Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
However, even though Reinitz was truly drunk, he was not a typical drunk. He didn’t confuse people he knew, but he did lose a bit of self control with his actions. For example, he used his fingers to do what he always wanted, which was to rub Gu Nianzhi’s earlobes. But then he felt it was wrong and desperately wiped his hands on his pants…
Gu Nianzhi coldly assessed Reinitz and Als’ expressions to ensure they were actually drunk before pouring them another glass. “Enjoy drinking, I’m going to bed now.”
It was actually only 8pm, and Gu Nianzhi never slept that early. However, Reinitz didn’t say anything and just watched her leave. Raising his wine glass, he downed the entire thing with his eyes open. He finally realized what Gu Nianzhi had served him when he finished it. It was a combination of beer, wine, and vodka. The ratio was meticulous, so not only was the drink high in alcoholic content, but it also knocked someone out easily. He splayed out on the dining table after finishing it. His head was spinning, and he was unable to get up. Right before he lost consciousness, he thought about how he had underestimated Gu Nianzhi…
Meanwhile, Als had lost control of his body and was dancing in the dining room as he sang his favorite musical, “The Magic Flute.”
Gu Nianzhi returned to her room. Although she appeared very calm, her heart was hammering like a drum. She quickly packed all her personal belongings and quietly sat on the window bay to allow the peaceful night scenery calm her down. After a while, she pretended to be thirsty and silently crept downstairs to get water. As expected, Reinitz was passed out drunk while Als hugged the wine bottle as he continued to sing the musical. Gu Nianzhi smiled then went outside to wave at two of Als’ guards. They came over when they saw her come out and asked, “Where is Miss Gu going?”
Gu Nianzhi shook her head. “Your chief is drunk, and the house reeks of alcohol.” She then pointed to the door. “Aren’t you going to take a look? Your chief is so drunk, he’s singing a musical…”
Hahahaha! The two young guards were amused by Gu Nianzhi and went inside to look. “Then we’ll be escorting Mr. Als home. Goodnight, Miss Gu.”
Gu Nianzhi nodded and said with a smile, “Goodnight, you take care.” She waited for the two guards to help Als into the small car and drive away before going back inside the house.
Reinitz was still drunk in the living room. He slept deeply with his brows furrowed and one hand balled into a fist pressed under his chin. His entire body was so tense, it looked like he was having a nightmare. Gu Niazhi felt very conflicted. She looked at Reinitz for a while and quietly went upstairs to put on her Hermes bag and bundle up the nun’s habit from the nunnery. She had wrapped some bread and muffins in plastic wrap to put inside the habit and planned to eat them on the way. Looking back at the room she had stayed in a dozen days, she then pulled the wool blanket off of her bed to take downstairs.
When she arrived to the dining room, she gently covered Reinitz with it. It was late September, and Berlin was beginning to feel chilly. Gu Nianzhi didn’t want Reinitz to sleep on the table like that all night because he might get sick. She got up and looked back at the house one more time before quickly leaving. When she came out the front door, she gently closed it and strode onto the maple tree-lined path outside.
In the night, she walked alone and thought about how she’d quite like this place if she wasn’t under house arrest… Unfortunately, she couldn’t stand it anymore. She recalled how the beginning of her life with Huo Shao was similar to her time with Reintiz. She hadn’t had any freedom to go anywhere. But the difference was that she had been completely willing to follow at Huo Shao’s heels at the time, because she only felt safe around him. Not only would she never sneak away, she probably wouldn’t leave even if he kicked her out, unlike her current situation of using all these methods to escape. It was because she didn’t want to be under house arrest.
Why had she changed? Was it because she had grown up? As she considered it, she keenly sensed someone was following her. This was expected, since she never thought a few bottles of wine to inebriate those two men would mean she could escape. There were so many guards and spies watching her, how could sneak out alone? So, she had another brilliant plan. She walked further up and turned a corner to get to the intersection. This was a forked road, and there typically was no traffic since Reinitz’s villa was in a remote location. It took more than an hour to walk to the nearest bar, but this forked road would be a blindspot for the people following her. As long as she sneaked inside, the people behind her wouldn’t see how she disappeared. They would only assume she had walked ahead and turned a corner, so they would immediately chase after her.
