CH 59

It is said that people often experience hallucinations when they are on the brink of death.

At that moment, Jiang Yu thought she was dreaming or about to die. Her brain, controlling her exhausted body, used the last ounce of energy to allow her to see the person she missed the most before her impending death.

It turned out that the person she missed the most was Cheng Suran...

Her little friend, her canary.

Jiang Yu smiled calmly and peacefully.

From this moment on, no regrets.

"Elder sister!"

A slightly cool hand gently touched her cheek, the sensation incredibly real. Jiang Yu was taken aback, feeling the rush of breath that came towards her. She opened her eyes wide.

A girl stood before her, hunched over, with disheveled hair and a face smeared with dirt and dust. She was panting heavily, looking quite disheveled.

Her clear and bright eyes were filled with joy. 

Is it really the kid?

"Cheng..." Jiang Yu's lips trembled as she reached out her hand, attempting to touch that face.

Cheng Suran hurriedly grabbed her hand and pressed it against her own face, nodding vigorously. "It's me, it's me, sister... I've found you..." Tears of excitement welled up in her eyes, followed by a furrowed brow.

"Why are your hands so cold? And you're trembling... Come, let's go, I'll take you down the mountain."

She spoke in a breathless manner, struggling to catch her breath. Her head was spinning, and she held onto Jiang Yu's arm, attempting to pull her up but almost tripping in the process.

Jiang Yu quickly supported her.

Before she had a chance to ask how the girl ended up there, a faint smell of blood reached her nostrils. Illuminated by the flashlight, a glimpse of red flashed in her sight.

She noticed a white fabric wrapped around the girl's left thigh, with fresh blood seeping through, staining a large portion of the fabric. Her jeans were also smeared with mottled bloodstains, a distressing sight to behold.

"What happened to your leg?" Jiang Yu gasped and frowned.

Cheng Suran gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, and smiled, saying, "I accidentally scratched myself with something sharp, but it's okay, sister... Let's hurry down the mountain. I know... I know a shortcut. Come with me..."

"Alright, alright, don't talk," Jiang Yu said, growing increasingly worried as Cheng Suran appeared weaker.

She quickly grabbed her backpack and packed it hastily.

Supporting herself against a rock, Jiang Yu stood up, her shoulders burdened by the backpack. Her hands and feet were becoming numb from the cold. She looped one of Cheng Suran's arms around her shoulder and held her waist tightly.

"Walk... Walk this way," Cheng Suran pointed in a direction.

"Be careful where you step, use... use the wooden stick to probe the path" 

Jiang Yu nodded and held the trekking pole in one hand, while the other hand held the flashlight. They walked cautiously, taking each step carefully as they descended the mountain.

The night air in the mountains was chilling, and gusts of cold wind made them shiver. The entire forest was eerily silent, with only the sound of their heavy breathing filling their ears.

The dim crescent moon moved from the east to the west.

After walking for about ten minutes, Cheng Suran gradually began to feel physically exhausted. Her steps became weak, as if walking on cotton, and she leaned heavily against Jiang Yu. Her breathing grew heavier and more labored.

"Kid?" Jiang Yu noticed that something was wrong and stopped in her tracks. "What's the matter?"

"Sister... I..." Cheng Suran struggled to catch her breath and couldn't speak clearly. Her face is horribly pale.

The wound on her thigh had been bleeding continuously. Although the flow wasn't fast, Cheng Suran could feel her energy and strength slowly draining from her body. She didn't have the energy to support herself anymore, feeling as if she was about to fall asleep.

She knew that she might not be able to hold on much longer.

But...

She hadn't brought her sister out yet.

"I'm fine... Let's... let's keep going..." Cheng Suran weakly smiled and clenched her teeth.

Jiang Yu's heart started to panic, and her gaze fell upon Cheng Suran's blood-soaked thigh. A sense of unease began to arise within her. Without hesitation, she turned around, crouched down, and said, "Get on my back. I'll carry you."

"No..." Cheng Suran protested.

"Hurry up!"

"..."

Cheng Suran was startled by the stern shout and obediently climbed onto Jiang Yu's back, wrapping her arms around her neck. In the next moment, she was lifted off the ground.

