Chapter 207: Determination (4)

Su Ya stumbled, turning back to see the increasingly close pursuers, her heartbeat echoing loudly in her ears.

The trees and bushes rushed past her as she felt her legs were no longer under her control—they were running on their own.

She wasn't trying to slow down; she only wished she could run faster.

Behind her, the panting man swung a wooden stick to clear the underbrush while shouting curses.

The swearing grew louder. Ignoring the stinging pain on her ankles from the grass, Su Ya leaned forward, speeding up slightly down the mountain.

After running for what seemed like ages, the path suddenly cleared—she had reached the foot of the mountain.

After last night's heavy rain, the river was now rushing rapidly. Without a second thought, Su Ya continued her escape along the riverbank.

At that moment, she spotted several figures on the opposite bank. Seeing them from a distance, her anxious eyes immediately brightened!

But at that very moment, the people on the other side suddenly stopped, frantically pointing behind her.

Without turning around, Su Ya instantly understood the gesture and ran forward. She thought, as long as there were people around, she would be safe!

But this time, her instincts failed her.

With a whooshing sound, before she could react, she felt a numbness at the back of her head. Her body lost its balance, and she fell heavily forward.

Ahead, the rushing river splashed up a spray of water.

*Splash!* *Splash!*

With a few crisp sounds, in the last moment of losing consciousness, Su Ya, who was being dragged away by the urgent river, saw the person who had been chasing her standing by the riverbank.

He looked dazed, blood foaming from his nose. He seemed to want to say something but ultimately collapsed weakly on the riverbank.

On the other side of the river, the familiar figure almost didn't pause, leaping into the river.

Feeling a warm hand gripping her arm tightly, Su Ya relaxed and fell asleep.

After running for so long, she was exhausted.

---

"Damn it! Damn it! What the hell!"

By the river, Xiao Ji watched in shock as Li Xian jumped into the river, rapidly being carried downstream by the turbulent water. He was stunned!

If something happened to him, Liu Weihong would surely skin him alive!

He had been explicitly instructed to ensure Li Xian's safety, and now that he had missed keeping an eye on him, how did he end up jumping into the river?

He immediately grabbed the two officers beside him, pointed at the raging river, and ordered, "Quick, go rescue him!"

The two men grinned sheepishly. "Xiao Head, I can't swim." "I'm a terrible swimmer, Xiao Head!"

"Damn it! What use are you?"

Looking at the churning, murky river, Xiao Ji stomped his foot.

He couldn't swim either.

After scanning the scene, his gaze fell on the large wolfdog squatting by the riverbank, barking furiously at the now motionless bandit.

"Er Chuan, good buddy, stop barking. Go save the person!"

The wolfdog seemed to understand, glanced at the rushing river, swallowed nervously, and instinctively took two steps back. Then it looked at Xiao Ji with a pitiful expression as if saying, "Bro, don't you love me anymore?"

Seeing the mournful look, Xiao Ji gritted his teeth. "Good buddy, get him out of the river, and from now on, when we eat ribs, you get the meat and I'll take the bones!"

The next moment, the dog was gone.

---

In the icy river, Li Xian was laughing maniacally, holding Su Ya tightly in his arms.

For a long time, he had been fooled by Li Daoyun's prophecy that he couldn't get close to water, so he never dared to verify if he could swim.

But now he proved that his swimming skills were exceptional!

He had learned to swim back in college, and once in the water, he realized that his body's memory was fantastic.

Despite the turbulent river and holding Su Ya's delicate body with one arm, it felt effortless. He paddled vigorously, managing to keep his head above water.

This little swimming trick was ridiculously easy! Hahaha!

But then,

He suddenly felt a tremor in his foot, and a sharp pain shot up from his Achilles tendon.

Damn it, cramps from running too hard!

Li Xian felt his foot stiffen, and Su Ya's previously delicate body now felt incredibly heavy.

Before he could react, a rush of bubbles surrounded him, swallowing him up.

Damn it!

It was June 24th, just over a month before August!

Feeling the icy riverwater flooding his ears and nose, and a whirlpool in the river pulling him down, Li Xian felt a chilling dread.

He desperately kicked with one foot, barely managing to surface, seeing the even more turbulent river ahead. His thoughts turned to despair.

"This is like a goose feather sinking, weak water for three thousand miles!"

A roar echoed through the valley, startling the birds into flight.

But the next moment, the river's surface calmed. Only low-flying swallows occasionally skimmed the water, then flew away.

---

"Cough."

After an unknown amount of time, Su Ya opened her eyes.

Her throat felt swollen, and ignoring the intense pain all over her body, she rolled over. Instantly, a wave of nausea overcame her, and a large amount of the fishy river water was expelled from her mouth and nose.

Spitting out that water made her feel a lot better.

Struggling to sit up, she looked around and found that she had washed up on a shallow sandbar.

She rubbed her throbbing head.

Strange, the smelly scoundrel who jumped into the river and grabbed her—where was he?

How did she end up here?

She glanced around and suddenly spotted, further away, a figure in a white shirt... lying face up on the sandbar.

The figure looked like a piece of wood or a plastic bag, floating lifelessly.

The sky thundered, and a light rain began to fall. It hit Su Ya's face, making her shiver.

