Dangerous Liaisons - Chapter 20

She was still in his arms, yet he had already said such things. Chu Yu looked at Lu Zimo. This man had never given her any promises. The ambiguous feelings between them were all her own speculations, constant and endless speculations. Sometimes Chu Yu wondered if she was just being presumptuous. But if he hadn’t given her such signals, how could she have developed such thoughts?!

Lu Zimo released Chu Yu, but unexpectedly, she suddenly grabbed his arm and threw herself into his embrace. For a moment, Lu Zimo was stunned. The woman in his arms boldly straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Chu Yu’s face flushed red as she tried to control her trembling. His firm, powerful abdomen rubbed against the tender skin of her inner thighs, exposed by her wild posture. Lu Zimo reached out and grasped Chu Yu’s legs, “Chu Yu…”

Chu Yu leaned down and, before her courage faded, kissed him. Feeling Lu Zimo stiffen beneath her lips, something that had been suppressed suddenly erupted. He tightened his arms around her and kissed her back fiercely. Chu Yu felt as if she was suffocating. She wanted to ask him, but he gave her no chance. His lips and tongue entangled with hers, leaving her breathless.

His hands wandered to the soft curve of her lower back, supporting her body as he pressed her tightly against him. The heat of their intimate contact ignited a fire within Chu Yu. She forgot her initial intention of wanting to know how this man truly felt about her. All she could do was follow his lead, descending into madness with him.

The lines of their bodies, the warmth of their breaths, the touch of their skin, the allure in their eyes—they were deeply drawn to each other. Chu Yu could barely withstand the heat of his palms as they caressed her body. That burning sensation seemed to seep into her bloodstream, gathering with each heartbeat until it drove her heart into a frenzy.

“Chu Yu…”

His voice was hoarse, a low murmur by her ear. His breath felt like a spell, disrupting her nerves. Lu Zimo’s hands slid up her legs, which were tightly wrapped around his waist. The smooth, delicate texture of her skin made him lose all control, “Chu Yu…”

Her long skirt was pushed up, revealing the purple bruises on her tender legs. The darkness in his eyes deepened as he guided her to sit on the dashboard. Under her panicked gaze, he leaned down toward her.

Chu Yu’s body stiffened as if struck by lightning. His hands and lips caressed the bruises on her body, gradually moving toward her most intimate place. Chu Yu, embarrassed, tried to shield herself, but he gently pushed her hands away. She didn’t realize how her expression only fueled his madness.

“Why are you tempting me, huh?”

Lu Zimo lost his composure. From the beginning until now, he had always teased her, yet retreated at the last moment. But now, his eyes burned with dangerous flames, and that fire spread from him to her, threatening to consume them both.

Chu Yu wanted to escape his touch, but her body felt weak, completely at his mercy. Lu Zimo’s expression was dangerous, filled with conquest and destruction. She had awakened the beast within him, and now she would have to bear the consequences.

“You…” Chu Yu gasped. Her words vanished before they could leave her lips. He pulled her down, pressing her tightly against his body. His large hands gripped her hips, making her hidden curves press firmly against his arousal. He moved her body suggestively, and Chu Yu grabbed his shoulders tightly, her unspoken words swallowed by his kiss.

The sound of the wind howling above the canyon and the roaring river below filled Chu Yu’s ears, like the sound of her boiling blood. Lu Zimo’s kisses trailed down to her chest, but he suddenly paused, alert. He lifted his head, listening intently, his brows furrowing. The chaos in his dark eyes gradually cleared, and his body cooled down.

Lu Zimo lifted her and set her aside, ruffling her hair, “Sit tight.”

He started the jeep, and as his senses returned, Chu Yu also noticed something was wrong. She turned around and saw several clouds of dust rising in the distance, rapidly approaching from the direction they had come. Lu Zimo pulled out his phone and dialed, “Bayu, meet me ahead. I’m handing Chu Yu over to you.”

Lu Zimo hung up and glanced at Chu Yu before slamming on the gas. The jeep roared forward at full speed. The rough terrain made the ride extremely bumpy, and Chu Yu clung to the door to keep from being thrown out. They soon reached the mouth of the canyon. Bayu was already waiting under a large tree. Lu Zimo pulled Chu Yu out of the jeep and led her to Bayu. Without a word, Bayu said, “Forgive me,” and hoisted Chu Yu over his shoulder. In a few quick strides, he disappeared into the dense foliage at the edge of the canyon.

