Physical Evidence
When she spoke, her voice lifted slightly at the end, hinting at a coquettish tone. There she sat, her dark hair draping over her snowy shoulders, a contrast of black and white. Her lips curved into a smile, her gaze tranquil and serene.
Song Yuhang was momentarily taken aback, feeling that she shouldn’t belong to the world of drug dealers or middlemen. None of those identities suited her. She was meant to be a spirit of the forest, the most beautiful thing in the world.
Instinctively reaching out to embrace her, she then thought better of it. Instead, she adjusted the garment that had slipped down her arm. When her gaze fell upon the vibrant Manjushaka, Song Yuhang recoiled as if burned, and took a step back, squatting in front of her.
“Come on, I’ll carry you.”
The fleeting struggle in Song Yuhang’s eyes did not escape her notice, leaving Lin Yan feeling an indescribable mix of emotions.
After all, they were just two strangers tied together by fate and an assassination attempt.
As Pei Jinhong, her comment was indeed abrupt and overstepping bounds.
Lin Yan regretted immediately, “No, I can walk on my own.”
Before she could finish, Song Yuhang had already scooped up her legs, forcing her to lean forward onto her back, whereupon she was effortlessly lifted up.
The sudden sense of weightlessness caught her off guard, causing her instinctively to wrap her arms around her neck.
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This was Lin Yan’s instinctive reaction every time she had carried her in the past.
Coming back to her senses, Lin Yan’s face flushed with a racing heart. She wanted to let go but felt it was too deliberate and also not safe.
Song Yuhang seemed to notice something, letting out a soft laugh.
“Hold tight, the road is slippery in the rain. Don’t fall.”
Before Lin Yan could recover, she took a big step over a steep slope. Lin Yan was jolted so hard that she felt dizzy, forcing her to lean back in and cling tightly to her neck, gritting her teeth by her ear.
“Song, Yu, Hang.”
For some reason, as soon as she climbed up, Song Yuhang had a sense of familiarity, as if this scene had been rehearsed thousands of times in her dreams.
It was imprinted in her heart and haunted her dreams, and there was a sense of belonging as if all was finally in place.
Her back was her everything.
While she struggled and restrained herself with unbearable thoughts, Lin Yan called her own name by her ear, like a sword piercing straight to the heart, her limbs going weak with the sudden warmth.
She nearly stumbled, had to extend a hand to steady herself against a tree trunk, breathing slightly heavily.
“Behave yourself.” It was a statement laced with warning and threat.
Lin Yan wasn’t scared at all, snorted lightly, and boldly wrapped her arms around the other’s neck, shifting a bit to lie more comfortably.
“Hurry up, it’s almost dawn.”
She might feel comfortable now, but it subjected the other to restless discomfort.
Originally, she hadn’t thought in that direction, but a light word from Lin Yan evoked deep-seated desires within.
Especially with every step she took, her softness brushed against her back. The clothes, already drenched by the heavy rain, seemed even thinner, and with each movement, it felt like carrying a lively, jumping rabbit.
And this rabbit was not very well-behaved; it whispered in her ear one moment, pinched her face the next, tugged at her hair another.
Song Yuhang’s mind was filled with this rabbit and the vividly beautiful Manjushaka, her gaze gradually heating up. When she pressed up again, she finally stopped, running out of patience, and put her down with a low growl.
“F*ck it, walk by yourself!!!”
The action was somewhat blunt and forceful, making Lin Yan startled. She had not seen her for a long time, and the rare chance to be alone together made her act a bit demurely, which triggered a thunderous rage from her.
She had never treated her like this before, even swearing at her!!!
Lin Yan felt angry, sad, and aggrieved all at once. Pouting, she grabbed a handful of wild grass and threw it at her.
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“Just go if you’re going to go, f*ck off!”
Though she said this, her eyes clearly shimmered with tears.
Song Yuhang turned to leave but hardly took two steps before she resignedly turned back and crouched in front of her.
“Get on.”
Her tone left no room for argument.
Lin Yan, leaning on a tree, tried several times to get up and walk on her own but couldn’t manage, grinding her teeth in frustration.
“F*ck off, crying crocodile tears, all fake.”
Song Yuhang proceeded to do as she had done before, attempting to bend her legs back. Lin Yan retreated, and the two of them struggled against each other, neither willing to give in.
In the end, she was slightly weaker and got caught in a critical position, lifted upwards.
Lin Yan felt dizzy and had no choice but to hug her neck.
Without a word, Song Yuhang carried the person and walked forward.
On the other hand, Lin Yan, once again lying on her back, felt a sweet and sour feeling in her heart that no matter who she was or in what identity she appeared in front of her, she would not ignore her.
“Why do you, a police officer, bother to come out and save me? We are not on the same path, and we do not plan together.”
Talking seemed good; at least it could alleviate some of the awkwardness and divert attention.
Song Yuhang thought for a moment: “Because I am a police officer, I would go to rescue any Chinese citizen in danger.”
Even if it was a suspect, only the law could determine his or her life or death.
Lin Yan sneered: “Then after saving me, you could just leave me there, right? Why bother being so nice to me, carrying me on your back and all.”
The question was indeed sharp. Logically, she should have just left Lin Yan there, handcuffed her to control the situation until her colleagues arrived to handle it.
But she didn’t do that. She softened her heart and even abandoned her principles as a police officer for a moment.
Song Yuhang remained silent.
