Chapter 101: Risking Life And Limb
People are strange. Clearly, reason tells oneself that even if one goes, what’s supposed to happen has already happened and can’t be changed, but emotionally, it’s impulsive and emotional, urging without any concern at all.
The three of them hurriedly rushed to the mechanical factory, enduring the gossip about Gaoyun Bridge and Back Street wherever they went, and successfully got the vehicle and left Gu City.
As Fu Jiaming said, the car he was driving was indeed steady. Even on the bumpy road, it wasn’t that jolting, and the speed wasn’t slow.
Luohu is in the south of Gu City, belonging to the west of Yuan County.
If taking the national highway from Gu City to Yuan County, it wouldn’t take two hours, but it requires backtracking a long way and then turning to Luohu.
Choosing the mountain road taken by the route bus directly to Luohu would take more than three hours.
Because there are many mountain road bends along the way, it’s quite dangerous for people unfamiliar with the road conditions in this heavy rain.
“Didn’t Luo Shuangshuang mention taking that road?”
Su Ning shook her head, gazing at the water mist outside the car window, secretly speculating in her heart.
“To the mountain road.” “Take the route bus lane.”
Once again tacitly speaking at the same time, the two sitting in the back seat couldn’t help but look at each other and show brilliant smiles.
This also made Fu Jiaming, who was gripping the steering wheel ahead, sourly tsk-tsk, suddenly sharply turning the car onto the mountain road on the right, “Received~”
“Yan Bei, if you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow your hand.”
“Screech—”
This time, without Xiao Qiu in the middle, there was quite a large empty space between the two of them.
To have an unintentional touch, unless the driver cooperates, her reaching out abruptly would seem very abrupt.
Unexpectedly, her words with ulterior motives directly startled the two big men to different degrees.
The car under Fu Jiaming’s hands actually swerved into a serpentine path.
Even with the yellow jade wearing on his body that calms the mind and spirit, it couldn’t stop the fireworks exploding instantly in Yan Bei’s mind. It stung him with momentary blindness and deafness, and his blood pressure soared, his face burning hot like fire.
“…”
Should she thank the two for being so cooperative?
As soon as the words fell, one helped create the opportunity, and the other, without time to react, gripped her outstretched hand and even used the other hand to protect the back of her head.
“Cough~ Sorry, sorry, hand slipped, hand slipped!”
“Didn’t hit anywhere, right?”
“I’m fine, you can let go of me now.”
Pretending to be calm, he released both hands. Yan Bei clenched his fist under his nose with shifting eyes, not daring to glance her way again.
And Su Ning, who had truly foreseen the scene, lowered her eyes, her mind similarly disturbed.
She exhaled turbid air, adjusted her expression before lifting her head to take the geography booklet spread open on the passenger seat, and laid it flat on her knees.
Her fingertip moved along the route on the booklet bit by bit until it stopped at a certain spot.
“What’s wrong?”
His face restored to normal and temperature dropped, Yan Bei then turned his head. Seeing her expression off, he hurriedly asked, his gaze also falling on that point under her fingertip.
“Some bad premonition. Look here… and here, both are near mountain walls. As far as I know, the mountains around Gu City are mostly quartz sandstone. If Nanxi Mountain has mudslides, then…”
“So Luo Shuangshuang and the others might really have encountered danger?”
For a moment, none of the three spoke, and the atmosphere in the car was somewhat oppressive.
Yan Bei picked up the map booklet and placed it in front of Fu Jiaming, telling him the spots Su Ning had just pointed out. “Don’t overthink it first. Jiaming, pay extra attention to these positions.”
“While worrying about others, also pay attention to your own safety.”
“Got it.”
…
With something on her mind, she didn’t have severe motion sickness this time. Su Ning gazed at the increasingly difficult mountain road outside, estimating the distance to the accident site from the scene she had glimpsed before.
Until she faintly saw a not very conspicuous green hidden in the white mist in the distance.
But Su Ning inexplicably felt certain that it was the culprit big tree uprooted and lying across the middle of the road. Her breathing became disordered, and her hands unconsciously gripped the front seat tightly.
“Jiaming, careful!”
“Scree—ch—”
The emergency brake screech echoed through the entire mountain road, the tires emitting an extremely piercing friction sound.
Dangerously close, the car finally stopped steadily less than half a meter from the tree trunk.
