Gu Zhiyuan's breath hitched for a second. When he came to his senses, he put one arm around Xu Ningyan and put the other to his mouth, whistling.
Soon, five or six burly men emerged from behind the trees and bushes.
They surrounded Gu Zhiyuan, each with bulging waists, their clothes concealing something, and they looked warily into the cave.
The cave is winding and twisting, and from the entrance, you can see a faint light from a fire reflected on the mountain wall.
Gu Zhiyuan made a gesture, and the five or six burly men rushed into the depths of the cave like cheetahs.
Then, there was silence.
Gu Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment, then picked Xu Ningyan up by the waist and gently set her down against the mountain wall. He tenderly tucked the strands of hair that were stuck to Xu Ningyan's cheek behind her ear and whispered, "Ning, wait for me here. I'll go see what's going on inside."
As they were talking, they started to head into the cave.
He had barely lifted his foot when Xu Ningyan grabbed him. Before he could speak, Gu Zhiyuan heard a whistle from inside, which meant it was safe.
A thought struck her, and she glanced at Xu Ningyan, saying gently, "I'm holding you, don't be afraid!"
Before Xu Ningyan could speak, he picked her up easily and carried her into the cave.
After turning a corner, Gu Zhiyuan saw the five or six burly men who had rushed in earlier standing there, looking astonished.
As he carried the person closer, he saw five adult men lying on the ground, each looking exhausted, their bodies bound like dumplings, neatly lined up in a row.
A flicker of surprise flashed across Gu Zhiyuan's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and glanced indifferently at the few rice dumplings.
He placed Xu Ningyan, whom he was holding, on a nearby rock, and by the light of the fire, he squatted down and carefully examined Xu Ningyan's body.
Seeing that Xu Ningyan was dressed warmly and her clothes were neat and tidy, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
I then pinched my wrists and ankle bones through the thick clothes to check for any problems.
Xu Ningyan didn't know if it was because she was too close to the fire and her face was burning, or because there were so many people around and Gu Zhiyuan was touching her all over, but in any case, her face was burning.
However, seeing Gu Zhiyuan's serious expression, her heart, which had been beating a little fast, and her slightly impure thoughts immediately returned to normal.
I silently told myself: Although I'm not exactly a respectable person, I can't be disrespectful to the big shots!
After checking that Xu Ningyan was alright, Gu Zhiyuan finally felt completely relieved. He patted Xu Ningyan's head and asked gently, "How are you feeling now? Is there anything that's bothering you?"
Xu Ningyan shook her head: "I'm fine, they're the ones in trouble!"
He then pointed to Luo Hanlian and her group lying on the ground.
The five or six burly men, who had been holding back for a while, finally spoke up: "You took them all down by yourself?"
You know, when Gu Zhiyuan came to their door, they all thought Xu Ningyan was in grave danger after hearing the situation. Even if her life was not in danger, they were afraid that she would suffer other harm.
Moreover, when they tried to go up the mountain, they were stopped by the Yanchi Brigade.
If Gu Zhiyuan hadn't been so ruthless, they would probably still be stuck at the Yanchi Brigade right now.
After going up the mountain, Gu Zhiyuan took the lead and said that he saw the mark left by Xu Ningyan. They were still a little skeptical. How could a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, who had been kidnapped by several men, have the opportunity to leave a mark?
They followed him to the cave entrance with some skepticism before they believed that Xu Ningyan did indeed have some skill.
But when they saw the five men tied up like dumplings, they were truly shocked and their eyes were opened.
This is hardly the weak and helpless little girl the boss described. She's probably a female tyrant!
If they were properly trained, they could probably join their ranks.
Xu Ningyan nodded, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I didn't expect them to be so useless. I only retaliated slightly, and it turned out like this!"
The people lying on the ground, including Luo Hanlian, were almost in tears. How could you still be a little embarrassed?
How can you be so shameless? You've made us look like this!
The five burly men opened their mouths as if to say something, but Gu Zhiyuan stopped them: "Don't waste words with them! Take the person down the mountain as soon as it's light! Notify everyone that the person has been found."
Those who wanted to speak shut their mouths and split into two groups.
One person went out to inform everyone that the person had been found, and the others could go down the mountain.
As for the remaining four people, after exchanging glances, they easily picked up the five rice dumplings and walked further into the cave.
Xu Ningyan glanced at it curiously.
Gu Zhiyuan blocked her view with his hand: "Don't look! Don't be afraid of anything you hear! Just ask them a few questions!"
Xu Ningyan nodded obediently.
A moment later, Cao Yang's heart-wrenching cries could be heard from inside: "Ask whatever you want! How do you know we won't confess if you don't ask? Why did you start hitting us right away?!"
Xu Ningyan blinked but didn't say anything.
Then a voice came from inside: "Don't rush, let us stretch our muscles first, and loosen them up for you too. After everyone's warmed up, then we'll serve the main course—"
Er Gouzi burst into tears: "Stop moving around! I'll tell you everything! I promise, I'll tell you anything you ask! Even if you don't ask me, I'll still tell you! I absolutely won't hide anything, if you don't believe me, ask that old lady outside—"
Gu Zhiyuan turned to look at Xu Ningyan.
Xu Ningyan rubbed her hands guiltily: "Well, I was just curious why they kidnapped me, so I only interrogated them for one night..."
Gu Zhiyuan smiled, ruffled her hair, and called out into the room, "Ask carefully, ask clearly!"
Then she turned to Xu Ningyan and asked gently, "Are you hungry?"
Xu Ningyan took out two dry biscuits from her bag.
Gu Zhiyuan looked around, picked up a bamboo pole, took out a small knife from his pocket, carefully shaved two bamboo skewers, threaded the dry cakes onto them, and put them on the fire to bake.
From deep within the cave came muffled groans, pleas for mercy, and soft voices.
By the fire, in the warm glow of the flames, the flatbread was baked until crispy. Gu Zhiyuan handed it to Xu Ningyan, telling her to eat it slowly.
He then took Xu Ningyan's kettle, shook it, and placed it in the ashes by the fire to heat the water with the residual heat.
The person who had gone outside to inform everyone to come down the mountain quietly walked in from outside the cave and whispered, "I have informed everyone and told them to come down the mountain first and rest at the Yanchi Brigade. We will bring people down the mountain to meet up after dawn."
Gu Zhiyuan nodded.
Hearing the commotion inside, the man nodded to Gu Zhiyuan and went inside as well.
Xu Ningyan ate a crispy baked flatbread and drank some warm water. The fire was cozy, and with a trustworthy boss beside her, Xu Ningyan relaxed and yawned, feeling sleepy.
Gu Zhiyuan was sitting next to Xu Ningyan when he saw her cover her mouth and give a delicate yawn, then doze off like a chicken pecking at rice.
He couldn't help but smile, and reached out to pull Xu Ningyan towards him. Xu Ningyan leaned on his shoulder, nuzzled unconsciously, and fell into a deep sleep.
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