1241-1250
Chapter 1241: Used to It
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Mu Yichen immediately took out the dagger strapped to his thigh and pried it into the teeth. Under his repeated efforts, his brother’s arm finally regained freedom.
The former instantly grabbed his arm and applied the emergency medication Lisa had thrown to them on his wound.
Having a low pain tolerance, Youyou could not help moaning lightly when his brother did so. His shoulders convulsed uncontrollably and his scalp became numbed.
“It’ll hurt a little; bear with it!”
His brother never once stopped his hand movements. After the bleeding completely stopped, he pulled up his shirt and, crooking his head, tore a corner of the shirt with his teeth before skillfully bandaging the wound.
The instant he tied a dead knot using the cloth with his mouth, Youyou collapsed on him while panting heavily.
The girl standing at the hole’s mouth observed it for a bit.
It was a relatively new trap and had been set up not long ago.
Although it was not considered deep, the hole was about five to six meters into the ground. It would be a little challenging to climb up with just bare hands.
She said, “Wait for me.”
With that, she turned to leave.
The younger boy leaned against the rock wall. His injury was not serious, but due to the low temperature in the hole, his blood clumped up and his wound seemed to have frozen. The pain was excruciating.
With his energy nearly depleted, his entire being was groggy and weak and he sat paralyzed on the floor.
From Mu Yichen’s observations of their surroundings, he deduced that this was likely a trap for catching animals.
He then sat down beside his brother and tried to pull up his sleeves, but they were clumped to the dried blood.
A broken arrow was probably on the ground when he stumbled earlier as an arrow head was currently piercing his arm.
He had been trying to endure the pain all this while. Only after he pulled up his sleeve did he realize that the wound had bled profusely.
His emotions took a long time to settle down when he recalled the earlier nerve-racking scene.
If not for the girl returning to rescue him, he would have likely been bitten in the throat by that jackal.
His brother was shocked to see the wound on his arm.
“What happened?”
“It’s fine; just a little hurt.”
Sitting up with difficulty, he held the dagger in his hand to cut a hole in his clothes, carefully tore his them apart, and pushed them off his shoulder.
He examined his wound for a while, looking at the broken arrow head stuck in his flesh. With gritted teeth, he drew a cross on his wound with the tip of the knife and then forcefully plucked out the arrow head from it. Blood splattered everywhere.
As he wiped away the blood splotches on his face, his brows knitted tightly at the sight of the arrow head.
He was worried that it had poison.
Hunters probably hunted in this mountainous terrain often.
Many hunters would apply poison to the tip of their arrows to numb the nerves of wild animals.
He gritted his teeth and kissed his wound after a moment’s hesitation.
A moment later, he turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood before kissing it again with a frown. He tore a strip of cloth from his clothes and swiftly bandaged his wound tightly thereafter. When he raised his head, he saw his younger twin’s surprised look.
“What’s wrong?”
Youyou was in a daze for quite some time.
Not because of anything else but because of his brother’s skilled movements; did he often suffer from such injuries?
“Stupid brother, do you often get hurt?”
Startled, the older boy nodded slowly. “Mm.”
“Why?”
He answered truthfully, “When I was in a boot camp, I often got injured during field combat.”
Chapter 1242: Do not get hurt again.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“When I was in a boot camp, I often got injured during field combat.”
“...” The younger boy felt a stab of pain in his heart.
His heart ached for his brother.
“Well, don’t imagine things. I’m used to it.” Mu Yichen laughed lightly and reached to rub his fringe in comfort.
Youyou grabbed his hand unhappily. “Promise me.”
“Mm?”
“Don’t get hurt again.” He stared into his eyes as he enunciated.
His words left Mu Yichen a little surprised.
He could see the undisguised pain in the other’s eyes.
His heart felt warm.
“All right, I promise!”
“Mm!”
Youyou leaned against the rough stone wall again. His back felt very uncomfortable against the uneven stones. Only after he had taken the effort to adjust the angle did he feel a little better.
Feeling a little tired, he decided to make use of this time to rest for a while.
When he closed his eyes, he heard someone standing up.
His eyes opened in surprise, only to see a large jacket blocking his vision from above.
