Chapter 19: Escape
Bai Mu’s hands were always cold, but now a scorching heat radiated from his palm. He looked down at their joined hands; Han Naijin’s fingers were well-defined, firm, and powerful, and the calluses from handling firearms transmitted a grounding sensation to him. Bai Mu’s mind went blank for a moment, and he actually forgot to pull his hand back.
As for the man holding his hand, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. His gaze turned dark and inscrutable, and he showed no intention of letting go.
The air between them became humid and sticky, as ambiguous emotions began to ferment, unraveling like silk from a cocoon.
It wasn’t until a maglev car roared past them that they snapped back to reality. As if burned, they released their hands simultaneously.
The palm that had been covered in warmth was suddenly exposed to the damp, chilly night air. For a fleeting second, Bai Mu actually felt a trace of nostalgia for that temperature.
Bai Mu turned, pulled open the car door, and sat back in the passenger seat. Han Naijin also returned to the vehicle and restarted it. The maglev car emitted a low hum as it moved. Hidden in the dim cabin, Bai Mu let out an imperceptible, long breath, his frantic thoughts finally beginning to settle down.
The Zhang Manor was not far from the Han residence, and they returned quickly. Han Naijin parked the car in front of the side building and turned on the interior light. The dim yellow glow illuminated the car, revealing two people each harboring their own thoughts. Bai Mu’s eyelashes fluttered restlessly, his amber pupils bright and deep like glazed glass beads.
Han Naijin turned his head to look at Bai Mu, a soft light surfacing in his eyes. He said in a low, slow tone, “Go back and get some rest early.”
As he spoke, Han Naijin reached out toward Bai Mu. Just as he was about to touch Bai Mu’s forehead, Bai Mu tilted his head to dodge. He hurriedly muttered, “You too,” before opening the door and stepping out. Within a few strides, he disappeared into the building. Han Naijin’s hand remained suspended awkwardly in mid-air.
Back in his room, Bai Mu’s mind was a mess. He went to take a shower immediately; besides washing off the dirt from the vegetable patch, he wanted to rinse away the emotions that were troubling him.
Bai Mu started the water for the bathtub. While waiting, he walked to the mirror. The reflection showed a man with a cold expression and a furrowed brow. Furthermore, a leaf was clinging to his hair. Only then did Bai Mu realize that Han Naijin’s reaching out earlier had been to pluck that leaf for him—and what had he thought it was?
The only sound in the bathroom was the rushing water, which seemed exceptionally clear in the quiet night. Bai Mu stripped off his clothes and submerged himself entirely in the tub. His breath hitched and his brain felt numb. He tried to force himself to be more clear-headed, but he only became more agitated.
Bai Mu had always been rational; he liked following procedures and acting according to plan. But now, he felt things were slipping out of his control. That spiderweb was wrapping around him tighter and tighter. He only had a final bit of strength left; if he didn’t break free now, he would die of exhaustion and be devoured whole.
Bai Mu slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he had made his decision—
Tonight, he must leave!
After his bath, Bai Mu changed into clean clothes and sat by the bed. Time ticked away, second by second. It was already past midnight, and the world was silent. There was no sound in the building, and the lights in all the rooms were out. Bai Mu quietly opened his door and headed toward the garden.
Although a light mecha couldn’t sustain long-term interstellar travel, the energy in the Little Ladybug was currently enough to carry him to a neighboring planet. Regardless, getting away from here was all that mattered.
The night garden was cool and quiet, accompanied by the occasional scent of earth and grass. Bai Mu instinctively looked up toward the second floor. That room was also pitch black; that man should have fallen asleep long ago.
He was grateful to Han Naijin. If it hadn’t been for Han Naijin’s help that night, he didn’t know how many more hardships and difficulties he would have had to endure. But this was not a place where he should stay. His identity was too sensitive; wherever he was taken in would only attract trouble. Precisely because he was grateful, he couldn’t stay any longer.
Bai Mu let out a melancholy sigh. Steeling his heart, he placed the Little Ladybug on his fingertip. In an instant, the light mecha was equipped. Bai Mu no longer hesitated. A silver phantom, like a shooting star, streaked through the dark night and vanished from the Han Manor.
Bai Mu paused briefly in mid-air to adjust his flight path and coordinates, turning the energy combustion power to the maximum to maintain the mecha’s highest flight speed.
A mechanical voice sounded in his ear:
[Would you like to begin course calibration?]
Bai Mu chose “Yes” without hesitation.
[Would you like to select spatial leap?]
Before Bai Mu could say “Yes,” a sudden change occurred!
A beam of blue-violet light flashed before his eyes. In a lightning-fast moment, Bai Mu recognized it as the glow of a beam saber. The beam blade cleaved straight toward him. Bai Mu immediately used the protective shield on his left arm to block. The blade struck the shield, exploding into countless light particles that illuminated the entire night sky.
Only then did Bai Mu realize that, at some point, a figure in a black mecha had appeared opposite him. Perhaps the mecha’s color had blended into the night sky, or perhaps he had been too focused on setting his course, but he hadn’t detected the person’s presence.
The person gave him no chance to react. Having missed the first strike, another slash followed. Bai Mu had just used his shield to resist, but the opponent’s strength was too great; his arm felt numb from the vibration. If he used his left arm to block again, he feared the limb would be ruined. Thus, he also drew his weapon, using a heavy sword to meet the beam saber. When the blade and sword collided, Bai Mu was sent flying back.
The opponent was superior to him in both mecha performance and personal strength. The Little Ladybug was, after all, a mecha from several years ago that hadn’t undergone upgrades or modifications, while the opponent’s light mecha possessed elite combat power.
Who was this? Could it be Han Naijin?
Regardless of who it was, since it had come to this, he could only give his all to escape.
