Volume 2 Chapter 62
by Need_More_SleepVolume 2 + Chapter 62: The Shattered Night
“No… This time, I will definitely stay by your side.”
Ouyang Qianxue gently patted Bai Yuxuan’s back as he spoke.
(Ah, what am I even saying… I’m clearly a guy, why does that sound like a confession?!)
Although Ouyang Qianxue’s expression remained tender, his mind was in complete turmoil.
At that moment, the moonlight by the lakeside slowly shifted along with the moon above. As the pale light swept across the opposite patch of grass, Ouyang Qianxue suddenly noticed something glimmering faintly within it.
The light was unlike that of fireflies, it seemed more like a reflection.
Meanwhile, since Bai Yuxuan was facing Ouyang Qianxue, she did not notice the abnormality behind her at all.
Driven by curiosity, Ouyang Qianxue focused his gaze on the grass. When he finally saw clearly, he couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath,
The flickering object was a black metallic tube protruding from the grass. From its shape… It was unmistakably a gun.
“Bang!”
A gunshot rang out, and several birds burst into flight from the forest by the lake, scattering into the sky.
At the same time, at the bonfire gathering,
“What was that sound?”
Everyone turned toward the distant forest.
“From the sound… It seemed like a gunshot?”
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
Wang Qian shouted anxiously. She knew all too well, that direction was exactly the path Qianxue would take back to the lodge.
“Should we go take a look? I… I have a bad feeling…”
Ning Caiwei said, her face turning pale.
“Yes, there’s no harm in checking. It might just be a tire bursting on the mountain road,” the teacher tried to reassure them.
“Alright…”
Thus, Wang Qian followed the others as they made their way toward the mountain path. Yet the closer she got, the stronger the unease in her heart became, because she knew that at this hour, there shouldn’t be any cars on that road at all.
Meanwhile, by the lakeside.
In Bai Yuxuan’s eyes, time seemed to freeze.
Under the pale moonlight, what filled her vision was a sky of scattered blood droplets.
And drifting among them were strands of golden hair.
Ouyang Qianxue collapsed into her arms, his body soaked in blood.
At the instant the gunshot rang out, Ouyang Qianxue had thrown himself forward without hesitation, pushing Bai Yuxuan away.
The bullet struck him instead, and a large spray of blood scattered across the white wildflowers nearby, dyeing their petals crimson.
“Cough!”
Only when Ouyang Qianxue coughed up a mouthful of blood did Bai Yuxuan snap out of her daze, realizing that this was no illusion.
She immediately lowered herself, shielding him while scanning the surroundings. From the grass across the lake came the faint rustling of movement, growing quieter and quieter, the shooter had already fled.
Bai Yuxuan hurried to examine his injuries,
But what she saw made her heart sink into icy despair.
From his chest to his shoulder, a gaping hole had been torn through by the bullet. Blood gushed out like a small fountain, pouring endlessly.
“H-how could this happen…?!”
Tears burst from her eyes once again.
“S-sorry…”
Ouyang Qianxue’s voice was faint, barely audible.
“Idiot! Don’t speak!”
Bai Yuxuan hastily tore off her sleeve and pressed it against his wound, trying to stop the bleeding. But the blood quickly soaked through the fabric and continued to spill out.
Seeing his face grow paler and paler, panic overwhelmed her.
She carefully lifted him into her arms and sprinted toward the camp with all her strength.
“Why are you so stupid, Ouyang Qianxue…?! Why would you take a bullet for someone like me?! What is there about me that’s worth risking your life for?!”
She cried as she ran.
But in her arms, Ouyang Qianxue could no longer respond, the pain and blood loss had already robbed him of the strength to speak.
Fortunately, the lakeside was not far from their lodging. Within moments, Bai Yuxuan rushed into the lodge.
The staff, seeing the two of them covered in blood, hurried forward in alarm.
“Get out of my way!”
Bai Yuxuan roared like a maddened lion. The ferocity in her eyes seemed to say that anyone who dared block her would be torn apart. The staff were forced to retreat.
She rushed to a room and kicked the door open with a single blow, sending it flying.
“Driver! Get up right now!”
“Ah, Young Master Bai? At this hour…?”
The driver had just been jolted awake by the crash, still groggy,
But the moment he saw the blood-soaked pair, he snapped fully awake.
“Young Master Bai, this…?!”
“Don’t ask anything. Start the car now!”
Bai Yuxuan climbed into the back seat with Ouyang Qianxue in her arms. Under her urgent commands, the driver didn’t even have time to put on a shirt before jumping into the driver’s seat bare-chested.
“How long is the nearest hospital with emergency capability?”
“About an hour.”
“Get me there in fifteen minutes! Drive as fast as you can, any traffic violations or consequences will be my responsibility! If you get us there quickly, my Bai family will reward you generously. But if you dare delay and cost us this, I’ll make sure you disappear from Xijiang City!”
“You don’t need to say it, I understand. This is a matter of life and death.”
The driver immediately sped down the mountain road. At the same time, Bai Yuxuan called the nearest hospital’s emergency line, coordinating for them to meet halfway to minimize the time.
After arranging everything, Bai Yuxuan looked down at Ouyang Qianxue in her arms.
His eyes were already beginning to lose focus.
Her tears overflowed once more.
“Ouyang Qianxue, stay awake!”
She shouted into his ear, but he gave no response.
In truth, he could hear her.
But his body no longer had the strength to respond.
Everything around him began to grow colder. His eyelids felt heavier and heavier.
(Ah… am I going to die?)
(But what about my mother and my little sister…? Ah, right… Didn’t Xiao Liu promise me? If anything happened to me, she would take care of them. She doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would break her word…)
(I’m sorry, Bai Yuxuan… forgive me for not helping you escape your loneliness…)
Looking at the “boy” crying before him, Ouyang Qianxue spoke silently in his heart.
His eyes slowly closed. His life flashed before him like streaks of light,
From his earliest memories, to his sister’s birth… his father’s bankruptcy… being chosen by Wang Shiman… the relentless effort and hardship he endured for his family… a childhood unlike anyone else’s… entering Sakura Academy… meeting classmates, seniors, friends… and Bai Yuxuan.
Everything was vivid and unforgettable.
(Heh… I never had time to reflect on these things before. But now that I look back… my life really was so busy. Ever since my father’s bankruptcy, I’ve hardly had a moment’s rest… Now, I’m tired… it’s about time I rest…)
“Ouyang Qianxue! You’re not allowed to die! I won’t let you leave me like this, you promised, didn’t you?! You said you wouldn’t let me be alone!”
Faintly, he heard her voice.
That was the last sound Ouyang Qianxue heard before losing consciousness.
[Author’s Note: P.S. This is the update for the 21st, released early due to strong reader demand. I’ve been quite exhausted lately, so there will be no update on the 21st.]
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