He waved his hand to pull it off him but was stopped by a forceful hand.
“It’s cold here; don’t get frozen,” said his older twin.
“Aren’t you cold as well?”
“Nope.” A seemingly mocking smile flashed across his brother’s face. “This is nothing.”
“Really?” He could not help feeling skeptical.
Mu Yichen pouted. “It’s really not cold. I can even swim a few laps in the lake during winter.”
In truth?
He was feeling cold, too.
It was bitterly cold and wet in this hole. His scalp was so numb that he felt it was frozen when he frowned.
Shortly after, Lisa returned with a rattan and she dropped one end of it down the hole.
“Climb up!” she shouted from above.
The older boy stood up. The other end of the rattan was firmly tied to a tree by the girl.
“You go first.” He told his brother.
The younger one shook his head tiredly. “You go up first then pull me.”
“Okay. Wait for me, then.”
With his hands grabbing the rattan and his toes perching on the stone wall, he climbed out of the hole in no time.
He turned around and shouted into the hole. “Come up now!”
He seemed to have forgotten that his younger twin had hurt his hand.
Even if the boy was not injured, given his pathetic bit of strength in his arms, there was no way he could climb up.
Bearing the pain from the abrasion between the rattan and his palms, he attempted a few times but fell back to the ground each time.
“I don’t think I have any energy left.” His voice echoed weakly. “You guys go meet the troops first, and then find a way to rescue me!”
The girl frowned, but before she could reply, his older brother anxiously protested, “No! I can’t leave you here alone!”
“This place is very safe. I’ll wait for you all here.”
After a pause, Youyou said helplessly, “I really don’t have any strength left; I’m really tired. There’s no way I can climb up as high as this hole’s mouth.”
“I’ll go down and carry you.”
“Are you crazy?!”
If he had to carry him on his back, then he would have to bear twice the weight.
If this were prior to this, he believed that his brother could do it.
Now, the latter was exhausted, too. It was impossible for him to do it.
“Brother, don’t worry; it’s very safe here. I’ll stay here and wait for you guys to rescue me,” he insisted.
His older twin could not bear to do so, though.
He continued. “From my estimation, this place isn’t far from the rendezvous point; one hour is enough for a to-and-fro trip.”
Chapter 1243: Caught in a Desperate Situation
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
He continued. “From my estimation, this place isn’t far from the rendezvous point; one hour is enough for a to-and-fro trip.”
“All right. You must wait for me!”
“Okay!” Youyou smiled before changing the topic. He commanded, “Lisa, protect my brother well!”
“Yes, master,” replied his personal bodyguard respectfully.
She also believed that if they continued to drag this further, they would be unable to leave this place the moment they exhausted all their energy.
Since the two still had some strength, they should hurry and meet with the troops.
On the contrary, it would be safer for her charge to stay here.
“Stay here and wait for me!” said the girl.
“Okay!” He nodded.
She then turned and hurried off.
Mu Yichen’s heart was slightly in turmoil, but in the present situation, it was indeed safer for his brother to stay where he was.
He was too weak.
He knew that his and the girl’s physical strength had dwindled and they were at their limits. If they were to get into any more incidents during their trek out of the jungle, they would be up to their ears in work.
Therefore, after glancing at his twin one more time, he gritted his teeth and followed the girl.
Youyou closed his eyes and tried to recuperate.
He was completely exhausted at this point. He knew his physical condition well. It was already hard for him to stay back and wait for the two; thus, it was needless to say that following them would have been impossible.
However, no matter how slim their chances were, he would push on until the end as long as there was still strength left in him.
He covered himself with the jacket his brother had left him. The cave, which was moist and cold, seemed to press down on him entirely.
He could feel the blood in his entire body solidifying and no longer flowing smoothly as if he were frozen. Every capillary on his cheek had turned rigid; his skin felt numb from even the slightest expression he formed on his face.
He touched his face, almost believing that a layer of ice had formed on it!
The boy tried to keep his eyes wide open. He was sleepy and tired. He could not help himself from coiling into a fetal position at the freezing cold. This little lad was like a frail shrimp, cowering in a corner, but this did little for him to withstand the cold.
Gradually, his eyelids had gotten heavy.
