“You just focus on getting well. Don’t worry about anything else!”
With that, he turned around, took Youyou in his arms, and walked away!
The old man lay weakly and lamely on his sickbed; his wan face was looking lifeless.
…
Inside the car.
The boy turned his head to the fleeting scenery outside the window as his tender voice rang heavily. “Daddy…”
“If you want to discuss the issue of exchanging hostages, then keep quiet! Don’t talk about it!”
The boy simply continued. “Mommy is seriously injured; I can’t bear to see her suffer any longer! I think that exchanging me with her in order to save her life takes priority!”
At a crossroads, the car came to a smooth stop when the man stepped on the brakes at a red light.
He turned around to gaze at his son.
“Don’t overestimate yourself! I admit that you are smart, but no matter how smart you are, you are just a boy without protection! I can’t lose your mother, and the same goes for you and Little Yichen, too!”
“I understand. You are worried that my life will be in danger if I do this, but mommy is really seriously injured. Can you bear to see her—”
“No means no! Don’t speak anymore!” The man clasped his fists hard. “I can’t lose any of you!”
“I, too!”
The boy was somewhat agitated by now as he knitted his brows.
“Daddy, like you, I can’t lose any of you. No one can be lost in our family!”
He closed his eyes and put his little hand on the back of his father’s palm.
It was as if, by doing this, he could impart strength to the adult!
“Daddy, trust me; I know what I’m doing!”
The man looked away with an inexplicable expression.
“How do I trust you? Do you want me to believe that you won’t face any danger?”
The loving tenderness expressed in his father’s eyes was scorching and real.
As the boy saw this tenderness in his father’s eyes, his heart nearly melted.
He knew how much this man worried and cared about him.
“There’s no other solution right now except for this, though.”
“That reason isn’t good enough to put you in danger!”
The boy smiled out of the blue, his lips breaking into a slight hook.
“Daddy, please believe me just this one time! I promise you: Not only will I be free from harm, I’ll bring Little Yichen home safe and sound. Our family will reunite, yeah?”
With that, he drew close to his father and whispered his plan in full details into his ear.
The man looked shocked upon hearing his son’s plan and his brows started to frown doubtfully.
“Daddy, trust me; I won’t disappoint you!” reassured the boy solemnly.
His eyes showed exasperation momentarily before closing them in rumination. Suddenly, he fluttered open his lids and warned seriously, “All right, but you must promise me that you’ll look after your safety!”
“Mm! I promise!”
…
At dawn.
There was a sound of approaching footsteps in the dark and damp underground room.
Yun Shishi opened her eyes groggily. In her hazy vision, she saw a few trained soldiers in front of the iron cell. Their hands were armed with loaded guns.
“What… do you want?!”
She was scared stiff, though she tried not to show it as she brought the boy closer to her embrace.
Little Yichen was suffocated by her action and came about, too.
Taken aback by the scene before his eyes, he stood up guarded instantly.
“Woman, follow us!”
“You just focus on getting well. Don’t worry about anything else!”
With that, he turned around, took Youyou in his arms, and walked away!
The old man lay weakly and lamely on his sickbed; his wan face was looking lifeless.
…
Inside the car.
The boy turned his head to the fleeting scenery outside the window as his tender voice rang heavily. “Daddy…”
“If you want to discuss the issue of exchanging hostages, then keep quiet! Don’t talk about it!”
The boy simply continued. “Mommy is seriously injured; I can’t bear to see her suffer any longer! I think that exchanging me with her in order to save her life takes priority!”
At a crossroads, the car came to a smooth stop when the man stepped on the brakes at a red light.
He turned around to gaze at his son.
“Don’t overestimate yourself! I admit that you are smart, but no matter how smart you are, you are just a boy without protection! I can’t lose your mother, and the same goes for you and Little Yichen, too!”
“I understand. You are worried that my life will be in danger if I do this, but mommy is really seriously injured. Can you bear to see her—”
“No means no! Don’t speak anymore!” The man clasped his fists hard. “I can’t lose any of you!”
“I, too!”
The boy was somewhat agitated by now as he knitted his brows.
“Daddy, like you, I can’t lose any of you. No one can be lost in our family!”
He closed his eyes and put his little hand on the back of his father’s palm.
It was as if, by doing this, he could impart strength to the adult!
“Daddy, trust me; I know what I’m doing!”
The man looked away with an inexplicable expression.
“How do I trust you? Do you want me to believe that you won’t face any danger?”
The loving tenderness expressed in his father’s eyes was scorching and real.
As the boy saw this tenderness in his father’s eyes, his heart nearly melted.
He knew how much this man worried and cared about him.
“There’s no other solution right now except for this, though.”
“That reason isn’t good enough to put you in danger!”
The boy smiled out of the blue, his lips breaking into a slight hook.
“Daddy, please believe me just this one time! I promise you: Not only will I be free from harm, I’ll bring Little Yichen home safe and sound. Our family will reunite, yeah?”
With that, he drew close to his father and whispered his plan in full details into his ear.
The man looked shocked upon hearing his son’s plan and his brows started to frown doubtfully.
“Daddy, trust me; I won’t disappoint you!” reassured the boy solemnly.
His eyes showed exasperation momentarily before closing them in rumination. Suddenly, he fluttered open his lids and warned seriously, “All right, but you must promise me that you’ll look after your safety!”
“Mm! I promise!”
…
At dawn.
There was a sound of approaching footsteps in the dark and damp underground room.
Yun Shishi opened her eyes groggily. In her hazy vision, she saw a few trained soldiers in front of the iron cell. Their hands were armed with loaded guns.
“What… do you want?!”
She was scared stiff, though she tried not to show it as she brought the boy closer to her embrace.
Little Yichen was suffocated by her action and came about, too.
Taken aback by the scene before his eyes, he stood up guarded instantly.
“Woman, follow us!”
