novelraw Chapter 145 So?
Chapter 145 So?
Lu Xiran immediately sensed something was wrong.
Gu Yanxu reached out to push the door, but it didn't budge—it was locked.
The next second, a hand suddenly gripped her wrist. The force was astonishing, like an iron clamp, squeezing her bones painfully. Lu Xiran instinctively tried to shake it off, but couldn't move at all—it was a burly man in a black suit, expressionless, his eyes as cold as if he were looking at an object.
She felt a knife pressed against her back.
"You'd better not move." The voice came from behind her, so low that only she could hear it. "Come with me."
Lu Xiran glanced to the side—there was another person standing behind Gu Yanxu, wearing the same black suit and with the same expressionless face. He was being restrained.
She turned her head slightly, wanting to see where Aunt Yun was.
The knife on his back moved forward an inch, and he could feel its chill even through his clothes.
Aunt Yun was not subdued. She stood a few steps away, at a loss, not knowing what had happened.
It's not about clocking in.
It's not time to check in yet.
That leaves only one possibility—the yacht Gu Yanxu mentioned has been discovered by Li Fengche's men.
They can't leave.
Lu Xiran's mind raced.
If she were taken away by Li Fengche's men, it would truly be the end. She had heard far too many rumors about this island, too many stories about the disappearances.
We can't go with them.
Absolutely not.
She turned her head and glanced at the hall.
The lights were on, and glasses clinked. The masked men and women continued to chat and laugh, completely unaware of what was happening around them.
There are a lot of people.
There are enough to buy time if chaos ensues.
Lu Xiran slowly moved closer to Gu Yanxu. The person holding her didn't stop her—in such a crowded place, he dared not make any big moves.
She moved closer to Gu Yanxu and glanced up at him.
Gu Yanxu's pupils contracted slightly, and then he nodded almost imperceptibly.
It's an unspoken understanding.
The two men began moving towards a more crowded area. Their captors could only follow, their knives hidden under their coats, too afraid to reveal them.
As they passed a group of guests clinking glasses, Lu Xiran slowly released her grip on Gu Yanxu's arm.
She gently pinched Gu Yanxu's arm with her fingers.
In a second, Lu Xiran suddenly rushed into the crowd.
At the same time, Gu Yanxu's voice exploded—
"Murder!"
That shout was so sharp it pierced through the clamor of the entire hall.
Lu Xiran ran forward, shouting as she ran, "Murder! He has a knife!"
The crowd instantly descended into chaos.
Before the two burly men could react, their knives were already exposed to everyone's eyes—the gleaming blades were clearly visible to all.
"Murder!"
"Run!"
Screams erupted one after another. The sound of shattering glasses, women's screams, and men's roars instantly blended into chaos.
The two people stood there, at a loss.
The second floor.
Gu Yanshen's gaze roamed around the hall.
He saw Lin Chen approach Aunt Yun and lead her toward the side door.
Then he saw it—the crowd suddenly erupted, some people were running, some were shouting, and all eyes were focused in the same direction.
He saw that figure.
Slender and soft, it was running desperately forward through the crowd.
Someone was chasing her.
Gu Yanshen felt as if something was gripping his heart tightly.
He shook off Song Zhihe's hand, the movement so forceful that she stumbled and almost fell.
"Profound words—"
He didn't hear it.
He sprinted downstairs at top speed, with only one thought in his mind—
She can't be hurt.
There absolutely cannot be any more incidents.
As he ran, he pressed the communication button in his headset.
"Power outage."
In an instant, the entire banquet hall was plunged into darkness.
All the lights went out at once, and all sound was swallowed up by the sudden darkness. Screams erupted from all directions, along with the sounds of shattering wine glasses, overturned tables and chairs, and the chaotic clatter of high heels. People stumbled around like headless flies.
Lu Xiran was bumped and fell to the ground.
But she couldn't care less about the pain.
She can't see anything.
She has night blindness. In this thick darkness, she cannot see at all.
Footsteps came from all directions; she couldn't tell if they were people chasing her or panicked crowds.
Then a hand grasped her wrist.
That touch, that temperature, that familiar pressure—
Lu Xiran's heart skipped a beat.
She couldn't see him. All she could see was a thick, impenetrable darkness. But she could feel his presence, so close, so near, that she could tell the rhythm of his breath.
----It's him!
It was him.
"Uncle?" she called softly.
The man did not answer.
He pulled her up from the ground.
She stumbled slightly, but her other hand caught her waist just in time, pulling her steadily into her arms.
His chest pressed against her back.
It's piping hot.
Through two layers of clothing, she could feel his heartbeat—so fast, so heavy, as if he had just experienced a life-or-death race.
She didn't know where he was taking her.
She just followed him.
Stumbling and stumbling along the way.
But she never fell down.
Because he was always in front of her.
Without her noticing, he had moved in front of her. He took her hand and led her through the chaotic darkness. When someone bumped into them, he shielded them with his body. When something fell, he protected her first.
Her forehead rested against his back.
She could smell that familiar scent of cedarwood, mixed with a hint of sweat, which gave her a strange sense of peace amidst the chaos.
Then he released her hand. "Don't move."
Power has been restored.
The glaring lights came back on, and Lu Xiran squinted for a while to adjust before she could see everything clearly.
Gu Yanshen was already standing in front of her.
Song Zhihe stood beside him, her arm linked with his, their posture intimate as if nothing had happened.
The two of them blocked her way.
On the opposite side, Li Fengche was leading a group of people, walking slowly towards them. Those people all looked fierce and menacing; they were clearly not good people.
"Mr. Gu," Li Fengche's voice was slow and leisurely, with a hint of amusement, "I didn't expect that your visit to my island wasn't out of goodwill."
The group of people behind him dispersed, completely surrounding him.
Gu Yanshen looked at him coldly.
"What do you mean?" His voice was steady, as if he weren't standing in a tiger's den. "Your place lost power, and you're blaming me?"
Li Fengche smiled, but the smile was very unsettling.
"Mr. Gu knows best what's going on in his heart."
He waved his hand.
The crowd parted, and several people escorted one person forward.
----Gu Yanxu.
His hands were tied behind his back, there was a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, but his face was expressionless.
Gu Yanshen's gaze swept over him and then fell back on Li Fengche's face.
"Mr. Li," he said with a hint of sarcasm, "are you hosting a banquet, or are you just changing the venue to do your old tricks from the US?"
Li Fengche's smile froze for a moment.
"Mr. Gu, you'd better watch your words."
"Sense of propriety?" Gu Yanshen sneered. "Since you know he's my cousin, I'll take him and his female companion away right now. I can let bygones be bygones for what happened today."
Li Fengche was stunned.
Then he laughed.
The laughter echoed in the hall, as if they had heard some incredibly funny joke.
"You...forgive me for what happened?" He laughed so hard he almost fell over. "Gu Yanshen, you need to get this straight, this is my territory."
Gu Yanshen looked at him.
His gaze was indifferent, as indifferent as if he were looking at a clown jumping around.
"So?"
He took a step forward.
Do you think I would come unprepared?
Li Fengche's smile froze on his face.