Playing Crazy and Foolish

"Go! Get out of the way—everyone get out of the way—"

Holding Cao Dongfeng hostage, Jiaming, his mouth full of blood, was clearly in a state of madness. He used his dagger to cut Shasha free from her ropes, and then they retreated towards the back of the lumber mill. The Japanese girl, who looked perfect on the outside but was actually covered in injuries, also struggled desperately during the opportunity, following Jiaming with unsteady steps. Despite suffering immense pain, as if being pricked by needles with every step, her porcelain doll-like beautiful face remained expressionless. She knew this was her last chance to escape.

On the other side, Shasha followed, watching Jiaming with worry. The bamboo sword hadn't hit his face, but blood stained the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were filled with trembling red light. This boy, usually timid and honest, who smiled sincerely, was now shouting hysterically. He must be in pain, he must be scared. Where did he get this courage from?

Normally, at the martial arts school, Uncle Ye forced him to learn martial arts, but he always wanted to slack off, preferring to help out, handing out water and towels, rather than learning. Only when he had no other choice would he practice a few punches. His stances were correct and precise, but when it came to sparring, he could never win. After a few exchanges, he would run around the ring like a slippery loach. According to Uncle Ye, his boxing was just rote memorization; the entire sequence was beautiful, but when broken down, he had no idea how to use it.

However, his movements just now were clearly some of the combat techniques Uncle Ye had taught him when he was in the mood. Rushing forward, grabbing, dodging—a series of agile and swift movements, executed in one fluid motion, even the perverted old Japanese man couldn't keep up. But beside him, she clearly saw the slight trembling of his arms and body.

"All of you, back off—cough, cough, cough…"

The boy's voice, tinged with a sob, followed the hysterical shouts, erupting into a few coughs from the blood choking him. The dagger, due to the sudden movement, dug in a bit deeper. Immediately, Cao Dongfeng also cried out with a choked voice, "Back off! You guys back off! He's about to stab me! He's about to stab me!"

Dozens of fierce-looking men holding machetes paused at the words, then resumed their pursuit in a semicircle. Cao Jinghao shouted among them, "Kid, don't do anything rash. If you dare to hurt him, I'll kill your whole family!"

"I'll kill your whole family!" Before his words even finished, Jiaming shouted back, his eyes red, "Say that again if you dare, and I swear I'll make sure your family line ends right now!"

"Okay, okay, I was wrong, I won't say it, I won't say it. Good kid, relax, relax, don't be nervous…" Cao Jinghao, accustomed to giving orders, now realized the other party held a hostage. If it were a rational adult, it would be one thing, but seeing the kid's current state, it was clear he had been beaten badly and was now half-mad. Such a person, pushed too far, would do anything.

Holding the hostage, the three retreated from between the two houses to the back of the lumber mill. There, a small gate in the fence led into the mountain forest behind. Shasha wished they could go forward, but Jiaming surely hadn't thought of that. Now, with dozens of men armed with machetes surrounding them in a half-moon, it was impossible to ask them to let them pass. After a moment's thought, she looked at Jiaming, who was in a semi-maddened state beside her, and her heart ached. It had always been her and Lingjing protecting him, but now, because of her family's affairs, he had been beaten and was like this. However, seeing him protect her so hysterically, driving away all the menacing bad guys, a strange sweetness bloomed in her heart.

The group exited through the small gate and retreated into the forest. Upon reaching the edge of the trees, Jiaming suddenly shouted again, "You're not allowed to move! Don't follow!"

"Impossible, you have to think for me too." Cao Jinghao tried to soften his tone. "What if you run away and kill my son? I have to watch you, I have to…"

"Your son deserves to die!" Jiaming yelled. "But I'm not leaving. I'll let you see him, but Shasha has to go, she must! I have to make sure Shasha gets far enough away before I let him go!"

"Fine, Shasha can go, but I have to see my son safe, and that woman…"

"She has nothing to do with me, but if any of you come closer, I'll kill him!"

"Alright, won't go, won't go. I'll also explain to Mr. Yuechi…" He said, having the interpreter relay to the old Japanese man not to arbitrarily grab anyone. The old man snorted but said nothing and made no move.

The four slowly retreated into the forest behind. The dozen or so people on this side could clearly see Jiaming and Cao Dongfeng standing behind a patch of low bushes, while the girl named Shasha was crying something over there.

"I'm not leaving. If we go, we go together. I can't leave you here…"

"I told you, hurry up and go! I need to stall them here! You're just a burden, get lost!"

