Xiaoyu's breath caught in her throat.
The man standing outside the back door didn't move.
Didn't rush her.
Didn't even look surprised.
That calmness terrified her more than violence would have.
Rainwater dripped slowly from the edge of his dark coat as he stared at her with unreadable eyes.
"You've caused a lot of trouble for us," he said softly.
Xiaoyu stepped backward instinctively.
Behind her, the apartment exploded with noise—a table crashing over, heavy footsteps, the sharp sound of something breaking against the wall.
Lu Shen.
Her pulse slammed violently against her ribs.
The man noticed the panic in her expression and smiled faintly.
"You should stop running," he continued. "It'll only make this harder."
Xiaoyu's fingers tightened at her sides.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
The man tilted his head slightly.
"Someone your father feared."
Cold spread through her chest.
Another crash echoed from inside the apartment.
Then suddenly—
A gunshot.
The sound ripped through the hallway like thunder.
Xiaoyu flinched hard.
For one horrifying second, her mind went completely blank.
No.
No, no, no—
Before she could think, she shoved past the man in front of her and ran.
He reacted instantly, grabbing for her wrist, but Xiaoyu twisted sharply away just in time. His fingers brushed her sleeve before she tore free and sprinted down the narrow emergency staircase.
"Stop her!" someone shouted behind her.
Footsteps exploded above.
Fast.
Closing in.
Xiaoyu nearly slipped on the wet metal stairs but caught herself against the railing and kept moving. Her lungs burned immediately, panic pushing adrenaline violently through her body.
She had no plan.
Only movement.
Only escape.
Another gunshot echoed somewhere above her.
Then a voice she recognized instantly—
"XIAOYU!"
Lu Shen.
Alive.
Relief hit her so hard it almost hurt.
She turned briefly just in time to see him appear at the top of the staircase. One side of his shirt was stained dark with rainwater—and something else.
Blood.
Her heartbeat stopped.
"Keep running!" he shouted.
Two men burst into the stairwell behind him.
Lu Shen turned immediately and drove one of them hard into the concrete wall before the second lunged forward. The narrow staircase became chaos in seconds—sharp movements, heavy impacts, bodies slamming into metal railings.
Xiaoyu stared in shock.
She had never seen him like this before.
Not calm.
Not controlled.
Dangerous.
Every movement was fast and precise, like instinct instead of thought. One of the men swung toward him—Lu Shen caught his arm instantly and slammed him into the railing hard enough to bend metal.
"GO!" he roared again.
That finally forced Xiaoyu to move.
She turned and sprinted downward again, her legs shaking beneath her.
The rain grew heavier the moment she burst outside into the alley behind the apartment building. Water soaked through her clothes immediately, cold and relentless.
The city looked unfamiliar now.
Dark.
Hostile.
She ran anyway.
Behind her, footsteps thundered down the staircase.
More than one person.
Her breathing became ragged as she pushed herself faster through the narrow alleyways. Neon lights blurred past her vision while rain stung her skin.
Think.
Think.
Where could she go?
Who could she trust?
The answer terrified her.
No one.
A car suddenly turned sharply into the street ahead, headlights flashing directly toward her.
Xiaoyu froze instinctively.
The passenger door flew open.
"Get in!"
Lu Shen.
He leaned across the seat, rain dripping from his dark hair, one hand gripping the steering wheel tightly.
Xiaoyu didn't hesitate this time.
She jumped into the car just as shouting erupted from the alley behind her.
The moment the door slammed shut, Lu Shen accelerated hard.
Tires screamed against the wet road.
The city lights streaked violently past them as the car shot into traffic.
Xiaoyu grabbed the edge of the seat tightly, trying to steady her breathing.
"You're bleeding," she said suddenly.
Lu Shen glanced briefly at the blood spreading slowly along his side.
"It's nothing."
"That is not nothing!"
His jaw tightened slightly, but he kept his eyes on the road.
Two black vehicles turned sharply behind them.
Following.
Xiaoyu's chest tightened instantly.
"They're still coming."
"I know."
The calmness in his voice somehow made it worse.
Rain hammered violently against the windshield as the cars behind them accelerated.
One of them swerved sharply closer.
Too close.
A loud impact slammed into the side of their car.
Xiaoyu gasped as the entire vehicle jerked sideways.
Lu Shen regained control instantly.
"Seatbelt," he ordered.
Her shaking hands fumbled for it immediately.
Another hit came seconds later.
Harder.
"They're trying to push us off the road!" Xiaoyu shouted.
Lu Shen's expression darkened.
"They're trying to take you alive."
The words sent fear crashing through her body.
Alive.
Not dead.
That somehow felt worse.
The black car beside them suddenly lowered its window.
Xiaoyu's eyes widened.
"Lu Shen—!"
A gun appeared.
Lu Shen reacted instantly, jerking the wheel hard.
A deafening gunshot shattered through the storm.
Glass exploded beside Xiaoyu's head.
She screamed instinctively and ducked down.
"Stay down!"
The car sped violently through the rain-soaked streets, engines roaring, tires sliding dangerously around corners.
Another gunshot echoed behind them.
Then another.
Xiaoyu's entire body shook as broken glass scattered across her lap.
This couldn't be real.
Hours ago she had only wanted answers.
Now people were trying to capture her in the middle of a storm.
Lu Shen suddenly turned sharply into a narrow underground parking entrance.
The car behind them followed instantly.
"Hold on," he said quietly.
Xiaoyu barely had time to react before he slammed the brakes and spun the wheel hard.
The car drifted violently sideways through the underground entrance.
The pursuing vehicle lost control trying to follow.
A massive crash exploded behind them.
Metal screamed.
Concrete cracked.
Xiaoyu looked back just in time to see the black vehicle slam directly into a support pillar.
Smoke and sparks filled the underground level.
But Lu Shen didn't slow down.
Not even slightly.
Because both of them knew—
That wasn't all of them.
Not even close.