Chapter 586

en taken care of perfectly, with both her parents having arrived. Apparently, there was even a high-ranking official who had specifically instructed everyone to look after her properly!Big shot!Jiang...When Lin Meng and others arrived at the port, the helicopter was still about three hours away. Lin Meng couldn't sit still, so she got out of the car and waited. She looked out at the pitch-black sea, but this time, her heart felt different. There was no despair, only hope; no pain, only warmth.

"Rong Ling..."

She uttered a soft sound, and he would answer.

"Hmm..."

He was always by my side, never leaving.

Just wait a little while longer, just wait a little while, and he'll be back, back to her side. Then she could see him, touch him. Just thinking about this would fill her with an inexplicable excitement, wishing she had eyes that could pierce through miles so she could see him sooner.

As time drew closer, her heartbeat quickened again. The feeling was like entering an exam hall and facing a major life test.

Will he come back What will he be like Will he be alright What will happen when he sees her And she, what should she do Embrace him! Kiss him! Tell him everything that has happened these days! Or pour out her heart!

Her feet fidgeted, anxiously she started pacing. If she didn't distract herself by walking, she felt this waiting would drive her mad. The feeling was more intense than a bride's anxiety and anticipation for her unseen husband. She couldn't understand why she felt this way, but her heart was a mixture of fear, excitement, sorrow, and worry. It had only been half a month since they parted ways, yet she felt as if it were a century. "Each day feels like a year" and "it feels like ages since I last saw him," these phrases probably described this feeling perfectly. In these fifteen years, through these fifteen three-month cycles, he—was he still the same

She lifted her chin, raised her eyes, and couldn't help but tiptoe, her anxious gaze repeatedly trying to discern a different kind of light from within that dark curtain of the sea.

Waiting and waiting, and finally in that expanse of pitch-black where the sea met the sky, I saw a glimmer.

"Here it comes, here it comes!" Yao Feiqian and others who were waiting at the port excitedly shouted as they got off the car.

"Rong Ling!" Lin Meng exclaimed in surprise.

On the other end of the phone, laughter came through, and different words were spoken.

"

It's almost here...

"

"Mm." He couldn't see her, but she still nodded emphatically.

"It's almost here, it's almost here, it's almost here..." she laughed, calling out repeatedly.

The little ones were also delighted to scream.

"Here we go, here we go..."

Leaping with joy, I couldn't contain myself and bounced excitedly. Then, our eyes all turned together, burning brightly, towards that glimmer in the darkness.

As the light grew brighter and the sound of flapping wings carried on the wind, the crowd's excitement mounted. Many waved their arms and cheered loudly.

"Here—here—"

They were afraid the helicopter wouldn't be able to find them.

Even someone as steady and composed as Shi Yu was roaring like an untamed youth. As for the other elites, they had all shed their usual composure. Though they were dressed in white shirts, ties, trousers, and shoes, their excitement was palpable, resembling that of teenagers out on a midnight stroll, shouting and clamoring. Some even took off their ties, using them as signal flags, waving them about like whips!

In this atmosphere of excitement that infected even those who didn't know the way, Lin Meng was also excited. But her excitement was different from others; while others were boisterous, she was quiet. As the crowd grew more fervent, she became quieter. She pursed her lips tightly, her face tensed, and she stopped speaking altogether. Silently, without blinking, she stared at the plane, at the person she had imagined inside it.

Silence, so quiet!

Though the chaos surrounding her was palpable, she felt as if an isolating shield had formed around her body. The hubbub continued outside, but within this barrier of silence, there was a stillness so profound that she could hear her own heart breaking.

"Thump...thump...thump thump...thump thump thump thump...thump thump thump thump..."

My heart was beating faster and faster, like a drumbeat calling soldiers to their final charge. It grew more urgent, more insistent, as if urging me on: "Charge! Charge! This is the last battle. If we push forward, we'll win!" So, charge! Charge! With all your might! Give it everything you have and surge forward! Victory is just ahead...

