Comforting the child to sleep, I brushed off Xu Qing's question, and it was already three in the morning.

I hesitated a bit, then tiptoed to the kitchen.

During the day, Xu Qinghuan cared so much about Zhang Peng,

She wouldn't use Zhang Peng to test me.

A hand suddenly reached out, quickly pulling me into the kitchen.

I almost cried out in surprise.

But the minty scent coming from the wind calmed my nerves.

It was the smell of my favorite hand cream,

the first gift Zhang Peng ever gave me.

In the darkness, Zhang Peng's eyes shone strangely, with a hint of tears.

His fingers kept rubbing my chapped hands.

He apologized in a choked voice by my ear,

softly explaining that he married Xu Qinghuan

just to find out my whereabouts.

My suspicions completely disappeared.

Zhang Peng was really here to save me.

I can definitely escape and return to my previous life.

"An'an," Zhang Peng held me tightly in his embrace, his tone serious,

"I observed when I came, the terrain here is rugged, and transportation is inconvenient, we can't get out of this mountain by ourselves."

"The villagers and the police collude, and calling the police is useless..."

My heart sank.

I was aware of what he said.

He held my hand tighter, "So our only chance is next week."

"Xu Qinghuan and I will visit the town's New Year event next week, I'll figure out a way to convince her to bring you along."

"I arranged people and vehicles in town, so we can escape together then."

"We," that word filled me with hope.

I leaned against him, nodding heavily.

"Dear, are you in the kitchen?"

Suddenly, Xu Qinghuan's voice came from outside the door,

Before Zhang Peng could come up with an excuse,

Xu Qinghuan burst into the room.

The flashlight beam shone directly on Zhang Peng's face, as if catching a criminal.

She asked sharply, "What are you doing up in the middle of the night?"

Through the crack in the cupboard,

I saw fine cold sweat on Zhang Peng's face.

"Thirsty, looking for water," Zhang Peng pretended to be calm.

"Only you?"

Xu Qinghuan's flashlight scanned every corner of the kitchen.

"You're not secretly meeting your old lover, my good sister-in-law, behind my back, are you?"

Zhang Peng relaxed his tone, "How is that possible? You know well what she did behind my back."

Once again, it was what I did back then.

I momentarily forgot to breathe.

Xu Qinghuan seemed pleased by his words, "Almost there. I thought seeing her in her current state would soften you."

"Evil people, even if pitiful, cannot change their evil deeds. I think her punishment is not severe enough, she should suffer a hundred times more."

A steely glint passed through Zhang Peng's eyes.

His gaze was too fierce, it sent shivers down my spine.

What exactly did they mean by evil deeds?

I tried to remember, my head ached.

Some images seemed to flash through my mind, but I couldn't grasp any of them.

Just as hope had been kindled, it was now shaken in an instant.

Were Zhang Peng's words sincere, or was he deceitful towards Xu Qinghuan?

Was this person before me really here to save me?

Xu Qinghuan seemed satisfied with the answer.

She slowly approached Zhang Peng,

"We two victims should keep each other warm."

She hadn't turned off the flashlight in her hand.

As she came closer, the beam was about to hit the cupboard and reveal my figure.

I covered my mouth, every wound on my body felt incredibly itchy due to the cold sweat.

"Oh, is this water not clean?"

Zhang Peng suddenly clutched his stomach, "Huan, take me to the restroom quickly."

He leaned weakly against Xu Qinghuan, urging her to get out.

Their footsteps gradually faded away, until they disappeared, and I crawled out from the cupboard.

Before I could think carefully about their conversation just now,

Xu Qing Sharp and eerie howls echoed through the night sky.

"Mom, wife, she's gone! She's gone!"