The Chinese word **一溜烟** (yī liù yān) is a vivid idiomatic expression formed through metaphorical compounding: **一溜** means "a streak" or "a swift line," and **烟** means "smoke." Together, they paint the image of a streak of smoke—something that vanishes quickly and seamlessly into the air. This visual metaphor is applied to describe a person or thing moving with extreme speed and sudden disappearance, as if turning into a wisp of smoke that streaks away, hence capturing the sense of darting off rapidly, often in a nimble or furtive manner.