Chapter 525: Chapter 519: Surviving a Great Disaster Chapter 525: Chapter 519: Surviving a Great Disaster She was so cold that she involuntarily shrank into herself.
She shivered, feeling like she was on the brink of freezing to death.
What was she to do?
“Yuxin"€¦” Suddenly, she thought she heard someone calling her name.
But there was only one call, and then nothing more.
The light in Tang Yuxin’s eyes dimmed even more.
She wasn’t sure if she was hallucinating because she was so hungry she was about to faint.
...
“Yuxin, Tang Yuxin"€¦”
That voice again.
“Yuxin…”
Another call.
From far to near, it sounded not too far away, seemingly within her reach.
“I’m here!
I’m right here!”
Her voice trembling, and tears trickling down her face, wet and hot.
Soon after, she saw a figure standing at the trap entrance.
It was Gu Ning.
Gu Ning pulled out a rope from his clothes, tied it around his dagger, forcefully stabbed the dagger into the snowy ground, and tugged on the rope.
This was a special feature of the dagger used by the military, which could be used in this way in a pinch.
After a few hard tugs on the rope, he found it to be very firm, the dagger had not moved at all.
Of course, the dagger’s load-bearing capacity could fully withstand his weight.
He tied the rope around his waist and jumped into the trap.
“Are you okay?” He frowned, placing his hand on Tang Yuxin’s shoulder, checking if she had been injured.
“I’m fine,” Tang Yuxin shook her head, “My arms and legs are all in one piece, and there was snow to cushion my fall.”
Seeing that she was unhurt, Gu Ning heaved a sigh of relief.
“Let’s get out of here first,” He brushed the snow from Tang Yuxin’s hair, and saw her face was frostbitten, nearly colorless, her lips turning blue.
Tang Yuxin was always in good health and had a healthy complexion, this was the first time Gu Ning had seen her in such bad shape.
This place was unbearable, not just for a woman, but even for them, hardened men.
Yet she had been out for a whole afternoon, her courage was commendable.
This was her first time here yet she dared to wander around aimlessly, unafraid of encountering wolves.
She was lucky, she didn’t encounter any wolves, but she fell into a trap, left by local hunters.
Normally, there would be no one here, and if Gu Ning hadn’t found her, she could have frozen stiff by the morning.
They needed to get out of there first.
Gu Ning bent down, “Climb on, I’ll carry you.”
“Okay,” Tang Yuxin quickly crawled onto Gu Ning’s back.
The moment she felt the warmth from his body, she felt some life return to her freezing limbs.
“Hold on tight,” Gu Ning instructed Tang Yuxin.
He grabbed the rope, and began to climb upwards.
His movements were swift, even with the extra weight on his back.
The pit was not too deep, so in a matter of seconds, Gu Ning had managed to carry Tang Yuxin out.
As soon as Tang Yuxin emerged, the gusting wind and snow nearly made her lose her balance.
Gu Ning collected the rope, turned around and pinched Tang Yuxin’s face hard, “I’m going to deal with you when we get back.”
Tang Yuxin’s face burned, she wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or the pinch from Gu Ning.
It felt like they were flirting like lovers, but Gu Ning was her senior.
Gu Ning bent down in front of her again, “Let’s go, I’ll take you home.”
At this point, Tang Yuxin was no longer trying to pretend she was fine.
Her legs were weak and trembling, both from fear and from the cold.
She was amazed that she could still stand without fainting, it was a testament to her ability to endure.
Gu Ning straightened up and began to head back towards their tent.
“Don’t sleep, alright?”
Gu Ning was worried about Tang Yuxin.
He was afraid the cold had gotten to her, and that she shouldn’t sleep right now in case she didn’t wake up.
“Um-hm, I won’t sleep,” Tang Yuxin held back her tiredness, promising not to sleep.
If she feels sleepy, she’ll bite her finger.
As long as she can steel herself to bear the pain, she won’t be able to fall asleep.
At this time, the wind and snow in the sky were still chilly, the landscape devoid of any color.
Maybe in the future, given the scarcity of such pristinely snowy landscapes, it would become a rare sight.
After all, city-dwellers, accustomed to the concrete jungles, will become tired of the tall buildings and start to appreciate such natural beauty.
They wouldn’t often get to see such snowy landscapes.
As they walked, Tang Yuxin told Gu Ning about the herbs she had dug up to assure him she was awake, to keep her spirits up, and to ensure that the silence in this quiet place wouldn’t turn into the kind of silence that suggested death.
“They’re back, they’re back…”
Gu Ning and Tang Yuxin heard Li Jia’s voice before they even arrived.
Hearing the joyous proclamation of their return, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Jia and Lin Yile shared a teary-eyed smile, reflecting their relief and gratitude.
Li Jia was particularly relieved.
She had been blaming herself "€“ it was her fault for not stopping Tang Yuxin.
She had let Tang Yuxin act recklessly, letting her slip away just like that.
If something were to happen to Tang Yuxin, she wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt.
It was a relief that Tang Yuxin was alright.
Her nose was stinging, and she quickly went inside to fetch two cups of warm water.
Gu Ning put Tang Yuxin down.
Tang Yuxin’s legs gave way and she nearly fell.
If it weren’t for Gu Ning, who caught her by the shoulders, she might have become seriously injured.
“I’m fine, just a little numbness in my legs,” Tang Yuxin stood up, looking at Gu Ning’s furrowed brow, she felt a strong desire to iron those wrinkles away.
And every time she thought of his promise earlier, to deal with her when they come back, she couldn’t help but fear for her life.
Gu Ning scowled, reached out and prodded Tang Yuxin’s face forcefully, “When we get back, I’ll teach you a lesson.
Clearly, you start causing trouble if not disciplined for three days.”
“Hehe…”
All Tang Yuxin could do was give a dry laugh, not daring to talk back to Gu Ning.
Gu Ning took a cup from Li Jia and put it in front of Tang Yuxin, “Drink this first.”