Chapter 147

Chapter 147

Yu He was momentarily confused, unable to comprehend the origin of the blood on his hands.

Am I injured?

Yu He pondered blankly: Why don’t I feel any pain?

Rolling up his sleeve, he saw that his wet sleeve was also stained with a lot of blood. However, when he pulled up the sleeve further, Yu He’s arm was completely clean and unscathed, without even a scratch.

Oh, it’s not my blood.

Yu He looked at the blood print in his palm; the vivid red hurt his eyes. His vision darkened, and his mind went blank. He was just a half step away from the conclusion, yet he dared not continue thinking, as if disaster could be averted as long as he neither thought about it nor looked at it.

Why is Fu Yunzhen the one who’s injured?

Fear enveloped him like a dark shadow overhead. Yu He wished he could bury his head in the sand like an ostrich, avoiding the dreadful reality.

Yu He’s entire body trembled as if electrocuted, and his stomach cramped. Compared to Fu Yunzhen, he seemed more like the one severely injured.

A pair of slender, clean hands rested on top of Yu He’s, and Fu Yunzhen’s voice was as calm and steady as ever.

Fu Yunzhen said, “Xiao He, don’t be afraid.”

Stunned, Yu He lifted his head and stared at Fu Yunzhen’s unusually pale cheeks and lips, murmuring, “Where are you hurt? Show me.”

Cold sweat covered Fu Yunzhen’s forehead. Even though he looked weak enough to faint at any moment, his eyes were still firm and reliable. “I don’t know. I haven’t felt any pain anywhere.”

Under intense stress, the human body can block out pain. It wasn’t until now that Fu Yunzhen began to feel the warmth and numbness on his back, even the slight itch as blood trickled down. Yet, he still felt no pain.

This was not a good sign.

Yu He appeared to be utterly shocked.

A sharp pain struck Fu Yunzhen’s heart.

Yu He was still so young; how could he face all of this?

Fu Yunzhen steadied himself and slowly turned around. “I might have been cut by glass on my back when I was swimming out of the car. It should be nothing serious.”

There was a long gash across Fu Yunzhen’s back, located at the level of his shoulder blades, approximately twenty centimeters in length. It was long but not deep. The blood that Yu He felt came from here.

However, Yu He’s gaze lingered below the wound, and he held his breath.

Below the long wound, a sharp piece of glass was embedded in the middle of Fu Yunzhen’s right ribcage!

Yu He's mind went blank as he stared fixedly at the shard of glass, as if by doing so he could make it disappear on its own.

In the prolonged silence, the air suddenly became tense.

Fu Yunzhen turned his head to look at Yu He: "Is it very serious? Why aren’t you speaking?"

Yu He responded in a hoarse voice, “It's not that bad.”

As soon as these words left his mouth, Yu He realized he couldn’t deceive Fu Yunzhen; his voice was shaking badly, carrying a sobbing tone.

Fu Yunzhen’s cool hand touched Yu He’s eyelid, "Don’t cry."

The mist before his eyes condensed, and Yu He’s vision gradually blurred. With a blink, tears flowed down.

Fu Yunzhen sighed silently, "Seeing you cry like this makes me feel as if I’m about to die."

Yu He shook his head, choking out, "No, you won't die. You're just...just a little injured.”

Fu Yunzhen was growing colder and his strength was gradually fading. He desperately wanted to lie down and curl up on the spot, but he didn’t do so. Even though his teeth were chattering, he insisted on half-sitting on the ground and talking to Yu He.

He reached back to touch his own back, finding the object embedded in his flesh.

It turned out to be a piece of glass.

Fu Yunzhen took a shallow breath, steadying the pain in his chest, "Xiao He, stop crying for now, I have something to tell you."

Yu He shook his head incessantly, “I don’t want to hear it, Fu Yunzhen, please don’t speak, I'm begging you, I don’t want to listen.”

Fu Yunzhen's eyes and brows carried an unprecedented gentleness as he looked deeply at Yu He, “Didn’t you say that important words should be said quickly, or there might not be another chance?”

Yu He's body trembled violently, his throat sore as if blocked, making it almost impossible to speak. His lips quivered as he repetitively, neurotically said, “There will be a chance, there will be a chance. Nothing will happen to you, and nothing will happen to me. There will be a chance.”

Fu Yunzhen furrowed his brows, pressing his pale lips together, “Xiao He, don’t be like this, look at me… Xiao He?”

