After Swapping Identities With My Archenemy - Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Failed to Catch Up

No wonder she had retreated without hesitation the bears had arrived.

The massive creatures stared at Jiang Huaiyi, their eyes glinting with a cold, predatory light. The primal fear of facing such beasts made every hair on her body stand on end. Yet, even in this moment, she didn’t abandon the thought of escaping. Her palms were slick with sweat inside her leather gloves, a sticky and uncomfortable sensation.

She clutched her lamp, the dim light barely illuminating the uneven terrain. They were already some distance from the hut. The wind howled through the forest, mingling with the cries of wild animals to create a ghostly, mournful symphony. With a non-human entity behind her and predators in front, Jiang Huaiyi felt tears pricking her eyes not from pure terror anymore, but as an uncontrollable physiological response.

Dealing with people was one thing; as long as she stayed sharp, she could handle their schemes. But fighting bears was asking too much. Her mind raced: Can I take down Zheng Ji first? Capture the leader to scatter the followers?

She calculated the distance and the time it would take for a bear to close in if she bolted. She needed to get a Thunder Talisman onto Zheng Ji.

Taking a deep breath, she focused. There was no more time for hesitation; the bears were closing the circle.

She dropped into a sprinter’s stance. To the bears and Zheng Ji, she became a blur. She lunged forward, not away, and closed the gap. Grabbing Zheng Ji’s collar with a violent tug, she jammed the talisman directly against the woman’s cold neck.

It happened in a heartbeat. Without waiting to see if it stuck, she spun and ran for her life.

The mountains weren’t pitch black; enough moonlight filtered through to show a faint path. As she sprinted, intrusive thoughts plagued her: What if they catch me? What if I trip? How do I signal Shen Wensi? She cursed herself for not bringing her satellite phone. She hadn’t expected a psychopath to be lurking right at her doorstep.

Jiang Huaiyi pushed her legs to their limit, the wind whistling past her ears. She could hear the heavy thud of paws and the rustle of pursuit behind her. But her speed betrayed her. Since her school days, she had a persistent, cursed habit: if she ran without a warm-up, she would inevitably roll her ankle.

That familiar, sickening pop in her joint signaled disaster. Her ankle twisted, momentarily going numb, and her momentum sent her hurtling forward.

She didn’t give up. She tucked into a roll, hit the ground, and scrambled back to her feet. Her pace was significantly slower now, but she gritted her teeth and pushed on. There was no time to rest.

Above, the sky began to churn. Thunder rumbled, and lightning coiled within the clouds. Faster, please, just a little faster, she prayed. Her thick winter gear protected her skin from the scrapes of her “roll-and-crawl” escape.

A massive bolt of lightning suddenly tore through the sky, striking the ground behind her. The air crackled with static, and she felt a faint, tingling current race through the earth and up into her scalp. Heart in her throat, she kept running, never daring to look back at the aftermath.

Gasping for air, her lungs burning, she eventually slumped against a massive tree. Her legs were shaking violently, and her vision blurred from the exertion. Just as she thought she was safe, the sound of footsteps approached.

Instinct forced her to move, but her body gave out. As she began to fall toward the forest floor, she closed her eyes, bracing for the impact.

Instead, she fell into a warm, familiar embrace.

Startled, she looked up into a pair of cool, steady eyes. “Why are you out here?”

It was Shen Wensi. She looked as though she had only recently woken up, a trace of lingering sleepiness in her gaze. She steadied Jiang Huaiyi, holding her firmly.

“I woke up and realized you were gone,” Shen Wensi explained. “I checked outside the hut, and when I couldn’t see you, I knew something had happened.”

Jiang Huaiyi was stunned. “But… how did you find me? This forest is massive.”

Shen Wensi didn’t answer directly. She had summoned Du Xiaoxin, who had guided her through the dark until Jiang Huaiyi was in sight. Seeing Huaiyi’s bewildered face, Shen Wensi hid the fact that her own heart was nearly hammering out of her chest with worry.

Jiang Huaiyi leaned on her, testing her injured ankle. It throbbed, but it wasn’t broken. She sighed in relief, sitting down on a nearby rock. “I’m lucky to be alive. I can’t believe I escaped that.”

She looked at Shen Wensi. “Let’s rest for a second and then head back. Do you remember the way?”

Shen Wensi paused, then slowly shook her head. She hadn’t been tracking landmarks; she had only been following the ghost’s trail to find Huaiyi.

Jiang Huaiyi took a sharp breath, looked at her with a complicated expression, and eventually sighed. “It’s okay. Once the sun comes up, we’ll find our way. The others will come looking for us too.”

The night air was freezing. Away from the warm river, the temperature drop was brutal. A faint, acrid smell of burnt hair and flesh wafted through the trees likely the aftermath of the lightning strike. It was nauseating.

They stood up and began walking toward the sound of the river, seeking the warmth of the thermal water. Soon, they spotted a large haystack in a clearing. Without a second thought, they headed toward it, hoping to burrow in for warmth until dawn.

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