Chapter 27: Journey into the Forest (8)

  She looked up at the sturdy and tenacious vine hanging from the tree, and with great effort, she climbed up the tree, despite her hands being rubbed raw by the rough bark, she refused to give up and continued to climb upwards.

  She grasped the thick vine and pulled out a dagger, cutting at it with all her might. Finally, after her efforts, the sturdy vine was severed, and she quickly descended the tree, ignoring the pain all over her body. With great effort, she dragged the vine along, sprinting wildly down the path. Qing Feng, hold on! You must wait for me.

  Seeing Liu Qingfeng sink to his chest, she quickly handed over the vine. "Qingfeng! Hurry up and grab it, tie it around your body. Trust me! I will definitely pull you up." Shallow smiled, with an unshakeable determination in her words.

  Liu Qingfeng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze piercing as he stared at her. His deep and profound black pupils were filled with trust in her. "Xier! I believe you!" He stretched out his hand with difficulty, took the vine she handed over, and tied it to his body with great effort.

  She saw him tied up, and she also tied the other end of the tree vine tightly to her body. Her black, shiny, and determined eyes sparkled with spirit. She grasped the thick tree vine and moved forward step by step with great difficulty.

  Time and time again, she fell down, but every time she got back up... She absolutely wouldn't give up. Although her already injured hands had been rubbed raw by the coarse tree vines until they bled ceaselessly. She gritted her teeth and persisted, fresh red blood flowing down along the vines, dripping drop by drop onto the ground.

  Finally, Liu Qingfeng was slowly dragged out of the swamp under her tireless efforts, and he lay weakly on the ground.

  Lan Ruoxue untied the tree vines around her waist and rushed towards him crazily, excitedly grabbing his hand. "Qingfeng, how are you?"

  He lifted his head, smiling weakly. "I'm fine! My son, you're so great." He panted heavily and struggled to get up, with a misty heat rising around his excited eyes.

  "Darling..." She excitedly wrapped her arms around his neck and softly called out to him.

  His hands trembled as he held her tightly, tears streaming down his face. He choked out her name. "Xier, my Xier..." No words could describe the emotions that filled his heart at this moment.

  They held each other tightly, and no one noticed that the blood on her hand was slowly flowing into the purple jade bangle on her wrist, which emitted a faint glow.

  He gently pushed her away, his hands tenderly covering her face. "Xiang'er, let me see your hand."

  "My hands are fine!" She shook her head and hid her hands behind her back, flashing a brilliant smile.

  "Ah, don't deceive me, I know!" He slowly pulled out the hands she had hidden behind her back, and tremblingly held up her pair of hands. Tears fell from his eyes once again, those originally white and jade-like hands were now covered in scars, with blood flowing non-stop. The blood was like it was flowing through his heart, his heart felt as if it was being cut by a knife, with an intense pain.

  "It's okay! Don't cry. My hand is really fine, it just looks a bit ugly, you won't mind me, will you?" She winked mischievously.

  Knowing that she was comforting him, his heart was filled with a sense of happiness. "Of course not, my dear daughter will always be the most beautiful in my eyes."

  "Fool!" She smiled shallowly and called him tenderly.

  He was willing to be her fool for life, smiling happily. "My princess, will you allow your fool to tend to your wound?"

  "Good! Right on cue." She turned her bright eyes, smiling at him.

  His eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes were filled with warm tenderness. "Xī'er, if it hurts, just cry out!"

  He carefully rinsed her wound with water, and the wound stung as it came into contact with the water. "Ah..." She softly gasped in pain.

  He stopped, his brow furrowed in concern as he looked at her. "Does it hurt?"

  "No!" She bit her lip, slightly furrowed her brow, and shook her head. The cold sweat on her forehead slowly dripped down. "Qingfeng, continue, I'm fine!"

  He looked at her with a pained expression, wishing he could take her place. He moistened the handkerchief with water and carefully wiped it clean bit by bit. Seeing the handkerchief stained red, his eyes became reddish.

  She took out a porcelain bottle and gently sprinkled the medicinal powder onto her palm. She tore a clean shirt into strips and gently bandaged her up.

  She raised her bandaged hands like a mummy, playfully stuck out her tongue and frowned. "Qingfeng, your bandaging skills are really bad!"

  He scratched his head awkwardly and chuckled.

  "Rumbling... " sounds came, her stomach kept rumbling. "Qingfeng, I'm so hungry! My stomach is singing an empty city plan."

  "Let's go find something to eat together." He gently helped her up.

  The two exchanged a tacit smile, filled with the joy of surviving a disaster.

  Two people supported each other, covered in mud and dirt, dragging their stumbling steps, walking slowly.

  "Teacher Liu..." A clear cry came from behind her, from Meilin.

  They stopped in their tracks, turned around and saw the equally disheveled Meilin and Zhao Bin, who also had happy smiles on their faces. It seemed that they too had quite a few stories to tell along the way.

  Merryn rushed towards them with a joyful smile. Excitedly shouting: "Yes! Too good, finally found you guys."

  Lan Rouxue wore a sly smile, with a glint in her eyes. She stretched out her hands wrapped in cloth strips and held them out in front of them. "Let's catch up later, first hand over the food you're eating."

  Merryn felt a cold sweat trickle down the back of her head. "Uh..."

  Zhao Bin couldn't help but burst out laughing when he saw her, holding his stomach in laughter. "Haha... Blue Ruo Xue classmate, when did you start a career as a bandit?"

  Liu Qingfeng looked at Lan Ruoxue's lovely expression, his eyes filled with doting gaze. He smiled brightly, "Hehe... Xuer, you scared them off."

  Blue's face turned red with embarrassment, and she raised her bandaged hand in protest: "Don't laugh! I didn't do it on purpose, I was just starving. When I saw them, all I could think about was food."

  Mei Lin opened her luggage and took out dried rations to hand them over to her, but before she could even react, a slender and elegant hand intercepted the food.

  She glared angrily at the hand, and when she looked up, she saw that its owner was smiling gently at her. "Xī ěr, let me feed you, your hand isn't convenient."

  She withdrew her angry gaze, smiled awkwardly, and glanced at him with embarrassment. "Uh... what about you?"

  "You eat first, and I'll eat after you're full." He gazed at her with his deep, dark eyes that seemed like two tranquil pools.

  They found a vacant spot and sat down. He carefully fed her dry rations, mouthful by mouthful, slowly feeding her water to drink.

  Although the food was hard and had gone bad due to the weather, she thought it was the most delicious thing in the world. She smiled sweetly, eating with satisfaction. "It's so delicious! Qingfeng, you eat too!" She used her injured hand to gently push his hand towards his mouth.

  "Mmm! Be careful, don't hurt your hand." He smiled happily and took a light bite. The food was sweet in his mouth, full of sweet flavors.

  He put the food to her mouth again, his eyes soft as water. "Xī'er, come on, eat some more." When he saw that she was full, he gently wiped away the crumbs from around her mouth with a warm hand.

  Mei Lin's hands were propped under her chin, her large and shiny black eyes filled with envy as she gazed at them. "Wow! So romantic! Teacher Liu is really so gentle!"

  "Really! Really!" Zhao Bin nodded in agreement. "Lingling, actually I can be very gentle too."

  Mei Lin carefully sized him up and down for half a day, "Just you? Forget it!" She disdainfully turned her head away, continuing to stare at that loving couple.

  Zhao Bin pitifully drew circles on the ground and softly protested. "Actually, they've always been very gentle!"