How could there be a gunshot!
Xin Yu's face was deathly pale; she didn't even realize her leg had hit the seat.
She stood there, stunned, completely unsure what to do.
"Ah!" Finally snapping out of her daze, Xin Yu looked at Mu Yichuan, who was half-slumped into the car, and pulled him forcefully. "Mu Yichuan! What happened to you?"
"I...I'm fine." His voice was hoarse, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes before turning lifeless. "Ayu, drive."
Xin Yu was startled by his voice and words. She closed the car door and first checked him over.
...!
His back was soaked; the warm liquid seeped through his suit, and the smell of blood instantly filled the entire car. He...he had just shielded her from a gunshot?!
"Mu Yichuan!" Xin Yu stared at the bright red blood on her hands, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
"Ayu, be good, drive." He forced a smile. "It's not a serious injury, don't be afraid, I won't let anything happen to you."
Xin Yu took off her coat and placed it behind Mu Yichuan's back, hoping it would help stop the bleeding.
She was about to sit up and drive when she froze, her blood running cold.
A man was standing in front of the car!
He was looking at her with a cold smile!
He had long, flowing hair, a baby face, brown eyes, and a medium build; he was just an ordinary person in a crowd.
However, he held a gun in his hand.
He slowly raised it, the muzzle cold and unyielding.
Xin Yu was startled and looked down at her hand. Mu Yichuan's slightly cool hand reached out and covered her small hand.
Instinctively, she locked the car door. She forced a smile at Mu Yichuan. "Let's go."
Her hand trembled as she pressed the switch. The car started, and the man outside pointed his gun at her.
"Xin Yu." She couldn't hear his voice, but his lip movements were perfectly precise. He recognized her.
She watched as he raised his left hand, his thumb and forefinger pinching her… ring!
Xin Yu then realized that she had lost the ring while running.
Bang!
The man coldly tossed the ring into the air. It flashed briefly before shattering into pieces.
Ugh.
Xin Yu felt as if her heart had been pierced, bleeding profusely.
She saw panic flash in the man's eyes as he dropped his gun.
Xin Yu then turned to look at Mu Yichuan. He was holding a gun!
So, he was the one who fired that shot, hitting not only the man's arm but also the ring! "Ayu," Mu Yichuan spoke again, his voice hoarse like the sands of a barren wasteland.
Without daring to think, she slammed on the accelerator, and the car shot forward like an arrow, veering wildly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Deafening sounds echoed behind the car. Fortunately, Mu Yichuan's car was good enough that the bullets didn't penetrate her body.
However, Xin Yu, the driver, wasn't in much better shape. She was inexperienced to begin with, and at this speed, she could barely control the car.
"Don't rush," Mu Yichuan's calm voice rang out.
"I'm fine!" Xin Yu shouted, trying to encourage herself while masking the tremor in her voice.
Seeing the car following her, she couldn't help but press the accelerator again, and the car sped off wildly, veering wildly. "I won't let anything happen to you! Mu Yichuan! Hang in there!"
"I know," he said firmly, a handsome smile curving his lips, his dark eyes brightening.
Xin Yu was focused on driving and didn't see the trust and doting in Mu Yichuan's eyes. She had only one thought in her mind—that the man beside her was safe and sound.
*Crack!*
A terrifying bolt of lightning flashed through the dark clouds, followed by a deafening clap of thunder!
"Mu Yichuan!" Xin Yu turned her head to look at him. His eyes were slightly closed, and his face was already pale. "Don't sleep! We're at the hospital right now!"
She wanted to free one hand to grab Mu Yichuan, but she was afraid she would lose control and crash into the railing, which would be a pointless death, giving the villains behind them an easy opportunity.
"Mu Yichuan! Mu Yichuan! If you fall asleep, you won't be able to beat me!" Xin Yu's mind was blank; she didn't know what to say.
"Ayu." He opened his eyes, showing none of the desolate sorrow and grief Xin Yu had imagined, only a piercing, cold light. "Remember, only you and I can destroy the Phoenix-Headed Iris."
Having said that, Mu Yichuan stared intently at Xin Yu.
Her heart skipped a beat at his words, but before she could respond, it sank even deeper with the sudden downpour.
Her vision grew increasingly blurry, yet it seemed she still had an endless road ahead.
And she had no sense of direction.
"Mu Yichuan, I... I don't know how to get to the hospital!"
"Fool, turn right ahead." He said casually, then paused for half a second, stunned. He actually knew!
Before she could investigate further, the sounds of tires screeching against the pavement, splashing water, and clashing metal all rang out simultaneously.
If it weren't for the good car, Xin Yu and Mu Yichuan would probably have been thrown out! "There's a car blocking our way." Through the rain, Xin Yu looked at the black sedan ahead, and an instant chill ran down her spine.
The memory of being followed resurfaced in her mind. Was this a conspiracy?
"Get in the back, I'll drive," Mu Yichuan commanded, his voice not loud, but carrying an unyielding authority.
Xin Yu looked at his face, instinctively sensing his serious injuries, and shook her head vigorously.
She started the car.
She slowly reversed.
