“Hmph!”
Ji Yunshu shook her head, but her body could not put up a fight.
Mei Xiang’er slowly retreated. A faint smile blossomed on her lips, shining under the oil lamp in her hands. It was incomparably splendid.
“Miss Ji, let the Heavens decide. Let’s see if they want you to survive or die.”
“Hmph?” Ji Yunshu widened her reddened eyes as she watched Mei Xiang’er climb up a ladder, open the trap above and leave the sickening basement.
It didn’t take much time before something being toppled was heard along with footsteps and cacophonous sounds. Not long after, Ji Yunshu’s sharp nose smelt the faint scent of smoke. Then, she saw white smoke coming overhead, gradually filling the basement. As time passed, she heard sounds of collapse and the white smoke gradually turned black.
Despite the pitch-black darkness covering the basement, Ji Yunshu was aware that she was surrounded by smoke and the dilapidated house was engulfed in a sea of flames. As for Mei Xiang’er and her brother, they had already embraced death, so they could be together forever.
As the smoke rolled inside the basement, Ji Yunshu suffocated on it. She felt as if someone was strangling her. It was extremely uncomfortable. Because her mouth was still stuffed with the ball of cloth, she could not shout no matter how much she struggled. The rope tying her became tighter the more she tried to free herself. “Wuuuh! Omph!”
Her eyes were tightly shut as the smoke badly stung her eyes. The feeling of suffocation spread from her nose to her throat each passing moment. Her consciousness was gradually slipping away. After an indeterminate time, more and more footsteps could be heard above her. It seemed as if there was someone or many people yelling, running and moving things.
“Shu’er!”
It was Wei Yi’s voice.
“Yunshu!”
Jing Rong was also there.
Ji Yunshu heard them and their voice resounded clearly in her ears.
“Wuuh…” She could not reply to them.
“Shu’er! Where are you? Shu’er?” Wei Yi’s voice continued to echo.
‘Is that fool Wei Yi madly searching for me in this fire?’ Suddenly, a memory flashed through Ji Yunshu’s foggy brain.
‘I only need to hear the bell sound and I can find you.’
‘I only need to hear the bell sound and I can find you.’
……………..
‘That’s right! Wei Yi once said that he can find me with the sound of the bell.’ Ji Yunshu poured all her strength to shake her leg and make the bell on her ankle jingle.
Once! Twice! Thrice!
She fought for her survival until all her strength was exhausted. She struggled despite how suffocating it was to breathe. She did not relent until her consciousness was no longer aware of the passage of time.
…………………..
Time passed, she was roused by a pain on her face. She opened her eyes and found herself lying on an antiquated bed. She heavily lifted her hand and was about to touch the painful region on her face, but someone grabbed her wrist midway and put it back under the quilt.
“Does it hurt a lot? Of course, it should hurt! If I was late by a few minutes, your face would be a lost cause.” The voice was unfamiliar to her.
She looked to the side and vaguely see a man standing at her bedside. “Who… are you?”
“Mo Ruo!” His voice was very pleasant to the ears.