Chapter 1527 - The Test Of Courage (2)

Ade and Hande are making their way through the part of the property which is close to the land owned by the Payne family. It's an unmaintained area with huge trees and dense bushes.

There is a trail nearby, but the map is taking them through the foliage, off the path.

Ade and Hande stopped in the area where tokens should be, but other than bushes, and thick tree trunks overlapping with heavy shadows, they can't see anything. It's very dark.

"Maybe it's behind a tree, let's look around...", Hande suggested.

"Stay close…", Ade reminded Hande.

He can see that she is looking at the map and not where she is going.

Hande pointed the flashlight at him and rolled her eyes. He told her the same thing ten times (at least).

She stepped backward and narrowed her eyes at him irritably.

"What do you think will… AHHH!", her snarky comeback ended up with a scream when she lost her footing and found herself falling.

Ade extended his arms in Hande's direction with an intention to grab her, but Hande grabbed him first and tugged him down with her, and they fell on the soft grass.

Of course, when she lost the balance, Hande dropped the flashlight and the map from her hands and the flashlight went off, leaving them in the dark.

Ade was blinded (she pointed the flashlight in his face a second ago).

He got on his knees and he can feel that Hande is next to him.

"Are you OK?", Ade asked with concern apparent in his voice.

Hande groaned. "You are squishing my leg…"

"Sorry, but there is not much space…", he moved a bit. "Is this OK? Are you OK?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Hande responded while getting into a seated position.

Ade stretched his arms to feel the surrounding. The fall seemed to be longer than just the ground. Just as he suspected, there is a moist dirt wall all around them, circular shape… they fell into a trap.

Ade was happy that whoever prepared the trap, filled it with grass (or a grass-like material), so they ended up with a soft landing.

"What happened?", Hande asked after a few endless seconds of silence.

"You pointed a flashlight in my face a moment before you fell and dragged me down with you. And we ended up in a trap.", Ade grumbled.

Hande was happy that it's dark and he can't see her face. She felt horrible. "I'm sorry, I messed up."

Ade exhaled. He knows that she didn't do it on purpose. "It's fine. It should not be high, we can get out. Where is the flashlight?"

"It should be somewhere…", Hande said while patting the grass they are on. She felt something firm and grabbed it.

"That is my hand!"

"Sorry, sorry…"

By now, Ade was used to the dark again, and he could see faint outlines.

"Good, the hole is not deep…", Ade said as he peeked above the ground level. When he stands up, the hole is only waist-deep. After confirming this, he returned to patting the grass on the bottom in the search for the flashlight.

Hande was unable to find the flashlight. It probably sank in the grass. She grumbled while dipping her fingers in the grass to find the flashlight and hoping that no insect will come to bite her.

"Shh…", Ade shushed Hande when he heard a movement not far from them.

They both peeked up and saw outlines of two people approaching them. The newcomers turned around the bush and their flashlight was pointing at the map, so Ade and Hande could not see who it is.

Hande wanted to stand up, but Ade grabbed her hand and held her back.

Hande didn't understand, why is he not letting her stand up? They can ask those to illuminate the hole so that they find their flashlight! "Why…?"

Ade squeezed her hand, indicating to her to be patient.

"Trust me…", Ade said in a whisper and Hande obeyed.

She was painfully aware that he is holding her hand. Oh, Gosh!

Ade has a plan. He and Hande could not see the tokens, even though they know that the tokens are close. So, he will let the two newcomers find the exact location of the tokens, and then they will reveal themselves. Perfect! And if he knew that Hande is on the verge of fainting from excitement, he would let go of her hand.

The two people spoke and Ade and Hande recognized them as Daniel and Xiaohui.

"Are you sure this is the way?", Daniel asked.

"You are welcome to look at the map.", Xiaohui responded.

"No, it's fine. I trust in your capabilities.", Daniel responded dreamily. He and Xiaohui in the dark, isn't this a perfect chance to confess his feelings? He thought that it does not get better than this…

"Shi?", Daniel called.

"Yes?"

He put his hand around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Be careful, there might be traps."

She smiled. "OK."

Daniel scolded himself. He was supposed to say that he likes her, and not to watch for the traps. Why did he chicken out at the last moment? Ah, this is hard.

He wanted to start his confession, when Xiaohui pointed the flashlight up. "There…"

Daniel looked up and saw that there is a net with tokens suspended on the branch of the tree. "I will get it. Light up my way…"

Xiaohui watched with admiration as Daniel skillfully climbed the tree and returned with the token in his hand.

From the nearby hole in the ground, Ade grinned. Yes! His plan worked! The tokens are up in the tree! Now just to find the right timing to announce their presence…

"Great! That is our third one!", Xiaohui exclaimed when Daniel came down and victoriously handed her the token which she kept in the backpack.

Xiaohui was checking the map, to determine their next destination, when she heard Daniel call in a half-whisper: "Shi?"

"Yes?", she asked without lifting her gaze from the map.

Daniel swallowed hard. "There is no one else I would rather do this with…"

"Yeah, it's fun.", Xiaohui responded and after a few seconds of silence, she lifted her gaze from the map and observed Daniel.

'Why he is shifting from one leg to another? Does he need to use the restroom?', she wondered.

"Not like that… I mean, I am having fun with you, but it's more than that…", Daniel stumbled over his words. "When I saw you in Las Vegas I thought that you are cute and I came to talk, and then I found out that your voice is nice, and you are smart and funny, and I couldn't wait for my next chance to go to the Beach House and see you again…"

Xiaohui was in a daze. He just called her cute and gave her many other compliments, is he confessing that he likes her? Well, she likes him as well, but she didn't know if he is by her side as her senior, taking the role of a brother, or maybe Sarah and Aiden told him to spend time with her, but if he likes her for real…

The flashlight slid out of Xiaohui's hand and fell on the ground, at the same time when she moved toward Daniel and grabbed onto his t-shirt, just above his chest, and her lips landed on his, preventing any other words coming out of his mouth.

Daniel looked at Xiaohui and his heart was drumming in his ears while his knees shook. She kissed him! Oh, boy!

"I like you too…", Xiaohui said in a whisper and bent to get the flashlight.

In the hole nearby, Ade put his palm on top of Hande's head and pushed her down.

When Xiaohui dropped the flashlight, the damned thing ended up illuminating them for a moment and blinding them in the process. Ade could not see the kiss, but he knows that they just witnessed a love confession. If Daniel or Xiaohui see them now, wouldn't that make them peepers?

Ah, he only wanted to use Xiaohui and Daniel to find the tokens, and not to see something like this!

"Get down!", Ade whispered in urgency when he realized that Hande is not budging. If he pushes harder, he might hurt her.

Hande was startled and swiftly sat down and hugged her knees. Her mind exploded. Just now she saw Xiaohui kissing Daniel! And based on Daniel's words, this was their first kiss! How bold!

Ade saw Daniel and Xiaohui holding hands and they both laughed foolishly while walking away.

Other than breathing, Ade and Hande didn't move a muscle until Daniel's and Xiaohui's steps drifted away and they were back to silence.

Ade exhaled. It's just as he thought: love and dating and kissing, it turns the brain into mush. Why else would Daniel giggle like a girl?

"Let's find that flashlight and get out of here before we see something else we shouldn't…", Ade reminded Hande while his hands moved over the grass.

Hande smiled. This is not bad. Just Ade and she in the dark.

"Why are you not helping?", Ade grumbled.

Hande cleared her throat and shifted a bit. She moved her right hand over the grass while holding the flashlight in her left one, happy that Ade can't see it.

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