
But when he stopped, he could hear nothing but the chirping of insects and the wind.
After repeating this process several times, Shen Yuning had reached the halfway point of the mountain.
He leaned against a nearby rock, his mind on guard.
Then he took out a spare trekking pole from his bag, held it in his hand, and waved it around.
"Who goes there! Show yourself!"
The mountains and fields answered with an echo, but no one responded.
"Don't play tricks!"
There was still no reply.
Shen Yuning was still worried and called out several more times, but all she got in response was silence.
Late at night, walking alone in the middle of nowhere, if something really happens, nine times out of ten you'll be left with no one to turn to.
A truly wise person would do the following at this moment: retreat from the challenge, rest at the foot of the mountain for the night, and then climb up the mountain again early the next morning.
But Shen Yuning didn't want to be a smart person.
After a moment's hesitation, he turned on his phone to live stream, then fixed the phone to the side of his backpack and continued climbing.
Normally, Shen Yuning rarely goes live, but this time he suddenly went online at around 2 or 3 a.m. and turned on his live stream camera, which immediately woke up those netizens who were staying up late playing on their phones.
The fans were stunned.
[What happened? Why is Da Ning suddenly broadcasting?!]
[Wait, what's that thing in this shot? It's so dark and creepy.]
Where is Da Ning? Why can't I see him when he starts streaming?
[I think I heard panting! Could it be that Da Ning accidentally clicked on a live stream while doing something inappropriate with someone?!]
[Holy crap! Don't talk nonsense, he's still a child!]
So what exactly is this blush-inducing, heart-pounding panting?
[I think I saw light? There are trees, and the footsteps are quite clear... Wait, could Da Ning be climbing a mountain?!]
【What the heck?! Are you kidding me...?】
[This would be highly unlikely for anyone else, but it's not surprising for Da Ning...]
The viewers in the live stream fell silent.
As a unique figure in the entertainment industry, Shen Yuning is quite different from other artists.
In order to maintain their public image or retain their fans, other people will always post frequently, and their Weibo posts are always heavily edited.
Only Shen Yuning, even when posting selfies, mostly uses unedited original photos.
Some say he abuses his good looks and does whatever he wants because of his good looks, while others say he doesn't treat netizens as outsiders.
Compared to this, it doesn't seem so unusual for others to dress up and do live streams while their idols do live streams of mountain climbing.
But why climb a mountain at this hour when it's pitch black?
What mountain were you climbing?
It seems they knew that viewers who clicked in would be curious and confused.
Although Shen Yuning didn't look at her phone, she still tried her best to explain.
"Hello everyone, this is Shen Yuning. I'm currently hiking in the mountains. It's quiet at night, so I'm doing a live stream in case anything happens. This will provide video evidence. If there's nothing else, everyone should get some rest."
After saying this, Shen Yuning huffed and continued up the mountain.
It's unclear whether the live stream had an effect, or whether it was because he had lingered for a long time earlier, thus distancing himself from the other people walking the mountain path.
In short, no more footsteps were heard on the rest of the journey.
The night gradually faded from a deep black to a dark blue, and large clumps of clouds could still be vaguely seen.
As the morning star grew brighter, a sliver of light finally appeared in the sky.
Shen Yuning let out a breath, gazing at the mountaintop so close at hand, and finally relaxed.
This is his second break.
Sweat had soaked his clothes. The mountain breeze in the early morning brought a cool breeze, but Shen Yuning felt mostly hot at this moment.
He took out his water bottle and drank several mouthfuls. After calming himself down, he put the bottle back in.
Just as I was about to tidy myself up and turn off the live stream, suddenly, a bright light rose up, tearing a gaping hole in the darkness, and I could vaguely see figures flashing by.
Shen Yuning's expression hardened.
That's... firelight!
Autumn is a dry season, the most important time to be wary of wildfires. Such a fire... could cause an accident!
Without caring about anything else, Shen Yuning dropped his backpack, took three steps at a time, grabbed his water bottle, and ran straight towards the light.
He ran while shouting for help to put out the fire.
He never expected that before he could rush forward, a large number of people would suddenly appear from nowhere.
"Fire! Quickly!"
"Water pipes! Bring them over here!"
The noise was deafening, but the actions were orderly.
This is... the army?!
There was actually an army on Lanxiang Mountain, and they were so heavily fortified!
Shen Yuning suddenly remembered the footsteps he had heard earlier!
It's not an illusion.
There really were people marching ahead of them!
The mountains and fields in autumn are mostly covered with withered yellow leaves. Once a fire starts, it can spread like wildfire. At this moment, Shen Yuning couldn't care less about anything else and hurriedly helped put out the fire.
He poured out the remaining water from the bottle, then took off his clothes and used them to extinguish the spreading flames, making his already disheveled appearance even more disheveled.
At this moment, two water jets rushed in from the side, and the water in the pipes finally gushed out, stopping the fire from spreading.
