C31 A Night out

"Listen up, kid! You've got some nerve! Rejecting a toast only to be forced to drink a penalty shot! I'm going to tie you up first!" Qian Sheng declared, flicking his rope menacingly as he charged at Shen Yong.

These two kidnappers, puffed up with the false courage of their gang affiliation, hadn't even mastered the basics before they started swaggering around, trying to tie people up left and right. They were way too full of themselves!

"You're asking for it!" Shen Yong sprang into action, confronting Qian Sheng head-on. In a flash, Qian Sheng was trussed up like a zongzi, the end of the rope firmly in Shen Yong's grasp.

Money Bag had been waiting in the wings, planning to bag Shen Yong once Qian Sheng had him secured. But in a mere moment, he was stunned to see Qian Sheng bound tight, looking like a human dumpling, courtesy of Shen Yong!

Money Bag couldn't believe his eyes. He rubbed them hard and looked again, but the scene before him was all too real. Panic surged within him as he thought, "This guy's no mere mortal; he's a demon!"

Shivering with fear, Money Bag snapped to attention, flapped the gunny sack he held, and with eyes shut tight, he bellowed as he lunged at Shen Yong. "Ahh! I'm going to stuff you in this sack and cart you off!"

Money Bag's cries were loud, but his prowess was less than that of a middle schooler. In the next second, Shen Yong effortlessly used the remaining length of rope to tie up Money Bag as well!

"There we have it! Two human dumplings!" Shen Yong declared, looking at the pair bound securely. He turned to Zhang Chuntao and asked, "Ms. Chuntao, what do you think we should do with these two traffickers?"

"Send them to the police station!" Zhang Chuntao responded without hesitation.

"No, that won't do. If we take them to the station, we'll have to give statements and all that hassle," Shen Yong countered, shaking his head.

"Yong, you can't let them go! If I hadn't made a quick escape earlier, they would have snatched me up and sold me! Then I'd never see you again, and I'd miss you so much I'd die of heartache!" Zhang Chuntao's words were tinged with a hint of flirtation, and even her nickname for Shen Yong had taken on an extra layer of sweetness.

"There's no way we're letting them go!"

Shen Yong snapped his fingers at Zhang Chuntao, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "I've come up with a brilliant plan!"

"Yong, you're amazing! I'll do whatever you say!"

Zhang Chuntao's voice grew increasingly flirtatious, as delicate as a rain-kissed cherry.

Her sultry tone sent Shen Yong's thoughts drifting into mischief.

"Watch closely!"

In a flash, Shen Yong swung his hand, delivering two hefty slaps to the faces of Qian Sheng and Money Bag.

With their mouths bound by ropes, Qian Sheng and Money Bag could only grunt helplessly, unable to cry out as blood bubbled from the corners of their mouths.

Dipping his finger in the blood, Shen Yong scrawled two lines across their torsos:

"We are despicable human traffickers!"

"The Singles' Gathering will be a haven for traffickers!"

Once he finished, Shen Yong shoved them into a burlap sack and hung it on a stake used for tethering livestock.

"All set! Job well done! Their fate is now in their own hands," Shen Yong declared with a flourish.

"Yong, you were so impressive tonight!" Zhang Chuntao's voice took on an even more suggestive tone.

Shen Yong wondered if she had been slipped a drug!

But her healthy glow suggested otherwise; it was all an act of her own making.

"Ms. Chuntao, let's head back to the village quickly!"

Ignoring her antics, Shen Yong moved to lead the ox cart, but Zhang Chuntao remained frozen in place.

"Yong! I stepped on something wet and broke my heel! I can't walk!"

Zhang Chuntao lifted her foot, wobbling the broken heel of her high-heeled shoe, which seemed ready to fall off at any moment.

"No worries! You won't have to walk this time. Just hop onto the cart, and I'll take you right to your doorstep," Shen Yong reassured her.

"Yong! Can we maybe not go back tonight? How about we return tomorrow instead?" Zhang Chuntao suggested coyly.

Since arriving in the county town, Zhang Chuntao had been frequenting the shopping malls, having already purchased everything she desired.

Despite her refusal to return, she intentionally dragged her feet, only meandering back as night fell.

Following a close call, Zhang Chuntao set in motion the plan she had meticulously rehearsed in her mind, aiming to win over Shen Yong.

Unaware of Zhang Chuntao's ulterior motives, Shen Yong was taken aback when she said she wouldn't return that day. "Why aren't we heading back? Is there something else you need to do? I assured my parents I'd be home before dusk, and look how late it is! We really should be on our way," he urged.

"Yong, I'm so sorry! I spotted a dress I absolutely adore at the mall today, but it won't be in stock until tomorrow! Plus, I need to get this shoe heel fixed," Zhang Chuntao explained, her tone laced with annoyance. "If you're not concerned about someone snatching me up, then feel free to head back on your own!"

Her final words left Shen Yong without a response.

Had it not been for that remark, Shen Yong might have actually abandoned Zhang Chuntao in Cloud River County.

After all, he was planning to return the next day with more Juicy Sweet Peaches to sell, and he could pick her up after.

But given the recent scare, where Zhang Chuntao narrowly escaped human traffickers, Shen Yong couldn't bear the thought of leaving her behind. If something were to happen, his conscience would never forgive him.

"Fine, I'll stay with you tonight. Once you've bought your dress and fixed your shoe tomorrow, we can head back and harvest the peaches," Shen Yong conceded reluctantly.

"Great! Thank you, Yong! You're always so considerate," Zhang Chuntao beamed, stretching her arms out like a child and pouting, "Yong, I just can't walk anymore. Could you carry me to the ox cart?"

"Sure, I'll carry you," he agreed.

Zhang Chuntao had anticipated a warm embrace from Shen Yong, but instead, he hoisted her up by the armpits as if she were a plastic mannequin, and placed her onto the cart.

Zhang Chuntao felt a deep unhappiness, yet her face was still painted with a smile of contentment.

After Shen Yong helped Zhang Chuntao onto the ox cart, he crouched silently by the roadside.

"Yong, what are you doing squatting there? Come on, let's get to the Cloud River Hotel! Surely you don't expect us to spend the night on the street?" Zhang Chuntao asked, clearly baffled.

Shen Yong paused before speaking, "Ms. Chuntao, do you have any money on you?"

"Yes, I do!"

"Could you lend me a dollar? I need to use a payphone to call Uncle Kun and let my parents know I won't be coming home tonight," Shen Yong requested, his voice tinged with embarrassment.

Having disappeared once for five years, Shen Yong had caused his parents endless worry. Now, he was determined to spare them any further concern.

"What? You don't have even a single dollar? The cart was heaped with plump, vibrant peaches, and you didn't save even one for me. They're all sold, and they must have fetched a good price! Where did all the money from the peach sales go?" Zhang Chuntao asked, her disbelief evident.