Contrary to her quiet demeanor, her face grew increasingly redder and redder. Starting as two patches on her cheeks, the redness eventually spread to engulf her entire face. It was as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her face.

Heart, it's urgent!

Blood, it's hot!

She felt as if her whole body was burning, burning her up and making her float. She rose quickly, rising higher and higher. She stood on the ground, yet it seemed she wasn't on the ground anymore. She seemed to be floating, about to fly. Across the sea, across that expanse of sky, she flew to the helicopter, then stopped on top of it. As the plane descended, she descended with it, and as the plane landed, she landed with it. Finally, when the hatch opened, a person jumped out, and her familiar face appeared. At that moment, she was jolted, her floating soul seemingly darting back into her body in an instant. Her heart contracted sharply, her head buzzed heavily, as if she had truly returned to herself. Even her limbs felt stiff and unnatural when they first moved.

She raised her foot, but she didn't run. Instead, she walked towards him step by step, her eyes fixed on him as if they could glow.

His face turned, his gaze swept across the crowd, and with pinpoint accuracy, he found her amidst the somber gathering. His deep-set eyes locked onto hers. Those eyes, bright as if suddenly illuminated by a long-burning lamp, flickered with intense passion, burning like fire within their depths!

He was helped down by Yu Xu, but throughout the process, his eyes never left Lin Meng. He walked towards her, and she walked towards him. Their gazes met in the air, intertwined like the finest silks, tightening with each touch, deepening with each entanglement. The closer they became, the shorter the distance between them.

In their eyes, there was only each other. All the excited, clamoring people fell silent, as if infected by something, hushed and breathless, watching the two of them with a reverence that dared not disturb anything.

Several cars' headlights were turned on, gathered together, so that the port at this late hour was not so dark. The headlights shone on the two people, giving them a faint light, making them stand out in the gloom. The faint dust, under the illumination of the headlights, became particularly noticeable, each particle like a mischievous sprite, dancing lightly, circling the two, playing silently. It was as if two invisible hands were pulling the two people closer and closer...

The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl only get to meet once a year, using the Magpie Bridge to reunite. When they walk across the bridge, heading towards each other, wouldn't it be a scene like this Because it's so hard to come by, it's all the more precious, so cherish it!

But, today is not Qixi Festival!

He and she, are not the Cowherd and Weaver Girl. Though they walk on dust, they both firmly stand by each other for eternity!

He smiled, his eyes soft and sparkling like a lake rippled by the spring breeze.

"Good boy..."

Her upper lip brushed against her lower lip, forming a silent word with only the movement.

She was as if suddenly moved, her steps quickening all at once.

"Little one…" he continued to call out silently.

She ran faster and faster, until she was just half a meter away from him. She could almost reach out and hug him; everyone watching this scene held their breath, waiting for the most touching moment imaginable. But at that very last second, she did something completely unexpected.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him close, biting down on him.

Bite down hard and fiercely!

His gaze was also cruel, as if he had a deep hatred for him. Only the tears streaming down his face ruined this scene, turning this fierce ferocity into a more heart-wrenching sadness that remained in everyone's memory!

She bit down hard, drawing blood almost instantly. Then that blood, it trailed slowly down her jaw, his arm, dripping drop by drop.

One drop…another drop…

A profound silence, yet overflowing with the bloody sorrow!

How could he just abandon her like that!

How could he leave her for so many days!

How could he make her worry so much!

How could he hurt her so much!

Her grievance, like a tidal wave, engulfed her, and a portion of it transformed into resentment, sharp as daggers piercing her heart. She wanted him to understand the pain she had endured these days, the sorrow she had felt; she wanted him to comprehend the depth of his actions' harm upon her, even though he was innocent!

He, however, didn't even furrow his brow. He still looked at her with such warmth, his gaze deep and forgiving.

He understands what she wants to express!

It's his fault that she has to work so hard!

He could have avoided the day's events, but he still got shot. And then, he left her, so young, so small, so tender, she bore it all with her tiny body! That pale pink tear, it pierced his heart, a proof that he had hurt her!

