How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Qingru and the others were anxious, and Guo Zixing was also running around in a hurry.

Without daring to stop for a moment, he hurried to the hospital on his own two legs. Yuan Yue'e had forbidden him from going out before, so he was not familiar with the route and had to ask for directions as he ran. He finally arrived at the hospital a little after 10:30.

When he rushed into the ward, Xu Wensheng yawned boredly: "I thought you weren't coming."

Now that he knows the truth, Guo Zixing feels a chill run down his spine. When facing Xu Wensheng and Jiang Shen, he can't help but feel suspicious. "Has the cargo ship already left?"

Xu Wensheng glanced at his watch: "It's past the appointed time; she should have left. Should we still go?"

Guo Zixing's gaze was deep, filled with an urgent determination: "Go, we must go."

Seeing his expression, Xu Wensheng instinctively felt something was amiss, and Jiang Shen shared the same thought.

"What's wrong with you? You look like you're about to eat someone alive."

Guo Zixing was momentarily distracted when he saw his own expression reflected in the opposite window. It was not only filled with deep resentment but also radiated overwhelming rage, making him appear like a demon from hell—truly frightening.

After regaining his senses, Guo Zixing said, "It's nothing. I just accidentally remembered some things. Maybe I really am the son of Commander Guo."

Neither Jiang Shen nor Xu Wensheng were fools; they knew it wasn't true when they saw his expression. However, time was of the essence, and asking these questions was pointless.

"Didn't the Yuan siblings notice you ran away?"

Guo Zixing's expression tightened. "No, let's go."

Without further ado, Xu Wensheng drove the two to the dock.

By the time we arrived at the dock, almost an hour had passed since the agreed time. The dock, seemingly unaffected by time, remained bustling with activity, as people loaded and unloaded goods with great enthusiasm.

In fact, it's common to work at night in the summer to minimize losses due to the heat. While heatstroke deaths are frequent, nobody works to the point of risking their life, right?

The car was parked near the shed. Xu Wensheng gave a few yuan to a herbal tea stall owner and led the people to where the Xu family parked their car.

The place was empty; the Xu family's boat had already set sail long ago.

Arriving too late, Guo Zixing was filled with resentment and slammed his fist into the blue bricks several times before stopping.

Jiang Shen looked on with a curious expression, while Xu Wensheng sighed deeply.

After calming down, Guo Zixing asked, "Aren't there any other boats?"

Xu Wensheng shook his head, "There aren't any for today, but maybe there will be some tomorrow."

Guo Zixing didn't want to stay a moment longer. "The Xu family's boat is gone, but what about other people's? If they want to go back, there's always a way."

"Well said." A clear voice rang out, and the group turned to look.

Qingru came across the river in a small boat, giving off the air of a hermit.

Guo Zixing exclaimed in surprise, "You didn't leave?"

Qingru shook her head. "I thought the Yuan siblings might be difficult to deal with. You didn't come on time, so maybe you ran into some trouble. But if you haven't arrived by midnight, I'm really leaving."

With the mooring ropes secured, the swaying little boat was tied to the dock. "Let's go, what are you still staring at me for?"

Xu Wensheng realized what was happening and exclaimed, "Holy crap, where did you get this little boat?"

Qingru smiled slightly, "Thanks to you, the shopkeeper found it for me."

Xu Wensheng beamed, "Now you know how good I am, right?"

Qingru sincerely thanked her, saying, "Thank you so much, Dr. Xu. After we finish this business, I'll invite you to Sifang City for a proper visit, with all the food, lodging, and entertainment services you could want."

Xu Wensheng laughed and said, "Absolutely! There are three of you, so I have to eat at three different restaurants."

Qingru readily agreed, and Guo Zixing and the others naturally didn't refuse. They boarded the small boat, raised the sail, and sailed away on the night breeze.

After seeing Qingru and the others off, Xu Wensheng felt a pang of loss and prayed for his "friends" whom he had only known for a few days: May you have a safe journey.

Their journey wasn't smooth sailing. Jiang Shen was wounded, Qingru was weak, and the task of rowing the boat had to be given to Guo Zixing, but he didn't know how...

The group stared at each other, bewildered.

"Isn't that how you row a boat? Is that all there is to it? You may not have eaten pork, but you've seen pigs run, right?"

Guo Zixing was extremely embarrassed, but he couldn't bring himself to criticize him, so he could only act on instinct.

A small boat, adrift from the favorable wind, sways and rocks in the middle of the great river.

Qingru gripped the gunwale tightly, looking frightened, and said, "It seems that people need to know a few more skills, otherwise it's really hard to get things done."

Qingru took out the simple map that the shopkeeper had drawn for her, which only allowed her to roughly determine which direction to travel in.

For the first time, Qingru questioned the mission: "Aren't we going to end up going back in circles before we even reach Sifang City?"

Jiang Shen quickly told her to spit a few more times, "You jinx! We will definitely reach Sifang City safely."

However, luck is unpredictable; as the saying goes, what you fear most is what comes to pass. Just as dawn was breaking and before the chill could be felt, the weather turned against us, and rain began to fall.

The boat was already small, and the innkeeper had found it in a hurry, so it could only barely provide shelter from the rain.

The group worked together to row the boat to the shore, then braved the rain to tie it up before huddling together to take shelter from the rain.

The boat was so narrow that only one person could stand at the bow and stern; the cramped cabin made it impossible for anyone to stand up. The three could only huddle together for warmth, creating an awkward, close-knit atmosphere rather than any romantic ambiguity.

Before long, Guo Zixing wrinkled his nose. "What's that smell?"

Qingru said shyly, "It's me. I haven't dared to take a bath for a long time because I'm dressed as a man. Please bear with me."

Jiang Shen also said, "And me, I'm covered in injuries, it's inconvenient for me to change clothes, and it's not right for a girl to bathe me, right? So please bear with it, we wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for you."

Guo Zixing felt a pang of guilt and had no choice but to remain silent.

Like entering a fish market, one eventually becomes accustomed to the stench. Gradually, Guo Zixing could no longer smell anything either; instead, the heavy rain washed away the dust in the air, making it smell exceptionally fragrant.

It's unclear how long the rain will last, but aside from the initial coolness, it's now quite hot.

A patient and a woman were sitting side by side. Guo Zixing consciously gave up his seat and moved a little further out.

But their small boat was so small that if one person moved, the whole boat would rock. Guo Zixing realized this and dared not move it again.

Time seemed to stand still, with only the endless rain obscuring the sky.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound rang out, and a bullet narrowly missed Guo Zixing's face before embedding itself in the mast with a "bang".

The three looked terrified. They caught up so quickly?

Just as he was about to untie the rope and leave, a steaming gun barrel was suddenly pressed against Guo Zixing's forehead.

"If you don't want to die, hurry up and set sail."

Guo Zixing dared not move, and Qingru and Jiang Shen were also startled. "Hero, spare our lives, we will untie the ropes right away."

"There are others?" The newcomer was displeased and about to reprimand them when a commotion arose from the nearby shore. The man urged, "Hurry up, they saw me with you, and none of us can escape."

He was holding Guo Zixing hostage, which wasn't illegal, so Qingru had to do it herself. But she was weak and in a hurry, and it took her a long time to untie the rope.

The man narrowed his eyes. "A woman?"

After saying that, he pushed Guo Zixing out and grabbed Qingru in his hand, "Go row the boat, quick, they have explosives."

Not daring to delay any longer, Guo Zixing rowed the boat in the rain, and even Jiang Shen got up to help.

Like a startled swordfish, the small boat darted away quickly, and in the hazy rain, it was unclear whether anyone saw it.