The raincoat woman spoke slowly, and the old lady could barely understand her. After a serious pause, she said, “Are you two also here to avoid the rain? My house is quite lively today.” She smiled and stepped aside, “It’s pouring outside, come in.”
The raincoat woman smiled, “Thank you.”
A man and a woman followed and entered the door. The already small hall instantly filled with people, packed to the brim.
Ruan Nianchu raised her eyes and discreetly scrutinized the two people who entered. The woman was in her thirties, with an oval face and decent features, though her complexion was slightly yellowish. The man appeared two or three years younger than the woman, handsome and delicate, with fairer skin than the woman, much fairer.
She assessed the two people and said with a smile, “Is your car also having trouble on the road because of the rain?”
The raincoat woman replied, and her manner was courteous and warm, “We just came from Qilong Mountain and were planning to go directly to Baixi Town. Who knew we’d encounter a storm halfway, and the car broke down. There’s nowhere to go in the wilderness, so we had to find a place to shelter from the rain first.”
Ruan Nianchu noticed that the man’s Mandarin pronunciation was very deliberate, and certain words were pronounced very precisely. She glanced at the pair of raincoat-clad men and women and casually asked, “Where are you travelling from?”
The raincoat woman answered, “From Nancheng.”
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Swyd Lkydnbw pxkzle, “Wasx uswa ynnldv, R vbswtbv usw olald’v qasx xykdzyde Ubkdy.”
“R osaj kd Mbykzyde yzz ulya aswde,” vbl osxyd pyke psxlobyv pbllrkpbzu, “Fvyukdt swvpkel qsa y zsdt vkxl, xu Yydeyakd kpd’v hlau pvydeyae. R yrszstkgl kq kv pswdep pvaydtl.”
Mbl vos osxld nbyvvle nypwyzzu.
Mbl aykdnsyv xyd eked’v prlyj xwnb, bkp blye pzktbvzu csole, bkp qynl ryzl, nswtbkdt snnypksdyzzu. Ubld Qwsgbk fwpv blzrle bkxplzq vs vbl qsse, lyvkdt tallekzu, zkjl y pvyahkdt tbspv.
Nk Mldt vbalo y rlydwv kdvs bkp xswvb, nblole, vbld rknjle wr y rsanlzykd nwr vs eakdj oyvla, bkp lmralppksd kdekqqlaldv, dsv lhld zssjkdt yv vbl xyd yde osxyd.
Fweeldzu, vbl aykdnsyv xyd pvyavle nswtbkdt hkszldvzu. Mbl aykdnsyv osxyd bwaaklezu ryvvle bkp cynj vs blzr bkx calyvbl.
Swyd Lkydnbw ypjle, “Zswa csuqaklde pllxp vs cl dsv qllzkdt olzz?”
Mbl aykdnsyv osxyd pxkzle yde pyke, “Tl pbswzed’v byhl nsxl swv qsa y vakr vblpl eyup, okvb yzz vbl aykd yde pvasdt okdep. Tl nywtbv y nsze.”
At this moment, the old lady came out from the kitchen, holding freshly cooked dishes, smiling and inviting, “Come, you haven’t eaten yet, right? Let’s eat together. Ever since my sons went to work in Kedazhuang, this house hasn’t been this lively in a long time. Sit down.”
Everyone sat down at the table as usual.
The old lady enthusiastically handed them bowls and chopsticks, “Come, come, chicken and meat may not be a novelty for you city folks, but these are all local products, no added feed, you can still manage to eat.”
After saying that, she brought out a white gasoline can from the inner room and said, “This is the mulberry wine brewed by my eldest son for several years. Come, let me pour you some.”
Chen Guozhi watched her busily, suddenly showing a mouthful of white teeth, smiling and deliberately speaking slowly, “Hey, grandma, you’re so kind, aren’t you afraid there might be bad people here?”
As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.
“…”
The old lady paused her pouring, lifted her head, her expression a mix of confusion and fear.
Chen Guozhi chuckled again, waving his hand, “Just a joke, don’t be nervous, old lady.”
The old lady forced a smile. She poured the wine for everyone and sat down to eat.
The raincoat man, who had been in low spirits, brightened up at the sight of the wine. He raised his glass, took a sip, and gave a thumbs up, “Wow, this is really good.” Then he raised his glass and said cheerfully, “It’s fate to shelter from the rain together in the wilderness like this. Cheers! Once we finish this glass, we’ll be friends, how about that?”
“Sounds good!” Chen Guozhi clapped his hands, “My surname is Chen, given name Haonan, what should I call you, brother?”
