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"We made it! I'm sure they won't find us here, they're probably thinking we jumped to our death, anyway... That was close..."
Gasping for air and holding the apothecary with one arm, Jinshi emerged from the water and pulled himself out, finding himself now inside the cave that he knew was down there. His mind, previously hazy due to the heat stroke and the dehydration, now seemed considerably clearer, and his heart was pounding violently against his ribs. Both he and Maomao were dripping wet.
"I knew that someone here was coming after me... damn. Luckily, they missed. Are you alright, Maomao? You were afraid, weren't you?"
No reply. Maomao's head kept resting on his shoulder.
"Maomao? You can open your eyes now, it's over."
No reaction. The young woman didn't move. And not only that... she wasn't breathing either.
Jinshi's face lost all its color, and his pupils shrank. Kneeling on the hard, rocky ground, he was seized by a sudden impulse and grabbed Maomao with both hands, starting to shake her desperately. His horror was constricting his chest, and his own breathing quickened more and more.
"Maomao! No, please no! This cannot be true! Wake up! Please!"
But the apothecary was still hanging limply in his arms. Jinshi carefully laid her down on her back and started to caress her wet hair with trembling fingers. His body was half petrified with panic and fear. The same fear of losing her that he had already gone through after the incident during the ritual while carrying her out of the temple, bleeding and unconscious.
Back then, he couldn't let his feelings show due to the goddamn mask he had to wear in public, but this time, there was nothing holding him back.
Jinshi gritted his teeth, forgetting everything around him.
If she... if she were to die here, then he didn't want to keep on living either. That horrible thought crossed his mind while looking down at Maomao, who was still lying motionless there, and a few tears ran down his already wet face.
But then a wave of determination arose in him and chased away that useless, paralyzing panic. Jinshi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slapped himself across the cheek. Was he an idiot or what?! Why the hell was he kneeling there and wasting precious time?! It wasn't too late, Maomao wasn't dead yet! He would save her!
"Hang in there!"
He had to make her breathe again! And there was only one way to achieve that...
Jinshi gulped, bent over her face and carefully opened her mouth. Then he held her nose with one hand and finally pressed his own mouth against hers to give her his own air, holding her chin with his other hand.
"Her lips are so soft... Wait a moment, what am I thinking here?! Now's not the time for this! Maomao, breathe! Please breathe!"
No, it still wasn't enough!
The young lord let go of her mouth and straightened his back again in order to place both of his hands on her ribcage and pump the water out that had gotten inside her. Lying there so helplessly in front of him, she looked so utterly delicate that it made his heart bleed and him almost afraid of breaking her. But if he wanted to save her, then he had no other choice.
"Breathe! I beg of you! Oh, why?! Why does she have to be the one to get injured every time when the real target is me?! I shouldn't have brought her to this hunt! This is my fault!"
His thoughts were racing, yet the hope that had invaded his heart together with the determination stubbornly refused to leave him.
"MAOMAO, WAKE UP! BREATHE!"
"Cough! Cough!"
His prayers had finally been heard. Immense relief washed over Jinshi when he saw her open her eyes, abruptly sit up and vomit out the water and the contents of her stomach. He would have loved to pull her into his arms, but he didn't dare, instead merely stretching out his hand and gently rubbing her back.
She was alive...