The rain gradually eased, and the sound of flowing water became clearer by the ear.
After passing the last patch of shrubs, the view opened up.
All the way down, my ankle strained with all its might, and when it finally stepped onto flat ground, it felt a relieving soreness.
Song Yuanzheng let out a deep breath, and when he looked up, he saw Jiang Shen had already rushed to the riverbank.
Isn’t he tired? Song Yuanzheng wondered.
“Someone’s come down,” the bodyguard said.
Jiang Shen slightly tilted his head and also noticed the uneven footprints not far away. The mud that had fallen off was fresh, and when he looked back, the grass and shrubs clearly showed signs of being broken through.
“Brother Zhao!” Song Yuanzheng called out tentatively.
Still, no one answered.
Jiang Shen looked up the mountain. The place where Zhao Louyue fell was obviously not the same path they took. Otherwise, he could have returned on his own. It must have been several times steeper, forcing him to fall uncontrollably.
Song Yuanzheng felt like he came for nothing because the river wasn’t deep. Zhao Louyue knew this well, and he was good with water. Judging by the footprints, he must have walked to the riverbank to clean himself and then headed into the depths of the forest ahead.
“The direction is right,” the bodyguard pointed over there. “The terrain here is surrounded, high on the left and low on the right. Mr. Zhao took the easiest path out.”
Jiang Shen responded with a “hmm,” this time ahead of the bodyguard.
This forest was undeveloped. Once inside, the rain was mostly blocked, and the chill seeped into the bones. In the deeper parts, miasma spread, not poisonous, but inhaling too much would definitely harm the lungs.
Footprints were still visible at first, but as the ground became overgrown with decaying grass, they gradually disappeared.
“Brother Zhao is so smart, he must be ahead,” Song Yuanzheng said.
Jiang Shen, however, glanced to the left.
There was a branch that had been broken not long ago, about one and a half meters high. Jiang Shen imagined Zhao Louyue stepping through, finding it obstructive, and casually snapping it off.
“Let’s check over there,” Jiang Shen suggested, pointing.
The bodyguard glanced over and shook his head, “Impossible.”
Jiang Shen didn’t bother to explain, “I’ll circle around there. The forest isn’t that big, we’ll meet at the exit.”
The bodyguard frowned, “But this…”
“Make the most of the time,” Jiang Shen said and took action first.
Although Jiang Shen was very helpful along the way, this kind of stubbornness with a prickly edge wasn’t likable.
The bodyguard assessed the situation and deemed it safe enough, “Let’s continue.”
The raincoat couldn’t cover the shoes, and Jiang Shen felt the rainwater mixing with the unique stickiness of this place, heavily dragging his steps.
Suddenly, Jiang Shen stopped.
A sharp whistle rose in the forest as the wind cut through.
On a moss-covered stone, there was a half-bloodied handprint.
A whirlwind of scenarios swept through Jiang Shen’s mind, and in the end, he suppressed the panic rising in his throat, walking forward with an extremely steady pace.
Pushing aside the obstructing branches, a wide mountain body came into view. At the same time, a cave in the corner was embedded at a tricky angle, easily missed by the surrounding trees if not looked at carefully.
Jiang Shen’s heart pounded uncontrollably faster.
He quietly approached the cave, making almost no sound, and then saw the figure resting against the rock wall inside.
Zhao Louyue was in a truly sorry state. His raincoat had long been torn away, the gray sweater underneath was tattered, and his elbow rested on his bent knee. Through the ripped gaps, fresh red flesh was visible. His face was also somewhat injured, frowning with closed eyes, showing a hint of impatience.
At this moment, Jiang Shen let out a heavy breath, feeling the spiritual energy of the entire mountain finally filling his organs, allowing him to breathe freely again.
Alive, Jiang Shen thought, he’s alive.
Jiang Shen took a gentle step forward, still making no sound, but Zhao Louyue suddenly opened his eyes, turning his head to look. The wild and primitive coldness in his eyes pinned Jiang Shen to the spot.
In front of Jiang Shen, aside from the slight unpleasantness of their first meeting, Zhao Louyue had always been thorough and gentle, with an admirable roguish humor. Jiang Shen knew he hid sharpness, but he didn’t expect it to be so soul-stirring.
Instinctively fearful, Jiang Shen also felt a trace of indescribable emotion, like a snake slithering through his blood, causing a slight shiver.
“It’s me,” Jiang Shen said.
Zhao Louyue’s eyes showed a moment of confusion, as if hearing Jiang Shen’s voice in such a dire situation was a dream. Then he gradually let down his guard, the coldness in his eyes crumbling, just staring blankly.
Jiang Shen walked up, and Zhao Louyue’s gaze followed him all the way.
“How are you feeling?” Jiang Shen asked.
Zhao Louyue didn’t answer. He blinked slowly, the sharp lines of his face softening a bit, and finally, he closed his eyes, his body tilting over.
Jiang Shen calmly caught him, then found a comfortable position, letting Zhao Louyue lean against him, and began checking his wounds.
There were more than a dozen external injuries, big and small. Jiang Shen had some disinfectant supplies in his bag. He treated the four most serious ones first, thinking about the half-handprint outside, which was probably caused by the wound in the crook of his arm bleeding and soaking into his palm.
Just as he finished, Zhao Louyue called out softly, “Jiang Shen.”
“Hmm,” Jiang Shen responded.
Like a short murmur from a startled dream, Zhao Louyue fell silent again.
Jiang Shen didn’t mind, noticing Zhao Louyue’s chapped lips. He happened to have a bottle of water in his bag, so he opened it and brought it to the man’s lips. Zhao Louyue tasted it and drank several gulps.
His complexion visibly relaxed.
Jiang Shen touched Zhao Louyue’s forehead, confirming there was no fever. To be safe, he forced him to take two anti-inflammatory pills, then remembered to contact Song Yuanzheng and the others.
But the earpiece was filled with static noise. Jiang Shen tried several times, finally confirming the signal was lost.
Whoosh—
Outside, the grass and trees bowed in unison as another heavy rain passed, turning into a rhythmic white noise after a few minutes of urgency.
Jiang Shen couldn’t leave at this moment.
He leaned against the rock wall, with Zhao Louyue sleeping soundly beside him.
All the wind blowing in was blocked by Jiang Shen. His body on the outside was cold, but the part pressed against Zhao Louyue was warm and snug.
Finally, the tense nerves relaxed, and Jiang Shen’s consciousness felt like it was punched into a deep valley.
Zhao Louyue always acted prudently, and the sudden incident wasn’t his fault.
Jiang Shen leaned back, closing his eyes, his brows and eyes shadowed, revealing a clear jawline.
Zhao Louyue opened his eyes and sat up straight, turning his head to see this scene.
This dream was becoming more and more real, Zhao Louyue thought.
However, Jiang Shen’s chest rose and fell, breathing steadily. Zhao Louyue looked down, seeing the bandaged wounds on his body, a backpack at his feet, open, revealing some simple medical supplies and a bottle of water.
Even so, Zhao Louyue still raised his hand and slapped himself.
“Slap!”
Crisp and loud.
Zhao Louyue stared at Jiang Shen, the light in his eyes growing hotter.
Hey! It’s real!