Chapter 51: A Leap of Faith and a Cycle of Escape

Xia Xingyan lifted her head, her gaze fixed on the golden-haired girl’s back.

Despite his slender frame, an unprecedented sense of security enveloped her.

Her breath hitched, and the heart that had been frozen for so long began to pound fiercely.

Xia Xingyan remained silent, simply nodding, then gripped his warm hand even tighter.

She resolutely stepped into the light, forsaking the family that had only ever seen her as a tool.

Having received her affirmation, Gu Qing no longer harbored any hesitation.

‘Entangling himself with these mere minnows would be nothing but a waste of time,’ he thought.

Under the horrified gazes of all present, he swiftly scooped Xia Xingyan into his arms, then charged towards the massive floor-to-ceiling window of the banquet hall!

Xia Xingyan gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.

Her entire being was nestled against his chest, her nostrils filled with the pleasant scent of his body.

“Stop them, quickly!”

But it was already too late.

Xia Hongde’s furious roar was left far behind him.

“Bang!”

A deafening crash reverberated!

Gu Qing shielded Xia Xingyan, forcefully shattering the tempered glass of the sixteenth floor.

Countless glistening shards of glass scattered across the night sky as the two, amidst the stunned cries of the onlookers, plunged from the sixteenth floor, a dizzying height of nearly a hundred meters!

Inside the banquet hall, all the guests rushed to the shattered window.

They craned their necks, watching the rapidly plummeting figures, their faces etched with disbelief.

‘These two must be utterly insane!’

As they plummeted through the air, fierce gales roared past their ears, making it nearly impossible to keep their eyes open.

Xia Xingyan instinctively clung tighter to Gu Qing, burying her face deeper into his chest.

The anticipated terror never arrived; instead, she was overcome by the exhilaration of breaking free from all constraints.

The wind howled past her ears, sounding like a hymn to freedom. In that moment, she was no longer a puppet of the Xia family, but a bird soaring through the sky.

She cautiously opened her eyes, discovering the river of starlight formed by the myriad city lights below them, a sight so genuinely beautiful, devoid of any past falsehoods.

“Don’t be afraid, hold on tight.”

Gu Qing’s voice cut clearly through the fierce wind, carrying a reassuring strength.

Just as the two were about to hit the ground, a barely perceptible film of starlight energy shimmered around Gu Qing.

That film acted like an air cushion, instantly neutralizing the immense force of their descent.

Ultimately, they landed softly in the shadows of the hotel’s back alley, completely unharmed.

****

Back in the banquet hall, Xia Hongde snapped back to reality, his face flushed crimson.

That girl had brazenly abducted his daughter in front of everyone; this was the greatest humiliation Xia Hongde had ever suffered.

He immediately pulled out his phone and dialed the Linhai City Police Director’s number.

“Director Wang, my daughter has been kidnapped! Right here at the Oasis Hotel, and the kidnapper is a golden-haired girl!”

“I don’t care what methods you use, bring them back to me at once!”

****

Gu Qing led Xia Xingyan out of the alley, emerging onto a bustling street teeming with traffic.

Linhai City during rush hour was filled with the anxious blare of car horns.

They stood there for quite a while, yet couldn’t even spot the shadow of an empty taxi.

Just as Gu Qing’s patience began to wane, Xia Xingyan gently tugged at his sleeve.

He turned to find Xia Xingyan pointing at a row of shared bicycles parked by the roadside, her cool, clear eyes alight with anticipation.

“Can we… ride those?” Her voice was barely a whisper. “It’s rush hour anyway, a taxi wouldn’t be much faster.”

Gu Qing paused, taken aback.

He glanced at Xia Xingyan’s white evening gown, ornate and elaborate, and couldn’t help but frown.

“How can you ride a bike dressed like that? Don’t be silly.”

Xia Xingyan, however, shook her head stubbornly.

“Can it be that you don’t know how to ride?”

Her tone carried a hint of probing, and perhaps even… a touch of provocation?

“Hah? Of course I can ride. Don’t try to goad me; it won’t work.”

Yet, as he met the girl’s expectant gaze, his heart inexplicably softened.

“Fine, I’ll do whatever you want today!”

He waved his hand dismissively, then walked over, scanned a code, and unlocked a bicycle.

With a long stride, he straddled the bike, then patted the back seat, lifting his chin towards her.

“Get on.”

A faint curve seemed to grace the corners of Xia Xingyan’s lips, so fleeting it might have been an illusion.

Lifting her skirt, she sat sideways on the bicycle’s rear seat, her hands clutching the corner of Gu Qing’s shirt at his waist.

Gu Qing pedaled, and the shared bicycle merged into the bustling night traffic.

The evening breeze stirred her dark hair, at times intertwining with Gu Qing’s golden locks before being scattered once more by the wind.

Neither of them spoke.

Around them, the cacophony of horns blared, yet a peculiar tranquility settled between them.

Xia Xingyan watched Gu Qing’s slender back, observing him pump the pedals steadily, feeling as if she were in an ethereal dream.

She had never imagined that one day she would be riding on the back of a Tian Lanxing (TL Note: A brand of bicycle) bicycle, traversing Linhai City under the cover of night.

‘This must be a blessing earned through lifetimes of cultivation,’ she mused.

Xia Xingyan suddenly spoke softly.

“Thank you, Captain.”

Gu Qing’s heart stirred faintly, though he wouldn’t admit it aloud.

“Don’t misunderstand, I just don’t want my team member absent on their first day.”

Xia Xingyan’s hand, gripping his sleeve, tightened once more.

She smiled, a beautiful smile, though she herself remained unaware of it.

A piercing wail of police sirens shattered the tranquility between them.

Several police cars roared up from behind, swiftly encircling their shared bicycle.

Police lights flashed, casting alternating red and blue hues upon their faces.

Car doors simultaneously swung open, and a large number of police officers surged out, rapidly forming a cordon around them.

A warning blared from a megaphone.

“Don’t move! Police! Hands on your head, now!”

With a screech of brakes, a black Bentley pulled up to the roadside.

The car door pushed open, revealing Xia Hongde’s furious face, followed by Zhao Lingtian, whose expression was equally ashen.

“Xia Xingyan, you unfilial daughter! Get over here this instant!”

Xia Hongde’s roar nearly drowned out the incessant blaring of horns on the street.

‘His wife would soon arrive with Zhao Lingtian’s parents; if they witnessed this scene, where would he put his face? This rebellious daughter had to be brought back today, to provide an explanation to everyone!’

He turned, issuing an order to the obsequious Police Director beside him.

“Director Wang, she’s the one who kidnapped my daughter! Arrest her at once!”

“Yes, yes, Director Xia, rest assured.”

Director Wang bowed deeply, then his expression shifted abruptly as he barked at his subordinates, “What are you all standing around for? Go! Arrest them!”

Several police officers, handcuffs in hand, started to advance.

Gu Qing remained utterly still, simply shielding Xia Xingyan.

Just then, Director Wang’s phone vibrated in his pocket.

‘Who is it? Damn it, why call now of all times, not earlier or later?’

Director Wang impatiently pulled out his phone, answered it without even looking, and snapped, “Hello! I’m busy right now, so spit it out if you have something to say!”

Only a single sentence came from the other end of the line, and the impatience on Director Wang’s face vanished.

He hastily waved his hand at the subordinates who were about to move forward and make arrests.

The color drained from his face, leaving it deathly pale.

“Di… Director Zhou?”

His voice trembled uncontrollably, and his back hunched forward.

“Yes! Yes! Your… Your instructions, please! Little Wang is listening!”