Chapter 47.1-Lost and recovered, his heart’s pearl.
The forest was so dark that it seemed like there was no end to it. Xu Xu sat beside a boulder, panting with exhaustion, carefully observing the man and woman opposite her.
Brother Lu’s leg was injured. There were many animal traps in this part of the forest. However, as she had been alertly guarding Xu Xu all the way, she had distractedly stepped into a trap, and her leg became a bloody mess.
With one of them hurt, their speed of escape was reduced slightly, but Xu Xu would still not be able to get away even if she wanted to.
Brother Lu was sitting on a tree stump. Even in the dark night, the tightness of her face due to the pain was still visible. Po crouched in front of her, held up her leg and wrapped the wound with the bandages he carried.
“Po, take her with you first, I’ll follow from behind.” Brother Lu said suddenly.
Xu Xu was slightly startled to hear this, but heard Po reply: ‘No need.”
Brother Lu stayed silent for a while, then said: “With my condition, the police will find us sooner or later.”
Po suddenly stood up, held her chin, and firmly stared at her. After a moment, he let her and said: “We’ll go together.”
Brother Lu did not say anything, but her expression became a little more determined.
These two were really amazing. Despite an overnight raid, they had unexpectedly managed to escape from the dragnet, and were approaching the Laos border.
At this time the sky was becoming lighter, with moist wisps of fog floating in the woods. Ahead was an open valley; and at the end of the valley, a rapid river. Across the river – Laos.
Po turned and looked at Xu Xu: “When we reach the border, I’ll release you.”
Xu Xu was startled. Brother Lu frowned: “You want to leave this scourge alive?”
Po gave her a look that could be considered acquiescence.
“But she will give the police information! If you release her how far can we go in our escape?”
“I’ll make her faint and then throw her in the river!”
Brother Lu wanted to argue further, but Po glanced at Xu Xu, his eagle eyes coldly indifferent, and pronounced decisively: “Compared to many others, she is more than qualified to live in this world.”
Xu Xu and Brother Lu both remained silent.
The river flowed swiftly.
The sun had already risen from behind the distant mountain. The bright sunlight lit up the valley, and the river sparkled.
Po stood right at the front, gazing upstream with concentration – he was looking for the most suitable place to cross the river.
Xu Xu, whose hands had been tied behind her with rope all this while, was now weary in body and spirit. Looking at the turbulent water, she suppressed the uneasiness in her heart – Ji Bai was definitely not far away, for her to be alive was the greatest victory. She would wait for him!
Panting slightly, Xu Xu was just thinking of surreptitiously fishing out a piece of paper from her pocket, when a strange feeling overcame her suddenly. She turned her head –
Brother Lu was silently looking at her, slowly raising the gun. As Po had his back to them at that time, he was not aware of what was happening behind him.
As Xu Xu stared into the dark muzzle of the gun, her thoughts became blank, and she felt her body stiffen involuntarily, with her palms sweating.
Ji Bai, perhaps I will not be able to wait for you.
This translation belongs to MerakiTranslations & tranzgeek.wordpress.com.
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Ji Bai had ordered the SWAT team** to fan out and search along the valley. The clo
ser they got to the border, the more dangerous the situation became for Xu Xu; and so they expanded the radius of the search, and tracked with greater urgency whilst using walkie-talkies to maintain contact with each other.
特警: This translates to mean “special forces” or literally “elite police”. Thus, we translated it to SWAT team to show the elite-ness of the military forces and also to describe their rank more accurately.Ji Bai had always refused to consider any negative possibilities. But in his chest, there was an area which ached with a faint pain, as it remained chilly and silent.
After going through a small forest, the surging river could be seen in the distance. Ji Bai’s eyes followed the flow of the river. Suddenly, his whole body shook –
Not far ahead, on a shore covered with pebbles, a figure was standing, facing the water. Another figure stood behind the first, raising a gun, aiming it at the small, familiar figure.
The surroundings were empty and still, and only the sound of the river could be heard. Ji Bai looked at this scene; the pit of his stomach rapidly sinking like the actions of the figure.
His beloved woman, his perpetually tough, smart little woman, had been forced to a dead end and was silently awaiting death.
Anger surged in his chest; and as quick as lightning, he raised his gun. ‘Bang!’ – a sound of a bullet being fired pierced the air.
This translation belongs to MerakiTranslations & tranzgeek.wordpress.com.
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Brother Lu was about to pull the trigger, when she suddenly heard something whistling by her ear. First, her shoulder became numb, and then it was flooded with an unbearable pain. She let go of the gun, which fell with a splash into the water.
Xu Xu’s whole body was frozen, but she finally turned and ran. Who knew that unfortunately, Po, standing at the side, reacted faster than she did. He grabbed her and brought her back, leveling his gun at her forehead in one swift move.
Ji Bai grasped his gun and raced ahead, as he closed in.
As he ran forward, Xu Xu became clearer in his line of sight. Messy short hair with clothes torn by thorny brambles. Her face was white, but her dark eyes still displayed her strong will and tenacity. On seeing him, those eyes surged with emotion.
When he was merely steps away, Ji Bai’s face became more resolute; without the slightest change of expression, he raised his gun and aimed it steadily at Po.
It was a face-off.
When Xu Xu saw Ji Bai, she felt that the whole world shifted.
At that moment when she had to face death, for the first time in her life, her body felt thoroughly cold, her resources completely exhausted. She could only hear the quiet wind brushing past her ears, as well as her heart beating rapidly in her chest, her mind completely blank.
But now, looking at his ink-black eyes, it was as if there was a deep, warm feeling, instantly giving her strength, wrapping around her unsteady heart . . .
Her breathing gradually calmed, and she lifted her cold, rational eyes as she surveyed the three people before her.
Why panic? Ji Bai had arrived, the army was approaching. The people that should be panicking were Po and Brother Lu.
At this time, Po said fiercely: “Put down the gun, otherwise I will kill her.” He cleverly placed Xu Xu in front of him, thus shielding the vital areas of his body with hers.
From the side, Brother Lu said: “Ji Bai, you are an ace shooter. But Po’s gun is not slower than yours.”
Ji Bai maintained his grasp on his gun, unmoving.
The sunlight became more and more dazzling as the river rushed by, but the four of them did not speak.