Just then, there was a sudden loud "thud". It seemed as if the door had been rammed by a reckless force!
Ning Anmiao took two steps back. Looking at the loosened door hinge, she had another conjecture.
"Lu Yan, is that you outside?" She clearly heard her voice trembling. She could hardly speak clearly.
She was looking forward to the answer she wanted from the person outside.
There was no response from outside. Only a few seconds later, there was another powerful impact, along with a man's muffled grunt.
From the subtle timbre, Ning Anmiao could tell that the person outside was Lu Yan!
Overjoyed, she couldn't help shouting at the top of her voice, "Lu Yan! Lu Yan, I'm in here!"
What responded to her was the even more forceful sound of kicking the door!
The sound grew louder and louder, but Ning Anmiao felt extremely at ease.
This wooden door wasn't very solid. After being kicked several times, it had become quite loose, and more light from outside shone in.
With a final powerful kick, the door was completely kicked open!
In an instant, the light shone in. Ning Anmiao immediately closed her eyes, then opened them again.
It was Lu Yan.
Lu Yan walked in and stopped in front of Ning Anmiao. Her face was reflected in his eyes.
Her little face was dirty, her lips were chapped, and blood was oozing out. But her eyes were filled with a bright light.
She was like a stray little beast on the street who had finally met the master who would take her home.
"Miaomiao, I'm late," he said in a low and hoarse voice, with an indescribable regret in his tone. "I should have noticed earlier."
Ning Anmiao was too excited to speak. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she just looked at him and smiled, then shook her head. "No, you came in time."
Her voice was barely audible, and her whole body was trembling. It was only when Lu Yan leaned closer that he noticed that her hands and feet were tied, and blisters had formed on her wrists from the rubbing.
His pupils suddenly constricted, and a look of distress flashed across his eyes.
After untying the ropes for Ning Anmiao, Lu Yan directly hugged her in his arms. His steps were steady and slow, for fear of disturbing the person in his arms.
Leaning on Lu Yan's chest, Ning Anmiao listened to the steady heartbeat in his chest. Her panic and fear finally dissipated.
As long as she saw Lu Yan, it seemed that everything would be safe.
As long as he was there, there was nothing and no one for her to be afraid of.
Because he was Lu Yan, the unconditional shelter she could rely on, the god who would always protect her.
...
Back at the hotel, seeing Yin Yiyan, who had already changed into clean and tidy clothes, Ning Anmiao let out a sigh of relief. The tense heart along the way finally relaxed.
It turned out that the two of them had been locked up in different places. Fortunately for Yin Yiyan, the house she was in was a bit dilapidated. Coupled with her continuous cries for help, a kind villager passing by rescued her.
After she escaped, she happened to meet Song Qin. When the two met, they learned that Lu Yan had sent people to look for Ning Anmiao. Yin Yiyan's heart also settled down.
"Miaomiao, it's good that we're all okay!" Yin Yiyan's eyes were teary. She rushed over and hugged her. Both of them were still in shock after the narrow escape.
Fortunately, they had escaped before being transferred. Otherwise, in such a remote place, a random black car could have made them disappear without a trace.
Throughout this time, Lu Yan had been sitting silently on one side.
Although he didn't say a word, Ning Anmiao could faintly sense that Lu Yan was in a bad mood.
He seemed to be suppressing his emotions. One careless move, and he might explode.
Yin Yiyan also noticed something strange. She gave Ning Anmiao a look and then left the room, saying that she was going to find Song Qin to explain the specific situation again.
Ning Anmiao nodded slightly. When there was only her and Lu Yan left in the room, she took the initiative to walk over and said gently, "I'm okay, Lu Yan."
"Now we just need to find that gang and bring them to justice. The rest can be left to the police."
Her voice was soft and gentle, like the tenderness of water.
The more understanding Ning Anmiao was, the more irritable Lu Yan felt. He put one hand in his pocket, his face sank, and it was hard to tell what was in his eyes.
"During this period, besides saying that they would sell you, did they reveal any other clues?"
Obviously, he didn't think this was an accidental human - trafficking incident.
At the grand celebration, there were quite a few tourists and outsiders participating in the event. But they had specifically targeted them. This was very deliberate.
This matter was definitely not simple!
Ning Anmiao was stunned for a moment. After thinking for a while, she recalled the conversation with the wheat - skinned man before and slowly said, "At that time, he answered a phone call and said that someone had taken a fancy to us."
Lu Yan keenly noticed the key point and said coldly, "Who?"
"I don't know." Ning Anmiao shook her head and then looked at Lu Yan. "I guess it should be someone we met at the bonfire party."
But this statement was not very convincing, because she had been with Yin Yiyan the whole time and hadn't come into contact with anyone else.
Lu Yan narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with coldness.
A few seconds later, he suddenly stood up. He glanced at his watch and paused for a moment before saying, "Someone will come to pick you and Yin Yiyan up later to go to the Haicheng Police Station to make a statement."
Ning Anmiao obediently agreed. Looking at Lu Yan's still solemn face, she pursed her lips. "Lu Yan, I'm okay. Look, I'm fine."
"Don't be too angry. It's not good for your health."
Lu Yan clenched his hands. Looking at Ning Anmiao, who was looking nervous in front of him, he felt as if there was a stone in his heart, making it a bit hard for him to breathe.
Obviously, in this accident, the one who was hurt was Miaomiao. But she kept saying that she was okay and even cared about his emotions.
This made him feel extremely useless.
"Miaomiao, you don't have to be so considerate," Lu Yan took a deep breath. His expression remained calm. "It's my fault that I didn't protect you well and made you scared."
"It's a great blessing that you weren't in danger this time. But if something had happened to you, if you really..."
Lu Yan couldn't even bear to say the possible tragedy.
He paused for a moment. His voice was a bit hoarse, but he still said with a bitter smile, "I would hate myself for the rest of my life."
"If I can't protect you well, I'll be condemned by my conscience for the rest of my life."
There was not much emotional fluctuation in his voice, but it was precisely this suppressed emotion that made people feel heart - broken.
Ning Anmiao knew that what he said was true.
Even though Lu Yan was an adult, he also had vulnerable moments.
Ning Anmiao walked up to Lu Yan and hugged him tightly, using this way to tell Lu Yan that she was still there, that she was still standing in front of him, safe and sound.
"I understand, Lu Yan," her tone was solemn. "As long as you're here, I'll live a good life."
"We should all live well and be together."