Shen Qianshu and Tong Hua had walked for approximately eight hours in the tunnel, yet it seemed like they would never see the other end of the tunnel. Shen Qianshu was very composed. She was not a person who would break down easily. She was worried for Ye Ling, and she knew that if she could not make her way out of this mountain, that look she had for Ye Ling would be the final one in her life.
She would never accept such a life that would make her regret.
As time passed, Tong Hua and Shen Qianshu got really hungry.
The tunnel got darker as they went deeper, and there was less light in the pathways. The two of them were cold and hungry. Shen Qianshu took out her jacket and wrapped Tong Hua in it.
Tong Hua said, “Mommy, wear it. I’m not cold.”
His voice was really shaky.
Tong Hua was easily cold.
No one knew a child better than his mother.
“Put it on!” Shen Qianshu refused. Even if this was an endless road, she would still insist on walking. If she had given up, then she would really have lost all hope.
In the end, they walked for almost ten hours before they finally found the end. There was an electronic door at the end. Shen Qianshu was really excited. She pulled Tong Hua along and ran for it. There was a password lock at the electronic door and nothing else nearby. Shen Qianshu keyed in the code, and indeed, it was the same one as before. The electronic door opened, and it was pitch black outside.
It was a forest.
Their phones had run out of battery, and Shen Qianshu was just about to step out when a gust of wind blew past. The temperature in Johannesburg was freezing cold at night. The difference in temperatures was really great. From afar, there seemed to be light. In the dark, Shen Qianshu and Tong Hua looked at each other.
“Do we go or wait for the night to pass?”
“Let’s go!” Tong Hua said without any hesitation.
Although it was the forest outside of this exit, there was a small path made of stone. Shen Qianshu held onto Tong Hua, and they went into the woods. There was a castle at the other end. Correctly speaking, it was a desolate and uninhabited castle. The lights along the path flickered, making the castle look haunted.
Shen Qianshu squinted. “Familiar!”
“It’s like Rose Castle.”
Shen Qianshu and Tong Hua looked at each other. Indeed, this castle had the Rose Castle vibes. However, it looked like it was from a long time ago. In fact, it looked older than the castle in Paris. There were wild grasses all around the yard. For years, no one had been living there, and it seemed exceptionally chilly.
“Mommy, we don’t know where we are now. Let’s rest here for a while.”
They were hungry and tired. They were exhausted from walking in the tunnel, and the sky was already getting dark, yet they had no idea where they were. The castle was near the exit, so it did not seem like it was a dangerous place.
Shen Qianshu nodded, and the two of them entered the castle. When Shen Qianshu was outside, she tripped and almost fell. There were a lot of fallen leaves accumulated outside, and the road was bumpy. Shen Qianshu stepped into a hole and almost fell. Luckily, Tong Hua grabbed onto her in time.
“I have a sudden premonition.”
“Me too. It’s a little scary!” Tong Hua felt uneasy. As he looked at the familiar castle, he retreated a little. He hated the fact that his phone had run out of battery. Otherwise, he could share his locations with the bodyguards in the private house, so they could come and fetch them.
“We don’t know if Master’s dead or alive yet. It is better if we don’t let anyone know where we are at.”
Shen Qianshu and Tong Hua entered the castle. The moment the door opened, there was a weird sound that seemed to only come from haunted houses. Chills ran down Shen Qianshu’s and Tong Hua’s spine. The castle was pitch black inside.
An eerie feeling approached them, and Shen Qianshu switched on the lights. She was only trying it out, but surprisingly, the castle had indeed lit up.
“AHH!!” Shen Qianshu and Tong Hua screamed in unison!