He strove to keep his eyes open still despite knowing that his physical strength had reached its limits.
The lad refused to let himself close his eyes.
The temperature on these vast mountains was close to zero, and it was extremely chilly during daybreak. He raised his head and watched the sunrise but could hardly feel the light or the heat from it.
Letting out a sigh in his heart, he felt that he could not go on like this any longer.
He must at least get up and move about. If he were to freeze, he might end up becoming dizzy and slip into unconsciousness at any moment!
In such type of environment, if he were to close his eyes, he did not know if he could even wake up again!
Youyou stood up. Holding onto the jacket tighter, he stomped a few times on the spot and did a turn in the cave.
Wild winds began to blow into the cave.
Due to the peculiar structure of the trap, the winds in the cave were exceptionally strong. They continued to blow into it wildly, feeling more like a torrent of iced water to him.
He gave up. After considering carefully, he decided that he needed to find a hiding place that could fend the winds better.
He sought for a corner and sat down. Thereafter, he looked up at the sky.
The sky was now brighter.
Where were the two now, and when would they return to get him?
Chapter 1244: Fever
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
He leaned against the stone wall behind him. When he fell, he had hit the sharpest edge of the rock. He believed that he might have suffered a minor injury as a result. With the contamination from the morning dew, his wound was itchy and hurting at the same time. It was as if there were countless ants biting him.
His throat had gone parched without food and water for a day and a night.
When the worst scenarios all came together, it became a desperate situation.
Youyou buried his face in the folds of his arms. Hoping that when he opened them again, he would see his brother at this hole’s mouth reaching his hand toward him...
...
Once they crossed the vast forest, it was a highway that ran for several kilometers.
Little Yichen and Lisa sped along this road in single file, stopping for rest intermittently, striving their best to regain contact with their troop in the shortest time.
The sun had risen in the horizon at this time. It was early morning, barely any heat beat on them, but the light had at least driven away the chill somewhat and brought invaluable warmth slightly.
The boy’s feet seemed to grow heavier with each step. It was as if he would collapse from exhaustion at any second.
His condition was actually worse than Yun Tianyou.
He was wounded all over. As some injuries were not treated in time, these had become infected and painful.
Despite that, he showed no sign of slowing down.
This was because his brother was waiting for him!
Any second’s delay would mean a second more of danger to his brother!
The girl saw the stiff and repressed expression on his face and knew that he was enduring pain.
“I’ll carry you,” she said.
He glanced at her in surprise but retrieved his startled look just as quickly and rejected coolly, “No!”
She had always been in awe of the strong. This boy’s amazing willpower and tenacity had gradually changed her view of him!
His throat had turned unbearably dry. Suddenly, his feet gave way and he fell onto the ground.
Immediately, she walked up and tried to help him up, but he refused to give her his hand.
His shoulders were heaving up and down heavily despite his best efforts to slow down his hastened breathing.
He gritted his teeth and tried to loosen his unusually stiff muscles slowly. Taking in a deep breath, he attempted to crawl up from the ground using the stone wall as support.
Just as he managed to come to a squatting position on one knee and was about to get up, he was hit by a dizzy spell. Darkness set before his eyes with his head spinning and his body covered in a cold sweat.
The girl reached for his forehead and realized that he was running a fever with a start.
His forehead was bathed in a cold perspiration, which was rolling profusely.
When he opened his eyes again, his face had turned as pale as a white sheet of paper.
She knelt on the ground with one foot and gently wiped away the cold sweat on his face. Her guess was that he might have caught an infection from his open wounds and exhaustion.
Unfortunately, she did not have any medicine on her anymore.
“Are you all right?” she asked earnestly with furrowed brows.
Her master had already reminded her to take care of him and this would mean protecting him right now!
Biting hard on his lower lip, he shook his head. “I’m fine!”
As he spoke, big drops of cold perspiration continued to roll down.
His current body condition could not fool her no matter how much he tried to appear strong.
She frowned as she watched him try to hold himself up. Closing his eyes to take in a few breaths of fresh air, some colors managed to return on his wan face.
Chapter 1245: Keep quiet!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
When he opened his eyes again, he could feel the dizziness abiding. He knew he had reached his maximum physical capacity.
