Chapter 51: An Unexpected Incident

Chapter 51 A Sudden Crisis

The sudden change in weather took everyone by surprise. Everyone was scrambling for cover from the downpour, and no one would have noticed what was happening beneath the bridge.

The rain came down in a furious, driving downpour, pounding the ground and surging into the river under the bridge.

The thunder rumbling in the clouds and the relentless patter of rain turned the quiet road into a clamor.

Jian Ye thought that if someone fell into the river now, even if they screamed for help, it would likely be drowned out.

So he quickly turned his attention to the river beneath the bridge, scanning for any sign of trouble.

He thought he heard a child's crying—faint, swallowed at times by the rain, barely audible.

The rain blurred everything like frosted glass, making the world appear hazy.

Jian Ye slowed down to locate the source of the sound, but his hand was still being pulled by Mo Huan, who felt the tug and turned back in confusion.

"What's wrong? Did you twist your ankle?" Mo Huan's first thought was that Jian Ye had been injured—otherwise, why would he slow down in such heavy rain?

Jian Ye didn’t answer, because the moment he stopped, he spotted a white dot in the middle of the river, bobbing as the current dragged it under and pushed it back up.

Breaking free from Mo Huan's grip, Jian Ye leaned over the bridge railing, squinting. That white dot was unmistakably a little girl in white clothes.

The girl struggled and cried in the water, gulping down water, fighting to keep her head above the surface.

"H-Help! Please! Someone help me!"

The girl was fading fast, her voice growing weaker.

Jian Ye barely heard her, but he knew that if no one saved her soon, she would go under for good.

"Xiao Ye?" Mo Huan was startled by Jian Ye's sudden dash to the railing and hurried after him.

Following Jian Ye's gaze, he too saw the struggling girl in the river.

Mo Huan’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Th-That's..."

Jian Ye frowned, his expression grim. "A kid’s drowning. We need to move!"

"I’ll call 911!"

"There's no time. By the time rescuers arrive, she'll be gone." With that, Jian Ye bolted for the crew’s truck.

"Xiao Ye, what are you doing?!" Mo Huan's heart pounded with panic, a sinking feeling in his gut.

He chased after Jian Ye but couldn’t catch up.

The crew members also noticed Jian Ye running toward them.

Director Wu, drenched from the rain, saw Jian Ye's urgent expression and asked, "Xiao Ye, what's wrong?"

Jian Ye snapped, "A child fell into the river. Do you have a long rope? Something sturdy."

A crew member from the props team instinctively replied, "We do, but you—"

"Later, I'll tie the rope around the child, and you all pull her up!" Jian Ye's sharp eyes caught sight of a long rope in a cardboard box inside the truck. He swiftly grabbed it, slung it over his shoulder, and ran back to the railing.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Huo Kai, sitting in his car, noticed the commotion. He hit the gas, driving onto the bridge, rolled down the window, and shouted, "Director Wu! What's going on over there? Why haven't you evacuated yet?"

Director Wu was too frantic to respond to Huo Kai. The sight of Jian Ye charging toward the bridge scared him out of his wits.

He immediately guessed the young man’s intentions.

Before he could process Jian Ye’s earlier words, the scene before him hit him like a punch to the gut.

At his age, his desperate sprint was especially clumsy.

His foot slipped on the wet pavement, but he plowed ahead without thinking, racing toward Jian Ye.

"Grab him! Now! Stop Jian Ye!" he shouted as he ran.

Huo Kai, still in the car, realized the danger and bolted into the downpour.

Seeing the little girl drifting farther away, Jian Ye didn’t hesitate another second. He secured one end of the rope to the railing and wrapped the other around his wrist.

"Xiao Ye! Help’s on the way!" Mo Huan lunged for Jian Ye’s arm, but the young man nimbly sidestepped.

His wet hair clung to his forehead, his eyes dark but determined, full of grit.

Jian Ye pushed his bangs back, his striking features now fully visible.

He gave Mo Huan a quick grin. "Hold the rope tight, Senior Mo. You’ve got this."

With effortless grace, he vaulted the railing and jumped off the ten-meter-high bridge.

"Xiao Ye!!!"

"Jian Ye!!!"

Huo Kai and Director Wu were half a second too slow—especially Huo Kai, who watched in horror as his best friend’s wife plunged into the river.

Just… jumped?!

His brain short-circuited, his stomach dropping as the boy fell.

Fuck! Fuck! He’s dead! Yi Siyu is going to murder him!

This scene would be mind-blowing even by entertainment industry standards.

Director Wu stood frozen, questioning his sanity.

Was this not part of the shoot? A fucking risky stunt with zero safety measures!

Even trained stunt performers wouldn’t attempt this!

Jian Ye wasn’t even an actor, let alone a stunt pro—how could he just leap like that?!

The crew rushed to the edge, craning their necks to see.

Few could swim well, and none dared dive into the raging river to help. Their rescue experience was practically nonexistent.

