Just then, the bus suddenly started to jolt violently. The scenery outside was also swaying. Gu Fan felt something was wrong. This was a mountain road that had cost a lot to build and should normally be very smooth to drive on. This kind of situation should not occur.
Someone shouted, "Oh no, there's a landslide ahead."
All at once, pandemonium broke out inside the bus, with the girls shrieking in particular. Gu Fan stood up and suffered a shock when he saw the scene outside the window. Large rocks were tumbling down the mountain and landing heavily on the road.
The bus quickly reduced its speed and then stopped. It was full of students who had never experienced any significant dangers; facing such a situation, they panicked, unsure about what to do. Should they reverse...
Then, a terrifying scene unfolded. The mountainside began to collapse, with large chunks of it sliding down, bringing with it soil, rocks, and trees in a rush of unstoppable torrent. The force was so enormous that it destroyed the road, cutting it off entirely.
The thunderous sound was even more terrifying than a thunderstorm. This was all happening less than fifty meters away, and everyone was staring in horror. They all felt a lingering fear in their hearts. If they had been driving a bit faster, they might have been crushed.
Having dodged a bullet, everyone was extremely relieved. However, Gu Fan sensed something and couldn't help but call out, "It's strange, the shaking hasn't stopped yet."
Upon hearing this, everyone's nerves tightened again. Many realized that this was not a simple landslide; it was an earthquake.
Many clung tightly to whatever they could latch on to, their hearts pounding in fear. Some of the more timid girls kept their eyes closed, afraid to see the appalling scene, lest they break down in tears.
Fortunately, the earthquake ended after a while, and calm quickly returned, which felt somewhat miraculous to everyone. They had thought that the strong earthquake would have done them in, but it had merely given them a fright.
After confirming that the earthquake was really over, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and looked at each other. They could all see the lingering fear on each other's faces. Many were soaking with cold sweat.
Du Jun and the driver got off the bus and checked out the destroyed road, realizing that the trip was not going to continue. There was no option but to turn back. After all, no matter how good the driver's skills were, the bus couldn't fly over the destroyed road.
Du Jun returned and shared the situation with everyone. There were no objections, and everyone hurriedly turned back. They were already happy to have survived. As for the trip, no one was in the mood for it anymore.
Just like that, we're going back?" Gu Fan felt a bit regretful. He had hoped to use the trip to spend time with Lin Xi and deepen their relationship, but things didn't go as planned.
Looking at the destroyed road before her, Lu Yi sighed, "Behold, the power of nature. It's terrifying. Was today lucky or unlucky for us?"
Gu Fan pondered over Lu Yi's words. Encountering this natural disaster and the voiding of their pleasant trip could be considered bad luck. But escaping with their lives could be seen as good luck, in a way, making it a fortunate stroke of misfortune.
Regardless, as long as everyone was safe, that was what mattered. The bus began to turn around and drove slowly. Everyone had given up on their hopes of a nice trip and just wanted to get home safe and sound.
But even that wasn't possible. After traveling less than a kilometer, the bus had to stop again. The sight before them made everyone sigh; it was a miserable dilemma.
The road back had also been destroyed by the landslide. They were trapped on the mountain road, unable to go forward or backward. It was completely hopeless.
"That's it. We can call for help." Some of the quicker-thinking classmates pulled out their phones and began dialing for help. But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't get a signal; there was a strong interference.
"What can we do now? Are going to wait here?" Many students looked uneasy, especially considering they couldn't be sure the earthquake was truly over. Being trapped here was really dangerous.
However, after a long time, everything seemed calm. It seemed the earthquake was really over and no more landslides occurred. It felt as though they had made it safely through the danger, which eased everyone's tension. Thank goodness, it was a scare but no harm done.
But now they couldn't move forward or back, everyone got off the bus to check the surrounding area. They were in a desolate wilderness, halfway up a steep mountain, with no possible way to climb down. It was also rather dangerous, so it was better to wait patiently for rescue.
Given the current trend, it seemed like they all would have to spend the night here, and they had no idea when they would be discovered by rescuers.
This was the first time they had encountered such a situation, and they did not know what to do. Du Jun tried to reassure everyone, saying a few words about how help should arrive quickly, but his words did not instill much confidence.
Just then, Gu Fan said, "This place is now isolated from the outside world. We may be trapped here for a while. The most important things now are food and water. Let's check what each of us has in our bags, and whatever we do, we mustn't waste anything and must conserve our strength."
On hearing this, everyone immediately checked their backpacks. Some were relieved, others, worried.
Lu Yi was delighted because he had several pieces of bread with him, enough to last until tomorrow at least. He couldn't help but think about the female classmate he had a crush on. If she ran out of food or water, it would be his chance to show his mettle.
Du Jun, on the other hand, looked a bit uncomfortable. In his backpack he had only a small but expensive bottle of mineral water, just enough for a few sips. It would be hard for him to get through today, let alone tomorrow.
Seeing Du Jun's predicament, Gu Fan asked Lin Xi to return the bottle of water that she had taken from Du Jun earlier. In these circumstances, food and water were precious, and nobody could expect any from others.
But when Lin Xi handed him the bottle, Du Jun was dumbfounded for a moment. He couldn't quite swallow his pride and accept the bottle that he himself had given to Lin Xi, now being returned to him. His pride and the harsh realities were putting him in a tough spot.
Seeing Du Jun's difficulty, Lin Xi gently said, "Du Jun, you have so little water; you need this bottle more than I do. And it was you who gave it to me when I needed it. As classmates, we should help each other out. Now that you need it, I should give it back to you."
Lin Xi's words perfectly preserved Du Jun's dignity. Speaking truly is an art. Du Jun gratefully accepted the bottle, but he still felt a bit bad inside.
When Lin Xi returned to Gu Fan's side, Gu Fan smiled satisfactorily and handed Lin Xi a regular-sized bottle of mineral water. At a time like this, the value of water was not in its cost but its quantity.
With this large bottle of water in hand, there was no need to worry about surviving till tomorrow. Lin Xi felt a sudden sense of security.
Just then, a classmate stumbled forward, looking very uncomfortable. He had been feeling feverish before their departure. He had thought it was nothing, but the long journey and the shock of the recent earthquake seemed to have worsened his condition.
As everyone once again felt at a loss, Gu Fan took out a pill from his backpack and fed it to the classmate. Although he didn't know if it would help, it at least gave everyone a ray of hope.
Lin Xi was surprised, "How come you even have medicine with you? You're really well-prepared."
Gu Fan just shrugged indifferently, "It can't be helped. As someone from an ordinary family like me, we can't live without any worries. My parents are busy all the time, so I learned how to take care of myself at an early age."
"Only by taking care of myself well can I take better care of you," Gu Fan said jokingly, making Lin Xi blush.
They had medicine, and while food and water were scarce, they could see that they could make it till the next day if they helped each other. The next question was, did they really have to spend the night here without even a tent to camp in?
It seemed their only option was to sleep in the bus. Just as everyone was feeling down, a small car drove by. Seeing their predicament, the driver stopped to ask about their situation.
This turned out to be good news. There was a side road where they were stranded that led directly to a small village at the foot of the mountain. The driver of the car was from that village, which had a hotel. They could stay there for the night and wait to be rescued.
This was the only solution for now, and it gave everyone a glimmer of hope. Without a second thought, they all agreed.
With the small car leading the way, the bus with its sixteen young university students drove towards a completely unfamiliar village. A terrifying experience was about to begin, and the lives of Gu Fan, Lin Xi, Lu Yi, and Du Jun would change forever.