Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The meeting didn't conclude until after nine in the morning, three hours having passed since that phone call.

Bo Chengyan lingered at the hotel for a while. His executive assistant had already booked his return flight for early the next day.

He could still make it back for his birthday.

Just not by midnight.

This year's birthday gift was a custom-made watch with a slender, more delicate strap.

Qi Jing was still growing, his limbs quite lean, so a wide watchband wouldn't have suited him.

Bo Chengyan gazed at the box, his expression softening.

But just then, his phone vibrated. The remote tracker indicated the target was moving, and his body temperature was rapidly dropping.

It happened in an instant.

Bo Chengyan's face subtly changed. He immediately reached for his phone, his mind a blank.

The call connected, but all he heard was static.

"Hello?"

"...Sir... Hello... I..."

Though the connection was intermittent, the voice sounded steady. It probably wasn't a major emergency.

Communication was impossible.

Bo Chengyan rose, phone in hand, and dialed another number.

The night was deep, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Find Qi Jing. I can't get a clear connection with him. Go see what's wrong."

The person on the other end seemed momentarily stunned, as the night sky there was clear and bright, but they immediately sprang into action.

Bo Chengyan found it hard to describe how those few minutes passed.

Anxiety? Not exactly.

His assistant was roused in the middle of the night to hastily rebook his flight at an exorbitant price.

A red-eye flight! Damn it!

But upon receiving the large transfer, he couldn't help but smirk.

Why sleep much in life when you'll have an eternity to rest after death?

There was nothing amiss at the scenic area.

However, when the search party arrived, they discovered the children's tents were empty. A missing persons report had already been filed.

Bo Chengyan tried calling again, but it was no use—he couldn't get through.

He prided himself on staying calm.

*

A few hours earlier—

Qi Jing glanced anxiously at his watch. It was already five o'clock, past Lin Yuze's promised 4:45 return time.

Especially since Bo Chengyan had warned him about areas with no signal, like limestone caves...

They hadn't gone there, had they?

They still hadn't returned.

The teenager inquired among the nearby astronomy enthusiasts, who suggested he wait a little longer; they might just be delayed.

He waited another half hour. It was 5:30.

Qi Jing couldn't help but worry. Darkness had fully descended, and their cake delivery had arrived, but he had no appetite.

*Be responsible. Get along well with classmates.*

*Stay calm in emergencies.*

That steady voice echoed in his mind.

...

Calling the police might be a good idea, but it would only intensify his friends' guilt—they would surely believe they had ruined his birthday.

Qi Jing had learned a lot here. After some thought, he quietly slipped out of the tent, 996 perched on his shoulder.

With this cheat, it shouldn't be a problem.

Three hours later—

It was a huge problem.

996 successfully led him to his friends, but the slime had eaten too many snacks, causing its functions to malfunction. It tried to block the wristband's signal, but the wristband started smoking.

It had marked the path along the way.

But the markers were corrupted.

Qi Jing felt utterly betrayed. Sitting in the cave with his classmates, they exchanged helpless glances as he nervously picked at his fingers.

But his heart was pounding for a different reason.

[Ruan Hang will attend a top-tier university in the capital, but he comes from humble means. He's self-reliant, tutors, and works part-time as a bartender.]

[He met Bo Chengyan when someone drugged him and made advances, leading to a one-night stand.]

Qi Jing had no mind to listen.

There was water at the bottom of the cave. The descent alone had been treacherous, but when they finally found the group, cheers had erupted.

But as they searched for a way out... they kept hitting dead ends.

"..."

Huang Ze said cheerfully, "It's okay, at least we're sharing this hardship. Someone will definitely come looking for us tomorrow."

"But how did Xiao Jing find us?"

"Mind connection!" Huang Ze was still full of energy.

Lin Yuze merely frowned. "We ruined his birthday."

A silence fell over them.

Qi Jing stammered, "No, no—" He had been distracted earlier, and Bo Chengyan had called him.

Oh no.

The chances of him being replaced for disobedience had probably increased significantly.

The boy was torn.

But just then, 996 suddenly announced, [Recovered! I've restored our path. Let's go!]

Qi Jing's eyes instantly lit up, and he told his friends, "I remember the way now! Let's try again—this time, we'll make it!"

Though everyone was exhausted, no one wanted to dampen the mood. They waded through the shallow water once more, following him.

Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, there was little fear—just excitement.

Young hearts knew no fear.

Until Huang Ze heard a muffled rumbling and suddenly said, "It's not raining outside, is it?"

Lin Yuze frowned. "Shut up."

The air was already thin here, and with the water, if it started raining above... this was a mountainous area.

They didn't dare imagine being flooded.

About five minutes later.

Good news: They really found the exit.

Bad news: It seemed like a heavy storm was pouring outside, and rocks had blocked the way.

"..."

Qi Jing froze. When he had jumped down earlier, the passage hadn't been this narrow. Now, rocks had piled up, leaving only narrow cracks, with water dripping through.

996 said matter-of-factly, [I can use external force to move them, but your classmates might think it's ghosts.]

That wouldn't work.

Qi Jing frowned in thought, then turned to his friends. "Let's try moving a small rock first, then see if we can make the rest fall at once."

"But we could get hurt."

Lin Yuze furrowed his brows and pulled Qi Jing back, shielding him from the water dripping from above.

The boy was slender, and in his haste, he hadn't even grabbed a jacket—just a thin T-shirt.

Qi Jing's body temperature was indeed dropping.

His face was pale, his hair damp, and his expression strained.