Yu He lifted his beautiful peach blossom eyes, the pupils filled with shimmering waves, slowly focusing on Fu Yunzhen’s face.

Fu Yunzhen was worried about upsetting Yu He and triggering his agitation. He cupped Yu He's face with both hands, soothingly coaxing his lover's emotions, "Xiao He, you are brilliant at everything, you can be brave, right?"

Yu He opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to affirm, but immediately caught himself and whispered, “I can’t be brave.”

Fu Yunzhang: “......”

Yu He leaned his head on Fu Yunzhang's shoulder and took a moment to breathe deeply several times, as if drawing courage from him.

Half a minute later, with trembling hands, he braced himself on Fu Yunzhang’s shoulder: “You carry him over first; I'll check... check how to deal with the wound.”

Fu Yunzhang obediently turned his back: “The part that’s stuck in the flesh should be less than five centimeters.”

Five centimeters?

Yu He’s trembling hand abruptly stopped, and he miraculously calmed down: “How do you know it’s five centimeters? If it's more than five centimeters... it would puncture the liver.”

Fu Yunzhang was not very clear about the location of the internal organs, but he asserted confidently, “The wound is not as deep as you think.”

Yu He’s trust in Fu Yunzhang was blindly extreme. If Fu Yunzhang said it wasn’t five centimeters, he believed it wasn’t five centimeters.

If the internal organs weren't punctured... then there was still time!

At this moment, Yu He only regretted not studying surgery. His chaotic brain quickly cleared, and he pointed out two acupoints on Fu Yunzhang’s body for him to press: “Press it well, it’s to stop the bleeding.”

Fu Yunzhang spoke softly: “Ah, Young Master Yu finally remembered to save me.”

Yu He tore two strips of cloth from the dry inner lining of his thermal jacket: “I thought you had hit the liver, and then there would be nothing to save.”

Fu Yunzhang’s vision blackened intermittently, but he still tried to joke with Yu He. After the dizziness passed, he continued: “If I can't be saved, then so be it. That kind of talk would enrage your ancestors.”

Yu He’s mood gradually stabilized, and his rationality returned, enveloping him like a frosty, merciless armor.

He must calm down; otherwise, both he and Fu Yunzhang would die here.

Folding the strips of cloth, he stacked them above and below near the glass to stabilize it. After ensuring the glass was steady, he used a bandage to wrap it tightly over Fu Yunzhang’s shoulder.

“You can’t move now,” Yu He said. “The glass can’t be taken out at the moment. Keeping it inside can help suppress further bleeding, so you mustn’t move recklessly. The glass shifting could cause secondary damage.”

Fu Yunzhang glanced at the gloomy sky: “But we can't stay by the river. The water rises quickly in a downpour... we need to find a place to take shelter.”

Yu He closed his eyes, and the map of Pufu Mountain reappeared in his mind.

Yu He: “About 4.8 kilometers from here, there’s a Buddhist temple.”

8 kilometers; it will take about an hour on foot.

The wind rustled through the treetops, making the pomelo leaves whisper.

Fu Yunzhang slightly furrowed his brows: “In that case, you go ahead, find someone in the temple for help, or contact the rescue center directly.”

Yu He’s handsome profile remained resolute: “Fu Yunzhang, that’s not an option.”

“What do you mean it’s not an option?”

“Either you go with me, or we both wait here for the rain together; you choose.”

The breath Fu Yunzhang was holding in his chest was quickly running out, but he did not show any sign of weakness. On the contrary, he seemed even more energetic than before. He made an effort to get up: “Alright, I’ll go with you. Didn’t you tell me not to move?”

Yu He squatted down in front of Fu Yunzhang, holding his arm, and said, “Yes, don’t move.”

Fu Yunzhang’s pupils were dilated: “What?”

Yu He turned away, bent one knee, and knelt in the soft, rotten grass and mud: “I will carry you there.”

Fu Yunzhang was suddenly startled: “Impossible. A five-kilometer journey... it’s not possible.”

“Nothing is impossible.” Yu He bent down to facilitate Fu Yunzhang climbing onto his back. His tone was calm and determined, leaving no room for negotiation. He forcefully informed Fu Yunzhang of his decision: “I will carry you as far as I can. The temple is not our final destination. Fu Yunzhang, you have never abandoned me in any danger, what right do I have to abandon you now?”

