Chapter 158: A Solitary Goose Returning South

When Kang Ning woke up the next morning, it was already nine o'clock. Feeling weak all over, he could not remember for a moment how he had managed to return to the hotel, only that his head was spinning and his temperature was not low.

After a brief wash, he walked out of the guesthouse, turned left into Hengyang Road, and ate a tasteless breakfast. He then found a pharmacy to buy some medicine and strolled back.

halfway back, Kang Ning sat down on a chair at a simple street-side barbershop, paying three yuan for the meticulous service of an elderly master over sixty. His messy hair was trimmed into a neat and spirited crew cut, and the stubble on his face completely vanished under the glide of the sharp razor. If the master hadn't clicked his tongue in praise of Kang Ning's striking appearance, he might have fallen asleep right then and there.

Returning to his room to take his medicine, Kang Ning soaked in a hot bathtub, regulated his breathing, and slowly entered a state of meditation, only standing up for a cold shower just as the water in the tub was about to turn cold. Drying himself off and changing into a clean, crisp winter uniform for a non-commissioned officer, his composure and confidence returned.

Kang Ning understood his predicament. Despite Zhang Jianhan's firm opposition to his return before the end of the year, he had already made up his mind not to passively wait any longer. He thought that many things Zhang Jianhan could not and dared not do due to his position, he, Kang Ning, could do without hesitation. For the sake of his innocence, no matter how difficult it might be, he had to try and break through.

The experiences and lessons learned over the past year and more had led Kang Ning to cast off many naive notions and understand many truths. Moreover, his mindset, abilities, and handling of worldly affairs were vastly different from a year ago. He was well aware that the closer he got to Lanning, the greater the danger. He also knew that Jiang Shangwu, who had recently been promoted, had made a solemn vow to Lan Jianguo: to bring Kang Ning to justice before the end of the year! Even the fact that the anxious Jiang Shangwu had dispatched a three-man pursuit team from Lanning to his hometown had been leaked to him through Du Jianwu's vague warning.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Kang Ning concluded that the most dangerous place is the safest place! Although everyone understood this saying, Kang Ning was now experiencing its true meaning firsthand. If the manhunt for him was like a tornado, growing in scale with increasing manpower and material resources deployed layer by layer, then Lanning at this moment was the eye of the storm—comparatively calmer and safer. Kang Ning believed that as long as he successfully sneaked back into Lanning, it might actually benefit the progression of the case. Furthermore, he had great confidence in his steadily improving martial prowess. He knew that in the game between escape and pursuit, as long as he wasn't driven into a desperate corner with enemies on all sides, he could still master the initiative.

Kang Ning checked his bank cards, his weapon, and his single forged non-commissioned officer's ID card once more. Regrettably, the genuine ID cards under the names of Xiao Wu and Xiao Hua that he had previously purchased had been burned early on due to Fang Xiong's betrayal. He slipped the bank cards into his wallet and placed it in his inner jacket pocket, tucked the non-commissioned officer's ID into his uniform pocket, and slid two loaded pistols into the holsters under his left arm and at his waist. After checking repeatedly to ensure nothing was left behind, Kang Ning went downstairs, completed the check-out procedures in the lobby, and drove away.

At noon, Kang Ning drove the car to the Chanhai Muslim district in the eastern part of Luoyang city, handed the fully fueled vehicle over to a roadside car wash, and walked to a restaurant across the street to leisurely enjoy halal braised beef and mutton soup. Afterward, with a lingering sense of reluctance, he drove eastward, soon turning onto National Highway 207 to head south.

For years, Kang Ning had heard that the busy National Highway 207 was unsafe, frequently reading news reports in newspapers about highway bandits and local ruffians. Therefore, as soon as he entered this national highway, he exercised extreme caution. He wasn't really afraid of bandits; what he feared most was the sudden occurrence of a major crime somewhere along the route, which might prompt the police to suddenly set up checkpoints and inspect vehicles. Fortunately, the hundreds of kilometers from Luoyang to Xiangfan went smoothly. After having a late meal at Qianying Village, six kilometers south of the city, Kang Ning pressed on without stopping, heading all the way south.

