The Insomniac Best Actor (19)

They had barely taken a few steps when a scream of agony echoed from behind them. Si Jiu immediately recognized the voice.

“It’s one of the crew members,” she said. “You stay with the bodyguards—”

Qi Yan interrupted her, “No, you go ahead. I’ll check it out.”

“No way.” Si Jiu shoved Qi Yan forcefully and called out to the bodyguards ahead, “Get your sponsor out of here.”

“Xie Huan!”

Si Jiu used all her strength. Qi Yan was no match for her; he was instantly pushed three meters away. Yet she did it so skillfully that he stumbled only briefly before steadying himself.

The bodyguards turned back, but Qi Yan barked, “Stop right there.”

They exchanged uncertain glances, clearly unwilling to use force on their employer.

“If you’re going, I’m going with you,” Si Jiu said, helpless.

Fortunately, their standoff was interrupted when the injured man hobbled over on his own.

“Miss Xie, I was worried about you, so I followed… cough…” He caught Si Jiu’s gaze lingering on his injured leg and explained, “Got hit just now.”

“Mr. Qi, Miss Xie, hurry, the doorway is about to collapse,” Cheng Zi urged.

Yet the injured man continued to limp along.

“You two go ahead,” Qi Yan said to the bodyguards, covering his mouth and nose as he moved toward the man, clearly intending to carry or support him out.

Si Jiu blocked him again, “Is that really necessary?”

Qi Yan nearly had a heart attack.

Honestly, in front of Si Jiu, he never felt the slightest advantage of being a man. He had to admit, he was impressed.

“Men and women shouldn’t touch, you’re not allowed to carry him,” Qi Yan muttered.

Si Jiu shot him a puzzled look, ignored his words, and went over to help the injured man by his arm.

The man felt her strength and remembered seeing her kick open a locked iron door earlier; his eyes flickered with apprehension.

“Hurry up.”

Qi Yan finally stopped fussing, but stayed protectively by Si Jiu’s other side. The three hurried toward the exit.

“We made it out, we made it out…”

“Is the ambulance here yet? Where’s the fire truck? Quick, where’s the crew doctor?”

Stepping outside the warehouse felt like a rebirth. The heat and burning pain in their throats lingered, even a dizzying nausea, but breathing air not thick with smoke brought a sense of survival at last.

Led by the director, a crowd surged forward.

“Qi Yan, are you alright?” The director was nearly in tears. “As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.”

The sirens of ambulances and fire trucks grew louder in the distance, bringing relief and smiles to everyone’s faces.

After being checked for injuries by the director and others, Qi Yan and Si Jiu were pushed aside.

At this point, Qi Yan looked around for the short-statured girl.

That was the trouble with her—so easy to lose in a crowd.

Ah… there she was.

Qi Yan smiled and nudged aside the person blocking him, about to go over, but he caught a strange expression on Si Jiu’s face. She stared at him for a moment, her gaze unwavering.

“Huan…” That look rendered Qi Yan speechless.

With a muffled thud, in front of everyone, Si Jiu suddenly released her hold on the crew member, stepped back, clutching her neck. Then, abruptly, she raised her foot and kicked him hard in the chest.

The man, considerably taller than “Xie Huan,” shot through the air like a severed kite, landing heavily, his body convulsing as blood frothed from his mouth.

Everyone was stunned by the brutality of the scene.

The place fell utterly silent.

Thump-thump-thump… thump-thump-thump… Qi Yan could only hear his own heartbeat, urgent and heavy.

Si Jiu turned to look at Qi Yan again. Across more than ten meters, her eyes were filled with emotions so intense and complex they seemed to burn.

She moved her lips, forming two silent words, then, slowly, ever so slowly, collapsed.

She had said: “I’m sorry.”