Meanwhile, Quan Kunjie lifted Blaze from behind the pillar where he had been hidden and steadied him over his shoulder. "It's done," he said firmly. "Let's get out of here." Without wasting another second, he started moving toward an exit route, carrying Blaze with him.
"Yes, let's go!" Astra followed him, her scanning for the safest path through the growing chaos.
But—
A sudden gunshot rang out.
For a split second, no one understood where it had come from.
Everything happened at once.
Yang Lingyun moved on instinct, stepping in front of Xia Lihua before anyone could react. He pulled her into him, turning his body to shield hers.
Xia Lihua didn't even have time to process it before she was in his arms, held tightly and protected.
Then his grip loosened.
She looked up, confused, just in time to see him stagger. His balance broke, and he collapsed to the ground.
Blood spread beneath him.
"What… how did this—" Her voice broke as panic set in.
