A Desperate Escape!

The message hit Zi Yan like a thunderclap. She felt her heart skip a beat, and for a moment, everything around her seemed to blur. The Guo family had found them. The room felt smaller, colder, as if the walls themselves were closing in.

"Lu Yichen!" she gasped, her breath coming in short bursts. "They've found us!"

Lu Yichen immediately sprang into action. He was calm, but his eyes were sharp with urgency. "We don't have much time. We need to leave, now."

Before Zi Yan could respond, he was already moving toward the door, checking through the small window by the side. The streets outside were dark, and the area around the house seemed eerily still. But he knew better than to trust appearances. The Guo family would not hesitate to act quickly, and any moment of delay could be disastrous.

Zi Yan's mind raced. What were they supposed to do now? She felt cornered, and every instinct told her to run, to hide, but she had no idea where they could go. She didn't have the luxury of time to think things through. Her father's enemies were after her, and now they had her cornered.

"Do you have a plan?" she asked, her voice tight.

Lu Yichen turned back to her, his face set in a determined expression. "Yes, but we have to move fast. The Guo family has eyes everywhere, and they will know every escape route we take. We have to go underground for a while."

Zi Yan felt a pang of fear. Underground? That didn't sound like the kind of solution she was hoping for. But she trusted Lu Yichen. If he said it was their only option, she would follow.

Without wasting another moment, Lu Yichen grabbed her arm gently, pulling her toward the back door. They moved swiftly, with no time to waste. The night air was chilly, and the streets were dark, but the silence felt like an unspoken warning. Danger was closing in, and they had no idea how long they could outrun it.

As they reached the alley behind the safe house, Lu Yichen glanced around. The street was empty, but he knew that wasn't a good sign. The Guo family's men were probably already staking out the area, waiting for them to make a move.

"We need to get to the underground tunnels," Lu Yichen muttered, more to himself than to Zi Yan. He led her through the maze of alleys, always staying on guard. "Stay close to me. Don't let anyone see us."

Zi Yan nodded, her pulse quickening with each step. The tension in the air was thick, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Every footstep, every sound, seemed to echo too loudly in the night.

Finally, they arrived at a hidden door, tucked away behind a rusted metal gate. Lu Yichen moved quickly, unlocking it with a small key that he pulled from his pocket. He motioned for Zi Yan to follow him.

"This way," he said, his voice low but urgent.

They stepped into a narrow stairwell that led downward. The air was damp and cold, and the smell of earth filled her nostrils. It was a stark contrast to the polished world she was used to. But in that moment, it was a welcome change. They were hidden. Safe—for now.

They descended into the dark depths of the tunnels. It was a network of old, forgotten passageways beneath the city, long since abandoned. Most people didn't even know they existed anymore. It was the perfect place to lay low.

Lu Yichen led the way, his eyes scanning the darkness. The tunnels were quiet, save for the sound of their footsteps echoing off the walls. But even in the silence, Zi Yan couldn't help but feel the weight of everything pressing down on her. The Guo family was after her. Her life was at risk. Her past was catching up to her.

"Do you think we'll be safe here?" she asked, her voice soft but filled with worry.

Lu Yichen didn't look back as he walked, but his voice was reassuring. "For now. But we need to keep moving. The longer we stay in one place, the more likely it is that they'll find us."

Zi Yan followed him closely, her mind racing. What would they do if the Guo family found the tunnels? They couldn't keep running forever. They had to do something. They had to fight back.

"Lu Yichen," she said, her voice filled with determination. "We can't keep hiding. We have to go after them. We have to take control of this."

Lu Yichen stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. His eyes searched her face, gauging her resolve. After a moment, he nodded slowly.

"You're right. Hiding isn't the answer. But we need to be smart about this. If we go after them now, we risk everything. We can't let them know we're coming for them. Not yet."

Zi Yan felt a rush of frustration. She wanted to strike back now. She wanted to make them pay for everything they had done. But she understood Lu Yichen's caution. If they were too reckless, it could all be over before they even had a chance to fight.

They continued through the tunnels, moving quickly but quietly. Every now and then, they would stop to listen for any sounds of pursuit, but all was quiet. The further they went, the deeper they entered the old underground network. It felt like a different world down here, far from the chaos and danger that awaited them above ground.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they reached a small, abandoned hideout in the depths of the tunnels. It was a narrow room with only the barest of furnishings—a table, a few chairs, and a cot pushed against the far wall. It wasn't much, but it was safe, for now.

Lu Yichen locked the door behind them and turned to Zi Yan. "We'll rest here for a few hours. We need to regroup and figure out our next move. But we can't stay here long."

Zi Yan sank down onto one of the chairs, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle in. She had been running on adrenaline for so long that she hadn't realized how tired she truly was. But as she sat there, her mind kept racing. She couldn't rest. Not yet.

"Do you have any idea where we can go next?" she asked, her voice filled with urgency.

Lu Yichen sat down across from her, his expression serious. "I have some contacts who can help us. But we need to make sure we're not being followed. We'll need to keep moving, stay one step ahead of them."

Zi Yan nodded, trying to calm the whirlwind of thoughts in her mind. She knew Lu Yichen was right. They couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Every move they made had to be calculated, precise.

The room fell silent, and for the first time in hours, Zi Yan allowed herself to close her eyes and breathe. But even as she rested, she couldn't shake the feeling that the worst was yet to come. The Guo family would stop at nothing to get what they wanted, and they wouldn't rest until she was in their hands.

She clenched her fists. She couldn't let them win. Not this time.