Chapter 166
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"And we're heading back down just like that?" Wang Yang caught up to Lu Boyan . "We're going to stop looking?"
"She won't be up in the mountains . "
Lu Boyan knew Su Jianan; thunder was the thing she feared the most . If she was done with the crime scene and then noticed the changes in the weather, she would definitely choose to get off the mountains .
But based on the estimated timeline of events, there was no way she could have made it down before the typhoon hit .
She must have encountered the typhoon halfway downhill . After that, she might have gotten lost . Or perhaps . . . she had gotten into an accident .
What he knew for sure was that they were more likely to find her if they followed the path downhill .
"Wang Yang," Lu Boyan ordered, "contact Captain Long and have him gather his men and focus the search on the vicinity of this area . " Su Jianan did not seem to him like the type of woman who would easily get disoriented . Even if she did get lost, she would not wander too far off course .
His gut told him that Su Jianan was somewhere in this area, just that the path she had taken was not the right path downhill .
"Roger that!"
While Wang Yang got in touch with Captain Long to relay Lu Boyan's orders, Lu Boyan kept walking downhill .
Not far into his journey, the raindrops became heavier and compact . The sky was darkening by the second . Beams of light from high-performance flashlights swept back and forth in the area while voices echoed through the mountains in the form of Su Jianan's name . However, the voices were like fists punching a ball of cotton: they never received a single response .
The furrow in Lu Boyan brows deepened . His knuckles had gone white with each joint popping out noticeably due to his overly forceful grip on the flashlight . All these signs betrayed his anxiety and nerves even if he had kept his face expressionless .
This was Wang Yang's first time seeing this version of Lu Boyan .
Any one of Lu Boyan's opponents would say that Lu Boyan was forged from steel, someone without any weaknesses .
But the truth was that he did have a weakness: Su Jianan .
In fact, this one weakness of his was his legitimate Archilles' heel . Lu Boyan would change into another person the moment it was ruffled .
Perhaps he had been right to avoid and keep things hidden from Su Jianan all these years .
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The sky grew several shades darker . At that point, Lu Boyan felt as if the insides of his heart had been gnawed away, leaving an empty void which was filled with nothing but fear and anxiety .
He did not hesitate to use both of his hands to lift and push aside anything that looked capable of sheltering a human being, hoping every time that he would find Su Jianan hiding in one of them . But every time, he was met with disappointment . Blood was now dripping from his hand courtesy of a deep gash right in the center of his palm caused by a thorny vine that he had grabbed .
He ignored the wound, focusing on the color of the sky instead . "Wang Yang, you take the other path downhill," he said . Splitting up would slightly increase the likelihood of finding Su Jianan .
"No . It's nearly dark now," Wang Yang said . "I have to stick with you . I can't let you go alone . What if you run into danger?"
Just then, Lu Boyan caught a glimpse of a white briefcase .
It was the same briefcase that Su Jianan would bring every time she was out on a crime scene! She had probably left it here since she was trying to rush downhill .
Even from a young age, Lu Boyan had encountered far too many successes . Success did bring him great joy in the beginning . But eventually, that joy had gone dull . Right now, success to him was like a habit . It no longer had the ability to stir any kind of emotion in his heart .
But this briefcase was like a light at the end of a tunnel, one that shone through the darkness of the mountains .
He could feel every single beat of his heart clearly as well as an explosion of joy right in the center of his chest . This feeling triumphed over any of those he had experienced in his previous successes .
Lu Boyan stood before an intersection which branched into two paths . "Wang Yang," Lu Boyan said, pointing at the downhill path . "You take that path . "
He, on the other hand, would take the path leading deeper into the mountains .
Wang Yang was in a dilemma . On one hand, he had to keep Lu Boyan safe, while on the other, he had to abide by Lu Boyan's orders . After a moment of hesitation, Wang Yang decided to obey Lu Boyan's order . They split up to search for Su Jianan .
Lu Boyan would be capable of tackling any challenges that he might encounter along the path . On the other hand, failing to find Su Jianan might really cause him to lose his shit .
The rain was pelting once again . The deeper into the mountains he went, the dimmer the ambient light became . As the wind blew, the rustling of tree leaves sounded at spasmodic intervals . Dark shadows of leaves darted everywhere in the surroundings, dancing and swaying . The ambience was becoming creepier by the second .