At six o'clock the next morning, Kang Ning arrived in Gong'an, more than forty kilometers south of Jingzhou. After eating breakfast at a roadside diner, he got back in the car and slept until noon before waking up. Before leaving, he carefully inspected the condition of the vehicle, drove it to a small repair shop a hundred meters ahead to inflate the tires, and humbly asked the mechanic about a few issues that were worrying him. The somewhat taciturn mechanic told Kang Ning: as long as you pass through Changde, the rest of the way will be safe and sound.

Thanking the mechanic, Kang Ning got back into the car and continued south, planning to cross Changde before nightfall and rest in Taoyuan. However, when passing through Changde, he still encountered quite a bit of trouble. The road was jammed with congested passenger and cargo vehicles, and the drivers seemed long accustomed to such blockages, chatting in small groups as they waited.

After stepping out of the car to inquire closely, Kang Ning learned that five hundred meters ahead lay a permanent traffic police checkpoint, and drivers who frequented this route were subjected to strict inspections every time they passed through, with all sorts of items being checked.

Unable to advance or retreat, Kang Ning gave a wry smile. Decisively returning to his car, he took out a portable police light, placed it on the roof, plugged in the power, turned it on, and drove forward. His exceptional driving skills were fully displayed as he navigated through the narrow gaps between the crowded vehicles on both sides of the road, slowly coming to a halt three meters away from the traffic police blockade. A young traffic police officer glanced in surprise at the license plate, smiled amiably at Kang Ning, and then loudly instructed his companion by the roadside: "Let them through!"

Kang Ning also waved amiably at the young traffic police officer and calmly drove away in the off-road vehicle with its flashing police lights.

A crowd of merchants and drivers looked on with dissatisfaction, shouting angrily at the police: "Unfair! Can soldiers pass through without inspection just because they are in the army? We've been waiting..."

"Shut your mouths!" The police officer who had just ordered the clearance turned to the crowd and cursed loudly: "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you have any conscience left? During months of flood relief, when were the soldiers not the ones rushing to the front lines? Did you clearly see that the car just now was a command vehicle for the Armed Police Hydropower Corps? Damn it, when I was fighting floods day and night, where were you bunch of profit-driven bastards? As soon as the floods receded, you forgot the soldiers' kindness? Damn your mothers, if you dare to yell again and piss me off, I'll give you a few slaps across the face..."

Hearing the policeman's words, everyone fell silent in shame, and soon dispersed one after another to honestly line up and wait for inspection.

Unaware of how lucky he was to pass so smoothly, Kang Ning ate dinner in Taoyuan. Feeling that his physical condition was still quite good, he took a brief rest and headed south through the night. He really didn't want to linger any longer in Hunan province, where accidents were frequent in the wake of the floods.

By noon the following day, the travel-worn Kang Ning finally entered the Guilin region, which he was more familiar with. Pressing on with unflagging determination, he arrived at Luzhai County, forty kilometers north of Liuzhou, at two in the afternoon, and drove the car straight into the Luzhou Guesthouse, the county government's reception hall.

Parking in an inconspicuous corner of the parking lot, an exhausted Kang Ning went to the front desk to rent a twin room. As soon as he entered the guest room and double-bolted the door, he collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep. Although the journey into Guangxi had been smooth all the way, he was truly exhausted.

When he woke up, it was already ten o'clock at night. After washing up, Kang Ning changed into a clean uniform, put on his peaked cap, and stepped out of the room. Before he even turned into the lobby downstairs, a familiar voice made the shocked Kang Ning freeze in his tracks: amidst a crowd of people, Liu Yiqing, the lover he had yearned for day and night, was surrounded like the moon among stars. Amidst the flattering remarks of a group of well-dressed men, her beautiful face always wore a reserved and polite smile.

Kang Ning snapped back to his senses. Lowering the brim of his cap, he hurried to the front desk, turned his back to Liu Yiqing and the others five meters away, and asked the receptionist in a low voice: "Hello! Where can I find some specialty local snacks in the city?"

Seeing the handsome soldier, the young female receptionist immediately beamed with a smile: "Turn right out the front gate and walk a hundred meters to reach the night market, but..."

"What is it?" Kang Ning asked, puzzled.

