Chapter 358 - 357: Found
Yiyi made her decision quickly, packed some simple luggage, and got ready to leave.
Seeing Yiyi about to head out, Mo Ping hurriedly held her back and said, "Little boss, this really isn’t a good idea. If your mom and grandpa ask about it, I can’t handle it, and going to that Medicine Valley alone, won’t you encounter danger? If something really happens, I can’t shirk the responsibility."
"Alright, stop saying more. I’ve made up my mind, and I must go. If something happens to Cui Zhu because of me, I can’t shirk the responsibility either."
Hearing this, Mo Ping fell silent immediately, and finally, still worried, he asked, "Little boss, you’ll come back safe and sound, right?"
Yiyi nodded naturally and said, "Of course, I’ll come back safe and sound. Just wait for our good news. But don’t tell anyone that I’m going to Yuan City, or they’ll worry."
Upon hearing this, Mo Ping hurriedly nodded.
And Yiyi traveled lightly, straight to Yuan City.
When she arrived in Yuan City, she inquired about the address written on the note and then quietly made her way there.
The closer she got to the Medicine Valley, the more unsettled Yiyi’s emotions became.
The surrounding scenery gradually became familiar, familiar enough to remind her of every bit of the Medicine Valley. She couldn’t help clenching her fist; everything here was torturous, and she wished she could destroy it all.
It took a moment for Yiyi to calm the anger burning inside her before she slowly walked toward the path she remembered. This was the secret passage she had spent countless efforts exploring, but it was far from the city. Back then, she had a chance to escape but couldn’t get far.
Walking along this path, Yiyi’s gaze grew colder.
This place was once her shackle, and if given the chance, she’d make sure it disappears without a trace.
Taking a deep breath, Yiyi stopped overthinking and cautiously walked forward, remembering that there were patrols here. Things would be bad if she were discovered.
Just thinking about this, Yiyi saw two young men in uniforms walking towards her. She quickly hid in a corner, only emerging once they had passed, and continued on her way.
But since Medicine Valley is a valley, it’s really big. Yiyi searched several places but couldn’t find Tao Cuizhu.
"Where exactly?"
Yiyi murmured to herself, trying hard to recall everything about Medicine Valley. She remembered only these few places where people were held after being captured by the Valley, yet she couldn’t find Tao Cuizhu.
But soon, she considered another possibility.
If she was taken as a medicine boy, then the place of detention wouldn’t be here.
At this thought, Yiyi’s expression shook. She could only hope that it wasn’t what she feared, otherwise, she wouldn’t know how to face Tao Cuizhu.
Hoping the worst wouldn’t happen, Yiyi walked toward the familiar prison in her memory. She still remembered the prison on the west side of the Medicine Valley, cold and damp, especially unbearable on rainy days. Besides snakes, rats, and insects, the poisonous plants and flowers everywhere were chilling to the bone.
As she slowly neared the prison, Yiyi heard cries coming from that direction. She stealthily lurked at the doorway, carefully observing the people inside, and discovered that Tao Cuizhu wasn’t there, so she moved to the next prison, but still, she couldn’t find who she was looking for.
At this moment, Yiyi’s emotions were complicated. She hoped to find Tao Cuizhu quickly, yet also hoped she wouldn’t find her here.
Just when Yiyi was planning to retreat, she finally found Tao Cuizhu in the last prison, and to her surprise, it was the same cell where she had been held in her past life. Unexpectedly, both she and Tao Cuizhu were confined here.
Seeing Tao Cuizhu’s current condition, Yiyi’s tears instantly streamed down.
The once vibrant college student had been tortured to the point of being unrecognizable. In just a few days, Tao Cuizhu had become emaciated, her face sallow and haggard, vastly different from before.
"Cuizhu..."
Yiyi softly called her name, then dried her tears and opened the cell door.
The cell door was just like before; though it looked sturdy, it could be opened with a gentle flick of a hairpin.
When Yiyi called out, Tao Cuizhu snapped back from her daze. She initially thought she was hearing things, but when she saw Yiyi open the cell door, she realized Yiyi really had come to rescue her.
However, thinking about the suffering over the past few days, Tao Cuizhu anxiously looked at Yiyi and said, "Yiyi, why did you come here? You must leave quickly." Speaking hastily, she even began to cough.
Yiyi noticed that Tao Cuizhu’s voice was hoarse, like a mill grinding, completely unlike her previously clear voice. "Cuizhu, you’ve suffered."
Yiyi’s eyes reddened. She walked forward directly and unlocked the shackles on Tao Cuizhu’s wrists, getting ready to take her away.
"Yiyi, someone is coming."
Tao Cuizhu, from initial shock to subsequent joy, to final despair, almost felt all emotions, but now only had one thought: to quickly get Yiyi to leave.
Seeing someone indeed approaching, Yiyi went straight to the corner of the cell, remembering there was a hidden spot big enough to hide a person.
Sure enough, there was a place in the corner that could be lifted. Yiyi skillfully hid herself in it.
Tao Cuizhu was surprised by Yiyi’s actions, feeling as if Yiyi was familiar with this place. But now wasn’t the time to think about this; she pretended everything was normal, head low, body shrunk, trying hard to blend in, while her heart was also in fear. She knew these people came again to pick someone for drug testing, and if chosen, it would be another round of unbearable suffering.
Fortunately, they didn’t choose her this time but picked someone in the next cell.
Hearing the cries and screams, Tao Cuizhu breathed a deep sigh of relief and then found herself turning cold-blooded. Here, she would rather see someone else go for testing than be chosen herself; after all, people are selfish.
After the noise subsided, Yiyi quietly emerged once more.
"Cuizhu, we’ll leave here soon."
Hearing Yiyi’s words, Tao Cuizhu nodded with tears in her eyes, "Okay."
But thinking about the two of them, Tao Cuizhu began to worry again, unsure if they could actually escape. If they couldn’t, wouldn’t that mean dragging Yiyi into this as well? At that point, it would all be for nothing. "Yiyi, if... if we can’t get out, find a way to escape by yourself."