Zhao Yong led his men, following the pre-arranged route, quietly surrounding the villa.
Just as Su Yu had said, two people were on guard duty at the villa entrance as usual.
One of them was the scar-faced man Zhao Yong had seen before.
Zhao Yong picked someone agile, tilted his head, and signaled him to follow.
The two moved stealthily from the back and side of the villa.
The remaining men dispersed, each finding a spot to quietly infiltrate the villa.
The two guards were oblivious.
The scar-faced man was exhaling smoke, cursing about something, while the person next to him sat like a quail, head bowed and silent.
Finding the right moment, Zhao Yong exchanged glances with the other man, and they pounced simultaneously.
“Don’t move!” a low voice commanded.
With a cold blade at his neck, the scar-faced man opened his mouth but ultimately dared not risk his life, obediently closing it.
Zhao Yong skillfully tied him up, hands bound behind his back, mouth taped shut.
Finally, he tied the two men, who had fallen to the ground, back-to-back.
Mission accomplished!
Clapping his hands, signaling the others to continue, Zhao Yong secured a coil of rope to his waist and swiftly climbed up to the third floor along the pipe.
***
Luo Manman had been uneasy ever since Su Yu left.
When she heard a soft tapping at the window, a surge of joy filled her heart.
She rushed to the window, only to see not her adorable son, but Zhao “Black-faced brute” Yong.
Luo Manman instinctively recoiled a few steps, warily watching the man clinging to the window.
Realizing that his appearance might indeed cause misunderstanding, Zhao Yong tried his best to lower his voice and explain his purpose, “Madam, don’t be afraid. I’m here to rescue you under Mr. Luo’s orders.”
Luo Manman looked doubtful. Seeing a chance, Zhao Yong continued, “You’ve met the Cat Immortal, haven’t you? The yellow tabby cat, it’s him who led us to you.”
A yellow tabby cat?
Isn’t that her own son?!
Luo Manman immediately felt half-relieved, opened the window, and let him in.
Once inside, Zhao Yong secured the rope he had on his waist to something in the room, then squatted down with his back to Luo Manman.
“Madam, please get on. I’ll carry you down. We don’t know if the villa has been completely cleared, so we’ll go down directly from here.”
Luo Manman didn’t hesitate, simply got on his back, wrapping her arms tightly around Zhao Yong’s neck.
Zhao Yong stood up and, with the person on his back, smoothly slid down using the rope.
***
Once on the ground, he set her down.
Zhao Yong laughed, “This mission went smoothly. Once the brothers have gathered everyone in the villa, we can—”
Mid-sentence, a gunshot rang out from inside the villa.
Zhao Yong’s smile froze on his face.
“Excuse me.”
Zhao Yong said, then scooped up Luo Manman and ran towards the woods.
As he ran, he let out a whistle, their signal for retreat.
The person had been rescued, and the enemy had guns, so there was no need for them to confront them head-on.
The people who were still searching inside the villa also heard the gunshot, followed by their leader’s whistle.
Realizing that things might be bad, they quickly retreated without a word.
They didn’t even have time to take the tied-up individuals outside and turned to run towards the woods.
Zhao Yong threw Luo Manman onto his back, just as he ran into Su Yu, who couldn’t resist coming out to see what was happening after hearing the gunshot.
“Great Immortal, quickly, come here!”
Zhao Yong roared.
Su Yu naturally heard the commotion.
He ran two quick steps, then leaped into Zhao Yong’s arms.
With a cat clinging to his chest and a person on his back, Zhao Yong took a shortcut towards where they had parked the car.
They hadn’t run far when the sounds of another group searching gradually emerged from the woods.
Judging by the sounds, their numbers were at least double theirs, and the roar of car engines also came from the main road.
Zhao Yong cursed inwardly, “I was careless this time! They said there were only four people!?”
He couldn’t help but look down at the Cat Immortal on his chest.
Su Yu guiltily turned his head away, pretending to admire the scenery, his small expression incredibly innocent.
The Cat Immortal was unreliable.
Zhao Yong had to figure something out himself.
The enemy outnumbered them and had guns.
There were only eight of them.
He had originally planned to rescue the person and then capture two of them, a quick battle.
Now, that was clearly not going to work.
Hearing the commotion behind them growing louder, Zhao Yong gritted his teeth, found a densely wooded hillside, set the person down, and then pulled the Cat Immortal from his chest and placed him in Luo Manman’s arms.
“Madam, the situation assessment was off. The enemy outnumbers us, and there must be people guarding the way back. You hide here first. I’ll go in the other direction to draw them away.”
He then looked at the Cat Immortal, “Hide well here, and whatever you do, don’t go out. This forest is huge, they won’t find you for a while. At most, two hours, and Mr. Luo’s reinforcements will arrive soon.”
After speaking, he looked at Su Yu solemnly, “Cat Immortal, I’m entrusting the Madam to you.”
Is it really okay to entrust a living, breathing person to a cat?!
Zhao Yong quietly ran in the opposite direction.
Estimating he wasn’t too far from the search party, he pretended to trip and fall, even letting out a muffled groan.
The people behind him heard the commotion, glanced at their companions, made a few gestures, and all chased in Zhao Yong’s direction.
Zhao Yong pretended to stumble forward, all the while muttering inwardly.
“You’re too green to contend with me!”
Luo Manman hid in the bushes, holding Su Yu tightly in her arms, not daring to breathe, until the faint sounds grew distant.
