Deadly Trap

Chapter 102. Undeterred and Unstoppable
This chapter can be listened to as Karen Mok's "So Many People in This World".

>>>>>
They waited anxiously at the entrance of the guesthouse's atrium. When Dai Ze and Welsh finally saw Gu Mufei again, they were both dumbfounded.

Regaining his senses first, Dai rushed out.

His old friend was still upright and impeccably dressed, but from his neck to his narrow waist, his body was stained with crimson blood, like a waterfall of blood, dripping and glaring. The sticky blood had long since soaked through his deep royal blue suit.

In contrast, Gu Mufeng's handsome face was completely bloodless, pale to the point of being almost transparent. His indifferent eyes still held a haughty and arrogant air, but his posture had reached its limit.

In time, Dai knelt down and caught Gu Mufei's collapsing body with both hands. Following closely behind, Welsh also hurriedly knelt down beside him.

"Boss."

He lay prone, kneeling on Dai Ze's shoulder. His body was heavy. Dai Ze supported him as if he were holding up a collapsing building. He felt Gu Mufeng slowly raise his right hand and grip his shoulder tightly.

How could this force be so heavy?

"……it's over."

Gu Mufeng spoke in a very soft voice. His tone was completely calm, as if he had just completed another routine official task.

He gasped for breath:
"Notify the police to handle the aftermath. Now... send me back."

Without a word, Dai and Welsh worked together to help the blood-soaked Gu Mufei into the car. They sped off towards the nearest hospital.

The streets of Minzhou remain bustling and unchanged. On an ordinary workday, the sea of ​​cars and crowds rush by, gradually blurring in the blink of an eye.

For the first time, Welsh found the silence in the car frightening.

In the rearview mirror, the back seat was spacious. He saw Gu Mufeng leaning against the door, slumped over. The cut on the side of his neck was slightly everted, revealing a deep line. The blood-red shirt clung tightly to his skin, and the rise and fall of his chest was almost imperceptible.

Gu Mufei's beautiful phoenix eyes were half-open, hazy. The cold-heartedness that once pierced through the world had vanished from his gaze, replaced by a gentle tenderness.

He looked out the window, at the clear, blue sky. Today, the sky was perfectly clear...

Like her.

His hands were stained with blood. People like him continue to live—

The sea on a summer night...

Welsh floored the accelerator, accelerating. A long bridge spanned the Jiangjin Bridge, connecting downtown Minzhou with Lidao Island. The Parrot River seemed wider than ever before.

Waves chase the water, the mountains and rivers remain the same. Never-ending.

"...Welsh."

"Softly," Welsh heard Gu Mufeng call out softly. In the past eight years, this had usually been an order.

In the rearview mirror, Gu Mufeng tried several times, his trembling hands removing his wet gloves. Struggling in the sticky, wet blood, they slipped off, and he struggled again…

The heavy gloves fell to the ground beside him. His breath brought back the pain that should belong to every normal person, and brought it back to him. His body and soul felt like they were about to disintegrate, but he barely managed to hold on as Gu Mufeng swayed the ring off the tip of his right ring finger.

"...Thank you for your help...to Su Li. And...her—"

She was beautiful. Perhaps...

His breath was faint, yet he possessed an innate pride that would never falter. He parted his lips slightly. Many things… perhaps… need not be said anymore.

Su Li.

Meeting her in this world was his good fortune. From then on, in this world...

Gu Mufei smiled faintly.

"……sorry."

>>>>>
Su Li was startled.

In the airport terminal, Su Li was restless. She glanced furtively at Quenxus, who stood motionless beside her, his palms also sweating. Su Li tried to reassure herself: after all, Gu Mufeng had already promised her. Full of responsibility, he would never allow himself to abandon a promise he had made. He was always intelligent, cunning yet decisive; she had witnessed firsthand his exceptional skills. How could she not trust him?

But, when will Mu Fei arrive?
Seconds ticked relentlessly. She watched the time on the airport sign in the distance tick away, irrevocably changing. With the final security check deadline fast approaching, Su Li had no choice. Under Quenxus's watchful eye, she pushed her luggage, inching her way towards the security checkpoint.

The bright sunlight streamed in from the ceiling and curtain wall system, casting dappled patterns on the ground that danced and followed her leisurely steps, illuminating the entire spacious airport terminal.

Su Li looked up and saw that the sky was clear and blue; it was a perfect day.

Spring is almost here. Yet, the sunlight that shines on her heart feels cold.

Mu Fei... come quickly.

Su Li bit her lip tightly.

Her gaze swept across the room hastily, taking in a vast sea of ​​people. Yet, almost at the far end of the hall, Su Li spotted Welsh at a glance.

Her heart soared. Taking three steps at a time, Su Li dropped her luggage, squeezed into the crowd, and pushed her way through the throng. She ran forward... her cheeks flushed.

The closer she got, the clearer she could see Welsh's white shirt: mottled, bright bloodstains that bloomed like wild poppies.

Her heart sank suddenly, and before she knew it, she had stopped.

"...Welsh, where's Mu Fei? Is he...is he behind us?"

Step by step, Welsh walked steadily until he reached Su Li, where he stopped. Two heads taller than her, he was respectful and reserved, expressionless, as always.

Right before Su Li's eyes, time seemed to stand still. From the inside pocket of his suit jacket, Welsh carefully, as if entrusting the world's most precious treasure, pulled out the delicate ruby ​​ring:

It looks like a small berry, and it is crystal clear and pure.

He once held it in his hand and proposed to her: his smile was sincere and his eyes were soft.

She couldn't agree to his request.

Hand in hand, they once left behind the beauty of a city in the evening; and now, this ring is solemnly placed in her hands by Welsh.

“…The Boss instructed me to pass this on to you.” A silent undercurrent flowed in his eyes, Welsh’s face ashen. “The Boss also asked me to convey…”

In Su Li's eyes, all that remained were the opening and closing of her lips:
"……'sorry.'"

……

Wishing you a safe journey and success in your studies.

They exchanged a quick glance, Welsh glancing at Quenxus. The two of them nodded in unison to Su Li, then turned and left. Despite their tall stature, their figures disappeared quickly, soon swallowed up by the bustling crowd.

This world is so vast, with over eight billion people; people come and go, tides rise and fall, each person is unique, and each person is writing their own story.

My story is about meeting you in the sea of ​​people; it was you who stirred up a tide in my heart that will never fade away.

Su Li didn't know if Gu Mufeng would ultimately succeed in changing the city with his own hands; but at least, she had changed forever. She understood Welsh's meaning, and she understood even more the words Gu Mufeng didn't say until the very end.

The world's clamor receded from her heart, leaving only a name that went unanswered. She called it softly one more time. A faint smile curved her lips.

The ring in her palm, soaked inside and out with his congealed blood, pressed against her middle finger as she gently slipped it on. It seemed to still hold a faint warmth, a lingering illusion.

In this world... he is no more.

Su Li felt its weight. Tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks.

Su Li, you must forge ahead without hesitation.

—"This is an announcement: Passengers traveling to Chicago on flights..."

Before we knew it, spring had arrived.

Please don't send the author razor blades.