Chapter 14: The Little Paper Figure

At that time, he didn’t open the door. The group waited crouched there for quite a while before finally leaving in frustration.

As a result, the neighbors were framed, and even the police showed up in the end.

Once involved in such matters, even if one manages to cleanse the stain, the damage to one’s reputation is immense.

Especially for a teacher at an elite school like him—the school wouldn’t care whether he was framed or not, and the parents certainly wouldn’t sympathize.

With an annual income of hundreds of thousands, plus various allowances, such a coveted position would attract plenty of people eager to crush anyone with a blemish on their record.

Thinking of this, the lead teacher felt a wave of dread; his promising future had nearly been destroyed.

He didn’t fully understand Yun Ran’s background, but that didn’t stop him from resolving to take good care of her during this study tour, ensuring she had a comfortable experience.

Meanwhile, several hundred miles away, Deng Ming, who had been warned by Yun Ran, had just signed the contract and was watching as the first batch of seafood was being hauled up and transported away.

As he prepared to leave, the car happened to pass by a reservoir, and a sudden unease made him abruptly stop the vehicle.

His brother-in-law had been running around all day and was nearly exhausted, only wanting to return to the hotel and rest. Seeing the car stop, he was momentarily puzzled.

“Honey, what’s wrong?”

“Get out those things I had you prepare earlier!”

The brother-in-law’s face instantly drained of color, and his voice trembled, “Honey…”

“Quick, go!”

He hurried to the trunk and fetched several large cleavers used for chopping bones. Being chefs, they were adept at wielding these knives.

Seeing Deng Ming place the cleaver by his feet, the brother-in-law’s heart leapt into his throat. They had been so busy these past days that he had almost forgotten what the little girl had said.

Now, this sudden action wiped away all his drowsiness.

“Honey, aren’t you overthinking this?”

“Of course, nothing happening is the best outcome. But if something does, it’s a matter of life and death—we need to be cautious!”

The brother-in-law’s imagination ran wild with thoughts of highway robberies and murderous plots, sending chills down his spine.

Just as the car was about to leave the reservoir area, disaster struck. The vehicle suddenly malfunctioned, losing control and hurtling sharply toward the water.

Both Deng Ming and his brother-in-law wore expressions of sheer terror.

With a loud crash, the car broke through the roadside fence and plunged into the reservoir.

Watching the car slowly sink, panic set in, but they quickly snapped back, trying to escape while the doors and sunroof could still be opened.

“Honey, my seatbelt won’t unfasten!”

Hearing this, Deng Ming grabbed the cleaver at his feet and began cutting at the belt.

But strangely, the sharp cleaver couldn’t cut through the seatbelt. Not only the brother-in-law, but even Deng Ming’s face turned ashen.

Deng Ming handed the cleaver to his brother-in-law. “You cut it, I’ll try to smash the window!”

Usually, even a brick could shatter a car window, but the cleaver strikes left it unscathed.

The car was already halfway submerged, yet the cleaver seemed as useless as foam.

The brother-in-law looked at Deng Ming in terror. “Honey, did we offend something unclean...?”

Both men recalled Yun Ran’s warning to avoid water and silently cursed their own luck for not heeding it.

Meanwhile, Yun Ran had been touring the town’s ancient sites along with the group, listening to the guide recount the life of a great poet.

After the tour, they were to write reflections and continue their charity work by setting up stalls in permitted areas.

At this moment, she was completely blank, like a puppet moving mechanically with the group, numb to everything as she listened to the guide’s stories.

Suddenly, Yun Ran stopped in her tracks, furrowing her brow slightly.

She grabbed the nearby chubby boy. “I need to use the restroom. If there’s a roll call, please tell the team leader for me!”

Before he could respond, she dashed off, leaving the boy’s hesitant protest hanging in the air.

He could only mutter bitterly, “Why do I always get singled out?”

[Host, what’s wrong?]

“The two people we met at the highway rest stop are in trouble.”

Yun Ran’s expression was grim. Though she had merely warned them before, now that their misfortune had escalated into a fatal calamity, she could no longer ignore it.

Fortunately, she had prepared some items at her stall beforehand; otherwise, traveling such a distance to rescue them would have left her bedridden for days.

Swiftly, Yun Ran cut out two ugly paper dolls, lightly touched their foreheads, and infused a trace of her energy into them, then pricked her finger and let a drop of blood fall onto each.

“Go, bring them back!”

The paper dolls obediently nodded, nuzzled her fingers affectionately, then vanished in a flash.

With these paper dolls, those two would not die—but Yun Ran’s brow remained furrowed.

“Why did mere misfortune turn into this?”

She counted on her fingers and realized that the two were targeted due to their flaunting of wealth; someone with ill intent was watching them.

Even a plane would take half an hour to cover hundreds of kilometers, but the little paper dolls arrived instantly.

At this moment, only the roof of Deng Ming’s car remained above water.

“Honey, I don’t want to die…”

Deng Ming looked at his brother-in-law’s tearful face, his own frustration swelling, yet he did not stop trying to save themselves.

His hands were bleeding, but the seatbelt remained tightly fastened.

Water was slowly seeping in, and despair clung to them both.

Suddenly, a bang echoed.

The car window, which had resisted all attempts to break it, seemed to shatter as if struck by a powerful fist.

Water gushed into the car. Trapped by the unyielding seatbelt, the two thought their end had come.

Before losing consciousness, Deng Ming thought he saw a palm-sized paper doll approaching.

After breaking the window, the doll, with its round hand reminiscent of a certain animated character, lightly tugged at the seatbelt.

That belt, which not even the cleaver could sever, immediately shattered into pieces.