Chapter 121: A Boyfriend's Rights
"All right, stop crying. If anyone sees you, they'll think I'm bullying you!" Zhou Fan didn't know what else to say. He just stepped on the gas, catching up to Fan and pulling up alongside his vehicle.
After several hours, they arrived at a small town. Passing through it would take them into the next province.
"We can't drive any further. It looks like our guy went into the mountains. He was in this location when we first started tracking him, and he's still here!" Fan said, holding up his phone and pointing at a blinking red dot on the screen for Zhou Fan.
"You sure that tracker won't be discovered?" Zhou Fan sounded skeptical.
"You can doubt me, but don't you dare doubt our technology. This is our latest development, no bigger than a pinhole. I slapped it onto his back during the fight; it's already embedded under his skin!" Fan retorted, clearly displeased as he glared at Zhou Fan.
"Even so, we still have at least a few hundred kilometers to cover. How are we supposed to get there if we don't drive? Besides, I thought the roads in the next province were fine?" Zhang Lei chimed in with his own doubts.
"Once we're out of this town, every road ahead will likely have their lookouts. If we chase them by car, we'll be exposed immediately. It's not just dangerous—it'll spook our target and make him run again!" Fan explained, frustrated. "According to intel from other Wolf Fang members, any of our people who've gone further have vanished without a trace."
This meant the people backing Chu Yifeng were sending Wolf Fang a warning: keep chasing, and we'll kill every agent you send.
"Just tell us what we do next," Zhou Fan said, waving his hand impatiently and giving Fan a look of disdain.
"Bus, then a train straight to Black Water City. According to our intel, Chu Yifeng is supposed to be meeting someone there before leaving Huaxia for Mao Bear Country." Fan naturally noticed the look of disdain in Zhou Fan's eyes. He even understood the reason for it, but his hands were tied.
"Also, the four of us need to split up. We'll rendezvous at Black Water Square once we get to Black Water City."
The moment he finished speaking, Chu Qianqian naturally looped her arm through Zhou Fan's and looked at Fan and Zhang Lei. The message was clear: she was sticking with Zhou Fan.
Neither Fan nor Zhang Lei objected. They turned and left, but instead of going together, they both went their separate ways.
"Could you please keep some distance?" Zhou Fan said, glancing at his arm, which was being held in a death grip. He turned, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the train station.
"Keep what distance? You're supposed to be protecting me, aren't you?" Chu Qianqian retorted nonchalantly. Far from letting go, she tightened her grip and shot him a defiant glare.
At the station, Zhou Fan bought two tickets to Bin City. From there, they would transfer to another train heading to Black Water City.
Since they were short on time, they were only able to get hard-seat tickets.
"Why aren't we flying?" Chu Qianqian whined, on the verge of a breakdown as she stared at the five-hour-plus travel time printed on the ticket.
"They'll definitely have people watching the airports. They'll have eyes on the train stations too, but the crowds are much larger here, making it easier to slip through unnoticed." Zhou Fan led Chu Qianqian to a seat to wait for their train to be called. "Go to the restroom and change out of that skirt. It won't be comfortable on a hard-seat train."
"You should change, too. I brought a pair of matching couple's tracksuits! It'll make it easier for us to blend in."
So, once they were on the train, Chu Qianqian naturally slipped into the role of Zhou Fan's girlfriend. One moment she was asking him to massage her legs, the next to rub her shoulders, much to the envy of the couple sitting across from them.
"Hey, don't push it," Zhou Fan whispered, threatening her under his breath. 'Damn it, does she think I'm her personal servant?'
"How is this pushing it? You get to be this close to a gorgeous woman like me. You're the one who's lucky here, you know?" Chu Qianqian giggled, her eyes sparkling with smug satisfaction. During the dozen-or-so-hour journey to Black Water City, since the carriage had emptied out a bit halfway through, she even stretched out on the seat, resting her head on Zhou Fan's lap.
"So, you're my girlfriend now. Does that mean I get to exercise a boyfriend's rights?" Noticing that most of the other passengers were asleep, Zhou Fan leaned in and whispered with a mischievous grin.
"N-No way!" Looking at the man so close to her, the man who had nearly died to save her, Chu Qianqian felt her heart pound in her chest. Even though she knew she shouldn't, she couldn't help it. Her face flushed red as she shot Zhou Fan a look, then turned away, pressing her cheek against his stomach.
But in the next moment, Chu Qianqian almost yelped. She slapped him playfully. "You're impossible! Stop thinking things you shouldn't!"
Even as she told Zhou Fan not to let his mind wander, her own thoughts began to run wild. Her face grew even redder, and her fluttering eyelashes betrayed her inner turmoil.
Zhou Fan gave an awkward laugh. He reached out, lifting her head with one hand to cushion it better. With his other hand, he took off his jacket and draped it over her. Then he gently patted her on the back, as if trying to lull her to sleep.