His little darling, his little darling…

Raising his other hand, he gently took her tears with his fingertips and brought them to his lips, sucking them up.

It's a bit salty, a bit fishy, the taste of blood and tears merging!

"Don't cry—" he whispered to her. "Don't cry, I'm back, don't cry..."

Warm fingertips, with immense patience and utmost tenderness, gently brushed over her tear-stained eye. A low voice, uttered with a helpless plea, begged her not to cry.

All is as it once was!

Two lines of hot tears rolled down again, she released her mouth, and then burst into tears.

You scared the living daylights out of me!

The screaming amidst the crying is a wail, an outburst!

Venting her anxieties, worries, and despair of these days!

Tears, washing over her eyes, cleansed out a pair of the most beautiful eyes in the world. Pure black with a faint blush, like silk or mist, hazy yet uniquely true!

He scared the living daylights out of her!

She was so frightened she almost died of fright!

This terrified feeling, she will never be able to erase from her heart for the rest of her life!

"You're so mean!"

She screamed in accusation!

To scare her so much, to torment her like this, and still not return!

He said he would take care of her, treat her well, and make her happy all the time, but he didn't do any of it.

"You're too bad...too bad...too bad..."

He was right in front of her. She could have hugged him, to ease the heartache. Yet, she stood there, the only words that came out were accusations! Only these repeated cries could express her truest, most complex feelings: Don't be so cruel anymore, don't treat her like this, don't abandon her again. She would go anywhere with him, so please don't abandon her. That was too cruel, too cruel...

The greatest punishment in this world is that you suddenly disappear from it, and I can only wait here. But, we loved each other so much!

To love so deeply, even a separation for a single second feels like walking barefoot on blades, an excruciating pain!

Can you understand this Can you understand

She cried uncontrollably, wailing like a child who had never grown up. How wronged she was, how unjustly treated…

Do you understand

I'm so wronged, you understand!

He let out a soft sigh, tenderly lifting her chin and lowering his head. With a single, decisive movement, he sealed her lips with his own. Her lips, tinged with blood, held a cloying sweetness that was both alien and strangely intoxicating to him.

Stick your tongue in and push her lips apart to get the blood in.

By drinking his blood, I became his. From this moment on, our bone marrow is intertwined, never to be separated, forever united!

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he shifted from tenderness to ferocity in an instant. Every time death had come for him, it was the thought of her that kept him going. So, he wouldn't let go of her, absolutely not. Even if it meant stepping into hell, he would crawl his way back just to be with her.

No one can separate him and her!

She is his!

And he crawled back!

Reclaim her!

Then, never separate again!

These soft lips, this delicate tongue, this sweet little mouth, this tender chin, and this graceful body, are always calling out to him.

We can't just leave it like this, we can't, absolutely not!

He hasn't had enough yet!

I can't get enough of this in my whole life!

And she quickly became proactive, competing with him as she started biting, swallowing and kissing him, holding his head tightly in her arms, making him even more frenzied.

This is the heat rising from hell itself!

I came back for her, for this silly woman, this little woman, this lovable woman! The one who made him love her to his very core!

She is so small, so naive, so in love with him. What will she do without him!

He just thought that way, and he could generate endless courage. So when he fell into the sea, and suddenly felt a huge force pulling him in, as if dragging him into hell, with a jolt, he opened his eyes abruptly, then reached out and grasped anything he could to free himself from this pull. And then, he grabbed onto something, and the seawater around him slowly receded. Then, he could breathe!

The fresh air, fiercely slammed into the lungs that were almost withered. His heart still ached with each beat, yet he greedily breathed, struggling to breathe. As long as he could still breathe, there was still a chance. Life, was won by oneself, even though he might have entered the belly of a fish. Because, all around was pitch black, his body could only feel a sticky sensation. What his hand touched was warm and moving!

Panting heavily, he reached into his pocket. His hand came up empty - his phone, wallet, and lighter were gone.

"Don't panic," he told himself, "absolutely don't panic!"

This is nothing!

