From the elf’s mouth, they learned that not far from the base camp, deep within the magical forest, lies a “heart.” It’s the energy source for the entire magical forest. If the two of them could get it, they could definitely restore their energy and become normal elves again. But the terrain inside is complex, shrouded in fog all day long, and with the slightest mistake, they could lose their lives there, with not even their bones left to find.
At this moment, Cheng Min hesitated. If he died, Lu Bingxun would definitely not survive either. Cheng Min thought of this and couldn’t bear to let him die, planning to give up and continue being Lu Bingxun’s weak dodder, living a life of luxury every day. But the elf’s next words changed his mind.
“There is a map that can help us,” the elf glanced at him, hesitating to speak, “I’ve searched the entire base and couldn’t find it. I’m afraid such a thing is hidden by Lu Bingxun’s side.”
Cheng Min was stunned, then suddenly remembered a place, “I know where it is, leave this to me.”
No matter what Lu Bingxun did, he never guarded against Cheng Min, so much so that he knew all important things were kept in the man’s study. This time was no exception. Finding an excuse to send Lu Bingxun away, Cheng Min quietly sneaked into his study. After a thorough search, he found nothing. Thinking he was mistaken and the map wasn’t there, he turned to leave but accidentally triggered a mechanism on the wall, stumbling upon the map.
Cheng Min put the map in his pocket, not daring to linger for a moment, and excitedly ran to find the elf. “Great,” the elf clutched the map, a smile on his lips. The two couldn’t wait any longer. After a simple rest, they took some supplies they might need along the way and left the base camp directly.
Along the way, many humans saw them, but no one stopped them, just assuming they were going out for a stroll as usual. They never imagined that two weak dodders would dare to go to such a dangerous place, naively thinking they could get the “heart.”
Entering the forest, they moved forward. With the help of the map, they successfully avoided some dangers and reached the area shrouded in fog all day. Glancing at the surrounding white mist, the two tacitly held each other’s hands to prevent one from getting lost and encountering danger.
As they walked, Cheng Min felt increasingly uneasy, always feeling something was following them. A breeze blew, rustling the leaves. He frowned, couldn’t help but stop, and cautiously looked around. The white mist was thick, and nothing could be seen.
“What’s wrong?” the elf looked at him. Cheng Min shook his head, thinking he was overthinking, “It’s nothing.”
“Crunch.” Something snapped underfoot, and Cheng Min turned around abruptly. A huge creature appeared silently behind them, baring its bloody mouth. Countless tiny eyes stared straight at them. Cheng Min felt a chill to the extreme, his stomach churning, wanting to vomit.
“Run,” the elf shouted. Cheng Min snapped back to reality, dragging his weak legs, gritting his teeth, and running forward. The roar behind him grew closer, and the stench of saliva dripped on his face. With a roll, Cheng Min dodged the monster’s deadly blow, quickly got up from the ground, and continued running.
“Lu Bingxun,” tears welled up in his eyes. As he ran, he couldn’t help but call his name. At critical moments, Lu Bingxun always appeared by Cheng Min’s side to save him. This time, he held onto hope, expecting Lu Bingxun to appear. But in the end, hope was dashed. The two were cornered with no way out, and the huge creature behind them was still closing in.
Countless tiny eyes roamed over them, seemingly considering who to eat first. Cheng Min couldn’t run anymore, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. At this moment, the monster was already beside Cheng Min, its eyes full of excitement. Closing his eyes, Cheng Min reluctantly accepted reality, but his heart still lingered on Lu Bingxun, wondering what he would be like after his death.
Thinking about it, Cheng Min suddenly laughed. Most likely, he would go completely mad.
“Cheng Min.” The elf’s voice sounded in his ear, and Cheng Min opened his eyes in confusion. The surrounding white mist dissipated, and sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting a warm and comfortable glow on the ground. What made Cheng Min even happier was that the monster seemed to fear the sunlight. The moment it touched it, its body began to slowly dissipate until it completely vanished into the air.
The two, having narrowly escaped death, leaned against the tree trunk, panting heavily. The journey ahead went smoothly, with no more monsters appearing. After walking for over an hour, they reached the deepest part. The two separated to search. Cheng Min found no clues on his side and was about to report back to the elf when he was attracted by a pink plant.
Squatting down, he reached out a finger to touch it, and the moment he made contact, he was amazed to find that the pink plant started dancing. Cheng Min threw the plan aside, playing happily.
“Cheng Min, come quickly,” the elf’s voice sounded not far away, “I found the heart.” Hearing this, Cheng Min got up and walked towards the elf. In front of him was a towering tree, its branches and leaves lush, with countless vines entwined around it, faintly emitting a weak golden light. It was undoubtedly the “heart” as described by the elf.
The position was high, and Cheng Min couldn’t reach it, so he had to rely on the elf. Cheng Min took a dagger from his pocket and handed it to the elf. “You wait for me down here,” he said, starting to climb up.
Standing under the tree, Cheng Min watched the elf’s movements intently, feeling a bit worried, afraid he might fall and get seriously injured. Vaguely, he heard a series of hurried footsteps approaching, and at the same time, a familiar voice came.
Lu Bingxun! In an instant, Cheng Min denied it. No, he couldn’t possibly be here?
“Wife.” Cheng Min’s body stiffened, and he slowly turned around. Lu Bingxun was striding towards him, followed closely by his subordinates. “Do you know how dangerous it is here?” Lu Bingxun looked at Cheng Min with a gloomy face.
He lowered his head, like a child who had done something wrong, saying nothing, letting Lu Bingxun scold him, even threatening to cancel afternoon tea. Hearing this, Cheng Min got a bit anxious, rolled up his sleeves, revealing his scratched arm, and pitifully said to Lu Bingxun, “It hurts.”
Sure enough, this trick worked on him. Lu Bingxun quickly pulled him into his arms, comforting him continuously, a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor. “Cheng Min,” he suddenly called out.
“What?” Cheng Min looked up and found Lu Bingxun’s eyes were red. He spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly, afraid Cheng Min wouldn’t hear, “I can’t live without you.”
Cheng Min quietly looked at him, feeling both sour and numb inside, as if something had broken free from its cage, clamoring for him to respond. Opening his mouth, just as he was about to say something, a piercing sound came, followed by the ground shaking, and cracks appeared on the ground. At the same time, torrential rain poured down.
“Lu Bingxun!” A force separated them, and Cheng Min slipped and fell into the abyss.
Author’s Note:
End of the Prelude [Heart]