Jianyu bit his lip, trying to suppress the pain. "I... I can walk on my own..." he said in a hoarse voice. But blood continued to pour from his wound, more and more, draining the strength from his body.
Zhenfeng ignored Jianyu's weak resistance. With incredible strength, he hoisted Jianyu's faltering body onto his back. "You've suffered enough. Do you wanna die? Just cooperate with me, is that so hard?" Zhenfeng snapped irritably.
Jianyu couldn't argue back, and in the silence, Zhenfeng sprinted forward, dodging the tentacles of the monster still lurking behind them.
He ran through the dark corridors, his breaths growing heavier, but he didn't slow down. Jianyu remained silent on his back, but the faint sound of labored breathing and soft coughing soon grew louder and harsher with each passing second.
"Jianyu…" Zhenfeng called out, his voice tinged with worry, though he tried to sound indifferent. "Don't puke on my back. I don't have a spare shirt."
Jianyu didn't respond, his coughs echoing through the narrow cave. The blood from his wound seeped further into Zhenfeng's clothes, fueling his anxiety. Finally, spotting a small alcove that looked safe enough, Zhenfeng came to a halt.
"That's it!" Zhenfeng panted, lowering Jianyu carefully even though his tone remained gruff. He leaned Jianyu against the stone wall. "I'm not a damn horse. If you die here, I'll get blamed for not looking after you."
Jianyu, his face pale, managed a faint smile, though his lips trembled. "You… talk too much," he muttered between coughs.
"Yeah, and you get hurt too much," Zhenfeng shot back, kneeling in front of him and pulling a cloth from his pocket. He tore it into strips before wrapping them around Jianyu's arm. "Damn it, you're so stubborn, you know that? You're bleeding everywhere and still thought it was a good idea to fetch water. Who do you think you are? A hero?"
Jianyu bit down on his lip, enduring the pain as Zhenfeng tightened the cloth to stop the bleeding. "Water is important. I didn't have a choice."
"You did," Zhenfeng retorted sharply, though his hands moved gently as he tended to the wound. "The other choice was not being reckless and letting me help. But no, you just had to get yourself half-killed."
"Zhenfeng," Jianyu sighed, his hoarse voice weak but firm, "you're so noisy. What care do you have in the world about me dying or staying alive?"
Zhenfeng froze for a moment, his gaze meeting Jianyu's. He quickly looked away with a frustrated huff. "You're the only hope people have of surviving. You've got brains. In fact, you're the only one here with brains. They will kill me if I come back with your lifeless body."
Jianyu let out a soft chuckle, though it sent a sharp pain through his chest. "Alright."
Zhenfeng glanced at Jianyu, who was trying to suppress the pain from his wounds. His gaze shifted to the injuries, now wrapped in strips of fabric torn from his own coat. The bleeding should stop soon.
But Jianyu used to be an agricultural scientist. His work was mostly confined to greenhouses or laboratories—safe places, far from physical dangers. He probably wasn't used to getting hurt. This must feel excruciating to him.
Zhenfeng exhaled heavily. His pouch was out of painkillers. What else could he do?
"What do you usually do before sleeping?" Zhenfeng asked suddenly.
Through faint groans of pain, Jianyu let out a weak laugh. "Think. What else?"
"That's it? You've never listened to music before bed? Or left the TV on so you'd fall asleep to the sound of some random drama?" Zhenfeng pressed.
"Do people actually do that?" Jianyu asked, his eyes remaining closed.
Zhenfeng didn't reply. He just watched Jianyu silently.
"I want to try," Jianyu murmured.
"Try what?" Zhenfeng responded.
"Listening to something before I sleep," Jianyu said, opening his eyes slightly, his voice faint. "Tell me a story?"
"Why should i?" Zhenfeng asked, quite taken aback by the request.
"Well, aren't you my babysitter? Babysit me." Jianyu weakly commanded.
Zhenfeng raised an eyebrow, shifting closer to sit beside him, leaning against the cavern wall. "Alright. Since it's your dying wish, I'll grant it," he replied with a touch of sarcasm.
Jianyu gave a faint nod without opening his eyes. His breathing seemed calmer now. Zhenfeng took a deep breath, thinking about what story to tell. After a few moments, he began.
"When I was a kid, there was this big tree behind my house. I always thought it was the strongest tree in the world. No matter how hard the rain fell, no matter how strong the wind blew, it never toppled. I used to climb it all the time, sitting on the highest branch and feeling like I ruled the world. Everything looked so small from up there."
Jianyu cracked his eyes open, glancing at Zhenfeng. "You totally seem like the type of kid who'd climb trees."
Zhenfeng shot him a flat look. "Do you want me to continue or not?"
"Keep going," Jianyu chuckled softly, closing his eyes again.
Zhenfeng sighed, but a small, unintentional smile tugged at his lips. "One day, there was a huge storm. I remember it clearly because I was up in that tree when lightning struck nearby. Scared me half to death. But I didn't want to climb down. I thought if I did, it meant I was giving up, losing to the storm. But you know what? The storm took down the tree instead."
A faint smile crossed Jianyu's face. His voice, though weak, carried a teasing edge. "Bet you cried."
Zhenfeng ignored the comment. "I was just… disappointed. But you know what I learned from that?"
"What?" Jianyu whispered, his voice barely audible.
"Even the strongest tree can fall if the storm lasts long enough. Nothing's invincible. But the thing is, that tree left its seeds behind. I planted one of them, and by now, that tree should've grown again—stronger than before."
Jianyu opened his eyes slightly, his gaze meeting Zhenfeng's. "Do you want to see that tree again?"
Zhenfeng exhaled, tilting his head back to look at the cavern's rocky ceiling. "There's a lot I want to see again. Not just that tree."
Jianyu closed his eyes once more, his voice soft but resolute. "We will. We'll make it out of this cavern alive. Our normal world will come back."
Zhenfeng smiled faintly. Whether he believed Jianyu's words or not, he simply murmured, "Mhm."