Lu Boyan acted as if he barely noticed the creepiness of his surroundings . Picking up his pace, he trekked deeper into the mountains . The flashlight in his hand swung from side to side, and from place to place, hoping to find something .
He must find Su Jianan no matter what . Otherwise, he feared that he himself would not be able to walk away from this mountain .
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A bolt of lightining lit up the edge of the sky . Sounds of rumbling thunder followed suit .
Su Jianan must be scared out of her wits in this kind of weather . He would not allow himself to leave her alone for any longer .
Just when Lu Boyan was about to call out her name again, something came into his vision . It was a white camellia bracelet .
The bracelet consisted of a white flower that was attached on top of a green strap . The flower, now dirtied and muddied, was now tangled in some vines which rested along a steep slope .
While making his way up into the mountains, Xiao Ying had mentioned that Su Jianan had one of these bracelets!
But how did it end up on a slope?
Lu Boyan glanced down at his feet instinctively and saw clear marks on the ground . A small patch on the slope appeared flat, as though something had rolled over it . Some of the vines on the slope seemed to be in an awkward configuration, as if they had been dragged and tugged by something . Also, a small patch of weeds appeared to have been uprooted from the ground, revealing the dark red soil beneath it .
Lu Boyan did not spend any more time to ponder his options . He slid himself down the slope .
A rather wide path lay at the bottom of the slope . He spent a moment in perusal, taking in the path . Never had his breathing been this labored before . He could feel a tightness in his chest, as if something was tugging at his heart, causing mild pain .
He hoped he could find Su Jianan here . But at the same time, he feared finding her here too .
He knew just how great her injuries would be and just how much pain she must be in right now if she had really fallen down from such great height .
Lu Boyan shone the flashlight towards his left . There, he saw a small hole hidden beneath the slope . Due to the heavy rain, the hole was now filled with water, forming a tiny pool . Su Jianan was curled up inside the pool . Her shirt was stained with mud and her pants had rips in several spots . Blood could be clearly seen through those rips .
There she was, curled up unmovingly, lying there as if she was dead . Her hair, now completely drenched, stuck to her neck and cheeks . Not a single hint of red could be detected on her usual red plump lips and her face was as pale as a sheet .
"Jianan!"
Lu Boyan felt as if someone had stabbed a knife straight through his heart . Ignoring the pain in his chest, he rushed over to pick her up . Her entire body was freezing . Heck, he might as well be pulling her out of a freezer at this point .
"Jianan . "
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Lu Boyan pulled her tight against him . Placing a hand against her cheek, he called out her name repeatedly, though none of his calls were answered .
Without ado, Lu Boyan took off Su Jianan's soggy clothes; modesty be damned, for right now, he really could not care less about anything other than Su Jianan's well-being . After that, he put his jacket on her . Her body was still freeezing cold, so much so that her slender fingers were completely stiff .
He held her hands tightly and tried to warm her up with his own body heat . It did not work . Once again, he hugged her body tightly to his own as if he was trying to embed her body in his embrace .
"I'm sorry," Lu Boyan said, pushing the wet hair away from Su Jianan's cheeks . "Jianan, I'm so sorry . "
" . . . " In his arms, Su Jianan lay still without any reaction . If it were not for the fact that she was still breathing, her current appearance would be no different from that of a corpse's .
Lu Boyan recalled how she used to look like before this mess . Whenever she was pissed, she would act like an aggressive little monster who was constantly on the offensive . During normal times, she always seemed to be walking around with a full energy tank; she was like a little deer, always charging ahead with an inexhaustible energy source . When they were inside the "Resident Evil", she even had the pluck to take his hand and say confidently to him: "I'll get you out of here . "
Just then, the search party consisted of Captain Long and several of his subordinates had found this place as well . When they saw Lu Boyan there, and that he was holding someone in his arms, the knots in their hearts finally eased . Captain Long ran towards Lu Boyan . "Mr . Lu, how's Mrs . Lu?"