His heart grew anxious, and a deep sense of helplessness overcame him.
If only he were Superman.
Alas, he was not.
He was presently upset with his powerlessness and inability to protect his brother. He swung his fist to the ground in uncontrollable anger; tiny red capillaries floated to the surface of his knuckles.
“Why are you doing this?!” Lisa held tightly to his fist.
Hasn’t this fool suffered enough injuries?
He reached out to wipe away the perspiration on his face. Forcing himself to stand up, he swayed and his eyes blacked out once more, sending his body to tumble heavily forward!
She rushed to hold onto his center of gravity.
The moment she touched him, she could feel the mind-numbing chill on his skin.
It was so cold that it seemed to seep through her clothing and freeze her blood flow as well!
His clothes were all wet from the dew trapped as they trekked through the jungle, and some parts were even mangled with blood.
He had pushed himself to go on this journey despite his extreme fatigue. At this moment, he no longer had any power left to carry himself further.
He had insisted on carrying Youyou in his kind of condition earlier, too.
This went to show how tenacious his willpower was.
Lisa simply carried him on her back.
The older one was taller by half a head to his twin; hence, he was much heavier as well.
The girl had hardly any strength left as well. Mu Yichen’s weight was nothing to her on any other normal days, but today, her body actually shook and almost buckled under the load.
His head lay limply on her shoulder as his urgent breathing reverberated in her ear. She could still feel the strong, quick beating of his heart against the fabric. Thump, thump, thump!
His skin was burning, and with him on her back, she started on the journey again.
The wind was blowing strong on this mountain road.
She was already wet with perspiration, and when a particularly strong gust of wind blew across, and she was suddenly feeling wet and cold.
The boy opened his eyes groggily from his semi-conscious state. He could feel himself being carried on someone’s back. He looked down and saw her determined-looking side profile.
The cold gust of wind blew and messed up her hair with her long and dense eyelashes.
Observing her profile at such proximity, he discovered that she actually looked stunning.
There was a special aura about her.
Although she looked so aloof and lifeless, as if she were an ice sculpture where the blood flowing through her veins had turned to snow, she roused heartache.
She appeared distant and cold, yet one could not help feeling close to her.
She was starting to feel lightheaded from the long trek through the night.
She was not a fighting machine but was made of flesh and blood—a human with limitations.
Thus, her footsteps slowed down eventually, too.
He protested weakly, “P-Put me down... I can walk—”
“Shut up!” She forced these words out of her mouth. “Keep quiet!”
She was frustrated enough.
Her legs were like lead that she could hardly lift anymore.
Her head was starting to feel dizzy, too. The scenery had slowly begun to blur and fleet before her eyes unknowingly.
Chapter 1246: Search!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Her head was starting to feel dizzy, too. The scenery had slowly begun to blur and fleet before her eyes unknowingly.
She was finally overwhelmed!
The world around her turned dark all of a sudden.
Just when she thought she would collapse, she saw a troop hurrying toward her in her hazy vision.
Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head to try to clear the fog in her head.
Gaining a better look, she could see Vermilion Bird in full-combat uniform and Peaceful Tyrant walking in her direction!
This was like a shot of adrenaline as she picked up the pace and ran toward them with Mu Yichen on her back.
Vermilion Bird first caught sight of a girl rushing toward them with a child on her back from the end of the mountain road. She squinted to examine further and waved her hand wildly when she realized who she was. “Luka, send someone over! It’s Lisa!”
“Understood.”
The man quickly dispatched a team over.
The girl persevered until she saw him in front of her and the team took the boy from her back before she swirled and fell to the ground in a heap.
“Lisa!”
Alarmed, the man stooped and carried her in his arms.
“...” She opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything, her eyes fluttered and she fainted.
Holding up to now, she had gone way beyond her limits!
Luka called out urgently a few more times but she had already turned unconscious.
Vermilion Bird was disconcerted to see that there were just two kids when she arrived at the scene.
“Where is Yun Tianyou?”
The man shook his head in silence. “...”
With only two children, one remained missing.
Frowning, the woman barked at her microphone earpiece, “Command, this is Vermilion Bird; please send Yun Tianyou’s coordinates!”
“Understood!”