Only then did she quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Su Yu was almost suffocated by his biological mother’s chest.
Sensing that the pursuers had gone far, he quickly struggled to push his cat head out from her chest.
His ears twitched incessantly, and his entire body felt a bit hot.
“To be so big and still forced to be buried in someone’s chest or something, it’s so embarrassing!”
The mother and son honestly waited in place.
After an unknown amount of time, it grew darker and darker, and the temperature dropped.
There was no sound in the woods.
Su Yu alertly perked his ears, his little heart fluttering, and he couldn’t help but shrink into Luo Manman’s arms.
Seemingly sensing his son’s uneasiness, Luo Manman hugged the furball in her arms a little tighter, silently comforting him.
They waited for a while longer.
Suddenly, a faint light and rustling footsteps came from the woods.
Su Yu tensed his body. Luo Manman held her breath, secretly praying it wasn’t the enemy.
As they got closer, they heard an unfamiliar male voice say, “Didn’t they say the person was hiding in this area?”
A simple, honest voice replied, “Is it too dark, did we look in the wrong place?”
Cui Mingbo’s face was icy.
The temperature in the suburban area was getting lower and lower at night.
Thinking of the young lady hiding alone and afraid, he felt anxious and couldn’t help but shout, “Miss, I’m Mingbo. It’s safe now, please come out, let’s go home.”
The mother and son in the bushes paused, simultaneously thinking, “Who is Mingbo?”
Finally, Luo Manman remembered that Mingbo seemed to be the old butler’s son.
Not long after the butler passed away, his son left.
But now, with this person suddenly appearing, was he friend or foe?
And if he was here to rescue them, why hadn’t Zhao Yong come?
Taking advantage of Luo Manman’s moment of contemplation, Su Yu suddenly exerted himself, leaping out of Luo Manman’s arms.
He intended to go out and scout first.
Unexpectedly, Luo Manman felt her arms empty and instinctively chased after him.
The mother and son, one after the other, exposed their whereabouts.
Cui Mingbo’s eyes welled up when he saw the familiar figure.
Suppressing his excitement, he took off his jacket, quickly walked to Luo Manman’s side, gently draped the jacket over his shoulders, and hoarsely said, “Miss, I’m here to take you home.”
Su Yu, who was completely ignored next to them, “Meow meow meow???”
The person outside was an ally.
Luo Manman’s hanging heart fell back into place.
He picked up his son by his feet and said gently, “You’ve worked hard.”
Then he casually asked, “Why didn’t Zhao Li come?”
Cui Mingbo’s eyes darkened. He said somewhat bitterly, “Miss remembered wrongly. It’s Zhao Yong. My men encountered him halfway; he was injured and has been sent to the hospital.”
Only then did Luo Manman reveal a genuine smile.
“Thank you, Mingbo.”
Cui Mingbo’s previously downcast mood instantly brightened.
If he had a tail, it would almost be wagging.
He asked Luo Manman with shining eyes, “Mi-miss, you still remember me?”
Luo Manman looked at the big guy in front of him amusedly.
“After all these years, you’re still the same.”
Cui Mingbo, beaming, led his men out of the woods and got into the car, driving towards the Luo family mansion.
***
At four in the morning, the Luo family mansion was brightly lit.
Luo Jianyuan paced anxiously in the living room.
Luo Jianyuan felt dizzy from the swaying and couldn’t help but snap, “You’ve been swaying for almost two hours, can you calm down?”
“I told you earlier to let me go too, but you insisted not to. Now I don’t even know how little sister is!”
Luo Jianyuan said angrily.
“What good would it do for you to go? To just be a hindrance?”
“You!”
Luo Jianyuan couldn’t win against his elder brother.
He huffily sat down and took a sip of tea to calm himself.
Fortunately, shortly after, the butler entered with a large crowd of people.
The tall man leading them, protecting him in his arms, was none other than his little sister!
Luo Jianyuan strode forward, snatched his little sister back to protect him, and gave the grim-faced man a fierce glare.
“Little sister, are you alright?”
Then he instructed the butler, “Uncle Li, have the kitchen make some nourishing soup and porridge. Miss has suffered during this time; he needs to recover well.”
He pressed the person onto a chair.
Luo Jianyuan widened his eyes.
“Let brother have a good look. Are you injured anywhere?”
Luo Manman shook his head, smiling as he stroked the furball in his arms.
Luo Jianyuan nodded.
“That’s good.”
Then he looked at his small nephew with loving eyes, and said affectionately, “Little Yellow has also had a hard time these past few days.”
Luo Manman couldn’t help but laugh out loud, stroking his son’s ruffled fur.
His face showed a relaxed expression that hadn’t been there at the Su family’s, “Second brother, don’t tease him anymore.”
Luo Jianyuan chuckled, but ultimately didn’t tease Su Yu anymore.
On the other side, Luo Jianyuan, with a stern face, seeing his younger brother and sister chatting happily, cleared his throat slightly unhappily, reminding his sister of his presence.
Luo Manman chuckled inwardly, but his face was gentle.
“Brother, you’ve worried a lot these past few days.”
“It’s nothing. You’re the one who suffered a lot.”
Luo Manman shook his head.
“I didn’t suffer much, I was just worried about A-Yu. Now that I know he…”
He paused, then Luo Manman smiled, “It’s good that he’s alright.”
The two brothers looked at their sleeping nephew in their younger sister’s arms with a shared understanding, twitching their lips.
Su Xiaoyu, too tired to resist falling asleep, Zzzzzzz~