"Call the ambulance," Lu Boyan said as he positioned Su Jianan on his back . His face had now regained its usual calmness . "Find someone who's familiar with these roads and take me downhill . "
Almost immediately after Lu Boyan gave the order, someone stepped forward and followed him . "I know a shortcut," said the person . "Forty-five minutes . That's the quickest we can be off the mountain . "
Lu Boyan's face looked cold and aloof . "Hurry up," he said .
Captain Long notified the entire search party that Su Jianan had been found and asked everyone to get off the mountain . Wang Yang quickly rejoined Lu Boyan . Even from afar, Wang Yang could make out the shape of Su Jianan slumped on Lu Boyan's back . Lu Boyan moved with hurried steps; the soldier, the one who was showing him the way, had to jog just to keep up with him and was panting heavily as a result . On the other hand, Lu Boyan's face was devoid of emotion except for the deep frown between his brows .
Wang Yang knew precisely what that frown meant: Lu Boyan was worried sick . Lu Boyan had always been the type of person who could keep a straight face under any circumstances .
Wang Yang walked over and offered to carry Su Jianan for Lu Boyan . "Let me take over," he said . "You rest a bit . "
"No need," Lu Boyan said . If he was panting due to physical exertion, his voice showed no signs of it . "When is the ambulance arriving?" he asked .
"It's already waiting for us at the foot of the mountain," Wang Yang said hurriedly .
Lu Boyan made no further comments . All he did was quicken his strides . Wang Yang had always prided himself as a person with above-average fitness . But right now, even without having to bear the weight of an extra person, Wang Yang found himself having trouble keeping up with Lu Boyan's pace . "Damn," he thought . "This has to be some kind of trick . "
Then again, Wang Yang figured it all made sense; as if Lu Boyan would let anyone else other than himself touch Su Jianan .
Despite the claim that it would take them a minimum of forty-five minutes to get off the mountain, Lu Boyan had made it down in just thirty minutes . The doctors took Su Jianan the moment they arrived . Wang Yang had wanted to ask Lu Boyan to change into a new set of clothes and then get a bit of rest; however, Lu Boyan outright ignored him and followed the doctor into the ambulance .
The engines of the white-colored ambulance came to live . The ambulance drove towards the hospital with its sirens blaring .
While the doctors were busy examining Su Jianan's vitals, she just lay there on the bed unmovingly . She was still unconscious .
Lu Boyan held her hand .
Her body had always been on the skinnier side . The man-sized military jacket hung loosely on her frame, making her seem even smaller than she already was . The sleeves were so long that they extended far beyond her fingers .
Lu Boyan rolled up a few inches of the jacket's sleeves . As soon as the sleeves were up, he noticed the shallow and deep cuts on her palms .
"She probably tried to grab hold of something when she took that tumble down the slope . That must be how she got these cuts," he thought . The wounds were no longer bleeding, but the skin on her hands were puffy and wrinkly after being exposed to rainwater for so long . Not only that, but her entire palm seemed pale and fragile .
Once again, it was as if an invisible hand had reached into Lu Boyan's chest and squeezed the life out of his heart . A miniscule ache formed in his heart . From there, the pain followed the direction of his blood flow and spread through his entire body .
The pain was by no means fatal . Even so, it sufficed to bring him great torment .
If he had not acted unreasonably and gotten into a fight with Su Jianan, she would not have sulked and come to this small town . She would not have ended up getting hurt so badly .
"Mr . Lu," the doctor spoke in a soft voice, reminding the man who, in that moment, seemed rather guilt-ridden . "We need to deal with the wounds on your wife's hands . "
Lu Boyan glanced at the tray that the doctor was carrying . "I'll do it," he said .
The doctor had some doubts at first . But after seeing the practiced and meticulous way in which Lu Boyan had disinfected the patient's wounds, she decided to leave him to deal with the patient's wound . The way she saw it, Lu Boyan's medical skills were not inferior to a medical professional at all .
Also, she could tell that this man loved his wife very much .
"Your wife must be a happy woman," the doctor remarked .
Lu Boyan's hand movements stilled, and he gave Su Jianan a glance .
I'm afraid Su Jianan had never experienced true happiness throughout the entire six months of our marriage . . . " he thought .
Otherwise, she would not be lying here, covered in wounds from head to toe .