If I Am Guilty

The sky was a greyish-white, with heavy, disheveled clouds obscuring any hint of azure. Beneath such a sky lay forest-green mountains intertwined with each other. Just below the mountains there was a vast deep-green forest. Closer by, a great expanse of grassland displayed a mixture of deep-yellow, light-yellow, grass-green, and various colored flowers.

A grey-white highway stretched out right before her eyes.

There was a light rain falling from the sky and the wind had started to pick up. On the roadside, a few sheep grazed on grass, seemingly unaffected by the weather. They raised their heads and stared at You Mingxu.

You Mingxu had not expected Tibet to be so cold even in June. She had on only waterproof trousers, a t-shirt, and an anorak. Her long hair was tightly pulled back into a ponytail under her helmet. Despite the cold, she maintained a steady and consistent speed on her mountain bike.

There was not a soul in sight.

She looked up at the sky again, then checked her watch. "It's time to find somewhere to rest for the day," she thought.

The area was quite remote, with few residents. It was primarily used by trekkers and hikers. She rode on for a while longer. It was past four in the afternoon, and the sky had grown darker, with ominous shadows over the mountains. The raindrops were getting larger.

You Mingxu was tired and a bit hungry, so she stopped her bike by the side of the road, took out some chocolate and sausages from her backpack, and started eating slowly.

She had been stopped for about ten minutes. A single car, with local number plates, passed by. It was quite old. It was driven by a middle-aged uncle. She tried to hitch a ride by waving her hand, but he drove past as if he had not seen her.

She didn't mind and continued eating her cold sausages under a tree by the roadside.

After a while, a motorcycle approached from afar, carrying a long-haired young man. You Mingxu watched him warily. He was dark-skinned, wearing a denim jacket. His features suspicious, and his eyes kept darting all around her.

He stopped next to her bike, stared at her for a moment, and asked, "Where are you going?"

Just then, You Mingxu heard the sound of a car engine, she glanced back and noticed another car coming up behind them. It was hazy with rain, the car's headlights were on, and she couldn't make out the driver.

She gestured with her chin at the road ahead, indicating to the motorcyclist the direction she was headed.

The young man on the motorcycle asked her again, "Are you alone?"

You Mingxu smiled, and replied, "No, I have a few companions; they're behind me because I ride faster."

The young man gave a deep look, but didn't respond. His hand rested on the handlebars of his motorcycle, and he made no move to leave. The car that was following them drove by steadily and at a moderate speed. You Mingxu took her glance off the young motorcyclist and looked through the car window, with raindrops dotting on it, at the driver - a young man with fair skin and facial features not typical of locals. He had a crew cut and his features were sharp. He too wore an anorak, black in color. A small part of his neck and Adam's apple was visible from the slightly raised collar of his jacket. He was quite handsome, with an air of rugged masculinity about him.

The motorcyclist looked back, scrutinizing the driver for a moment. His face remained expressionless.

You Mingxu quickly sprung onto her bicycle intending to ride away. But the motorcyclist, seemingly accustomed to either herding sheep or hunting, or perhaps both, moved quickly and reached out to grab the front of her bike with one hand, while the other reached for her backpack.

He was a robber.

You Mingxu glared at him sharply and struggled to break free. The two became entangled in a scuffle. The car had already pulled away about a hundred meters and perhaps hadn't noticed the situation unfolding behind it. You Mingxu braced herself and, clutching her backpack, shouted out loud, "Let go! Let go of me! Help! Robbery! Help...!"

With a wicked expression, the motorcyclist punched You Mingxu in the face and shouted venomously, "You asked for it! Shut up and stop screaming!". You Mingxu, quick on her feet, dodged the punch and the young motorcyclist managed to grab her wrist instead, pausing for a moment as he felt her smooth and delicate touch. As he paid more attention to her appearance, he seemed startled.

With sudden excitement flushing his brain, the motorcyclist decided to pursue a different course. Leaving his motorcycle, he no longer attempted to steal Mingxu's bag. Catching hold of her shoulders, he attempted to push her towards the trees, saying in a frivolous way: "Why are you dodging? I'm not going to rob you. In such weather, it's not safe for a girl to be on this road. Let me take you to a safer place, alright?"

His tone had suddenly changed; he was now behaving frivolously and making insinuations. You Mingxu needed no further hints. She was disgusted beyond belief. However, the circumstances were critical. She made fierce attempts to resist while shouting at the top of her lungs, "Brother of the car with plate number Chuan AXXXXX, save me! Please save me! I'm being robbed and raped! Save me…!"