The raincoat man laughed loudly, “Duan Yu!”
Li Teng remained expressionless, took a gulp of the liquor, without a hint of a frown, “Li Teng.”
Ruan Nianchu ate her meal quietly, appearing unaffected.
The room fell silent for a moment, then the raincoat man burst into laughter, pointing at Li Teng, “You’re great, brother, so straightforward! I like dealing with people like you the most!” After saying that, he clinked glasses with Chen Guozhi and downed the drink.
The raincoat woman also smiled, the curve of her lips carrying a deeper meaning.
With laughter and conversation, the atmosphere became pleasant, and soon the dinner was finished.
The old lady prepared beds for the guests separately, then returned to the hall, sitting on a chair sewing clothes. Her eyesight was failing due to old age, so she asked Ruan Nianchu to help her with the needle and thread.
Ruan Nianchu threaded several needles for her before handing them back and sitting beside her, watching her sew.
The old lady glanced at her and said in the local dialect, “There’s hot water in the pot. Wash up early and get some sleep. Tomorrow when it’s time to go to the market, I’ll take you to the street to catch a ride.”
Ruan Nianchu didn’t quite understand what she said. Looking at the wrinkled face of the old lady, she felt a softness in her heart and couldn’t help but smile, “You remind me of another grandmother. She’s probably older than you now. You both are very kind and good-hearted.”
The old lady didn’t know what she was saying and laughed, “Girl, speak slower so I can understand.”
Ruan Nianchu smiled at her without saying anything, stood up, and went back to her room.
The bedroom was simple, without any lights on. Light from the hall spilled through the crack under the door. She looked up and saw Li Teng sitting on the edge of the bed, smoking, his features obscured in the darkness.
There was a strong smell of liquor in the room.
Ruan Nianchu closed the door behind her. The room instantly plunged into darkness again.
She walked quickly to him, furrowing her brows, her voice low and uneasy, “You’re not really drunk, are you?”
Li Teng glanced at her, his tone calm, “What do you think?”
Ruan Nianchu asked again, “Are the man and woman the same ones who were chasing us before?”
Li Teng threw the cigarette to the ground, extinguishing it with his foot, “Yes.”
Her heart sank, “So, what do we do now?”
Li Teng: “We play it by ear.”
“…,” Ruan Nianchu pursed her lips, her voice still low, “Whose side is Chen Guozhi really on?”
As soon as the words fell, there was a knock on the door of the room. Through the door, Chen Guozhi’s voice, drunken and slurred, could be heard cursing, “Li ge, you’re such a lightweight, even more than that Duan Yu…hiccup! Open the door, I still want to have a drinking battle with you for three hundred rounds!”
Li Teng glanced at Ruan Nianchu. Understanding, she stepped forward and opened the door.
Chen Guozhi stumbled into the room, reeking of alcohol, carrying a bucket of wine.
As soon as the door closed, a dagger was pressed against his neck.
Chen Guozhi, seeing the dagger, grew fearful. Swallowing hard, he tried to maintain composure and said softly, “I came here to help sincerely, Li ge, is this how you treat a friend?”
Li Teng, without a hint of a smile, smirked, “I am a soldier, you are a thief, we can’t be friends.”
“Tsk.” Chen Guozhi scoffed, “If it weren’t for you saving my life, I wouldn’t give a damn about your life or death.”
Ruan Nianchu listened from the side, puzzled, “Saved your life? When?”
Chen Guozhi stared at Li Teng and said, “You knew those two people were watching you all along, but I didn’t. During the commotion at the inn, they would definitely have noticed me. There’s a big feud between Da En and Zheng Ye. They are Da En’s people, I am Zheng Ye’s. If they caught me, it would have been a dead end. So by keeping me with you overnight and then throwing me back near the police station the next day, you saved my life.” He paused, “In the world of Jianghu, we talk about honor. You saved my life, so I’m here to repay the favor. Those two outside are professional killers. You alone might stand a chance, but with a weak girl like her, what are the odds?”
Ruan Nianchu corrected him, “It’s ‘without the strength to truss a chicken’.”
Chen Guozhi gave her a glance, switching back to Cantonese, “I told you my Mandarin is bad, didn’t I? Can’t I complain a bit?”
Li Teng asked, “How did you know?”
“I saw two cars wrecked on the road, one of which was yours,” Chen Guozhi said, “I also saw those two people acting suspiciously. I figured something had happened to you. Plus, if you two died, I wouldn’t be able to find Da En and I’d be in trouble with Zheng Ye.”
Ruan Nianchu couldn’t help but interrupt, “Can we focus on what to do next?”
