Song Ran saw his face clearly, and the taut nerves in her mind snapped in an instant. Her limbs went weak, and tears welled up silently. He supported her with one strong hand, and she tried her best to stand firm.

Gunshots echoed endlessly in the alley, trailing them.

Li Zan pulled his mask back up over his face with one hand and pulled her along with the other, quickly turning into another alley.

The alley was narrow, lined with residential houses on both sides.

As Li Zan ran, he scanned the houses. Seeing one with a closed window, he immediately pulled it open, and without a word, lifted Song Ran up and placed her on the sill.

Song Ran understood and quickly jumped into the room. Li Zan placed his hands on the inner window sill and vaulted inside, not disturbing a single speck of dust on the outer sill.

Song Ran immediately closed the window.

This house was a typical Dongguo desert dwelling, with small windows, thick walls, and a flat roof, making it dim and cool like a pillbox. Any valuable furniture and decorations had long been moved out.

Just as the two entered the house, the sound of footsteps from a search party came from outside the window.

Song Ran was afraid and wanted to climb the stairs to hide. She had only taken one step when Li Zan pulled her back, pinned her against the wall, and quickly covered her mouth with his large hand. He also stepped forward, pressing her tightly against the wall.

The next second, a figure flashed past the window beside them. A dark, long, and narrow shadow slanted into the room, slowly gliding across the outline of light and shadow cast by the window frame on the floor.

Li Zan clenched his jaw, unconsciously pressing Song Ran even tighter.

Song Ran's heart pounded like a drum. She held her breath with all her might. At this moment, she was afraid to even hear the sound of her own breathing.

A few more figures passed by the window, back and forth.

That group of people had lost their target and gathered near the window, cursing about something in the Dongguo language. Although she couldn't understand the words, she could discern the furious anger massing within their voices.

Separated by just a wall, Song Ran didn't even dare to breathe, hot and cold sweat pouring down her body. She looked up at Li Zan. He was extremely close to her, his chin almost touching her forehead.

The veins on his temples were taut. Above his mask, only his striking eyes and brows were visible, staring unblinkingly at the window, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's. His right palm and forearm held a rifle in a two-point line. The veins on the back of his hand bulged.

After a bout of angry curses, someone outside suddenly said something in the direction of the window. A figure approached the window and raised a hand to push it open.

Song Ran's eyes widened as she looked at Li Zan. He, however, was staring intently at that hand, slowly raising the right hand that held the gun. A fierce and ruthless aura emanated from him, a top-down sense of pressure.

Just as that person was about to push the window, someone else said something. The person touched the dust on the windowsill and replied. Only then did Song Ran remember that Li Zan hadn't disturbed the dust on the windowsill when he came in.

The people outside judged that there was no one in the house and turned to leave. At that moment, a gunshot suddenly rang out, and a figure by the window frame fell to the ground.

The Anti-government forces had caught up and started fighting with the Terrorist organization again.

The people outside immediately raised their guns to fight back. Both sides were locked in a fierce battle, and bullets flew everywhere indiscriminately. A few of them hit the window, and the glass shattered and flew.

In an instant, Li Zan lowered his head towards the hollow of her shoulder, shielding her with his body and blocking the high-speed shards of flying glass.

The man's cheek was pressed tightly against the side of her face. Through the not-so-thick mask, his rapid and moist breath seeped out from the cotton fabric, brushing past the side of her face and into her ear like a damp feather.

But just for a second, he turned his head away. Although he still kept his head lowered, his gaze shot towards the window, closely watching the movements outside, not daring to relax in the slightest.

Song Ran stared blankly, the rhythm of her heartbeat out of control. She was completely held tight in his embrace, able to hear the strong, throbbing beat of his heart in his chest and smell the hot scent of sweat from his collar. She shivered inexplicably, unsure if it was from fear or something else.

And his hand was still covering her mouth, carrying the masculine scent of sweat and the smell of gunpowder from having fired a gun.

Only then did she remember that the two bullets that had come from a high place just now were fired by him.

He had saved her again.

They remained in that tightly pressed position, standing in the dark and cool corner for more than ten minutes.

The fighting outside finally died down. It seemed both groups had suffered heavy losses and had retreated separately.

Not until the world fell silent, so quiet that not a single sound could be heard, did Song Ran feel a distinct and slow rise and fall of his chest—he had finally let out a sigh of relief.

He slowly raised his head, released the hand covering her mouth, and also took a step or two back, putting some distance between them.

Song Ran's face was already beet red. She dared not look at him for more than a fleeting glance, turning her eyes away to look at the glass shards on the floor.

Li Zan relaxed his slightly stiff right hand. Seeing her just staring blankly without a word, he asked softly, "Were you scared?"

"Huh?" She raised her head and shook it. "I'm okay."

He looked at her for a second or two without speaking, then tilted his head slightly and took off his mask.

