Night Wanderer

Chapter 48 "It's nothing more than taking out a bullet!"

Zong Ying had just ridden in this car a few days ago.

On the night of September 15th, during a heavy downpour, she had left the villa at the foot of Sheshan in this car. The driver was—Secretary Shen.

In the instant she became distracted, there was a sudden drop, and everything changed completely.

At first, she felt the support of a wooden plank beneath her feet, but before she could stabilize herself, it collapsed. In that moment of falling, someone suddenly pulled her into an embrace, and the two of them landed together in a pile of damp straw.

Zong Ying opened her eyes in pain, only to realize she was clutching Sheng Qingrang's shirt, not straw.

He had clearly fallen hard as well. His face was tight with pain, but his first reaction upon opening his eyes was to ask her, "Does it hurt? Are you okay?"

Zong Ying abruptly let go, sat up, rubbed her shoulder, smoothed her hair, and gave a brief "I'm fine" before looking up.

It was a typical rural farmhouse from the last century—perhaps one of the more well-kept ones.

But the roof had long since been blown off. The plank meant to serve as a loft had collapsed—they had landed right on that unstable board and then fallen from the second floor. Luckily, a pile of straw stored by the stove had cushioned their fall.

The house was a mess, and the floor was muddy—it had rained.

Dawn had yet to fully break. In the rain-washed outskirts of Shanghai, the air was unbearably humid. While Zong Ying was still dazed, Sheng Qingrang stood up and pulled her to her feet, wincing in pain as he said, "If the map is right, the division headquarters camp should be nearby."

Zong Ying shook off her daze and took a deep breath. "We're going now?"

Sheng Qingrang planned to go out to check the situation. Before he stepped out of the door, gunshots rang out –

A torrent of gunshots like a sudden rainstorm tore through the dark blue sky. The sun was rising in the east.

Sheng Qingrang paused, turned back, and told her, "Don't come out," before heading out.

As the gunfire intensified, he returned.

Zong Ying held her breath and asked, "Are we in enemy-occupied territory?"

"No." Sheng Qingrang suddenly spread out her hand, drew a vertical line on her palm, and quickly explained, "The villages west of this river are occupied by the Japanese. East of it is where the Nationalist Army is stationed. We're here—" his fingertip pointed to the edge of the combat line, on the eastern side.

"In the war zone?"

"Yes." He still had his head down as he continued, "The Nationalists need to cross the river to counterattack. The Japanese have set up machine guns on the opposite bank. The gunfire must be from there."

"Where are we going?"

He drew a line with his finger and said firmly, "East—to the frontline command post. It's not far."

With the battle just beginning at dawn and the outcome uncertain, the wisest choice was likely to move before enemy airstrikes began.

As he spoke, Sheng Qingrang suddenly shoved a shiny pistol into her hands. "Just in case."

The cold, heavy metal pressed against her palm. Zong Ying glanced down and instantly recognized it—Browning M1911.

The sun hadn't yet dried the puddles. The roads were a muddy mess. In their haste, Zong Ying had to yank her feet out of the muck several times. If she hadn't had someone beside her to support her, she might have fallen countless times.