"Stay conscious, do you hear me? Talk to me," Jiang Yu instructed, handing her the flashlight while holding onto the trekking pole and supporting Cheng Suran's leg.

"Okay," Cheng Suran replied softly.

This was the second time Jiang Yu carried Cheng Suran on her back.

The situation was much worse than the last time. Carrying over ninety pounds was no easy task, and the weight burdened Jiang Yu's body. The mountain path became even more difficult to traverse. She worried that Cheng Suran would fall asleep, so she kept talking to her.

"Are we going in the right direction?"

"Mm..."

"There seems to be a fork in the road ahead."

"To the right... right…"

After walking for a while, Jiang Yu felt sore and exhausted all over her body. Her wrists were numb to the point of losing sensation. She stopped and gasped for breath, saying, "Let's take a rest."

There was no response from the person on her back.

"Kid?"

"Ranran..."

"Cheng Suran?!"

Her heart sank, and she shouted the name loudly.

Finally, the hand resting on her neck moved, and a soft sob came from behind her. "Uh... Sister, I'm so sleepy..."

"Don't sleep, Ranran... Don't you dare sleep, do you hear me? Just hold on a little longer. We're almost there... " Jiang Yu coaxed her, her voice trembling. She felt a surge of blood rushing to her head, and she dared not rest. She quickened her pace.

Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest, as if a surge of brute strength had exploded throughout her body, making her feel weightless.

A cool breeze brushed against her cheek, chilling her to the core and seeping into her collar.

"Hold on, Ranran, hold on..."

"Mm."

Cheng Suran was drifting in and out of consciousness, her eyelids heavy. Every time she felt herself slipping away, she would bite her tongue hard, jolting herself back to wake.

She couldn't afford to sleep. She had to hold on. She had to lead her sister out of here.

After walking for an unknown period of time, the narrow forest path suddenly opened up, revealing a flickering of lights ahead. It seemed like people were moving, wearing bright orange clothes with fluorescent strips.

They were firefighters!

"We're here!" Jiang Yu shouted loudly.

Several beams of light flickered, and three or four firefighters approached them. "Are you Ms. Jiang?"

"Yes, it's me, and my friend here. She's injured and needs to be taken to the hospital as soon as possible!"

"What about you?"

"I'm fine, please help her..."

They were already close to the foot of the mountain, and not far away was a fire truck with flashing lights. The crimson glow fell upon Cheng Suran's eyes, appearing redder than blood. It was the color of life, resembling fireworks.

In a daze, Cheng Suran felt herself being set down by Jiang Yu and then placed on the back of an unfamiliar man. Several people surrounded them, getting closer to the red light.

There was a cold hand that held onto her, and her ears were filled with her sister's anxious voice: 

"Ranran, it's alright now. We're going to the hospital."

She weakly managed to curl up the corners of her mouth.

Before losing consciousness, the last thing Cheng Suran saw was a faint glimmer of moisture in those eyes...

….

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=4738582

This translation is originally posted on

love4baihe.blogspot.com

please read it there. and check out other stories too

The waning moon descended in the west, and a fish-belly white hue appeared on the horizon.

The hospital room was filled with a faint medicinal smell. The girl lay on the bed, her eyes closed, her cheeks pale. A drip tube was attached to the back of her hand, making her resemble a fragile glass doll.

Jiang Yu stood by the bedside, lost in her thoughts as she gazed at the girl.

Images of the previous night flashed through her mind, and even until now, it felt like a dream. However, the vivid and real memories left her shaken, unable to find peace.

When the kid fell into a deep unconsciousness, her heart turned cold. It felt as if the world had collapsed, and something she desperately wanted to hold onto had suddenly vanished.

When they arrived at the hospital, the girl's face was pale as a sheet of paper, but she still had vital signs and was in urgent need of a blood transfusion. Jiang Yu's heart, which had turned cold, regained a glimmer of warmth, but it hung in her throat again.

What blood type is Ranran? What if the hospital's blood bank is not sufficient? Does she need the consent of a family member for the blood transfusion?

At that moment, her mind was in complete chaos...

Jiang Yu gently held the girl's thin wrist.

