Chapter 52: Unconscious and Unyielding

Gu Qingyi stood frozen, watching Nangong Lin’s figure slowly fade into the distance until she vanished completely.

A biting cold wind slapped against Gu Qingyi, chilling him to the bone.

His vacant gaze, as if his soul had left his body, flickered with a faint glimmer of life. He stared at the empty courtyard around him, clutching the statuette tightly in his hand.

In a hoarse whisper, he murmured, “Wan’er, I have to go now. I’ll come see you again if I get the chance.” With a reluctant glance at the courtyard behind him, he turned and limped off, disappearing into the darkness.

In an instant, a fierce gale tore through the once-calm courtyard.

It uprooted the withered parasol tree entirely, scattering soil and leaves everywhere.

…………………

On the other side, Nangong Lin stumbled forward, her steps unsteady.

She wandered aimlessly as the sky darkened completely, with only gusts of chilling wind brushing past her.

Unable to tell north from south, she trudged straight ahead, unsure of how long she had walked.

Passing through a forest, the leaves rustled eerily in the wind, creating a haunting sound. Dim purple lights floated around, adding to the unsettling atmosphere.

Nangong Lin hugged herself tightly in fear, quickening her pace in a desperate attempt to escape the creepy forest.

Closing her eyes, she lowered her head and rushed forward.

She didn’t notice the pit beneath her feet.

Her foot slipped into empty air before slamming down hard into the hole.

With a loud thud, her body crashed to the ground.

Her left palm was brutally pierced by a sharp rock.

Struggling to stand, a searing pain shot through her hand.

She knew all too well that her palm had been torn open by the stone, blood gushing relentlessly from the wound.

Her entire body was now caked in dirt.

Her hair hung in disarray, her face scratched and marred as if clawed by a cat. She looked utterly disheveled and broken.

Feeling wronged and on the verge of tears, she was stunned to realize she couldn’t cry anymore—her tears had long since dried up.

Biting her lip hard, she gripped the sharp rock embedded in her left palm with her right hand and yanked it out, clenching her teeth to stifle any sound.

A wave of excruciating pain ripped through her left hand.

With a sharp tear, she ripped a strip of fabric from her skirt despite the agony. Using her right hand, she quickly wrapped the cloth tightly around the bloody wound on her left palm.

For now, she managed to stem the flow of blood.

Dragging her battered and exhausted body, she staggered forward, swaying with every step as if she might collapse at any moment.

It felt as though she would topple over in the next second.

Yet she kept walking, step by aimless step.

Her body grew heavier with each passing moment.

Her eyes could barely stay open.

Suddenly, a beam of light shone ahead, illuminating her pale, bloodless face. Her lips were white from blood loss.

The sudden brightness forced her weary eyelids to squeeze shut even tighter.

She tried to shield her eyes from the light with her other hand.

Not far off, a household was having dinner.

Her face, which had long been devoid of life, slowly showed a flicker of emotion. A faint smile crept across her lips as she summoned her stubborn willpower to drag her overburdened body forward.

Finally, she reached the doorstep of that house.

Looking at the scene before her, a smile lingered on her face, but her body could no longer hold on.

With a heavy thud, she collapsed to the ground.

One trembling hand reached out toward the house.

Her lips parted slightly as if to speak, but in the next moment, darkness consumed her vision, and she fainted completely.

………………..

Inside that house, a warm and cozy scene unfolded.

A family of four sat around the dining table, their laughter and chatter filling the room.

They passed dishes to one another, basking in joyful harmony.

A sudden noise from the door made them set down their chopsticks. A middle-aged man hurriedly got up and rushed outside.

With quick reflexes, he opened the door.

Seeing the scene before him, he immediately turned back into the house.

“Dear, something’s happened! Come quick!” the middle-aged man shouted urgently into the house. Hearing his voice, the others inside reacted instantly.

A middle-aged woman stood up in a panic and asked, “Honey, what’s wrong?!”

She rushed outside and saw the scene, freezing in shock.

The middle-aged man, frustrated by her stunned reaction, urged her sharply, “Dear, don’t just stand there! Come help me!”

Snapping out of it, the woman stammered, “R-right… okay!”

Together, they carefully lifted the unconscious Nangong Lin and carried her into the house.

Inside, a young man and woman watched the scene unfold with alarm.

The girl was of marriageable age, while the boy had just reached adulthood.

In unison, they asked, “Mom, Dad, what’s going on? What happened? Why is this lady unconscious?!”

The middle-aged man shook his head helplessly at his children’s questions and sighed, “I don’t know how this poor girl ended up like this, covered in injuries and now unconscious!”

“But since she collapsed at our doorstep, saving a life is a greater deed than building a grand monument. We can’t just leave her to die!”

The siblings nodded in agreement and asked, “Dad, is there anything we can do to help?”

The man looked at them with a relieved smile and instructed, “Go fetch my medicine box. Hurry!”

“Got it, Dad. We’ll be right back.” The siblings nodded and dashed off.

The middle-aged man and woman carried Nangong Lin into a side room.

The woman brought a basin of hot water and gently wiped the dirt from Nangong Lin’s body.

In no time, the siblings returned with their father’s medicine box.

Handing it over with excitement, they said, “Dad, here’s your medicine box. Please save her!”

The man nodded and directed, “Go prepare a bucket of hot water for now. I’ll call you if I need anything else.” The two turned and left.

………………..

“Honey, I’ve finished cleaning her up. Hurry and apply the medicine!” The woman had wiped away all the grime from Nangong Lin’s body. Seeing her husband approach, she stood with a faint smile.

The man nodded and skillfully pulled out the necessary items from the medicine box—bandages, antiseptic, healing ointment, and more—laying them out before him.

“This girl used a cloth strip to stop the bleeding. Smart move, but it’s only a temporary fix. If we’d been any later, the wound might’ve gotten infected!” The man deftly unwrapped the cloth from Nangong Lin’s hand, but froze as he saw the injury, taking a deep breath. “Worst case, we might’ve had to amputate!”

Hearing this, the woman glanced at Nangong Lin’s pierced palm. The gaping wound revealed bone, and she too inhaled sharply.

Turning to her husband, who was busy at work, she asked nervously, “Honey, besides all the scrapes, her hand is so badly injured. Can you do something?”

The man snorted at his wife’s doubt in his skills. “Dear, don’t underestimate me. This little wound is nothing. With my family’s secret recipe, she’ll be healed in a couple of days!”

“Honey, hearing you say that puts my mind at ease.” The woman patted her chest, a relieved smile breaking across her face as she let out a long sigh.

“Let’s go. We’ll let this girl rest for now.” After tending to all of Nangong Lin’s wounds and giving her a quick wipe-down, the couple stepped out.

The woman lingered near the door, pacing anxiously as she muttered, “Honey, I wonder when the girl inside will wake up?”

“Dear, stop worrying so much. She should wake by tomorrow!” The man shook his head with a wry smile and pulled her close.