"No… I don't want to…" Shasha shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I can't go. You never dared to scold me before, but I know you want me to escape alone. I don't want to… It's my fault you got beaten. If only my dad wasn't in the Yakuza…"

"Why are you saying this now? Go!" Jiaming said, kicking Shasha in the stomach. He didn't use much force, but Shasha hadn't expected Jiaming to kick her. Stumbling a few steps, she fell onto the leaf-covered ground behind him. She stood up, clutching her stomach, and cried aggrievedly, "Jiaming, you kicked me…"

"I…" Jiaming called out, and then, his tensed shoulders finally slumped. At this moment, he seemed to have suddenly reverted to his usual timid self, his wrist trembling even more. "I-I'm sorry… But, Shasha, I'm scared, but only one of us can go… If they catch Cao Dongfeng, they'll definitely follow us. I have to watch here…"

His voice gradually became choked as he spoke, "Shasha… I'm afraid of pain, I'm afraid of death. I like being with you and Lingjing. If I die, I'll never see you again… It hurt so much just now. When I was being beaten, I almost couldn't help but cry out, but I'm a man. Sometimes, I can't shout, and I can't cry… I'm a man, so I have to stay. If you escape, call the police immediately to save me. It's getting dark, Shasha, you must escape from here…"

Looking at Jiaming now, Shasha cried even harder. After a moment, she said, "Okay… I'll definitely call the police. But Jiaming, you have to promise me you'll escape too, you can't get caught by them."

"Yeah, I will."

"Also… can you… let me kiss you…"

"Uh, huh?" For a moment, Jiaming was startled, almost losing his act of pretending to cry. Fortunately, it was already evening, and the light in the woods was insufficient, so Shasha couldn't see very clearly.

As he stood there stunned, Shasha walked over, her soft lips pressing against him. But instead of his mouth, they pressed against the blood on the corner of his lips. Her soft, wet tongue extended, licking away the blood from Jiaming's mouth before stopping. Then, she wiped away her tears and, crying softly, ran deeper into the woods.

Ugh… the feeling of saliva is so much worse than blood…

Feeling the saliva replace the blood on his lips, Jiaming felt a slight sense of helplessness. He then looked at Yuechi Xun, who was still standing beside him, and frowned.

At that moment, Yuechi Xun was also looking at him. She didn't understand Chinese, so she could only follow Jiaming. But after a moment, she suddenly bowed and said in a pleasant, tender voice, "Arigato (Thank you)." She then turned and, with difficulty, trotted off in another direction of the woods.

Huh… What's going on…

Jiaming was slightly taken aback. In fact, Yuechi Xun had misunderstood his intentions. Since she was captured, her legs had been the most beaten by the old man. Although she gritted her teeth and stood up, her actual mobility was worse than that of an ordinary person. Jiaming's glance at her was him considering how to send this girl away as well. However, Yuechi Xun interpreted it as the boy worrying that she would become a burden to him. After all, Jiaming's act was too convincing. In her eyes, she probably thought this boy hadn't undergone training like herself. But he could endure pain by gritting his teeth, and despite trembling with fear, he could face so many enemies and continue to fight, even bringing the two girls here. This made Yuechi Xun admire him greatly.

The pursuers' tracking ability was strong. Given his current condition, escaping was almost impossible. However, this child's strength had its limits, and she couldn't drag him down. Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, she had to try…

Outside the woods, dozens of people watched menacingly. Cao Jinghao nervously checked his watch. Gradually, ten minutes had passed since Shasha's escape. He looked at the two behind the bushes and shouted, "Alright, they've been gone for ten minutes! You can let him go!"

Inside the woods, Cao Dongfeng felt the dagger behind him loosen and quickly said, "Jiaming, it's alright, you run quickly. I promise I won't chase you. If you run now, you can definitely get away."

He had heard what Jiaming said to Shasha and was convinced that Jiaming was currently in extreme panic. However, if he dared to look back at Jiaming's expression at this moment, he would realize how wrong he was…

The trembling he had displayed in front of the two girls was gone. His expression was relaxed and casual, and Jiaming curved his lips into a wicked smile as he approached the boy in front of him.

"Did you… have fun fighting just now?"

"I… I…"

"Don't worry, I won't hit you or kill you. I will let you… know what true pain and despair are—despair, you hear?"

Cao Dongfeng probably hadn't fully grasped the meaning of this sentence when Jiaming raised his hand and struck the back of his head with the hilt of the dagger. Then, dragging the unconscious Cao Dongfeng, he disappeared into the darkness of the woods.

Outside the woods, Cao Jinghao and the others could only see their son suddenly collapse, and then Jiaming turned and vanished…

"Chase them!"

Holding machetes and iron rods, dozens of people rushed into the woods. The old Japanese man was the fastest. The direction he took was different from everyone else's—it was the direction Yuechi Xun had fled.

The sun slanted behind the western mountains, and even the last rays of twilight gradually disappeared from the sky. As dusk fell, the forest became like a crouching, wild beast, swallowing everyone within