[quote=@xiaomiau]
Liwei puts up a hand defensively. "Hey, no hard feelings!" he says slowly, keeping an eye on the road as he presses the situation. [i]Time to deescalate,[/i] he thinks quickly. The road ahead is featureless as they slide out of the small town and onto a wooded highway. "Where did you pick her up?"
[/quote]

Mona sighs, trying to get her temper to flare down. She looks around. "It was deeper in the forest. We couldn't take the car, which is the problem. It was this side of the river, towards the east."