Chapter 71
However, Su Xiaoxiao had already darted into the educated youth dormitory like a little rabbit. She turned around, with her hands behind her back, and tilted her body playfully as she looked at the gritting man.
“Remember what I said, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten it.”
Her sweet and melodious voice sounded crisp, and it fueled the flames of desire in Jiang Yexun’s heart even more.
He stared fixedly at the girl who was hopping and skipping into the room and then withdrew his gaze. He lowered his head to look at himself and clicked his tongue.
He was really useless.
If it weren’t for his disobedient little buddy, he and the little educated youth could have enjoyed each other’s company for a few more minutes.
But the idea of digging a tunnel…
A glint appeared in Jiang Yexun’s eyes. He thought the proposal was actually quite good. He would definitely have a lot to do for the little educated youth in the future. Coming back and forth every day, or climbing through the window at midnight, wouldn’t be good for her reputation. Besides, he wouldn’t do anything excessive, just a tunnel, what was the harm?
Pushing the door open, the other educated youth saw Su Xiaoxiao return and immediately crowded around with excitement, asking her about the progress of the house construction.
Dong Jiaxuan huddled in her bed, glaring at them with a gloomy expression. However, no one wanted to pay her any attention.
Ever since the incident happened, everyone now saw her as a heartless snake. The kinder they were to her, the more lethal her venom became.
“While Su Xiaoxiao is building her house, should we also ask for help from the production team to repair our house? It doesn’t have to include a firewall, but at least it shouldn’t leak wind and rain. Otherwise, no matter how warm the bed is in winter, it’s still cold in here,” suggested Tao Junlan.
Qian Siyu hesitated a bit, but after thinking it over, she nodded. “We can talk to the production team leader first and then mention it to the neighboring male educated youth. If they are willing, we can do it together. Besides, it’s just repairing, so it shouldn’t cost much. We can split the expenses, and it probably won’t be more than one yuan per person.”
“That’s a good idea! The money isn’t much, and we’ve already received our pay this time. Let’s pool our resources and do it quickly. Otherwise, when it starts snowing, it’ll be a matter of life and death.”
Everyone agreed one after another.
Su Xiaoxiao also nodded, thinking that this was indeed an urgent matter.
However, Dong Jiaxuan immediately disagreed when she heard that it would cost her a yuan.
“No, I still need to use my money. I don’t have an extra yuan to repair the house. You guys are just seeking pleasure. Your minds have been corrupted by Su Xiaoxiao. Otherwise, why could you live here before, but now you can’t?”
“Ugh! Your stuff won’t break down? Do you mean you won’t need any repairs in your lifetime? You’re just being stingy and miserly and trying to put on airs for us. Anyway, the majority rules. If you don’t agree, you can move out and find somewhere else to live.”
Tao Junlan retorted directly, and her words were echoed by all the female educated youth.
Dong Jiaxuan immediately responded with a pitiful tone, “My little nephew is sick and urgently needs my money. You can’t be so selfish and prioritize your own enjoyment without caring about my little nephew’s life.”
“So, are you saying that we should freeze to death in a house that leaks both air and rain in the winter, without any heat? Or do you think the lives of all of us here aren’t worth as much as your little nephew’s?” Su Xiaoxiao retorted sarcastically.
Trying to guilt-tripping them? Dong Jiaxuan was not the only one who knew how it worked!
Dong Jiaxuan lay back in her bed and covered her head with the blanket, feeling helpless. She had no idea how to argue anymore.
In the end, she was threatened by the others. “Dong Jiaxuan, we’ve told you. You must share the expenses when the time comes, or else we’ll throw your stuff out. Don’t even think about living in the house we’ve repaired.”
The nearby female educated youth also added some harsh words and then ignored her.
After extinguishing the oil lamp, everyone soon fell into a deep sleep.
However, Su Xiaoxiao woke up not long after, suddenly startled from her sleep.
The curtain outside the window suddenly lit up, followed by a dull thunderous sound and heavier rain.
Su Xiaoxiao thought of Jiang Yexun going into the mountains tonight and felt extremely anxious.
In her previous life, something similar had happened on this day to Qian Siyu, causing chaos in the production team. As a result, Jiang Yexun didn’t go into the mountains.
Could it be that her butterfly effect from her rebirth was actually going to harm Jiang Yexun?!
