Chapter 134

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Han Bohan knew that he was being carried by Sun Yao. His vision was hazy, and he vaguely felt blood oozing out of the place where he’d been bludgeoned. Compared to the pain on his head though, he was more concerned about the situation at hand. This caused his breathing to speed up, and he subconsciously tried to grab Sun Yao’s arm, yet he didn’t have the strength to.

Sun Yao carried Han Bohan to Shu Mian’s bed, propping his neck up to check the wound on his head. “Get something to stop the bleeding,” he said to Shu Mian.

Shu Mian took a step forward. “You still want to save him?” Her tone was filled with naive incredulity.

Sun Yao touched the wound on Han Bohan’s head. Upon finding that it wasn’t bleeding heavily, he clamped Han Bohan’s jaw, calling his name, “Han Bohan?”

Han Bohan couldn’t answer. He was very dizzy, and his whole face was drenched in cold sweat.

Shu Mian said, “He’ll arrest you and get you locked up.”

Sun Yao sounded calm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t break the law.”

Shu Mian walked to the bed and lowered her head to look at Han Bohan, saying, “He’s already found evidence.”

Sun Yao suddenly jerked his hand towards Shu Mian, wanting to grab her lapels, but the only pieces of clothing left on Shu Mian were her undergarments. Sun Yao retracted his hand and said, “Go put some clothes on.”

Shu Mian slightly retreated. She stooped to pick up the clothes on the floor, and said in a soft voice, “You shouldn’t have come. So long as he touches me, I’ll report him for rape. I haven’t turned eighteen yet.”

Han Bohan was in pain. He opened his mouth, yet all that came out was a gasp.

Sun Yao was also panting. He looked at Han Bohan, seeming like he’d landed in a predicament.

Shu Mian said, “Give up, okay? He’s been investigating us since the beginning. Do you think that he’ll believe you now?”

Sun Yao’s tone was chilly. “You shouldn’t have approached him.”

Shu Mian put her clothes back on, her school uniform carefully zipped up. “He was the one who came to my school to investigate me first. He keeps showing up around you too.” She walked over to Sun Yao’s side, grabbed his arm, and shook it. “Kill him. There’s no going back!”

Upon hearing the trace of eager excitement in her voice, Han Bohan immediately felt a chill run through his entire body.

Sun Yao’s breathing slowly settled down. “If we kill him, we won’t be able to run.”

Shu Mian leaned into his ear and whispered, “We’re the only ones here. I’ll just say that he was going to rape me and you rushed over to save me.”

Sun Yao looked at her. “The police won’t believe it. There aren’t that many coincidences in the world. This will be linked to Cao Yuxiang’s incident.”

Shu Mian said, “Let him really rape me.”

Sun Yao could hardly conceal the anger in his tone. “He’s dying, he can’t rape you!”

Shu Mian let go of Sun Yao’s hand. “Why are you mad?”

Sun Yao didn’t answer. He was forced into a corner, and now, there was no escaping it whether Han Bohan ended up dead or alive. He looked at Han Bohan, at his pained, unfocused gaze, and reached for his neck. If Han Bohan died, then maybe he could still buy some time to take his daughter and flee.

Seeing his hands around Han Bohan’s neck, she said in his ear, “There’s no surveillance in the corridor and the elevator. The CCTV at the stairway exit doesn’t work anymore. Earlier, I got him to park his car near the stairs, exactly where the blindspot is. We can put him inside his car. You can wear his clothes and take the elevator down to the parking lot. Try not to let your face show. After that, you can drive his car and send him off.”

Sun Yao’s hand was already touching Han Bohan’s tender throat. His voice was steady as he asked, “Where can I take him?”

Shu Mian said, “There’s no surveillance in the countryside. Drive the man and his car into a river, and every trace you leave will be washed away by the water.”

Sun Yao didn’t speak. He didn’t believe that he could truly evade police investigation, but he might still have time to take Sun Xunyan away.

