"Hey, players over there, help us out!"
As they ran, the two players even waved and shouted out.
Those two players, they actually brought the villagers over here.
When Jiang Xiuxiu realized this, her face changed drastically. She quickly turned off her flashlight and supported Ye Ming, trying to retreat.
But unfortunately, when she turned off the flashlight, the two players noticed her.
Who knows what they were thinking, but they ran straight towards Jiang Xiuxiu.
Jiang Xiuxiu was stunned.
What are they coming over here for? Don’t they see she’s carrying someone?
She can’t help them at all, and they might drag her down with them.
If they got caught by the villagers, both she and Ye Ming would be in big trouble.
Jiang Xiuxiu made a quick decision, hiding behind a tree and turning her flashlight back on.
She threw the flashlight a bit farther away, hoping to use its light to distract the two players.
The two players, in their haste and focus on the flashlight’s light, were successfully fooled by her.
When they came over, they headed straight for where Jiang Xiuxiu had thrown the flashlight.
After that, Jiang Xiuxiu supported Ye Ming and took a few steps in the opposite direction, away from the flashlight.
She had no desire to meet these two players. She didn’t believe they would help her and Ye Ming.
No way, it's better for them than her. After all, they were two players with all their limbs intact.
Maybe they could still escape if they fought hard.
But what about her and Ye Ming?
They couldn’t run at all. If they were found, they’d be done for.
"Come here," Ye Ming whispered in her ear while Jiang Xiuxiu was worrying, "There's a pit over here."
Jiang Xiuxiu was slightly stunned and then noticed a small cave not far from them, just big enough for them to hide in.
What’s more, the cave entrance was conveniently covered by a circle of bushes, combined with the darkness of the night, making it almost undetectable.
Ye Ming’s eyes were really sharp, she hadn't noticed this pit at all.
While thinking this, Jiang Xiuxiu squeezed in with Ye Ming.
The pit wasn't very big, fitting one person was fine, but two made it cramped.
Jiang Xiuxiu hesitated, then heard footsteps approaching from outside.
Someone was coming.
The two villagers hadn’t been led away by the two players.
Without hesitation, she quickly squeezed herself in as well.
For a moment, they were very close, Jiang Xiuxiu could clearly see his deep black eyes and the slight flutter of his eyelashes when he blinked.
Jiang Xiuxiu felt her face heat up for some reason.
She hardly ever hung out with boys, nor had many male friends. This was the first time she had been this close to a boy.
No, now was not the time for such thoughts.
Jiang Xiuxiu took a deep breath and pushed those miscellaneous thoughts away.
Considering that her current white clothes were easy to spot, she imagined someone in the village wearing black clothes and silently muttered, "Disguise Technique."
In the blink of an eye, her clothes turned black.
Soon, two blurry figures appeared outside the pit.
“Did they come this way?”
As the figures appeared, an unfamiliar man's voice followed.
They wandered around where Jiang Xiuxiu had stood earlier, looking at the footprints on the ground.
"They couldn't have gone far," said another. "Let's look around here and see if we can find them."
They were going to search the area.
Hearing this, Jiang Xiuxiu’s breath tightened.
The pit wasn't deep. If the villagers searched carefully, they would easily be discovered.
Jiang Xiuxiu's heartbeat grew faster, uncontrollably panicking.
The villagers were holding kerosene lamps and searching cautiously.
It didn’t take long for them to follow the trampled grass to the pit.
Step by step, the villagers' footsteps got closer to Jiang Xiuxiu.
If she raised her head slightly, she could see their shadows moving through the gaps in the bushes.
The yellow lamp light swayed, getting closer to the pit where they were hiding.
“Hmm, there seems to be some traces here.”
One of the villagers noticed the trampled grass beside the bushes and excitedly called out, "Come and check this out!"
Damn it.
Jiang Xiuxiu's heart skipped a beat.
“Okay, I'm coming.”
Another villager responded and turned to join him.