The temporary command post immediately sent over the boy’s coordinates to her laptop.
Actually, when the children did not turn up at gate by the bridge as originally agreed, she had already requested the command post to send their location.
However, she was told that the signals were inconsistent. As the jungle had poor wireless coverage, the location might not be accurate.
Thus, the moment she lost contact with Lisa, she sent people into the jungle to search it.
Strangely, Yun Tianyou’s signal frequency was unusual.
When they arrived at the location, his signal was several kilometers away.
This meant that he was heading north.
Hence, she had someone guard the rendezvous point, only to end up with the following outcome.
When her people arrived at the last known location, they discovered a trap more than five meters deep.
There was no one inside the deep hole when she shone a torchlight down it; only a blood-stained coat was found.
Her face was mild with temper after she examined the jacket salvaged by her men.
“What happened?!” Gong Jie’s voice could be heard through the earpiece. “Where is he?”
She buckled on the earpiece and replied, “We lost him! Please send the coordinates over again.”
“We lost the signal.”
“Lost?!” She was perturbed. “How could that be?”
Luka reminded her at one side. “The chip implanted in him is biodegradable. It will be absorbed into the body once it exceeds the time limit.”
Vermilion Bird clenched her fists angrily.
Turning around, she coolly commanded, “Send more people over! He should be near so do a carpet sweep for him!”
“Understood!”
...
Chapter 1247: Where is the other child?
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
In the hospital, Mu Yazhe received a call from Li Hanlin. According to the assistant, his older son was now back to safety but his younger son was missing temporarily. More teams had been sent to search for him at the moment.
Fright appeared on the man’s face. “What happened?”
“We lost contact with the two kids. We presently can’t ascertain what has happened during the process! What we can do now is wait for the young master to regain consciousness before we find out the details. I’m sorry, sir!”
He hung up, turned around, and saw Yun Shishi looking at him with her hopeful and inquiring eyes.
“Have the children returned?”
“Yes!” He nodded. Creasing his brows, he decided to hide the truth from her for the time being. “They are safe now. Rest assured!”
“They’re back? Where are they?”
Colors returned to her pale-looking face finally. With eyes brightening, she wanted to get down the bed agitatedly.
The man stopped her. “I’ll bring you over when you get better!”
“No!” Her face froze in suspicion. “Mu Yazhe, did you tell me a white lie? The children aren’t safe and sound yet, are they?”
She looked at him askance.
He answered, “Be good! I didn’t lie to you. The children are hurt and have been sent to a hospital. They’ll get heartache if they see you looking so frail now!”
Startled, she glanced down and had to agree that she was rather haggard-looking.
“Take some porridge and have a rest first. Once you look better, I’ll bring you to them, okay?” he coaxed gently.
She looked at him suspiciously for a while, and only when she could not find signs of deception on his face did she return to bed sullenly.
“My mind can’t rest if I don’t get to see the two kids!”
“Take some porridge first, all right?”
He scooped the porridge beside him and looked at her with gentle indulgence.
Since he returned overseas, he had kept her company for two days and nights without sleep.
By now, a slight stubble had appeared on his chin, and his beautiful face had grown thinner and more angular.
The woman looked at him deeply and felt a sense of heartache suddenly!
She seemed to realize, with a start, that she might have gone overboard.
If she had been too worried to sleep well, then so was he.
She was their mother while he was their father. Why would he not be anxious, too?
As for her, she could always rely on him when she was scared and worried.
How about him?
He had no one to turn to.
He must be more exhausted than her!
Her eyes brimmed with tears without warning.
He opened the thermal flask to prepare the porridge when he turned around and happened to see her guilty expression. Frowning, he asked, “What’s up?”
“Mu Yazhe... I’ve made you worried...” she muttered meekly. Looking up and staring deep into his eyes, she said, “From now on, I’ll listen to you. I’ll be good and stop making wild guesses!”
He was flabbergasted and could not resist reaching out to pinch her nose. “Silly.”
Holding up the spoon, he said gently, “Let me feed you, eh?”
“Mm.” She nodded.
He had his servant prepare this porridge beforehand and send it over in a thermal flask. As such, it was still boiling hot.