Han Bohan felt Sun Yao’s hands begin to tighten. He took a big gulp of air, and with the last of his energy, he pressed on the back of Sun Yao’s hand, voice barely above a whisper as he called out, “Sun Yao…”

His fingers were limp and ice-cold, yet Sun Yao’s hands visibly trembled.

Han Bohan’s eyes went black—he lost all his remaining consciousness.

For a split second, Han Bohan thought that he was going to die, but he regained his consciousness in the end. When he opened his eyes, he found that his vision was still hazy, and the only thing he could be sure of was that he was currently lying in an unfamiliar place. He tried to get up, only to find that the slightest movement made his head spin.

Someone appeared at his side, blocking off the light. A strong palm gently propped his head up before feeding hot water to his lips.

Han Bohan didn’t swallow the water. His voice was hoarse as he called out, “Sun Yao.”

Sun Yao’s tone was level. He calmly said, “Drink some water. You’re not bleeding anymore.”

Han Bohan said, “But I can barely see a thing.”

Sun Yao didn’t say another word. He patiently fed the water to Han Bohan’s mouth bit by bit—until Han Bohan choked, turning his face to let out several violent coughs.

Each cough aggravated the pain on his head. The corners of his eyes slowly grew wet with tears. It wasn’t from pain nor grief, but physiological tears.

Sun Yao watched him, and after a moment, he said, “When I take Xiao Yan away, I’ll call for an ambulance to get you.”

Gasping, Han Bohan said, “Turn yourself in. You can’t bring Xiao Yan anywhere.”

Sun Yao was indifferent, as if he was discussing someone else’s affairs. “Then what would Xiao Yan do? If I go to jail, what would happen to Xiao Yan?”

Han Bohan asked him, “Where is she?”

Sun Yao said, “In this room.”

Han Bohan inhaled heavily. “My classmate said there’s a chance of her waking up. She needs better living conditions and medical treatment. Don’t harm her.”

Sun Yao fell silent again. Not hearing an answer, Han Bohan grew somewhat anxious. He groped about for Sun Yao’s hand, but Sun Yao swiftly drew his hand back.

After a while, Sun Yao covered his face, his voice muffled and hoarse. “Xiao Yan can’t live without me.”

Han Bohan said, “Why did you have to kill Cao Yuxiang? You know that it’ll always come to this.”

Sun Yao didn’t answer.

Han Bohan could feel Sun Yao’s eyes on his face the whole time. Things had come to this point; if Sun Yao didn’t want to go to jail, his only way out was just as Shu Mian had mentioned before—he had to kill Han Bohan. He knew that Sun Yao hadn’t lifted a finger yet, that he’d been struggling with his own conscience the whole time.

Sun Yao was like a trapped beast who’d met a dead end. All around him were deadly traps; there was no path he could take.

Han Bohan wanted to ask him where Shu Mian was, to ask him whether he knew that the one Cao Yuxiang liked was Shu Mian, whether he knew how Sun Xunyan actually fell off that building that night, but suddenly, he also sensed Sun Yao’s desperation—more desperate than he’d been in the past. At that moment, what flitted across Han Bohan’s mind was: if Sun Yao really went to prison, what would become of Sun Xunyan?

“Or you can kill me,” Han Bohan said, “but even if you kill me, the ending will stay the same.” Sun Yao’s fingers on his face spread open. His breathing was heavy as he said, “What’s going to happen to Xiao Yan?”

Han Bohan slowly said, “You can apply for legal aid. I’ll find social institutions to assist her. If you turn yourself in, the court will lighten your sentence, your jail time will be a dozen years at most. Xiao Yan is still young—maybe by then she would’ve awoken. You can be there when she gets married and have kids…” Han Bohan had no idea whether the things that came out of his mouth were useful or not, but he’d already tried his best. He didn’t reproach Sun Yao for intentionally killing Cao Yuxiang, he merely tried to touch upon Sun Yao’s humanity. He realised that, the longer he was conscious, the hazier his vision grew. He suspected that soon, he wouldn’t be able to see anything at all.

