Scarred Hearts — A Girls' Love Tale - Chapter 68

Yan Shuangfei and Ying Sha were leading the team ahead, chopping away all the branches blocking the path.

Ying Sha yawned and said lazily, “Both these fine swords are being used as firewood now. What a waste.”

“Honestly, these cold weapons aren’t very practical in real combat,” Yan Shuangfei replied. “But they’re great for looking cool.”

“True. No matter how fast you swing a sword, it’ll never beat a bullet,” Ying Sha agreed.

“We’re almost there.” Yan Shuangfei made a hand signal for everyone behind to stop. Once they got closer, they had to be extra careful.

“I’ll go scout ahead first,” Ying Sha said. “Everyone else, rest here and wait for me.”

“Sounds good.”

Yan Shuangfei told everyone to rest and eat a bit before moving on. It was nearly noon, and they needed to recharge to avoid getting weak or dizzy if a fight broke out.

For a while, there was silence. No one made noise, and the few whispers were all low, spoken close to each other’s ears. The doctor kept a calm face but his eyes betrayed his worry. The heat made everyone restless, and few could just sit still waiting. Most soon stood up and paced back and forth, the rustling of clothes brushing against branches adding to the irritation.

It wasn’t until noon that Ying Sha came back. The doctor let out a small sigh of relief when he saw her. Ying Sha’s clothes were specially made to be dry, breathable, and sweat-absorbent, but after going back and forth so much, she was drenched in sweat. Thankfully, she carried a military water cup in her bag that was specially designed not to make noise, even if not full.

Ying Sha wiped the sweat off her face, looking a bit messy, her hair tied up and pinned at the back. She gulped down all the water in her cup before sitting down to quietly discuss what she had seen with Yan Shuangfei. The doctor smiled helplessly and took a clean towel from his bag, wetting it and wiping Ying Sha’s face.

They finalized their plan and decided to rest one more hour before setting off again. Early afternoon—between 1 and 2 pm—was when people felt most sleepy, especially in this scorching heat.

When the time was up, the group set out again, following Ying Sha’s directions. Strangely, they didn’t encounter anyone along the way. Ying Sha frowned and stopped the team, tilting her head nervously and biting her lip.

Yan Shuangfei didn’t dare take it lightly and quickly stopped, whispering, “What’s wrong?”

Ying Sha felt uneasy but couldn’t explain it. Years of professional experience had sharpened her instincts, and she knew to trust them. This path should have brought them into contact with others, but Ying Sha was confident she could handle any encounter quietly and lead Yan Shuangfei safely through. Now, the path was strangely clear.

What was wrong?

Ying Sha thought hard but couldn’t figure it out. Yan Shuangfei saw her worried face and didn’t dare rush forward. She watched her silently. After a while, Ying Sha still found no clues, so Yan Shuangfei ordered the team to retreat. With Luo Qinghan beside her, she couldn’t risk anything. She trusted Ying Sha’s skills, but that meant being extra cautious.

The team turned around and carefully backed up. Yan Shuangfei ordered her men to stay alert. Ying Sha didn’t object, knowing that rushing into unknown danger wasn’t smart.

“Captain!” someone called out. Yan Shuangfei hurried over. She was originally at the front, but after retreating, she was now at the back. Something had happened up ahead. If it was something small, no one would have called her.

“What’s this…” Yan Shuangfei squinted and crouched down to examine it. Instantly, her face tensed. It was a makeshift bomb. Of course, she could disarm it herself, but this trap hadn’t been there when they passed earlier. Someone had clearly seen them coming and set it up to catch them.

A cold sweat ran down her spine.

Yan Shuangfei’s heart raced, but Ying Sha had already realized what was going on. Gritting her teeth, she said through clenched teeth, “The Artist. Long time no see.”

The Artist was dressed as flashy as ever, and the Judge stood silently by her side. The Artist greeted Ying Sha with a playful wave, then turned to the doctor and said, “Yi Cheng, long time no see.”

“Thanks to you, I’m doing fine,” the doctor said coldly. “I didn’t expect you to be working with the Han family.”

“Han Yu?” The Artist looked at her long black-painted nails. “That kid’s clever. He wanted me to fight Yan Shuangfei so he could profit from the mess. You know I hate being used as a pawn. I took him out first, then rushed here to deal with you. Almost didn’t make it in time.”

By now, everyone understood: Han Yu having a lot of enriched uranium was probably just a cover. The Artist’s real target was never Yan Shuangfei, but Ying Sha, who was close to Yan Shuangfei. It was easier to find Yan Shuangfei than Ying Sha, since Yan Shuangfei was the head of the family and had to appear publicly from time to time. Ying Sha was different—she was free and unbound. The Shadow Territory organization was just an alliance of independent members who only united against big threats. Ying Sha’s movements were unpredictable. The last time the Artist captured Yan Shuangfei, it was just to use her to find Ying Sha. That plan failed, but at least now they knew Ying Sha was in the Yan family.

Ying Sha slapped her forehead in frustration. How could she forget? She had enriched uranium too but destroyed it secretly to avoid trouble. By then, she and the doctor were already at odds, so she didn’t suspect the doctor. But the doctor knew about her stockpile and told the Artist. Now the two of them had teamed up against Ying Sha.

So in the end, Ying Sha had dragged Yan Shuangfei into this mess. Otherwise, Yan Shuangfei handling the Han or Chang family would be easy.

“This time, I’m the one who dragged you into this,” Ying Sha said with a bitter smile.

“No worries. We were going to clash sooner or later. Might as well settle it now,” Yan Shuangfei said. She wasn’t calm inside, but at this point, fighting the enemy together was the only choice.

Such a mistake—to move when everyone was drowsy in the early afternoon—now they were all at risk.

Yan Shuangfei cursed silently.