The engine died. Mu Xi quickly drove the car into a recess, hugging the rock wall, then slammed on the brakes.
The roar of the engine cut off abruptly, and the world fell silent. All that remained was her own ragged breathing and the pounding of her heart like a drum.
She held her breath and listened.
After a moment, the heavy sound of armored vehicles drew closer, coming from the entrance of the rock crevice, then drove straight past, continuing deeper along the main passage.
They hadn’t discovered this hidden recess!
Mu Xi’s strength drained from her body, and she nearly collapsed into the seat.
She leaned back against the headrest, gasping for air. Her tense nerves finally relaxed, and an indescribable ache and fatigue spread through her limbs. She had escaped… at least for now. With trembling hands, she grabbed the gun beside her and held it tightly.
The cold touch of the metal gave her a little reassurance.
Outside, the wind howled, wailing through the rock crevice like a sigh from the desert.
It was dark here and safe, but only for now.
The escort team would soon realize they had chased in the wrong direction. They would come back to search.
The brief respite in the rock crevice didn’t last long.
Survival instinct overpowered exhaustion. Mu Xi restarted the engine, and the weak light cast swaying shadows in the narrow passage.
She didn’t dare go back the way she came and could only choose the unknown branch road.
The tires crunched over gravel, making a monotonous grinding sound.
The branch road was even narrower and rougher than the main passage. The wasteland car barely squeezed through, scraping against the rock walls on both sides.
Mu Xi focused completely, sweat soaking the stray strands of hair on her forehead, sticking to her pale skin.
The wound on her arm from being cut by glass throbbed with pain. Her pants were torn and tattered from the rock walls, revealing skin with bloodstains underneath. After who knows how long, a faint light finally appeared ahead.
She carefully drove out of the rock crevice, and the boundless desert swallowed her again. Night had begun to fall. The setting sun painted a thick blood-red on the horizon, dyeing the sand an eerie dark crimson.
The wind grew stronger, picking up sand that smacked against the car windows with a crackling sound.
Mu Xi identified her bearings and drove toward an area far from Ye Lan’s territory, as she remembered.
She didn’t dare drive too fast, afraid the engine would make a loud noise and attract pursuers. She could only maintain an awkward speed, moving slowly across the empty sand like a lonely beetle.
Time passed, and the sky grew completely dark. The desert night was bone-chillingly cold, a stark contrast to the scorching heat of the day.
The temperature inside the car dropped sharply. Mu Xi hugged herself, trembling slightly from the cold and exhaustion.
She didn’t know how long she had been driving—maybe hours, maybe longer.
The scenery around her was monotonous to the point of despair. Nothing but sand, sand, and more sand, with occasional jagged rocks.
Just as her consciousness began to blur, the engine suddenly coughed violently, then sputtered and died completely.
The car coasted forward for a short distance before coming to a helpless stop in the middle of the sand.
Dead silence.
Absolute dead silence.
Mu Xi tried to restart the engine. Only the clicking sound of the starter motor spinning came back. The engine showed no response at all.
She slammed her fist against the steering wheel, a dull pain shooting through her palm.
“Of all times…” she muttered to herself, her voice hoarse and raspy.
She checked the dashboard. The fuel light had been on for a while, and now the needle had hit rock bottom.
Out of gas.
No food, no water, and now her only means of transportation was gone. She leaned back in the seat, and an overwhelming sense of despair engulfed her.
In this desert, like a Sea of Death, having no car meant a death sentence.
She was really unlucky.
All that effort to steal a car, and it turned out to be a piece of junk almost out of fuel.
After driving just this short distance, it abandoned her in this godforsaken, middle-of-nowhere place.
Ye Lan… she would definitely catch up. Mu Xi knew very well how efficient the escort team was.
Mu Xi closed her eyes. In her mind, she saw Ye Lan’s arrogant, seductive face, along with those deliberately suppressed but unforgettable memories of humiliation and pain.
No, she couldn’t fall into that woman’s hands again.
She took a deep breath and pushed open the car door.
The cold night wind immediately rushed in, making her shiver. She jumped out of the car and looked around.
The darkness was thick as ink. Only a few dim stars hung in the sky, their faint light unable to illuminate this vast darkness.
She tightened her grip on the gun she had taken from the escort team member.
The cold metallic feel was her only support right now.
Waiting was long and agonizing.
Every second felt like an eternity.
The cold ate into her body. Hunger and thirst tormented her will.
She curled up next to the car, trying to use the battered body of the vehicle to block some of the wind, but it was almost useless.
Her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
After who knows how long, several moving points of light finally appeared on the distant horizon.
Closer and closer, brighter and brighter.
Headlights!
The heavy roar of engines followed, breaking the dead silence of the desert. More than one vehicle.
Mu Xi’s heart tightened, almost leaping out of her chest.
They’re here! They still chased after her!
She quickly stood up, back against the cold wasteland car, and raised her gun.
But instead of pointing it at the approaching lights, she suddenly pressed the muzzle against her own temple.
Three pitch-black armored vehicles fanned out at a short distance. The glaring headlights illuminated her and her broken-down wasteland car in perfect detail.
The doors opened, and several escort team members in purple uniforms jumped out nimbly, spreading out in a defensive posture.
Finally, the rear door of the middle armored vehicle opened, and a tall figure stepped out.
It was Ye Lan.
Even in the dim light, she was still so striking.
Her jet-black long hair was tousled by the night wind. Her fair skin was almost translucent under the headlights. Those deep, phoenix-shaped eyes were now locked firmly onto Mu Xi.
Ye Lan walked forward step by step, and the escort team also advanced slowly with her.
Mu Xi’s body trembled slightly, but her tone was exceptionally resolute. “Don’t come any closer! Or I’ll shoot!”
Her finger was on the trigger, the cold muzzle pressed tightly against her own temple, leaving a shallow indentation.
Ye Lan stopped, about ten meters away from Mu Xi.
She raised her hand to signal the escort team to halt as well.
“Little Xi, calm down.” Ye Lan’s voice sounded softer than usual, but her condescending aura hadn’t diminished at all. “Put down the gun. I won’t hurt you.”
Mu Xi let out a short, cold laugh, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.
“Liar!”
She screamed, her eyes reddening slightly from anger and humiliation. “Ye Lan, do you think I’ll believe you again? I’ve seen through you! You’re a completely wicked woman!”
The hand holding the gun shook violently, while her body swayed from weakness.
“I’m warning you, don’t try any tricks!” Mu Xi stared at Ye Lan, forcing herself to speak. “I’m cold and hungry, and I can’t hold on much longer! Give me food! Water! Hurry!”
Ye Lan looked at her pale little face, at the undisguised hatred and determination in her eyes, at the cold muzzle pressed against her fragile temple. A complex emotion flickered deep in Ye Lan’s eyes, but it was soon replaced by her usual sense of control.
She didn’t try to persuade her further. She just tilted her head slightly and ordered the escort team member behind her. “Throw some water and food over.”
An escort team member immediately took a backpack from the car, withdrew several bottles of water and some vacuum-sealed food packages, and threw them forcefully in Mu Xi’s direction.