Chapter 14 – Escape

Sometimes, rumors and gossip hurt far more than real knives.

To be honest, Yan Ru’s adoptive parents were actually distant relatives of his biological family. His adoptive mother shared the surname Yan and was a distant cousin of Yan Ru’s father—so distant that it was hard to pinpoint exactly how they were related. Though they had lived in the same village, Xuehua Village was large, and the two families lived far enough apart that they rarely visited each other even during holidays.

When Yan Ru was first brought into his new home, he was nervous.

He had genuinely wanted to start a new life.

But the shadows never left him.

No matter where he went, people would whisper behind his back. Sometimes he couldn’t make out the words, but most of the time, he could.

It was always the same:“the murderer’s son, stay away from him, who knows if he’ll turn out any better when he grows up.”

When Yan Ru glared back at them, they took his anger and frustration as undeniable proof that he was indeed “no good,” only reinforcing their suspicions.

At first, his adoptive mother had been happy to have him. She was an ordinary rural woman—short, with skin darkened by the sun, but with hands that, though rough, were gentle.

His adoptive father, Chen Dahong, worked at a construction site in the city, so they didn’t see each other often. But whenever he returned, he never showed any dislike toward Yan Ru—even giving him pocket money once.

A crumpled five-yuan bill, darkened from being passed through many hands, its edges torn and carefully taped back together with clear tape.

At the time, Yan Ru clutched the money in his hand, his face expressionless, but deep down, he thought he had truly found a place to belong again—a “home.”

But no one could have predicted that just two years later, this “home” would abandon him.

That day, it was pouring rain. Both adoptive parents were home, but his mother’s gaze was no longer gentle, and his father was hesitating, struggling to say something.

“Yan Ru, you’re older now, you can take care of yourself. Your aunt is pregnant with a little brother, and she can’t be stressed. With all the talk in the village… you should move out for now.”

Sometimes, words truly cut deeper than knives. They had thought they could endure it at first, but in the end, they succumbed.

Who could remain unmoved under the constant barrage of veiled and open hostility?

“Can you push it open?” Yan Ru asked from behind me.

Thanks to my efforts, there was now slightly more space around him, and he managed to curl up and rise to his feet.

My arms were weak from hunger, but I braced my hands and pushed again. There was a rustling sound from the other side, and the suitcase slowly shifted backward under my force.

“It should be possible,” I said through gritted teeth, determined to push it all the way.

But before the suitcase was fully moved, the car seat above us suddenly collapsed further!

“Watch out!” Yan Ru instinctively raised a hand to brace the sagging seat, propping it up before it could crush us.

I took a deep breath. “No good. These suitcases are part of what’s holding up the car seat. If we move them, the seat will lose balance and collapse completely.”

Yan Ru didn’t respond.

In this situation, the only option was…

I turned to look at him. Half his face was buried in shadow, the other half illuminated by the sunlight streaming in from outside. Never before had I felt so strongly that simply basking in the sun could be such a difficult thing.

After a long pause, Yan Ru said firmly, “You push. I’ll hold it up.”

I looked up. “Do you realize how much weight is above you? If you try to hold it—”

There was a very real chance he’d be crushed to death.

Yan Ru didn’t even blink. “Rather than waiting around, we should save ourselves. I’ll hold it while you get out. Once you’re outside, maybe you can find something to prop it up so I can get out too. If we do nothing, we’ll just be lying here waiting to die.”

I fell silent for a moment, then asked, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll just leave you behind once I’m out? Or that you won’t be able to hold it and get crushed?”

Without hesitation, Yan Ru said, “You’re a good person.”

My chest tightened violently, a strange, indescribable feeling welling up inside me, an ache spreading through my ribs.

The truth was, when I first realized the suitcases were part of the support structure, I had planned to have Yan Ru be the one to hold it up. I admit I was being selfish—but in such a dire situation, who wouldn’t want to survive?

I had thought it would take some convincing to get him to take on the burden, but he had volunteered before I could even ask.

Pushing aside the odd feeling in my chest, I nodded at Yan Ru. He knelt up, pressing his arms and knees against the ground, his back pressed firmly against the underside of the car seat above us.

I took a deep breath and mustered every ounce of strength I had left, kicking the suitcase blocking our way with all my might.

BANG!

The suitcase was shoved back, and light instantly flooded in, illuminating our cramped refuge. At the same time, I heard Yan Ru grunt in pain. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his arms trembling, sweat beading on his forehead.

I kicked again, putting every last bit of strength into it.

It had to open!

With a loud thud, several suitcases toppled over!

The obstruction in front of us was finally cleared. The gap now flooded with light looked to me like the holy light of heaven, and I scrambled forward on hands and knees to escape!

The distance wasn’t far—less than two meters—but it felt endless. By the time I crawled out, I was drenched in sweat, as if I had just completed the most intense extreme sport in the world.

I didn’t dare waste a second. Yan Ru was still underneath. I grabbed a suitcase and wedged it sideways into the opening, but since several suitcases had originally shared the weight, the moment I put this one in place, I heard a creaking sound.

“Yan Ru, get out now!” I shouted.

His response was strained, his voice trembling as if forced through clenched teeth: “I—I can’t… it’s pressing down too hard—”

The sheer weight made it impossible for him to move.

At that moment, I didn’t even know what I was thinking. The only thought in my head was that I didn’t want Yan Ru to die.

I shoved the suitcase aside and pressed my shoulder against the edge of the car seat, creating a small but sufficient gap for him to crawl through.

“Come on!”

Yan Ru looked up. Without another word, he slowly lowered himself. As he moved, the weight abruptly shifted onto me.

I had thought I was mentally prepared, but the sudden pressure nearly crushed me to the ground.

I crouched lower, bracing my hands against the floor, feeling as though the muscles and tendons in my shoulders and below were being ripped apart.

I wouldn’t last long!

Fortunately, Yan Ru had called me agile earlier, but he wasn’t bad himself. I barely saw how he did it before he slipped through the gap beside me.

The next second, the car seat collapsed right behind him, grazing his ankle, the sound like a crashing wave.

I was pretty sure my shoulder was about to snap.

The inside of the car was a wreck, piles of suitcases stacked like mountains where we had just been trapped. A few human remains lay quietly in one corner.

Completely drained, my legs gave out and I collapsed onto the debris. I didn’t care about cleanliness anymore—I just rolled onto my back and lay there.

I had no strength left. I just wanted to lie still for a while.

Yan Ru silently lay down beside me.

It was a strange feeling—we had survived this together. We, together.

Neither of us spoke. Neither of us could. Yet, for the first time, I felt an unprecedented sense of relief. I turned my head slightly.

Then, suddenly, something lying quietly on the floor not far away caught my eye, piercing my vision without warning.

My heart clenched, an uneasy sorrow rising in my chest.

It was… a bloodstained sticky rice cake.