The receptionist glanced in Liu Yiqing's direction and lowered her voice to tell Kang Ning: "Those reporters are undercover from the provincial TV station. Our county is a gathering place for illegal wildlife trafficking, and many shops have closed upon hearing the news, so you probably won't get to eat any game meat today. However, there are plenty of other snacks, and our night market usually stays open until the early hours of the morning."

"Thank you! These newcomers are staying on the third floor, right? Looking at how high-spirited they are, I just hope they don't dance above my room—I haven't slept properly in two days," Kang Ning joked with a smile.

Obligingly, the receptionist checked Kang Ning's room number, flipped through the register for a moment, and whispered sweetly: "You're in room 207... What a coincidence, they're right above you. Rooms 307, 308, and 309 are all theirs. These three luxury rooms were personally arranged by our county magistrate! But don't worry, these big reporters are cultured people and certainly won't disturb your sleep."

Kang Ning gave a grateful smile to the front desk, expressed his thanks, and strode out of the lobby. He truly lacked the courage to turn around and look at Liu Yiqing; he worried that a single glance into her eyes would make it impossible for him to ever move his feet again.

At two in the morning, Kang Ning, dressed in a dark athletic outfit, slowly walked onto the balcony, lightly vaulted over the railing to grip the base of the third-floor balcony, and with a slight swing, scaled the balcony of room 307 as silently and nimbly as a civet cat. With a single roll, he crouched beneath the back window of the room. In the dim light shining from afar, five or six pieces of women's undergarments hung from the stainless steel drying rack on the balcony, swaying gently in the evening breeze.

Kang Ning knew he had found the right place; if he had chosen the opposite room, 308, it would have taken a lot more effort.

After lying in ambush for a moment and finding no abnormalities, Kang Ning moved to the balcony door.

He reached out and gently pushed it, finding it locked from the inside. He stepped back to the window once more, gently felt along the aluminum alloy sash, and found the window had been latched from within. Pulling a thin piece of steel wire from his waist, he probed the narrow gap between the window frame and the sash, then slid it downward slowly. Pausing briefly at the latch, he gave it a slight twist, and the tightly closed aluminum alloy window silently clicked open a crack.

Kang Ning put away the steel wire and quietly listened to the sound of two people breathing evenly inside the room.

Two minutes later, Kang Ning carefully pushed the window open, lifted the corner of the patterned curtain to peer inside, and saw by the dim light of the hallway wall lamp that two women were lying fast asleep on twin beds placed side by side. On the bed closer to the window, Liu Yiqing's exquisitely delicate and captivating face immediately filled Kang Ning's entire field of vision.

Maintaining a squatting posture, Kang Ning stared for a full ten minutes, let out a long, quiet sigh, dropped the curtain, and leaned against the wall in painful contemplation.

A few minutes later, Kang Ning gently massaged his slightly numb feet, looked around once more, then lifted the curtain and slipped into the room. He picked up the mobile phone on Liu Yiqing's bedside table, cupped the mouthpiece, adjusted the settings briefly, and saved a draft text message: "Spring is as of old, the person grows thin in vain, tear stains redden the thin silk handkerchief. Peach blossoms fall, idle pool and pavilion. Though the mountain alliance remains, embroidered letters are hard to entrust. Do not, do not, do not..."

Having done all this, Kang Ning gently placed the phone back in its original position. Half-kneeling near the head of the bed, he gazed with deep emotion at Liu Yiqing's beautiful face framed by a few strands of fine hair, and involuntarily reached out a trembling hand, only to stop abruptly just inches from her smooth forehead.

As if sensing something, Liu Yiqing turned over, her softly curved back rising and falling gently as she fell back into a deep sleep.

For a long time, Kang Ning gingerly pulled the quilt up to cover her slender shoulders, bit his lip, and slowly retreated to the balcony. After closing the window, he silently returned to his own room.

Lying on the bed, staring at the snow-white ceiling, Kang Ning spent the entire night awake. He had never imagined that one day his lover would be sleeping directly above him, the two of them separated by mere inches yet unable to meet.

Two lovers who had loved each other for years were now separated by a single ceiling, merely four meters apart. Yet this short distance of four meters felt so insurmountably vast at that moment. Kang Ning endured a pain beyond the comprehension of others over and over again, a heart-wrenching agony that accompanied him through a sleepless night...