It seemed like she heard someone calling, "Wan Wan." Lin Wan, half-conscious, thought to herself that this must be God. Perhaps she was falling too slowly, and now some external force had joined in, accelerating her descent. However, the direction of her fall led her back into the light. She even saw the sun, its dazzling rays making her eyes hurt, so much that she felt like crying. So it wasn't a cloudy day after all.
"Wake up, damn it!" A furious roar broke through her daze. Lin Wan saw an angry face, first with surprise, then with the urge to cry. The pain in her cheek finally registered in her brain. Had he hit her again? The man said nothing more, grabbing her and swimming forward. But after a few moments, he realized that all his efforts were in vain. Suddenly, he plunged into the water. Lin Wan gasped in shock, wanting to scream, but no sound came out. She could only watch as he disappeared into the water. But soon, she felt her body becoming lighter, and the man emerged from the water, holding her and swimming forward again.
As Lin Wan tried to loosen her stiff limbs, she glanced at the man beside her. His brow furrowed, and his lips were tightly pressed, giving him a look of unwavering determination. His features were the same as usual, but somehow, at that moment, he appeared reassuring. How had he appeared here? How had he found her? Why was he saving her? She even wondered if this was all a hallucination. But if it was a hallucination, so be it. It was nice to have someone with her. She had been so scared and lonely just now.
But the pain in her face, the chill of the water, and the sensation of being held all reminded her that this was real. The shore was getting closer. She saw the green grass and the dark green trees ahead. She could hear the birds singing in the sky and the heavy breathing in her ear. Lin Wan turned her head to see Chen Jin's face, which looked pale, his brows knotted as if they were about to tie a knot. She also noticed that his swimming was slowing down. Of course, he was carrying both of their weights, hadn't eaten since early morning, and had exhausted his strength last night... Lin Wan felt embarrassed that, even in such a situation, she could still think of these things. She realized her calves weren't cramping anymore, and she began kicking the water to help him lighten the load.
Finally, when they reached the soft, muddy shore, Lin Wan couldn't describe the feeling in her heart. She wanted to laugh but also wanted to cry. Only then did she realize that her stomach was filled with water, and it felt like it was about to burst. She quickly lowered her head, patting her back to control the water inside. Soon, water was pouring from her mouth and nose in a messy stream. She felt like a mess. When the water finally drained enough for her to feel better, she weakly breathed, wiping her face with the back of her hand. It was then that she noticed how quiet Chen Jin was. She turned to look at him, only to be shocked by what she saw.
Chen Jin was lying face down, only half of his face visible. His eyes were closed tightly, his complexion an alarming shade of pale, and his lips were white. His nose and chin were covered in mud. He lay there, silent, motionless, almost like he had died. His hand was outstretched toward her, still in the position where he had pulled her up earlier. Lin Wan cautiously reached out to touch his hand, but quickly recoiled—it was shockingly cold.
A chill spread through her heart. How could this be? She called his name softly, "Chen Jin."
No response.
She crawled over and checked his nostrils. She felt his breath, and finally, a small sigh of relief escaped her. He must just be exhausted and needed a rest. He would probably jump up soon and yell at her or even hit her. Yes, he was just saving his strength to punish her. Maybe she should run away quickly, so she wouldn't get beaten when he was furious.
But these thoughts couldn't convince her. Chen Jin's complexion was clearly abnormal, and his breathing was faint, almost nonexistent. Lin Wan hesitated and touched his face, which, like his hand, was cold. She couldn't stop herself from slapping him a few times, hoping to wake him, just like how he had slapped her earlier to wake her up. But there was still no response. Her slap wasn't light, but his face didn't even redden.
Lin Wan was stunned. What was happening? He wasn't someone who couldn't swim. Could it be that some illness had struck him suddenly? She realized she knew almost nothing about him. Then, an idea struck her like lightning: he was afraid of water...
She froze, breathing heavily. What did it mean to be afraid of water? Why hadn't she asked him about it before? There was no time to dwell on it now, because this man was in serious trouble. Even though she didn't want to admit it, it seemed like he was about to die. She had to do something. That's right—mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, just like they showed on TV. She carefully turned him over, laying him flat on his back. One hand supported his chin, while the other pinched his nose. His mouth remained tightly shut, so she forced her fingers between his lips and blew air into his mouth.
She repeated this a few times, but there was still no sign of him waking up. Lin Wan was at a loss. Chen Jin's lifeless state reminded her of the word he often used to scold her: "zombie." She tried to steady herself, but it was no use. She had to seek help. However, as she stood, she realized her legs were shaking. Whether it was from the exhaustion or from the shock of seeing him like this, she couldn't tell. She staggered a few steps and turned back. She loosened his belt, wiped the mud and dust from his face, and then wiped her own face before walking away.
When she came here, her mind had been unclear, as though some force had guided her to this place. Now, she realized sadly that she was lost. Her sense of direction had never been great, and she wasn't familiar with the area. She felt like a headless chicken, running madly along the lakeside path. She thought to herself, "This is it. Chen Jin is going to die. He's going to die because of me."
Why were there so many paths in this damn place? It was already bright, but there wasn't a single person in sight. Whenever she reached an intersection, it felt like she was gambling with someone's life. She was scared. She couldn't bear it, but she had no choice but to keep going.
As she ran, she hoarsely cried out, "Is anyone there? Help!" Her calf muscles, still aching from the cramps, screamed with pain with every step, but she couldn't care. She was racing against time. As she ran, she whispered in her mind, "Chen Jin, hold on. Chen…" She suddenly stopped. Chen Jin? Wasn't he her enemy? Now, she was trying to save her enemy? Had she gone mad or was she just stupid?
Lin Wan bent over, gasping for air, a flicker of indifference in her eyes. Perhaps if she waited a little longer, she could be free—wasn't that what she had always dreamed of? But then she shook her head in pain. He had become like this because of her. She couldn't be so selfish. She stood up straight and saw the red roof of the hotel in the distance. Maybe this was fate. She hadn't gone the wrong way. He wasn't meant to die.
As she ran toward the red building, Lin Wan thought to herself, what exactly was freedom? Freedom wasn't just about the body; it was also about the heart. If she turned her back on him today, she would be trapped at this moment for the rest of her life. This wasn't nobility; it was weakness. She was just an ordinary person.
At the hotel lobby, panting heavily, Lin Wan briefly explained the situation to the staff. They immediately called the local emergency center and notified Chen Jin's friends. Lin Wan glanced at the clock on the wall. It was just past six o'clock. No wonder she hadn't encountered a single person on the way, and she didn't know how long it had taken to get here. She wondered how Chen Jin was doing.
The lobby was noisy with people, the hotel staff running around like ants on a hot pan. Outside, the sound of cars starting filled the air. The first one to arrive was Xiang Yang, who was buttoning his shirt as he walked out of the elevator. When he saw Lin Wan standing there in a disheveled state, he scowled and asked, "What happened?"
Before Lin Wan could catch her breath, she coughed and said, "He… swam ashore from the lake, and then he lost consciousness…"
"I'm asking you how he ended up there?" Xiang Yang shouted angrily, startling Lin Wan.
At that moment, a few more people came down. Li Wei, with a neutral expression, said, "First, save him. We'll talk about the rest later."
Fang Zheng, who was the last to come out, glanced at her with a complicated expression. After walking a few steps, he turned back and said, "Let's go. You need to show us the way."
Lin Wan dragged her stiff legs and walked outside. Several roaring SUVs were already waiting. The men had already gotten into the cars. Fang Zheng opened one of the car doors and said to her, "Get in this one."