Chapter Thirty-Four: The Snow Falls

Although Yu Dong and his team knew roughly where Gu Yan was, they still had to search each factory building one by one to locate him precisely.

“You guys check the rooms up ahead, I’ll take them and look through these on this side,” Yu Dong instructed his colleagues from the sub-bureau.

“Will just the three of you be enough? Should we bring more people? We don’t know how many kidnappers there are or their exact situation,” one colleague asked.

Yu Dong shook his head. “These people are meticulous. There’s almost no lighting here. We made such a commotion coming in—if they had lookouts, they’d have been warned long ago. They’re probably already gone.”

“So what should we do…”

“If they realize the child is useless to them, they won’t leave him alive. The most important thing is to find him as quickly as possible!”

The colleague nodded emphatically and ran toward the factory buildings.

Gu Yan had been suspended by Liu Quan and the others above a large concrete mixer. When Liu Yi got wind that the police were coming, he devised this plan.

“How long until the police get here?” Liu Quan asked after a moment’s thought.

“Less than half an hour, probably,” Liu Yi replied, his eyes glinting. “Perfect. Let those who are always rescuing others experience what it feels like to have someone they’re trying to save die right before their eyes and be powerless to do anything.”

He ordered Liu Quan to tie up Gu Yan, cut the rope halfway through, and then switched on the mixer.

Gu Yan watched the machine rumbling beneath his feet, yet he felt an eerie calm—after all, he had already left once before. Whatever fortune had allowed him to return and stay by Yu Sheng’s side for so long, he was grateful.

It was a pity he couldn’t accompany Yu Sheng to the end, nor protect her well enough. From now on, Chen Ke’an would have to look after her. If that boy ever dared treat Yu Sheng poorly, even if Gu Yan was gone, he’d come back to haunt him!

He could feel the rope on his wrists slowly fraying. His hands ached; numbness was setting in. Why not just finish him off with a single blow? This pain was unbearable.

He shifted his body, hoping the rope would break faster. His entire arm had lost feeling.

Just as his consciousness began to drift and his eyes involuntarily closed, he thought he heard someone calling him.

Was it an illusion? Was he already dead?

“Gu Yan! Gu Yan!” The voice grew louder and closer, sounding almost like Yu Sheng’s.

He opened his eyes slowly. Pitch blackness. Nothing to be seen. It must be a hallucination.

The roar of the mixer echoed in the empty factory, so loud it made his eardrums ache.

“Gu Yan!” The hallucination returned—this time, the voice was even nearer.

The rope suspending him was about to give way.

So be it. Another chance at life, though he felt regret, he held no resentment. Yu Sheng, even when I’m gone, you must be happy.

“Gu Yan!” As the voice called his name, the factory door flew open and the lights blazed on.

“He’s here! Here! Hurry!” someone shouted.

Yu Dong heard the voice and rushed over, seeing Gu Yan hanging above the machine. The rope was on the verge of snapping, and Gu Yan’s head hung limply as if he’d lost consciousness.

“Cut the power! Shut down the machine, quickly!” Yu Dong shouted as he ran, his heart pounding as the swaying rope threatened to break at any moment.

He sprinted desperately toward Gu Yan. Please, don’t break, don’t break…

As if in response to his silent plea, just as Yu Dong was about to reach him, the rope snapped with a sharp crack.

Yu Dong’s mind went blank. Instinctively, he reached out.

A police officer, already atop the machine, managed to grab Gu Yan’s arm just in time. At that moment, the machine was turned off and, though Gu Yan’s leg slipped into the mixer, fortunately, it wasn’t serious.

Seeing Gu Yan caught, Yu Dong let out a heavy sigh of relief, his legs nearly giving out beneath him. If anything had happened to Gu Yan today, he’d never forgive himself. How could he possibly explain it to Yu Sheng and make her understand that it was all because of him?

Gu Yan was pulled from the mixer. Yu Dong checked his breathing—faint, but still there.

“Where’s the doctor? Hurry!” he shouted.

“We’ve called an ambulance; it’s still on the way!” a tense officer replied—no wonder, Yu Dong looked like he was ready to explode.

“Search the area thoroughly! Don’t miss a thing!” Yu Dong ordered.

Yu Sheng and Yu Chen had taken a cab to get here.

“Yu Chen, I’m freezing! Why did you take so long?” Shen Henyun complained, her face red with cold.

“We rushed here as fast as we could! You know how far this place is.”

Yu Sheng ignored their exchange. She got out of the car and ran ahead, stopping by the riverbank to look across at the abandoned factory.

“Look, there are lights over there!” Yu Sheng pointed out the specks of light inside.

Shen Henyun glanced up. “Oh, that’s probably where the police went just now!”

“Let’s go over and have a look,” Yu Sheng said, turning to them.

“What? No way, we’ll get in their way—and it could be dangerous. We’d only cause trouble,” Yu Chen objected.

“Yeah, Yu Sheng, don’t be so reckless.”

