The Wealthy Heiress Wants to Date Me - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Midnight Clash

Cui Fu led Xie Changran to search for a place to rest for the night, preferably somewhere even further away.

She traveled another five or six kilometers with the sleeping Xie Changran. The sky had turned completely dark. She detached the flashlight from her backpack and stood in the midst of the jungle.

The jungle at night was far livelier than during the day. Countless insects buzzed around the flashlight beam, frogs croaked loudly in the grass, and owls let out shrill screams. Grotesque trees cast long shadows under the light, looking eerie and terrifying.

Cui Fu examined the surrounding trees, pulling firmly on the branches to test their thickness and strength.

She found several suitable spots and prepared to set up a temporary sleeping area. Black tree trunks rose a meter off the ground, branching out; the surrounding jungle growth pressed close together, providing enough space to create a sleeping platform for two.

Once decided, Cui Fu picked up her machete and gathered fallen branches that had been washed away by the water. She trimmed them and used thin twine to lash them across the fork of the branches, building a temporary wooden frame to sleep on—high enough to avoid snakes, insects, and ants.

Half an hour later, the makeshift camp was ready. Cui Fu placed Xie Changran on the wooden bed. She then donned her helmet-mounted infrared thermal imaging scanner and leaned against a nearby trunk to rest.

The matte black helmet completely enclosed her eyes, making the black night appear clear to her vision. Should anyone not matching her pre-set parameters appear, the helmet would issue an early warning.

Cui Fu switched to sleep mode to conserve battery; the device would automatically scan and alert her if someone entered the scanning range. She leaned against the trunk with a frown, not daring to fall into too deep a sleep.

Lying on the specialized wooden bed, Xie Changran’s brows were knit into a ball. She wanted to turn over but seemed restricted by something. Something hard was pressing painfully against her waist and back. She opened her eyes groggily, seeing nothing.

The sudden, clear sounds of croaking frogs and bird cries gave her a start. She called out cautiously, “Hello? Are you still there?”

“Cui Fu. You can just call me Cui Fu.” Cui Fu spoke suddenly with her eyes still closed, causing Xie Changran to flinch so hard she nearly rolled off the wooden bed.

Cui Fu saw every movement Xie Changran made through the scanner, including her near-fall, but she did not reach out a hand.

According to Cui Fu’s principles, she never engaged in close or intimate behavior with an employer. She was responsible for the rescue, which did not include managing the other party’s psychological issues. She could be described as a very cold existence, one who absolutely upheld her own boundaries.

This was why she possessed the best reputation in the business: her missions were always clean and efficient, and she never established personal ties. If an employer crossed the line, she would terminate the mission immediately and never accept work from them again, viewing it as a hidden danger to her safety.

After finishing this job, Cui Fu planned to take her small team into retirement.

The air fell silent again. Cui Fu closed her eyes. “Cui Fu, can you untie the rope?” Xie Changran called her name in a tiny voice, soft and light.

Cui Fu flicked her eyelids open and reached out, untying the rope securing Xie Changran. She had only tied her down to prevent her from falling while she slept; now that she was awake, it could be removed. She coiled the rope and stowed it in her backpack.

Just as she finished, she saw a snake crawling toward Xie Changran—interlocking black and red patterns, beautiful and lethal. Attracted by the stationary heat source, the snake slithered closer. Cui Fu grabbed a stick nearby and flicked it, sending the snake flying before it could reach them.

The buzzing mosquitoes closed in from time to time. Cui Fu had long ago wrapped Xie Changran up like a “zongzi” (rice dumpling) to prevent her from being bitten and falling ill.

Xie Changran sensed it too. “Thank you, Cui Fu,” she whispered through the swarm.

“Sleep. We have to move once you wake up. The people tracking you are still in pursuit. They might only give up once we cross this forest and go deeper into the jungle—but even that isn’t certain.” Cui Fu wasn’t entirely sure either; after all, whoever found Xie Changran would truly strike it rich. That ten million euros had completely disrupted her plans.

Under her face veil, Xie Changran pursed her lips and lay back cautiously on the uncomfortable wooden bed. Six branches lashed together barely accommodated her; Cui Fu sat on a different branch nearby.

The two closed their eyes and slept until the moon came out. The moon, previously hidden by dark clouds, moved past them to reveal bright, clear light.

Cui Fu opened her eyes coldly and surveyed the surroundings. The area seemed quiet. Her heart tightened; the sense of crisis developed from years of being on alert surfaced.

Cui Fu grabbed her backpack, slung it on, and covered Xie Changran’s mouth with one hand to wake her up. Xie Changran’s body jolted with fear, going rigid. Cui Fu patted her and leaned into her ear. “Don’t speak.”

Xie Changran was wearing a forest green windbreaker. The drawstring at the bottom kept the garment tight against her waistband, and the internal zippers were pulled tight—all to prevent leeches and various bugs from crawling inside for a “party.” She felt a bit constricted as she moved.

Cui Fu swiped a few crawling leeches off the girl’s body and then carefully brushed some off herself.

“Don’t move too much. Get down the tree slowly. If you don’t want leeches sucking your blood, do not unbutton your clothes,” Cui Fu explained briefly. She then crouched against the trunk and slid down slowly.

Suddenly, a flash of light shot toward them. Cui Fu immediately pulled her head back, grabbed Xie Changran, and pulled her up the tree, leading her toward the escape route she had already scouted.

“Keep close to me.” Cui Fu grabbed Xie Changran’s hand and dove into the dense jungle like a gust of wind.

The sound of rapid running came from behind. They were being hunted.

Huff… huff… huff…

With her hat on and muffled by the face veil, the air was being squeezed out of Xie Changran’s lungs. She listened to the gunfire behind them and looked at the person leading her to safety. Her wrist was held in a tight grip—it felt hot, almost burning.

Xie Changran’s mind was a complete blank; she could only follow Cui Fu blindly. Her feet seemed to have eyes of their own, automatically knowing how to run and avoid rocks.

With a click, Cui Fu drew the gun from her waist. There were no laws in the Mohe Jungle.

Suddenly, Cui Fu pulled Xie Changran into her embrace, turned, and pressed her against a massive tree. Large trees could effectively block infrared thermal imaging scans; this was her chance to counterattack.

Pressed against Cui Fu’s body, Xie Changran’s heart thudded wildly. Her face was flushing with heat. she didn’t even dare to breathe heavily for fear of disturbing Cui Fu.

Hearing Xie Changran’s heartbeat, Cui Fu looked down at the person huddled in her arms taking shallow breaths. “Don’t be afraid. You can breathe deeply now. Calm your breathing as quickly as possible.”

Engaging in a full firefight here wasn’t wise, but Cui Fu needed to suppress the opposition for a moment.

Bang!

The infrared scanner on Cui Fu’s head accurately locked onto an enemy. she raised her hand and fired a single shot!

The enemy fell. Immediately following was even more muzzle flash and fire.

Cui Fu pulled Xie Changran to the ground, fired a rapid burst to the left and right, and then rolled down a slope with her.

The gunfire riddled the tree trunks, and soon a massive tree came crashing down.

They, however, were nowhere to be found.

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