Volume One, Chapter 150: Little Qin Yu Has Been Found
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Lu Jinyuan still had no idea what the man before him intended. His sharp, hawk-like eyes narrowed dangerously until they shifted downward and caught sight of a pink-wrapped package clenched tightly in the man’s palm.
His gaze turned icy and piercing as a frozen dagger, stabbing fiercely: “Where is Qin Yu?”
Startled by Lu Jinyuan’s abrupt shout, the man trembled all over. His unsteady left foot caught his right, and with a “thud,” he collapsed to his knees.
Lu Jinyuan stared, momentarily bewildered by the man’s baffling behavior.
Worrying for Qin Yu’s safety, Lu Jinyuan disregarded his usual fastidiousness. He took a long stride forward toward the filthy heap ahead. But before he could get close, a foul stench emanating from the man overwhelmed his stomach, churning it violently.
Seeing Lu Jinyuan closing in step by step, the man ignored the pain in his knees, scrambled to his feet, and bolted.
He ran; Lu Jinyuan pursued.
Though the man’s legs were clumsy, his familiarity with the terrain gave him an advantage. He twisted and turned through the underbrush, briefly eluding Lu Jinyuan.
Calmly analyzing, Lu Jinyuan deduced that the man used his small stature and knowledge of the terrain to dart toward the low, shrubby thickets.
His eyes scanned two diverging paths ahead.
As the man veered toward one overgrown, thorny trail, Lu Jinyuan slid in a swift tackle, his body skimming over the ground.
The man, focused solely on escape and never glancing back, was caught unprepared when Lu Jinyuan suddenly appeared before him. He crashed headlong into Lu Jinyuan.
Up close, Lu Jinyuan even saw flies buzzing around the man’s body.
Frowning instinctively, he shifted his body to avoid direct contact, then extended his right leg.
The man, sluggish and slow to react, was tripped by Lu Jinyuan's foot, falling and hitting his head against a roadside stone. Blood immediately trickled down his forehead.
Terrified, he clutched his head, screaming incoherently.
The deafening roar pained Lu Jinyuan’s eardrums.
He frowned sharply and kicked the man mercilessly. An oppressive aura filled the air as he warned coldly, “If you keep howling, I’ll sew your mouth shut!”
Perhaps the terrifying expression Lu Jinyuan wore was too much, for the man puckered his lips in grievance, babbled a few more incomprehensible words, then abruptly covered his mouth, realizing he must stay silent.
Initially, Lu Jinyuan suspected this man was part of the group that had captured Qin Yu, but now he was certain they were not allies—this man clearly had some intellectual disability.
Lu Jinyuan disdainfully pointed at the pink candy wrapper in the man’s hand. “Where did this come from?”
The man began to speak but glanced nervously at the dark, oppressive aura above Lu Jinyuan’s head. He shrank his neck fearfully.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Jinyuan pulled a sandalwood bracelet from his suit pocket and slipped it onto his wrist.
Instantly, all the malevolent aura was drawn into the bracelet.
The man’s face lit up with wonder as he looked from above to the bracelet, then clapped his hands joyfully like an innocent child.
Lu Jinyuan furrowed his brows.
“Have you seen a girl? Tall, fair-skinned, big round eyes, with a sweet, gentle smile?”
He spoke plainly, gesturing to himself, unsure if the man could understand.
To his surprise, the man nodded emphatically and even began to converse in his own babbling way.
Lu Jinyuan paused silently.
“From now on, I’ll ask you questions. Nod if yes, shake your head if no. Understand?”
“Babble-babble!” He nodded.
“Do you know where this girl is?”
Nods.
“Can you take me to her?”
Nods.
“Is she safe now?”
Nods.
“Then let’s go!”
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Nods.
“Let’s move!”
Nods.
Lu Jinyuan: ???
His fist clenched tightly. If it weren’t for the man’s condition, he might have been tempted to strike him.
The malevolent energy inside Lu Jinyuan stirred restlessly, frightening the man into shaking his head frantically.
The man wildly flailed his arms, nearly hitting Lu Jinyuan several times.
Lu Jinyuan’s face darkened with anger.
“She’s asking if you’re a good person.”
A clear, bell-like female voice cut through the air.
Lu Jinyuan turned to see the fleeing girl—Su Xiuxiu.
Upon seeing Su Xiuxiu, the man’s expression suddenly became animated. He approached her with a goofy grin, his yellow teeth glaring in the sunlight.
“Brother Guazi.”
Su Xiuxiu greeted him softly.
Guazi chuckled in response.
Su Xiuxiu then began gesturing to Guazi, who quickly mimicked her movements, interspersed with his babbling.
Soon, Su Xiuxiu relayed the information to Lu Jinyuan: “Brother Guazi said he found a girl in a cave and hid her there. This girl must be the friend you’ve been searching for.”
