Ye Zhi's words filled me with mixed emotions. I knew I shouldn't let her go, but her insistence made it impossible for me to refuse. I looked into her eyes in the night, so bright and resolute, which inexplicably gave me confidence and also provided a force that helped me calm down.
Before I could even speak, Ye Zhi had already driven her car over and beckoned me to get in. From the moment I got in, it meant that the fates of the three of us were once again intertwined... I couldn't predict whether it would be good or bad, so I could only grit my teeth and vow that if things really got out of control, I would risk my life to protect them.
Over the years, time has shaped me into a different person, but at this moment, I have rediscovered my former self. I don't want to care about any gains or losses, and I just keep repeating in my heart: This is for the most important person in my life!
...
At this moment, because Ye Zhi was by my side, I was still relatively calm. I remembered my previous experience in Shangri-La, so before I left, I took out two very thick clothes from my suitcase, one for myself and one for Ye Zhi.
I also called Coach Ma and told him to notify me immediately if any packages arrived.
...
In silence, Ye Zhi drove the car onto the Dali-Lijiang Expressway leading to Lijiang. It was already 8 p.m., and for us, this was an extremely risky journey. After Lijiang, the road would become increasingly difficult, and there would be a section of road that cut through the mountains for about 100 kilometers, with no one around. Yang Sisi and I were trapped in the mountains because of our lack of experience.
That was an experience I can never forget, like a task I had to do, a sacred mission. Especially the words Yang Sisi said to me under the rhododendrons on the mountain were so pure, yet so heavy.
As the car sped up, I subconsciously wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. I started to feel nervous again... Because I hadn't received Yang Sisi's reply, this situation, which could change at any moment, meant I could only rely on guesswork and judgment...
Ye Zhi and I went without a second thought, but even now, we're still not sure if we'll be able to find Yang Sisi once we get to Shangri-La... Cao Jinbo, who set off before us, has a greater advantage because the car Cao Xiaobei drove away has a GPS tracking function, so no matter where he and Yang Sisi go, Cao Jinbo will be able to find them.
This is terrifying! Even from Cao Xiaobei's perspective, it's terrifying. He probably thought he was safe, but little did he know, his car was being monitored.
...
At 9:30, we passed the first gas station on this highway. To avoid repeating the same mistake, I had Ye Zhi drive in and fill up the tank...
After we set off again, Ye Zhi finally spoke to me for the first time, asking, "What about the things Sisi sent?"
"This is truly evidence of Cao Jinbo's crimes... What do you plan to do?"
"This evidence cannot be touched until her safety is confirmed... I trust Cao Xue on this point..."
After a brief pause, I said to Ye Zhi, "There's something I need to tell you... You told me before that someone put a life jacket on you when the incident happened... That person is very likely Cao Xue... Because the police received an anonymous tip that the person Cao Jinbo sent to Thailand was Cao Xue... The police later checked Cao Xue's entry and exit records, and he did indeed go to Thailand after you... Besides, in terms of motive, only he would show mercy!"
Ye Zhi looked at me, her surprised expression proving that she hadn't yet grasped this information.
After a long pause, she finally spoke to me and said, "So, you judged that Cao Xue called you because he genuinely wanted to help you?"
"I can't say for sure about other things, but just based on his feelings for Nicole, at least subjectively he wouldn't harm us... Moreover, I can sense that Cao Xue wanted to break away from Cao Jinbo, which is why he's been obediently following Nicole in the bar business these past few years... Speaking of which, we really should thank Nicole. If it weren't for her connection, who knows what the outcome would have been."
“I should thank you more. If it weren’t for your generosity, we wouldn’t have had the chance to meet Nicole… Michael. So now you know why I’m willing to stay with you?”
I glanced at Ye Zhi. Although she remained silent, I knew in my heart what she wanted to express.
...
Around ten o'clock, my phone suddenly rang in my pocket. My nerves immediately tensed up, and even Ye Zhi subconsciously slowed down the car. However, when I took the phone out of my pocket, I found that it was Lao Mi calling.
He's been calling me every day for the past few days.
In this situation, I really wanted to answer Lao Mi's call, but if I didn't, he would be even more worried...
I let out a heavy sigh and waited until I was sure I had calmed down before answering the call.
He began by asking me expectantly, "Where are you?... Judging by the time, you should have arrived by now, but no!"
I was taken aback at first, then replied in a complaining tone, "Dad, you have no idea how congested the roads were today. We drove for more than ten hours and only covered more than 200 kilometers. If the road conditions are still like this, I really don't know if we can make it back before the New Year."
"You're so stubborn! I would have let you take a plane a long time ago!"
"It's almost the end of the year, and plane tickets are hard to buy!"
I could sense Old Mi's disappointment. After a moment of contemplation, he asked me, "So, what are you going to do about this?"
I comforted him, saying, "Maybe the road conditions will improve tomorrow. If there's no traffic jam tomorrow, we can get home tonight."
"I think it's very risky..."
I only heard half of what Lao Mi said; the rest started to be hard to hear.
...I subconsciously looked up and saw that Ye Zhi had already driven the car onto the road leading up the mountain. The further we went, the weaker the phone signal became, and eventually, we couldn't receive a signal at all.
I quickly took advantage of the still intermittent signal and said to Lao Mi, "Dad, the car is in the mountains right now and the signal isn't very good. I'll talk to you later. You and Mom should get some rest. I'll call you again tomorrow."
I don't know if Lao Mi heard me or not, but the cell phone signal was completely cut off...
I was momentarily dazed, then a particularly critical question suddenly occurred to me: what if we drove deep into the mountains? How would we contact the outside world? And what if Yang Sisi happened to call me at that moment?
Before setting off, I had thought everything through, but in the end, I still made a mistake!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