She hadn't slept all night, feeling highly tensed and having a headache, but there was no trace of drowsiness. She wanted to wait for the girl to wake up, hoping to be the first person she sees when she opens her eyes.

So she waited, waited patiently.

She waited until the sunlight of early autumn poured into the ward.

—tok tok tok

A knocking sound came from the door.

Jiang Yu turned her head and saw the ward door being pushed open. Xiao Zhou entered the room, followed by Pei Chutong and Ruan Mu, who had sunglasses and mask securely in place.

She stood up.

"Coco..." Pei Chutong took off her sunglasses and mask, eagerly embracing Jiang Yu. "You scared me, I'm just relieved that you're back... back safely..."

After speaking, she patted Jiang Yu's back and then looked her up and down, supporting her shoulders.

"I'm fine," Jiang Yu smiled wearily and looked at the girl lying on the hospital bed. The faint smile vanished. "But Ranran..."

"What happened?" Pei Chutong lowered her voice.

Jiang Yu stared at the girl's face, sighed, and said, "Yesterday, Ranran found me. She climbed up the mountain and got a deep cut on her thigh from something. She was bleeding heavily and lost consciousness on the way to the hospital. She received a blood transfusion and had the wound stitched with 20 stitches. I don't know when she will wake up."

Pei Chutong furrowed her brows, her gaze growing deeper as she looked at the girl.

It seemed that she had misunderstood something.

"You don't know what happened yesterday..." Pei Chutong explained in detail the events that took place from the evening until dawn.

Jiang Yu stood there, motionless like a statue, her eyes revealing subtle emotions.

So, it was...

"I've seen many lovers putting on a show in front of their benefactors, but I have never seen anyone risking their lives like she did. I really didn't expect it. Coco, don't you think it's quite obvious? This little girl likes you, she has developed genuine feelings," Pei Chutong said.

"Impossible."

"Other than that, there's no other reason that can explain her actions," Pei Chutong said seriously.

After speaking, she glanced at Ruan Mu, her gaze carrying a deep meaning.

Ruan Mu silently lowered her head.

"No, absolutely impossible."

"Why?"

Jiang Yu stared intensely at the girl on the hospital bed, her gaze gradually turning cold as she spoke, word by word, "She wouldn't dare."

The air around them seemed to thin out slightly.

No one spoke.

"Boss Jiang, the charger," Xiao Zhou, who had been unable to get a word in, broke the silence.

They received a call from an unfamiliar landline last night, which was made by Jiang Yu. She briefly explained the situation over the phone, assuring them not to worry. The three of them had almost stayed up all night and only managed to rest for a short while around four in the morning. As soon as it was light outside, they rushed over.

Jiang Yu took the charger and cable, connected her phone, and said as she waited for it to turn on, "You all should go back and rest. We still have a shoot today. Please inform the director that I need half a day off, and I'll be back in the afternoon."

"You need rest even more. Don't exhaust yourself before the girl wakes up. I'll talk to the production team. We can make up for a day of shooting later," Pei Chutong said, embracing Jiang Yu's shoulder.

Jiang Yu shook her head and replied calmly, "There's no need to delay the progress because of me. Everyone's time is valuable."

"But I can see that you don't look too well. Shouldn't you get a check-up now?"

"No need."

Although she said so, her body felt weak.

She had been exposed to cold wind on the mountain for a long time last night, and she hadn't slept all night. Carrying a burden of over ninety kilograms, she had descended the mountain in a hurry, depleting her physical strength severely. Her head felt like it was about to split, and her throat was sore.

Pei Chutong wanted to say something more, but Jiang Yu interrupted, urging them to leave, "Alright, I'm really fine. I know my own body. You all go back, Xiao Zhou should catch up on some sleep first and come in the afternoon."

"..."

The three of them looked at each other and nodded helplessly. After giving a few instructions, they left.

The hospital room fell back into silence.

WeChat messages piled up, indicating unread notifications. Jiang Yu's phone kept vibrating, causing her palms to tingle. She didn't look at the messages, keeping her gaze fixed on Cheng Suran's face.

The girl's breathing was steady, but there was a slight frown on her forehead, as if she was sleeping uneasily.