The lamp got lower and lower, just about to shine into the pit.
At that moment, with the villagers just a step away, Jiang Xiuxiu felt her heart in her throat.
“Don’t be afraid.”
At that moment, she heard Ye Ming's soft voice in her ear.
In the next second, everything went black.
It was Ye Ming's hand, covering her eyes.
“We’ll be fine,” he said.
His voice was soft, his tone calm. If Jiang Xiuxiu weren’t paying attention, she might have missed what he said.
But hearing his words, her anxious heart instantly calmed down.
Right, she thought, at worst, they’d die in the river.
After all, this was just a game.
If they died, they wouldn’t really die.
With this in mind, Jiang Xiuxiu's breathing gradually steadied.
For a moment, her world seemed to shrink to just her and Ye Ming.
She could hear her own shallow breaths, feel the rise and fall of Ye Ming's chest behind her, sense the warmth of his palm.
And that faint, grassy scent that seemed to come from him.
The villagers outside the bushes seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier.
Even though they were right there, their movements seemed distant, unable to affect her.
"Seems like no one's here," a voice finally said outside the bushes, "Let's check somewhere else."
“Alright,” another replied. “Let's hurry and finish before it gets dark.”
After a brief exchange, the villagers made their decision.
A series of unhurried footsteps came from outside the bushes, gradually moving away from Jiang Xiuxiu and Ye Ming.
They were gone.
After ensuring the villagers had left, Jiang Xiuxiu and Ye Ming waited in the pit for a long time.
Only when there were no more sounds did they slowly emerge.
During this time, Ye Ming’s symptoms seemed to be easing.
Ye ming could feel his strength returning, no longer needing her support.
“Let’s go back,” Jiang Xiuxiu suggested after some thought, “It’s already very late.”
They had made it through the night safely. Now, it was time to rest.
Ye Ming nodded, “Okay.”
They walked down the mountain path towards the Wang family house.
To avoid encountering players or others on the way, they didn't go back to Wang Xiaoyue's grandfather's house.
The Wang family’s house was by the riverbank, close to the water. From the yard, one could see the river.
It didn't take long for them to reach the Wang family’s place.
Although it had been heavily damaged before, leaving it in a mess, the house hadn’t collapsed.
They could find some straw to sleep on for the night.
“It’s almost dawn.”
As Jiang Xiuxiu was about to enter the Wang family’s house, she heard Ye Ming’s voice behind her.
Almost dawn?
Jiang Xiuxiu was taken aback, then quickly looked towards the riverbank.
Sure enough, after all their running around, the horizon had started to brighten.
It was probably around three or four in the morning.
If this village was in the north, the sky would start to brighten around four.
The once dark, cold river now shimmered with a light glow, the waves’ patterns clearly visible.
Tiny glimmers danced on the water, like stars fallen into the river.
The sky took on a deep red hue, illuminating the scenery on both banks.
The broad river, lush forests, occasional birds, and winding rocks on the shore.
Jiang Xiuxiu, usually either at home or school, rarely saw such a scene.
Even in costume games, the backgrounds were colorful and romantic, nowhere near as real and grand as this.
“It's beautiful,” she couldn't help but say.
Before, she had been too focused on evading villagers and uncovering the village’s secrets to appreciate the game’s scenery.
At some point, Ye Ming had quietly come to her side.
Hearing her compliment, he smiled gently at her.
The faint light cast shadows on his face, one side in darkness, the other bathed in soft light, making him look exceptionally gentle.
Jiang Xiuxiu stared at him, seeing the twinkling river lights reflected in his eyes.
After a long moment, not sure why, Jiang Xiuxiu blinked and suddenly said.
“I accept.”
Meeting his gaze, she smiled, “Didn’t you say you liked me before? I accept.”
After thinking it over today, Jiang Xiuxiu decided having a boyfriend like him wouldn’t be bad at all.
She had never liked anyone or been in a relationship, but now, she wanted to try.