But Shen Linzhou repeatedly warned himself: first and foremost, he was a soldier. Only after that was he a man. If Xiao Mandong was an enemy agent, then no matter how much he liked her, he would strike without mercy. The interests of the nation came before everything else.
That was why they had merely watched from a distance, holding their position instead of acting rashly. Not making a move also gave Xiao Mandong a chance to prove her innocence.
Shen Linzhou could not describe the feeling in his heart. It was stifling, heavy, and he did not want Xiao Mandong to have anything to do with Sun Wenbin—not in the slightest.
“You’re much prettier than Wang Yuanyuan. My little brother down there can barely wait anymore. There’s no one around, so you can scream as loud as you like. I guarantee I’ll make you feel like you’re in heaven.” As Sun Wenbin spoke, he began undoing the buttons of his shirt.
“Don’t come any closer.” The panic in Xiao Mandong’s eyes faded, replaced by a cold, murderous look.
Sun Wenbin wore a lecherous grin. “Do you like it rough or gentle?”
“Let big brother have a taste and see which of you is more delicious—you or Wang Yuanyuan.”
Before he had even finished speaking, he lunged at Xiao Mandong.
Shen Linzhou’s fingertip had just tightened on the trigger.
Bang!
A deafening gunshot suddenly rang out through the entire forest!
In an instant, the startled night birds burst from the trees in a great flurry of wings.
The forest fell silent once more, leaving only Sun Wenbin’s screams. His entire body trembled with pain.
“You bitch! Who the hell are you? You actually have a gun? You little slut!”
Sun Wenbin struggled to get up. He wanted to kill Xiao Mandong, skin her alive, and feed her to the wild beasts!
Xiao Mandong held the gun pointed at Sun Wenbin. Cold sweat covered her forehead and soaked her back.
She had fired. She really had fired.
Her lips trembled as she gasped for breath.
She did not regret it. If Sun Wenbin survived, her family would certainly suffer. She forced herself to calm down. Tonight, Sun Wenbin had to die.
Xiao Mandong once again aimed the gun at Sun Wenbin’s head and pulled the trigger.
Terrified out of his wits, Sun Wenbin immediately begged for mercy. “Don’t kill me! I’m just a tomb raider. It wasn’t easy for me to get those treasures, and I was angry when you took them. I didn’t mean any harm. I was only trying to scare you. I just want my things back.”
“You’re lying! You’re an enemy agent, a traitor, a running dog! I… I’m going to kill you!”
“Wait!” Sun Wenbin clutched his wound, which was still bleeding heavily, and continued to argue. “That gunshot has already alerted the villagers nearby. The militia will be here before long. If you fire again, they’ll definitely discover you. Your background won’t withstand an investigation. You’re the daughter of someone sent down for reeducation, and you’re carrying a gun. You know exactly what that means, don’t you?”
“We have no grudge against each other. I don’t know whose side you’re on, but we’re definitely not enemies.”
“Whose side am I on? I’m Chinese. You and I are sworn enemies!”
Xiao Mandong had already made up her mind. Once she killed Sun Wenbin, she would put him in her space and use him as fertilizer. Even if the militia arrived, they would never be able to investigate her.
Just as Xiao Mandong was about to pull the trigger again, a sudden voice startled her.
“Xiao Mandong, stop!”
The moment she saw Shen Linzhou, the gun slipped from Xiao Mandong’s hand and clattered to the ground. It was as though all the strength had left her body, and she collapsed onto the ground.
“You bastard! You were right here—why didn’t you come out? Sob… I was scared half to death! You said you’d protect me if I cooperated with you, but this is how you protect me? I was risking my life while you hid nearby and watched! I’m going to report you! Bastards! Sob…”
Shen Linzhou desperately wanted to step forward and hold her, comforting her in his arms, but he did not dare. All he could do was take a handkerchief from his pocket and hold it out to her.
Xiao Mandong took the handkerchief, blew her nose hard twice, and tossed it onto the ground.
Then she sniffed and took several deep breaths, trying to calm her pounding heart.
Zhou Qichuan stepped forward, tied up Sun Wenbin, tore up his shirt, and used the strips to bind his bleeding wound as best he could.
“Let’s go. This is deep in the mountains, and the smell of blood will attract wild beasts very soon.”
It wasn’t that Xiao Mandong did not want to leave. Her legs were simply too weak to stand. She wanted to tell them to go on ahead—she had somewhere to hide—but before she could say anything, a distant wolf howl rang out.
Shen Linzhou had no time to worry about anything else. He crouched down, lifted Xiao Mandong onto his back, and headed straight down the mountain. Instead of returning to Red Flag Brigade, they made for the nearest village.
Xiao Mandong had already been walking for more than an hour. The soles of her cloth shoes were thin, and her feet were aching. On top of that, she had truly been frightened. This time, she did not stubbornly insist on walking and obediently lay against Shen Linzhou’s back.
Clutching his wound, Sun Wenbin sprawled on the ground and refused to move. He knew very well what would happen to him if they took him back—and what fate awaited him.
Shen Linzhou shot him a cold look and said to Zhou Qichuan, “Break both his legs and leave him here. Let the wolves tear him apart. Old Kai has already been captured, so why should we care about him?”
Shen Linzhou’s voice was icy, and Sun Wenbin could not help shivering.
“How dare you? That’s against regulations! You’ll be punished. Even if I were a criminal, you couldn’t treat me like this. Besides, I’m just an ordinary man who was carried away by lust.”
“You should arrest this woman instead! She seduced me. She has a gun. She’s an enemy agent! You’ve arrested the wrong person!”
With Xiao Mandong still on his back, Shen Linzhou stepped forward and kicked Sun Wenbin.
“If you don’t walk, I’ll feed you to the wolves. Don’t believe me? Try me.”
Sun Wenbin was just about to argue when another wolf howl shattered his resolve. He could only follow Zhou Qichuan down the mountain, step by reluctant step.
Xiao Mandong carefully studied the path. “Shen Linzhou, which village are we going to?”
“Qingshigou Village. It’s just down this way. It would take too long and be too dangerous to return to Red Flag Brigade. There are more wolves around the back of the mountain at night.”
When she heard the name Qingshigou, Xiao Mandong’s heart leaped with joy.
This was the village where her family had been sent down.
Now she knew how to get there next time.
After walking for about ten minutes, Xiao Mandong felt that she had recovered enough. She was just about to climb down when an angry shout rang out.
“Stop! Who’s there?”
A group of militiamen quickly surrounded them. They wore washed-out olive-green uniforms and liberation caps, with conspicuous militia armbands around their sleeves. Some carried torches, while others held rifles at the ready.
The leader caught sight of Shen Linzhou’s face in the firelight and froze for a moment.
“Aren’t you the Shen family’s second son?”
“Uncle Manfu, it’s me,” Shen Linzhou hurriedly replied.
“You heard the gunshots, didn’t you? The army is in the middle of catching someone. Everything’s fine now, so don’t worry.”
Xiao Mandong immediately slid down from Shen Linzhou’s back. She had no intention of remarrying, so she did not care about her reputation. Shen Linzhou, however, was different. These people clearly knew him, and he was still unmarried. She could not ruin his good name.
Shen Linzhou suddenly felt lighter. His expression remained calm, but his Adam’s apple bobbed almost imperceptibly as he struggled to suppress the turmoil inside him.
By the light of the torches, Uncle Manfu smiled as he sized up Xiao Mandong, then gave Shen Linzhou a teasing look.
“Second son, who’s this girl?”
