Chapter 63 It’ll Be Fine

Chapter 63: It Will Be Okay

The rain never stopped, and the search continued from afternoon into the night. Shen Ci was forcibly dragged into a tent by Chen Bufan and his father, wrapped in a blanket.

"You can't go on like this," Chen Bufan said, his voice anxious. "You need to change out of those wet clothes."

Under the light, Shen Ci's face was deathly pale. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, Chen Bufan would have sensed no sign of life in him. He didn't dare to touch Shen Ci's clothes, either. Chen's father sighed beside him—he usually doted on Chen Bufan and couldn't bear such scenes.

"Shen Ci!" Song Qiuchi's voice rang out from outside. Chen Bufan found it hard to believe but knew priorities. He ducked out of the tent.

"He's in here!"

The tent was way too small for that many people. Song Xianghan, Gao Mengying, and Qi Zizhu had all arrived—after getting the call, they caught the earliest flight to Canghai City. Reaching the airport in the evening, Song Xianghan thought the taxi driver was too slow, so she bought a sports car right from a 4S dealership.

Chen Bufan had never been this close to Song Qiuchi.

"How'd he get so soaked?" Song Qiuchi touched the hair spread over Shen Ci's shoulders.

"He was out in the rain for hours this afternoon and wouldn't change," Chen Bufan said, catching a faint scent. "I tried to hold an umbrella for him, but I was scared he'd catch a cold from the wind, so my dad and I dragged him back."

"Thank you," Song Xianghan said, crouching down. She gently brushed her knuckles against Shen Ci's puffy eyes. "Xiao Ci, I contacted a more professional rescue team than the police—they specialize in jungle searches. They'll start at dawn, and they never fail to find anyone. Listen to your big sister, change your clothes first."

The familiar voice gave Shen Ci a sliver of comfort.

"Sister Xianghan," Shen Ci said hoarsely, his expression shifting slightly. "I want to go with them tomorrow."

It wasn't until later, when Song Xianghan really became friends with Shen Shiyan, that she found out about Shen Ci's past. Through all the time they'd spent together, she understood how important Shen Shiyan was to Shen Ci—like a pink hoya flower ball in her greenhouse, small blossoms clustered into a plump, round ball, serene and gentle, but its stems were so fragile it could only survive by clinging to other things with its aerial roots.

The hoya is a flower that lives by attachment; once it latches on, it's entwined for life.

Shen Shiyan became Shen Ci's anchor after he turned eleven. Without him, Shen Ci couldn't stand—couldn't live.

Song Xianghan nodded. "Okay, we'll all go, alright?"

"Mm." A thin breath of fresh air finally filled Shen Ci's lungs. He stood up to go back to his own tent, but his legs were so weak his knees buckled like they were about to give out.

Qi Zizhu's heart ached so much she was about to cry. Gao Mengying patted her hand, and together they helped support Shen Ci back to his tent.

Finally in dry clothes, Shen Ci wiped his hair with a towel, his movements mechanical, his eyes still empty.

"Eat something, Shen Ci," Song Qiuchi said, sitting with him for a while. She pulled out some toast and cookies she'd brought from home.

The buttery smell filled the air, but Shen Ci had no appetite and shook his head.

Shen Ci's hair, like the never-ending rain, never fully dried. His rough rubbing had tangled it into knots, and the wide-toothed comb got stuck, unable to slide through.

He wouldn't eat, wouldn't rest. They stayed with him until dawn.

As the sky just started to lighten, Shen Ci struggled to go search. Song Xianghan stopped him. "Eat something, Xiao Ci."

"Sister Xianghan," Shen Ci said, looking haggard, his already thin frame swaying as he walked. "I'm begging you, let me go, Sister Xianghan, please..."

He wasn't crying, but his voice was full of pleading.

Outside, the rescue team was preparing for a second round of searches. Due to the weather, the difficulty had greatly increased.

