The oxygen in the tomb had already dwindled considerably. Although he could still breathe, his chest had felt tight and uncomfortable the whole time.
Now that they had fresh air, the pressure weighing on both of them eased considerably.
They took turns drawing a few breaths. When Xu Le saw that the dust and sweat on Ai Li's face had mixed into black grime, and that her hair was so dirty it had tangled into clumps, he suddenly laughed.
"Hahaha!"
Hearing Xu Le's hearty laughter, Ai Li's expression softened, losing its earlier coldness.
Having endured hardship together and survived a disaster was something worth celebrating. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, though the grime hid them.
"Are you that happy to have a new lease on life?"
"No, I just think you look like a lump of coal right now. It's such a contrast to how you looked before. Hahaha!"
Ai Li's softened expression instantly tightened.
"We're very close together right now. One punch from me could kill you."
Xu Le: ...
"Sorry."
After chipping away the last rubble blocking the opening, Xu Le and Ai Li finally emerged from the tomb's tunnel.
"Ah!"
Xu Le gave a rather excited cry, but when he turned toward Ai Li, he found her standing calmly behind him.
Thinking she was still angry, Xu Le cautiously asked,
"Still angry? Just now, I wasn't..."
"No. Thank you, Xu Le. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have survived that monster."
The sudden change in Ai Li's attitude left Xu Le a little embarrassed.
"You're too kind. How do we get back now?"
Xu Le glanced at the night sky. Night had already fallen, and Ai Li's car keys had been destroyed in the fighting, so they had no way to return immediately.
"Let's