Chapter 514: Undying
Chapter 514: Undying
An Ran opened her eyes and said to Zhan Lian beside her: “Luo Feifan is back. Tang Siluo couldn’t be found, Axe is dead, and Zhang Boxun looks like he’s injured too.”
“How far?”
Zhan Lian frowned, stepped on the gas, swerved around the car ahead, and drove straight to the front of the convoy. He opened his door and made a quick “follow” gesture to Yun Tao in the car behind.
It was a standard military signal—anyone who had served would recognize it. Yun Tao, driving the truck with Liang Ziyu, Zhao Ru, and Hengheng inside, stepped on the gas and moved up.
As they passed the lead vehicle, Fatty rolled down his window and shouted into the cold wind: “Where are you going?”
“Wait up ahead!” An Ran rolled down her own window and called back, “No danger back there. This stretch is safe.”
The temperature kept dropping. Even though it was May, the air bit like January in the south. Low clouds churned overhead, and a stiff wind promised rain.
From An Ran, Zhan Lian learned Zhang Boxun’s condition was critical. He immediately took Liang Ziyu and Zhao Ru with him to attempt a rescue.
The clouds pressed lower as they drove, and soon, flashing headlights appeared in the distance—Luo Feifan’s car, heading back toward them.
In the gusting wind, Luo Feifan, Zhan Lian, and Yun Tao all stopped their vehicles.
Luo Feifan climbed out quickly and strode over to Yun Tao’s truck. After a brief exchange, Zhao Ru and Liang Ziyu got out.
A short while later, Zhao Ru ran back and knocked on An Ran’s window.
“Looks like a heavy rain’s coming. We should find shelter.”
An Ran nodded.
Zhan Lian asked from the driver’s seat, “How’s Zhang Boxun?”
“Nothing fatal. One stab wound—the bleeding’s stopped. He won’t die.”
With that, Zhao Ru returned to the truck without another glance at Zhang Boxun. She bore him a grudge; sparing his life was kindness enough. Save him? Not in this lifetime.
Seeing her indifference, Yun Tao sighed, got out, and helped Liang Ziyu lay Zhang Boxun flat before lifting him into the truck.
Zhan Lian scanned the sky—dark, heavy, and rumbling with distant thunder. A downpour was inevitable. He bent down, unfolded a map, and pointed to a small mark.
“There’s a town up ahead. We can take shelter there,” he told An Ran.
She didn’t argue. Crawling into the back, she lifted the now-awake Doll out of the crib.
“What’s wrong with her lately?” An Ran asked. “Every time I hold her, she keeps burrowing into my chest for milk.”
“She needs solids,” Zhan Lian said with the calm authority of someone who’d done his homework. “Around six months, babies need solid food—otherwise they don’t get enough nutrition.”
An Ran thought of the stack of parenting books she’d packed for the trip. They’d been gathering dust in the car, untouched. She’d meant to read them but never found the time—and when she did, she fell asleep halfway through.
Zhan Lian, on the other hand, had picked them up in his spare moments, flipping through them casually. Whether the advice was good or not, it still gave him an excuse to show off at times like this.
Before she could ask more, Zhan Lian added: “I’ve got rice noodles for her—plain and fruit flavors. We’ll feed her later when we stop. Don’t give too much at once—half a spoon’s enough.”