"President Song, the fog is too thick—it's dangerous," the team leader said quietly to Song Xianghan, clearly not happy about Shen Ci joining the search.

Never mind whether Shen Ci's current physical state could even let him walk normally—his mental state alone was far from rational. Going along would just cause more trouble.

Song Xianghan nodded, understanding. Though it pained her, she stood at the tent entrance, holding an umbrella, and asked Shen Ci, "You have to go?"

"Mm." Shen Ci nodded.

Song Xianghan pointed at the food in Song Qiuchi's hands. "At least eat that slice of bread, or I won't feel right letting you go."

Qi Zizhu wanted to say something but was stopped by a look from Song Xianghan.

"Fine." Shen Ci sat down again, almost snatching the pastries from Song Qiuchi's hands. He didn't care what they were or if they were still wrapped; he shoved them into his mouth, fast and rough.

Eating was the second most important thing in Shen Ci's life. He usually had good table manners and ate with enjoyment, but now he didn't care. The sweet cookies, along with the oil-absorbing paper meant to keep his hands clean, were all swallowed. He couldn't taste any sweetness—only bitterness in his mouth.

Dry and choking, he soon started coughing violently. His stomach clenched sharply, acid rising, and the food he'd just eaten came right back up.

When he was eating, no one could stop him. Seeing him throw up, Song Qiuchi quickly asked Gao Mengying for bottled water, patted his back, and handed him the opened bottle.

Shen Ci felt terrible. He rinsed his mouth and took a couple of sips.

The moment he turned to grab a tissue, he spat the water out, too.

Song Xianghan called over the doctor she'd brought, crouched down, and tucked Shen Ci's loose hair behind his ear. "No more eating, we'll stop. Let the doctor give you a shot for the nausea, and then we'll go."

Her words were firm. Shen Ci, bearing the stomach cramps, held out his arm.

The doctor took a disposable syringe from his kit. Shen Ci watched the air expelled from the needle, his arm tightened, disinfected, and the needle pierced his skin. The clear, colorless liquid was slowly injected.

He felt no pain. He just wished it could be faster, quicker.

A cotton swab was pressed over the injection site. Shen Ci didn't bother to stop the bleeding; he pulled his sleeve down and staggered to his feet.

"Let's go, Sister Xianghan," Shen Ci said.

Song Xianghan grabbed Qi Zizhu's arm as she tried to step forward, shook her head gently, and accompanied Shen Ci to change into professional jungle rescue gear.

People kept talking to Shen Ci, but it was as if his tinnitus had returned. He couldn't hear anything. His head grew dizzier, and the unbroken rain before his eyes turned into swirling water vortexes. He shook his head hard, trying to calm himself.

His eyes were so heavy.

Shen Ci's movements slowed. He couldn't tell if what he held was a shirt or pants, but he persisted in dressing.

As he put on the fluorescent vest, Shen Ci could no longer hold up his eyelids and collapsed.

Chen Bufan caught him just in time and shouted urgently, "Doctor! Doctor!"

"No need for the doctor." Song Xianghan sighed. "The strong sedative has kicked in."

Chen Bufan froze. Two rescue workers came over and carried Shen Ci to a clean tent.

"You all go ahead," Song Xianghan said, covering Shen Ci with a blanket. "Money isn't an issue. Bring him back, dead or alive."

"Understood, President Song."

Qi Zizhu breathed a sigh of relief but still worried. "Is the sedative safe? Any side effects?"

"It's fine for occasional use." Song Xianghan had anticipated this scene. When the doctor came, she'd specifically asked him to bring a sedative, hoping it wouldn't be needed.

The main group gradually disappeared into the fog. Song Qiuchi stayed by Shen Ci's side, her usually cold expression tinged with sadness. "Auntie, if big brother can't be found, will Shen Ci ever be the same again?"

A deathly silence fell, even breathing drowned out by the rain.

"It will." Song Xianghan looked at Shen Ci. "It will."

He will be found. It will be okay.