Chapter 109: A Warm Haven from the Storm

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Jiang Mohe was startled as well, though what startled him was the petite figure clinging tightly to him in his arms.

He stood rigidly still, lowered his head, and said softly, “I’m sorry. I didn’t look carefully enough.”

With her face buried against him, Xianyu Qing asked, “Has it gone?”

Jiang Mohe glanced toward the place where she had been sitting. The little centipede had already crawled into the corner of the wall.

“Yes. It’s gone.”

Xianyu Qing loosened her grip around Jiang Mohe’s waist, but she still did not have the courage to lift her head.

How mortifying! She was a grown woman, yet she was afraid of a tiny insect—and had even thrown herself into someone else’s arms and refused to let go...

The atmosphere grew awkward. Jiang Mohe cleared his throat lightly. “Would you like to rest a little longer?”

“No.”

Xianyu Qing felt that no matter where she sat, another insect might come crawling out.

“Then let’s continue. We should be close to the exit.”

His words lifted Xianyu Qing’s spirits somewhat. “All right.”

Jiang Mohe gently took her by the wrist and led her onward.

They had gone only a few steps when the faint rustling of crawling insects reached their ears. The less she could see, the more frightened she became. Xianyu Qing nearly pressed herself against Jiang Mohe’s arm.

As they drew near the exit, the water pooled on the ground grew deeper.

Jiang Mohe stopped again and said to Xianyu Qing, “The path ahead is difficult. Would you mind if I carried you for a while?”

Earlier, when they had been in immediate danger, neither of them had given much thought to the physical contact between them. Now, however, it suddenly felt awkward.

Xianyu Qing was not afraid of the water itself, only of what might be hiding in it. She could only say in a small voice, “I don’t mind.”

Jiang Mohe bent down, slipped the arm that was not injured behind her knees, and lifted her in one swift motion, seating her in the crook of his arm to minimize bodily contact.

He then waded through the water, which rose above their ankles, and continued toward the exit.

In less than a minute, another stone gate covered in moss appeared before them.

This one, however, was not as tightly sealed as the previous gate. Numerous vines had grown through the gaps and into the passage beyond.

Jiang Mohe set Xianyu Qing down in a spot where the water was shallower, then walked over to the stone gate. With one hand, he pushed it open a crack.

He increased his strength and shoved it several more times. Only when the gate had opened wide enough for one person to pass through did he stop.

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Jiang Mohe stepped outside first to inspect the surroundings. The area was thick with vegetation. If his guess was correct, they were in the woods on Mount Cangcen, in the eastern outskirts of the city.

He remembered that there seemed to be a ranger station nearby, and that it would have communications equipment.

Jiang Mohe went back in and brought Xianyu Qing out.

Finally breathing fresh air again, Xianyu Qing felt as though she had been given a new lease on life.

The temperature outside, however, was clearly much lower than in the underground passage. Although Jiang Mohe’s jacket was draped over her shoulders, she was wearing a skirt beneath it, and the cold air crept up her bare calves, making her shiver.

“Are you cold?” Jiang Mohe asked.

Suppressing her trembling, Xianyu Qing said, “I’m fine. Once we start walking, I should warm up.”

Jiang Mohe glanced at the high-heeled leather shoes on her feet and thought for a moment. “I’ll carry you for part of the way.”

Xianyu Qing shook her head. “No need.”

He was still weak. How could he possibly manage to carry her?

She had forgotten that Jiang Mohe possessed the ability to heal himself. His body regenerated far faster than an ordinary person’s. Although he was not as strong as usual, he could still carry her for a while.

“The mountain path is wet and slippery here, and your shoes aren’t suitable for it.”

Xianyu Qing looked down at her shoes, but still insisted, “Let me try walking on my own for a while.”

She did not want to cause Jiang Mohe any more trouble.

Jiang Mohe did not press her. Instead, he deliberately slowed his pace, guiding her along the easier stretches of the path as they moved forward.

———

Several search-and-rescue teams gradually reported back. They had searched all the locations marked by A Ren, but had found no trace of Xianyu Qing or Jiang Mohe.

Watching the somber expression on his employer’s face, Cui Hao said cautiously, “Perhaps Miss Xianyu and the others have already left?”

Nangong Ao’s brows were tightly drawn together. He turned to A Ren, who was still working hard to collect signals nearby, and said, “Check whether there are any particularly secluded places in the vicinity.”

A Ren immediately scanned the electronic map and replied, “There’s a wooded range in the eastern outskirts. Enemy signals have also appeared there, though not many.”

After considering it for a moment, Nangong Ao ordered one of the search-and-rescue teams, “Search the woods in the eastern outskirts.”

“Understood.”

The third search-and-rescue team accepted the assignment at once. They climbed into two off-road vehicles and set off toward the eastern outskirts.

It was already the middle of the night. Unable to hold back any longer, Cui Hao urged him, “Boss, you haven’t slept since last night. Would you like to go back and rest for a while?”

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Nangong Ao remained silent.

At that moment, his only thought was to find Xianyu Qing and Jiang Mohe as soon as possible. The longer it took, the worse their situation would become.

With Jiang Mohe’s abilities, if nothing had happened to him, he would not have vanished without leaving even the slightest word. He must have encountered a problem that even he could not resolve.

The worst possibility was that they had both been captured. Yet the enemy was still searching for them, which meant that this had probably not happened.

Then they must have been injured and unable to find any communications equipment. Perhaps the eastern outskirts were the place where they were most likely to be found.

Nangong Ao strode aboard a helicopter and asked the pilot, “Are there any places where we can land in the eastern outskirts?”

The pilot shook his head. “The area around Mount Cangcen is all dense forest, with no clearings. Besides, after nightfall, the fog becomes heavy and damp, and visibility is far too poor.”

After hearing this, Nangong Ao dispatched another search-and-rescue team to the area.

Anything he could think of, the enemy might think of as well. Now, he had to race those men against time.

Nangong Ao’s suspicions proved correct. While Jiang Mohe and Xianyu Qing were making their way through the woods, they narrowly avoided running into one of the groups of “pseudo-variants.”

After leaving the underground passage, Jiang Mohe smeared mud over both of them to conceal their natural scent.

He also found a discarded piece of torn canvas by the roadside and wrapped it around Xianyu Qing. It provided some warmth while concealing the rhinestones and sequins on her dress.

There was nothing they could do about her shoes, however. After she twisted her ankle three or four times, Jiang Mohe suggested once again that he carry her.

Xianyu Qing still hesitated. “I’m fine. I can keep going a little longer.”

“Are you worried that I can’t carry you?” Jiang Mohe had initially assumed she was merely embarrassed, but now he understood.

Without waiting for her answer, he simply took her hand and hoisted her onto his back.

Xianyu Qing was not as strong as he was, so she obediently lay against his back, afraid to move.

The night wind was cold and desolate, but his broad, powerful back was warm, like a safe and steadfast shelter from the storm. His strong arms supported her gently, cherishing her as though she were a fragile treasure.

His steps were steady and sure. Every footfall took the person on his back into consideration, never jostling her. The sense of security he gave her was so complete that she began to grow drowsy.

“Mr. Jiang, when you protected other people before, did you protect them the way you’re protecting me?”

“I’ve never protected anyone else,” Jiang Mohe said. “You’re the first.”

In the past, all the missions he had accepted involved harming or killing people. This was the first time he had ever protected someone.

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