When Jian Ye resurfaced, their stomachs dropped. The rope held as he swam toward the girl, fighting the current.

But the storm worsened. Wind churned the waves, swallowing the child whole.

Jian Ye lost sight of her. He stared at the spot where she’d vanished, willing her to reappear.

She never did.

"Jian Ye: Er Tong, can you help track the child's direction?"

[System 748: Host, the child is not far from you. Would you like to exchange for the "Underwater Survival Kit" item?]

Jian Ye wasn’t entirely sure what the kit contained, but in this critical moment, he didn’t hesitate to borrow the system’s power.

"Jian Ye: Exchange it! Hurry up!"

[System 748: The "Underwater Survival Kit" costs 500 Green Tea Coins. All the Green Tea Coins you previously exchanged with Green Tea Points will be consumed, leaving a balance of zero.]

"System 748: System exchange in progress, please wait..."

Before long, Jian Ye felt an energy enveloping his body, making him suddenly weightless in the water, as if he belonged in the water.

He dove headfirst into the water, where he could easily open his eyes without any stinging pain, his vision exceptionally clear.

Almost as soon as he opened his eyes, Jian Ye spotted the little girl sinking in the water and swiftly swam toward her.

The girl had already lost consciousness. Jian Ye tried several times to grab her, but the undercurrents kept sweeping her away.

The river, usually calm on the surface, had strong undercurrents. Now, with the heavy rain, the flow became even stronger.

On the bridge, the onlookers grew increasingly anxious as both figures disappeared beneath the water.

Director Wu was frantic, pacing like a caged animal. Such a bright child with a promising future—if something happened to her on his set, he’d never forgive himself.

Meanwhile, Huo Cheng forced himself to stay calm and began calling to mobilize his private helicopter for rescue.

Every second counted. No one dared slack off now, and sending more people in was too risky, as it might lead to greater losses. Those on the bridge could only hold onto the rope, doing everything they could to help Jian Ye.

The firefighters arrived quickly, with rescuers already rushing toward the river below the bridge.

There was hardly a clear path from the bridge to the riverbank, completely overgrown with plants.

The firefighters strapped into their safety harnesses and slowly descended from the bridge.

In the water, Jian Ye finally got hold of the little girl. He swam to the surface with her and quickly wrapped the rope around her waist, securing it tightly several times. After confirming it was firm, he waved to the people on the bridge.

Seeing Jian Ye safe, Mo Huan allowed himself a brief sigh of relief.

He shouted to the group: "Pull the rope up! One, two, three—pull!"

On the shore, firefighters arrived with a rescue raft.

But the rain was coming down harder, and the raft couldn’t reach Jian Ye once launched.

The current kept pushing the raft downstream, and several rescuers fought to steady it with ropes.

As they neared, Jian Ye pushed the girl, now hoisted above the water by the rope, toward the raft, gasping out, "Save the child first. She’s inhaled water and needs CPR immediately, or her life is in danger."

The raft couldn’t hold everyone. Hearing Jian Ye’s words, the rescuers knew what to do—saving the drowning girl was undoubtedly the top priority.

Watching the rescuers place the girl onto the raft, Jian Ye suddenly relaxed.

That moment of relief made him lose his grip on the raft, and the current instantly swept him far away.

"Xiao Ye!!!" Mo Huan’s eyes widened in horror. Just when it seemed the boy was about to be saved, the situation took a dire turn.

Now free from the rope’s restraint, Jian Ye drifted swiftly in the water.

Rumble—

A dull thunder rolled across the sky, as if the heavens had it out for him. Jian Ye only flailed briefly in the water before being completely submerged.

It all happened in a flash, catching everyone off guard.

Huo Kai’s helicopter arrived late. In such weather, flying was tough—the winds were too fierce to allow a steady approach to the water’s surface.

He was going out of his mind with worry, ordering the pilot to scan the river for any sign of Jian Ye.

Meanwhile, Jian Ye, now sunken beneath the water, found himself weirdly comfortable.

[System 748: The "Underwater Survival Kit" includes a breath-holding feature. The host can stay underwater without any sense of suffocation.]

"Jian Ye: No wonder this item’s so pricey. A literal lifesaver—worth every penny."

Aside from feeling weak, Jian Ye was otherwise fine. With the system’s boost, he drifted like a leaf on the current, carried downstream.

The water was chilly, but in his rush to rescue the kid, he’d forgotten all about it.

If he hadn’t known how this played out, he’d never have acted so recklessly—it was truly a last resort.

He hoped his desperate effort wasn’t wasted. That child’s fate… surely it had changed by now?

After giving everything to the rescue, exhaustion crashed over him, body and soul.

Jian Ye couldn’t hold on any longer and slowly closed his eyes in the water.

"Author’s Note"

Jian Ye: Today, I’m Jian the Little Fish, drifting through the water.

Boss Yi: Day three without my wife.

Huo Kai: Boss Yi, your wife *jumped off the bridge*!!!