They both fell silent. After a while, he heard Sun Yao getting up. He was probably leaving to take care of Sun Xunyan.

When Sun Yao returned, Han Bohan asked, “Where are we?”

Sun Yao said, “My hometown. It’s around sixty kilometres away from the city.”

Han Bohan shut his eyes. Opening his eyes for a long time made him dizzy. He felt Sun Yao sitting down next to him, heard the flick of a lighter, then smelled a cigarette. Sun Yao was smoking.

“Did you know that Cao Yuxiang liked Shu Mian?” Han Bohan asked.

Sun Yao’s gaze was vacant. He said, “I did.”

Han Bohan asked, “Then why was Xiao Yan with him? Why did Xiao Yan fall?”

Sun Yao quietly said, “Xiao Yan went to help Shu Mian reject Cao Yuxiang. Except for him, no one else knows what happened that night.”

“What about Shu Mian?” Han Bohan asked.

Sun Yao said, “She wasn’t there.”

Han Bohan asked, “Why didn’t you tell the police?”

Sun Yao’s tone was apathetic. “I did. The police didn’t believe me. They thought I was putting the blame on the Cao family and wanted money.”

Han Bohan said, “So you conspired with Shu Mian to lead Cao Yuxiang to your house, then killed him?”

There was no response.

Han Bohan continued, “I believed you, and this is how you treat me? My dad is still locked up with no news, even if I don’t die, I probably won’t be able to keep my job.”

Sun Yao was silent for a long time until he said, “I’m sorry.”

Afterwards, Han Bohan fell asleep. He should really not be sleeping in these circumstances, but he was light-headed and in great pain from head to toe.

When he woke up again, Han Bohan found that his surroundings were pitch-black. He thought that it was the middle of the night at first, but then he realised that it was too dark, and began to feel alarmed. He shouted, “Sun Yao!”

Sun Yao didn’t answer.

Han Bohan raised a hand, brushing aside his dizziness and grasping at air. Then, his wrist was suddenly caught, and Sun Yao’s voice rang out, “You can’t see?”

The room was quiet for a beat.

Sun Yao suddenly grabbed Han Bohan’s arm and helped him up. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Han Bohan’s car was parked in the yard. The surroundings were dark and quiet.

When Sun Yao helped Han Bohan into his car, Han Bohan asked, “Where is Xiao Yan?”

“I took her to my cousin’s place for the time being.” Sun Yao opened the car door and helped Han Bohan into the back seat. Though it had only been a few short steps away, it made Han Bohan dizzy, his entire face soaked with cold sweat.

Sun Yao sat in the driver’s seat and started the car. He said, “The nearest county hospital is more than twenty kilometres away.”

Han Bohan didn’t speak as he slumped on the seat, constantly gasping for air.

The car drove along the narrow road of the countryside. The roads were relatively smooth, but there was only one lane.

Han Bohan closed his eyes. All the colour was drained from his face. “I hear water.”

The car had just turned a corner. Sun Yao glanced out the window and said, “There’s a river on our right.” It was the main river of his hometown. The vast surface of the water was still, and the river was more than ten metres deep.

Han Bohan pressed his forehead onto the leather seat.

All of a sudden, Sun Yao jerked the emergency brakes.

Han Bohan couldn’t control his body from tumbling off the seats onto the foot mat.

Without uttering a single word, Sun Yao opened the door and got out of the car. In front of the car was Shu Mian. She was standing in the middle of the road, clad in a dress. Her long hair was scattered loose, and one of her shoes was busted.

“Are you out of your mind?!” Sun Yao hollered at Shu Mian.

Shu Mian grabbed his arm. “You’re leaving with Yanyan, aren’t you?”

Sun Yao didn’t answer. He asked, “How did you get here so late?”

Shu Mian said, “I took a taxi. The driver got lost and refused to keep going, so I got off and continued on foot.”

Sun Yao shouted coldly, “Do you know how dangerous it is for a girl to be out here like this?”

Shu Mian merely looked at Sun Yao without responding. “Don’t sneak away with Yanyan—aren’t we a family? Don’t abandon me.”

