"Quick, don't let her get away, catch her for a reward of a hundred taels of silver!"
In Xia Kingdom, this furious shout and the clamor of scattered footsteps disrupted the majesty of the high-end, posh Imperial Capital streets.
Thousands of people swarmed like bees, making the scene as spectacular as a marathon race.
When Yu Bingqiao looked back, she thought, 'God, they are after me with relentless pursuit.'
The menacing officers, the locals whose eyes gleamed in the hope of earning the reward money, and the smiling spectators looking for amusement, were all against her, an innocent frail girl. Was that fair?
She had explained again and again that she was wronged, but they were hell-bent on punishing her in the most humiliating fashion. Didn't they realize that this would be illegal in the 21st century?
Talking about laws with them was like playing the lute to a cow, so she had no other choice but to flee - the best of the thirty-six strategies.
Despite being an international police officer with superior physical prowess, Yu Bingqiao found it challenging to run under the scorching sun, over dozens of streets, all while protesting her innocence. Her legs were trembling and she was slowing down, her pace akin to that of a turtle.
The rumbling footsteps behind her were getting closer, accompanied by the derisive voices of the leading catchers.
"Run again, let's see how far you can run!" one called out.
"I was just giving you guys some leeway," Yu Bingqiao retorted stubbornly. With a grit of her teeth, and dragging her fatigued body, she started to run again.
The head catcher didn't expect her to still have any strength left. Laughing mockingly, he commanded, "Oh, she's still energetic, that's fascinating. Keep the chase up!"
The panting crowd started to run again.
Yu Bingqiao was cursing internally. When the chase first began, she was sprinting like she was competing in a hundred-meter dash out of anger and unwillingness to give in. But after a short time, her strength waned, and she felt like she might melt into a puddle on the ground, like a soft ice cream.
It was so frustrating. After all the effort she had put into this time-travel adventure, how could she, a lovable and righteous policewoman renowned for helping the weak against the strong, die unjustly like this?
However, the power of spirit could not ultimately carry this fragile body. Seeing the distance between the two teams gradually closing, Yu Bingqiao felt a bit helpless when suddenly, the sound of carriage wheels came from the corner of the street in front of her.
She looked over, tongue-tied. This was unfair.
A luxurious four-horse carriage made entirely of jade was driving towards her. The exquisite craftsmanship and strong lineup displayed the authority and nobility of the master inside the carriage.
She was almost dead running, and the common people behind her were reckless for a hundred taels, while the owner of this carriage enjoyed such luxury. It was truly infuriating to compare oneself to others.
A cunning light flashed across her eyes, Yu Bingqiao gathered all her energy, ran along the roadside towards the jade carriage, and tried not to attract the attention of the coachman.
When she was two meters away from the carriage, she leaned on the side of the street, staring fixatedly at the approaching carriage.
One meter, half a metre, closer, closer...
As the carriage brushed past her, Yu Bingqiao jumped up, grabbed the window, and flipped inside.
Just landing in the carriage, not considering to rub the painful knees and buttocks caused by the fall, she quickly took out a dagger and put it on the neck of the carriage's master, domineeringly throwing out a sentence, "Don't move!"
The next moment, she looked at him, was stunned, and the hand holding the knife trembled three times.
As a dignified Interpol, she had seen many big shots, but she had never seen such a daunting man.
He had a calm and casual face, but seemed to be written with the words "those who get close, die". His exquisite purple silk clothes made him look noble and unattainable.
The man seated with grace tilted his eyes, glanced at the uninvited guest that fell from the sky, especially her hand holding the dagger. In her ink-dyed peach blossom eyes, a cold threatening faint light radiated.
The man's gaze ventured on her. This woman seemed to be tired of living. It seemed it was time to make her death rhythmic.
The corner of his mouth hooked into a threatening arc, and his head tilted towards her, and he "kindly" reminded her in a leisurely manner, "Wrong spot, go down another inch, don't be polite."
His calm demeanor made Jade Ice feel like she was the one being threatened.
She was taken aback, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly, "Brother, don't get me wrong. I just need you to give me a lift."
"Is that so? It's the least I could do." The man nodded knowingly, leaning back lazily and gracing her with an easygoing smile.
Just like that? Jade Ice examined him in disbelief, wondering if she had misheard.
However, seeing his quiet and friendly demeanor, Jade Ice concluded that she had understood correctly. She suddenly felt embarrassed for brandishing her knife at him and planned to laugh it off with an apology and a thank you.
"That is, of course ... if you dare to ride with me." The man threw out a sentence with a ghostly expression, a hint of destructive color flashed in his deep gaze, half-smiling at her as if a cheetah was elegantly patrolling his territory.
The smile on Jade Ice's face instantly faltered. She suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck, cold and gloomy as goosebumps formed all over her body.
This sensation was new to her, shivering not from cold.
A voice in her subconscious repeatedly warned her, don't mess with this guy, run! Don't get on this carriage, jump!
But wouldn't jumping out at this point be suicide? Besides, he was just a man, could he eat her alive? Since when had she become so timid?
Jade Ice forced herself to calm down and gathered the courage to press her dagger slightly against his throat, "Why wouldn't I dare to ride? You, on the other hand, better cooperate. If you try to pull off any tricks, don't blame me for not warning you in advance."