At this moment, the person in the black mecha was like a wolf hidden in the jungle, eyes glowing with a ghostly blue light, aiming at him as prey, ready to strike.
In the blink of an eye, the person lunged again!
The two of them traversed the night sky, trading blows back and forth. The opponent showed no mercy and pressed closer with every step. Bai Mu was at a disadvantage; he didn’t want to engage in a prolonged battle with this mysterious person who had disrupted his plans, but the other party wouldn’t let him go. The man used only his beam saber to keep Bai Mu completely pinned down. After several rounds, Bai Mu had exhausted every weapon on his light mecha, yet he still couldn’t reverse the opponent’s aggressive suppression.
Bai Mu felt anxious. Light mecha energy was easily consumed; he couldn’t afford a long battle here. He feared his mecha would run out of energy before he even left Laea City.
Therefore, when the opponent’s beam saber slashed down fiercely again, Bai Mu dodged, leaping up like a bird. He raised his right arm and fired a particle cannon at the opponent.
A particle cannon was the most powerful weapon a light mecha could be equipped with. Other weapons had no effect on the black mecha; Bai Mu had no other choice. He only wanted to escape as quickly as possible.
Seeing Bai Mu fire the particle cannon, the person didn’t dodge. Instead, he raised his own arm and fired a particle cannon in return. Two beams of high-energy particles collided in the air, instantly erupting into sparks that turned the dark night into day.
Bai Mu was momentarily shocked. He truly hadn’t expected the opponent to use a “kill a thousand to lose eight hundred” tactic. Bai Mu knew that with the person’s ability, they could have dodged, but the particle cannon was immensely powerful. If the person wanted to keep both the mecha and themselves from being damaged, they would have had to flee quite far, giving Bai Mu enough time to escape the pursuit.
The person, however, refused to let him have his way and met him head-on. Both of them were struck by the massive shockwave simultaneously. Bai Mu lost his balance, his mecha scorched by the flames, while a dull pain bloomed in his chest.
The black mecha wasn’t much better off, but at the same moment it was struck, it leaped high into the air, reaching a position directly above Bai Mu and charging straight down at him!
The black mecha was so fast that Bai Mu had no time to dodge. The person didn’t use a weapon either; he slammed his entire body into Bai Mu. The black mecha’s arms clamped around Bai Mu’s mecha, pressing him downward. The two of them fell vertically toward the ground.
BOOM—
Bai Mu slammed into the ground. A blunt pain radiated from his back, and his chest felt like it was on fire, suffocatingly tight. Meanwhile, the person was pinned firmly on top of him, keeping him restrained.
Bai Mu couldn’t break free. In his desperation, he used his head to headbutt the other’s head. Metal collided, producing a crisp yet heavy sound. The opponent was stunned as well; he hadn’t expected Bai Mu to be so ruthless.
Indeed, Bai Mu rarely used such suicidal fighting styles, but then again, he had never encountered such an infuriating situation. He simply wanted to leave, yet this person had to come out and block his path.
What was even more infuriating was that he couldn’t win, and he had been caught and brought back.
After the headbutt, his head was buzzing and his ears were ringing. Yet the opponent still pinned him down steadily. A low chuckle seemed to escape uncontrollably from within the black mecha.
That laughter was lazy and carried a hint of mockery. The voice was far too familiar; Bai Mu could almost see the half-smiling face through the mecha. He asked tentatively, “Han Naijin?”
The person didn’t answer but instead tapped on his mecha’s “skull,” signaling for him to disembark.
Bai Mu glared at the black mecha for a long time, but the opponent seemed determined and didn’t relax his restraint in the slightest. Ultimately, Bai Mu had to adopt the posture of a prisoner of war and comply with his demand, shedding the silver armor.
After the mecha faded, Bai Mu looked at his surroundings and felt even more ashamed. After causing such a big commotion, he hadn’t even made it out of the Han Manor. He was currently being pinned to the lawn of the manor by that man.
Bai Mu was already numb.
Seeing him obediently step out of the mecha, the man finally raised his hand to retract his own light mecha. A black ring settled on the man’s finger.
The owner of the black light mecha finally revealed his true face.
An old acquaintance.
Bai Mu was pinned firmly by Han Naijin. Han Naijin’s legs were braced against his, and his arms held Bai Mu’s captive. At this moment, Han Naijin was like a leopard that had just woken up and discovered prey; he wasn’t in a hurry to enjoy the meal, yet he still made one feel extremely endangered.
Their bodies were pressed tightly together, with only their faces maintaining a slight distance. Han Naijin’s breath fanned against Bai Mu’s ear, carrying a cool itchiness. Han Naijin didn’t speak either, merely looking at him playfully.
Bai Mu felt uncomfortable under Han Naijin’s gaze. He turned his face away, but Han Naijin pinched his chin, forcing him to look back. Bai Mu’s eyes were slightly red, filled with a trace of anger mixed with shame. He said weakly, “Let go.”
Han Naijin acted as if he hadn’t heard. His fingertips brushed across Bai Mu’s cheek, beginning to stroke it with a touch that was anything but gentle.
Bai Mu looked at Han Naijin with indignation. This was originally a frivolous gesture, yet he didn’t know if it was an illusion, but he didn’t see mockery in those sharp eyes. Instead, he felt there was a hidden sense of loss in Han Naijin’s gaze. For some reason, a wave of panic rose in Bai Mu’s heart; he was somewhat afraid to look into Han Naijin’s eyes.
After a long while, Han Naijin finally retracted his hand and let out a lazy voice: “Leaving without even saying a word… isn’t that a bit too heartless?”
Recommended Reads
![Enemies on a Narrow Road [Esports]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/enemies-on-a-narrow-road-214x300.jpg)