She had noticed this place when she went out for a walk with Reinitz one time. She hadn’t said anything and only remembered it for herself. This time, everything went as she had planned. Soon after she ducked inside, two strapping white men in casual clothes quickly ran past the road ahead. They stood at the forked road to quickly make a call, then each man took off in a different direction.
Gu Nianzi waited for them to leave before coming out and running towards the bar. She hadn’t run in many days, and all the food she had eaten recently hadn’t been absorbed by her body, so her stomach began to hurt soon after she started running. Cradling her stomach, she sat under a tree for a long time before she felt some relief. Looking up at the moonlight and shining stars through the foliage, she was so touched she could cry. She finally had gotten out! She was finally free! As long as she could run to that bar, she would be able to find a place to go online or borrow a phone to use! As long as she could contact the outside world, what did she have to fear!?
After resting for a bit, she stood up when she felt the strength return to her legs and continued running to the bar. It was when she escaped this time that Gu Nianzhi realized she had become much weaker than before. She had assumed she had a special body constitution, but now it looked like apart from being able to heal faster than others, she wasn’t a bulletproof iron woman who couldn’t fall ill… She still got sick, became weak, and if she was in a bad mood, she felt anxiety more easily than normal people. With that thought, Gu Nianzhi felt much better. It was true that it was always a give and take. She wasn’t a monster…
She looked around to confirm no one was following her before slowly making her way to the bar. Though it normally only took an hour, she spent almost two hours to get there due to her weakness.
What terrified her was the shrill sound of sirens coming from the road behind her when she had just arrived at the bar’s door! Black police cars, as well as black uniformed soldiers and policemen on motorcycles, headed in the other direction. They were going where Gu Nianzhi had come from, which was the direction of Reinitz’s villa. Seeing the gnarly symbol on the vehicles made Gu Nianzhi shudder. It was the Federal Intelligence Agency! The logo was derived from the Gestapo’s logo…
It was Als. He must be pursuing her! Gu Nianzhi didn’t expect them to be so fast! She clearly recalled Als being black out drunk when he was carried away by the two guards. But then again, she had delayed on the way for two hours because of her weakness…
There was no way around it. Gritting her teeth, Gu Nianzhi pushed open the door to walk into the bar. It was past 10pm, so the bar was already closed. There were no bartenders or customers in sight. The empty place was completely devoid of any people. Gu Nianzhi thought about it and walked to the back hallway. There was a small door with two German words on it. Gu Nianzhi guessed they might be, “Employees Only, ” which meant the area was only for employees, and customers should not coming in. But Gu Nianzhi had no choice. She pushed the door to walk in, and sitting on the couch was a drop dead gorgeous, blue-eyed, blonde-haired woman. She turned around to glance at Gu Nianzhi, who only felt dizzy and instinctively looked away to ask nervously, “Can I borrow your phone for a second?”
The woman raised her brow and immediately broke into a smile as she rose. “Ok…” Just as she was about to pass her phone to Gu Nianzhi, there was a loud banging from outside, then the sound of uniform marching. The noise was enough to shake the floorboards in the bar.
Gu Nianzhi felt even more terrified but tried to appear calm as she reached out to the woman to take the phone. Suddenly, someone shouted from outside, “Anyone here? Come out! It’s the police! Get out here!”
Gu Nianzhi’s face turned ashen. hadn’t those cars passed by already? How did they come back so quickly?! She looked pleadingly at the blonde woman and shook her head.
The woman studied her silence before asking in German, “They’re here for you?”
“I… I…” Gu Nianzhi managed to stutter before speaking in Englsih, “They kidnapped me and put me under house arrest in another place. I just escaped, please help me!” She looked so pleadingly that the blonde woman thought the pretty Asian girl was like a terrified lamb for slaughter. She was so scared and anxious, so… easily destroyed. No one would think a young girl like that would be a threat, right? Then who were the people putting her under house arrest and pursuing her? Was it gangsters or the police? The sirens from earlier were probably the police… The blonde woman studied her carefully, her eyes conflicted as she seemed to consider whether she should believe Gu Nianzhi or give her up.
