On the open ground, the raging fire set off that hurried and flustered figure. Qin Hanyue's steps were somewhat unsteady: “Qiao Ying!”
“Qiao Ying!”
He shouted hoarsely, breathing unevenly, his heart beating so fast it was as if it would jump out of his chest at any moment. Looking at the pitch-black and silent surroundings, he felt a sudden vertigo, his brain nerves contracting again and again.
The usually calm and composed him was in turmoil at this moment, a small pebble was flung out from behind the dark curtain, hitting Qin Hanyue’s feet and also hitting his taut nerves.
He looked down at his feet, stunned for a moment, then turned around, raised his eyes towards the direction the pebble had come from, and immediately rushed over.
Across a small creek about twenty meters away, the girl was squatting by the creek with her side facing him. She was petite, dressed in black, and looked even smaller in the dark night, making her almost impossible to spot.
In the flickering of Qin Hanyue’s eyes, he had already rushed over.
The creek bank was covered with small pebbles and he almost couldn’t stop in his tracks. He moved too hastily that one of his legs directly knelt on the ground as he squatted down.
He grabbed the girl's slender shoulders and then cupped her fair little face, lifted up her face, and the blood on his hand was unconsciously smudged on her face.
“...Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where are you hurt?” His anxious eyes swept over her urgently, checking if she was alright.
Qiao Ying didn't speak, she just looked at him.
His face was pale, even his lips had lost their color from the fright.
Qin Hanyue's anxious and concerned gaze was on her, then he saw her arm that she had rolled up her sleeve to put in the creek. Her originally fair and delicate arm now had a 10-centimeter long cut, the wound was cut very deeply with the flesh turned outwards, shocking to behold.
She was just squatting there, washing the blood around the wound with water.
Seeing this, Qin Hanyue’s breath hitched. He glanced at Qiao Ying's calm and collected face, and felt his heart being twisted tightly by someone.
“...Don't, don't wash it with water, it's prone to infection.”
His breathing was still chaotic, his words incoherent. After a short delay, he went to take out his handkerchief from his pocket, then gently held her hand.
On the slender arm was a horizontal bloodied gash. He didn't dare use any strength, even though her wrist was still some distance away from the wound.
Her hand was freezing cold after being dipped in the water.
Qin Hanyue carefully wiped the blood and water around her wound with the handkerchief, and asked: “...Anywhere else injured?”
He tried hard to calm himself down, but his voice and hands still couldn’t stop trembling since just now.
He looked at Qiao Ying again: “Why aren't you talking? Does it hurt a lot? Bear with it for a while, I’ll bring you back to treat it immediately.”
“I’m sorry for being a bit late.” Qin Hanyue blamed himself.
She still wasn't talking.
Qin Hanyue looked at her again. His nervousness and worry were written all over his face now, very different from his usual reserved demeanor.
Qiao Ying looked at him wiping blood off her arm, then turned her head to glance at the direction of the Maze Building, and finally spoke.
Her tone was the same as always, with no emotional fluctuations, as if nothing had happened: “I saw that you guys were fiercely competing over territories here. It’s good that Black Spade A died, I’ll give you his territories as a birthday present then.”
Qin Hanyue's movements paused as he raised his eyes to look at her. He could see the swirling emotions rising in her eyes, gradually becoming turbulent, seemingly wanting to swallow him whole.
The next moment, Qin Hanyue pulled her into a tight embrace. His usually well-controlled emotions now seemed somewhat out of hand. He kept tightening his arms around her, unwilling to care about his own bleeding wound.
Without a stethoscope, Qiao Ying could hear his rapid heartbeat.
It was obvious even to an idiot what should be said at such a time. But Qin Hanyue just held her without saying anything, he didn’t plan to and felt there was no need to.
He just softly called her name: “Xiao Ying.”
Qiao Ying’s eyelashes fluttered lightly, her face still calm as tranquil water.
Yet with just that, he seemed to have said everything.
Not all feelings need to be declared out loud for the other party to know. Sometimes just a look, a smile, a sudden intimate address, the other would understand as well.
Despite not knowing her for that long, seldom having time alone together, and not understanding her that well with both sides keeping up polite pretenses on the surface.
Just a few days ago when lying in bed together, Qin Hanyue would still have to spell things out clearly, afraid that she might not understand.
But at this moment, Qin Hanyue felt an unspoken rapport that words were unnecessary. She didn’t need to respond, it was enough that she knew.
He said hoarsely: “Can I ask you for another birthday present?”
After a moment, he finally heard her reply: “What?”
Qin Hanyue: “From now on, no matter when or what the situation, you must take good care of your own life.”
After waiting for another moment, she said: “Okay. But you were noisy just now.”
Her blunt words made the tense Qin Hanyue give a helpless laugh: “I know, I know you’re more capable than him.” But I would still worry.
Qin Hanyue calmed down, released her and used the handkerchief to carefully wipe away the bloodstains on her face, then simply bandaged her wound.
Qiao Ying noticed then that his sleeve felt heavy, seemingly soaked with water, and the blood on his palm also seemed to be his own. That hand of his was apparently lacking in strength too.
Qiao Ying followed her intuition and touched his coat sleeve, her hand coming into contact with warm blood.
She had thought the bloody smell came from her all along.
Qin Hanyue smiled: “It’s fine, not as serious as yours.”
Qiao Ying picked up the short knife on the side and swiftly cut open his coat sleeve, exposing the blood-stained white shirt sleeve underneath along with the faintly visible wound.
They were both slashed on the arm by a knife, and on the right hand too.
Qiao Ying pulled him up to stand: “Let’s go back and treat the wounds.”
She took the lead walking up ahead. After taking a few steps, Qin Hanyue behind her followed along. Soon after, a coat was draped over her.
The two then drove back together.
Blood kept oozing out from the gashes on both their arms, yet both seemed more concerned about each other’s injuries instead.
“When did you find out?” Qin Hanyue suddenly asked.
They were both smart people, also very attuned to each other. Even though Qin Hanyue blurted out this cryptic question abruptly, Qiao Ying accurately grasped that he was referring to his identity as the boss behind the arms dealers.
Qin Hanyue hadn’t discussed with Qiao Ying about sending Xu Zheng, Old Liu and the rest to support Black Spade A’s territories.
After Blade Shadow’s sneak attack on Qiao Ying and escape, they had immediately given chase.
“When I saw you appear in Arklin, I already had some guesses. It was only confirmed when buying explosives that day.” Qiao Ying said.
Qiao Ying continued: “If you had come a day later, I would've blown up your territories already.”
Qin Hanyue laughed. “Blow it up if you want, as long as it makes you happy. When we get back later to treat the wounds, if you want to blow stuff up and play, feel free.”
Cheng Jinyan’s face was covered in cuts and bruises. He happened to bump into Ye Si who was hurrying downstairs to look for Qiao Ying.
Ye Si stopped in his tracks upon seeing Cheng Jinyan’s disheveled state, stretched out a hand to pull open his coat and peered at the wound on his abdomen.
“Just my luck, there were three people and I seemed to have run into the strongest one.” Cheng Jinyan said helplessly, then asked: “Where’s Xiao Ying? Has Black Spade A been dealt with?”
Ye Si: “Went to pursue Black Spade A. I’m going to find her.”
By then, Cheng Jinyan caught sight of the injured Xu Zheng coming down the stairs, along with Old Liu walking over from the other direction.
Cheng Jinyan: “Them?”
Ye Si threw him a look. “Still need to ask? His people of course.”
