Chapter 21: A Bold Idea (Part 1)

In the dead of night, Shen Tuo She woke up to find himself and his men tightly bound.

His head throbbed painfully, likely from hitting something hard.

“Boss, what do we do?” his men asked, panicked.

Shen Tuo She was furious. He was used to wielding power in Huan County, never expecting to be captured by mere villagers.

“Everyone, try to get closer and untie each other. Once we’re free…” Shen Tuo She began.

But he froze, noticing that the rope around his neck was tied to a tree. Each of his men was bound to a separate tree, making it impossible to reach each other.

Shen Tuo She’s face darkened completely, his expression turning sinister as his once-charming eyes narrowed coldly.

His men quickly realized their predicament as well. They’d struggled to escape Huan County, thinking they could resume their carefree lives, only to find themselves helpless in a village where everyone was perfectly safe, except for them.

Shen Tuo She muttered, “Once daylight comes and someone comes to negotiate, we’ll offer them benefits in exchange for our freedom. People in remote mountain villages aren’t likely to be too savvy. If persuasion doesn’t work, we’ll resort to threats. There’s always a way.”

Just as he finished this thought, dawn approached, and they spotted a young man in the distance with a flashlight.

“Boss! Look, someone’s coming!” one of his men exclaimed excitedly.

Shen Tuo She opened his eyes, his gaze gleaming as he looked at the approaching figure.

The young man who approached was caught between youth and maturity. He was strikingly handsome, with a defined brow and intense, calm eyes.

The man crouched in front of them and said coolly, “Shen Tuo She.”

Shen Tuo She was surprised he knew his name and immediately smiled, “Let me go. That kid must have lied to you about his background. He’s just a traitor from our group. I have an influential uncle in Taizhou, someone you can ask around about. Get us to Taizhou, and I’ll reward you with luxury, wealth, status, and beautiful women. You have my word.”

Zhao Yu laughed.

“You’re offering some enticing terms—many people would be tempted,” Zhao Yu replied, pressing down with his foot on Shen Tuo She’s hand, a crackling sound of bones filling the air. “But too bad for you—you’re dealing with me.”

Shen Tuo She winced in agony, his face twisting. “Stop!” he shouted.

Zhao Yu lifted his foot, leaving Shen Tuo She’s hand deformed.

Shen Tuo She’s eyes gleamed fiercely. “One day, you’ll regret this.”

“Every desperate person likes to say that,” Zhao Yu replied, pulling out tape and sealing each of their mouths. When he got to Shen Tuo She, Zhao Yu wrapped the tape around his neck, tightening until Shen Tuo She struggled to breathe before loosening it. He repeated this several times until Shen Tuo She realized his situation.

Shen Tuo She gasped for air. “Do we have a personal grudge?” he asked.

Zhao Yu paused, binding his mouth with tape. “No.”

Behind Zhao Yu, the sun had fully risen.

――

The entire village was unsettled by the incident. Everyone agreed that it was urgent to hand Shen Tuo She and his men over to the police.

Zhuang Hongxiu said anxiously, “To be safe, we should personally escort Shen Tuo She to Huan County. He’s ruthless, and if he escapes during transfer to another county that doesn’t take it seriously, he could retaliate against our whole village.”

Chewing on a lollipop, Dai Ning raised an eyebrow. “Or maybe you’re just hoping to trick a few people into escorting you home, huh?”

Zhuang Hongxiu flushed red.

But the villagers weren’t listening to him; they instinctively turned to Zhao Yu for guidance. Zhao Yu pondered for a moment, then said, “There’s some truth to what he’s saying. For safety, we’ll escort them to Huan County. Who’s willing to come with me?”

The enthusiasm from the previous discussions waned. People exchanged glances, hesitant about the demanding task of escorting criminals all the way out of the village.

A small hand was suddenly raised beside Zhao Yu. “Me, me!” the girl said.

Dai Ning tugged at Zhao Yu’s sleeve. “If these cowards and selfish people won’t go with you, I will!”

Zhao Yu’s expression softened slightly as he gently scolded her, “Don’t talk like that. Everyone has their reasons; it’s the busy season, and people genuinely can’t leave.”

His words weren’t just to correct her; they were to give the villagers an excuse to save face.

Sure enough, some people began looking ashamed.

Liu Shuan stepped forward. “Yu-ge, this is a good deed to protect the village. I’ll go with you.”

Li Zhuang scratched his head and raised his hand. “Count me in.”

With that, others volunteered as well. Zhao Yu chose eight strong young villagers to join him in escorting Shen Tuo She and also take Zhuang Hongxiu back home.

“I’ll repay everyone’s kindness,” Zhuang Hongxiu said, touched.

No one took his promise seriously, but it was still reassuring to be thanked.

“We’ll set off tomorrow morning,” Zhao Yu announced. “Tonight, there’s no need to feed these men; starving them will keep them compliant on the journey.”

