"Pfft! Our luck hasn't been too bad after all." Lin Banxia couldn't hold it in any longer and finally let out a soft chuckle.
Yu Lei, seeing her smile, couldn't help but curve his lips upward as well. "We'll only know for sure once I've tested if the balloon works as I hope. When I find something to eat, that's when we'll truly be lucky."
As Yu Lei prepared to stand, Lin Banxia reached out and grabbed his wrist. "It's already midnight. You've been exhausted today. Let's rest for the night, and try again in the morning."
Catching her concerned gaze, Yu Lei finally noticed how late it was—almost dawn. Her words brought a wave of weariness crashing over him, making the pain in his feet and the fatigue in his body all the more palpable.
After all, in the short span of this evening, he had narrowly escaped death several times.
Yu Lei thought for a moment, then nodded, slowly removing his wetsuit. Rest was essential. If he ran out of strength underwater, that would be the real disaster.
Lin Banxia noticed his bronzed chest and instinctively pulled her shirt tighter. "Just to let you know, I'm not giving your shirt back!"
Yu Lei smiled wryly. He hadn't planned on asking for it anyway. After all, her barely clothed body had a far greater impact than she probably realized. "I won't ask for it, but... could you pass me my pants behind you?"
Blushing, Lin Banxia shot him a glance before turning her head and tossing the pants his way, almost throwing them off the platform by accident.
Yu Lei stretched out just in time to grab the damp trousers before they tumbled down. Awkwardly pulling them on, he sat back down and took another sip of water. "We... should sleep."
He glanced at his bare chest, then at Lin Banxia, who was wearing his oversized shirt, her legs exposed, and scratched his head awkwardly. The words just didn't sound right.
Lin Banxia didn't seem to notice. She was fixated on his injured foot, as though deep in thought.
"What is it?" Yu Lei asked, feeling uneasy under her stare.
"Don't move." Lin Banxia rummaged through a box filled with Christmas decorations, pulling out a small Christmas tree and some ribbon.
Yu Lei watched her in surprise, only to realize she wasn't setting up a festive scene. Borrowing his Swiss Army knife, she chopped off the branches of the tree and then split the trunk into two pieces.
"Thanks," Yu Lei said, touched, understanding her intention.
"Well, if you know, then hurry up and give me your foot," Lin Banxia teased, waving the knife with a mock-threatening tone, though she couldn't help but break into laughter herself as she approached him.
Yu Lei realized she had a natural inclination for laughter, and her smiles had a magnetic quality that lightened his mood without fail.
Carefully inspecting his ankle, ensuring the bone wasn't displaced, Lin Banxia placed the two branches against his foot and secured them tightly with the ribbon.
"Not bad, quite the masterpiece," she said with a satisfied grin.
Indeed, it was... Yu Lei gazed at the large bow on his foot and suddenly felt like a neatly wrapped gift.
"Alright, let's sleep. Goodnight!" Lin Banxia retreated to her side, quickly falling into a peaceful slumber.
Yu Lei lay back on the platform, staring up at the flickering emergency light, his mind drifting to An Jinjing's face.
What was she doing now? Was she still thinking of him?
But then, Liu Yuting's face intruded into his thoughts, causing him to frown.
Shutting his eyes, Yu Lei banished the bothersome image from his mind and willed himself to sleep.
It was December 21, 2012, 11:58 PM, and he had survived the end of the world.
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The next morning at 6:00 AM, Yu Lei's internal clock roused him.
The missile silo was still shrouded in darkness. Yu Lei stretched and worked out the stiffness in his muscles. The platform was cold and hard, making for a restless night's sleep.
Looking around, he saw Lin Banxia still curled up, sleeping uneasily.
After a moment's thought, he slipped off his now-dry pants and gently covered her with them. He'd be diving soon, so there was no point in letting his pants get wet again.
Feeling the warmth of the pants, even in her sleep, Lin Banxia relaxed, a soft hum escaping her lips.
Yu Lei sighed, rubbing the stubble on his chin. If the platform weren't so narrow, he would've suggested they huddle for warmth last night.
After a brief fantasy, he began preparing for another dive. Quietly opening the box, he inflated a balloon using a pump, stopping before it was too full, leaving plenty of room for flexibility. He wrapped the balloon's neck around his finger to keep the air in.
As for the wetsuit, he decided to forgo it—too much hassle. He knew the underwater terrain from yesterday, and with his diving mask and flashlight, he should be fine.
Clutching six balloons in one hand, Yu Lei carefully descended the steps. As he reached the last one, a smile spread across his face.
Eighteen and a half steps. The water had receded.
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When Lin Banxia woke, she found herself covered by a pair of men's trousers. Though warmed by his thoughtfulness, she couldn't help but feel a pang of irritation. Looking up, she saw him standing there in full military uniform.
Even though the uniform was still dripping wet, she was speechless with astonishment.
"You're awake? Haha, I brought you a set too. It's drying," Yu Lei said with a bright smile, revealing a row of perfect white teeth. The balloon-as-oxygen-bag idea had worked. After three dives, he'd managed to gather some useful supplies.
"Ah, you succeeded?" Lin Banxia finally found her voice, amazed that in the time she slept, he had solved their biggest problem.
"Yeah, you must be hungry. Here, water and biscuits. Don't worry about saving the water; I found plenty of cans. I couldn't reach the living quarters, though, so I had to scavenge some emergency rations from the control room," Yu Lei admitted, scratching his head.
Lin Banxia accepted the cup in a daze, discovering the water was warm.
Yu Lei pointed to the ashes beside him with a grin. "I tried boiling some water. Turns out that paper-cup experiment from school was real—it doesn't burn. The kindling was from the branches you chopped off the Christmas tree."
Lin Banxia, still puzzled, asked, "But... where did you get the fire?"
"Because I found this!" Yu Lei said with a magician's flourish, revealing a genuine, water-resistant ZIPPO lighter.