Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting-Chapter 165: Still Think You Can Run?

The man beside her, dressed in gray, was completely expressionless. His eyes were like a frozen lake, so cold that no one dared to meet his gaze.

"Less talk. Keep walking."

He didn’t even turn his head. His voice was clipped and final, leaving no room for discussion.

Song Chenglu was shut down. Her heart sank, and she had to bite back a retort that was on the tip of her tongue.

She quickly composed herself, her expression instantly shifting to one of utter helplessness as the rims of her eyes reddened.

"Sir, I was just asking. I’m scared, and I just wanted to find a shortcut to get back faster."

Her voice was soft and trembling. "You saw what happened. Brother Wang insisted I stay. I’m just a woman; how could I dare to say no? I’m not in any position to refuse... I can only do as I’m told..."

As she spoke, large tears finally welled up and rolled down her cheeks.

She sniffled and choked out, "I’m just... so scared..."

Hearing her sobs, the man’s steps came to an abrupt halt.

He slowly turned back. His gaze was still stern, but a flicker of hesitation passed through the depths of his eyes.

He stared at Song Chenglu for a few seconds, then lowered his voice slightly. "What are you crying for? Does crying solve anything?"

When Song Chenglu saw him stop, her heart leaped. ’It’s working.’

Instead of stopping, she began to cry even harder.

"Sir, I’m just so scared."

She continued between sobs, "Brother Wang is so vicious. He beats and curses his men without even blinking... I’m just a helpless woman. If I stay here... I have no idea what he’s planning to do to me..."

Her tears streamed down her face. "Please, tell me, is there another way out? I just want to get out of here... I don’t want to be here, not for a second longer..."

The man watched her cry her eyes out. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke in a low voice. "Go in through the back entrance, head straight to the right, and at the end of the hall, there’s an iron door. It’s not locked. Push it open, and you’ll be outside."

The moment Song Chenglu heard there was a back entrance, it was as if a bolt of electricity shot through her. Every nerve in her body went taut.

She shot her head up and looked at the man, her voice practically dripping with sincerity. "Really? Thank you, sir, thank you so much! You’re my savior..."

The man saw that she had gone from sobbing her heart out one second to beaming with joy the next. The tips of his ears turned an almost imperceptible shade of red, and he looked a little awkward.

With that, he turned and strode away.

"Don’t thank me. And take a word of advice: it’s best if you don’t get any ideas about escaping."

His words landed like daggers of ice, a warning that left no room for doubt.

"Brother Wang isn’t someone you want to mess with. If you actually run and he catches you, your fate will be even worse. Behave yourself, and you might live a few days longer."

But after hearing his words, Song Chenglu only felt more disdainful.

She lowered her head, appearing obedient, but inwardly, she was sneering.

’Threats like this? She’d heard them all before.’

’Abusing power to intimidate others?’

’Using brute force to scare them?’

’In her life, she’d long since grown accustomed to such tactics.’

’Wang Kang?’

’Just who was this guy?’

’His name sounded like some common street thug. At best, he was a local big shot who pulled some strings to get where he was.’

’Who the hell did he think he was?’

’She was Song Chenglu. In her twenty-plus years of life, when had she ever bowed her head to someone like him?’

She lifted her head, a sharp light flashing in her eyes. Forget Wang Kang; not even the King of Heaven himself could lock her up like a caged bird.

"Don’t worry, sir. I understand. I’ll just wait for my family to come get me tomorrow."

She lowered her head slightly, letting her long hair cover half her face to hide the calculating glint in her eyes.

Her hands were folded primly in her lap, her gaze fixed meekly on the floor. She looked exactly like a poor, terrified girl, waiting desperately for her family to come and rescue her.

As soon as she was back in her room, Song Chenglu heard the man in gray enter the adjacent room. She immediately shot up and began to sneak out in the direction he’d pointed. ’This is my chance.’

After a few steps, she found it—a small, inconspicuous door.

The door was hidden in the shadows at the end of the hall, partially obscured by a pile of clutter. You would never have noticed it if you weren’t looking for it.

Her heart soared. ’Just pull this door open, and freedom is on the other side!’

She could already picture herself bursting into the night, running toward the streetlights, and flagging down a car.

However, the instant she gave it a hard pull—

Someone suddenly seized her by the neck. Before she could even react, a vicious kick slammed into her stomach.

Her windpipe was crushed, sending a sharp pain through her throat. An explosion of agony erupted in her abdomen, as if she’d been smashed with a sledgehammer.

"Ugh!"

Her eyes instantly flooded with tears.

"Who is it? Which bastard ambushed me!"

She clutched her stomach, sucking in sharp breaths of pain as she couldn’t help but curse.

Every breath felt like a knife twisting in her gut, her stomach convulsing.

But she fought through the pain, refusing to show weakness. Her eyes shot open, scanning the area for her attacker.

"Still trying to run?"

Wang Kang’s sinister voice came from above.

His tone was level, yet it was laced with thick, murderous intent and ridicule, as if he had seen through her every move and was just waiting for her to walk into his trap.

Song Chenglu looked up. The same man in gray who had escorted her back was standing behind Wang Kang, a sneer plastered on his face as he stared down at her.

His face was now a mask of smug satisfaction.

He looked like he was watching a play that had been planned all along.

She finally understood. From the moment she’d promised to "behave," they had just been waiting for her to make a move.

She had been played.

What she thought was an opportunity was nothing but a trap.

Her line about "my family coming to get me" had, in fact, been the very thing that gave her away.

"Brother Wang, I... I just wanted to get some fresh air."

She managed to say, forcing a look of grievance onto her face.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and combined with her choked sobs, she looked the very picture of misery.

She knew that resisting now would only get her killed faster. Her only option was to play dumb, play weak, and play innocent.

Every nerve screamed in pain, but she fought to control her expression, refusing to let her anger show.

"Fresh air? You go to the back entrance to get ’fresh air’? Do you take me for an idiot?"

Wang Kang sneered, his voice dripping with undisguised sarcasm.

He crouched down, seized her by the chin, and forced her to look at him.

She didn’t dare look away, didn’t dare even to blink, terrified of provoking him further.

"I... I..."

She opened her mouth, lips trembling, but couldn’t get a single word out.

Any excuse would be feeble now. She knew nothing she could say would make a difference.

"Tie her up!"

Wang Kang commanded with a wave of his hand, his voice as cold as iron.

Before the words had even left his mouth, two burly men rushed out from the shadows. They carried thick hemp ropes, clearly having been prepared for this.

Song Chenglu panicked. She scrambled backward on all fours until her back hit the wall, leaving her with nowhere to run.

Her eyes widened as she watched the two figures close in, a cold sweat drenching her back.

"Brother Wang, it’s a misunderstanding! I was just taking a walk!"

’She didn’t want to die. Especially not in a place like this.’

’She had a family, things left undone. She couldn’t die here.’

Wang Kang’s expression darkened. He grabbed a handful of her hair and began to drag her straight into the courtyard.

"So you won’t cry until you see the coffin, is that it? You like to run, do you? Fine! Today, I’ll let you run until you’ve had your fill!"

Wang Kang snarled, his voice filled with rage and the sadistic pleasure of revenge.