Chapter 100: She Was Pinned Beneath

Lu Yunzhou’s eyes darkened.

He fixed his gaze on the girl’s face in the darkness. Although the dim light made it hard to see clearly, he still noticed the stains on her face and the rain soaking her hair.

Shen Chaoxi did not sense the man’s stare falling upon her.

She lifted her eyes.

There stood Lu Yunzhou, crouching beside her, his expression grim as he looked at her.

“Who told you to come down here?”

His voice was low, a hoarse tremor seeping from his throat as he looked at the drenched, disheveled girl.

Not only reckless but following him deep into this mine shaft—did she even understand how dangerous it was down here?

What would he do if anything happened?

The storm raged on; the mountain was unstable, and the mine could collapse at any moment!

At that moment, Shen Chaoxi furrowed her brows slightly.

“...” Oh no.

She almost forgot Lu Yunzhou was here.

Earlier, she had only focused on finding someone, tracing the marks of work inside the mine to reach this place.

But she hadn’t expected Lu Yunzhou to be suspicious of her.

After a moment’s thought, her expression softened. She looked at him and said, “I... want to help you.”

Saying she wanted to help him—that explanation couldn’t be wrong, right?

But no one saw the cold, aloof side she had shown in the darkness just moments before vanish instantly.

Lu Yunzhou frowned, pressing his thin lips tightly, his face appearing even darker in the shadows.

His jet-black eyes fixed on her, holding a profound and complicated emotion, as if appraising her.

But in the current situation, there was no time for many words.

Even if he had things to say, he would have to wait until they were out.

“Captain, the tunnel is too low for a stretcher.”

They couldn’t carry the injured worker that way.

They had to carry him on their backs.

“You carry him!”

Saying that, Lu Yunzhou called over Lu Shiwǔ and then helped the trapped man.

Because he had been buried underneath for too long, he didn’t even realize his leg was broken.

When he heard Chaoxi’s words and felt the soldiers next to him moving one of his legs, a cold chill spread through his body, and the pain surged. His leg seemed numb.

But the moment they shifted him, a sharp pain suddenly struck.

“Ah!”

His body trembled uncontrollably, his cry pitiful, as he looked at his rescuers and pleaded, “Is my leg ruined? Will I be able to work anymore?”

“That’s not what you should be worrying about.”

Lu Yunzhou said coldly.

What was there to worry about now?

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Still worried about his leg and whether he could work in the future.

The most urgent thing now was to get out quickly.

If the mountain collapsed, they would all be doomed.

Lu Yunzhou turned his head. “Bring more help.”

Immediately, two other soldiers arrived. After splinting the injured man’s leg with wood, they carried him out.

These soldiers had basic first aid training, so they knew how to handle fractures—how to treat wounds and apply splints.

Lu Shiwǔ and two others carried the injured worker while a few more supported from behind as they made their way out.

The man’s broken leg made moving difficult.

For them, this was a troublesome task.

It meant they had to carry him, climb ropes, and ascend the tens-of-meters-high ladders inside the mine shaft to reach the outside.

Troublesome, but saving lives was essential.

“Be careful not to jostle his leg…”

Once they had him up, the soldiers in front supported him as they moved through the tunnel.

In the pitch-black mine, the sound of dripping water was clear.

Lu Yunzhou glanced back at the girl standing still.

His throat tightened, and a deep, complex emotion flickered in his eyes as he looked at her.

“What’s wrong?”

The girl stopped in her tracks.

After handling the injured worker, Lu Yunzhou turned to find her still standing there.

She hadn’t moved.

Shen Chaoxi furrowed her brow. She suddenly felt dizzy.

It was probably a lingering effect from her previous injury. She was cold and wet from the rain.

Her heart ached.

Also, she couldn’t stay in enclosed underground spaces for too long without feeling uncomfortable.

Dizziness.

Nausea.

This had been caused when she was seven, locked in a cellar by terrorists.

She had spent many years desensitizing herself, overcoming it, always enduring it silently.

But the mine was so deep; Shen Chaoxi hadn’t noticed just how far down they had gone, nor how far the exit was.

Now, she just felt dizzy.

She tried to calm herself and looked up.

The man in the sharp military uniform squatted before her, studying her and silently concerned for her health.

Since Xiao Xiao from the Shen family told him last time that Shen Chaoxi had been kidnapped and injured, he’d known her body was fragile.

That was why he purposely stayed behind, waiting for her.

“I’m fine…”

Of course, Shen Chaoxi didn’t say any of this.

For one, she wasn’t familiar with Lu Yunzhou.

She never liked showing her vulnerable side to others.

Nor did she like revealing her weaknesses.

Her back must never be exposed.

Once in childhood, naive and foolish, she had let her guard down.

She regretted it for a lifetime.

Though she said nothing, Lu Yunzhou could see her condition was off.

Frowning, his gaze remained fixed on her.

He led her as they continued outward.

Outside the tunnel, Lu Shiwǔ was already carrying the man up.

They had been inside for quite a while, and no one knew what the situation was outside.

Night had fallen.

But deep inside the mine, it remained pitch black.

Only a grim atmosphere surrounded them.

Water dripped along the muddy walls, falling with a steady drip, then another.

Lu Yunzhou led her forward.

The tunnel was long.

He feared the girl would get lost and kept his heart tense.

The underground tunnels were complex, branching in many directions.

Once deep inside, only those trained in the terrain could find the way back.

Otherwise, one could easily get lost in this labyrinthine mine.

They were far underground.

Gradually, the dripping grew more frequent.

The water inside the mine was rising rapidly—within ten minutes, it had risen several centimeters.

Lu Yunzhou’s eyes darkened; he sensed something was wrong.

He glanced at the swaying lamp suspended inside the mine, flickering unsteadily.

Accidents often came in an instant.

Shen Chaoxi, beside him, suddenly saw soil falling from above.

Her eyes changed.

“Watch out!”

As the ladder collapsed, she pushed Lu Yunzhou away.

He turned sharply, his gaze darkening, rushing to protect her.

But it was too late.

Suddenly, a wave of darkness engulfed them.

The ladder’s collapse was worse this time—more severe than before.

All the frames disintegrated instantly.

They crashed down onto the girl.

A second landslide.

The mine shaft was buried.

She was trapped beneath the debris...

The man’s pupils constricted.

#

They both saw the danger at the same time.

But Shen Chaoxi, having seen the ladder collapse, had pushed him away despite the risk.

In reality, they were both buried.

Both trapped... yes.