Love Lock

Chapter 17 No Going Back, No Going Back

On a winter afternoon, the sun lazily spilled into the mountain valley, with a thin layer of snow covering the withered branches and fallen leaves, and occasional dappled sunlight dancing gently.

A gentle breeze swept through, stirring up gusts of dry, cold air, carrying with it the fresh scent of pine branches.

Han Lei drove the ambulance on the mountain road, glancing at Zhao Zun sitting in the passenger seat through the rearview mirror from time to time. He kept a sullen face and didn't say a word, and she didn't know what he was thinking.

The car stopped in a large open space. Han Lei jumped out of the car, recalling the events of the day she traveled through time, and looked around.

Zhao Zun did not disturb her. Instead, he got out of the car and silently walked to a pine tree, quietly watching that bright and beautiful figure.

"The ambulance seems to have been left here that day." Han Lei walked to a spot and looked around, but then thought it didn't quite look like it. "No, it seems like it was left there."

Han Lei walked to another place and saw obvious tire tracks on the ground. A bright smile immediately appeared on her face.

Yes, right here.

She muttered to herself, looking down and studying the tire tracks carefully. Every now and then she would squat down, grab a small handful of soil, and rub it between her fingers.

Those were just ordinary soil, without any magnetism or anything special about them.

Han Lei looked up at the sky. A few white clouds floated in the azure sky. She could not see the black hole or the time tunnel.

She took out her phone again and looked around for a signal, but still to no avail.

"What exactly caused the time travel?" Han Lei gently pinched her chin, pondering deeply.

Looking at Han Lei's serious face, Zhao Zun felt dejected. He reached into his robes and tightly gripped the love lock hanging around his neck, thinking to himself, "Girl, do you really want to go back that much? Is there really nothing here that you'd miss?"

Han Lei pondered for a moment, then suddenly slapped her forehead, strode towards the ambulance, got into the driver's seat, and started the car.

She remembered that day when she suddenly turned the steering wheel while driving, lost control of the car, and ended up here after tumbling down the cliff.

Han Lei drove her car in circles around the open space, occasionally jerking the steering wheel. She muttered to herself, "Go back! Go back! Go back quickly!"

Han Lei was too busy to see that Zhao Zun was leaning lazily against a pine tree with his arms crossed, muttering a prayer: "I can't go back! I can't go back! You can't go back!"

The ambulance would suddenly drift this way and then suddenly fishtail that way, kicking up clouds of dust as it passed.

Han Lei tried again and again, only to fail repeatedly. Finally, the car shot off like an arrow, hurtling towards the cliff not far away.

Zhao Zun was shocked and sprang to his feet. He took a few steps after chasing after it, only to find the ambulance coming to an emergency stop at the edge of the cliff.

Zhao Zun's heart was pounding in his chest. He paused for a moment, then rushed to the car and stood there. Looking at the car's hood, which was only a chopstick's width from the edge of the cliff, his face was filled with rage.

"What are you doing? Don't you know you'll get yourself killed doing this?" Zhao Zun shouted angrily.

Just a moment ago, he felt like he was about to lose that pretty and kind girl. It felt like a piece of his heart had been cut out, and the pain was so intense that he could hardly breathe.

The car door opened, and Han Lei stepped out, looking utterly defeated. She had just tried one last time, imagining herself making the ambulance plunge off the cliff, just like last time. Perhaps only by plunging off the cliff could she travel back to China.

But at the last moment, she hesitated!

After all, last time she instinctively jerked the steering wheel. This time, she didn't have the courage to intentionally plunge off the cliff.

"I can't go back," Han Lei murmured, her spirits plummeting. "Heh! You came in fine, but you can't go back."

Han Lei didn't notice Zhao Zun's murderous expression. She walked to the back of the car, squatted down, and buried her head deeply in her knees.

Upon hearing Han Lei's words, Zhao Zun's eyes lit up, and the gloom on his face quickly disappeared, replaced by joy and excitement. His large hand couldn't help but reach for the love lock in his pocket.

Seeing that Han Lei was in a bad mood, Zhao Zun walked over to her and gently squatted down.

"If we can't go back, then we can't go back. It's better that way," Zhao Zun said, suppressing his excitement.

With a bang, Han Lei suddenly raised her head and glared angrily at him.

"What did you say? What do you mean it's better not to go back?" Han Lei pouted, almost crying. She looked extremely aggrieved. "Uh..."

Zhao Zun really wanted to slap himself. Why did he have to say what was on his mind?
"I can't go back, are you happy?" Han Lei grinned at Zhao Zun, her cute and sweet appearance making her look fierce in a cute way.

"No!" Zhao Zun blurted out, no longer daring to show any happiness. "I just wanted to say, it would be great if we could go back, but it's not so bad if we can't, since I'm here with you."

Zhao Zun's words made some sense, and Han Lei glared at him angrily, her mood slightly calmed down. But upon further reflection, she still felt resentful.

"Hmph! I can't be bothered with you."

Han Lei playfully kicked Zhao Zun lightly, then got up and walked directly towards the driver's seat, her swaying waist revealing her girlish charm.

The soft, gentle voice of the Wu dialect is incredibly alluring to men. Han Lei's delicate, sweet, and coquettish tone, reminiscent of the water towns of Jiangnan, made Zhao Zun's eyes light up. He felt as if a feather was gently tickling his heart, making him feel itchy.

Just like when a Northeastern man hears a Southern girl softly call him "Big Brother," it feels like his whole body goes tingly.

It's so addictive!

Is the love lock really that effective?

Zhao Zun clutched the love lock in his arms, chuckled foolishly twice, and quickly got into the car.

………This is a lazy dividing line………

When Zhao Zun and Han Lei rushed back to the military camp from the mountain valley, it was almost midnight.

The two had dinner together in the central command tent. After Zhao Zun escorted Han Lei back to the adjacent tent, he went to rest. However, Han Lei lay on the wooden bed but couldn't fall asleep.

"System, come out here." Han Lei looked at the top of the tent and shouted irritably.

"Ding! Good evening, host!"

"Hmph!" Han Lei snorted. "I'm not okay at all. I want to go back."

"I'm only responsible for giving out rewards and selling things; I'm not responsible for getting you back."

Han Lei rolled her eyes. "If you won't take responsibility, then who will be responsible for getting me back?"

"Your mission is here; you can't go back." The system's voice was cold and devoid of emotion.

"Mission?" Han Lei was surprised. "I inexplicably transmigrated here, what mission could I possibly have?"

"do not know!"

"Then what do I need to do to complete the mission?"

"do not know!"

"When will our mission be complete?"

"do not know!"

"Are you kidding me? You know nothing. You just brought me here?"

Han Lei wanted to bang her head against the wall!
Having transmigrated here, the only connection she has now is with the system, but this lousy system knows absolutely nothing. She's truly helpless!

"Since we can't go back, can't I at least have some drinks and a big meal?"

"I'm sorry, host. You used all the fifty taels of silver you were rewarded with yesterday to buy a guitar, karaoke equipment, food, and clothing. There are no silver left in the system now."

"what--"

Han Lei is going crazy!