Cave (2)

Ruan Qingmu tried his best to poke his body out and looked down at the sibling’s actions, his heart like a canoe tossed in a violent storm, swaying and drifting. “Qin Yuan, don’t be anxious. Steady yourself properly first…”

Qin Yuan softly replied, reaching out slowly toward Xiao-Siquan. At last, after a strenuous movement, Qin Yuan grabbed Xiao-Siquan’s hand and tugged her over to his side.

Xiao-Siquan’s choked sob suddenly became louder. “Ge…”

Qin Yuan gripped the tree trunk in one hand and held the little girl in a death grip with another. “Okay, it’s over! Look, it’s all right. We will go up now.”

Ruan Qingmu listened from above and instead of being reassured, his heart became more agitated.

“Qin Yuan, you won’t be able to take her while climbing up at the same time! You guys, stay there and wait. I’ll look for people immediately!”

Qin Yuan’s voice was deep. “It won’t do. The tree trunk under my feet can’t hold on any longer. I can feel it. We have to come up now.”

Ruan Qingmu clenched his teeth firmly as he turned and grabbed the little mute swiftly, gesturing to him a few times. “Go back and look for help! Hurry up!”

Xiao-Zhuang had successfully returned once and could definitely go and get the others again, but he couldn’t go himself since he had to stay here and help Qin Yuan.

The little mute, acting as if he was stupid, stood still for some reason.

Ruan Qingmu shook him hard and pushed him. “Go! Why won’t you go?”

The little mute stared at him silently. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and howled. Opening his arms, he firmly hugged Ruan Qingmu’s thighs, unwilling to let go.

The tip of Ruan Qingmu’s heart trembled, vaguely understanding what was happening. He clenched his teeth and whispered to the little mute, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t disappear… hurry up and go!”

The little mute cried so hard but did not let go. Ruan Qingmu finally got anxious and raised his hand violently, hitting him on the head, his face cold and stern. “If I don’t listen to me, I don’t want you anymore!”

The little mute looked at his cold and agitated face and slowly let go of his hand as he eventually sobbed.

Ruan Qingmu shouted sternly, “Hurry up!”

The little mute looked back every three steps, but he finally became determined and stumbled into the distance.

At the bottom of the cliff, Qin Yuan raised his voice and called out, “Ruan Ruan, we’re coming up. Pay attention and come and get us.”

Ruan Qingmu quickly took off the snowboard jacket on his body and sent the end of the sleeve down. “Tell Xiao-Quan to grab on to this when she comes up!”

This cold-proof professional sportswear was exceptionally strong and could not be torn. Otherwise, it could be torn into several strips and joined up to rescue people, but it could only be extended this much.

Qin Yuan responded from below and slowly lifted Xiao-Siquan. “Xiao-Quan, don’t be afraid. Climb up slowly. Ruan-gege up there will quickly be able to catch you.”

Xiao-Siquan, who was already exhausted and did not have the same climbing skills, cried as she trembled and climbed up. “I… Will I fall?”

Qin Yuan reassured her in a soothing voice. “Even if you fall, you have gege to catch you below. Look, you have Ruan-gege on top and me below. Isn’t it very safe?”

The little girl’s mood improved and she began to climb upward, shivering from head to toe.

It was hard to find a place to land. While Qin Yuan had difficulty getting down, it was even more challenging for the little girl to climb up.

Qin Yuan lifted Xiao-Siquan with all his might, with both of their weight on the tree. Suddenly, there was another crunching sound under his feet.

Ruan Qingmu had sharp ears and immediately recognized the sound. “Did the tree crack?!”

Qin Yuan’s voice was relaxed. “It’s nothing. Just a small branch.”

While saying this, he gave Xiao-Siquan a desperate push upward. “Ruan Ruan, catch her!”

Ruan Qingmu’s heart jumped wildly as he desperately pushed his body a few centimeters down the cliff and passed his clothes downward.

In the night, Xiao-Siquan’s hand was barely close to grasping the sleeve when it suddenly sank violently downward, along with a scream from her, “Ah!”

Once again, the tree trunk beneath Qin Yuan’s feet made a clicking sound, carrying both of them down a few centimeters.

Qin Yuan’s heart sank in his chest. In the nick of time, he let go of his other hand gripping the mountain wall, stood with both feet on the tree trunk, and did his best to stand firm, holding Xiao-Siquan’s body up with both hands and lifting it upward with all his might high in the air. “Xiao-Quan, grab on!”

The little girl’s body was lifted much higher and her wrist finally grasped Ruan Qingmu’s draped jacket. Ruan Qingmu shouted in delight, “I got her! Please don’t let go of your hands. I will pull you guys up!”

The tree trunk beneath Qin Yuan’s feet shook and trembled, so he hurriedly freed one hand and gripped a small piece of rock on the mountain wall to carry some of his weight.

Overhead, Ruan Qingmu pulled back his clothes a little, carrying the little girl’s body upward.

His feet were pressed against the ground and his whole body was dangerously out in front of the cliff. He was drenched in a cold sweat for a moment and his heart pounded like that of a drum: He couldn’t be taken down. If he fell too, the three of them would be finished!

The palms of his hands were bloodied from grinding against the rough rocks and his waist was sore from the weight he had taken on, but at last, the top of Xiao-Siquan’s head was revealed.

Ruan Qingmu grabbed her by the shoulders and used all his strength to pull her up desperately.

Not bothering to say much, he quickly pushed the little girl aside and turned his head to call downward. “Okay, she’s safe. You should hurry up and climb up!”

There was no immediate reply from below. Qin Yuan paused for that brief moment before he whispered with some difficulty, “I can’t… Ruan Ruan.”

The main trunk beneath his feet had broken. His whole body was free, with no point of support, relying on both hands to grasp the mountain wall. While one hand was better, holding a small piece of mountain rock, the other could not find anything solid nearby and could only dig into the mud with deadly force.