She shook her head vigorously.

She wasn't cold; she was scared.

No, it couldn't be...

He's so capable, it's like there's nothing in this world he can't do, it can't be...

It can't be!

Ignoring the pain all over her body, Su Ya crawled over the rocky beach.

Wading into the water, she pulled the familiar figure onto the shore with all her strength. Exhausted, she nearly used all her energy to turn the heavy body over.

Seeing the expressionless face, Su Ya covered her mouth. Tears could no longer be held back, sliding down her face along with the raindrops.

That's right, this is him,

This is his shirt,

The second button was the one she sewed on for him yesterday. He was so lazy that he never bothered to unbutton it when taking off his shirt, always tearing it off over his head.

These are his eyes,

He would always glance at her from across the table during meals, even when she glared back. It was so irritating. But why aren't they blinking now?

This is his mouth,

In the mornings, it would have toothpaste foam, and he'd sometimes whistle as he watched her walk by. But where did that mischievous smile go?

Laugh, go on, laugh!

Su Ya pushed and shook the lifeless body, making it wobble like a leaf in the storm.

But he wouldn't move.

Holding the suddenly calm and beautiful face, Su Ya trembled all over, finding it hard to breathe.

Something was blocking her throat; she wanted to breathe, but the sobs made it impossible. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't bear to. She feared that if she looked away, it would be different when she looked back.

She was so afraid.

Get up, please!

Su Ya buried her face in what looked like a narrow but solid chest.

Please, just wake up, and I won't avoid you, won't sulk, won't get angry anymore. Is that alright?

Get up!

Is this how it is, bullying me because I can't speak?

Is it?

Feeling angry and desperate, Su Ya pounded the chest.

Hearing the eerie silence, which seemed to erase all sounds and colors from the world, she suddenly sat up.

"Ah!!!"

A gentle breeze blew across the riverbank, accompanied by birdsong and the light patter of rain. No one knew that at this moment, someone let out the most sorrowful scream in the world.

Seeing the lifeless face in front of her, Su Ya buried herself in his embrace, clinging to the body.

She felt unworthy of this moment, finally free from self-doubt.

"Gurgle,"

"Gurgle…"

"Oh, damn it…"

Suddenly, she felt a wetness by her ear, a splash of water on her neck. Then a sound came from the chest. It was faint but clear.

Startled like a frightened deer, Su Ya pulled away, looking at the face.

The face had expression, very twisted, far from the serene beauty from before, but Su Ya felt joy in her heart.

After expelling who knows how many buckets of water, Li Xian finally felt he could breathe again.

Slowly opening his eyes, he saw Su Ya's tearful face above him.

Seeing the mix of surprise and joy, Li Xian sighed in relief and struggled to sit up.

Su Ya quickly snapped out of her daze and helped him.

Li Xian grabbed her cold, white hand, "Are you alright?"

Su Ya nodded vigorously

.

"That's good." Li Xian grinned, "I swore an oath to the riverbed's old turtle. Looks like it worked."

Su Ya blinked curiously, seemingly asking what oath he took.

Li Xian smiled, "I told it, if you died this time, I'd spend all my fortune and lifetime blocking this damned river from its source, filling the riverbed with stones, and cutting down all the shading trees on the hillside, leaving it to be scorched by the sun without a drop of water."

"And if we both died, we'd become ghostly spouses that make mandarin ducks envious, having one ghost child each year, and in a few hundred years, occupy its lair, leaving it homeless."

Su Ya's face reddened, instinctively wanting to escape, but thinking of earlier, she lowered her head, pointing at Li Xian, then at herself, and patted her chest.

Li Xian nodded, "Yes, we're both alive. That's an unexpected situation. So, I've decided."

Su Ya blinked.

Before she could ask what the decision was, she felt a blackness before her eyes as a water-drenched face pressed close.

Feeling the somewhat awkward and uncertain, slightly fishy lips,

Li Xian's lips curled up.

As he was about to take things further and finalize the bed-warming plan, he suddenly heard a splashing sound by the riverbank.

Before he could pull himself away from the soft and wet embrace, a foul smell hit him.

Then, a large tongue began to lick his face.

This startled Su Ya, and she quickly broke free, jumping aside.

Confused, Li Xian looked and saw a...

Doggy face.

Small, bean-sized eyes, eagerly watching him.

"Ha, ha, woof!"

"Er Chuan!"

Damn it!

Seeing that dog face, Li Xian was furious.

He picked up a stone from the ground and threw it!

The wolfdog, scared, cowered away.

Li Xian quickly turned back to pull Su Ya, "Xiao Ya, don't let this beast ruin the mood. Come on, let's continue."

But Su Ya had moved aside, her face as red as an apple, turning away.

Seeing this, Li Xian knew—his bed-warming plan had failed.

He bent down, rummaged around, and finally found a large, sharp stone. He picked it up and ran towards the silly dog.

"Damn it! If I don't kill you and make dog meat tofu soup today, I'm not done with you!"

"Woof woof woof woof! Oh! Woof woof woof woof!"

The mountains echoed with Li Xian's angry shouts and the wolfdog's frantic cries.

Watching Li Xian chasing the wolfdog around the mountains and Su Ya holding onto her clothes tightly, she let out a soft laugh.