Chu Yu thought Bayu would take her away, but he didn’t. Instead, he carried her effortlessly up a large tree in the nearby forest, setting her on a thick branch and signaling for her to stay quiet. He then retrieved a large black bag from the upper branches, opened it in front of her, and quickly assembled a sniper rifle. In mere seconds, he had the rifle ready, steadying it as he aimed toward Lu Zimo’s direction.

Lu Zimo watched the two leave for a moment before slowly walking back to the jeep. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a few deep puffs. By the time the pursuers arrived, he was calmly smoking. A group of jeeps surrounded him in a semicircle, and a man stepped out of the lead vehicle. He glanced at Lu Zimo and then at the empty jeep, “Mr. Lu, Miss Sophie sent us to escort Miss Deng back to the country.”

Lu Zimo didn’t respond immediately. He exhaled a cloud of smoke and looked at the man with an expressionless face, sneering, “Thank Sophie for her concern. My people have already taken Miss Deng away. No need for her to trouble herself.”

The men exchanged glances. The one who had spoken earlier forced a smile, “Mr. Lu, you know Miss Sophie’s temper. If we fail this mission, who knows what will happen to us when we return…”

“What happens to you is none of my concern.”

Lu Zimo stood up, crushing the cigarette under his foot, “You useless trash. You can’t even handle your own mess, and now you expect me to clean up after you?”

The men’s faces darkened, and some reached for their weapons. The leader quickly grabbed his companion’s arm, still smiling at Lu Zimo but speaking to his men, “Mr. Lu is joking. We would never dare to offend him. Otherwise, Miss Sophie would be furious. After all, Mr. Lu and Miss Sophie will soon be married, and we’ll still need to rely on Mr. Lu in the future.”

Chu Yu watched silently from above. Lu Zimo listened to the man’s words and smiled faintly, saying nothing. He narrowed his eyes slightly, scanning the men whose hands were still clearly resting on their weapons. Bayu held the rifle steadily, as still as a stone. If anyone made a move against Lu Zimo, he would strike first.

Wasn’t he supposed to be Sophie’s fiancé? Why did it seem like things weren’t as simple as they appeared? Sophie’s men clearly harbored hostility toward him, and Lu Zimo’s attitude showed no intention of winning them over.

Lu Zimo finally got back into the jeep. He glanced at the men around him, smirked dismissively, and drove off in a cloud of dust. The pursuers exchanged looks, then spoke in Burmese. Chu Yu couldn’t understand what they were saying, but their expressions made it clear they were up to no good. The group split into two teams, one heading out of the canyon and the other following Lu Zimo back to the stronghold.

Once the men below had disappeared, Bayu put away the rifle and turned to Chu Yu. He didn’t seem surprised to reunite with her under such circumstances. He disassembled the rifle and packed it back into the black bag, then glanced at the sky, “We’ll take the mountain path back to the stronghold. We should reach the vicinity by noon.”

Chu Yu looked at Bayu in confusion. After speaking, the man effortlessly slung the heavy bag onto his back and slid down the tree, then helped Chu Yu down. He glanced at her expression and smiled faintly, “This entire area is under Viper’s control. With my abilities alone, there’s no way I can get you out safely. All I can do is keep you safe for now. When the time is right, Lu will take you away.”

It was already early morning, and a faint blue hue began to appear on the horizon. The forest was still dark, almost like night. Chu Yu followed Bayu, stumbling through the difficult terrain. The path was treacherous, but they had to keep moving. Occasionally, they would hear the roar of planes overhead. Each time, they would freeze like frightened birds, hiding in the forest until the sound passed. The stronghold didn’t have advanced aircraft. The planes patrolling above the canyon were outdated models from World War II, also used for spraying pesticides.

Throughout the night, the sounds of planes, jeeps, and men shouting seemed always close by. One misstep, and they would be discovered. After a night of intense tension, dawn finally broke.

By now, Chu Yu and Bayu had reached the edge of the forest, at the mouth of the canyon where a massive waterfall cascaded down. The sound of the water was deafening, and the white spray sparkled like diamonds in the morning sun. From their high vantage point, the scene was awe-inspiring. Bayu shouted something to Chu Yu, but his voice was drowned out by the noise. He pointed downward, signaling for her to follow him down the mountain.

