In front of this man, who is paranoid and merciless, human life is nothing to him. I should have been afraid of him.

But in his gaze,

a subtle warmth surges, imperceptible. I deeply know he won't harm me in the slightest.

"Sleep a little longer. When it's light, I'll take you out to find something to eat."

I was awakened by the smoke, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Chi Yan shaking me in panic.

Clearly relieved upon seeing me awake,

he said, "We're surrounded."

Only then did I notice that the branches at the entrance of the air-raid shelter were set on fire, and smoke was continuously being sent into the cave.

Fortunately, the branches were damp, and the fire couldn't ignite, so the smoke wasn't too thick.

Laughter erupted outside the cave. Several men shouted loudly at the entrance, "Chi Yan, should I call you Jack the Ripper? If it weren't for this baggage, finding you wouldn't have been easy."

"Oh, you still don't know who I am, do you? I'm Zan Ba. On the Night of Carnage, you beheaded my younger brother at the crossroads. Do you remember now?"

Chi Yan's body froze for a moment, and a trace of murderous intent surged in his eyes.

So he is Jack the Ripper... Does that mean I never managed to deceive him from the beginning?

Then why did he save me?

I couldn't help but cough violently a few times. Chi Yan turned around, placed both hands on my shoulders, with an unusually serious expression.

"Listen to me. Later, you'll take me hostage and hand me over to them."

"What are you saying? I can't hand you over to them. They won't spare you..."

Chi Yan took a deep breath, sounding a bit urgent, "Why aren't you being obedient?! Hold the map and tell them you can be their translator. They won't harm you temporarily! Understand?"

Just as I was about to say something, Chi Yan opened his arms and hugged me, gently patting the back of my head as if comforting a child.

He let go of me and handed me the map, saying, "Don't ask questions, don't be afraid, don't hesitate. I will protect you."

"Trust me, little one."

I was stunned. That's my nickname.

No one except my dad has ever called me that.