016, Escaping the Crisis

Feeling the strength of the grip on his hand and the slight tremor in her body, Wei Xun couldn't help but glance sideways at the woman beside him.

Though surprised by her actions, the sight of smoke already seeping from the entrance to the stairwell ahead made him realize that she hadn’t been exaggerating.

He truly hadn’t expected this woman to force her way through the crowd straight toward him, even risking her own safety to bring him along.

In the moment she rushed over, a faint ripple stirred within him.

As he watched the swelling crowd in the corridor and the thickening smoke, Wei Xun turned his hand to grasp Lin Mi’s in return. He asked no more, but ran with her through the throng toward the stairwell.

“This way!” In the chaos, Wei Xun oriented himself and led her toward a less crowded entrance to the stairs.

His strength surpassed hers; now, he forged a path for her through the crowd, shielding her.

Together, they dashed into the stairwell and began descending.

By now, the stairwell was packed with fleeing people. Cries and screams echoed, panic saturating the air.

The smoke was growing thicker, cloaking the entire stairwell in a choking haze.

Amidst such confusion and danger, their hands remained tightly clasped, as if, in that moment, each was the other's sole support.

Wei Xun felt Lin Mi’s palm, damp from anxiety and exertion, yet her grip was unyielding.

He caught a glimpse of her flushed cheeks from running, and in her eyes—a worry mixed with quiet resolve. An indescribable emotion welled up inside him.

This strange woman: first her inexplicable warning, now this reckless dash to pull him from danger.

Who was she? How did she know all this?

He had countless questions, but as they fled the inferno, none of them seemed to matter.

He simply held her hand tightly, running with her toward the safety of the exit in this moment of life and death.

Their distance closed to nothing, and under the tension of mortal threat, a subtle, unspoken bond began to form.

By the time they reached the second-floor landing, their vision was blurred; the entire stairwell was filled with a harsh, acrid stench.

Lin Mi’s chest tightened. The gas leaking from the kitchen was worsening—if they delayed any longer, an explosion could happen at any moment!

How much longer could they hold out?

She could only hope the fire engines would arrive soon.

“Quick, put this on!”

The stinging smoke was becoming unbearable. Lin Mi suddenly remembered she had two masks in her bag.

She quickly fished them out of her canvas bag and handed one to Wei Xun.

Wei Xun raised an eyebrow—how thoroughly prepared was she?

Not only did she anticipate the danger this afternoon and appear just in time to help evacuate the crowd, but she even had protective masks ready.

If not for her evident sincerity and effort, he might have suspected she was behind this disaster herself.

Otherwise, how could she know so much?

Wei Xun’s curiosity about her only deepened.

But now was no time for questions or suspicions. He hurriedly put on the mask.

“Let’s go!”

Lin Mi donned her mask first, and seeing he was ready too, instinctively reached for his hand again, leading him onward.

Trailing behind, Wei Xun couldn’t help but let a faint smile curve his lips.

Soon, they burst through the emergency exit unharmed.

Thanks to Lin Mi’s timely retreat, their descent from the fourth floor to the exit was mostly unimpeded. Apart from the smoke obscuring their vision, they avoided any crowding or trampling.

Just as they emerged from the hotel’s emergency passage, fire engines and ambulances arrived at the entrance.

For a moment, the shrill sirens pierced the sky, mingling with the crowd’s exclamations and fits of coughing.

A perimeter had already been established at the hotel entrance, where uniformed police officers and firefighters swiftly set to work.

The air was still thick with the acrid smell; smoke billowed from the stairwell windows, and people were pouring out from every emergency exit.

Some were disheveled, their faces etched with fear and exhaustion. Others were supported by paramedics, coughing relentlessly, their faces streaked with soot.

Beside the ambulances, medical staff gave the evacuees quick examinations, handing out oxygen masks or settling them on the ground to rest.

Hotel staff were busy guiding the crowd and soothing the guests.

Once Lin Mi and Wei Xun reached a safe spot, they quickly removed their masks, breathing in the fresh air—they had both been choked by the smoke more than once.

Their chests still felt tight and stifled from running and inhaling the smoke, leaving them to dispel the discomfort with deep, ragged breaths.

Their hands, though, remained clasped as they escaped through the exit; it was only after they’d stopped that they seemed to realize simultaneously and, without awkwardness, let go.

Lin Mi’s fingers were still trembling, her palm damp and warm.

Her gaze swept the scene—fire trucks and ambulances had arrived, and at last, she allowed herself a measure of relief.

But, not knowing the final outcome, she dared not fully relax, silently keeping track of the time.

Wei Xun turned toward Lin Mi, his gaze a mix of post-crisis complexity and gratitude, but mostly filled with probing curiosity about her.

He subconsciously rubbed his right fingertips. Even with their hands now apart, he seemed to still feel her warmth and softness.

Such a delicate hand, yet at the first sign of danger, it had reached for his without hesitation and pulled him from peril.

At that moment, Lin Mi turned to him, concern etched on her face. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. It’s thanks to you.”

Wei Xun shook his head, then asked the question that had been burning in him.

“What exactly happened here? Who are you? How did you know all this?”

Faced with death, he had pushed these questions aside, but now that they were safe, his doubts surged to the surface.

Though grateful for her timely help, he needed to eliminate any possible threat around him.

Who was to say she hadn’t been sent by an adversary to mislead him?

“It’s complicated—hard to explain. Just… call it a hunch.”

Lin Mi exhaled softly, her eyes drifting to the hotel building, where smoke still poured out, though rescuers were now at work.

“A hunch?” Wei Xun couldn’t help but laugh. Did she take him for a child?

Couldn’t she at least offer a more plausible explanation?

Clearly, this answer would not satisfy him.