Sun Yao’s chest heaved violently. He breathed deeply, trying to get his emotions under control. Grabbing Shu Mian’s wrist, he dragged her to the front passenger seat and pushed her in. Afterwards, he opened the door of the back seat, picked Han Bohan up, and set him down on the seat.

Shu Mian clutched at the back of her seat and looked at Han Bohan. She asked Sun Yao, “Where are you going?”

Sun Yao returned to the driver’s seat and started the car. “The hospital.”

Shu Mian said, “Don’t go, you’ll get caught.”

Sun Yao ignored her.

Shu Mian shifted closer to Sun Yao and spoke softly, “We still have a chance. Aren’t we the only ones here? Just fabricate an accident and kill him the way we killed Cao Yuxiang. There’s no surveillance around here, they can’t possibly convict us.”

Sun Yao stayed silent.

Shu Mian said miserably, “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have approached him. Don’t be angry with me, don’t ignore me.”

Sun Yao opened his mouth at long last, “I’m taking him to the hospital first. After that, I’m taking you to the public security bureau.”

Shu Mian shuddered. She asked, “What will happen to Yanyan?”

Sun Yao calmly said, “You don’t need to worry about it.”

Shu Mian burst into tears. She said, “It’s all my fault.”

Sun Yao opened the window slightly and inhaled a mouthful of the cool night air. He said, “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. You’re not even eighteen yet. You’re still a kid. I’m an adult—I’m the one who should shoulder the consequences.”

Shu Mian wept bitterly. “Can we not go to the PSB? Why don’t I beg Prosecutor Han to let us go?”

Han Bohan was barely conscious.

“Shu Mian,” Sun Yao’s voice sank. “You can’t be that naive.”

Shu Mian’s cries came to a halt. Her face was still tear-stained, and in the darkness of the car, she looked at Sun Yao for a long time before saying, “But I really don’t want you to go to jail.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Shu Mian leaned over and scrambled for Sun Yao’s steering wheel, and right while Sun Yao was caught off guard, she abruptly jerked the steering wheel to the right. Sun Yao had been rushing Han Bohan to the hospital; he had initially been speeding. In a split second, he lost all control of the car and it veered to the right, hurtling towards the low river bank and into the river.

The moment the car plunged into the river, Sun Yao immediately reacted by moving to open the car door. When the water poured into the car, he kicked the door open while simultaneously turning back to grab Shu Mian’s wrist. He pulled her out of the car, and they swam away.

Sun Yao pushed Shu Mian towards the shore, and once she grabbed hold of the reeds on the river bank, he turned around and swam back towards the sinking car.

Right then, Shu Mian captured Sun Yao’s arm and yelled, “Don’t! It was an accident! Let’s call the police!”

Sun Yao didn’t say a thing. He pushed her away and swam to the car that was almost completely submerged. Water had already filled the entire car. He opened the trunk and reached for Han Bohan.

Han Bohan had regained a sliver of consciousness. He had begun to struggle, and Sun Yao could only hold him from behind, wounding his arms under his armpits and kicking off towards the surface.

Shu Mian stood on the river bank, her entire body drenched, watching them.

Sun Yao towed Han Bohan to shore, setting him down gently in the midst of the reeds. He called, “Han Bohan?”

Han Bohan choked in pain.

Shu Mian had something to say, but before she could open her mouth, she suddenly heard police sirens. Bewildered, she turned her head, then turned back to Sun Yao. “Why?”

Sun Yao kneeled on the muddy banks. The water continued to drip down his cheeks. Gasping for breath, he looked up at Shu Mian. “I called the police before I left. I hope I can see Xiao Yan get married with my own eyes one day.” With that, he lowered his head and slowly wiped away the water on his face.

☆ ☆ ☆

thank you to Bolshv and Krissia for the kofis! ❤

t/n – ty again to sofia for the editing help~ last chapter (2 parts) left!

⟵ Chapter 133 | TOC | Chapter 135.1 ⟶

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