Lin Yan pushed further, “Say something. Why are you silent? Could it be that you are so nice to me because you…”
Before she could finish saying “like me,” Song Yuhang, as if she had anticipated what she would say, cut her off.
“I don’t know if someone else is following us. It’s dangerous to stay here.”
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“Then you could call the police and have them take me away.”
“My phone… is out of battery.”
This slightly pale and weak explanation made Lin Yan giggle, her fingernail gently scraping past her earlobe.
“Officer Song, you’re quite the character, really an interesting person.”
When the praised person didn’t show much joy but instead tightened her lips further,her expression became increasingly stiff. Yet, even so, it couldn’t hide the ears turning gradually red.
She fiercely said, “You shut up.”
The person on her back didn’t make any more noise this time, choosing to remain silent.
After a long wait without a response, Song Yuhang started to feel a bit soft-hearted again. She thought: Was she being too harsh? Could it be, as she said, that she had become too intimidating?
After all, they were just a few insignificant questions. Why did she need to lose her temper so much?
Having understood the situation, Song Yuhang cleared her throat and spoke, “My phone really is out of battery. What about yours? We’re deep in the woods, and I don’t know how long it will take to get back to the roadside.”
Carrying her, she turned around, breathing slightly heavily, and looked up at the density of the tree canopy to determine the direction.
Lin Yan didn’t answer, honestly staying on her back.
As the woods grew deeper, the sky seemed darker. Then, another thunderclap, and a dense shower of rain fell again.
Damn this typhoon weather.
Song Yuhang cursed under her breath as she hoisted her up a bit.
“Hey, I’m talking to you.”
As she moved, Lin Yan’s head slightly tilted to one side, her arm fell, and her hot breath brushed against her neck, feeling unusually scorching.
Song Yuhang was startled and quickly sat her down against a tree, reaching out to touch her forehead, and immediately thought to herself that this was not good.
She had a fever.
In the middle of nowhere, and it was raining.
She couldn’t keep getting drenched like this.
Looking at her pale lips yet cheeks flushed with an unhealthy rosiness, Song Yuhang gritted her teeth and lifted her on her back again.
“I’ll find us a place to take shelter from the rain first.”
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“Don’t sleep, wake up, talk to me.”
As she ran through the forest, she frequently turned back to check on her situation.
Lin Yan’s head rested in the crook of her neck, burning hot.
Song Yuhang was frantic with worry, quickening her pace and running forward. After passing through a pine forest, the view suddenly opened up.
There was a wooden house across the river.
But there was no bridge, or perhaps there was one, but it might be far away. The rain was getting heavier, and she couldn’t afford to delay any longer.
Song Yuhang looked at the swift stream in front of her, gritted her teeth, and hoisted her up a bit.
“Can you hear me? We’re going to cross the river. The water is very fast, hold on tight to me.”
Lin Yan didn’t speak; it was as if a fire was burning in her throat, scorching her insides and clouding her mind. However, she faintly heard Song Yuhang saying something, so she tightened her hold on her a bit more.
Although it was a small gesture, it greatly relieved Song Yuhang. She carefully stepped into the water from a lower spot, advancing towards the opposite bank with one foot deep and one foot shallow.
The stones were slippery and covered with moss. Combined with the swollen river from the rain, branches and debris occasionally floated down from upstream.
Walking was extremely difficult for Song Yuhang, especially as she had to pay attention to protecting her. She swallowed water several times, yet still steadfastly carried her on her back.
In a daze, Lin Yan felt as if she was drifting in the deep sea again, engulfed by a similar silence and suffocation.
The only source of warmth came from the person in front of her. Lin Yan couldn’t help but clutch tightly at her clothes, confused, murmuring with conviction, as tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes.
“Song Yuhang, Yuhang…”
After a strenuous effort to reach the opposite shore, she set her down and reached out to touch her forehead. But what she heard was her murmuring something – upon closer listen, it was her name, which shocked her deeply. She shook her shoulders.
“What did you say?! What did you call me?! Lin Yan, is that you, Lin Yan?! Say it again, call me again!”
At her almost persistent request, Lin Yan slowly opened her eyes. When she clearly saw her face, her expression reverted to the usual coldness and wariness, backing away.
“What… what do you want?”
She was feverishly confused, slurring her words, yet still firmly remembered to disguise herself.
The more people who knew her identity, the more people would be in danger.
Song Yuhang could no longer care about much else and scooped the person up in her arms.
Lin Yan struggled, biting her tongue against her teeth to keep her mind clear.
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“What are you… What are you doing?”
“Shut up!”
With anger, Song Yuhang kicked open the big door of the cabin, and the smell of aged, rotting wood hit them in the face.
Fortunately, the inside was dry, and there was a small bed just big enough for one person to lie on, probably a temporary residence for forest rangers during patrols.
She put her on it, and, in this position with nowhere to hide, she lifted her chin, forcing her to look at her.
Word by word, gritting her teeth, she asked, “Who exactly are you? What did you just call me?”
Lin Yan, delirious from the fever, could only shake her head.
Holding her face, Song Yuhang’s eyes gradually reddened, her fingers gently touching the teardrop mole by her eye, confirming it was real.
Her palm brushed over her long eyelashes; those affectionate eyes were also real.
Her lips quivering, body shaking uncontrollably, she resembled a mad person who had lost all reason, desperately seeking an answer. Thus, she gritted her teeth and tore open her clothes.
With a crisp “Rip—”, Lin Yan’s sanity abruptly returned. Tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes as she pushed her away, hugging her own shoulders.
“No… don’t… I am not… not…”
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