Surviving in the wilderness, supporting each other
On the third day after fleeing Ningguta, the blizzard finally stopped, but it was replaced by an even more biting cold. Shen Qingci carried Su Yunqing on his back, trudging through the vast wilderness, the snow reaching his thighs, each step requiring immense effort. His prison uniform was soaked through with snow and frozen stiff; the wounds from the chains on his wrists and ankles, scabbed over and then reopened in the low temperature, causing excruciating pain.
Su Yunqing lay on his back, her breath weak, but she still managed to wipe the sweat from his forehead with her hands, which were purple from the cold: "Brother Qingci, put me down, I can walk by myself."
Shen Qingci was panting heavily, but his steps did not falter. His voice was hoarse but firm: "Don't move. You're weak. It will be troublesome if you get cold again." He looked down at the simple map in his arms. The water source marked on it was still half a day's journey away. "Hang in there a little longer. Once we reach the valley ahead, we'll be able to find water and food."
However, fate had other plans. At noon, the sky suddenly darkened, and a fierce wind whipped up snow, reducing visibility to less than three feet. Shen Qingci lost his way and could only grope his way forward across the wasteland by instinct. Su Yunqing's body temperature dropped lower and lower, and her consciousness gradually faded, as she murmured, "Brother Qingci, I'm so cold..."
Shen Qingci's heart tightened, and he quickly put her down from his back, holding her tightly in his arms, using his body heat to warm her. "Yunqing, hold on! Don't fall asleep!" He called her name anxiously, pinching her philtrum hard with his fingers, "We haven't avenged Old Cangtou yet, we haven't cleared his name, you can't be hurt!"
Su Yunqing opened her eyes slightly in his arms, looked at his bloodshot eyes and lips that were purple from the cold, and smiled weakly: "Brother Qingci, I'm fine... just a little tired." She raised her hand to touch his face, but the moment she touched his skin, her hand fell limply down.
Shen Qingci panicked and quickly pressed his ear to her chest. Hearing a faint heartbeat, he breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he had to find a warm place and food as soon as possible, otherwise Su Yunqing really wouldn't make it. He looked around and found a low embankment not far away with a narrow cave at the bottom. He immediately picked up Su Yunqing and struggled to move over there.
The cave was small, only big enough for two people, but it offered some shelter from the wind and snow. Shen Qingci settled Su Yunqing deep inside the cave, took off his only tattered cotton-padded coat, and covered her with it. He then gathered some dry grass and lit it with a flint he carried. The faint firelight illuminated the cave, bringing a touch of warmth.
He emerged from the cave and braved the fierce wind to search for food nearby. The wasteland was deathly silent, without even a trace of birds or beasts. After searching for a long time, he finally found a few frozen wild vegetables in the snow. He then used a stone axe to break through the ice and caught a few small fish. Back in the cave, he roasted the vegetables and fish and carefully fed them to Su Yunqing.
By the dim light of the fire, Su Yunqing slowly chewed her food, gradually regaining some strength. Seeing that Shen Qingci had only eaten a little, she pushed the rest of the food to him: "Brother Qingci, you eat too, you need more strength than I do."
Shen Qingci shook his head and pushed the food back: "I'm not hungry. You eat more and get better soon." He knew that he had to conserve his strength so that he could lead Su Yunqing out of this wasteland.
At night, the two huddled together in the cave, warming themselves by the faint campfire. Shen Qingci held Su Yunqing tightly in his arms, shielding her from the cold wind outside the cave. Su Yunqing leaned against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and her heart gradually calmed down.
"Brother Qingci, can we get out of here?" she asked softly, her tone tinged with uncertainty.
Shen Qingci lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his voice gentle yet firm: "Yes! We definitely can!" He gazed at the swirling snow outside the cave, a sharp glint in his eyes. "No matter how difficult the road ahead, I will lead you out. We must return to the capital alive, overthrow Li Linfu, avenge the old servant, and clear our names!"
Su Yunqing nodded and hugged his waist tightly: "Yes, I believe you. Wherever you go, I will follow you."
The campfire grew dimmer, and the wind and snow outside the cave continued to rage, but the two inside drew warmth and strength from each other in their embrace. They knew that the road to survival in the wilderness was long, and the future remained uncertain, but as long as they stayed together and their faith remained unbroken, they would surely escape this desperate situation and usher in their own light.
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