Then, grab the other pouch. As long as that thing is still there, his chances of survival are still very high. And just like he hoped, he felt it. As a special forces operative, an outstanding agent, a tool kit is something that should never be left behind at all times. With this toolkit, even if he falls into the depths of the wilderness, he can have a much greater chance of survival!

A hook from the corner of his tool pouch dangled from his trousers. He had made this modification to all his pants, whether handmade or store-bought. After purchasing them, he would add a small loop on the pocket and attach a thin cord to it, making it convenient for the tool pouch to hook onto. This way, the tool pouch generally wouldn't slip out.

This time, no exception!

This foldable, palm-sized toolkit is surprisingly well-equipped, containing every essential tool you could need. It's even more comprehensive than a Swiss Army knife, with some tools being more sophisticated.

Darkness had no effect on his ability to reach for tools. These were things he had touched thousands of times, and with a single touch, he could precisely determine what was beneath his fingers. With a smooth swipe, he could quickly retrieve what he desired. Now, the difficulty lay in his movements slowing down, due to his injuries, specifically the wound on his chest. He believed there were three bullets lodged within him, as the sensation of being shot still lingered, and he could faintly feel them moving inside him.

Get it out!

But first, we need to figure out where he is!

A super-thin flashlight, only a little fingertip short, was taken out. When it was turned on, the light it emitted was like that of a small incandescent bulb. This was one of Xiaoqi Chen's proud works, but such a flashlight had high production costs and limited practicality, making it difficult to market. Therefore, it was only used internally by his brothers.

He shone his flashlight around, and finally he could be sure that he was inside a fish's mouth, and this rain must be from a whale. The mouth was big enough to hold him at 1.86 meters, marine creatures of this size are simply countable on the fingers of one hand. It can even supply him with oxygen to breathe, then this fish is most likely a whale!

As for what he held onto tightly with his hand, never letting go, it was a soft tissue located between the fish's mouth and throat. It was a precarious situation; had he not grasped this, he would undoubtedly have been stuck in the belly of the fish by now. While he did have a small knife, it's likely that before the knife could pierce through the whale's belly, he would have already been digested. Whales are generally quite large, reaching lengths of several dozen meters, and looking at the size of this whale's mouth, it must be somewhere between twenty and thirty meters long. Whale blubber is notoriously thick, and trying to pierce through it from the inside out would be laughable!

Good luck!

No, his life shouldn't have ended!

I promised to take care of her for the rest of my life, so he can't die here!

Both hands gripped the soft tissue tightly, he panted, and took a brief moment to think. Outside, it was most likely an endless expanse of sea; if he tried to get out now, he would be courting death. The water pressure could act like a time bomb at any moment, triggering the three bullets inside him and exploding him. So, he could only stay in the fish's mouth and look for a suitable opportunity to escape.

Removing the bullet has become an urgent matter! If it's not taken out, he could die at any moment. The bullet inside him could be moving, and if it moves closer to his heart, that's something he absolutely cannot withstand!

He made a plan, made up his mind, and gathered his strength. From carefully gripping the soft tissue with his hands, to using a knife to cut strips of cloth from his shirt, to fix them into the soft tissue to stabilize his form, to finally finding the safest place, he used the cloth strips to secure himself. This entire journey drained him completely. During this time, the whale was injured and thrashing about, several times he almost fell into its throat, but managed to stay afloat!

Then he rested, secured by the straps that went across his shoulders and under his armpits, but he still carelessly grabbed the soft tissue in one hand while grabbing food from the whale with the other. The fish and shrimp were fresh and alive, yet he could only shove them directly into his mouth. He needed to eat, he needed energy; otherwise, he couldn't hold on. This body needed to stockpile so much energy for the surgery that was coming next.

Then, he opened his chest to remove the bullets. It was excruciatingly painful, sweat pouring down his face, blood gushing out, but he had to do it. In that sliver of light, he had to fumble around and carefully pull each bullet out one by one! Then, biting on a strip of cloth, he picked at the seams of his shirt with his teeth, using a needle to stitch up the wound roughly.

This shirt is handmade and custom-made overseas, the quality is very good and reliable!