He checked the temperature carefully with his lips first. If it was hot, he would blow on it lightly to ensure that it was lukewarm enough for her to consume before passing it to her.
Chapter 1248: I will wait for your return!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
She carefully took it in her mouth and swallowed. Warmth instantly spread to her entire body; she did not feel that cold anymore.
He repeated his actions until there was half a bowl of porridge left. “I’m full. I can’t eat any more.”
“Just eat a little more,” he patiently coaxed.
Unable to resist him, she ate a few more mouthfuls of the porridge.
She had a small appetite in the first place. Once she was full, she lay down gently in the bed.
The man got to his feet and went to the bathroom. After he was done washing up, he walked to the bed. “I’m heading to the office now to settle something. Have a good rest and wait for my return!”
“You’re going to the office?” She was somewhat dissatisfied. “Is there something very important?”
“Yes, it’s very important.”
There were some scores that he naturally wanted to settle with that person properly.
She asked, “Then, when are you coming back?”
“I’ll be back once I’m done.”
She pouted at his answer, which was as good as saying nothing.
Nonetheless, she made no protest anymore and smiled obediently in bed. “I’ll wait for you.”
“Mm.”
After he smoothed the creases on the blanket for her, he turned and left.
...
Darkness consumed him and he passed out immediately after.
In his state of grogginess, he felt an inexplicable heat; it was so hot that his entire body was boiling. His chest seemed to be burned by something and it hurt.
When Youyou woke up from his delirium, he was a little confused about his whereabouts. The pain in his head was getting clearer and more severe; it seemed to remind him that he was still alive.
After a long period of darkness, when he finally opened his eyes again, it was because of a little hand groping his face.
When he woke up and peeled open his eyelids, he saw a small light brown hand lightly lifting his eyelashes.
“Wah! Ah pa, this big brother’s eyelashes are really pretty! It’s so long, just like a beautiful fan!”
A tender and soft voice rang.
His brows furrowed slightly as he tried to open his eyes slightly. His vision was still a blur, though.
“Lingling, big brother is injured. You go outside and don’t disturb his rest!”
“But, ah pa, Lingling isn’t disturbing his rest!”
“Ah pa, ah pa, why is his skin so fair like the city kids? Also, big brother is so good-looking. He’s more handsome than that Huzi in the village!”
“...”
Youyou’s heart clenched. His eyes widened the moment he turned his head over and met a little girl’s strangely surprised eyes.
The girl was startled at first. She then rushed over, held up his face, and took a look at him.
His eyes widened in shock.
Seeing that he had woken up, her face lit up with joy at once.
“Ah pa, big brother is awake! Big brother is awake!”
She ran away while happily waving her hands in the air.
He sat up from the bed, but because his movement was too big, it tugged on the wound in his arm.
He hissed in pain as his trembling hand gentle covered his arm. He surveyed his surroundings. What came into view was a slightly outdated folk hut.
From his observations, it gave off the feeling of a family in a small village; whitewashed walls, wooden ceiling, simple wooden furniture, and a cabinet with a CRT television.
Chapter 1249: Rescued
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The floor was paved with slates.
He was lying on a four-poster wooden bed.
Where was this place?
He clearly remembered that he had fallen into a trap. He had no idea what had happened while he was unconscious or why he had woken up in a villager’s home.
He looked at himself; his outfit was changed. He did not know where the clothes came from. They were a little unsophisticated, off-white from repeated washing and a size bigger.
His wound, though, had received timely treatment and was bandaged with gauze.
Shortly after, along with the sound of hurried footsteps, an adult man led that noisy girl to his bedside. When he saw that he was awake, relief flooded his face with a tinge of guilt.
“You’re awake, boy! It’s good that you’re awake! It’s good that you’re awake...”
Youyou warily sized up the man before him.
The man was a little old with dark skin and a stout physique. He was wearing an equally off-white shirt on him. From his stubble, he could tell that he paid no attention to his looks; hence, he appeared a little sloppy.
He looked mature, simple, and honest. Everything about him was plain and simple.
His voice was thick and hoarse when he spoke. It seemed that he was a heavy smoker!
When he sat by the bed, Youyou could see the strong goodwill in his eyes so he dropped his guard.
This was probably the person who had rescued him from the trap!