The ground gradually became wet, and thick smoke rose from the fire that had been extinguished by the water, filling the air with the smell of burnt dry leaves.
The fire went out.
Shen Yuning breathed a sigh of relief.
I walked to the side, picked up my backpack, and just as I slung it over one shoulder, I suddenly heard someone shout a warning from the side.
"The tents are on fire too!"
Upon hearing the word "tent," Shen Yuning's expression hardened.
Luo Luo!
Shen Yuning took off running towards the location where the production crew had set up camp.
The noise from the earlier firefighting efforts had already woken up the guests and staff of the program.
In addition, Song Ying and Qin Shu took turns on guard that night, keeping a close eye on the outside movements. So as soon as something unusual appeared, the two of them noticed it and alerted everyone, waking them up.
However, things still took an unexpected turn.
—Zachary is not a person.
There was more than one place where the fire started.
He had accomplices!
When Shen Yuning rushed over, the fire that had just started at the tent had already been brought under control and extinguished.
But two other places around the area began to light up.
"Mr. Qin, please lead the guests to evacuate as soon as possible, and leave the rest to us!"
The man dressed as a staff member, who had previously appeared ordinary, now exuded a resolute and rugged aura.
Only soldiers possess such demeanor and bearing!
The staff of "Passion" were actually soldiers in disguise!
Things were more complicated than I had imagined.
Shen Yuning's gaze swept quickly through the crowd, but he couldn't find that familiar figure anywhere.
"Luo Luo! Luo Luo!"
Shen Yuning shouted loudly.
The sound attracted everyone's attention. At the same time, Song Ying, who was counting the number of people, also realized that Luo Luo was not present.
"Luo Luo is gone!" Song Ying's heart sank.
It was still there before!
Given that Luo Luo noticed something amiss with the photos, Song Ying consulted with Qin Shu and Captain Zhou, who was in charge of the Lanxiang Mountain operation, before going to bed last night. Then, she told Luo Luo the truth, keeping the details confidential.
Before going to sleep, Luo Luo repeatedly assured that she would be more careful and would never wander off. How could she have suddenly disappeared?
"It looks like she went to the restroom just now."
Wen Nian suddenly remembered that while he was sleeping, he vaguely heard Luo Luo say something to him.
"I'm going to check the restroom!"
Song Ying took off running, but little did she know that someone was running even faster than her.
Shen Yuning.
A grown man was about to rush into the women's restroom when a cry for help suddenly came from nearby:
"Help! Ahh—Help!"
Shen Yuning suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around, and ran towards the direction from which the sound came.
Jiang Xiuyuan also rushed forward at the same time as him.
-
Luo Luo never imagined that even though she was being extremely careful, she would still fall into a trap.
The toilet at the top of the mountain in the scenic area was not far from the tent. She had just finished washing her hands and came out when she saw someone sneaking around and trying to start a fire. So she instinctively prepared to shout for help.
Who would have thought that as soon as she uttered a single word, a large hand reached out from behind and covered her mouth, dragging her away with overwhelming force that she could not escape.
The mountain path was rugged and difficult to traverse; she was practically dragged along, unable to find anything to lean on.
All they could do was struggle and bite desperately, watching helplessly as the fire flared up, the crowd became agitated, and they were dragged further and further away.
Finally, taking advantage of the moment when the man's movements were loosened by the pebbles in the forest, Luo Luo immediately broke free of his restraints and ran away while shouting.
However, even though she usually works out and has good physical fitness among her peers, her opponent was a well-prepared trained athlete, and with the natural physiological advantages of men, he quickly caught up.
As dawn broke and the dark blue night sky gradually brightened, the silver blade gleamed coldly in the moonlight, as if it would pierce her heart from behind at any moment, punishing the hostage for her disobedience.
Just then, her foot slipped, and Luo Luo accidentally stepped into a pit covered by fallen leaves, stumbling and crashing to the ground.
The burly man who followed him also fell, his raised blade pointing downwards, heading straight for Luoluozha.
"careful!"
Shen Yuning's eyes were bloodshot, and his body's instincts reacted faster than his brain, as he lunged at the person.
A sharp, excruciating pain shot through his left upper arm, but he paid no heed. With all his might, he clung tightly to the burly man and rolled in another direction.
The mountain path was narrow, and Jiang Xiuyuan was only a step late when he was overtaken.
Luo Luo is still on the ground.
Jiang Xiuyuan quickly helped him up and protected him behind her.
However, Luo Luo, who witnessed what had just happened, was only focused on Shen Yuning, who had saved her at the critical moment.
At this moment, the burly man raised his blade again, ready to stab Shen Yuning in the next instant!
"Shen Yuning!"
Luo Luo screamed and lunged forward.
"Don't move, I'm going to save him!"
Jiang Xiuyuan pushed Luo Luo away and rushed straight towards the two who were locked in a stalemate.
When time is of the essence, no other skills or strategies are of any use.
The only way is to grab the blade with your bare hands and stop it from stabbing downwards.
