Just as Li Xingye's hopes were renewed by the abundance of food, Chi Wan finally returned to the village.
The bus ride from the city took two hours, so it was nearly eight o'clock when she got off, and the sky was completely dark.
The last stop was still a ten-minute walk from her family's old house. The pitch-black path stretched out endlessly before her, making Chi Wan, who had never walked a country road at night, feel a little apprehensive.
She had tried calling Chi Yuanshan when she was getting close, but the call hadn't gone through—perhaps because the signal in the mountains was poor.
Fortunately, just as she got off the bus, she received a call back from Ms. Song Yinghe, who told her that Chi Yuanshan was already on his way to pick her up.
Chi Wan decided to just sit and wait on a wooden bench under the bus stop sign. Listening to the chorus of cicadas in the countryside, her initial fear gradually began to subside.
Just as she was debating whether to call Chi Yuanshan and ask where he was, a vehicle finally emerged slowly from the village.
Thinking it was Chi Yuanshan, Chi Wan happily stood up. But after taking two steps forward, she realized it was a small pickup truck.
It wasn't her dad. She sighed and sat back down.
But as the truck drew closer, its high beams illuminated her figure in sharp detail. She raised a hand to shield her eyes, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
For some reason, the scene sent a flicker of unease through Chi Wan's heart.
But the bus stop was extremely simple, consisting of nothing more than a bare signpost and two wooden benches. There was nowhere to hide.
Chi Wan comforted herself, 'Don't scare yourself. The village is pretty safe, and Dad will be here soon.'
But her hand still quietly tapped her chest.
Under her wary gaze, the pickup truck actually slowed to a stop right beside her.
A few voices drifted from the truck, making her blood run cold. "Well, well, isn't this Chi Yuanshan's daughter, the one who loves making those little videos? What are you doing here all alone? Don't tell me you're waiting for us boys again?"
"Waiting for your big brothers to come help you film some more?"
"Little sister, what's the fun in filming those videos by yourself? If you'd told us where you were yesterday, we could've helped you out."
"Don't worry, we can film some right now. I promise I'll make you look real pretty."
...
The malice dripping from their words made Chi Wan instinctively want to run, but how could she be faster than Liu Dali and his men? In an instant, she was surrounded by the four of them.
She struggled to keep her composure. "My dad will be here any second. Please, let me pass."
Liu Dali ignored her completely, turning to a tall, skinny man with a lewd grin. "Monkey, you're the only one of us brothers who's still single. They say this girl is a college student. I think you two would make a great match."
The others burst out laughing at that. "Brother Dali's got a good eye! Hey, Monkey, just think, if you become that bastard Chi Yuanshan's son-in-law, won't his whole orchard belong to us?"
Monkey's predatory gaze swept over Chi Wan's delicate face and her tall, well-proportioned figure. He spat on the ground. "I'm just afraid this little sister has high standards and won't think I'm good enough."
Liu Dali grabbed Chi Wan's hand, which was in her pocket, revealing her already lit-up phone screen. He sneered, "That's easy. Just film a few little videos with her. As long as she takes a liking to you, her dad won't be able to stop a thing."
With that, he snatched the phone from her!
"Let go of me!" Chi Wan had underestimated their audacity and malice. Regret washed over her for having too much faith in the village's safety and not returning earlier. "What you're doing is illegal! I just called my dad! He's on his way!"
"So what if he's on his way?" Liu Dali said with utter nonchalance. "Perfect. He can come watch his daughter film her little videos. You love to film, don't you? In a bit, the boys and I will take turns helping you out! You really should have asked around about who I, Liu Dali, am. Stealing my stuff was one thing, but now you dare to threaten me!"
"You damn brat, you think Chi Yuanshan can save you? Since you walked right into this, I'll teach you the rules of how things are done in this village today!"
"Heh heh, Brother Dali, I gotta say, a feisty little thing like this is pretty exciting. Let me go second, okay?"
"You'll have to ask Monkey. See if he's willing to share his new wife with us brothers."
...
After all, Chi Wan was just a freshman in college. When had she ever encountered such vile people? If she weren't holding back with all her might, refusing to show weakness, she would have already burst into tears.
But she knew that the more fear she showed, the more brazen they would become. She gritted her teeth, struggling to suppress her terror as she tried to stall for time, all while frantically searching her space for any usable tool.
To her despair, the space contained only food and that pot of Fragrant Vine, which for some reason had become absurdly overgrown.
'No, Chi Wan, don't panic. Quick, think... what else can you do...'
She desperately racked her brain for a way to save herself. Her consciousness swept over the boxes of food again and again. She worried that even if Chi Yuanshan arrived, he wouldn't be able to handle these men. Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
Chi Wan tried to struggle, but Liu Dali's hand was like an iron clamp, holding her so tightly she couldn't move an inch.
She glared at Liu Dali. "Aren't you afraid I'll call the police?"
Liu Dali looked like he'd just heard the funniest thing in the world. "The police? You want to share your little videos with Officer Friendly?"
The group of men laughed as they slowly closed in on her. Their touches sent goosebumps all over her skin in the sweltering summer night. She finally broke down. "Get away! Don't touch me!!"
"Chi Wan, what's wrong?"
Just as Chi Wan fell into despair, Li Xingye's voice suddenly echoed from within the space.
He wasn't sure what was happening to him; he just felt a profound sense of unease.
Upon entering the space, he found he could faintly hear noises from Chi Wan's side. It was intermittent, and he could only make out words like "little videos."
Then, Chi Wan's scream suddenly rang in his ears.
Li Xingye's eyes narrowed. 'Chi Wan is in trouble!'
But he and Chi Wan were separated by space and time. How could he possibly help her?!
Chi Wan's tearful voice, mixed with the malicious laughter of several men, continued to reach him, making Li Xingye's heart feel as if it were being roasted over a raging fire.
Meanwhile, on Chi Wan's end, the arriving Chi Yuanshan was already brawling with Liu Dali and his cronies.
But he was a gentle, scholarly man; how could he possibly be a match for four rough farmhands?
So, when she heard Li Xingye's voice, Chi Wan felt as if she had seen her savior.
"Li Xingye, my dad's in danger! Do you have a weapon? Give me a weapon!"
Li Xingye instinctively wanted to give Chi Wan the knife in his hand, but he worried that as a young woman, she wouldn't have the strength to use it. If it were taken from her, she would be in even more danger.
'What should I do? How can I help Chi Wan?!'
He deeply regretted not bringing a gun with him. After so many years, he had grown accustomed to using his superpower to deal with zombies; guns were more or less optional for him, so he had left them for the people at the base to defend themselves.
'Wait... superpower!'
Li Xingye's gaze suddenly fell upon the two lush pots of Fragrant Vine in the corner of the space.