Chapter 39
Time rewound to this afternoon.
Looking at Jiang Liu, who was sound asleep on the bed, Yang Caisi couldn’t help but sigh softly.
Jiang Liu loved wine, and her tolerance was outstanding. Her only flaw was that she was not a good drunk. She would always black out, never learning her lesson, and would pass out on the spot. Yang Caisi would have to secretly carry her home, change her clothes, and prepare warm water to get her settled.
At the time, Yang Caisi didn’t see it as a burden. Instead, a secret sense of gratification would rise in her heart.
This was her little secret: there were times when Jiang Liu needed her too.
The emotions she had suppressed for so long would quietly surface at times like these. For the sake of this rare feeling of being needed, Yang Caisi had never brought it up.
This, in turn, led Jiang Liu to have a mistaken perception of herself, truly believing that she could get home safely even when drunk.
Yang Caisi sat by the bed, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Liu’s familiar face. The tense expression she had worn when facing Gao Yuan completely dissipated, replaced by an indescribable tenderness.
It had been so long, yet she still had the chance to take care of Jiang Liu. It was truly—wonderful.
She chuckled softly and couldn’t resist reaching out to lift Jiang Liu’s pant leg.
The wound from the instance had already scabbed over. The dark brown scab was interwoven with the newly grown, tender pink flesh, a shocking sight.
Perhaps her movements made Jiang Liu uncomfortable, as she subconsciously retracted her leg. Yang Caisi pulled a blanket over her, then rummaged through her belongings to find some scar-removing ointment.
***
The scene from that time was still vivid in her mind, and a nostalgic glint appeared in Yang Caisi’s eyes. When she snapped back to reality, she met Jiang Liu’s probing gaze.
She didn’t press for an answer, just quietly waited for Yang Caisi’s response.
Looking into those clear, transparent eyes, for a moment, Yang Caisi wanted to tell her everything.
No one could tell a lie when faced with such a pair of eyes.
Just as the thought arose, a burning sensation suddenly flared up at the base of her left ring finger. It was like a perfectly timed reminder, or perhaps a warning, so hot that her hand holding the flashlight trembled involuntarily.
The words on the tip of her tongue paused, turning into a bitter taste that she swallowed back down.
Now was not the time.
She took a light breath, deliberately avoiding Jiang Liu’s gaze, her tone a little stiff. “You’ve met Qiao Ke?”
Jiang Liu tilted her head in confusion, quickly catching a hint of disgust in her tone.
“How did you know?”
Zhao Ziming shouldn’t have mentioned it.
Yang Caisi didn’t answer. The moment she got confirmation from Jiang Liu, her steps became heavier.
I should have thought of it sooner, Yang Caisi thought.
After bringing Jiang Liu back, she had gone to see Gao Yuan and learned from him that—
When he received the timed message she had sent in advance, the system had inexplicably assigned him some urgent tasks, causing him to miss the time to guide Jiang Liu.
She was always extremely careful with the instances she managed. To avoid any mistakes, she had set up a defensive line before leaving, which no one but Gao Yuan could enter.
Of course—Jiang Liu and the others couldn’t get out from inside either.
Under these circumstances, someone had still discovered what she had done and taken the person away by exploiting a small time gap.
Throughout the entire system, the number of people who could do this could be counted on one hand.
The person beside her had been silent for a long time, making Jiang Liu feel a little annoyed. She asked again, “What’s wrong with Qiao Ke?”
The question pulled Yang Caisi back to reality. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but hesitated, finally managing to say, “Stay away from him.”
Several question marks popped up above Jiang Liu’s head. Her previously calm expression instantly became turbulent. Yang Caisi’s words were like small pebbles thrown into the originally tranquil lake of her mind, creating ripples.
This feeling of being kept in the dark was very unpleasant.
She was about to speak again when a voice suddenly came from the small path to her right. It was very close, almost just around the corner.
The voice was unfamiliar; it must be someone from Chen Ping’s side.
Yang Caisi quickly turned off the flashlight and pulled Jiang Liu into a narrow gap. It was a dead end in the maze; a turn led straight to a wall. The space was so narrow it could only fit one adult, making it easy to hide in the darkness.
The change came so suddenly that Jiang Liu was almost pressed against Yang Caisi. She wanted to change her position, but in the darkness, her hand happened to touch her exposed thigh.
The sensation, so different from fabric, made Jiang Liu freeze, suddenly unsure whether to pull her hand back or not.
The voices were getting closer, as if they had already turned onto their path.
Yang Caisi sensed her predicament and whispered, almost with just her breath, “Don’t move.”
It was too close.
The two of them were practically hugging face-to-face. Jiang Liu could even hear the beating of the other person’s heart. Yang Caisi was about half a head shorter than her, and when she spoke, her warm breath brushed against her ear, making her stiffen for a moment.
The person’s breathing beside her ear was a little uneven, and her hand rested on a cool, smooth surface. The situation outside was unclear, and a strange thought popped into Jiang Liu’s mind—
It was so cold in this maze; why didn’t Yang Caisi wear more clothes?