“I won’t get close. I just want to see from a distance, just to make sure,” Yu Sheng insisted.

Yu Chen thought for a moment. “Sis, Dad always said we shouldn’t do this. If they’re here at night, the case must be serious and dangerous. We should go home.”

“I just want to check if that’s Dad. I’ll go by myself if I have to, okay?”

Yu Chen was puzzled by her insistence—she’d never behaved like this before. Yet, seeing the look in her eyes, he sensed she must have her reasons. He didn’t know Gu Yan had been kidnapped, so he couldn’t understand her urgency.

Yu Sheng wanted to confirm if it was Yu Dong—if so, Gu Yan might be here too.

“Why don’t we go with your sister?” Shen Henyun suggested. “I know a small path that’ll take us around the back.”

Yu Chen glanced at Yu Sheng and nodded. “Fine. Just one look. Don’t get in their way.”

Shen Henyun led them through waist-high weeds, and soon, they could glimpse the police cars in the distance.

“See anything?” Shen Henyun whispered.

Yu Sheng crouched, peering through the grass. As she watched, an ambulance approached and someone was carried inside. Yu Dong appeared beside the vehicle.

“That’s Dad!” Yu Sheng pointed.

Both Yu Chen and Shen Henyun looked—sure enough, it was him.

If their father was here, then the person just carried to the ambulance must have been Gu Yan! Realizing this, Yu Sheng stood and ran forward.

“Hey, Sis! Don’t go out there!” Yu Chen called, trying to grab her but failing; he nearly stumbled, only to be steadied by Shen Henyun.

“What’s gotten into your sister today? She’s not herself,” Shen Henyun muttered.

Yu Chen sensed something was wrong too. His sister rarely interfered in their father’s work—why insist on coming today? Unless…

A troubling thought flickered through his mind, but he shook it off. Surely it wasn’t about Gu Yan?

These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and he started running after Yu Sheng.

Hearing the commotion, Yu Dong glanced warily to the side and saw Yu Sheng approaching.

“Shengsheng? And Chenchen? What are you two doing here?” Yu Dong asked, frowning.

Yu Sheng stopped, breathless, and looked toward the ambulance.

Sensing something, Yu Dong spoke quietly to the paramedics. They nodded, closed the ambulance doors, and drove off.

Yu Sheng tried to follow, but Yu Dong stopped her. “You haven’t told me why you’re here. This isn’t a place for you—go home, now!”

Her eyes remained fixed on the departing ambulance until it vanished from sight. Only then did she turn to Yu Dong.

“Dad, was that person just now Gu Yan?” Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears, glistening in the dim light.

Yu Dong didn’t answer, turning instead to Yu Chen. “Well? What are you waiting for? Take your sister home!”

Yu Chen didn’t move; he stared at Yu Dong, clearly wanting the answer to Yu Sheng’s question.

Seeing neither child obey, Yu Dong was about to scold Yu Chen when a colleague arrived.

“Captain Yu, is this your precious daughter? What’s she doing here so late at night? It’s not safe. She shouldn’t come again,” the officer said.

Yu Dong forced a smile. Seeing the determination in Yu Sheng’s expression, he sighed. “You two go home first. I’ll explain everything there. It’s cold—go home now.” He patted their shoulders.

Shen Henyun stood silently behind Yu Chen, unsure what to say.

What did they mean by Gu Yan?

Yu Dong glanced at Shen Henyun. “You’re Yu Chen’s friend, right? Take them home. We still need to process the scene.”

Shen Henyun nodded and led Yu Chen and Yu Sheng back the way they came.

Yu Sheng, reading Yu Dong’s expression, had already guessed most of the truth. She knew him well; if he didn’t want to talk, no amount of pleading would make him. If he said he’d explain at home, he would.

She looked at him one last time, her face full of sorrow, and let Yu Chen lead her away.

If that was Gu Yan, what condition was he in now? Being rescued by Yu Dong here meant things were serious. The thought cut through Yu Sheng’s heart like a knife. Ever since Gu Yan vanished from her side, she’d felt as though a piece of her was missing.

Now, knowing he was hurt—possibly gravely so—her eyes stung with tears. The helplessness of being unable to do anything left her at a loss.

She didn’t want to just sit and wait, but what else could she do? The possibility that Gu Yan might never return made her heart ache unbearably.

Gu Yan had carved out a place in her life, quietly entering her heart before she even realized it.

I’ve never asked for anything—always relied on myself, never trusted anyone. But if you can keep Gu Yan safe, then I beg you, please let him be unharmed.

Yu Sheng closed her eyes, sending her plea heavenward.

She knew it was superstitious, but praying for his safety was all she could do right now.

God, if you’re out there, please spare this kind, sun-like boy who’s always brought light into my life. He’s so, so wonderful—you couldn’t bear to take him away, could you? Let him stay, to keep us company and continue warming those around him.

She felt something cold land on her cheek. Looking up, she saw—snow. It had begun to snow.