The panic in her heart was overwhelming, and Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t afford to waste any time. She got off the bed and, in the darkness, grabbed a flashlight. She opened the door, and the pouring rain drenched her face.
She was chilled to the bone by the downpour, but she clenched her teeth and put on a raincoat from the kitchen. She also packed two bundles of hemp rope into her bag. Then, gripping the firewood chopping knife tightly, she left the educated youth dormitory.
The roaring wind and pouring rain made her fall several times. She didn’t know how long she had been walking, but in the end, she could only climb up the mountain, moving both her hands and feet.
The higher she went up the mountain, the more anxious her heart became.
Su Xiaoxiao’s heart came to an abrupt stop upon hearing the unfamiliar roar of a wild beast. Without thinking further, she dashed towards the direction of the beast’s roar, as if she had gone mad. At this moment, neither the wind nor the rain could hinder her.
She ran for what seemed like five to six hundred meters until she finally saw a bear, struggling with several men. The area around them was bathed in vivid red, resembling a pond of water, making it hard to discern whose blood it was.
The bear seemed to be caught in a desperate struggle. It let out a mighty roar and charged at the men, sending them flying off the cliff.
“Jiang Yexun!” Su Xiaoxiao shouted urgently and rushed towards them.
Jiang Yexun, who had been descending rapidly towards the cliff, had already given up hope. However, upon hearing that familiar yet distant voice, his heart began to race wildly.
How did the little educated youth enter the mountain?! There were so many wild animals in the mountains on this rainy night. What if she encountered danger?
Jiang Yexun was driven to the brink of madness.
However, he was moving at a high speed, and there was nothing he could do but fall heavily to the ground. Although the deep valley had not been touched by anyone for years, even the fallen leaves had piled up to over a meter thick. He was in so much pain that his bones seemed to be dislocated all over his body.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
What was even more life-threatening was that the bear beside him was struggling to get up.
However, even though he still had a knife in his hand, he didn’t have the strength to lift it.
The three people who had fallen not far away from him were completely motionless, apparently beyond hope.
At this moment, he saw Su Xiaoxiao hanging half of her body on the edge of the cliff.
“Go! Run!” Jiang Yexun yelled with all his might.
But the rain was heavy, and Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t hear what he was saying. All she could see was Jiang Yexun’s extremely frightened and anxious face, as well as the bear that was trying to climb up.
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t have time to think. She pulled the hemp rope tied to the tree trunk and herself and confirmed that it was secure. Then, gripping the chopping knife in her hand, she jumped down.
“S-Su Xiaoxiao!” Jiang Yexun’s eyes widened in horror.
The bear, clearly aware of the danger approaching from behind, made one final attempt to turn around. However, the slender and frail young girl had already kicked it over with a single blow. The bear let out an angry roar, but what followed was a vicious thrust of a knife into its neck.
The once menacing beast froze in place, then plummeted heavily to the ground, lifeless. Su Xiaoxiao, trembling in fear, was gasping heavily. However, she quickly pulled the knife out, splattering her clothes with blood, which made her appearance even more terrifying.
Jiang Yexun, seeing the transformation of the usually delicate girl, felt as though his blood had turned to ice due to his own condition. He experienced an indescribable sharp pain in his heart with every breath he took.
“Yexun, how are you feeling now? Where did you get hurt?” The girl’s gentle voice brought Jiang Yexun back to his senses. Under the dark rain curtain, her soft and fair face suddenly appeared larger in his view. Her cheeks, usually flushed with a rosy hue, now lacked any color.
She raised her hand, hesitant to touch Jiang Yexun’s body for fear of causing further harm.
“I’m… fine,” Jiang Yexun weakly replied, though it didn’t sound convincing at all.
Even Su Xiaoxiao, who knew that crying wouldn’t help, couldn’t control her tears in this situation. Her tears mixed with rainwater and rolled into Jiang Yexun’s mouth, where he tasted the salty bitterness.
His heart, which had just started to recover, suddenly felt like it was being stabbed with a knife.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. I’m a grown man, and falling from such a height won’t do much to me,” Jiang Yexun said, attempting to smile while wiping away her tears. But as he raised his hand to comfort his little girl, it froze in mid-air.
There was no pain in his chest or back, as if the injuries had disappeared entirely. Even his breathing was perfectly normal.
So, what exactly had just happened?