“The place Brother Chen mentioned is just ahead. We need to hurry,” a male voice said from outside. A female voice followed, agreeing, “Brother Chen went to get the yellow flag. As long as we find the red one, we’re sure to win this game.”
“Of course,” the male voice said smugly. “Thanks to the map he got, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to clear it so quickly.”
The two of them were approaching quickly. A blurry light was getting closer. In the narrow space, the two of them held their breath, carefully listening to the sounds outside.
Jiang Liu was blocking the entrance and couldn’t see what was happening outside. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but ask in a whisper, “Where are they?”
Her long hair was untied and fell in front of Yang Caisi’s face, tickling her.
Yang Caisi’s throat unconsciously moved, and she replied in an equally inaudible voice, “Almost here.”
As she spoke, the hand on Jiang Liu’s waist tightened.
The conversation outside continued. Jiang Liu looked out into the darkness and, not daring to speak, moved her fingers, crudely writing two words on Yang Caisi’s leg.
Feeling her cool fingertips slide across her thigh, it felt less like an emergency communication and more like a lover’s game. For a moment, Yang Caisi’s mind went blank.
But it was only for a moment. Fortunately, after years of hard work, her self-control was strong enough to suppress the romantic thoughts in her heart and force herself to calm down.
Jiang Liu had written “map”.
She instantly understood Jiang Liu’s intention. Her hand silently reached over, covered Jiang Liu’s, and tapped it gently.
Once, twice…
The interval between them was long. Her eyes were fixed on the gap, and she subconsciously held her breath.
Before the third tap, she wrote a single, stroke-by-stroke character—left.
A chill ran down Jiang Liu’s spine. The two of them stepped out almost simultaneously. Without a second thought, she kicked out to her left in the darkness.
“Who’s there?”
The man cried out in alarm, and then was knocked unconscious by Jiang Liu’s punch, his eyes rolling back as he fell to the ground.
At the same time, Yang Caisi walked over, holding a girl.
The flashlight came on again. Jiang Liu subconsciously whistled. “Nice moves.”
Yang Caisi’s lips curved into a smile. She handed over a folded piece of paper. “Map.”
As she spoke, she wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing them as if she were cold, and quickly prepared to leave.
But Jiang Liu just chuckled and strode in front of her, blocking her path.
Yang Caisi was confused.
She looked at Jiang Liu in confusion and saw the woman smiling brightly, her long leg propped up against the wall in a very difficult pose, blocking the way.
“Shall we continue our conversation from earlier?” Jiang Liu raised an eyebrow, her tone suggestive.
Yang Caisi pressed her lips together, a complicated expression on her small face. “No.”
As she spoke, she actually stepped forward, preparing to pull Jiang Liu down.
Jiang Liu immediately bent down, her movements so fast they were just a blur. She trapped Yang Caisi between herself and the wall, looking down at her from above.
“You can’t beat me, and I don’t want to fight you.”
This version of Jiang Liu made Yang Caisi lose her focus again.
The surroundings were as bright as day, perfectly exposing her face. Her eyes and brows were filled with an absolute confidence in her own strength, her eyes sparkling like the finest, priceless gems.
At first glance, Jiang Liu was easy to get along with, kind and unique, the type of social butterfly who could get along with anyone if she put her mind to it.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t aggressive. It was just that her aggression was hidden deep, rarely noticed by others.
Now, trapped between Jiang Liu’s arms, Yang Caisi felt a rare sense of powerlessness, as if she were being targeted by a pack of wolves, making her scalp tingle.
Jiang Liu was even smiling, but it inexplicably gave off a sense of pressure.
After staring at the person in front of her for a long time, Yang Caisi suddenly laughed out loud. The intentionally cold expression on her face instantly melted, and her lips curved into a faint smile.
“I can’t beat you, but—”
She knew better than anyone how to escape from Jiang Liu’s grasp.
Before she could finish her sentence, Yang Caisi struck out quickly, feigning an attack on Jiang Liu’s left shoulder. But at the critical moment, she abruptly stopped, her left hand suddenly touching Jiang Liu’s lower back and pressing down hard.
“!!!!!”
The shock in Jiang Liu’s eyes was almost tangible. The sour numbness in her waist caught her off guard. In that moment of distraction, Yang Caisi, as nimble as a rabbit, slipped out from under her arm, even snatching the only flashlight. She twisted and turned, quickly disappearing from sight.
Only a sentence was left echoing in her place. “Stay away from Qiao Ke.”
“Hiss…” Jiang Liu sucked in a sharp breath, finally certain of one thing.
The two of them were definitely very close.
She had once been injured three inches up her lower back, and it was also her most vulnerable spot. Ordinary people wouldn’t attack there first, but Yang Caisi had done so without a second thought.
Jiang Liu rubbed her sore lower back, puzzled. She had actually told someone her weakness? This Yang Caisi…
Looking at the dark surroundings, she couldn’t help but press her lips together.
Oh well, winning the game was the most important thing right now. As for Yang Caisi—they would meet again eventually.
Jiang Liu had a feeling that the next time they met… she might get more clues.
She took out her phone, sent the map to Zhao Ziming, and pushed the previous chaos to the back of her mind, striding off according to the map’s directions.