*
Before the massive waterfall, several flashlights shone brightly. Zhan Pingting clung tightly to Zhou Wuyou, "We can't go in! What if you can't get out either!"
Zhou Wuyou's eyes were completely red. The usually cheerful and outgoing girl was now crying her eyes out. " Yan Heqing hasn't come out yet. I'm going to find him!"
Zhao Yong squatted to one side, head down, not daring to speak.
There were two paths inside the Firefly Cave. He wanted to confess his feelings to Zhan Pingting alone, so he lied and said they would meet up soon. The two groups would separate to make it easier to write the lab report. After they separated, he deliberately pulled Zhan Pingting behind to confess. In the romantic Firefly Cave, Zhan Pingting was also moved and accepted his advances. He couldn't resist kissing Zhan Pingting. When they came to their senses, Yan Heqing was gone.
Gu Xingye looked at his watch; it had been almost an hour since they left the cave.
His expression changed, and he decided not to wait any longer. "You all stay where you are, I'm going back to look for it."
Zhou Wuyou quickly followed, "I'm going too!"
Gu Xingye shook his head, "Having more people around will distract me. Don't worry, I will find him."
Zhou Wuyou bit her lip, Zhan Pingting stepped forward to persuade her, " Gu Xingye is right. It would be troublesome if too many people went in and got separated. Let's stay where we are and wait."
Zhou Wuyou looked at the cave entrance with concern, and finally nodded.
Zhan Pingting thought for a moment and then said, " Gu Xingye, if you haven't found anyone within No. 1 Primary School, come back. What if Yan Heqing has also found his way out and can't contact you because there's no signal? If he hasn't returned, we'll go back to the camp for help."
Gu Xingye nodded, raised his flashlight, and went back into the cave.
The remaining people fell silent, staring nervously at the cave entrance.
A moment later, footsteps sounded behind them. Zhou Wuyou turned around first, looking excitedly, "Yan He--"
The clear word is stuck.
A beam of light shone down, obscuring the face against the light; all that could be discerned was that it was a man.
Upon hearing the first two words and seeing the expressions of the men and women, Lu Lin's gaze darkened slightly. "Where is Yan Heqing?"
The remaining three also looked over. Their flashlights were dim, and they couldn't see Lu Lin clearly because of the backlighting, but his voice carried the authority of a superior. Zhao Yong shuddered and pointed to the cave entrance, saying, "We were exploring the cave, and he didn't return..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Yong felt a tall figure pass him by and disappear into the cave entrance in an instant.
Zhao Yong was completely bewildered. He stammered, "Who is this person?"
No one replied to him.
*
Yan Heqing didn't get lost, but he was bitten on the left ankle.
The fireflies on the cave walls shone like starlight, but the ground was pitch black. He didn't see the animal that bit him, so he could only be sure it wasn't poisonous.
Since being bitten, apart from leg pain, he has experienced no other unusual symptoms.
He analyzed the pros and cons. He could still walk, but it was unclear how long he could keep going. Their group's flashlight was with Zhao Yong. He used his phone to shine light for a while, but it was almost out of power. If he lost the light, he might really get lost in the cave.
In the end, Yan Heqing decided to stay where he was and wait for rescue.
Other classmates will likely come looking for him when they realize he's missing.
Yan Heqing was unsure.
He leaned against the wall, tilting his head slightly upward to look at the fireflies on the cave wall.
It's as beautiful as a dream, like the Milky Way in summer.
It was also a summer night.
He was not yet seven years old at the time, and Yan Feng was only a few months old. He cried, so he went to make him laugh. Yan Shengbing came back and saw this, and slapped him hard on the head, "Get out! You made my son cry, I'll beat you to death!"
He ran out of the house and hid behind a flower bed. He thought that if Zhao Huilin came looking for him, he would wait a few minutes before going out.
He wiped away his tears, gazing expectantly at the entrance of the apartment building.
Many familiar faces came and went, but Zhao Huilin was nowhere to be seen.
He finally understood when it was light the next day.
No one will come looking for him.
Except for mosquitoes.
My arms are covered in big red bumps.
Perhaps thinking of mosquitoes, Yan Heqing felt a slight itch on his ankle. He shone his phone on it and saw a slightly rounded cut, not too big, with a little blood. It must have been a small animal, probably startled by his footsteps.
Worried that other bacteria in the cave might infect the wound, Yan Heqing thought for a moment and decided to tear off a piece of clothing to bandage the wound first.
With only one leg free to move, his squatting motion was extremely slow.
Just as I rolled up my trouser leg, I could faintly hear footsteps.
Yan Heqing immediately looked up and asked, " Zhao Yong?"
Urgent footsteps were heard, followed by a beam of light. The sudden light made Yan Heqing squint, and his pupils dilated sharply in the blurry light.
Then, the newcomer squatted down in front of him, the light illuminating No. 1 Primary School section of his ankle. His thumb expertly pressed against the wound above the ankle, and his magnetic voice rose slightly, "Who is Zhao Yong?"
Chapter 76
Yan Heqing did not reply.
Lu Lin took off his watch and casually placed it on the ground, whereupon it shot into the sky like a beam of light, illuminating the narrow passageway.
Yan Heqing gazed quietly at Lu Lin, a faint light flickering in his eyes.
Lu Lin remained silent, observing the bite marks on his ankle.
It was a small creature with sharp teeth that bit deep. Luckily, it wasn't poisonous, and the congealed blood was a normal color.
Lu Lin pressed his thumb against the skin around the wound again, and Yan Heqing didn't react. Completely relieved, Lu Lin skillfully took out No. 1 Primary School first-aid kit from his fishing bag.
With all the usual medications available, Lu Lin took out a cotton swab with iodine solution, carefully disinfected the wound, unscrewed the ointment, applied it to the wound, and then wrapped it with gauze several times.
The movements were fluid and graceful.
A noticeable cooling sensation surged from the wound, dispelling the intense pain. Yan Heqing's gaze remained fixed on Lu Lin's face.
He finally spoke, "Are you often injured?"
"Who is Zhao Yong?" Lu Lin asked at the same time.
After a brief silence, Yan Heqing's voice was gentle and warm, "Team leader of the internship group."
A boy outside the waterfall flashed before Lu Lin's eyes.
No more than 175 cm tall, thin, and looking rather dim-witted, he pulled down Yan Heqing's trouser leg. "During the time I was obsessed with wild fishing, I often explored the mountains to find good spots, so injuries were inevitable."
Yan Heqing was still looking at him. "When you're engrossed in something, are you always this passionate?"