Hai Baihe was right, being in a life-threatening situation is the best time to reflect on one's inner self. Since the incident happened, he had never truly thought about it or shared his true feelings with anyone.
Fortunately, today's audience seemed receptive.
"I think love does exist; it's just that I wasn't lucky enough to encounter it before," Liang Xiao said in the darkness, unable to see Hai Baihe's face but feeling her presence beside him. The silence underground allowed them to hear each other's heartbeats.
"Due to our jobs, we rarely get to be together, especially three years ago when she became an undercover agent. To protect her, we completely cut off contact."
Liang Xiao spoke lightly of the past, "At first, I doubted myself. Did I really love her? Could I wait for her to come back? But then I realized that when you place someone in your heart, those questions cease to exist because you don't see anyone else. I know I will wait for her to complete her mission and come back. And she should too. Then, maybe we'll get married. If possible, I hope she transitions to a more open and safe life instead of lurking around dangerous individuals."
Hai Baihe was surprised, "I thought love born out of gratitude wouldn't last long. After all, gratitude is not the same as affection."
"That was just a catalyst." Regardless of the reason it started, once it begins, if there are no subsequent events, perhaps it could be a fulfilling story.
"Maybe you're right. I've been too hard on her," Liang Xiao closed his eyes, "but I can't convince myself to forgive her. I'm too petty, right?"
Perhaps it was because he had high expectations for love that this kind of betrayal became unforgivable. Delia ignited the flame of love in him, only to extinguish it with her own hands.
Hai Baihe immediately responded, "You can't say that. Although your situation is unique due to your work, no matter what, you shouldn't fall in love with someone else. It undermines the very foundation of love. Breaking up is justified, and it's not your fault."
"You're not going to persuade me anymore?"
"Just for appearances. You know I don't really think that way," Hai Baihe said, "After all, I'm a principled person."
They understood each other's words without needing to explain. But Liang Xiao spoke up, "Baiyu..."
"Yes?"
"There's an old saying, 'When a person is on the brink of death, they speak words of sincerity'," Liang Xiao carefully chose his words, hoping not to hurt her pride, "I'm not someone suitable for a romantic relationship. Not before and not in the future. You're such a beautiful and intelligent girl, there's no need for you to get involved with someone like me who has a messy personal life."
"Not suitable? You have the wrong impression," she eagerly spoke, "I know the situation in our country may differ from abroad, and we may be more conservative. But times are changing, and maybe you haven't been back to the mainland for a long time. In today's society, opinions vary. Some consider premarital intimacy dirty and unforgivable, while others think it's normal to have a physical relationship with a boyfriend. People have different thoughts, and they definitely differ from yours."
"...," Liang Xiao realized that his last visit to China was five or six years ago.
"I thought you had a cheap and vulgar appearance, but I never expected you to have such a pure and genuine heart. Now I'm even more interested in you," Hai Baihe teased him, "Oh, and let me explain something
about the term 'cheap and vulgar.' It's not derogatory; it's a popular term referring to someone who looks glamorous."
Liang Xiao contemplated how to respond.
Hai Baihe, as if giving up on the topic, changed the subject, "Don't feel down. When we get out of here, I'll send you a bunch of trendy dating tips. You'll catch up with the modern dating scene in no time."
Liang Xiao went along with her suggestion, "That's if we can get out."
"Shall we go and check it out?" Hai Baihe took out her phone, "There seems to be a path over there, although it's a bit narrow. Can you handle it?"
"I can't lose to a young girl," Liang Xiao stood up with her, "If there's really no way forward, then I'll calmly wait for death. I'll consider what to write as my last words."
Hai Baihe playfully said, "I've been there, lived through it, and loved. "
"Do you think I don't read Jin Yong and Gu Long novels when I'm abroad?"
Hai Baihe exclaimed, "Oh?!"
After teasing him so many times, Liang Xiao finally scored a point. His heart felt unexpectedly uplifted.
Where there's a will, there's a way.
Incredibly lucky! They had come across water marks, indicating that an underground river might be flowing nearby.
Liang Xiao was surprised by their unbelievable stroke of luck, "It seems our luck is quite good."
With hope, the path ahead seemed less arduous. Even if they had to crawl forward, Hai Baihe was worried about Liang Xiao's injuries and repeatedly asked for breaks.
"I can endure more than you think." The difference in the will to survive with the same injuries was significant. Liang Xiao's rationality and composure returned, "The more we rest, the longer it will take for us to reach our destination. We can't afford to delay."
Despite his words, moving forward in the seemingly endless underground was an overwhelming task. They had only faint light from their phones, and they had no idea how deep they were underground. They mechanically moved forward, gradually questioning if they were even alive.
Perhaps this crawling figure was a ghost.
Someone with a weaker mental fortitude would likely collapse under such circumstances.