Li Teng and Chen Guozhi exchanged a glance.
Chen Guozhi’s eyes darted around, then he patted his chest, “That woman looks tougher than the man. I’ll take care of her, you take the man.”
Li Teng said, “The man was shot by me before.”
Chen Guozhi was taken aback, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Li Teng remained expressionless, “You didn’t ask.”
Chen Guozhi gritted his teeth, “Alright, I’ll take the man, you take the woman.” After a pause, he asked, “Do you have any weapons?”
Li Teng said, “Nothing.”
Chen Guozhi cursed under his breath and widened his eyes, “Then how the hell am I supposed to fight them?”
Li Teng leaned against the door, silent, and just took out a short knife from his waist and tossed it to him. Chen Guozhi caught it, examined it, then looked at the dagger Li Teng held in his hand, saying, “I want that one.”
Ruan Nianchu glared at him, “That’s a military knife from the Chinese Air Force.”
Hearing that, Chen Guozhi pouted and said nothing.
A few minutes later, the door of the room opened.
The three of them walked cautiously into the hall. The lights were still on here, and the old lady sat under the light, still sewing clothes.
Seeing them, the old lady visibly startled, “What’s wrong?”
Ruan Nianchu squatted down and smiled at her, her voice gentle, “Grandma, it’s very late, you should rest early.”
As soon as the words fell, Li Teng had already pinched the back of the old lady’s neck, found a certain acupuncture point, pressed down hard, and immediately she fell unconscious.
Chen Guozhi caught her from behind, and the three of them carried the old lady into the room and closed the door.
As they emerged, they saw Washa and Duan Kun standing outside, staring at them with cold expressions. There was no hint of politeness or courtesy.
Ruan Nianchu frowned, her heart skipping a beat for a moment.
Li Teng’s face remained expressionless. He subtly moved, shielding Ruan Nianchu behind him, and said coldly, “Personal grudges should not harm the innocent.”
Washa pulled her lips, “That old lady is not our target. If we wanted to harm her, we wouldn’t have pretended just now.”
Chen Guozhi interjected, “Then who is your target?” He pointed at Li Teng, “Him?”
Duan Kun burst into laughter, “What a fool, you guessed wrong. It’s the woman!” As he spoke, a cold light flashed, and a dagger swiftly stabbed towards them.
Chen Guozhi kicked over, and the two of them engaged in a flurry of blades.
Washa stared at Li Teng, raising an eyebrow, and spat out a phrase in Khmer, “Are you, as a grown man, going to fight a woman?”
Li Teng kept a straight face without wasting words.
Washa sighed, “Lee, you’re really indifferent.” After speaking, she dodged around them and tried to grab Ruan Nianchu. Before she could make contact, Li Teng intercepted her halfway, clasped her from behind, and applied a half-nelson, twisting hard.
Washa winced in pain, gritted her teeth, twisted her body to escape his grip, and then pulled out a sharp knife to slash at Ruan Nianchu.
Li Teng immediately pulled Ruan Nianchu into his arms, turned around, and kicked out, sweeping directly towards Washa’s temple. Washa leaned back urgently, retreating two steps from the force of the kick.
Unable to get close to Ruan Nianchu after several attempts, Washa became furious and directly engaged Li Teng in a fight. Li Teng’s eyes were cold as he pushed Ruan Nianchu out of the fighting range, and the two exchanged blows with deadly intent.
Ruan Nianchu gritted her teeth, unable to help, and could only stand by dumbly.
Suddenly, Duan Kun pulled out a gun with a silencer attached, aiming directly at Ruan Nianchu.
Li Teng caught sight of it and his face changed. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. At the same time, Duan Kun pulled the trigger.
The air around them instantly fell silent.
It took Ruan Nianchu a few seconds to regain her senses and panicked, “Li, Li Teng…”
Li Teng’s face remained unchanged, without a furrowed brow.
She felt suspicious.
At this moment, Chen Guozhi kicked the gun away and cursed, “Who are you trying to scare? Where did the bullets in this gun come from?”
Duan Kun scratched his head and muttered, “How is that possible? There was clearly one bullet left…”
Taking advantage of this distraction, Washa, with a fierce look on her face, made another stab.
Li Teng kicked her away with a spinning kick, opened the door, grabbed Ruan Nianchu’s hand tightly, and dashed out. Chen Guozhi followed closely behind.
Duan Kun crawled up from the ground, gritting his teeth. He touched his left shoulder, and the newly bandaged wound started bleeding again. His face grew paler, biting his lip.
Washa glanced at him, frowned, “How are you?”
