Chapter 157
"Tick-tock"
The cave was quiet, with only the sound of dripping water, Gu Zhongtai's footsteps, and the two people's breathing.
Looking at the overlapping shadows of the two people on the cave wall, Fan Xiaoxiao recalled Gu Zhongtai's words about the Golden Pillow Sealing Acupoints affecting his lifespan, and a thorn seemed to grow in her heart.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
"ah?"
Fan Xiaoxiao was a little confused and it took her several seconds to realize that Gu Zhongtai was asking her why she wasn't speaking.
She opened her mouth, wanting to ask him what was wrong with the poison in his body. Who poisoned him, how long had it been there, and could the Ghost Doctor cure him this time? But the words caught in her throat, turning into a dry, unimportant question.
How long is this cave?
"It's about three or four miles away. It only takes less than half an hour to walk there before you see the exit."
As they spoke, a cool breeze swept through the cave, causing the tinder in Fan Xiaoxiao's hand to sway slightly, its flame flickering twice before becoming weak.
"A tinderbox!"
Startled, Fan Xiaoxiao quickly pressed herself against Gu Zhongtai's back, using her hands to shield the faint flame from his gaze.
"Thank goodness it didn't go out..."
Fan Xiaoxiao sighed with relief, while Gu Zhongtai chuckled and turned around.
"It's just a tinderbox, yet you're worried about it so much..."
Gu Zhongtai was stunned. He hadn't expected that Fan Xiaoxiao's face would be so close to his ear because of her earlier movement. And now, when he turned around, the distance between them was just right so he could feel the warmth of her breath.
Fan Xiaoxiao was also stunned, her heart pounding involuntarily. It was the first time she had ever been so close to a man. The firelight cast a soft glow on his face, his long, thick eyelashes trembled slightly, and his dark green eyes clearly reflected her burning face.
"you……"
"I……"
The two of them opened their mouths at the same time, as if to say something, but after hearing the other speak, they immediately changed it to: "You say it!"
"Go ahead and speak."
The atmosphere grew increasingly ambiguous, and Fan Xiaoxiao felt that if no one came to her rescue, her poor heart would probably overheat and burn out.
But how come Gu Zhongtai is still so beautiful even after disguising herself? My god, does she think she can do it?
The moment the thought crossed Fan Xiaoxiao's mind, a little voice inside her screamed: No, Fan Xiaoxiao! You can't be tempted! This is a big shot! This is your savior! You said you only wanted to save his life! You haven't even made any effort! How can you be tempted by his good looks!
After mentally slapping herself twice, Fan Xiaoxiao gave a dry laugh. Her mind slowly replayed Gu Zhongtai's words in her head, and on a sudden impulse, she stammered, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.
"I...I'm afraid of the dark, so...thankfully it didn't go out..."
Before she could finish speaking, another gust of wind blew by. This time, the tinderbox wasn't so lucky; it flickered twice and then died, plunging the surroundings into darkness.
Gu Zhongtai: ...
Fan Xiaoxiao: ...God, I suspect you're messing with me.
"Are there... are there any tinderboxes left?"
Fan Xiaoxiao spoke tremblingly, her face pale. It wasn't that she was really afraid of the dark, but the darkness in the enclosed space always made her feel suffocated. The scene of falling into the water while catching lobsters and the last thing she saw kept flashing through her mind. The romantic feeling from before vanished without a trace.
Gu Zhongtai noticed the slight tremor in Fan Xiaoxiao's voice. He hadn't expected that this girl, who usually seemed so invincible, would be afraid of the dark...
"We're out of tinderboxes."
Fan Xiaoxiao felt like she was suffocating, and her whole body began to tremble uncontrollably. The sensation of water rushing into her nostrils from all directions returned, and she felt the air around her thinning bit by bit. Her hands and feet turned icy cold, and she broke out in a cold sweat.
"Fan Xiaoxiao!"
Gu Zhongtai noticed her change and quickly put her down. When he touched her hand, he found that it was wet and that he couldn't hear her breathing.
"Speak!" Gu Zhongtai was a little anxious, but it was too dark in the cave, and he couldn't see Fan Xiaoxiao's expression at all.
At this moment, Fan Xiaoxiao was already struggling to breathe, and her consciousness was becoming somewhat scattered. She closed her eyes, feeling as if her ears were stuffed with cotton, and the sounds she heard were somewhat muffled.
Is she going to die again...?
"Fan Xiaoxiao! Fan Xiaoxiao! Fan Erya!"
It was Gu Zhongtai's voice...
Fan Xiaoxiao struggled to open her eyes and heard the person in front of her seemingly rummaging through their arms for something.
"As long as there's light, it'll be fine, right?"
Gu Zhongtai took out a brocade pouch that he always carried with him from his bosom. When he opened it, there was a bead inside that emitted a faint glow.
"Look at it! It's not dark here!"
He shoved the bead into Fan Xiaoxiao's hand and called her name loudly.
Light……
As the surrounding darkness receded, Fan Xiaoxiao felt the suffocating sensation from before completely dissipate. She took a deep breath, and her lungs finally felt better.
"Cough cough..."
Excessive breathing caused Fan Xiaoxiao to cough involuntarily. Gu Zhongtai patted her back gently and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Fan Xiaoxiao coughed for a long time, and only after struggling to catch her breath by clutching her collar did she feel like she had come back to life.
"Cough cough cough, no, it's nothing..."
Seeing that she was coughing up tears, Gu Chongtai frowned. Once she had finally caught her breath, he picked her up again.
Fan Xiaoxiao let out a soft gasp, instinctively grabbing the bead with one hand and hugging Gu Zhongtai's neck with the other.
The sudden tightness around his neck made Gu Zhongtai cough. He was about to scold Fan Xiaoxiao for tightening the belt so much when he remembered how she had almost fainted.
"Hold on tight to that bead. If you drop it again, even a god can't save you."
Gu Zhongtai's voice was somewhat cold. Fan Xiaoxiao coughed and tightened her grip on the beads.
"I...I understand."
She was in too much pain to take a good look at the bead, but after Gu Zhongtai mentioned it, she finally noticed what it was in her hand.
It was a deep blue bead, round and about the size of a pigeon egg, and felt cool to the touch. This tiny thing emitted a warm glow, illuminating the area about a step away between them.
"This is... a luminous pearl?"
"kindness."
Gu Zhongtai simply hummed in agreement, without saying anything else.
Fan Xiaoxiao immediately sensed that the other person seemed somewhat unhappy, so she pursed her lips. Remembering her reflexive remark that it was nothing, she opened her mouth and tentatively asked, "I... I'll tell you why I'm like this. Can you tell me how you got poisoned?"
Gu Zhongtai remained silent. Just as Fan Xiaoxiao was about to give up, he slowly replied, "Okay."
"However... you go first."
(End of this chapter)
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