“Sister Yu, did you happen to see my Niuniu run out just now?”
Wang Guilan had searched the house while calling out, but she couldn’t find Niuniu anywhere. She was instantly frantic with worry.
Qiao Yu shook her head. “I didn’t notice.”
When she had come earlier to deliver the snowflake cream to Wang Guilan, she had still seen Niuniu playing with pebbles in the yard.
Niuniu was only a little over four years old and still small. It was possible she had slipped out to play without them noticing.
It was almost dark now. If Niuniu was still within the military family compound, it would be fine—everyone there was from the army and knew each other, so someone would bring her back to Wang Guilan.
But if she had run out to the beach, that would be dangerous.
Qiao Yu grew anxious too. “Sister-in-law, why don’t I go look with you?”
Wang Guilan nodded hurriedly. “Alright!”
On the way, Wang Guilan held Qiao Yu’s hand tightly, trembling with fear as she said that every year on the island, children would accidentally fall into the sea, and sometimes their bodies were never found!
Gradually, rumors spread on the island that there were monsters in the sea that ate children, warning kids to stay away from the shore.
“After having Niuniu, I didn’t dare go anywhere. I just stayed home with her.”
“Who would’ve thought that in just a moment of not watching her, that little girl would run off!”
Qiao Yu comforted her. “It’s alright, sister-in-law. It’s normal for kids to be playful. She’s still small, so she couldn’t have gone far.”
Besides, there were plenty of people on the island. Surely someone must have seen Niuniu.
However, after searching the family compound and then the beach outside, neither of them found Niuniu.
When they asked the people by the shore, they were all busy fishing and hadn’t paid any attention to a child.
Wang Guilan’s eyes were red from crying.
Qiao Yu’s heels still hurt, but thankfully she had worn slippers when she came out.
“Sister-in-law, why don’t I keep looking around here? You should go find Deputy Regiment Commander Li and ask him to send people to help search. More hands make lighter work.”
“Alright!”
Wang Guilan wiped her tears and hurried off to find her husband. In the past, she had never dared to go to the garrison base to look for Li Jun when she had matters.
But now that her child was missing, she couldn’t care less about that.
Li Jun and Gu Shaoyuan had just finished leading their team in training and were heading toward the family compound when they saw Wang Guilan running toward them, wiping her tears.
“Wife, what’s wrong?”
Wang Guilan sobbed. “This afternoon, Sister Yu and I were chatting in the yard. Niuniu took advantage of me not paying attention and ran off on her own. We still haven’t found her!”
“Sister Yu is still searching by the shore, so I rushed over to find you.”
Li Jun cursed under his breath and ordered the subordinates behind him to take people and search.
“Old Gu! You too…”
Li Jun had just been about to ask Gu Shaoyuan to help look for Niuniu when he only saw the man’s tall figure swiftly heading toward the beach.
He felt deeply moved. It really was a good brother—so concerned about his daughter.
When Gu Shaoyuan heard Wang Guilan say that Qiao Yu was still by the shore, a strong sense of unease surged within him.
His wife was a young lady from a wealthy family who had lived in the city all her life. She definitely didn’t know how to swim.
The tide would rise along the coast in the evening. How dangerous it was for her to be alone by the sea right now.
Gu Shaoyuan couldn’t worry about anything else. Finding his wife was the most urgent matter now.
…
Dusk pressed down upon the sea’s surface as it sank.
Qiao Yu walked along the sand and rocks, searching as she went, unknowingly having wandered far from the family compound.
Apart from trees and reefs, the island only had low, flat buildings. She couldn’t figure out where Niuniu could have run off to.
She had even checked behind the reefs, but there was nothing there.
Perhaps they had already found Niuniu, she thought optimistically.
Qiao Yu looked up at the sky, which had already darkened. She decided to head back and see what was going on.
Just as she was about to turn back, she suddenly heard a low, humming sound coming from the rocks behind her.
“?!”
Qiao Yu’s hair stood on end.
She suddenly recalled what Wang Guilan had said earlier about the rumors of water ghosts in the sea.
Qiao Yu wasn’t afraid of much, but she was terrified of these strange and eerie tales.
She lifted her skirt and bolted back without daring to look behind her, completely disregarding her appearance now.
But she had been wearing soft rubber slippers when she went out, which became slippery when wet.
Qiao Yu was running in a hurry, and the beach was covered with sand and gravel, making it difficult to walk. In her haste, she tripped and fell.
As she lay sprawled on the sand, she never expected to find herself collapsed on top of a pair of slippers.
“Auntie Yu!!”
Just as Qiao Yu was wondering if she had forgotten to check the almanac before leaving the house, she suddenly heard Niuniu calling her name.
She quickly looked around.
Near the rocks not far away, Qiao Yu finally spotted Niuniu struggling in the water.
It was evening, and the tide was rising. Niuniu had gotten lost while collecting seashells and was knocked down by the sudden surge of water.
The waves suddenly swelled high, dragging Niuniu backward in the murky tidewater. Only her small, bobbing head was visible above the waves.
It was a terrifying sight.
There wasn’t a soul in sight nearby, and Qiao Yu hadn’t expected Niuniu to wander to such a remote spot.
“Niuniu!”
She shouted to the girl, scrambled to her feet, and stumbled toward her.
Without a second thought, Qiao Yu jumped into the sea, determined to hold onto the child tightly before the tide could drag her into deeper waters.
With one arm clutching Niuniu, she used her other hand to paddle quickly toward the shore.
But her body seemed too weak, and she began to feel her strength waning.
…
Gu Shaoyuan and Li Jun, along with his wife, arrived at the beach just in time to witness the scene.
“Oh my heavens!” Wang Guilan gasped, covering her mouth in shock as she pushed Li Jun. “Go save my Niuniu and Sister Yu!”
Before she could finish speaking, Gu Shaoyuan had already plunged into the sea.
His face was dark with fury, his mind focused solely on his wife. He couldn’t let anything happen to Qiao Yu right before his eyes.
Qiao Yu’s vision blurred, and she felt her strength fading, but her hands still clung tightly to Niuniu.
She had only been in this world for less than a month—was she really going to die in the sea now?
Perhaps if she died this time, she could return to her original world.
“Qiao Yu!”
Hearing Gu Shaoyuan’s magnetic yet urgent voice, Qiao Yu’s consciousness sharpened slightly.
She lifted her eyes and saw Gu Shaoyuan swimming swiftly toward her, which eased her anxiety a little.
She was saved!
Gu Shaoyuan reached out with his long arm, pulling Qiao Yu firmly into his embrace, his arm like an iron band around her slender waist.
Seeing that Qiao Yu was safe and sound, his clenched heart finally settled back into place.
Li Jun quickly swam over to them and took his daughter from Qiao Yu’s arms.
Qiao Yu, still somewhat conscious, clung tightly to Gu Shaoyuan’s strong body with both hands and feet—she valued her life too much to let go.
Niuniu had already been knocked unconscious by the seawater.
Wang Guilan, who couldn’t swim, watched anxiously from the shore, worried about both Niuniu and Qiao Yu.
This time, it was all thanks to Qiao Yu, who rescued Niuniu from the sea.
If anything had happened to Niuniu, she wouldn’t have wanted to live anymore!
When Yang Zhongcheng arrived with his men, he happened to see their commander holding his wife tightly in his arms, walking with steady steps toward the beach.