NOVEL WEB Vol. 1 - Ch. 356 - Trap
HuMing hadn't expected things to escalate like this—he and Han YunXi were just supposed to survive the cave-in… yet somehow, they ended up kissing?
And more than that—Han YunXi didn't resist him at all.
He couldn't quite grasp what she was thinking. But now that it had come to this, he knew he had to ask her directly.
"YunXi, about what just happened…"
"I know! Just… don't tell anyone else, okay?" Han YunXi stammered, clearly flustered.
It was obvious—they'd both acted on instinct.
Now that she'd had a moment to collect herself, Han YunXi was certainly embarrassed… but surprisingly, also a little relieved.
What had just happened meant HuMing did have feelings for her.
And he'd been so gentle—he guided her through the kiss, never making her uncomfortable.
Head down, she quietly asked the question lingering in her heart:
"HuMing, what do you think of me… really?"
"I can say with certainty—what I feel for you isn't sibling affection. If it were, I wouldn't have done what I did. But what about you, YunXi? What do you feel?"
Now was the time to stop dancing around it. They both needed clarity.
Han YunXi pressed her lips together, silent for a moment. Then finally, she spoke.
"HuMing… do you know why I stopped calling you 'brother'?"
"Why?"
"Because I've known for a long time that our relationship could never be that of normal siblings. I made myself stop calling you that because I needed to remind myself—there's nothing stopping us. And I guess… I think I like you."
It was the most honest thing she'd ever said.
She wanted to be with HuMing. She wanted to stay by his side, to do her best, to prove herself. She wanted him to know—she would work harder than anyone, even harder than those two other girls.
"HuMing, I don't know how you feel. But that's how I truly feel. Watching Sister XiaoXi and Ye QiuXue… I realized that happiness is something you have to fight for. It might sound shameless, but I mean it!"
The words came pouring out, and afterward she felt a strange sense of relief.
Whether HuMing accepted her or not, she wouldn't regret saying it. What she would have regretted was staying silent forever.
"But right now," she added with a wry smile, "it feels like we might be stuck in here for good."
But HuMing suddenly took her hand, gripping it tightly—passing his strength into her palm.
"Don't worry. I'll get us out of here. And when I do, I'll explain everything to our parents."
He took a deep breath. His mind was already made up.
It wouldn't be easy—but it was the path he'd chosen.
The two of them leaned into each other, offering quiet comfort in the dark.
…
Who knew how much time passed. When HuMing finally woke again, his whole body felt weak. Hunger gnawed at him like a rising tide.
In his arms, Han YunXi was still asleep. Her breathing was calm, steady—that was good. But if they kept waiting like this… they really might die in here.
He turned on his phone again—just to check—and, unbelievably, there was a faint signal.
Grabbing the opportunity, HuMing quickly dialed Lan Jun's number.
But something felt wrong.
The call didn't fail instantly like it should have if there were no signal. It kept ringing… but Lan Jun wasn't answering.
That wasn't like him.
The longer it rang, the more uneasy HuMing felt.
Finally, the call connected.
But there was no voice on the other end. No sound at all.
HuMing stared at the name on the screen. He hadn't dialed the wrong number.
He brought the phone back to his ear—still silence.
A chill ran down his spine.
Then, suddenly—he understood.
He hung up the call at once.
But… it was too late.
He exhaled sharply, adrenaline jolting his brain awake.
That call—whoever answered wasn't Lan Jun. Someone nearby had boosted the signal, intercepted the call, and picked it up.
A tactic usually seen in scams—but HuMing had a good idea who was behind it.
Ruo Dan.
Cunning, cruel, and one of Gu ZhaoChuan's most trusted subordinates.
If he found them, there would be no hesitation. He'd kill them on the spot.
HuMing looked down at the still-sleeping Han YunXi and fell into silence.
He needed to figure out how to protect her.
…
"Signal shows they're here. Looks like they didn't get crushed by the quake after all," one of Ruo Dan's men reported.
Hearing that, Ruo Dan arched a brow. His eyes turned toward Han ShuYi with a glint of admiration.
Yesterday, during the earthquake, Ruo Dan had planned to withdraw his team.
But Han ShuYi had stopped him. Calmly, he laid out the reasons why HuMing might still be alive.
Ruo Dan had hesitated… and in the end, listened.
It turned out Han ShuYi was right.
And even more urgent—Gu family operatives had been dispatched to this area. If they found out HuMing was missing, they would launch a large-scale search. If that happened, HuMing might actually be saved.
But not now.
They'd already confirmed his location.
They could end this—here and now—and complete Gu ZhaoChuan's orders early.
"Han ShuYi, I have to thank you. Without you, HuMing might've slipped away."
Han ShuYi didn't respond. He stood silently, watching the men dig through the earth at the cave entrance.
"I want to kill HuMing myself," he said, gripping his pistol tighter. His other hand was tightly bound in a bloodstained bandage.
Ruo Dan narrowed his eyes. Slowly, he said:
"That won't do. I have to be the one to kill him. Only then can I be sure."
He didn't trust Han ShuYi—not completely. He never trusted anyone completely.
But before the words had even finished leaving his mouth—Han ShuYi's pistol was already aimed at Ruo Dan's head.
At once, every gun turned on Han ShuYi.
One wrong move, and he'd be riddled with bullets.
"Ruo Dan, if it weren't for your damn blanks, I would've killed HuMing yesterday! Instead, I lost a hand—my hand!—and I'm still waiting to finish him off myself!"
His eyes burned with fury, like he could tear Ruo Dan apart with nothing but his rage.
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