My fate is mine to command, not dictated by destiny.

Originally, Chen Sufen had intended to confiscate Yisha's weapons. She managed to seize the large machete, but the smaller blade was fiercely clutched to the chest by the young woman in the long robe, who shrieked, calling for Ah Zhu to rescue her.

Bai Haonan's ears were ringing from the uproar. "Let it go, let it go. It’s their custom—let’s show some respect."

Chen Sufen retreated in dissatisfaction. "You’re already taking the side of your little mistress!"

Yisha, triumphant, brandished the short knife and wrapped her arms tenderly around the driver’s neck. "Who is she, really?" Her action was similar, but much gentler.

Bai Haonan made himself stay calm, not wanting to provoke this wildcat. "Childhood friend. Do you know what that means?"

To his surprise, Yisha did. "So what does that have to do with us as husband and wife?"

Chen Sufen was no longer angry, not even at this supposed identity. "Husband and wife? You dare call yourselves that? Got a certificate? Held a banquet? Received red envelopes? Go on, stop this nonsense. Once we’re out of these mountains, everyone goes their own way… By the way, aren’t you afraid of the mess you’re leaving behind?"

Yisha’s eyes widened. "Should I ruin my whole life just to avoid trouble?"

Bai Haonan heartily agreed with her attitude. Even while driving at high speed, he freed a hand to applaud. "Well said!" Yisha was so delighted that she leaned over and planted a heavy kiss on his cheek.

Chen Sufen rolled her eyes. "With attitudes like yours, you two really are peas in a pod—meant for each other!" Bai Haonan had left chaos behind in Jiangzhou and Rongdu, but he never cared, nor showed any sign of regret.

Yisha sweetly thanked her, and Bai Haonan reminded his new girlfriend about the nuances of Mandarin. "She’s being sarcastic."

Yisha chuckled softly. "I know. But I’m grateful all the same. Her blessing matters."

Finally, Chen Sufen pressed her hand to her forehead, realizing this girl’s thought process was nothing like ordinary people’s. "What do we do next?" She opened the navigation on her phone, searching for a provincial road that would let Bai Haonan avoid passing through the county, so they could get onto the highway as soon as possible.

Bai Haonan thought it was a good question. "Yisha, you want to make a living out here, that’s fine. I can help you, give you some money. But you can’t come with me."

Yisha was instantly wary. "Why not?!"

Bai Haonan shot a quick glance at Chen Sufen. "I need to tell you something. My name isn’t Wang Jianguo."

Chen Sufen was satisfied with this declaration, turning to watch the pair with a gleeful smile.

That expression must have provoked the minority girl; her gaze sharpened as she stared back, though her words weren’t harsh. "Then what is your name?"

Bai Haonan grew cautious. "My name doesn’t matter. What matters is, I’m on the run. Do you understand what that means?"

Yisha understood again. "I’ve seen it in TV dramas. I even went to middle school! You’re a fugitive?" Her demeanor and expression didn’t change at all.

Chen Sufen was puzzled. "Why aren’t you excited or afraid? What if the two of us are murderers, or human traffickers about to sell you… sell you to one of those nightclubs?"

Yisha ignored her husband’s childhood friend, holding Bai Haonan’s neck. "Actually, we often have fugitives in our town. People from the county commit all sorts of crimes, or bad folks outside run here. Some undercover officers often come and tell us to watch out for strangers—those tourists who linger even after their trip, every one caught is a real criminal!"

Bai Haonan broke out in a cold sweat; he had truly considered staying behind, but now realized it was a trap!

Chen Sufen laughed heartily, thoroughly enjoying his discomfort. "See? That’s the honey trap. Stay and you’ll be doomed!"

Yisha thanked her for the compliment. "I’ve known since I was young that the man who hangs out on the street all day, getting high and mixing with those bad types who ruin girls, was trouble. I decided to leave. My siblings supported me, grandma and uncle did too. In the village, we’re always fighting them. Now there’s just another reason. Lately they’ve been brawling a lot trying to drag me into marriage!"

