Looking from above, the river didn’t seem that wide, and they thought they could swim to the shore in no ti. But in reality, getting ashore wasn’t easy; it took them a while to scramble up from the water, and once on shore, they collapsed onto the ground, most of their strength spent.
"We’ve struggled so long to get up here; there’s no way Ariel got up imdiately. After she fell, I didn’t see her at all. What if sothing happened to her? If sothing really happened, I’d never be at peace for the rest of my life," Lin ngyao said, holding Xu Ke’s fingers.
"She’ll be fine. Rember, she’s the little witch of East District; if anyone’s going to be okay, it’s her," Xu Ke reassured, though in truth, he wasn’t so sure himself.
They rested on the shore for a while before heading into the dense forest to search for Ariel. Not finding any sign of her, they followed the water downstream.
By the ti they found Ariel, it was almost dark. She was half-leaning against a tree, her eyes closed, with a hint of blush on her cheeks. Her sleeping face looked serene and adorable, and it was only then that Lin ngyao finally relaxed.
Letting out the breath she’d been holding, Lin ngyao plopped down on the ground, not caring if it was dirty.
Xu Ke also breathed a sigh of relief but he didn’t sit down. The tension in his body released, making him appear much more at ease, but he remained vigilant, eyes scanning the surroundings. No one knew what might appear in this place, especially at night when the forest was perilous.
"Let’s wake her up and leave. We should try to find so habitation nearby before it gets completely dark. It’s too dangerous with just the three of us here," Xu Ke said.
"Okay." Lin ngyao knew this wasn’t the ti for frailty, so even though the soles of her feet were burning with pain, she didn’t voice a need for rest. She didn’t want to hold Xu Ke back.
"Ariel, wake up, we need to get going," Lin ngyao whispered softly.
Ariel gave no response to Lin ngyao.
Lin ngyao reached out to shake Ariel, saying, "Stop sleeping, wake up." But unexpectedly, Ariel slumped down in the direction of the push.
"Ariel!" Lin ngyao cried out in surprise and hurriedly cradled her in her arms.
Lin ngyao patted Ariel’s cheeks and realized they were burning hot; even her breath was scorching. The redness on her face was not from sleep but from a fever.
In a deserted forest like this, a fever signified danger.
Lin ngyao urgently called to Xu Ke, "Xu Ke, Ariel has a fever, what should we do?"
A fever in such circumstances was perilous, especially when they had no communication devices.
Xu Ke furrowed his brows, then quickly relaxed them.
"I’ll carry her; we should walk as much as we can before it’s fully dark and try to find people. anwhile, wait here. Take this for protection while I get sothing to eat and return shortly," Xu Ke said, handing Lin ngyao a sharpened stick he had prepared.
"What about you?" Lin ngyao asked worriedly, taking the stick from Xu Ke.
"I’ve got this; I’ll make another one later. I’m just going to the river to catch so fish, won’t go far. If anything happens, shout and I’ll surely hear you." As Xu Ke spoke, he handed Lin ngyao a sharp piece of stone he found on the way, to comfort her anxious heart.
"Okay, I’ll wait here for you, but hurry back," Lin ngyao urged, gripping the stick tightly.
Xu Ke looked at the sky and nodded in agreent.
Though he was worried about Lin ngyao, now wasn’t the ti for them to linger.
Xu Ke glanced at the trees by the roadside, choosing one that seed straight enough. He broke off a branch and whittled it with a stone to a sharp point, rolled up his pant legs, and waded into the river, preparing to spear fish.
Xu Ke had never speared fish before. Even at his lowest, he bought fish at the market; this was his first ti, so his attempts went awry, soaking him instead. Fortunately, he’d watched similar shows and had a knack for it. After a few tries, he managed to spear two fish.
He brought the speared fish to the riverbank, gutted them, buried the inedible parts, and washed them carefully. Wrapping them in leaves, he headed back to find Lin ngyao and Ariel.
Lin ngyao remained in the position she’d been when he left, visibly tense, while Ariel was still unconscious.
At the sound of rustling branches, Lin ngyao imdiately raised her stick, pointing the sharp end toward the noise. Only after seeing it was Xu Ke did she relax, dropping the stick and throwing herself into his arms.
She didn’t cry or make a fuss; she simply buried her head in his chest, her arms around his waist tightening. Xu Ke said nothing either; though quiet, the mont between them was particularly heartwarming.
"I was so scared," Lin ngyao finally said after a while.
Those words seed like a trigger, releasing the flood of tears that soaked his clothes like scalding hot water.
"It’s my fault; next ti, I won’t leave you alone here," Xu Ke said solemnly.
"Look what I brought back?" Xu Ke’s voice carried a hint of excitent, prompting Lin ngyao to wipe her tears and ask, "What did you bring back?"
"Fish. I brought two, big enough for us to eat," Xu Ke said, showing her the contents wrapped in leaves, revealing the prepared fish inside.
The gutted fish carried an unavoidable fishy and bloody sll that hit Lin ngyao, making her stomach, once hungry, feel suddenly full.
"Do we eat it raw?" Lin ngyao asked, pointing at the fish in Xu Ke’s hands, sowhat hesitant.
Xu Ke nodded, "We don’t have a way to make fire, so you’ll have to bear with eating it raw. As soon as morning cos, we’ll find people and get Ariel treated. I’ll cook you a proper al then, how about that?" Xu Ke’s expression was tinged with guilt and remorse, lting Lin ngyao’s heart.
"I don’t mind. Anywhere with you isn’t a burden, everything tastes good." To prove her words true, Lin ngyao grabbed a fish and took a big bite in front of Xu Ke, stifling her urge to gag, chewing quickly and swallowing it down.
"See, I’ve finished it," Lin ngyao said, opening her mouth for Xu Ke to check, then smiled.
Xu Ke knew Lin ngyao as well as he knew himself, and he could tell she didn’t enjoy the fish. Watching her force herself to eat raw fish and put on a happy front so he wouldn’t feel bad, Xu Ke felt a bittersweet mix in his heart, guilt and affection intertwining and clutching his throat, making it hard to breathe.
User Comments
0 comments from readers