Seeing this, Song Ran also took off her mask.

The light in the room was dim. Both of their pupils were bright. Their eyes met, gazing at each other's faces without any obstruction, quiet, silent.

Even he might have belatedly sensed a hint of subtlety and awkwardness from what had just happened. He averted his gaze, wiped his face with his mask, and said in a low voice, "It's hotter here than in Galuo."

"Yeah," she said, fanning her cheeks lightly. "I was running the whole time and was too nervous, my face feels flushed."

He seemed to find her words amusing and gave a faint smile.

After waiting for about another ten minutes, Li Zan went over and opened the door.

On the stone-paved road were trails of blood that had been dragged across, messy and shocking to the eye, remnants of the chaotic battle from just now—both sides had dragged away many of the dead and wounded.

He put his mask back on and glanced back at Song Ran. She understood his meaning and put hers on as well. The two of them walked cautiously through the alley.

He was in front, she was behind.

He walked very slowly, looking back from time to time, making sure she stayed close behind him.

He looked back so many times that she became nervous too, and said in a low voice, "Don't keep looking back, I'm afraid someone will suddenly jump out from the front."

Li Zan nodded. After walking a few more steps, he simply lengthened a strap on his military pack and handed it to her. She gripped it tightly and wrapped it around her wrist twice, tethered to his back like a tail.

On a scorching noon, in a deserted ghost town.

Holding the strap, she followed him as he walked slowly and vigilantly through one empty alley after another, past buildings riddled with bullet holes, and by deep and eerie doors and windows.

The Anti-government forces and the Terrorist organization had long since withdrawn.

Li Zan turned into an alley and wheeled out a military motorcycle. Song Ran wanted to ask something, but being in this terrifying little town, she was still very panicked and inexplicably afraid to make a sound, as if she would startle something.

The two returned to the street. Song Ran's car was still parked there.

She unwound the strap from her wrist, loop by loop. Before getting in the car, she looked expectantly at Li Zan. "Can I get in?"

Li Zan checked all over the car, inside and underneath, and only let her get in after confirming there were no problems. He jumped onto the hood and tied the motorcycle to the roof.

Setting off again, neither of them spoke. After cautiously passing through a few streets, Song Ran started to floor the accelerator. The speed increased, and she blazed out of the ghost town at a high speed of 150 kph.

Outside the city, the road was empty, and the world was quiet. The vast wilderness stretched as far as the eye could see. Only then did Song Ran relax a little and ask Li Zan, "How did you end up here?"

Li Zan's answer was brief. "Our combat team was dispatched to Hapo."

...

Li Zan didn't tell her that when they passed through an unnamed small town, the Government Army at the checkpoint had inspected his ID. Seeing that he was Chinese, they had casually said, "A female Chinese reporter just passed through. I told her she would be safe if she reached Hapo before dark, but the war situation has suddenly changed. The Government Army at the next station has been temporarily redeployed to the north for reinforcements, causing the Anti-government forces and the Extremist Organization to start fighting there ahead of schedule to seize the point. Hope she's lucky and doesn't run into them."

Li Zan had asked, "What's that reporter's name?"

"I usually can't remember Chinese names," the soldier said. "But her last name is strange, it means 'song'. Her first name is even stranger, it's the past tense of 'run'."

SONG RAN

"How far is the next station from here?"

"Thirty-three kilometers."

Li Zan immediately requested a military motorcycle from his team to go after her, saying he would regroup with them in Hapo in the evening.

Benjamin had said with a laugh, "I didn't expect the Chinese to be so romantic."

...

Li Zan asked, "What about you?"

Song Ran said, "I was dispatched here on short notice. I went to the base before I left this morning and asked a guard to tell you."

He gave a faint smile and said, "I had already left the base early this morning to assemble."

"Why the sudden trip to Hapo?"

"There's going to be a major wave of attacks tonight. The Government Army is afraid they can't hold, so they asked us to go for support. Just a few small squads. But more troops will be sent later..." As he spoke, he suddenly frowned, lowered his head, and felt the back of his neck, pulling out a few shards of glass.

He casually brushed the shards off his hand.

Song Ran's eyes were sharp. She saw a few streaks of red, slowed down, and pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"What's wrong?"

"Your neck... seems to have been cut by the glass."

"I don't think so."

"Yes, it is."

"..."

The two stared at each other.

Song Ran pointed tentatively. "Can I... take a look?"

Li Zan silently turned his head to look out the window, turning his body slightly to show her.

She knelt on the driver's seat with one leg and stretched her neck. "It really is bleeding."

He sat up straight again, touched the back of his neck, and said, "I don't feel any..." Before he could finish, she slapped his hand away. "Don't touch it with your hand, your hand is dirty."

"..." Li Zan lowered his head and said no more.

The injury on the back of his neck wasn't serious, but the skin was broken in several places, and in a few spots, the glass had left small punctures.