Mong Kawng was known as a paradise for wild plants and animals. As the sun rose, the forest came alive with the sounds of creatures. Occasionally, something would flutter past overhead, disappearing before Chu Yu could get a good look.

Chu Yu felt utterly exhausted. The terrifying experiences of the previous night—Lu Zimo taking her from the stronghold, fleeing with Bayu through the night—had left her no time to rest. But Chu Yu welcomed the exhaustion. Only by pushing herself to the limit could she stop herself from thinking about Lu Zimo.

Yet the scene at the canyon mouth lingered in her mind. Even though so much time had passed, even though her body was drained, the memory of Lu Zimo’s touch still lingered on her skin. She couldn’t understand his intentions. His words and actions always left her confused.

She was so tired. Her mind, too, was weary, unwilling to dwell on these thoughts. The questions she had wanted to ask earlier remained unspoken. But even if she had asked, what difference would his answers make?

Chu Yu didn’t know.

As they descended the mountain, the sound of the waterfall grew quieter, perhaps because the canyon acted like a megaphone, amplifying the roar. Chu Yu felt as if her legs would give out with each step, but she gritted her teeth and followed Bayu without complaint.

Finally, Bayu seemed to remember that he was leading a woman and suggested they rest. Chu Yu didn’t argue, sitting down against a tree to catch her breath. Bayu set down the bag and pulled out some food and water, handing them to her, “Eat. You need to replenish your energy.”

Chu Yu thanked him and took the provisions. Bayu sat nearby, watching her for a while before speaking, “Dr. Deng, you’re different from the women I’ve met before.”

“Has Lu Zimo asked you to protect many women before?”

Chu Yu raised an eyebrow. The big man surprised her by smiling, “No, he usually has me kill people. You’re strong.”

Chu Yu silently accepted Bayu’s compliment, taking a bite of the bread. What else could she do but be strong? In the end, the only person she could truly rely on was herself, not anyone else.

“Where are we going?”

Chu Yu changed the subject. Bayu drank most of the water in one go, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, “To the gold mining site.”

Bayu looked at Chu Yu, “Mr. Lu has a secret gold mining operation here. Viper might know about it, but as a gesture of goodwill, he won’t touch it. For now, it might be the safest place to hide. But Dr. Deng, you need to understand that as long as we’re in Myanmar, nowhere is completely safe.”

Chu Yu remained silent. After everything she’d been through, she was far from weak. Her resolve had only grown stronger. Perhaps Bayu’s words needed to be revised: as long as she was connected to Lu Zimo, there would never be a truly safe place for her in this world.

Since that was the case, and Lu Zimo had dragged her into this mess, she at least deserved to know what he was thinking. That way, even if she died because of him one day, she wouldn’t die in ignorance, right?!

After eating and resting briefly, they set off again. The brief respite made the physical strain even more apparent. Chu Yu gritted her teeth, silently battling her body’s exhaustion. They hadn’t gone far when Bayu suddenly stopped her. Chu Yu looked up in confusion, and he pulled her down, crouching low as they approached the edge of the cliff.

From their vantage point, they could see a winding mountain path following the course of the Mong Kawng River. At the end of the path was a gate leading into a stronghold, with simple structures scattered along the riverbank. A group of jeeps was gathered at the gate, and at the front was Sophie, seemingly in the middle of a heated discussion.

“That woman moves fast.”

Bayu chuckled, pulling out a pair of binoculars and handing one to Chu Yu. The distant scene suddenly came into focus. Bayu’s voice sounded beside her, “…they’ve already searched. She’s not here.”

Chu Yu turned to Bayu in surprise. He seemed to sense her gaze and continued to watch the scene below as he calmly explained, “I can read lips. So can Mr. Lu.”

Below, Sophie angrily got into her jeep, and the convoy sped away. Bayu put away the binoculars and handed Chu Yu another bottle of water, “Let’s rest here until nightfall before heading down. Sophie is cunning. We need to make sure she doesn’t double back.”

True to Bayu’s prediction, it wasn’t long before two more jeeps returned, making up some excuse to search the area again. Only then did they finally leave. Bayu pulled out a cigarette but didn’t light it, simply smelling it. Chu Yu watched the departing jeeps and softly asked, “Does Sophie really want me dead?”

“Dr. Deng, you’re mistaken,” Bayu glanced at her and spoke slowly, “Sophie’s target isn’t you. It’s Lu.”