Jiang Xiuyuan was already in front of him, raising his hands as if to grab him and lunging forward!
Who would have thought that in that very instant, a sound of something cutting through the air would be heard.
Immediately afterwards, gunshots rang out!
Warm liquid splashed onto Jiang Xiuyuan's face.
He held the dagger in his hand, but lost his grip.
Silence reigned all around.
A second gunshot rang out.
Birds in the forest scattered in fright.
Only the burly man's cries of pain were hysterical.
The sound of hurried footsteps approached, and a slender, long leg stepped on the big man's chest, immobilizing him.
Jiang Xiuyuan suddenly looked up.
He was met with an extremely aloof and world-weary face.
That was... a female soldier.
He was lying on the ground, holding a dagger in his hand, looking up at people with a somewhat disheveled appearance.
But the girl was tall and strong, like a towering pine tree.
Above her was a dark blue sky and a full moon hanging in the heavens.
A halo of moonlight bathed her silhouette.
The girl suddenly squatted down.
The distance between him and Jiang Xiuyuan suddenly shortened.
The cold muzzle of a gun was pressed against the burly man's forehead. "Don't move! Hands behind your head!"
Jiang Xiuyuan also instinctively stopped moving.
He even almost raised his hands to cover his head.
But he quickly realized—these were friendly forces!
He's not a criminal, why is he holding his head?
Once Jiang Xiuyuan regained her senses, she quickly got up and helped the girl subdue the burly man.
At this moment, the girl lifted her eyelids.
"I have handcuffs in my pocket, take them yourself."
Jiang Xiuyuan quickly reached into the other person's pocket, but found nothing. He could only feel the slender waist through the fabric.
Startled, he quickly withdrew his hand, as if he had done something extremely offensive.
"left."
The girl spoke up to remind him, and Jiang Xiuyuan finally found the item.
The burly man was handcuffed and immediately became much more obedient.
At this moment, others also rushed over upon hearing the news, bringing good news.
"Thank goodness you're all alright! The two new fires have been completely extinguished!"
Hearing this, Jiang Xiuyuan breathed a sigh of relief, but he wasn't completely at ease. "No one can guarantee that there aren't other places. We need to investigate further!"
“That’s right. The most urgent task right now is to find out how many places they set fire to, and whether there are any places we haven’t found yet. We’ve already evacuated the villagers down the mountain overnight. Right now, in addition to checking the incident sites, we also need to ensure the safe evacuation of people.”
Jiang Xiuyuan stepped forward, "I'll go with you!"
"But your hand is already injured."
A cold, clear voice came from the side.
Upon hearing this, Captain Zhou, who was in charge of the operation, noticed that Jiang Xiuyuan's palm was covered in bright red blood.
Jiang Xiuyuan put his hands behind his back. "It's just a minor injury, I'm fine. Uncle Zhou, I'm a soldier, I can participate in your operation."
Unexpectedly, her wrist was grabbed by a soft, cool hand and she was pulled in front of people.
"With such an obvious wound, you can't participate in the mission."
Just as Jiang Xiuyuan was about to break free, she heard the team leader, Zhou Dahai, say something.
"We also need manpower to evacuate unrelated personnel. Su Hanyue, you take two people and are responsible for getting the civilians safely down the mountain! Also, make sure to get Jiang Xiuyuan down the mountain safely as well! Move out!"
"yes!"
Su Hanyue gave a military salute, and Zhou Dahai immediately led his men into action.
"Uncle Zhou!"
Jiang Xiuyuan was about to follow when someone grabbed her arm.
Su Hanyue's gaze was intense.
"A soldier's duty is to obey. Jiang Xiuyuan, you have to come with me!"
Jiang Xiuyuan choked upon hearing this, and was about to say something when Su Hanyue suddenly pulled him forward, closing the distance between them. Then she chuckled and spoke in a voice that only Jiang Xiuyuan could hear.
"You're in such a rush to accept the mission, is it to avoid that lovey-dovey young couple?"
Su Hanyue was referring to Luo Luo and Shen Yuning.
As an observer, she had already seen everything clearly.
Shen Yuning was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt today, so after the sharp blade pierced his upper arm, it almost stained his clothes red, making him look extremely dangerous.
Jiang Xiuyuan's hand was also injured, but because he kept it hidden, it did not attract the attention of others.
Even Zhou Dahai only noticed Jiang Xiuyuan's injury after Su Hanyue reminded him, let alone Luo Luo, who is currently focused on taking care of Shen Yuning.
"The same act of saving lives, yet the treatment is so different."
Jiang Xiuyuan felt annoyed and embarrassed at being exposed: "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I want to say, Jiang Xiuyuan, your taste in women isn't very good!"
Jiang Xiuyuan felt something was off about Su Hanyue's tone.
How could normal people speak to each other in such a familiar yet sarcastic tone when they've just met and haven't even exchanged names?
Su Hanyue...
This name sounds familiar...
"You," Jiang Xiuyuan hesitated for a moment, "don't we know each other before?"
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