Chapter 58 Both of them fell from their horses and into the water.
Fu Lanzhi reined in her horse and watched the out-of-control horse carry Gu Xingnian away into the distance, her smile widening.
She scoffed inwardly.
Sister Kexin, this woman is better off falling to her death. A novice riding such a wild horse will either die or be crippled.
Then, you will be my rightful sister-in-law.
Having a big star as a sister-in-law is so prestigious.
"Da da da—"
The rapid sound of horses' hooves came from behind.
A pure black steed galloped like an arrow released from a bow in the direction where Gu Xingnian had disappeared.
Gu Xingnian was already terrified.
The horse was completely out of control, plunging into the nearby woods and galloping wildly along a blurry path.
She could only grip the reins tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
You absolutely mustn't fall! Absolutely not!
The rough reins stung her palms, drawing blood, but she dared not loosen her grip even a fraction.
Fu Beichen spurred his horse and charged into the woods.
He saw the figure swaying precariously on horseback ahead, and his heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
"Gu Xingnian! Don't be afraid!" he shouted. "Hold on tight to the reins! Don't be afraid!"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Gu Xingnian subconsciously turned around.
Fu Beichen's figure drew closer and closer through the swaying shadows of the trees.
The tension in her heart eased slightly.
"Fu Beichen! Help! Ah—"
Before she could finish speaking, the horse jolted again, almost throwing her off.
The horse suddenly burst out of the woods, and the view ahead opened up, but there was no road to go.
Before me was a steep grassy slope, and below it flowed a long, rushing river.
The startled horse probably sensed the danger and suddenly reared up, raising its front hooves high.
Gu Xingnian pulled on the reins with all her might, but her whole body leaned backward due to inertia.
It’s over!
Only those two words remained in her mind.
My body has lost its balance and I'm about to fall off the horse in the next second.
Just at this critical moment, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist.
The world spun around.
The two embraced tightly and rolled down the steep grassy slope.
Fu Beichen kept one arm tightly around her waist and the other hand firmly protecting the back of her head.
The speed at which it rolled down was too fast, and the impact was enormous.
thump!
They couldn't stop and rolled straight into the icy river.
A bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped her entire body, causing her to shiver involuntarily.
"Fu Beichen! Help!"
Gu Xingnian flailed her arms wildly in the water, trying to surface.
"I'm afraid of water... cough, Fu... Beichen..."
She choked on several mouthfuls of water; the icy river water filled her nasal cavity, making her so uncomfortable that she closed her eyes tightly.
"Don't be afraid! I'm here!" A steady voice rang in her ear.
"I'm here! Open your eyes and look at me!" Fu Beichen's voice carried an undeniable power.
She struggled to open her eyes, her vision blurred. Both of them were bobbing in the icy river, the swift current pushing them downstream.
Fu Beichen supported her waist with one large hand, allowing her to fully surface and breathe.
Gu Xingnian was soaked to the bone, shivering with cold, and still in shock.
His face was wet, and it was hard to tell whether it was river water or tears from fright.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here!" His voice rang out again, carrying a comforting power.
The river was too swift, and he couldn't reach the shore while holding her. His gaze quickly swept across both banks.
"Do you see that branch sticking out over there?"
He pointed to the thick, drooping branches of an old tree on the riverbank not far downstream.
"When we drift past, hold on tight and hold on firmly!"
“I will let you go. I will get ashore first, and then pull you up.”
Gu Xingnian shook her head subconsciously, her eyes filled with fear.
Let go? She didn't dare.
"Don't be afraid."
He repeated it again, his tone even more resolute.
"I'll get you up there. But remember, once you grab on, you absolutely can't let go, understand?"
The bushes were getting closer, and the current was pushing them closer.
Gu Xingnian looked at the branch swaying on the water's surface and finally nodded heavily.
She stretched out her hands, which were a little stiff from the cold.
The instant her body touched the branch, she used all her strength to grab onto the life-saving branch tightly.
Almost simultaneously, she felt the arm around her waist loosen.
Overwhelmed by fear once again, she could only cling to the tree branch even tighter, close her eyes tightly, and dare not look or think.
After a while, a warm, large hand grasped her right wrist.
"Gu Xingnian!" It was Fu Beichen's voice, right next to him.
She suddenly opened her eyes.
A powerful force pulled her upwards with all its might.
She was pulled away from the icy river and thrown heavily onto the grassy bank.
Fu Beichen also collapsed beside her, exhausted, letting out heavy breathing.
Gu Xingnian lay on his chest, greedily breathing in the earthy air from the shore, her heart still pounding wildly.
After a long while, Fu Beichen finally sat up, disregarding his own condition, and anxiously checked on her.
"Gu Xingnian? How are you? Are you hurt anywhere? Where does it hurt?"
His voice was hoarse with lingering fear.
When he asked her that question, the grievances and fear she had just survived instantly erupted.
Gu Xingnian's tears welled up without warning.
She sniffled, her voice trembling with tears, and said haltingly, "My hand...my hand hurts..."
Fu Beichen immediately and carefully rolled up her soaked sleeves.
On his arm, where he had been injured and bandaged, the gauze was now soaked with water, and dark red blood was seeping out from the edges.
Fortunately, the doctor had put a small splint on it to stabilize the wound; otherwise, after all that commotion, the wound would probably have torn completely apart.
Fu Beichen's face darkened as he looked at the bleeding wound and the marks on his hands.
"The wound has reopened a little," he said in a low voice. "What about the rest of the wound? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Gu Xingnian shook her head, but she kept trembling, and her teeth were chattering.
That was terrifying; she thought she was going to die.
Fu Beichen stood up and looked around. Not far from the riverbank, on the grassy slope, there was a cave that didn't look very big.
"There's a cave over there. I'll take you there. Sir, you should rest for a bit."
He bent down and picked her up again.
Two soaking wet bodies pressed tightly together, their body heat passing between them through their wet clothes, strangely creating a burning sensation.
He carried her and walked quickly toward the small cave, which was not large, but large enough to shelter her from the wind.
Fu Beichen carefully put her down and let her lean against the relatively dry stone wall.
He reached into his pocket.
The phone had long since disappeared during the tumbling and falling into the water.
Fortunately, I had a waterproof lighter in my pocket.
He quickly gathered some dry branches near the cave and returned inside.
"Clatter—"
The lighter struck a flame, which quickly ignited the dry branch.
A small fire gradually ignited, crackling and popping. The orange-red flames illuminated the small cave and dispelled some of the chill.
Gu Xingnian hugged her knees, curled up beside the fire, her body still trembling uncontrollably.
Fu Beichen looked at her pitiful appearance, curled up in a small ball, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
He silently added firewood to the fire, making it burn brighter.
She stared at the fire, her eyes red, but she knew clearly who had harmed her.
"Fu Beichen, we're even!" she said calmly, referring to the life-saving grace.
The time he jumped into the deep sea, he narrowly escaped death and almost became a vegetable. This time, he saved him, so they were even. From now on, he could be free of all worries.
"We're even?" Fu Beichen's heart felt like it had been struck by something.
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