Until she could see another car approaching from behind.
"Mu Yichuan, I told you, I won't let anything happen to you, absolutely not!" Xin Yu roared resolutely, not even knowing where she got the courage.
She stepped on the gas.
She floored it.
The sound of two cars colliding rang out again.
Fortunately, Xin Yu's trembling and frozen blood allowed the car to overtake the black sedan and speed away into the rain.
She didn't hear any police sirens behind her.
"Boss, we!"
The man in the black sedan waved his hand, his expression like a meditating monk. "It's alright, this is what makes it interesting..."
"Going all out to beat me?" Mu Yichuan's tone was mocking, but only he knew he was trying to ease Xin Yu's tension.
The woman driving was slowing down, looking for the way to the hospital.
Hearing his voice, she paused, remaining silent. Had she still won?
He had risked his life to save her!
"Do you need help?"
"Hmm?"
"Otherwise, why would you insist I stay by your side and obey your every command?"
"Hmm..."
"Mu Yichuan!" Xin Yu's shouts continued until Mu Yichuan was wheeled into the emergency room, until the police came to question her.
But her mind was filled with the thick pool of blood she had seen in the car, silently telling her the severity of Mu Yichuan's injuries.
"Miss Xin." The policeman's voice brought Xin Yu back to reality.
She looked up in a daze, her brows furrowing slightly. This person was… Liu Yi?
The first time she woke up at Mu Yichuan's villa, when she said she wanted to call the police, the officer he called—was he later punished?
Time seemed to have passed for a very long time, so long that Xin Yu felt she and Mu Yichuan had been through an eternity.
"Officer Liu…"
A look of surprise flashed across Liu Yi's eyes. He hadn't expected her to remember him. He nodded to her.
He began his routine questioning, "Ms. Xin, someone reported this afternoon that they heard gunshots in the Beishi Suburban Park?"
At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed from the elevator.
"Qiu Zhi…" Seeing the familiar face, Xin Yu suddenly felt a release, all her grievances and fear surging forth. "You…you must go see Mu Yichuan!"
Seeing her gripping his arm tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably, Qiu Zhi's heart clenched. He reached out and helped Xin Yu to sit on a bench.
"Ninth Brother will be alright." With that, he strode into the emergency room.
Entering, he realized that Mu Yichuan's injuries were far more serious than he had imagined.
A bullet had pierced his shoulder blade…!
"Ninth Brother!" Qiu Zhi cried out in anguish, having roughly guessed the situation; otherwise, with Ninth Brother's strength, they wouldn't have succeeded.
He composed himself and began the race against time to save him.
However, the scene outside the emergency room seemed even more intense and chaotic than inside.
Cheng Yao, half-soaked, grabbed Xin Yu, glaring angrily!
"Speak! What did you do to Ninth Brother!"
"President Cheng!" Liu Yi quickly pulled Cheng Yao away. He knew their brotherly bond was deep, but now he also knew Xin Yu's importance in Mr. Ninth's heart.
But Cheng Yao didn't care, kicking Liu Yi far away.
Still holding onto Xin Yu, he demanded, "Why did Ninth Brother come to Beishi with you!"
He came all this way, without even a driver or bodyguard! Xin Yu, already feeling wronged and guilty, was even more at a loss for words when Cheng Yao questioned her. What memories had she come to Beishi to find?!
Why was she looking for these damned memories?!
Why hadn't she told Mu Yichuan before that someone was following her?!
Now, she'd let bad guys take advantage of the situation and hurt him!
"Speak!"
Xin Yu trembled at Cheng Yao's roar, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
"You're still crying!" Cheng Yao was almost completely irrational. "You still have the nerve to cry! Don't you know how Ninth Brother treated you! I knew… you and your senior brother are in cahoots, you're not a good person!"
In cahoots with Senior Brother Cheng Che?
Why was he always so stubbornly misunderstanding her?!
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Xin Yu struggled to break free from Cheng Yao's grasp.
"Officer Liu!" Xin Yu cried out, "I… I saw the killer's face!"
Liu Yi was shocked and quickly persuaded Cheng Yao to release Xin Yu and let her draw a portrait of the killer. She leaned back on the veranda bench, closed her eyes, and thought for a moment before picking up a pen and drawing.
Long hair cascading down her shoulders, a baby face, about 1.75 meters tall, a robust build, wearing navy blue casual clothes…
Outside, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and rain poured down.
Inside the corridor, however, all was quiet, save for the scratching sound of Xin Yu's pen on the paper.
Her slightly lowered face appeared even paler against her black hair, her dark eyes focused intently on the paper. But when she started drawing the murderer's features, she paused.
Suddenly, her mind felt as if veiled, unable to see clearly.
Xin Yu rested her chin on her hand, taking several deep breaths, but her heart pounded even faster.
Her hands trembled.
"Calm down, think slowly," she told herself, trying to convince herself, "Think slowly…"
For Mu Yichuan's sake, she had to draw the murderer.
Suddenly, the thick pool of blood revealed the murderer's face.
Xin Yu quickly put pen to paper, but then heard a tinkling sound.