It was also likely to be this man who had bandaged his wound and changed his clothes.
It seemed that this man had no malice toward him. Thus, he needed not be wary of him!
“Who are you?” He smiled inquiringly.
The man smiled and held the girl in his embrace before explaining, “You were in my trap when I went there today to collect my spoil, so I got you out. I then brought you here after seeing the wounds on your body. There’s blood all over you, you’re badly injured...”
He had a thick local accent in his mild yet hoarse voice.
From his ramblings, the boy learned that there was a remote farm near the mountain road and the man before him was a farmer who lived here. While he usually tended to his land of more than ten acres, he occasionally hunted on the mountains.
The trap he had fallen in was laid out by this man with the intention of catching some wild animals. Never did he expect that a boy would end up being ensnared by it, instead.
It was no wonder the man looked at him with guilt when he woke up.
He learned that this farm was called Anyang Village—a typical one at that. Speaking of which, the villagers here were old natives of the capital. Because of its remoteness, being near the mountains and far from the city center, the government did not develop this place.
The reason being that this geographical location held not much value.
A hundred or so villagers lived in Anyang Village. Most farmed for a living. Although they were not considered rich, they lived comfortably.
A few years ago, a farmer did a crazy thing by cutting down a portion of the forest and planting fruit trees. He unexpectedly got a good harvest that year, so the other villagers started planting fruit trees, too.
He heard that after this man brought him back, it caused a sensation throughout the village.
It was not for anything else other than this village not having received foreign visitors for a long time.
Chapter 1250: Children from the City
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Also, when the man brought him here, his bloody state attracted many villagers’ attention. Some gifted their old clothes out of pity for him.
“How did you get into that forest, boy? There’re plenty of wild beasts there; it’s a very dangerous place. Where do you live? How did you come here?”
The man fired a bunch of questions at him.
From Youyou’s expensive getup and fair skin, he could tell that he was a classic city boy and not a villager.
Girls were vain in general. Growing up in the village, his daughter’s skin was dark and rough. Hence, she was utterly envious of the boy’s handsome looks and fair skin.
During his unconscious state, she would lie at his bedside and watch him with interest. She would pick up his hands to look at them for a while, then play with his eyelashes the next moment. She did not seem to get bored at all.
The teen dramas shown on TV made the little girl yearn to live in the city. Her dream was to get into the city’s college and lived a city life when she grew up.
She was very fond of the boy since her first sight of him. Despite her young age where she still did not know about love, she was shy in front of him!
He could sense the family’s warm-heartedness and friendliness toward him. Being down-to-earth and genuine, they did not seem to harbor any ill intentions toward him. Besides, his wounds were all cleaned up, so he had quite a favorable impression of this man before him.
Still, he did not mention much about his identity when asked. He only told him that he lived in the city.
When the man asked him for his parents’ number so that he could give them a call and send him home, Youyou gave him Li Hanlin’s.
He then instructed his daughter to stay at home and look after their guest while he went out to make a call.
As the village was in a very remote area, communication was not advanced here.
Not every household had such advanced and luxurious item like a smartphone or even a landline. When they wanted to make a call, they would have to go to the village’s small provision shop to use the public phone. It was a cost-effective personal handy-phone system (PHS), whereby the call would last several minutes for a yuan.
Whenever the villagers needed to make a call, they would head down to the provision shop. It was very convenient for them.
The neighboring village was located quite far, but because of the carefree lifestyle here, they rarely left the village.
The little girl went by the name Lingling; her full name was Zhao Linghua. The six-year-old attended a private primary school in the village.
These were what she had told Youyou.
Seeing that the boy was awake, she immediately started a conversation with him and chattered endlessly.
The boy had no energy to pay attention to her, though. He quietly lay in bed as he waited for the man to contact his subordinate about fetching him.
His indifference neither bothered her nor made her feel lonely. Rather, she continued chattering happily and enthusiastically.
This was inevitable, of course.
Growing up in the village, she rarely saw children from the city; naturally, she was curious!
“Big brother, is the moon in the city big and round?
“I really envy the people living in the city! I always see on TV that they are dressed beautifully! My clothes aren’t nice, though. They’re made by ah pa. Sigh...”