“Damn it!”
Fu Jiaming, breaking out in cold sweat, cursed loudly. Luckily Su Ning’s sharp eyes reminded him in time, or he really would have taken his good buddies hand-in-hand to report down below.
“Can’t get through… Eh, look, you guys!”
Heavy rain poured, the mountain valley mist swayed with the strong wind, revealing a shocking scene not far away.
…
Perhaps to avoid the suddenly fallen big tree or due to the slippery road, the route bus swerved left and right before directly crashing head-on into the mountain wall.
The front of the bus was severely damaged and deformed. Worse, the door was upside down from the rollover and couldn’t open at all. Due to the violent impact, the already loosened mountain rocks washed by rainwater rolled down, causing a landslide behind.
Most of the bus body was pitted by gravel, shattered glass scattered everywhere.
More critically, the mud, water, and rocks continuously rolling down followed the landslide flow. It wouldn’t be long before the surging mudslide would completely bury and devour the bus.
Luo Shuangshuang, who was just talking with her family a moment ago, only heard a loud bang from ahead, followed by her family’s cries of alarm and the driver’s panicked curses.
By the time she reacted, she didn’t know how but was flung out the car window, rolling several times until intense pain came from her forehead, her vision suddenly went black, and she lost consciousness.
The ink jade she carried close to her neck was exposed outside her clothes, with two deep cracks clearly visible on it.
If Su Ning saw it, she would know that in just that instant, she had experienced two fatal crises.
Until the heavy rain stung her face painfully, Luo Shuangshuang woke up frowning, her eyes still dazed, not knowing what had happened.
“Help… is… anyone… help…”
Gradually entering her ears, the intermittent cries for help finally brought her soul back, fully sobering her.
Just now, it seemed a car accident happened?
“Where are Mom and Dad and big brother?”
She was flung from the bus, yet only had a big swollen lump on her forehead, with some abrasions on her elbows and thighs?
After a slight check of her wounds with no major issues, Luo Shuangshuang endured the pain and quickly stood up. Seeing the overturned route bus ahead, her eyes nearly split with rage.
“Dad, Mom, big brother!”
Ignoring the woman not far away who, like her, was flung out and bleeding profusely, only weakly crying for help.
Luo Shuangshuang’s eyes were only on the overturned big bus ahead. Her legs weak and powerless, she pounded madly. Once the stinging numbness like ants biting passed, she staggered running toward it.
“Don’t… don’t go, sob, save… save me…”
Her steps didn’t stop, even sped up. Luo Shuangshuang’s mud-and-water-covered face shed tears like rain, her mouth silently murmuring nonstop: sorry, sorry…
She was just an ordinary person and couldn’t be that selfless or loving, ignoring her family in the same dangerous predicament for a stranger’s life.
When she reached the front of the bus and abruptly wiped the mud and tears from her face with her shoulder clothes, she saw the door not facing front but pressed down to the ground, the other side’s window at the very top.
“What to do? What to do!”
Anxiety, worry, panic—various emotions surged, making Luo Shuangshuang unable to stop wanting to cry and scream.
‘Next time you encounter danger, Xi You, remember to stay calm. Only calm brings reason and ways to think of countermeasures.’
“Right, calm, calm, I need to be calm!”
She fiercely slapped herself, Luo Shuangshuang bit her lips tightly, trembling fingertips. In the clash of icy rain and burning hot face, she slowly regained calm.
Suddenly inspired, she remembered that every route bus had an iron ladder at the tail.
Back then, she had curiously asked, and brother had explained the use to her.
She immediately circled the bus body and smoothly found the ladder wrapped in mud and water, unrecognizable. Luo Shuangshuang joyfully went forward to climb.
When she finally flipped onto the roof and looked in through the broken window, the horrific scene inside was unbearable to behold.
“Dad, Mom, big brother, can you hear me? Say something back, please?”
“Dad!”
“Mom!”
“Big brother, say something back!”
Unable to find a handy tool, Luo Shuangshuang could only knock away the broken glass blocking her way down with her hands, while emitting near-collapse shouts.
“Again… again…”
Facts prove I can’t even write homophones, it’ll get directly banned. Emmm, I’m out of ideas. If you don’t know what the capital letters mean, reply in comments. Won’t try anymore.
