Chapter 40: You Bully

“What do you mean she ran off? Deputy Battalion Commander Chen said that Fu Chen’s ankle was injured. I figured even if he wanted to run, he wouldn’t get far. Deputy Battalion Commander Chen and I guessed that Brother Fu Chen probably slipped into the dense forest.”

An ankle injury, and slipped into the dense forest?

Fu Yuzhou’s heart lurched, as if weighed down by a heavy stone, making it hard to breathe.

“Why didn’t Chen Mo report her injury in time?”

“He wanted to, but you said that since Comrade Fu Chen couldn’t complete the mission, Deputy Battalion Commander Chen wasn’t allowed to disturb you.”

It was only after Chu Ning disappeared, and Chen Mo couldn’t find her, that he feared disturbing Fu Yuzhou and causing a major commotion, so he asked Comrade Xiao Zhu to find Fu Yuzhou instead.

Hearing Xiao Zhu’s words, Fu Yuzhou’s face darkened terribly.

Without a word, he took off towards the training ground.

•  

In the dense forest, Chen Mo called in the militia to search for Chu Ning.

“Fu Chen, where are you? Can you hear me?”

“Comrade Fu Chen, answer us!”

“Comrade Fu, are you alive or dead?”

“Comrade Fu, you can’t die! You’re Battalion Commander Fu’s cousin; he treats you like a brother. If you die, we’re in big trouble.”

Chen Mo was furious.

“You bunch of clumsy soldiers! If you don’t know how to speak, shut your mouths! Don’t keep mentioning life and death!”

Chen Mo couldn’t stand hearing such talk. He knew that losing Fu Chen was a grave mistake.

Comrade Xiao Zhu had already gone to find Fu Yuzhou. If he couldn’t find Fu Chen before the battalion commander arrived, he would be in serious trouble.

“Deputy Battalion Commander Chen, we’re just anxious to find him. We said those things because we couldn’t hear him respond.”

“You know you were talking nonsense. From now on, don’t say anything more than calling Fu Chen’s name.”

Hearing this, the rough militia soldiers became much more obedient.

“Yes, Deputy Battalion Commander Chen.”

When Fu Yuzhou arrived, breathless, the cacophony of voices calling Fu Chen’s name, mixed with the roar of the storm, filled the dark forest, making him incredibly agitated.

The rain was too heavy; the militia’s torches were flickering, about to be extinguished by the rain.

“Haven’t you found her yet?”

Fu Yuzhou asked in a low voice.

Chen Mo hung his head. “Battalion Commander, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have waited for Brother Fu Chen; I should have run with him.”

That way, Fu Chen wouldn’t have disappeared.

“Enough nonsense. Tell me, did she disappear around here?”

Fu Yuzhou had no patience for Chen Mo’s excuses.

“Yes, I’ve narrowed it down to this area.”

Chen Mo gave Fu Yuzhou a rubber shoe found nearby, which had fallen off Chu Ning’s foot as she slid down the hillside.

Seeing the muddy, wet shoe, Fu Yuzhou’s heart sank again.

“Give me the shoe.”

Fu Yuzhou snatched the shoe from Chen Mo, clutching it tightly. He commanded, “Split into groups and expand the search area. The place where the shoe fell isn’t necessarily where she fell; she might have lost it after she slid down.”

“Yes.”

Fu Yuzhou was frantic. Before Chen Mo could divide the groups, he took a torch from a militiaman and entered the forest, clutching Chu Ning’s shoe.

“Fu Chen.”

He had never admitted that Chu Ning was his cousin Fu Chen, yet he called Fu Chen’s name for the first time.

He hoped Chu Ning could hear him, silently praying that she would be alright.

The deeper they went into the forest, the more rugged and steep the mountain path became, and the more anxious Fu Yuzhou grew.

At first, he thought Chu Ning would only be injured from the fall, but facing the increasingly steep slopes, he feared she might be dead.

“You have to be alive, Chu Ning. You have to be alive.”

Fu Yuzhou gritted his teeth, silently commanding Chu Ning in his heart. His steps quickened, but his heart felt increasingly heavy.

He was terrified that Chu Ning had truly suffered an accident and left him.

Fu Yuzhou didn’t know how long he searched. He only knew that when he finally found Chu Ning, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, holding her in his arms, his eyes bloodshot.

“Chu Ning, wake up! Can you hear me?”

Chu Ning had slipped and fallen into the dense forest, tumbling from a high point to the valley below.

She was unconscious, lying in the valley, her body washed by the relentless rain.

Her body was already cold. Besides scrapes on her hands, she had a wound on her forehead.

Her military cap was gone, her long black hair scattered on the ground, soaked through by the rain.

Her military uniform was drenched, revealing the graceful outline of her body, but Fu Yuzhou didn’t notice.

He hugged her tightly. “Chu Ning, wake up! Wake up!”

He almost thought she had stopped breathing. After calling her name for a long time without a response, he performed CPR.

“Wake up! You have to wake up!”

Fu Yuzhou kept repeating, his fear at its peak. At that moment, he was terrified.

Truly terrified that Chu Ning would die.

In the midst of it all, Chu Ning felt someone blowing air into her mouth. The crisp breath made her powerless to resist.

“Mmm…”

She instinctively let out a sound.

“She’s awake! You’re awake!”

Fu Yuzhou’s eyes widened with joy. He sat on the ground, holding Chu Ning again.

“I knew you wouldn’t die that easily.”

Regaining consciousness, Chu Ning saw Fu Yuzhou’s enlarged face and realized he had just given her CPR. Her mind went blank.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, she suddenly pushed him away.

“Let go of me! I’m almost finished! Fu Yuzhou, I absolutely won’t give up! I won’t let you laugh at me!”

Chu Ning tried to get up, but found she couldn’t put any weight on her ankle. The pain was excruciating.

“Ah, my ankle! Ouch…”

“Did you break it?”

Fu Yuzhou looked panicked. He grabbed Chu Ning’s foot and checked her ankle.

Xiao Zhu said Chu Ning had sprained her ankle, but thankfully, it wasn’t broken. However, his rough examination pulled at her wound, making her cry out even louder. “It hurts! You rough guy, let go of me!”

“You still have the energy to yell, so your brain’s fine.”

Fu Yuzhou said calmly. Ignoring her protests, he took off her sock.

“Bear with it. I’ll treat your wound first.”

Then, he would take her back.

“It hurts! Don’t touch me!”

Chu Ning struggled. She felt Fu Yuzhou was too rough, not gentle at all.

“Endure it! Where’s the spirit you had when you were resisting me?”

“You bully!”

Chu Ning cried in pain, her whimpers breaking Fu Yuzhou’s heart.

He couldn’t help himself and suddenly pulled her into his arms. “If you hate me, resent me, bite me.”

Chu Ning didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Fu Yuzhou’s arm and bit down hard.