Bai Haonan had to admire his luck. "No wonder you decided to leave with me as soon as you saw me?"

But Yisha denied it. "No! Even so, I waited a long time. My brothers often helped me pick candidates, but I never liked any of them. Until I saw you—I knew you were my Ah Zhu!"

Suddenly, Chen Sufen felt a little jealous of Yisha’s decisive passion, or perhaps her quick action. "That’s too hasty! You need to get to know each other, to decide if it’s worth spending your lives together!"

Yisha scoffed. "Our people are very good at judging character. I raised my mountain chickens for ages—normally I never eat this well, everything gets sold."

Bai Haonan remembered. "No wonder you ate so much yesterday!"

Yisha explained, "Here, chickens and sheep are raised for tourists. From childhood, all we got were potatoes."

Chen Sufen couldn’t understand. "Tourism must make money, so why are you all still so poor…"

Just as she said this, the car rounded a bend. Bai Haonan suddenly breathed deeply. "Hold on tight…" Chen Sufen and Yisha glanced ahead and saw a gang of unruly men wielding knives and clubs, blocking the road with stones. From a distance, they pointed at the car, brandishing their weapons with unmistakable hostility. There were even guns—homemade hunting rifles!

Yisha let out a sharp cry. "That bastard! The one in the floral T-shirt! Knife! Give me my knife!"

Their attire rivaled Bai Haonan’s old bravado, all garish and nonconformist. Mud caked their shoes, yet they wore impractical skinny pants, hair dyed all sorts of wild colors, shirts a riot of tight prints—neither fashionable nor ethnic, not even rustic. In short, a mess of styles.

Chen Sufen, fighting Yisha over the knife in the backseat, commented, "This kind of man, you could just barely marry. At least you wouldn’t be bored—look how ridiculous they look!"

Yisha finally found some common ground with her. "Exactly! Just looking at them makes me sick. They think they’re handsome, hanging around the street hitting on female tourists!"

Chen Sufen laughed. "Your Ah Zhu likes to hit on female tourists too!"

Bai Haonan had no time to clarify his standards. "Hold on tight!"

He’d driven sports cars for years, thanks to teammates who bought them to show off. Privately, they’d race in the stadium parking lot for fun. Now, with a flashy flourish, he revved the little white car, steering it toward the roadside embankment!

The two women, suddenly jolted from their banter to the crisis at hand, fell silent.

Outside, the ambush was still haphazard, not fully blocking the road. When they saw the car recklessly veering toward the side, the group frantically heaved large stones at the roadside!

With their strength, maybe they couldn’t hit the car, but they could pile up stones to create a barricade. Clearly, they’d been tipped off—knowing it was just an ordinary sedan with a low chassis, a watermelon-sized rock could easily overturn it. These people were ruthless, not caring about consequences.

But Bai Haonan relied on his cunning, honed from playing soccer and brawling—he faked them out!

Just as he seemed about to charge off the road, the car suddenly swerved, fishtailing wildly!

Perhaps that’s why he’d bought this car for Chen Sufen when she got into college. Though it was only a basic hatchback, it had a chassis built for excitement.

The hatchback’s nimble handling shone in that moment. It looked like he’d careen off the road, but at the last second he jerked the wheel, veering sharply!

He shot through the gap in the crowd, even over the road exposed by their stone-moving, tearing past them like a whirlwind!

Both women were pale with fright, the sudden centrifugal force and jolting made the whole car feel as if it might roll at any moment. They screamed together, in perfect harmony!

Bai Haonan’s eardrums were nearly shattered, his hands trembling as the car twisted and snaked down the rough provincial road!

Yes, there were no cliffs on either side, just barren slopes. But a high-speed car out of control could easily flip over on such terrain!

Bai Haonan couldn’t help but cry out in terror.