Jiang Yu reached out her hand and gently smoothed out the crease on her forehead.

A smile involuntarily formed at the corners of her mouth.

….

Cheng Suran had a long dream.

She, a little girl, was sitting on a green train. Outside the window, there were mountains, fields, rivers, and villages. The glass reflected her small figure, small face, small nose, small mouth. Was she five years old? Or six?

People around her were chatting loudly, cracking melon seeds, eating instant noodles, and snoring...

Why was she on a train? Weren't green trains already phased out?

In a hazy state, she heard the voice of a middle-aged man. He said to her, "Ranran, Daddy will take you to a fun place."

So that person was her father.

Her father had never spoken to her so gently in her memories. She made an effort to see his face clearly, but her line of sight remained blurry. She didn't know why, but she felt uneasy in her heart.

The old green train rattled and swayed for a long time until it arrived at a station called Cang County.

Her father answered a phone call, took her hand, and they walked through the long train cars to a stranger in front of whom her father handed a black-wrapped package.

"Ranran, this is Uncle Tang."

"Hello, Uncle Tang."

They chatted quietly, while Uncle Tang kept looking at her.

"Ranran, stay with Uncle Tang here for a moment. Dad needs to use the restroom." The middle-aged man entrusted her hand to Uncle Tang.

Her little self nodded.

Her father's figure disappeared into the crowd and didn't come back even when the train was about to depart. Uncle Tang said to her, "Ranran, would you like Uncle to take you to find your dad?"

"But Dad told us to wait here..." She was a little scared.

The dream became blurry, and she couldn't remember what Uncle Tang said. All she saw was her small self being pulled away, and she became frightened. She cried loudly, attracting a crowd of onlookers.

"You child, why are you crying just because you didn't get snacks? Come home with Dad quickly." That's what Uncle Tang said.

She cried and said, "Wuwuwu*, you're not my dad..."

*sobbing sounds 

No one believed her.

Fear, unease, helplessness—within her very small world, adults were all devils. Until a stranger sister appeared.

The dream became even more blurred.

"She's not your daughter! A man in black clothes just handed her to you, I saw it!"

"What nonsense are you talking about, little girl!"

"Capture the human trafficker!"

"Eh—"

Amidst the chaotic crowd and the clamor of voices, the little girl fell into the embrace of a woman. She saw the uniformed uncles rushing over, all dressed identically, while the unfamiliar uncle fled in panic.

"Little one, where is your dad?"

The voice of the sister was so gentle. Although she couldn't see her face clearly, she could feel that she was smiling.

"Daddy is gone..." she cried.

At that moment, the train sounded its whistle.

"Sister has to board the train now. Will you let these police uncles take you home? Don't cry, here's a little white ball for you. Let it keep you company and play with you."

A small, white ball lay in the palm of her hand.

She couldn't make out what it was.

In the blink of an eye, the unfamiliar sister vanished, and the green train departed. The little girl sat in a room filled with many police uncles, clutching the small white ball in her palm.

That tiny white spot gradually expanded, enveloping her in a mist.

The whole world turned into a vast expanse of whiteness.

So white, so bright...

Cheng Suran slowly opened her eyes, and a large amount of intense light flooded in, causing her to furrow her brows and emit a sob from her throat.

"Ranran?"

A voice of surprise came to her ears, and the glaring light was blocked.

Cheng Suran widened her eyes.

A sharply defined face with prominent features, three-dimensional facial features, deep brows and eyes—very familiar. She stared at this face for a long moment, and her brain gradually became clear.

"Sister..."

Her voice was hoarse as if it had been roasted by fire.

It seemed like she was still dreaming somehow, merging this face into her dream.

A dream?

She couldn't remember it suddenly.

There was only the train, only the platform, only her sobbing loudly.

Jiang Yu looked at the girl, took a deep breath, brushed aside the stray hair on her cheek, and a gentle smile bloomed between her brows and eyes. She softly said, "Do you want some water?"

"Yes..." Cheng Suran nodded slowly, feeling sluggish.

A snow-white ceiling, snow-white walls, snow-white bedding, golden sunlight streaming in through the window, and also—

IV Drips hanging high.

She remembered.

This is not a dream.