At Ninghai University, Su Jingwen traced the threads of her growing regret as she caressed the bracelet in her hand. She regretted giving three beads to Ning Qingxue—had she followed Su Mei's negative views, she would still be confident in Ye Mo. Even if she had witnessed Yun Bing's accusations, perhaps that teacher had her own issues. Regardless, Ye Mo might not be at fault, and certainly, his actions didn't concern her.
Yet the pearls were gone and already in Qingxue's hands—she couldn't just ask them back. The only fault lay in Qingxue choosing the wrong moment. If even one more day had passed—say, after the confrontation with Yun Bing—she might never have given them away.
Thankful she only gave away three beads. To give them all back would haunt her: the bracelet was handcrafted by Ye Mo and, while not valuable in money, it was priceless as a birthday gift made by its giver.
She wanted to see Ye Mo, but had no idea where he was. If even Ning Qingxue — who received the beads — didn't know, then neither would Li Mumei. She decided to call Mumei, but at that moment her phone rang: Yun Bing was calling. Clearly, Su Mei had passed on her number.
Within half an hour, they met at a café. Yun Bing quickly voiced her purpose. Su Jingwen, surprised, asked, "You—want to see Ye Mo? But last time you said he was such a terrible person."
She couldn't finish her sentence, but implied, "If you hated him so much, why would you want to see him now?" Su Jingwen was hesitant to confront Yun Bing—keeping her distance from the cold teacher—but inwardly agreed: Yun Bing owed Ye Mo an apology too.
"Sorry. I misunderstood him," Yun Bing said simply. "I want to apologize."
Su Jingwen believed her. She trusted Ye Mo, not the unknown teacher clouded with assumptions. After a brief call with Mumei, they both had the same news: Ye Mo had vanished without a trace.
Yun Bing was disappointed: "He's gone? You do know he disappeared?"
Su Jingwen saw no deception in her expression; she sincerely didn't know where Ye Mo had gone.
—
Meanwhile, Ye Mo had spent the night with Zhuo Aiguo at a modest hotel after their flight out of Ninghai. Early in the morning, they flew from Xi'an to Tianling Airport near Guilin. Nothing had happened—and Zhuo, more reliable than Wen Dong, had arranged everything meticulously.
"Ye Mo, we've arrived. Someone's picking us up. I want to head straight to Lieshe Town—no lingering in Guilin to avoid attention," Zhuo said.
As they left the terminal, an Audi SUV pulled up. The young driver, a coarse but respectful man named Xiao Yu, greeted Zhuo.
Xiao Yu had no martial arts skills but knew the route to Lieshe from prior trips. His driving was both fast and smooth. Two hours later they left the city roads and entered rugged mountain paths.
Another two hours passed; the landscape became desolate—no villages, just barren hills. Ye Mo felt oddly at home: remote and hidden, perfect for someone on the run.
They reached a wide valley. As the SUV rolled in, Ye Mo heard noises from the mountain slope behind.
He cracked the window and saw the road ahead blocked by deliberately stacked debris—fallen logs and boulders.
Zhuo's face darkened, but Xiao Yu remained calm: "Boss, this is a typical roadblock. Offer them some cash—they just want money."
Zhuo nodded. They drove another hundred meters before two vehicles ahead—a black Mercedes SUV along with theirs—were both forced to stop.
A bulky man dressed strangely stepped forward with a megaphone: "Everyone out of the car!" He held a large rifle, while two companions brandished weapons. These guns looked stronger than even Wen Dong's AK rifle—enough that Ye Mo believed he could dodge them if necessary.
From the Mercedes emerged a tall, handsome man and a poised, elegant woman. The man looked rich and nervous; the woman, with long hair, refined features, a silver necklace, and fitted jeans, radiated a quiet grace. She hovered close behind the man—protective, anxious, but less shaken than him.
—
The scene set before Ye Mo: a rough ambush in a remote valley, its players varied—from desperate bandits to scared rich civilians—and Ye Mo, calm and poised, stood ready, calculating every possibility in the unfolding standoff.