Though Su Xiuxiu grew up in the village, her skin was surprisingly fair. Two youthful pimples dotted the tip of her nose. When she spoke, she tilted her head with lively energy.
“Could you please lead me to her?” Lu Jinyuan asked politely.
The girl’s cheeks flushed instantly.
She had only read about the term “gentleman” in novels before. Now, seeing one in person, her heart raced uncontrollably, imagining a story of a powerful CEO and a Cinderella.
“Of course!” she said, her youthful blush deepening as she stole shy glances at Lu Jinyuan’s handsome face.
Lu Jinyuan, solely concerned for Qin Yu’s safety, remained oblivious to her subtle changes.
Guazi took the lead, with Su Xiuxiu and Lu Jinyuan walking side by side.
Night had fully fallen, but moonlight filtered through the swaying leaves, casting shadows on Lu Jinyuan’s sharp profile.
Su Xiuxiu discreetly pressed her hand to her chest, afraid her heart might beat too loudly.
Seeing Lu Jinyuan’s calm expression, she relaxed.
“Mr. Lu, is this friend of yours your girlfriend?” she asked cautiously.
“She’s a very important friend,” he replied.
Su Xiuxiu secretly sighed with relief and smiled faintly.
Since she wasn’t the girlfriend, she still had hope.
“Mr. Lu, thank you so much. If it weren’t for your support helping us poor students, I might have been chosen years ago to be the mountain god’s bride.”
Lu Jinyuan’s gaze briefly swept over Su Xiuxiu’s face, eyes filled with an unspoken sorrow she couldn’t understand. “If I had known sooner, I would have come earlier.”
Su Xiuxiu felt as if a wild deer was pounding wildly inside her chest.
Was Mr. Lu feeling sorry for me just now?
Does Mr. Lu like me too?
“Wh-why?” she asked, voice trembling.
Lu Jinyuan looked up at the bright moon, his tone tinged with melancholy. “Because then I could have saved more girls like you.”
“Mr. Lu, you are truly a good man.”
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Su Xiuxiu was grateful to be standing in the moonlight, hiding the flush burning her cheeks.
Lu Jinyuan said nothing in response to her praise, gently stroking the sandalwood bracelet on his right wrist.
To him, simply being alive was a luxury.
But for these girls, it was not.
Su Xiuxiu sensed the loneliness radiating from the mature man beside her.
Yet she did not know why.
She wanted to comfort him but didn’t know how.
“Babble-babble!” Guazi waved his arms, pointing ahead.
Lu Jinyuan’s attention snapped back.
He hurried forward, with Su Xiuxiu close behind.
There, partially hidden beneath a pile of grass, was a small cave no taller than half a meter. Without Guazi’s guidance, it would have been nearly impossible to find.
Lu Jinyuan brushed aside the grass and found a girl sound asleep inside.
The clothes were unmistakably Qin Yu’s.
“Xiao Yu…” Lu Jinyuan called softly, receiving no response.
Carefully, he slipped one hand under the nape of her neck and the other beneath her bent knees, gently lifting her from the cave.
In the moonlight, he noticed the deep purple bruises mottling her body.
The marks seemed etched into her flesh, a shocking sight.
Just looking at them made Lu Jinyuan ache in her place.
Throughout the journey, Su Xiuxiu had been curious about the important female friend who made Lu Jinyuan so tense.
But upon seeing Qin Yu’s face, her heart dimmed.
She touched her own face.
She was already considered quite beautiful in their village.
Almost every village boy had written her love letters.
Yet compared to this girl, she felt utterly inferior.
If Qin Yu were a pearl, then Su Xiuxiu was just an ordinary pebble by the roadside.
Watching Lu Jinyuan’s usually expressionless face soften with concern and anxiety for Qin Yu, Su Xiuxiu felt a pang of bitterness.
“Mr. Lu, it’s late now. Why don’t you and your friend stay at my house tonight?”
Their car was already wrecked, and the girl’s offer was the only option.
“That would trouble you,” Lu Jinyuan replied.
Before Su Xiuxiu could protest, Lu Jinyuan had already lifted Qin Yu into his arms.
She didn’t even have time to say a word.
At that moment, her jealousy grew wild and uncontrollable.
—
Night had deepened.
Almost every light in Jia’s Family Village was extinguished, except for the Su household.
Hearing faint noises outside, Su Haohao jumped up and headed toward the door. “Xiuxiu, is that you?”
“Brother, come help! Mr. Lu found his friend!” Su Xiuxiu’s voice came from the doorway.
Hearing this, Su Haohao reached out to take the person in Lu Jinyuan’s arms, but Lu Jinyuan subtly pulled her closer, protecting her with a fraction more care. “My friend is shy. Let me do this.”
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