Perhaps sensing this invisible pressure, Hai Baihe started to whistle. Liang Xiao recognized it, "Jasmine."
His emotions became slightly complicated. As a Chinese person living abroad, he might not be familiar with popular Chinese songs, but "Jasmine" was undoubtedly a well-known song, especially in a foreign land. It felt incredibly heartwarming.
"Do you like it?" she turned her head, "It's the only song I know."
Although covered in dust and looking as dirty as a beggar, miraculously, Liang Xiao found her even more adorable.
What could be warmer than a glimmer of light in desperate circumstances?
"Ah! We've arrived!" Hai Baihe quickly climbed out of the narrow passage, greeted by an underground river that had likely flowed beneath the surface for countless years.
But Hai Baihe furrowed her brows, "Is there something wrong with the water quality?"
Liang Xiao slowly approached, his chest in excruciating pain. The underground river shimmered with a peculiar metallic glow in the dim light, resembling the enchanted brews of witches from fairy tales. In any case... it was abnormal.
"Look," Hai Baihe stepped on a rotting rat. It looked emaciated, its skin torn and oozing pus. Its tail was long gone, leaving behind a bone-white skeleton with streaks of blood.
"If it didn't look like a rat
, I would have mistaken it for a dog," Hai Baihe said unfeelingly as she crushed its skull.
There were numerous twinkling red lights around them. If these weren't insects or some kind of plants, then they were likely mutated creatures preparing to besiege the two intruders.
"I think we may have found the source of the mutation," Liang Xiao exhaled deeply.
The truth appeared suddenly, without warning.
It wasn't about miners unearthing some dormant life form or discovering an ancient primordial virus.
It was the all-too-common pollution.
The rare mineral that had transformed the economic landscape of Huyang Village had contaminated the underground river, triggering mutations.
But now, the truth was not only irrelevant, it presented them with a dilemma. To escape, they had to traverse the underground river. But once they entered the water, who could guarantee they wouldn't turn into zombies?
Accept death or seek death?
Liang Xiao forced a bitter smile. He had already experienced something that gave him hope and then crushed it. He didn't want to experience it again.
However, Hai Baihe pondered. Her bloodline could counteract the effects of drugs, but what about the polluted river water?
There didn't seem to be another option.
"Let's give it a try," she said, "We have no other choice."
As she spoke those words, Liang Xiao saw a flicker of flames in her eyes, a courage that refused to give up until the very end. It resembled the protagonist of a passionate anime.
In the end, he said, "Okay."
The polluted water of the underground river was bone-chillingly cold. Once they jumped in, their skin erupted in goosebumps from the sudden drop in temperature.
Liang Xiao was a decent swimmer and, until he saw Hai Baihe's graceful movements in the water, he had thought highly of his own abilities.
But she moved like a fish, unhindered by anything. Instead, she used the buoyancy of the water to support him and propelled them forward.
When they emerged to take a breath, she asked him, "Are you okay?"
"Not great," Liang Xiao felt that he no longer had any sensation in his wounds.
If the skin injuries temporarily lost their pain due to the low temperature, his broken ribs were certainly an exception.
But the problem was that he felt his chest gradually losing sensation. Either he was about to die, or... his body was undergoing mutation.
"If I turn into a zombie," his icy lips touched her forehead, "Kill me."
This kiss had nothing to do with love; it was a farewell.
Hai Baihe wanted to say something, but suddenly, she felt dizzy, as if a bomb exploded beside her, robbing her of consciousness.
In her dizziness, she grabbed onto his arm.
"It's ending."
Hai Baihe woke up from her nightmare, and the glaring light caused her tear glands to produce tears. After a good half-minute, she recognized the familiar scene before her.
Whether it was the white walls (now yellowed) or the strong smell of disinfectant, or the hurried nurses and doctors passing by, everything indicated an undeniable fact.
This was a hospital, and they were saved.
Hai Baihe stared blankly from the bed, trying to make sense of it all.
Don't lie to her, she vividly remembered passing out in the underground river, and Liang Xiao on the verge of mutation. How could they be saved in such circumstances?
The appearance of the people who came next was enough to prove the strangeness of the situation. "You finally woke up," Zhang Qihang breathed a long sigh of relief, "Besides Li Wenheng, you were the most severely injured.
The doctor said you had a concussion."
He walked in, met Hai Baihe's shocked gaze, and after a few seconds of silence, tentatively asked, "Did you... lose your memory?"
"What... happened to us?" Hai Baihe chose a universally applicable starting point, "What's going on?"
"It was a car accident. Our car collided with a truck. Everyone was seriously injured," Zhang Qihang quickly explained, relieved that it wasn't amnesia, feeling embarrassed about his wild speculation, "Except for Li Wenheng, you suffered the most severe injuries. The doctor said you had a concussion."