In Peril

"How could this be... Why is Ye Feng so familiar with the terrain around here? I was right behind him the whole time, yet I still lost him."

Xie Yuyan tightly gripped the blood-stained dagger in her hand, a restless unease surging through her once again. The sprawling amusement park wasn’t particularly complex, yet Ye Feng had repeatedly evaded her pursuit, slipping away every time she was about to catch him. It was as if he knew the layout of the park like the back of his hand, weaving through every ride and attraction—no doubt trying to buy time so Su Yuxin could bring reinforcements.

But Ye Feng had overlooked one thing: the trail of blood from his wounds. Every few steps, Xie Yuyan would spot fresh droplets along the path, leading her straight to him.

"Heh..."

Xie Yuyan smirked as she watched Ye Feng emerge from the corner of a narrow alley. Just when she thought it was all over, she realized he wasn’t about to surrender. Instead, he turned and headed straight for the dense forest beyond the amusement park’s fence. Only then did the truth dawn on her.

"How interesting... Truly fascinating. As expected of the man I’ve set my sights on. He must have anticipated this chase from the very beginning. So, he’s hiding more secrets than I imagined~"

Xie Yuyan didn’t lose her composure despite losing sight of Ye Feng. She pressed the bloodied dagger against her cheek, smearing the nearly dried blood across her pale skin.

"Ah~ Even his precious blood is so alluring. It seems we’ll have plenty of new games to play from now on~"

The cold, breathtaking beauty now resembled a crimson rose blooming in a field of snow—radiant yet deadly.

"I want... I want to make Ye Feng mine and mine alone... Never letting anyone else lay eyes on him again... Mine... He belongs only to me!"

The thought of spending the rest of her life with Ye Feng brought a rare, bewitching smile to Xie Yuyan’s icy face. But to Ye Feng, that smile could only be described as madness—for behind its allure lay boundless desire and greed.

"Darling, did you really think escaping into the mountains would keep you safe? Our first game of hide-and-seek has only just begun~"

......

"Pant... pant..."

Ye Feng gasped for breath as he scanned his surroundings, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

"This is bad... While the labyrinthine terrain of these woods might buy me time against Xie Yuyan, I’ve never been here before. If I wander around like a headless fly, it’ll be no different from slow suicide."

Before coming to the amusement park, Ye Feng had secretly studied its geography, preparing for emergencies where an unorthodox escape route might throw Xie Yuyan off. If he had kept running blindly through the park, she would’ve caught him in no time—after all, the one fleeing was always at a disadvantage.

"Tch..."

As the adrenaline faded, exhaustion crashed over him. His legs felt like lead, refusing to take another step, and his body, riddled with wounds, was rapidly losing warmth. The chase had only worsened his injuries. Without adrenaline, he would’ve been caught long ago.

"No... I can still hold out... As long as I keep moving through untouched paths, I can avoid Xie Yuyan’s pursuit."

But no matter how hard he willed himself, his body refused to rise from the rocks.

"I can’t... I can’t stand up."

Trembling, Ye Feng braced his bloodied hands against his knees, whispering to himself. Just as he felt all hope slipping away, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

"Huh? Could it be Yuxin? Did she bring backup?"

Heart leaping, he pulled out his phone—only to see Li Mucheng’s name flashing on the screen.

"Mucheng?!"

The sight of her name reminded him—back when he left the estate, she must have tampered with his phone to track his location. She must have noticed something was wrong and called to check.

"Right... If I talk to Mucheng now, my chances of survival might improve."

Without hesitation, he answered the call. Within seconds, Li Mucheng’s anxious voice came through.

"T-Teacher... Is that you?"

"Mucheng, I’m fine for now. You saw my location, didn’t you?"

"Yes! The moment you entered the woods outside the amusement park, I locked onto your position. Don’t worry, Teacher—I’m already on my way with help. Just stay hidden, okay?"

Relief washed over Li Mucheng’s voice. At least she wasn’t too late. If anything happened to Ye Feng, she’d never forgive herself.

"Got it. But... can I ask you for one thing?"

"Of course, Teacher."

"If you really do see Xie Yuyan... please don’t kill her. I... I still have things I need to say to her."

"......"

Silence stretched on the other end before Li Mucheng finally replied in a whisper.

"...I understand. Rest for now, Teacher. Just wait for me, okay?"

"Alright... I will."

......

The call ended, and Ye Feng tried to stand again, intending to relocate—but a sudden memory flooded his mind.

He vaguely recalled another time when Li Mucheng had kidnapped him. After that, she’d always seemed to know his whereabouts, just like today. The realization made him think of the system rewards he’d received before. Immediately, he summoned the system panel in his mind.

That’s right! Didn’t the system give me a bunch of reward items? Maybe I can use them in this world. No matter how many I have to spend, it’ll be worth it if I can survive this!