The paramedics quickly secured Shen Rui onto the stretcher, fastening the straps with practiced efficiency.
The little girl whimpered, fresh tears sliding down her pale cheeks as fear gripped her.
The two men, however, had no patience for a crying child.
They exchanged a glance, irritation flickering between them, before one of them jerked his chin toward Li Xiyan.
"Handle her."
Li Xiyan moved to Shen Rui's side immediately, schooling her features into a mask of calm even as her heart pounded.
She crouched beside the stretcher, placing a gentle hand on the child's arm.
"Shen Rui, listen to me." Her voice was soft, reassuring. "I need you to stay strong, okay? You're going to be fine. Just hold onto me."
Shen Rui sniffled, her tiny fingers gripping Li Xiyan's sleeve tightly.
Li Xiyan deliberately took her time, drawing out every word, every movement.
The nurse call button had been pressed—someone was bound to come check on them any second now.
If she could just buy a little more time—
"Enough." One of the men snapped, stepping forward impatiently. He grabbed Li Xiyan by the arm and yanked her away from the stretcher.
Her pulse spiked as she caught sight of the gun still clenched in his hand.
"If you so much as make a sound or try to get anyone's attention—" The cold press of metal brushed against her ribs, his grip tightening.
"I'll put a bullet in you. And if that doesn't shut you up, I'll make sure the kid takes one too."
Li Xiyan stiffened, her teeth clenching.
Her gaze flickered to the other man, the one adjusting the stretcher.
A gun rested against his waist, barely concealed beneath his uniform.
Two armed men.
One child.
No room for reckless mistakes.
She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to nod.
"Good. Now move."
With a last reassuring glance at Shen Rui, Li Xiyan fell in step with them.
The men maneuvered the stretcher out of the room, keeping their movements casual, as if they were simply following standard hospital protocol.
A blanket was draped over Shen Rui, hiding her from view.
They reached the elevator, stepping inside just as a nurse turned the corner down the hall.
Li Xiyan's breath caught, her fingers curling into fists at her sides.
If she could just—
The man beside her nudged the gun against her back, a silent warning.
Her stomach twisted.
The elevator doors slid shut.
As they reached the ambulance bay, Li Xiyan kept scanning the surroundings, hoping a security guard would notice something off. But just as they stepped outside, she realized the hospital's security was nowhere in sight.
A distant commotion echoed from inside—an alarm blaring, hurried footsteps, and voices shouting.
Something had happened.
A distraction.
Someone had triggered an alarm or set off a smoke bomb in a nearby hallway, pulling security away.
Her heart sank.
Whoever orchestrated this had planned it well.
Suddenly, a floor nurse stepped out of a nearby office, frowning at them.
"Wait a second," she said, eyes narrowing at the stretcher. "Where are you taking this patient? I didn't see any transfer orders as of this time."
Li Xiyan felt the tension spike.
The man pushing the stretcher answered smoothly, "Urgent transfer. Doctor's orders."
The nurse crossed her arms. "Which doctor? I was just reviewing today's patient movements—there was nothing about a VIP transfer."
Before she could press further, the second man stepped closer to Li Xiyan, pressing the cold barrel of a gun against her lower back—hidden from the nurse's view.
Li Xiyan inhaled sharply.
"Answer her," the man muttered under his breath.
Forcing herself to stay composed, Li Xiyan exhaled and met the nurse's gaze.
"Dr. Chen from Infectious Diseases," she said smoothly. "The patient's fever isn't breaking, and they suspect a rare complication. They're transferring her to the isolation ward at another facility for urgent tests."
The nurse hesitated. "Dr. Chen? I just saw him earlier—he didn't mention anything about a transfer."
"Because he was handling the paperwork," Li Xiyan replied impatiently, mimicking the hurried tone of an overworked intern. "You know how these things go. We're already behind schedule—do you want to hold us up?"
The nurse hesitated. "I need the—"
Before she could finish, a voice called from down the hall.
"Li Qian! We need you over here!"
The nurse turned her head, visibly torn.
She gave them one last suspicious glance but let out a frustrated sigh.
"Fine, but make sure the paperwork gets logged!"
She hurried off toward the voice.
Li Xiyan barely had a moment to exhale before the men shoved her forward.
"Move."
They forced her into the waiting ambulance, the doors slamming shut behind them.
Inside the ambulance, Li Xiyan took a slow breath as the vehicle sped through the streets.
She turned to the two men.
"Let me hold her," she said, her voice calm but firm. "She's scared, and if she panics, it'll be harder for all of us."
The man in the passenger seat glanced back.
The other, sitting across from her, seemed impatient, but after a moment, he nodded.
"Fine. Just keep her quiet."
Li Xiyan immediately pulled the blanket off and gently lifted Shen Rui into her arms.
The little girl trembled, her face buried in Li Xiyan's shoulder.
"Shh, it's okay," Li Xiyan murmured, running a soothing hand down Shen Rui's back. "I'm right here."
Her voice was steady, but her mind was racing.
She kept her eyes sharp, scanning everything—the route they were taking, the faint hum of the siren, the way the men communicated in clipped sentences.
She needed to know where they were going.
After several minutes, the ambulance slowed down, turning sharply into a dimly lit area.
A remote location.
Li Xiyan lifted her head slightly, eyes flicking to the window. The vehicle pulled into what looked like an underground garage—or maybe an abandoned warehouse lot.
Her stomach tensed. They were switching vehicles.
The man in the driver's seat killed the siren and shut off the engine. "We're here."
The doors at the back swung open. Cold air rushed in.
"Move," one of them ordered.
Li Xiyan adjusted her hold on Shen Rui and stepped down carefully. The fake ambulance was being ditched.
In front of them, an unmarked black SUV waited. The moment they approached, the rear door opened.
They were continuing in a different car.