allonlinenovel Chapter 1155 There's no escaping it now.
Chapter 1155 There's no escaping it now.
As night deepened, most of the streetlights in Tongfuli were dim, casting long shadows under their orange glow, which were quickly broken up by the wind blowing in from the alley entrance.
The alley was quiet, with only the occasional bark of a dog and the occasional sound of voices coming from a window—whispers between couples, the murmurs of children in their sleep—filled with the peaceful atmosphere of everyday life.
But this sense of security seems so fragile in the current situation.
Xu Tian's expression remained calm, and his steps were steady, but his heart was anything but calm; in fact, it was churning like a stormy sea.
He walked slowly along the alley, the bluestone pavement under his feet damp and cool with the night dew, making a slight "rustling" sound as he stepped on it.
He thought of Xiao Qi, the young man whose eyes were full of stubbornness and expectation. In order to get his help, he brazenly attacked a Japanese patrol, just because Xiao Qi asked, "Can you take on ten men?"
He also thought of Tian Dan, that gentle and thoughtful girl who noticed the bloodstains on his sleeve but didn't ask any questions and simply prepared hot porridge for him in silence.
He paused, stood under the streetlight at the alley entrance, and looked up at the deep night sky.
There were no stars in the night sky, only a thick, impenetrable darkness, just like the current situation, which was suffocating.
He thought about it for a long time, from Yingzuo Zhenzhao's obsession and ruthlessness, to Shen Suqiu's simplicity and stubbornness, to Xiaoqi's passion and impulsiveness, and finally to this chaotic world of national ruin and family destruction, as well as the hard-won peace and stability of Tongfuli.
Gradually, his gaze changed from calm to resolute.
There's no escaping it now.
Since Yingzuo Zhenzhao has already set his sights on him, since Shen Suqiu is already in danger, and since this chaotic world cannot tolerate peace, then he will no longer hide.
He originally just wanted to live a peaceful life, buying groceries, cooking, taking care of his mother, and enjoying his simple life.
But reality repeatedly pushed him to the forefront, forcing him to confront all of this.
Yudai Itai knew that he, his cousin, and his mother didn't have much time left, and he needed to think of a solution immediately!
He had made a decision in his heart.
Only by actively stepping into this vortex can he control the situation, protect his mother, protect Shen Suqiu, and protect the hard-won peace and stability of Tongfuli.
He is not a hero, nor does he want to be one; he simply wants to protect the people he wants to protect.
But tonight, things must change! Change yourself!
. . . . . . . . . . .
Meanwhile, on a street corner not far from Tongfuli, a black vintage car sat quietly in the shadows, blending into the night.
The driver sat in the driver's seat with his hands on the steering wheel, barely daring to breathe, his eyes warily fixed on the entrance of Tongfuli alley.
Yudai Itai leaned back in the back seat, his eyes closed, his brows furrowed, still feeling agitated by what had just happened.
"Section Chief, shall we move in? Our men are in position." The driver spoke cautiously, his voice extremely low, breaking the deathly silence in the carriage.
His gaze swept across the rearview mirror, where he could see a dozen or so military police intelligence officers dressed in black quietly lying in wait in the shadows at the entrance of Tongfuli Alley, like a pack of wild beasts waiting for their prey, ready to rush in at the command of their section chief.
Yudai Itai opened his eyes, his gaze filled with exhaustion and a hint of barely perceptible inner conflict.
He knew very well that Xu Tian was an extremely intelligent person with a meticulous mind and keen observation skills. Shen Suqiu's thoughts could not be hidden from him at all.
Xu Tian now most likely knows his identity, which is a huge hidden danger.
Kill Xu Tian? This thought had been swirling in his mind ever since he sent Xu Tian and Shen Suqiu back to Tongfu Lane.
Should we deal with Shen Suqiu as well?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when he forcefully suppressed it.
A pale face involuntarily surfaced in his mind—not Shen Suqiu's, but Ye Runqing's.
It was in the devastated ruins of Nankai University that Ye Runqing lay in his arms, her breath weak, blood on her forehead mixed with dust, making her face look like snow.
Her eyes were fixed on him, without resentment, only a bottomless helplessness and an almost blind trust.
He couldn't avoid that look in his eyes on many nights afterward.
Now, however, she was wondering whether or not to kill her classmate... They must have had a very, very good relationship; otherwise, why would Ye Runqing have told Shen Suqiu the secret of her identity?
"I must have disappointed her a lot back then," Yudai Itai thought to himself.
He promised to protect the school and students, but he broke his promise in the end.
He recalled the look in Shen Suqiu's eyes every time she looked at him; besides fear, there was also respect and longing, like a bewildered student looking at a respected teacher.
How could he lay a hand on such an innocent girl?
The night outside the window was as dark as ink, and in the silence, I could only hear my own heavy heartbeat.
Time ticked by, each second a torment to his conscience. Finally, exhausted, Yudai Itai closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were filled with a dry, resolute emptiness.
"Wait a little longer." Yudai Itai's voice was hoarse, like rough sandpaper scraping against wood, each word imbued with an unresolved struggle: "Wait until they're all fast asleep... then we'll take action."
He paused for a moment before adding, to his men waiting in the darkness, a command that sounded more like a self-comforting reassurance:
"Pass the word down... Be clean and gentle, and try... Don't cause them too much pain."
"Hi!" The driver didn't dare to ask any more questions, and respectfully replied before turning his gaze back to the entrance of Tongfuli alley.
The carriage fell silent again, with only the heavy breathing of Yudai Itai.
Just then, the driver suddenly whispered, "Section Chief, look, it's that guy named Xu Tian."
Following the driver's finger, Yudai Itai saw Xu Tian emerge from the alley in Tongfuli and slowly walk forward along the street.
At this moment, Xu Tian's expression remained calm, but his steps were slightly heavier than before, unlike his usual light steps.
His figure appeared somewhat lonely under the dim streetlights, yet it carried an unyielding determination.
Yudai Itai's eyes narrowed, and he gestured to the driver: "Drive, follow him."
The car started slowly, following Xu Tian at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
The black car body moved silently through the night like a shadow.
Xu Tian had already noticed the car behind him.
From the moment he stepped out of Tongfuli Alley, he sensed a series of auras, carrying the chilling presence of soldiers and the sinister intent of intelligence agents.
He didn't quicken his pace at all, maintaining a steady speed as he walked along the street, seemingly unaware that he was being followed.
He knew that this was Yuta Itai's man, monitoring him.
He was not surprised by this.
A person like Yudai Itai would never easily trust anyone, especially someone like him who knows too many secrets.
He could even guess what Yudai Itai was thinking at that moment; he was most likely struggling with whether or not to kill him.
But he didn't know that sitting in the back seat of the car at that moment was not just Yuta Itai's men, but Yuta Itai himself.
The fate of his family, and his and Shen Suqiu's future, all rested on the decision of Ban Jingxiong.