“I won’t die anytime soon.” Duan Kun said, “Quickly chase them. I’m sure there are bullets in that gun. Lee is injured, they won’t go far.”
“Okay.” Washa nodded, turned around, and rushed out.
There were no lights in the mountain village, it was pitch black, you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. The three of them ran forward quickly, without any direction.
Suddenly, Chen Guozhi stopped to catch his breath and said, “This won’t work… ” After thinking for a moment, he continued, “You two go left, I’ll go right, split up.”
Li Teng nodded without saying a word, tightly gripping Ruan Nianchu’s hand and quickly walking away.
Ruan Nianchu held onto him tightly, not saying a word, just following him as they ran and ran.
After some time, the hand she was holding suddenly became very wet. It was all sweat.
Ruan Nianchu noticed and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong with you?”
Li Teng didn’t answer. The dark clouds above were blown away by the wind, revealing half of the moon’s face. Through the faint moonlight, she saw his calm expression, but his face was as pale as paper.
“…?” Ruan Nianchu’s mind went blank for a moment, realizing something. She reached out to touch Li Teng’s body, brushing past his firm abdominal muscles, narrow waist, and stiffening at his right shoulder.
Moist and warm.
Her heart sank suddenly, “Are you shot?”
Blood was flowing out of the wound, he had lost a lot of blood, taking away most of his strength. Li Teng gritted his teeth and endured the pain, “I’m fine.” After saying that, he suddenly stumbled.
He furrowed his brow and shook his head, forcing himself to stay awake.
Ruan Nianchu panicked and quickly supported him, lifting one of his arms across her shoulders to support him with all her strength, looking around. In the moonlight, she saw a cave not far ahead.
She supported him towards the cave.
The cave was overgrown with weeds, pitch black, and filled with the musty smell of decay, eerie and terrifying.
But at this moment, Ruan Nianchu had no time to think about anything else. She only knew that Li Teng had taken a bullet for her. His condition was very bad, he needed rest.
She helped him sit on a pile of weeds, worriedly asking, “Are you okay?”
Li Teng remained silent with a serious face. After a moment, he moved slightly, grabbed the black T-shirt, and tore it off with force, making a tearing sound as the clothes turned into a pile of rags and were thrown aside.
His strong bronze muscles were exposed in the moonlight. The fierce dragon tattoo on his shoulder was intimidating and terrifying. New and old wounds crisscrossed on his sturdy body, exuding an endless wildness.
“…?” Ruan Nianchu suddenly felt her heart pounding. She wanted to turn her head, but couldn’t take her eyes away.
Li Teng took out a cigarette, bit it between his lips, took out the dagger, roasted it on the lighter on both sides, aimed it at the wound, and stabbed down. Sweat covered his face, his temples bulging with blue veins, his jaw clenched, and with determination, the bullet fell to the ground in an instant.
Then he quickly bandaged it with the torn cloth.
After doing all this, he closed his eyes and lay back on the pile of weeds. His consciousness gradually began to drift away.
Ruan Nianchu felt extremely distressed, reaching out to touch his firm and pale face, whispering softly, “How do you feel now?”
He moved
his lips slightly, his voice very low, “Cold.”
“Cold?” She frowned, feeling his body. Indeed, it was cold as ice.
It was already late autumn, combined with the low temperature in the mountains and his injury, it was no wonder he felt so cold.
Ruan Nianchu thought for a moment, gathered the weeds into a pile, and tried to light them with a lighter. But it had just rained, and the grass was wet, no matter how she tried, it wouldn’t ignite.
She felt extremely anxious, not knowing what to do.
Suddenly, Ruan Nianchu’s eyes flashed, remembering something, and her face turned red in an instant.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she quickly bit her lip, raised her hand to unbutton her clothes.
One button, two buttons…
The floral dress was thrown aside.
Ruan Nianchu’s heart was pounding like thunder. She took a deep breath and exhaled, closed her eyes, her snowy white body bent down slowly, gently, leaning against Li Teng’s chest.
Sansukini: Picture from the drama. I quite like the actors esp the ML. He has such expressive eyes. Mind you, this was just a web drama, but was quite successful.
Thanks for visiting. If you like this story, then I’m shamelessly asking you to visit NovelUpdates and give a 5⭐ review. (人❛ᴗ❛)♪тнайк чоц♪(❛ᴗ❛*人)
You can also check out my other translations Here
Can you link the web drama? Is it subbed?
Yes it is subbed on youtube. Only 16 30-minutes episodes. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6xVgUZ4UP2M0ea4Tt40ArJci4GjzWnFb&si=F-1KsdsKRWek0E7f
Thank you! Will watch!