Chapter 897 — The Arduous Journey

"Oh..." Shen Yushu nodded. She knew Sister Yaoyao must be in terrible pain, must be griting her teeth and bearing it, yet at a moment like this she could think of nothing to say. Surely she could not ask Sister Yaoyao to set Wei down and rest a while — that was absolutely out of the question!

The two of them stumbled down the mountain. Gu Mengyao had no idea how many times she had gone down on her knees; Shen Yushu had lost count of how many times she had landed flat on her backside — at this rate it felt as though her bottom would be split clean into four pieces... Both their arms were scored open by branches and rocks, yet they felt nothing at all. At last they reached the foot of the mountain, and only then did they let out a breath, as though they had completed some enormous mission, and exchanged a weary smile.

They were both fretting over the same man, and yet there was no jealousy or rivalry between them; it was as though their hearts had somehow drawn closer than ever before.

Fortunately, before Wei Zhao climbed the mountain, he had not pulled the car key from the ignition — he had kept something in reserve all along, so that he could make a quick escape when the time came. And at the foot of this mountain, no one would come along to steal the car.

Now that foresight served Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu well; otherwise, had the key stayed on Wei Zhao's person, it would very likely have been blown to pieces along with him.

Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu laid Wei Zhao gently onto the back seat of the Beetle, then climbed in and sped off toward home.

They did not go to the hospital but headed straight home instead, for they knew that Wei Zhao never went to a hospital after he was injured — he recovered on his own. And this time, before he lost consciousness, he had not asked them to take him to one.

Gu Pengzhan was pacing back and forth through the villa in an agony of anxiety. He rang Wei Zhao's phone — it was switched off. He rang his daughter and little Shu — switched off as well! And the kidnappers could no longer be reached. He had no idea how Wei Zhao, his daughter, and little Shu were faring!

Had Wei Zhao reached his daughter and little Shu? Had the kidnappers kept their word and let all of them come back together? And why had Wei Zhao's phone been switched off too?

Elder Qing was injured, so Gu Pengzhan did not even have a single person to consult. He could not call the police either; all he could do was wait inside the villa, sick with worry, for Wei Zhao to come back.

"Beep... beep..."

Suddenly the sound of a car reached the villa. Gu Pengzhan started and rushed out in three long strides, only to see Shen Yushu's yellow Beetle pulling back in!

"Xiao Yi!" Gu Pengzhan called out instinctively — but even as the name left his lips he saw that the figure behind the wheel was not Wei Zhao, but his own daughter, Gu Mengyao!

"Daddy..." Gu Mengyao had been clenching her teeth and holding on the entire way; her knees throbbed with pain, and at times she could hardly press the accelerator down. But she kept on. She had to keep on. Wei Zhao had gone down — it was her duty, as the older sister, to carry the weight.

Little Shu, by contrast, was in even worse shape. The place Gu Mengyao had hurt was her knees; the place Shen Yushu had hurt was her backside. She did not even dare to sit properly in her seat — she had lain on her side the whole way, thoroughly miserable.

But now, catching sight of Gu Pengzhan, Gu Mengyao could hold on no longer. The tears burst from her eyes — there was grievance in them, and pain, but mostly fear for Wei Zhao. At least, thank heavens, they had made it home safe, and Wei Zhao was not dead!

Gu Mengyao got out of the car and could barely keep her feet. She did not know how she had held out the whole way without some accident befalling them. She threw herself into Gu Pengzhan's arms. "Daddy, I was so scared..."

"All right, all right — you're home, that's what matters!" Gu Pengzhan was deeply relieved to see his daughter, though he noticed at once that Wei Zhao was nowhere in sight and frowned. "Yaoyao, where's Xiao Yi?"

"In the back of the car. He's hurt — he got hurt saving me and little Shu!" Gu Mengyao wept as she spoke. "Daddy, Wei Zhao nearly died just now. Do you understand? He threw his own life away to save us..."

Gu Pengzhan gave a start. "Then what are you doing coming home? Why haven't you taken him to the hospital?"

"Brother Arrow always convalesces by himself after he's hurt; he told us not to take him to the hospital..." Shen Yushu climbed out of the car with one hand clamped over her backside and explained.

"I see..." Gu Pengzhan thought of how the doctors at the hospital had been just as helpless when Elder Qing was injured. It seemed Wei Zhao had ways of his own. Gu Pengzhan said nothing more; he opened the door, lifted Wei Zhao into his arms himself, and carried him into the villa.

Wei Zhao was laid on the bed in his own room. Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu had already changed into their pajamas and come back down: one girl with a bottom bruised black and blue, the other with knees turned purple — one not daring to stand, the other not daring to sit — yet both of them kept vigil at Wei Zhao's bedside together.

Gu Pengzhan sighed. These two children had never known hardship in all their lives, and here they were — nothing but a little red-flower oil dabbed on their wounds, not a moment's rest taken, gritting their teeth to sit with Wei Zhao!

It filled Gu Pengzhan with quiet pride. They had grown up at last, without anyone quite noticing when it happened. They were no longer carefree little girls.

"Are you sure we really don't need to take Little Yi to the hospital?" Gu Pengzhan asked, still visibly worried, even though Wei Zhao's complexion had clearly improved.

"I don't think so... The hospital probably wouldn't be able to do anything about his injuries anyway..." Gu Mengyao shook her head. She firmly believed that Wei Zhao had his own way of healing himself, even though at that moment he looked as if he had simply fallen asleep.

Gu Pengzhan nodded. "I'll head to the company and the police station first to deal with the fallout. You two stay here at home with Little Yi, and don't go out on any account!"

The villa district had twenty-four-hour surveillance, so the kidnappers could not possibly dare to come charging in openly. Besides, they had no idea how badly Wei Zhao was hurt, and they themselves were hardly in a position to fend for their own safety just now. So there was no real need to worry about Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu's safety.

As for Uncle Qing's injuries, there was nothing to be done but wait for Wei Zhao to wake up and then go save Uncle Qing. Otherwise, there was simply no other way.

After Gu Pengzhan left, Gu Mengyao hesitated for a moment before saying to Shen Yushu, "Little Shu, don't you think we should tell Tang Zhi about Wei Zhao's injuries?"

"Why tell her? So she can come and make a mess of things? If she knew that Arrow-Brand Bro got hurt because of the two of us, she'd absolutely blow her top!" Shen Yushu shook her head as she spoke.

"But isn't it wrong not to tell her? She's Wei Zhao's girlfriend, after all. She has a right to know, doesn't she?" Gu Mengyao was still somewhat hesitant.