In front was a piece of still water-like blackness, the man ran and only had a shadow left, turning into a small alley beside. I used all my strength to chase in, shouting loudly: "Stop!" But the man didnt listen at all, carrying the child and running even more urgently, not caring if the child would be shaken uncomfortably. So I was even more certain that he wasnt a good person.

  The alley was very narrow, surrounded by old houses that had been demolished. There were many pieces of trash on the ground, uneven and rough. We were separated by more than ten meters. Just then, the child woke up with a start and let out a shrill cry. He took a step back. I seized the opportunity to grab a rotten wooden stool from the ground and slammed it into his back. He was immediately bent over at the waist, stumbled two steps, and I pounced forward, grabbing the back of his neck.

  Just then, I heard a soft breathing sound and gentle footsteps behind me. It was her, she had caught up too.

  I reached out to grab the child. The man turned around, gave me a crooked smile that sent chills down my spine. Then he punched me in the face with his fist. His movements were unexpectedly swift and agile. I grabbed the child with both hands, but couldnt dodge this punch, and my face felt a sharp pain. The woman behind him had already cried out: "Wu Yu!"

  At this critical moment, her voice warmed my heart.

  I felt a surge of hot blood flowing out of my nose, and without thinking, I handed the child over to her behind me: "Hold on!" Wanting to have no worries, I tried to subdue the madman. However, that madman reacted quickly too, letting out a "heh heh" laugh, and grabbed onto Tan Jiaos long hair from behind me. The four of us were very close together, everything happened too fast to stop. Tan Jiao let out a miserable cry, her face contorted in pain, the child also slipped out of her grasp. My heart tightened suddenly, just as I was about to save her, I caught sight of the child falling head-first towards the ground!

  I rushed forward, hugged the child and turned him over, putting him on the ground. He was already scared to death and crying loudly, tightly grasping my clothes. I looked back again, only to see Tan Jiao lying on the ground with her face up. The man showed no mercy as he grabbed her long hair and dragged her into the dark depths of the alley. "Wu Yu! Wu Yu..." she cried out, kicking her legs wildly on the ground.

  My heart felt like it had been stabbed. I put the child in a corner and ran towards her. I punched the madmans belly, he let out a pained cry and loosened his grip on me, then countered with a heavy blow of his own. I grabbed onto his shoulders, trying to restrain him, but he was incredibly agile, twisting his body into an almost impossible angle, slipping free from my grasp and suddenly disappearing into the darkness.

  I chased for two steps, then stopped and ran back. In the dark alley, the child was curled up in the corner of the wall, still crying. Tan Jiao had struggled to sit up, holding his head with both hands, also sobbing. His crying suddenly made me feel anxious and flustered.

  Whats going on tonight? What happened?

  I crouched down in front of her, grasped her shoulders, and she suddenly threw herself into my arms, hugging me tightly.

  I was taken aback for a moment.

  Not far away, the alarm bell and shouting sounded. I had been running for half a night, and after this fight, I was exhausted. But she held me tightly, so I had to sit down on the spot, leaning against the wall corner, and she actually sat on my thigh like that, making it even more impossible for me to move.

  As I gradually caught my breath, she also stopped crying, only lowering her head and pushing me away as I tried to get up. Subconsciously, I tightened my arm, not wanting to let her go.

  "Does it still hurt?" I asked softly.

  She nodded: "Uh-huh."

  I raised my hand to brush aside her hair: "Let me see." But she was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and she suddenly grabbed my hand, lifted up her wet eyes and glared at me, shouting loudly: "No! Dont look! And dont touch!"

  In such a state of exhaustion, tension and confusion... the fates labyrinth was like a thick fog on a night about to rise, I held her in my arms, she looked at me with tears in her eyes, and I suddenly felt a little amused.