Chapter 153: Escape
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Do you want to share the reason behind it all?” Xia Xin inquired further. “I am quite observant, you know.”
Xu An choked on Xia Xin’s words and frowned in annoyance. Xu An said, “Don’t think you can weasel information out of me.”
“I never intended to,” Xia Xin countered.
Xu An finally nodded in satisfaction and said, “Good, since you’re so obedient, let me give you some advice. Jing MO isn’t someone you should get close to.
Keep your distance.”
“Oh, is that because you’re smitten with him?” Xia Xin asked.
For some inexplicable reason, Xia Xin felt a knot tightening in her chest; her eyes and nose tingled uncomfortably.
Caught off guard by the question, Xu An pondered for a moment, ‘Do I like him?’ Flashes of Jing Mo’s handsome face crossed her mind as she mumbled, “He’s not someone I can afford to fall for.”
Silence enveloped Xia Xin. Though she was deeply curious about Jing Mo’s identity and the relationship between him and Xu An, she refrained from probing further. Knowledge could be perilous, and sometimes the more you knew, the quicker you’d find yourself in mortal danger. Just by innocuously getting closer to Jing MO, she’d already caught the eyes of the twins—clear evidence that too much knowledge could be fatal.
Xia Xin wasn’t willing to gamble her life on this.
“Are you stalling for time?” Xu An asked as she squinted suspiciously at Xia Xin.
“Not at all. I’ve been asking you to help me take off my pants since I got here. You’re the one who’s been evading and engaging in small talk,” Xia Xin quickly replied.
‘If Xu An found out I’m planning to escape, my upcoming scheme would go up in smoke.’ Xia Xin thought.
Xu An paused. She thought, ‘True, Xia Xin had immediately requested help to relieve herself, and it was Xu An who had digressed. She glanced at the zip-ties around Xia Xin’s wrists, her eyebrows knitting together, and finally assisted her in lowering her pants.’
“Go ahead,” she instructed.
“Turn around. I may have let you help me take off my pants, but I can’t do my business if I’m being watched,” Xia Xin said.
“Don’t try anything funny,” Xu An warned.
Xia Xin sighed, “Well then, why don’t you take off your pants and let me watch you?”
“Why would I do that?” Xu An retorted, feeling a momentary lapse in her reasoning.
Xu An took a deep breath to calm herself, pointing to an open area. “I’ll stand over there. I won’t look, but I’ll hear if you make any noise. Call me when you’re done.”
Seizing the opportunity, Xia Xin watched as Xu An turned her back and walked away. Quietly, she pulled her pants back up. In her haste, the zip-ties dug into her skin, trickling blood down her wrists. She took out the Weak Dust she’d exchanged earlier and sprinkled it where Xu An stood. The powder hit its mark and Xu An collapsed, unable to even open her mouth to shout.
Just then, the sound of rustling came from Xia Xin’s direction. Xu An tried to look, only to catch a glimpse of Xia Xin making her escape.
Xia Xin quickly drank the Mighty Tonic, freeing herself from the wrist ties. She didn’t know where she was but thought that if she could make it to the main road, she’d be safe.
Xu Ping, growing impatient, left the car cursing, “Women are such a hassle!”
Following the path taken earlier, Xu Ping soon found Xu An, panic-stricken and lying on the ground. It took considerable effort to lift her up due to his average physical strength. Once they were back in the car and he had given her some water, she slowly recovered.
Weakly, yet with a sense of urgency, Xu An informed Xu Ping, “Xia Xin has escaped! Go after her!”
Alarmed, Xu Ping rushed to the driver’s seat and drove in the direction Xu An had indicated.
Meanwhile, Xia Xin had run quite a distance but was now blocked by a river, her path forward unclear.