Bai Wenxi slowly regained consciousness.
Her untreated wounds had turned white and rotten after soaking in the water. She tried to move her leg but found that her right leg had gone completely numb.
"What time is it? Where are we?" Bai Wenxi whispered weakly. Her exhausted body kept sinking.
Jiang Beihuai held her tightly, offering words of comfort and encouragement. "You have to hold on. Everyone must be looking for us."
Bai Wenxi's eyelids drooped involuntarily. She fought hard to stay awake. "Okay, I'll try. If I'm about to fall asleep, make sure to wake me up."
But the cold sea water was sapping her energy. Jiang Beihuai struggled to pull his arm out of the gap, but without a solid foothold, it remained stuck.
He was helpless as he watched Bai Wenxi slip into unconsciousness.
No, he couldn't lose her like this!
There were so many things he wanted to say to her, and he hadn't even shown her the place where he grew up.
A wave of despair washed over him. He closed his eyes tightly, and the words he had always been too shy to say finally found an outlet.
Looking deeply into his wife's face, he choked back his sobs. "Wenxi, I've wanted to tell you for a long time. I fell in love with you the moment I discovered your true identity."
The confession seemed to have an effect. Bai Wenxi forced her eyes open and weakly joked, "Are you just saying this to comfort me because I'm seriously injured?
"I don't need it! I have full confidence in myself. I married you back then just because I wanted to fulfill my duty as a daughter." Bai Wenxi could barely manage a weak smile.
Under normal circumstances, Jiang Beihuai would never have said such things. But seeing Bai Wenxi in such a critical condition, he felt that if he didn't say these words now, he might never have the chance again.
Tears streamed down Jiang Beihuai's face. "I really like you. I've always wanted to get closer to you and understand you. But you always avoided me. You knew what I meant, didn't you? You don't have to respond now. We can talk about this later when you're better."
Bai Wenxi could feel her life force slipping away. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't give you the promise you want in this state."
Her voice grew softer and softer. Jiang Beihuai had to lean in close to her lips to hear what she was saying.
Jiang Beihuai couldn't bear to let her fall asleep. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear.
It was strange. Girls had confessed their love to him before because of his good looks, but he had never expressed his own feelings.
But at this moment, the sweet words just flowed out of his mouth as if he had rehearsed them.
On the cliff, Su Yuning led the rescue team in a desperate search. All three modes of rescue - by sea, land, and air - were in full swing.
But since the two of them had been swept into a culvert, they hadn't been found yet.
Bai Wenxi was getting annoyed by his constant chatter. Her leg hurt, and so did her ears. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Take a break. I'm not going to die. Don't worry."
"Your constant chatter is really getting on my nerves."
Jiang Beihuai pouted and fell silent, staring at her with a hurt look in his eyes. But Bai Wenxi was too tired to notice his expression and had already closed her eyes to rest.
Suddenly, Bai Wenxi felt a cold touch on her lips. She slowly opened her eyes.
"?"
Her eyes widened in shock as she saw Jiang Beihuai's lips pressed firmly against hers. She could even feel his lips trembling slightly.
At first, Bai Wenxi felt embarrassed, and then a wave of annoyance washed over her.
She bit down hard on Jiang Beihuai's lips and ground her teeth for a few seconds until she tasted the faint metallic taste of blood.
Jiang Beihuai finally pulled back, licking the wound on his lips. He gave her a knowing smile. "You're blushing, aren't you?"
Bai Wenxi was too weak to even roll her eyes. She mumbled, "If I don't freeze to death in the sea, I'll be driven crazy by you."
Hearing her complaints, Jiang Beihuai gently touched his forehead to hers. Bai Wenxi opened her eyes and looked at him.
"Okay, I'll stop bothering you. You rest and regain your strength." He managed to find a foothold in the cave.
He propped Bai Wenxi up against the rock wall with his leg and struggled to open his pocket. He took out his phone.
The phone had been battered by the water pressure and soaked in the water for a long time. As soon as it turned on, it made a strange noise and then went black.
Jiang Beihuai sighed silently, hoping that the brief signal would help the rescue team locate them.
Bai Wenxi was lying on the rock wall. Jiang Beihuai stared at her injured leg underwater.
The wound had stopped bleeding due to the long time.
The sharp rock had cut deep into her thigh, and the flesh was turned out. Jiang Beihuai was just grateful that the artery hadn't been severed. Otherwise, she wouldn't have survived such a long time.
Bai Wenxi's body began to sink slowly. She no longer had the strength to hold on.
Jiang Beihuai quickly wrapped his arm around her, but an unconscious person was very heavy, and he could feel his arm starting to give way.
Gritting his teeth, he hoisted Bai Wenxi onto his shoulder and clung to the protrusions on the cliff, shifting his weight onto the rock.
Jiang Beihuai called out to Bai Wenxi, but there was no response.
He felt a pang of panic in his heart, and his stuck arm was throbbing with pain, making it difficult for him to move.
Jiang Beihuai endured the pain and sang a childhood lullaby into Bai Wenxi's ear over and over again.
It was a song his mother used to sing to him when he was a child. Every word was filled with his heartfelt wishes.
Everything around her was spinning.
Bai Wenxi woke up feeling nauseous. She opened her eyes to see a pure white hospital ward. There was an IV drip in her hand, and a fluffy head was lying on the edge of the bed.
The head moved, revealing a sleepy face. "Sister Wenxi, you're finally awake. I'll call the nurse."
Su Yuning jumped up excitedly and pressed the call button. A young nurse rushed in from outside.
Bai Wenxi tried to sit up but found that she had no strength at all. "How long have I been asleep? Where's Beihuai?"
The image of Jiang Beihuai's anxious but determined face flashed through her mind. It was because he hadn't given up that she hadn't drowned.
Bai Wenxi shook her head. A melody suddenly popped into her mind.
It was a song she had never heard before, but somehow it felt familiar.
Su Yuning twisted her fingers, looking a little sad. "Brother-in-law was seriously injured. His entire arm needs surgery. But luckily, we found him in time, so he didn't have to have his arm amputated."