Now what—

Huang Ze volunteered, picking up a rock from the ground and forcefully smashing it. To his credit, the narrow gap did widen to about the size of a fist—but still not enough for a person to squeeze through.

An awkward silence fell over them.

"We're actually safe. My family agreed to call me at 8 PM. If they can't reach me, they'll come looking."

"Same here."

"Me too..."

Huang Ze muttered, "But what if they call the police? That would be so embarrassing—I don't want to end up in the news."

"..."

Qi Jing's concern wasn't about facing the police. He was afraid of facing Bo Chengyan...

His wristband suddenly chirped.

Everyone looked over. Qi Jing stared blankly, then looked down—was it working again?

But just then, a faint grinding noise came from above as rocks shifted. Lin Yuze reacted instantly, pulling Qi Jing to safety.

The spot where he had been standing was now buried under a pile of stones.

Rain poured through the opening above. Though a large rock was still wedged in place, the path upward was now accessible.

They felt a wave of relief, especially Huang Ze, who volunteered, "I'll go up. That rock looks a bit dangerous—I'll move it and pull you all up."

He had trained as an athlete in middle school and was the strongest among them; he still had some strength left.

Lin Yuze frowned at the scraped skin on Qi Jing's elbow, but the boy didn't seem to notice.

Would his family even come looking?

The boy's brow furrowed again, a nagging worry growing.

But he had no band-aids on him.

Qi Jing's eyes lit up. Once Huang Ze climbed up, pulled them all out, and they hurried back to the tent—

They could still make it.

The cave had no signal, and prolonged darkness could make one lose track of time. It was already the next day, but their heightened adrenaline made them think it was still the same night.

The meteor shower had indeed been observed, but the subsequent heavy rain had prompted the astronomy enthusiasts to drive away.

The entire mountain was eerily deserted.

Only firefighters, with headlamps, were searching inch by inch.

Qi Jing also heard faint sounds and thought it best to leave quickly. Bo Chengyan must have noticed his absence, but as long as he hurried back to the tent and borrowed someone else's phone to call, he could still explain.

It'll be fine, it'll be fine.

The teen's hair tips were damp, his cheeks cold and pale, but he still reached to remove his wristband and handed it to Huang Ze.

"You go up. This wristband just beeped—it has GPS. I don't know if it still works, but it will definitely make it easier to be found."

Huang Ze took it. He was freezing too, his pants soaked, and he dutifully fastened it around his wrist. Reaching up, he began trying to climb. Lin Yuze stepped forward to support his legs, saying calmly, "Step on my shoulders."

The cave was lit only by a faint flashlight—no signal, their only source of illumination.

But then, it shut off.

Everything went pitch black.

Only the sound of Huang Ze struggling upward remained.

*Crack.*

"What happened?!" Lin Yuze asked anxiously. From above came a curse: "Damn it, why is my hand making noise?"

This was the worst.

Qi Jing's hearing was always sharp. He urgently said, "Huang Ze, Huang Ze! Go find the campsite—there must be firefighters there. If your hand is injured, you won't be able to pull us up. There's a girl here—hurry!"

"Did my wristband beep? It has functions. Go get help."

He spoke seriously, his tone remarkably steady, though his damp hair curled slightly at the ends.

Lin Yuze glanced at him. He had no jacket either and frowned. "Are you cold, Xiao Jing?"

What was he doing out here?

Qi Jing wasn't actually that cold because 996 was emitting heat, moving around like a hand warmer.

He'd be okay.

Outside, the rain grew heavier, pounding against the rocks, the noise drowning out any other sounds.

The cave already had water, and the piled-up stones only took up more space, the water now lapping at their calves.

Lin Yuze tried climbing up himself, but it was no use—without assistance, it was still too high. When Qi Jing had descended earlier, there had been steps left by explorers, but now there was nothing—it was like climbing a sheer wall.

Time lost meaning. The rain intensified. Qi Jing's head grew fuzzy, nearly toppling before Lin Yuze caught him.

"Is this it?"

"Yes—right here!"

Then, through the sheets of rain, came the beam of a flashlight. Firefighters heaved rocks aside, shouting into the distance, "We've found them! Here!"

Qi Jing couldn't see the people above—the glare was blinding. Someone seemed to say, "It's not too high. See if we can pull them up directly."

"Grab the smallest one first!"

Instinctively, Qi Jing turned to let Jiang Yao go first. "Girls first—"

But the voice above called again, "Hey, kid, what are you doing? No need for chivalry—you're plenty thin. Come on, come on. We can pull you all up."

A hand reached down.

Jiang Yao said worriedly, "Xiao Jing, hold on tight!"

Lin Yuze stepped forward, ready to catch him if he fell.

Qi Jing had no choice but to raise his hand and grip the strong, steady one above. But the moment he was pulled up, some muscle memory kicked in—as if he suddenly realized something.

But it was too late.

He was scooped up easily, perched like a child on the man's forearm, stunned and shivering.

The assistant juggled two umbrellas—one for himself, one for his boss, looking utterly miserable.

Qi Jing, trying to avoid eye contact, quickly took the umbrella handle. "I-I've got it."

Obediently.

Bo Chengyan exchanged a few words with the firefighters before carrying Qi Jing away. His sneakers were soaked through, icy cold, so the man simply took them off.

Without a second thought, he wiped Qi Jing's chilled ankles with his coat, then bundled them inside the coat for warmth.

Qi Jing rested his head on the man’s shoulder, keeping the umbrella low. His fingers felt numb with cold, and he worried his lower lip.

His stomach dropped. Then he spotted the black wristband in Bo Chengyan’s hand.

...