After the effortless capture of Shen Tuo She, the villagers were willing to follow whatever Zhao Yu said.

After the meeting, a familiar face appeared beside Zhao Yu, her porcelain face looking up at him expectantly.

“What about me? Can I go too?”

Zhao Yu held back a smile. “Not every commotion needs you to join in. It’s safe and comfortable for you to stay in the village with Mr. Qian. The trip to Huan County is long, and you’d get car sick.”

At first, Dai Ning had been excited to go, but his response made her sulk, especially since she’d been the first to volunteer.

As Zhao Yu began to say something more, a half-eaten lollipop was suddenly shoved into his mouth. She gave him a quick kick and stormed off. “Fine! Don’t take me, then—I don’t care!”

The sudden burst of blueberry flavor filled Zhao Yu’s mouth.

The mischievous girl was already gone. He chuckled, unbothered by her temper, and casually chewed the lollipop before tossing the stick.

Later, Zhao Yu borrowed five vans from Mr. Qian.

Understanding the situation, Mr. Qian, a principled man, quickly agreed when he learned it was to escort a group of dangerous criminals—especially those who had threatened the young miss. He also supplied provisions and warned Zhao Yu to be careful on the way.

Zhao Yu nodded and told Zhao Ping to look after their parents and younger sister, Zhao An’an.

At dawn, Zhao Yu and his team set out on the mountain path, escorting Shen Tuo She.

Initially uncooperative, Shen Tuo She soon met Zhao Yu’s icy demeanor: starve to death, or go to the station.

With no other choice, Shen Tuo She resigned himself to the journey. Though Zhao Yu seemed mild, he was unyielding. Ignoring his hunger, Shen Tuo She followed along.

After walking a few minutes, Zhao Yu stopped abruptly.

“You go ahead. I’ll catch up,” he told the others.

Following a small trail back a few steps, he found a petite figure trudging along, swatting at mosquitoes and muttering complaints.

Zhao Yu approached and gently picked a dried leaf from her hair. “Didn’t you agree to stay in the village? Why did you come along?”

Dai Ning said, “Who said that? This deep mountain forest is so boring. I’m going to Huan County to have some fun. I remember there are lots of snacks there—glutinous rice cakes, pea jelly…”

Zhao Yu replied, “I’ll bring you some when I get back.”

“No, I don’t want you to bring them—I want to eat them myself.”

When the young lady got stubborn, no one could change her mind. Zhao Yu warned her, “Walking out of the forest will take four hours. Do you think you can handle it?”

Dai Ning shrugged it off. “I can manage.”

“Did you leave a message for Mr. Qian?”

“I left a note in my room. Are you taking me or not? If not, I’ll just go on my own!”

Zhao Yu had no choice. “Fine, you can come, but don’t wander off and don’t provoke Shen Tuo She.”

Dai Ning readily agreed, then happily clung to his arm. “Come on, let’s catch up with everyone.”

The main group had intentionally waited for Zhao Yu, so before long, he and Dai Ning caught up with Zhuang Hongxiu and the others. When the others noticed the Ji family’s young lady with them, they were quite surprised.

Zhao Yu didn’t explain; he only said, “Keep moving.”

Dai Ning skipped around, hands behind her back, curiously eyeing everyone. She was truly beautiful, and her presence made several men’s faces turn red.

She stopped in front of a short man. The man kept his head down as if too shy to look at her.

With Zhao Yu watching Dai Ning out of the corner of his eye and about to tell her not to cause trouble, she suddenly reached out and pulled off the “man’s” hat.

Underneath, Du Tian’s face, with her hair pinned up, was revealed.

Dai Ning tilted her head, smiling mischievously. “You look familiar, little brother.”

Du Tian was speechless—she really wanted to strangle Ji Dai Ning!

Zhao Yu stepped over and frowned. “Du Tian, why are you here?”

The group was large, and they’d set out before dawn. Zhao Yu had only counted heads to check if anyone was missing, not if there was an extra person. Du Tian, smart as she was, hadn’t walked with the villagers but had blended in with Shen Tuo She’s group. If Dai Ning hadn’t spotted her, they might not have noticed Du Tian was there until they got to the cars.

Du Tian explained, “I wanted to help the village too. With another person, we can watch them more closely.”

Zhao Yu responded, “There are enough of us. This trip isn’t convenient for a girl; head back.”

Du Tian looked aggrieved, glancing at Dai Ning. “Why does Ji Dai Ning get to go, but I can’t? I’m only trying to help. Zhao Yu, we grew up together—this is really unfair.”

Seeing she wouldn’t listen, Zhao Yu didn’t bother to argue further. “Do as you please.”

He moved to the front of the group to lead, and Li Zhuang sidled up to Du Tian, smiling to comfort her. “Don’t be mad; Zhao Yu only means well. It’s a tough trip. Du Tian, we all know you’re good-hearted.”