"Hey, Old Shen!"
Seeing Shen Yeqing, Xie Mi stopped terrorizing the others and enthusiastically waved up at him. "You came to play too?"
Amused and exasperated, Shen Yeqing played along.
"Yes, yes, I came to play. So, Teacher Xie, have you had enough fun? Shall I pull you up if you have?"
"Oh, right!"
Xie Mi slapped her thigh, finally remembering. "I almost forgot we were still trapped! Sorry for the trouble, but give me a hand!"
Xie Mi rose onto her tiptoes to reach the hand Shen Yeqing extended. The instant their fingertips touched, he naturally took her hand, their palms meeting and their warmth mingling.
In the dim, quiet surroundings, the sensation was all the more distinct, like a current passing between them.
Shen Yeqing's gaze flickered. His fingers instinctively curled inward, holding her hand tighter.
But before he could exert any strength to pull her up, Xie Mi planted both feet against the rock wall and grabbed a rock with her free hand. Using him for leverage, she scrambled up in a flash.
"Thanks, Old Shen!"
Shen Yeqing stumbled from the tug. The unusual feelings that had stirred a second earlier instantly vanished, and he let out an exasperated laugh.
"You're welcome, Teacher. Xie."
He said those last two words through somewhat gritted teeth.
The cameraman following Shen Yeqing caught up just then, capturing this harmonious moment of mutual assistance.
[Old Xie, you finally showed up, Old Xie!]
[What happened, Sister Xie? Why are you covered in dirt? We haven't seen you for half an hour, and you're already looking this rough?]
[The moment Old Shen heard Old Xie was missing, he got so anxious he practically wanted to activate Sprint in the cave. Thank goodness he found her.]
[But why did Old Shen sound a little