Chapter 172 Arrival in Spring City
Josie held him tightly, feeling the strength of his embrace, and instinctively said, "As long as you don't hurt me, I will never push you away."
My tense nerves, which had been on edge all night, suddenly relaxed.
The cold gloom that had been lingering in my heart since the emergence of Fengye seemed to have been largely dispelled by this firm promise.
"Okay." His voice was low, yet it carried an unprecedented ease and warmth.
Josie quickly patted him on the shoulder, "Go to sleep first."
Shen Han finally felt relieved and, once relaxed, lay down in his sleeping bag and fell into a deep sleep.
After carefully tidying herself up, Josie sat quietly by the door.
Her water bottle was placed beside the embers of the fire, clearly placed there by Shen Han to ensure she could have a sip of warm water when she woke up.
I held the water cup up, let the hot water flow down my throat, and felt completely comfortable.
She remembered every single kindness Shen Han had shown her.
But... Feng Ye's eyes, filled with predatory intent and cold questioning, and that rough yet chilling kiss kept flashing through my mind.
She shook her head vigorously, banishing the figure of the dangerous man from her sight.
After an unknown amount of time, Xie Jue and the other two young superhumans were also awakened by the slight noise.
"It's still early, you can sleep a little longer."
As she spoke, she got up and walked over to the other two more seriously injured people, reaching out to check their body temperature.
Xie Jue was fully awake and got up to help pack his things.
"The temperature is normal now, so there shouldn't be any major problems."
The two young men's eyes were filled with gratitude. "Sister Josh, thank you so much. You saved my life."
Josie chuckled and patted his shoulder. "It's your own good fortune that you survived. Eat something and rest a bit. We'll set off once Chen Han wakes up."
After the group had breakfast, Shen Han, who had only slept for two hours, slowly woke up.
"It's barely dawn, go back to sleep."
Shen Han sat up. "I'm not going to sleep anymore. Let's catch up with them as soon as possible before we rest."
After the cold subsided, everyone began to pack their last belongings.
After washing up, Shen Han ate quickly while taking out a map and pointing out directions. "Professor Fu and his group are numerous and not moving fast. If we take this route, we might be able to meet up with them sooner."
Xie Jue looked at the route he pointed out and nodded, "At their speed, if we speed up today, we should be able to catch up before tomorrow night."
"Hmm," Shen Han nodded, his gaze sweeping over the other two wounded. "A-Jie, Xiao Wu, can you hold on?"
“No problem, Brother Han!” A-Jie straightened his back.
Xiao Wu nodded vigorously, though his face remained pale.
Soon, in the cramped treatment room, the embers of the fire were completely extinguished and buried.
After checking their equipment, everyone wrapped themselves up tightly in their warm clothes again.
Shen Han walked to the door first, opened it a crack, and the biting cold wind immediately rushed in.
His sharp gaze swept across the still dark, snowy world outside, and only after confirming that it was safe did he turn his head to look at them.
"Let's go," Shen Han said in a low voice.
Josie pulled her hood tighter and followed him into the howling snow outside.
Shen Han's tall figure acted as a barrier, protecting her on the inside where the wind and snow were less intense.
Xie Jue took the initiative to cover the rear, keeping a watchful eye on any movements behind them. A-Jie and Xiao-Wu supported each other, gritting their teeth as they followed.
Like several shadows blending into a gray-white background, the group braved the increasingly fierce wind and snow, heading towards Fu Jinxing and the main force along the predetermined route.
Fu Jinxing stood in a relatively sheltered hollow of a huge rock, his gaze fixed on the snow-covered road ahead, like a frozen ice sculpture.
A thick layer of snow had settled on his shoulders, and fine ice crystals had formed on the lenses of his gold-rimmed glasses, but he seemed oblivious to it.
In the final hours of the three-day deadline, every minute and every second felt like it was searing his nerves.
Luo Xiang tried several times to persuade him to go into the makeshift tent to avoid the wind, but he silently waved his hand and refused.
“Professor Fu…” Luo Xiang’s voice was filled with worry and helplessness.
"Wait a little longer." Fu Jinxing's voice was hoarse and tense, almost swallowed by the wind.
His clenched fists were hidden inside the thick sleeves of his coat.
No, he has to go back to find Xixi!
Just as the oppressive atmosphere was about to freeze people, Josie's keen senses pierced through the wind and snow, and she was the first to spot several blurry figures appearing on the edge of the rock depression.
It's them!
Josie's voice, carrying a barely perceptible gasp and a sense of relief, pierced through the howling wind and snow, reaching Shen Han and Xie Jue's ears clearly.
Shen Han's eyes narrowed, and the black mist around him subconsciously surged, slightly blocking the oncoming wind and snow.
He quickened his pace, almost half-protecting and half-pushing Josie, and hurried toward the rocky indentation.
Inside the rocky depression, the light of the campfire flickered in the strong wind, illuminating the tired and anxious faces of the team members who stayed behind.
When those figures, shrouded in wind and snow, staggered into the light at the entrance, everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to them!
"Sister Qiao Xi! Brother Han! Xie Jue!" someone exclaimed in surprise.
Fu Jinxing's body jolted. He practically shoved Luo Xiang aside and rushed to the entrance in a few strides, the wind and snow instantly hitting his face.
His gaze immediately and precisely locked onto Josie. Seeing her standing unharmed in the wind and snow, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense for three days, finally settled back into his chest.
The usually composed Professor Fu took two steps forward and pulled Qiao Xi into a tight embrace.
The others looked away understandingly, their eyes full of smiles.
Fu Jinxing's force was not light, and Qiao Xi let out a soft cry.
"You're injured?" Fu Jinxing's heart, which had just settled down, jumped again.
"No," she said. "It was just last night when I was with Feng Ye, he was too strong and pinched my waist so hard that it left a bruise."
Fu Jinxing raised his hand and touched her wind-blown hair. "It's good that you're not hurt. Come in and warm up first."
The other team members helped the nearly frozen A-Jie and Xiao-Wu inside and sat them down around the fire.
"With this snow, who knows how many days it will last? Professor Fu, should we take shelter here?"
“We can’t hide,” Fu Jinxing said seriously. “This snow won’t stop. We just need to hurry up and get to Chuncheng, otherwise it will only get colder and colder.”
Fu Jinxing's words dispelled everyone's idea of taking a break. After resting on the spot for an hour, the group set off again.
After several days of trekking through wind and snow, the large group finally saw the buildings of the Spring City.
A suppressed cheer erupted from the crowd.
However, upon entering this city with its legendary pleasant climate, they were not greeted by the warmth of spring.
Spring City has also been reduced to a desolate, snow-covered ruin.
The dilapidated high-rise buildings resembled giant ice sculptures, the streets were buried under thick snow, and the howling wind whipped up ice shards that stung the face.
Although the temperature was indeed a few degrees higher than that hellish city, it was still freezing cold and my skin ached.
Josie looked up at the gray, seemingly weightless sky, her heart heavy.
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