Most of the time, Yu He is a good-natured person who does not like to argue, but the more such a person is, the more stubborn they become when they do decide to argue, showing a headstrong and unruly nature.

If Fu Yunzhang did not move, Yu He would remain half-kneeling in the bushes, facing Fu Yunzhang, as if ready to confront him until the end of time.

The wind picked up.

The clouds drifted, branches swayed with the wind, and the dark green foliage moved in waves, creating a sea of trees, echoing like the sounds of a distant ocean, layer upon layer.

The wind in the mountains and forests will never truly stop.

Fu Yunzhang could never win an argument against Yu He.

Lying on Yu He’s back, Fu Yunzhang realized that, without him noticing, Yu He’s shoulders had become so solid.

Fu Yunzhang closed his eyes: “Xiao He, you’ve grown up.”

Yu He walked steadily, ensuring each step was firmly planted before taking the next.

Yu He said, "Not at all."

Fu Yunzhang's consciousness was gradually fading away. He rested his head on Yu He’s shoulder, entrusting his entire being to him. He had no strength left; if it weren’t for Yu He supporting his legs, he might have fallen already.

At this moment, Yu He displayed an unprecedented reliability, his slender shoulders bearing the life and death of two people.

An unfamiliar sense of dependency welled up inside Fu Yunzhang.

He could hear the sound of the wind.

The long wind howled past, from south to north. He wanted Yu He to go home.

"You make me feel... exceptionally safe," Fu Yunzhang’s voice was as light as smoke. "You’re not the impetuous youth anymore; you can protect... your boyfriend now."

Yu He corrected, "Fiancé."

Fu Yunzhang smiled faintly, "Alright, fiancé. I still have some things I want to say to my fiancé. May I?"

Yu He felt a burning sensation around his eyes, suppressing the lump in his throat, he answered in a steady voice, "Go ahead."

Fu Yunzhang's weak breath brushed against Yu He’s ear, "Yu He, I love you. If I... if I can't talk to you in a bit, just leave me here. I'll watch you... go home."

Yu He bit his lip hard, not making a sound.

Fu Yunzhang could no longer hear the wind, but whether it was windy or rainy no longer mattered to him. He just wanted Yu He to survive.

Whatever happened, he hoped Yu He would live.

Fu Yunzhang's voice was as low as a whisper, "Don’t be afraid, and don’t look back. You need to keep moving forward, keep going. I will be with you, I promise. The body is just a shell that binds the soul; I won’t stay in Pumountain. I will go back with you. Believe me."

It started to rain, filling the air with the scent of wet earth.

It was damp and muddy.

A raindrop fell on a blade of grass in front of Yu He, causing it to tremble under the impact.

Rain shouldn’t be this hot.

"I’m a bit tired," Fu Yunzhang's voice was as thin as a thread, "Xiao He, put me down. I want to rest for a while."

They both understood what 'taking a nap' meant in this context.

The path before Yu He was so blurred he could hardly see it. Suppressing the lump in his throat, he said, “Don’t sleep, Fu Yunzhang. It’s not time yet. I’ve estimated your blood loss; it’s... it's not time for you to sleep yet.”

It just hasn’t reached that point now.

Both Fu Yunzhang and Yu He were acutely aware that the constantly bleeding wound was like an inverted hourglass, and eventually, the sand inside would run out.

So the monastery was not the final destination. Even if they reached the monastery, without timely medical assistance, the outcome would be the same.

Neither of them knew where the end of this road lay.

Yu He's voice was emotionless as he said, “Fu Yunzhang, wherever you go, I’ll go. There’s no room for discussion in this matter.”

Fu Yunzhang nuzzled against Yu He's hair, his voice filled with a lifetime’s worth of affection, “I just said you’ve grown up... why are you acting childish again...”

“If you fall asleep,” Yu He said, “I’ll dig a hole and bury us both. That’s what they call ‘sharing the same quilt in life and the same grave in death’.”

Fu Yunzhang’s vision blurred, a result of both the excessive blood loss and the tears welling in his eyes.

Fu Yunzhang had never lost in negotiations. He could see through the weaknesses of human nature and knew exactly what to say to move people. However, he had never been willing to go against Yu He's wishes.

But this time, he couldn’t just agree with Yu He.

He needed a convincing enough reason to make Yu He stay in this world.

Fu Yunzhang said, “Xiao He, don’t bury me in northern Myanmar.”