Unexpected

After a night's rest, Audrey was in excellent spirits. Early that morning, she even happily danced a ballet. The soft morning sunlight filtered through the sparse trees and fell upon Hepburn as she twirled gracefully, making her seem like a forest sprite—delicate and enchanting.

"So beautiful!" Watching Audrey Hepburn, who looked like an elf, Alex (Alex would be used from now on; Zhang Xuan would only be used on certain special occasions) was utterly captivated, intoxicated, and had even forgotten his earlier vigilance. His eyes held only Audrey Hepburn.

Alex's gaze was far too passionate, and Ella, standing nearby, felt an inexplicable trace of envy. As someone experienced in such matters, how could Ella fail to see Alex's love for Audrey? Though Alex was ten years older than Audrey, Ella felt that as long as Audrey was willing, she would not oppose it as her mother. In these war-torn times, it was fortunate for Audrey to meet a man who loved her and had the ability to protect her.

When the dance ended, Audrey skipped over to Zhang Xuan. Her tender face was filled with the smile of youth as she wrapped both hands around Alex's arm and said proudly, "Brother, how was Audrey's dancing?"

"Good, very good. Brother was completely mesmerized!" Alex gently ruffled Audrey's hair with his right hand and smiled. "I'd say there isn't anyone in all of America who dances more beautifully than you!"

Audrey giggled, looking even more pleased with herself.

Seeing Audrey's smug expression, Alex could not help pinching her little nose before quickly darting away. Still speaking in a perfectly serious tone, he said, "It's time. We should get going too!"

Watching her brother run away, Audrey stomped her foot furiously and turned to her mother, seemingly intending to complain about her hateful brother.

Before Audrey could speak, Ella walked away with a strange smile on her face, muttering softly as she went, "I didn't see anything."

"You're all bullying me!" Audrey huffed and set off after Zhang Xuan. She would take revenge herself—for the crime of nearly flattening her nose!

Not long after the three of them left, the late-arriving ** also found the cave where they had sheltered the previous night.

"The fire only went out recently. They shouldn't have gone far!" A German Army private reached out and tested the temperature of the fire pit, which had been covered with a thin layer of dirt, then looked up at the sergeant beside him.

The sergeant shouted, "Pursue them!"

It had to be said that, under normal circumstances, the German Army's military discipline was quite high. Before long, they found the traces left behind by the three of them and followed the trail all the way onward.

Unfortunately, Alex still had not realized that his tracks had been exposed.

"Brother, when we get to America, can I really become a big star? A star like Vivien Leigh?" Audrey lay on Alex's back, her little legs swinging back and forth. Straightening up, she recited a classic line from Gone with the Wind in Vivien Leigh's manner: "After all, tomorrow is another day."

"Audrey..." Alex had barely called her name before Audrey rudely interrupted him. "Rhett, you should call me Scarlett!"

Rhett and Scarlett were the male and female leads of Gone with the Wind. Scarlett was played by Vivien Leigh. Audrey had become completely absorbed in acting.

Alex shook his head with a wry smile. He had never watched Gone with the Wind; he only knew the basic plot. As for the lines, forget it. Asking him to act along with Audrey was truly making things difficult for him.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Don't you want to be Rhett?" Audrey stretched her little head around Alex's neck to peer in front of him, her bright eyes fixed tightly on him.

Feeling her warm breath beside his ear, Alex grew inexplicably nervous. The words that slipped from his mouth seemed almost guided by some unseen force: "Rhett abandoned Scarlett in the end, but Alex will never leave Audrey."

Eleven was no longer that young for a girl. Audrey vaguely understood the hazy feelings between men and women. Hearing Alex's blatant confession, she froze completely. Her little face flushed crimson, and her breathing became hurried.

The moment the words left his mouth, Alex realized he had said the wrong thing. What if he frightened Audrey? Fortunately, Alex was quick-witted. He immediately added, "As brother and sister, as family, we'll never be separated."

Alex did not notice that, upon hearing his words, Audrey's expression immediately darkened. The words "brother and sister" echoed endlessly in her mind.

Ella stood to the side, taking in both of their expressions. She merely smiled faintly and had no intention of explaining anything. Young people's affairs should be decided by the young people themselves.

After a moment of silence, Audrey returned to her lively self and tugged at Alex, insisting that he act with her. It had to be said that Audrey was a born actress, and her performance looked quite convincing. As for Alex, even with effort, he could at best become a third-rate little actor.

They joked and bickered all the way, so the three of them did not travel very quickly. After barely an hour of walking, Audrey began clamoring that she was hungry. They had set off without breakfast, and after walking for so long, not only Audrey but even Alex himself was hungry.

Alex carefully lowered Audrey from his back, then opened a pouch at his waist and took out some food left over from the previous night. "We've walked for so long, we're all tired. Let's rest here and eat something."

Just then, Alex's heart stirred. He turned to look behind him, his brows drawing together slightly as a trace of coldness entered his expression. "You two eat first. I'll go take a look over there."

Alex's unusual behavior did not escape Ella and Audrey's notice. Neither of them had any appetite now, and they looked at him anxiously. "Alex, what's wrong?"

Alex surveyed the surroundings with a grave expression, shook his head, and said softly, "Something feels wrong. Be careful, everyone." As he spoke, Alex picked Audrey back up in his arms, put away the food, and pulled Ella behind a huge boulder.

The experiences from his previous life had made Alex extremely vigilant, almost to the point of instinct. Whenever anything seemed even slightly wrong, he would immediately use Teleportation to flee. But he could not do that now—there were two other people beside him!

Although Teleportation could bring others along, the Psionic Power required would multiply, the distance covered would be greatly reduced, and it would place considerable strain on the soul. Alex's Teleportation had not yet recovered to the level of his previous life. If he brought the two of them with him, he could teleport at most three times before his soul could no longer bear the strain and he would have to rest. He would need at least a full day to recover.

Before long, a small squad of ** hurried past them, only to turn back after running a short distance.

"The trail ends here. They should be nearby!" Upon hearing this, the German Army soldiers immediately scattered and carefully searched the area.

Alex could not understand their rapid German chatter, but from their actions, he knew he was in trouble.

Watching the German Army soldiers gradually search closer, Alex turned to Ella and Audrey beside him and said quietly, "No matter what happens later, don't make a sound. Absolutely, absolutely do not make a sound!"

Ella and Audrey nodded, their faces tense as they looked at Alex.

Alex held Audrey with one arm and wrapped the other around Ella's waist. Enduring the intense pain before using Teleportation, he fixed his eyes tightly on a lush, leafy tree two hundred meters away. That was Alex's target.

Two hundred meters—this was the farthest distance he could teleport while bringing the two of them along.

In an instant, the three of them vanished from behind the boulder. When they reappeared, they were already on the trunk of the large tree.

The moment he landed on the trunk, Alex felt the world spin around him and nearly could not stand. This was a sign that his soul had suffered enormous strain. Fortunately, Ella noticed in time and supported him, preventing him from falling straight down.

After resting for ten minutes, the ** German Army soldiers below showed no intention of leaving. They searched every inch of the area with meticulous rigor, not even overlooking narrow cracks between the rocks.

Watching the German Army soldiers' painstaking search, Alex knew that his current location was not safe. Given enough time, they would still find him. To leave this dangerous place as quickly as possible, Alex could only take a risk and use Teleportation again.

But this time, something went wrong. During the Teleportation process, his soul came under immense pressure, and Alex could not endure it any longer. He fainted on the spot. Once Alex lost consciousness, the Teleportation naturally failed, and they fell out of the void halfway through.