Hua Er was serving time—no, babysitting—in the women's pool, thinking she was miserable enough. Meanwhile, Comrade Yao Wu felt like his soul was already halfway out of his body.
How on earth did things go so wrong when they were just having a nice soak in the hot spring? Hadn't everything been perfectly fine? The two women also came over, looking at Lu Yan. Seeing him shivering violently on the spot, Hong Jiu shot an unfriendly glare at Yao Wu.
“What's wrong with him? How did soaking in a hot spring turn him into this?”
Lu Yan leaned back on the lounge chair, his entire body still shaking. It was a subtle, rapid shivering, as if he were freezing cold. His entire spine was spasming, like a string was pulling him up from his tailbone, forcing his body to arch and then snap back. If someone didn't know any better, they might have thought he was experiencing some kind of intense pleasure...
His eyes were half-open, his pupils unfocused, and his lips trembled as he muttered the same few words over and over: “Don't die... Don't die... We're almost there...”
Yao Wu squatted nearby, completely at a loss. He raised his only remaining hand and lowered it again, unsure whether to pat him or support him. He opened his mouth several times, but only a few discordant gasps escaped his throat before he swallowed them back down. Hong Jiu stood two paces away with her arms crossed, her brow knitted tightly. She looked at Lu Yan's state, then glanced at Yao Wu, her lips twitching slightly.
Jiang Ci was the last to arrive. She had run over from the women's bath, her hair still wet. Her outer robe was loosely thrown on, the sash not even tied properly, revealing a glimpse of her undergarment's collar. When she burst into the resting area, she was panting heavily, her eyes filled with panic. It was a genuine, heartfelt panic that couldn't be faked.
Her first reaction upon seeing Lu Yan was to crouch down and tightly grasp his hand.
Crouching before him, her knees almost touching the legs of the lounge chair, she reached out and pressed her palm against the back of his hand.
Cold. Her hand was cold—she had just come out of the hot spring and run all the way here. The wind had dried the moisture on her skin, carrying away some of her body heat. After all, the evaporation of liquid water absorbs heat; the three states of water functioned the same everywhere.
Lu Yan's hand was also cold, but it was a different kind of cold. His chill came from the Northern Border ten years ago, from the powerlessness of ten years ago, from the freezing snow and ice of ten years ago...
Her fingers slowly closed, lacing into the gaps between his fingers.
Lu Yan's fingers stiffened slightly. His fingertips twitched, brushing against the skin on the back of her hand. It was warm. He touched it again, as if trying to confirm it wasn't an illusion.
Jiang Ci did not let go. She placed her other hand over his, wrapping his icy palm between both of hers like she was cradling a fragile egg that had just been pulled from hot water and plunged into cold, on the verge of cracking.
Lu Yan's breathing began to change. It became highly irregular—gasping one moment and slowing the next. When it was fast, it seemed as if someone were choking him; when it was slow, it was as if he had forgotten to breathe altogether. His chest heaved violently, and every inhalation came with a tearing sound, as if something were stuck in his throat, forced open by the airflow only to snap shut again.
Jiang Ci still did not speak. She lifted his hand and pressed it against her chest.
“Don't be afraid,” she said. “Don't be afraid. You are safe. I'm here. We are all here.”
Lu Yan's fingers curled slightly, like a drowning man instinctively reaching for the nearest object. He felt her pulse—a river constantly throbbing beneath her skin, right under his fingertips.
He had been running through the freezing Northern Border for ten years, when suddenly a warm voice descended from the heavens, grasping him with warm hands and telling him not to be afraid, that he was safe.
His breathing began to slow. His eyelids started to droop, not out of sleepiness, but because he had finally found a harbor where he could rest, a safe cradle...
His hand still held hers, refusing to let go. His face was turned toward her, his eyes half-open as his unfocused vision slowly began to concentrate. He couldn't see clearly—his eyesight hadn't fully recovered, and with his pupils dilated, everything was a blur. But he saw a white, fluffy shape very close to him. It was her hair.
He didn't speak. His lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. Then, he closed his eyes.
He fell asleep—a true, dreamless, and utterly relaxed slumber.
Hong Jiu watched from behind. Her lips twitched as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back down. She glanced at Yao Wu, who was also looking at her. The two exchanged a brief look, and neither made a sound.
Hong Jiu turned around first, gently patting Yao Wu's arm and gesturing toward the door with her chin. Yao Wu hesitated, looking down at Lu Yan. He was asleep, his breathing much steadier than before. Although it wasn't completely normal yet, at least it no longer seemed like it would cut out at any moment. He stood up and followed Hong Jiu, stepping quietly as they walked out.
When he reached the door, he paused and looked back.
Jiang Ci was still crouching there, holding Lu Yan's hand with both of hers. Her head was lowered, concealing her expression. Her damp hair hung down, veiling half of her face. Lu Yan lay on the lounge chair with his eyes closed, his eyelashes still, his breathing steady and light.
Yao Wu watched for a few moments, then turned, pushed the door open, and stepped out.
The resting area fell silent. From the distant hot spring pools came the sound of water, laughter, and chatter. Muffled by several walls, the noises sounded distant, as if filtered through a layer of water. Nearby, there was nothing but the breathing of two people—one soft, one shallow, intertwining until it was impossible to tell whose was whose.
Jiang Ci crouched there for a long time, until her knees began to ache and her legs went numb. Moving gently, she placed Lu Yan's hand back onto the lounge chair and covered it with a towel. Then she stood up. The numbness made her sway slightly, forcing her to lean against the wall for support.
She pulled a clean towel from the nearby rack, folded it, and placed it under his head. Then she grabbed another dry one, shook it open, and draped it over his body.
His brow was still slightly furrowed. Even in his sleep, he frowned, as if he were rushing along a road, climbing a mountain that had no peak.
She reached out, pressing her thumb to the space between his brows, and gently massaged it.
She wanted him to smooth his brow.
She pulled her hand back. She didn't leave. Instead, she leaned against the wall beside the lounge chair, slowly sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. Drawing her knees up, she rested her arms on them, turning her head to watch his troubled sleeping face.
The sound of water still echoed from just beyond the wall, people coming and going, doors opening and closing.
No one entered this resting area. Whether it was because Hong Jiu had given instructions or Yao Wu was blocking the door outside, no one came in.
Sitting on the floor, she kept her eyes fixed on him on the lounge chair. Suddenly, her heart ached for him. What on earth had he gone through to end up like this?
Let him have a good sleep, she thought. No need to worry about anything, no nightmares, no burdens. Just sleep. I'll be right here beside him.
At least for now...
Rate on N.U.
