Chapter 145: Soon, I Promise

There are no direct flights from Jingzhou to Mali; a transfer in Dubai is required, with a two-hour layover.

As the plane circled over Dubai, Gu Yan was leaning in Shen Yanhui's arms, drifting off to sleep.

The clouds outside the window were thick, and occasionally, one could see the land below where the desert and the ocean intertwined.

This was the pearl of the Middle East, where prosperity and danger coexisted.

Shen Yanhui's phone vibrated.

He lowered his head to take a look, his expression tightening slightly.

Although his reaction was subtle enough, Gu Yan, leaning against his chest, sensed that something was wrong immediately.

She looked up: "What's wrong?"

Shen Yanhui put his phone away and looked down at her: "Nothing."

His tone was no different from usual, but Gu Yan just felt that something was off.

She wanted to ask again, but the plane had already begun its descent, and the flight attendant's voice came over the intercom, reminding passengers to fasten their seatbelts.

The plane landed smoothly at Dubai International Airport.

Gu Yan looked out through the porthole and felt that the atmosphere on the tarmac was a bit wrong.

Ground crew were hurrying about, and several black off-road vehicles were parked at the edge of the tarmac, with uniformed people standing by the cars who did not look like ordinary security. On the runway in the distance, a plane was taking off in an emergency, its roar more urgent than usual.

She frowned.

Shen Yanhui stood up and took her hand: "Let's go."

She followed him off the plane and into the terminal.

There were fewer people than she had imagined.

Many shops were closed, and the few scattered travelers walked with hurried steps, their faces wearing an indescribable sense of tension. On the screen at the entrance of the duty-free shop, news was scrolling by.

The images showed scenes of explosions, the anchor's expression was grave, and subtitles flashed by rapidly.

"Conflict escalates, multiple countries issue travel warnings..."

"Regional situation tense, surrounding countries strengthen alert..."

Gu Yan's footsteps faltered.

She looked at Shen Yanhui.

He was looking down at his phone, his fingers swiping rapidly across it. Chang Su appeared by his side at some point, whispering a report.

His brow furrowed, then relaxed.

Gu Yan's heart began to sink; she took out her phone and tapped on the news.

The headline struck her eyes: 【Multiple international airports in the Gulf region strengthen security, some flights canceled】

She continued to scroll down.

【Breaking: Regional situation tense, multiple countries in the Middle East close their airspace】

Her heart skipped a beat.

She looked up at Shen Yanhui.

He had just finished his call and was walking toward her.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice a bit tight.

He walked up to her and raised his hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear: "Nothing will happen."

But Gu Yan saw the darkness in the depths of his eyes.

"Shen Yanhui," she grabbed his sleeve, "we shouldn't have come, it's all my fault, I was the one who insisted on coming..."

"Yanyan."

"I didn't think it would be like this... I thought we were just coming for a trip... and would be back soon..."

"Yanyan."

He interrupted her, cupping her face in his hands so she would look at him: "Listen to me."

She looked at him, her eyes beginning to redden.

"Nothing will happen. Trust me."

She nodded, but could not stop the tears from falling.

Living in a peaceful country, she had never imagined that war could break out so easily, and what's more, so close to them.

Shen Yanhui lowered his head, kissed the tears from the corners of her eyes, and gently comforted her.

Just then, a loud boom.

The entire terminal was trembling.

The sound of shattering glass came from afar, along with the screams of the crowd and the piercing sound of alarms.

Gu Yan's body stiffened, and she instinctively gripped Shen Yanhui's clothes.

He pulled her into his arms and used his other hand to protect the back of her head: "Don't be afraid."

His voice was right by her ear, steady.

All around were people fleeing in all directions, the sharp alarms, and another muffled boom from the distance.

But he just stood there, shielding her in his arms, not moving an inch.

Chang Su and several security personnel quickly surrounded them, shielding them in the center.

Shen Yanhui looked up at Chang Su: "Is it arranged?"

Chang Su nodded.

"The Dubai military will arrive within twenty minutes. They have received notice to prioritize the safety of you and your wife."

Shen Yanhui gave a hum and looked down at the person in his arms.

She buried her face in his chest, her shoulders trembling slightly.

He gently patted her back: "It's alright now."

"I'm sorry..." She raised her head, her eye sockets red, with teardrops still hanging on her eyelashes.

He lowered his head and planted a kiss between her brows: "Don't let your imagination run wild; it was an emergency, no one could have predicted it in advance."

She bit her lip and said nothing.

Twenty minutes later, several military off-road vehicles drove onto the airport tarmac.

The car doors opened, and over a dozen fully armed soldiers stepped out, quickly establishing a perimeter. The leader was a middle-aged man wearing desert camouflage; the military rank on his shoulder boards was not low, and his gait was capable.

He walked over with long strides, and upon seeing Shen Yanhui, he quickened his pace slightly: "Mr. Shen."

He bowed slightly, his tone respectful: "The Dubai military has been ordered to receive you; we apologize for the fright caused to you and your wife."

Shen Yanhui nodded slightly: "Sorry for the trouble."

"You are too kind." The man stepped aside to make way, "Please get in the car; we will escort you to a safe place. It is no longer peaceful here, and we need to evacuate as soon as possible."

Shen Yanhui held Gu Yan's hand and walked toward the vehicles.

Gu Yan followed behind him, unable to help but look back at the middle-aged military officer.

He stood where he was, speaking in a low voice into his headset, while the surrounding soldiers were fully armed and on high alert.

All of this was too unfamiliar and too shocking.

She withdrew her gaze and looked at Shen Yanhui.

He was holding her hand very tightly.

——

They were settled into one of the most central hotels in Dubai.

Calling it a hotel, it was actually more like a fortress. The car passed through three security checks, drove into the underground parking garage, then they transferred to a private elevator, finally stopping in front of a heavy wooden door.

The door pushed open to reveal a spacious suite inside. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the Dubai skyline, and in the distance, one could still see the direction where thick smoke was rising.

Shen Yanhui led Gu Yan inside and pressed her down to sit on the sofa: "Drink some water."

She took the cup, her hand still trembling slightly.

He sat down beside her, said nothing, and simply pulled her into his embrace.

She leaned against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and that bit of trembling slowly subsided.

"Shen Yanhui."

"Hm."

"When can we go back?"

He looked down at her: "Soon, I promise."

She didn't ask again.

The roar of a helicopter came from outside the window, moving from far to near, then gradually fading away. She curled up in his arms, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

Not knowing how much time had passed, the door was knocked upon. Chang Su's voice came from outside: "Sir, there is a guest."

Shen Yanhui gently laid her down on the sofa and stood up.

She opened her eyes in a daze.

"Sleep."

She grabbed his sleeve.

He curved his lips slightly, leaned down, and planted a kiss on the corner of her lips: "I'll be back soon."