Volume One, Chapter 17: Boyfriend

Meanwhile, the two hungry wolves inside the cave sensed something. They immediately rushed out, shaking their tails, drooling profusely as they fixed their gaze on Gao Fei’er.

In that instant, Gao Fei’er trembled all over.

Having already endured an ambush before, now it was happening again.

And once more, she was alone.

Would heaven show her mercy this time?

Terrified, Gao Fei’er dared not move. The medicinal herbs in her hand remained frozen in place, motionless.

Cold sweat dripped down her forehead like rain.

At the same time, the three wolves before and behind her slowly advanced.

If not for Gao Fei’er’s height advantage, which caused some hesitation among the wolves, they would have charged long ago.

“I... I don’t want to die...” The fear shattered Gao Fei’er’s mental defenses completely, her voice trembling with tears.

The group on the rock was already at their limit of anxiety.

They wanted to rescue her but lacked the ability.

Were they to watch helplessly as Gao Fei’er perished?

“Roar—”

Suddenly, an eerie roar echoed from nearby.

It sounded somewhat like a wolf's howl, yet it carried a hint of a human shout.

That wasn’t the critical point, though.

What mattered was that this roar caused the three wolves poised to attack to freeze instantly.

Their eerie green eyes all turned toward a different direction.

The grass rustled, accompanied by chaotic footsteps and the sound of plants being pushed aside, causing everyone to swallow hard.

They knew the tall grass around here rose higher than a person.

Above them, not far off, the grass was swaying wildly.

That strange roar had come from there.

As the grass movement grew closer, its intensity unnerved them all.

Such a disturbance could not be caused by wolves.

It was likely something far more terrifying.

At this moment, the one most petrified was Gao Fei’er.

Her mental defenses had already crumbled, and now she was confronted with an even more dreadful presence, deeply stirring her inner torment.

Her fear intensified, and despair deepened.

Not only them, but even the three wolves seemed tense now.

They immediately ignored Gao Fei’er and cautiously stood together, their eyes fixed on the unknown creature emerging from the grass.

“Zhang Jing, what kind of monster is that?” The youngest, Lin Xiaoxiao, already scared by the wolves, was now even more terrified by this unknown entity, trembling violently as she clung tightly to Chen Jing, afraid of falling.

“I don’t know! Gao Fei’er, hurry, now’s the chance!” Chen Jing, though initially too frightened to speak, snapped to alertness upon Lin Xiaoxiao’s words.

Seeing the wolves’ gaze shift away from Gao Fei’er, she whispered urgently to her.

This might be the best moment.

Once this unknown creature appeared, even if it fought the wolves, Gao Fei’er could be caught in the crossfire.

Gao Fei’er reacted swiftly, yanking the medicinal herbs away.

Noticing the wolves weren’t looking at her, she exhaled slightly in relief and tiptoed toward the rope.

As the grass rustling grew louder, her survival instinct quickened her steps.

Just as she neared the rope, another eerie roar froze her in place.

She trembled violently, turning around, her face paling to an extreme.

“Zhang Yang—”

Seeing that familiar face, though now unnatural with bloodshot eyes that no longer belonged to a normal person, Gao Fei’er could never forget it.

Her whole body shook violently—not from fear, but because she could hardly believe what she was witnessing.

From the grass emerged not a beast, but a man.

A man with red eyes.

Looking closely, he was gutted, his insides exposed.

Yet, he was still alive.

Their eyes immediately told them he was infected.

“Gao Fei’er, what are you waiting for? Get up here now!” Chen Jing urged anxiously.

At her call, the three wolves and Zhang Yang’s red eyes all locked onto Gao Fei’er.

Struggling against her impulses, Gao Fei’er grabbed the rope and turned.

Simultaneously, Zhang Yang wildly lunged toward her with a speed that seemed beyond human.

In an instant, he reached the rock.

Fortunately, Gao Fei’er’s long legs and the women’s combined strength helped her scramble up safely.

Once on top, she immediately turned around.

The look of fear on her delicate face faded considerably, replaced mostly by pain.

Tears began to stream down uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, the three wolves sprang into action, viciously tearing at Zhang Yang.

Previously fierce and aggressive, Zhang Yang was now overwhelmed, dragged to the ground.

His already gutted body was torn apart by the wolves.

The scene turned the women’s stomachs.

Though they had witnessed such horrors before, seeing it again was almost unbearable.

Gao Fei’er’s sobs grew louder.

Her cries tore at the heart, filled with unbearable anguish.

“Fei’er, is he your colleague?” Lin Xiaoxiao whispered, tugging at Gao Fei’er’s clothes.

Her question lessened the volume of Gao Fei’er’s weeping slightly, but the tears would not cease.

“He’s my boyfriend. We were supposed to get married right after this trip... sob...” Gao Fei’er’s grief surged anew with her confession.

Chen Jing and the others felt heavy with sorrow and sympathy.

Gao Fei’er’s tears revealed a deeper bond than they had imagined.

“Fate is cruel. In the end, he did save your life. Condolences and may you find peace,” Lin Yao said quietly.

Though she had initially been displeased with Gao Fei’er, now she felt genuine sympathy.

Meanwhile, Chen Jing had begun chewing the medicinal herbs, much to the others’ surprise, then applied the crushed herbs to Ye Feng’s wounds.

“These herbs not only stop bleeding but also have wild antiseptic properties. Whether Ye Feng wakes up now depends on him,” Chen Jing explained.

The group fell into silence.

Fortunately, no rain followed.

The three wolves, having devoured two corpses, appeared satiated and wagged their tails before leaving.

They did not descend from the rock immediately; unknowingly, dusk had fallen.

Fear gripped them anew.

At this hour, their greatest dread was the darkness.

“The wolves probably won’t return. We can’t stay up here any longer. Xiaoxiao has a slight fever. Let’s get down and build a fire,” Chen Jing said firmly.

With Ye Feng absent, Chen Jing was their pillar of strength.

They gathered some branches, though damp from rain, making ignition difficult.

Thankfully, they had clothes.

More importantly, they had a lighter.

Without it, they wouldn’t have been able to start a fire by friction.

Soon, flames flickered to life.

Their hearts relaxed in unison.

The cave was spacious, and they chose a corner to sit around the fire, eyes fixed on the flickering flames.

Though the immediate danger had passed, their minds lingered on the same question:

What would their ultimate fate be?

Could they ever return home?