The pain, from the initial bone-deep ache to the final numbness, felt good to him!

He's confident he can keep this life!

That's wonderful, he can live to see his little sweetheart!

There was no medicine, so he could only rely on things found on the whale. Normally when an animal is injured, its body reacts by secreting substances that promote wound healing. All he could apply to the gaping wound in his chest was what had been oozing from the cartilage he'd previously sliced into with his knife. He then struggled to bandage the wound with a cloth strip.

After surgery, fever is the most dangerous.

He couldn't afford to rest, he could only desperately eat to conserve energy, but he still got a fever. His body burned like fire, feeling numb, but he couldn't let go. This suit, no matter how good the quality, was nothing compared to his hand, his arm. His body, that was his most trusted companion. So, holding onto the soft bone with his hand, he couldn't loosen it. He couldn't afford to faint either. With his other hand clutching a small knife, he was always ready. The moment he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness, he would stab himself in the thigh, the excruciating pain instantly jolting him awake.

That's great!

Just like that, from being able to glance at his watch and check the time, to eventually having no time for it, and then when his flashlight ran out of battery, his world plunged into darkness. Everything, he could only act by feeling!

Finally, he got his chance when the whale vomited. He saw a gray, lumpy island from inside its wide open mouth. Without hesitation, he immediately loosened his already numb hands and was spat out by the whale, successfully landing on land. He sustained a few minor injuries in the process, but they didn't matter. To have escaped death and made it back alive was an incredible feat!

The whale swam away, spraying water columns, quite happily. It soon sank back into the ocean depths.

He rested on the spot and glanced at his watch, only to grimace. It had been at least sixteen hours since he fell overboard and reached this island. Considering the whale's migration speed, he was likely thousands of miles away from that cliff where he had fallen.

It's really far, won't he find this place

I guess no one would have thought he ended up in the mouth of a whale and was brought here all the way!

If we were to carry out a rescue, I estimate we could only search within a few hundred miles of the cliff.

This guess, disappointing as it was, could not leave him utterly hopeless. He had weathered the greatest storm. Now, with his feet firmly planted on solid ground, what else could possibly terrify him!

If one day wasn't enough, he'd wait two days. If two days weren't enough, he'd wait three, or four, or five... In short, he firmly believed that his Xiao Gua wouldn't give up on him, and his brother would definitely keep searching for him until "death do they part"!

Thinking this, power surged through his body, and he began to observe the island roughly during this break. The results of the observation were disheartening!

The little island was completely alone on the sea surface. Looking around, all he saw was the vast ocean, stretching endlessly in every direction. His only hope of survival was passing ships. Before he could be rescued, he had to hold on to life. So, understanding his environment was crucial!

Once he had rested enough, he began to explore the whole island.

This is a deserted island, a dilapidated island. Although it hasn't reached the point where there isn't a single blade of grass, there's not much good here either. The food is simply scarce. He managed to find a few herbs and chewed them raw. These probably grew from seeds contained in the droppings of some passing birds.

Then, this island also had the ebb and flow of tides. After he had explored it for a long time, he finally realized this. Fortunately, looking at the situation on the island, he could be sure that this island would not eventually be completely submerged by seawater. That night, he stayed in a high place, and indeed was not submerged. At the coldest part of the night, he still needed to stay awake, holding a knife in one hand, ready to stab his thigh at any time. Because, at this coldest moment, it was easiest for someone to fall asleep and never wake up again.

He has to live!

For his woman, he had to live!

---Aside---

“Ejected from a whale's mouth”: This is the firsthand experience of an Australian fisherman from Augusta. He was fishing at sea when he encountered a storm, fell overboard, and was swallowed by a whale. He struggled inside the whale for nearly 8 hours before being regurgitated by the whale that was feeling nauseous. He only sustained minor injuries.

I think Rong Ling is so strong, struggling for 16 hours is doable ^_^g her conversation with Ruan Chéngyì this afternoon, she clamped her lips shut, not uttering another word on this earth.When the afternoon personnel order came down, Li Yuan also heard some rumors and...