Chapter 40 : Sorry, I’m late!

Zhou Tingyue squinted and saw that there seemed to be two people on the reef!  

Without hesitating for a second, he jumped into the sea and swam toward them as fast as he could.  

But the waves were much stronger than before.  

Every time he swam a certain distance, he would be thrown back by the waves.  

Sun Weidong and his companions were all strong swimmers, and they were just about to enter the water when the experienced villagers nearby quickly stopped them.  

“The waves are too big, it’s too dangerous! Let’s tie hemp ropes around our waists and enter the water together. The rest of you will stay on shore and hold the ropes tight!”  

Hearing the village chief’s words, no one dared to waste a second. They quickly tied the ropes securely and plunged into the sea.  

Captain Zheng, the best swimmer among them, led the way, carrying extra rope. When he reached Zhou Tingyue, who was still struggling against the waves, he tossed it to him.  

“Tingyue, tie it around yourself, quickly!!”  

Zhou Tingyue didn’t hesitate. He knew that if something happened to him, not only would he fail to save anyone, but he would also put the others in danger.  

He swiftly secured the rope around his waist, and then, with everyone pulling together, they swam quickly toward the reef.  

On the shore, Zhou Cheng and the others held the ropes tightly, their eyes fixed anxiously on the sea.  

The tide was rising higher and higher.  

The reef, which had originally been exposed above the water, was now nearly submerged, with only a small portion left above the surface.  

Half of Song Shiwei’s and the child’s bodies were already underwater.  

She was utterly exhausted.  

Thankfully, the rip current had helped her find the child quickly, but getting back had been nearly impossible. Carrying a child while fighting against the ocean’s force drained her strength rapidly.  

The rip current kept pulling them farther away, making it even harder to return to shore.  

But Song Shiwei didn’t dare give up.  

Just as she was nearing complete exhaustion, she spotted a massive reef not far away.  

If they could just climb onto it, they might survive until help arrived.  

The child had swallowed a lot of seawater and was barely conscious.  

Song Shiwei hooked one arm under his armpit, keeping his head above the water, while desperately paddling forward with her free hand.  

Timing her movement with an incoming wave, she pushed toward the reef.  

But she had underestimated the force of the ocean.  

The wave slammed them violently against the jagged rocks.  

A sharp pain shot through her entire body, as if she had been torn apart.  

But thankfully, nothing was broken.  

It was a dangerous gamble.  

But if she hadn’t taken the risk, she and the child would have been swallowed by the sea.  

Despite the pain, she dragged the child with her and struggled to climb onto the reef.  

However, exhaustion and her injuries overwhelmed her.  

She could no longer hold on her vision darkened, and she passed out.  

—  

She had no idea how long she was unconscious.  

In a daze, she vaguely heard someone calling her.  

Forcing her eyes open, her first instinct was to check on the child.  

Thankfully, he was still in her arms, protected.  

But his face was terrifyingly pale, he was completely unconscious.  

Just then, a familiar voice rang out through the storm:  

“Weiwei!!!”  

Song Shiwei lifted her head.  

And there, cutting through the raging waves, was the face she had dreamed of seeing.  

Zhou Tingyue was swimming toward her with all his strength.  

Behind him, dozens of comrades from the family compound and unfamiliar villagers were fighting against the stormy sea, their bodies bound together by hemp ropes.  

They were all risking their lives to save her.  

In that moment, Song Shiwei’s eyes turned red.  

Beyond the overwhelming sense of gratitude, countless emotions surged in her heart too deep, too complex to put into words.

After wiping the rain and tears from her face, she quickly raised her arms and waved to them.  

“Here!! Tingyue! I’m here!”  

Zhou Tingyue breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing her response and quickly swam toward her.  

At this moment, the reef was nearly submerged by seawater. Song Shiwei had no choice but to endure the pain all over her body and stand up while holding the child.  

But just then, a massive wave rushed toward the reef. Facing Zhou Tingyue and the others, Song Shiwei didn’t see it coming, but Zhou Tingyue, watching from the front, was so terrified that his eyes turned bloodshot.  

Sun Weidong and his companions shouted in panic, “Be careful!!!”  

With a loud “splash,” Song Shiwei and the child were thrown heavily into the sea!  

The waves were so strong that she could only grab the corner of the child’s clothes.  

As the waves receded, the two of them were like a drifting boat, being pushed into the deeper sea.  

At that moment, if Song Shiwei had been alone and regained some strength, she could have swum toward Zhou Tingyue. But she couldn’t bear to see the child perish in front of her.  

Under Zhou Tingyue’s sorrowful gaze, she turned back and swam toward the child again.  

Seeing this, Zhou Tingyue’s expression changed. He quickly untied the rope around his body and swam toward them with all his might.  

Sun Weidong and the others shouted in fear, “Tingyue, do you want to die!!”  

But Zhou Tingyue only left them with one sentence “When she married me, I promised to protect her for the rest of her life! If I can’t even protect her now, what kind of man am I!”  

With that, he dived into the sea like a nimble whale, swiftly swimming forward underwater.  

The hemp rope could ensure his safety, but it was too slow. After all, there were many people behind him, and not everyone could swim fast. So, he had no choice but to untie the rope and do everything in his power to save his beloved.  

Fortunately, Song Shiwei found the child. However, as she swam back with him, it felt as if countless obstacles were dragging her down.  

She was utterly exhausted, and just as she was about to collapse, Zhou Tingyue suddenly emerged from the sea, wrapped his arms around her waist, and held her tightly.  

“I’m sorry I’m late!”  

Feeling the familiar embrace, Song Shiwei’s tears streamed down instantly.  

But there was no time for words, the path ahead was still perilous.  

Sun Weidong and his men were still some distance away, and the waves were growing fiercer.  

Zhou Tingyue held Song Shiwei tightly in his arms, while she clung to the child with one hand.  

The strength of one more person made all the difference.  

As they got closer, the villagers on the shore recognized the child in Song Shiwei’s arms.  

“It’s Xiaojun! That kid is Xiaojun!!”  

Taking advantage of an incoming wave, Zhou Tingyue and the others were pushed forward slightly. Battalion Commander Zhao, who was in the lead, quickly threw a rope toward them.  

“Tingyue, hurry and grab it!”  

Zhou Tingyue swiftly caught the rope, wrapped it tightly around himself and Song Shiwei, and held the child securely in their embrace.  

Seeing this, the people on shore immediately tightened the rope and began pulling them in.  

One by one, those who had gone into the sea were pulled back to safety.  

Cheers erupted from the shore.  

When Zhou Tingyue and Song Shiwei finally made it back with the child, many people burst into tears of joy.  

Xiaojun’s sister, Xiao Cui, cried out in happiness.  

“Brother!! Xiaojun!!”